Memorial Day at the Lake

We all had a great time relaxing at the lake this Memorial Day thanks to our gracious friends. Kate fell off the dock into the water (of course she had her life jacket on) and handled it like a pro and didn't panic at all. With a little practice, Shields got fairly good at driving the Sea Doo...and Kate soon got over her fear of the Sea Doo, and enjoyed riding it, too!

Happy Birthday Caterina!

Como estas?

Shields, Kate, Cedar & Mommy's hike at KM Battleground

While Tom was off at a golf outing today, I took the kids (and Cedar) to their favorite local hiking spot at the Kings Mountain Battleground. Shields LOVES to race to the markers and have me read to him about the soldiers, and the Loyalists and the Patriots, and pretends he is shooting from behind the trees. Kate loves the monuments, and always says "They are so HUGE, mommy!". They both love to hike and exercise outdoors, so I look forward to taking them to some new hiking spots that they can explore. Their absolute favorite part is making it to the top, and getting to have a juice box and snack! They have no trouble keeping up with me, though, and are really improving their endurance....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT!

A little birthday wish for the favorite uncle...

Broad River Greenway Easter Egg Hunt

Whew...what a fun and busy weekend! The kids had so much fun at the Easter Egg Hunt at Broad River Greenway today, which was followed by a birthday party! Tom is on the Board of Directors for the Greenway, and helped hide all of the eggs pre-hunt. The children came in droves for this hunt, and Shields & Kate waited patiently until their division's whistle was blown - and then the hunt was on! It was amazing to see how much they had matured since last year, in regards to their 'egg hunting abilities'. After the children collected their 10 egg limit, they were able to redeem them for candy. I tried to limit them to one piece each, but my sweets-deprived kiddies wanted to eat every piece in one sitting..oh well, I thought....let them eat the candy! They really were on their best behavior today, and were so excited to meet the Easter Bunny!

Shields' Self-Haircut

Wow...What do you say when you awake in the morning, only to find that your child has reached the ultimate in milestones? It's hard to say much...For the first time in my life, I think I was speechless!
Yes, for today is the day that Shields has performed the glorious self-haircut!

Shields was extremely proud (as you can see by the picture) of his new cut.
I am convinced he used the mirror while cutting, as I found little bits of hair on the sink in the bathroom. Wow, how funny that he really TRIED to give himself a good cut, and wasn't just blindly snipping...

Am I taking him to the barber to get it fixed? Of course not!! I am going to let him wear his new 'do' with pride!

It will be fun to show him this picture one day...In the meantime, I am praying that Kate doesn't cut off her precious goldilocks!

SHIELDS vs KATE

It's the BATTLE OF THE FAKE SMILES!

Shields seems to be quite the 'ladies man'....they must love the 'silent type'..

(In case you're wondering he likes blondes..The little girl on his right is Stevie

and she is his favorite...)

I may look sweet, but looks can be deceiving! :-)

Fun at the beach.....

This past week was filled jam-packed with fun and excitment, coupled with a few moments of rest and relaxation...Our fun days at Kiawah were spent playing in the ocean, basking in the sun, flying kites, riding bikes, napping & just enjoying the beautiful scenery. Shields and Kate were at the most perfect ages to fully enjoy all that the beach had to offer. When Kate first laid eyes upon the beach she said "look mommy, it's the big pool", as she probably had no recollection of her trip last year, at age one. Shields was quite the waterbug and got into the ocean, up to his neck! I took the majority of the following pictures at the Belvidere Club (yes, it is spelled with an "i" not two "e's"), which was the picturesque and PERFECT setting for my brother's wedding. What wonderful memories!