Georgia

Our oldest nephew, Hunter, has been playing baseball since he was three. He is now 11 and is the catcher for his All-Star team. He had a World Series game near us, so we went to see him play. He lives in Alabama, so it is hard to get to his games, but we love to see him play if we can. They won and after the game we went to Athens, GA to visit the campus. We had lunch at the Varsity, frozen oranges and all and rode around the campus and stadium.

I told Bart we needed to take Sydney and Mac's picture on campus in case one of them decides to go to school there. He looked at me like I had three heads. He said if we are going to pay out-of-state tuition, they were going to Auburn. The kids are only 5 and 2, I think we have time and should let them decide.

We had a great day with the family. The weather was perfect, 79 with a breeze. It doesn't get much better than that.


Mac in his favorite shirt. This is Bart's from 1978. My kid's loved seeing Hunter play, but I think they really loved the ballpark refreshments.

Princess, Princess, Princess

Sydney and I helped her friend, Kathleen, celebrate her fifth birthday at Disney World. We had a great time with just the girls. Kathleen has a little brother, too. The little boys stayed home with the big boys for a little "man weekend." This "man weekend" included a poker night, a sleepover and a lake trip. The little boys had a great time and I think the dads did as well.

Kristy planned an excellent trip for us. We went to a character breakfast on Kathleen's birthday and then we headed to Magic Kingdom for the day. With the special birthday Fast Pass, we were able to ride the popular rides without a wait, which was very helpful in the July heat. The next day we visited the Bippity Boppity Boutique for a princess makeover and had lunch with all the princesses at Cinderella's Royal Table. The food was really yummy. After a long day at the park we had dinner at Downtown Disney where Sydney discovered Legos. The Lego store was packed. By the way, there are no signs of a recession at Disney World. People are just lining up to give their money away. Both girls enjoyed playing "Princess" while we were at the hotel. They would have you line up for their autographs, then pose for a picture.

The trip was quick, but we accomplished much. Kathleen took her first trip in an airplane, they both collected many autographs, fell in love with the Buzz Lightyear ride and enjoyed a three-night slumber party. Kristy and I survived!






Sydney taking a bow after playing Chip in Storytime with Belle.


Buzz Lightyear was Kathleen's favorite ride.


A great way to end the day with a double rainbow.

The Children's Museum of the Upstate is OPEN!

The Children's Museum of the Upstate is OPEN!!! It is great and worth every bit of the wait. The Circle members had the opportunity to preview the museum before it opened on July 31st. They loved every minute of it. They keep asking me why I get to go (to volunteer) and they don't. I guess it is time to take them back!

Penny Party for The Children's Museum of the Upstate

Waiting on their guests to come.






The citizens of Greenville are about to get a really big treat. The Children's Museum of the Upstate is preparing to open the doors later this month. The museum is a state-of-the-art museum with 18 exhibits. This project has been in the works for many years (like 10+)! I believe it is worth every bit of the wait.

In order for the children of Greenville to feel like they participated in opening the doors, they were invited to save their pennies and bring them to a "penny party." We hosted a party with the Armaly's and it was a great success. We raised $200! The kids had a great time playing, eating Popsicles and collecting their museum goodies. The theme of the campaign was "Count Me In" and I feel so blessed to have been able to participate in such a wonderful project.

Baby Chicks

I love this picture of Mac and the chick in his pocket.



Sydney was so gentle with the chicks.

We celebrated July 4th with a trip to the chicken houses in Alabama. Our brother-in-law is a chicken farmer and invited us to see the baby chicks. It is very rare for us to be home when they are so little, so it was a first for all of us. The kids loved it! We all had to learn the "chicken house shuffle" so we would not step on the chicks. That is why Mac is wearing socks with his Crocs - I wouldn't let him wear that normally. (Or maybe I would - he is the second child!)

Mauldin Cheer Camp

Mauldin Cheer Camp was a blast! She learned three chants and a dance routine to Oh, Pretty Woman, complete with sunglasses and jewels. I am confident we will be doing this again next summer.

Mac's "Half" Birthday

My baby boy is 2 and a half! Since his birthday is Dec. 17th, I decided we needed to celebrate the midpoint in June. Sydney gave him two Cars - Dinoco McQueen and The King. He loves McQueen. I can almost guarantee when you see him he will have a car in his hand. Bart and I gave him a tee and bat. The tee has provided lots of backyard fun.

This little boy has stolen my heart and I just cannot get enough of him.