Mimi and Pops

First Visit with Pops post-hospital - looking good, Pops!

Kathryn loved her blueberry dessert!

Audrey loved it too!

Our visit to see our friends, Carly, Davis, and Annie - this is the best shot I could get of the four of them!

Kathryn is the social butterfly.

Audrey LOVES Davis!

sweet Annie

This girl is serious about her ice cream!

Visit to the park with Mimi

Monkey came along for the ride

Loving the drums

Audrey's First VBS!

Audrey had a big week! She just returned from Grandmother and Granddaddy's home in AL where she participated in their church's VBS. She had a great time and returned with all sorts of treasures and treats. As always, it seems that she has grown two feet and by about three years when she comes back home - can't believe that she will be three in two months. Time flies by! Thanks Grandmother and Granddaddy for a great week!

her special goggles

Showing off her bag of crafts and her homemade "suitcase"

Kathryn enjoyed her one on one time with Mommy and Daddy too!

Meeting Logan

Baby Logan Hall arrived around Mother's Day, and we got to have a little visit with him today. He's such a cutie! Lots of brown hair and the sweetest little lips. We love his precious parents, Jake and Erin and we're so glad that they have this precious baby! Kathryn loved him too.

Jake and Logan

Kathryn thought he was so interesting!

Precious babes

Kathryn was enamored with the swing and kept trying to pull up on it.

Serious moment

sweet sleeper

Hydrangeas 2012

 Grandmother and Granddaddy captured some great shots of the girls in front of the hydrangeas during their visit.

Happy Kathryn

9 months old

May 2012

Striking a pose

Grandmother made my pretty bib!

Flashback: Audrey at 9 months, 2010

Hospital Happenings

 We took a road trip to visit Pops and Mimi this week in SC. Our Pops is making friends with all of the doctors and nurses, keeping the mail delivery people crazy busy, and making progress every day with his chemotherapy treatments. We just got a report today that his pathology report looks clean and he should be heading home next week after being in the hospital for almost a month. He will continue with a few more outpatient treatments and continual monitoring, but it is looking up!

Through all of this, I have been reminded of this verse from Romans...Romans 5:3-4
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." We do not know the full story of why sufferings come our way, but we do know that we have a God of hope. Thanks be to God!

 Kathryn and Mimi

 Pops is looking strong! Audrey is ready to run around the fountain.

 Audrey and David managed to be around when the delivery lady was refilling the vending machine. She gave Audrey her first bag of Doritos...needless to say, she was a fan!

 Can you tell she's insisting on putting her shoes by herself?

Audrey loved the rocking chairs in the lobby and she especially loved the fact that hospitals have automatic soap dispensers. We had to visit the bathroom about four times during each visit.

Beach trip 2012

Thanks to Grandmother and Granddaddy, David and I were able to get away to St. S1mons for a few days right after his dissertation defense on Memorial Day. The first day we started off at the beach, but by day two, David felt we needed a little more adventure in our lives. So...we decided to rent some bikes. I know, I know - it doesn't sound too wild, but for two people who haven't been on a bike in about 15 years, it seemed a little daunting at first.
However, it is true that once you learn, it comes back to you, so we had a great time going around St. S1mons for about an hour or so. Once we finished that and a great lunch at Southern S0ul Barbeque (you should go there if you are in St. S1mons), we decided to kayak.

When I texted my friend Megan to tell her that we were about to go on a three hour tour up a creek in a kayak, she texted back, "Who are you and what did you do with Lauren?" A valid question. I should have known when we started out with our very laid back tour guide Brim (yes, Brim), that he and I might have different ideas on the value of a plan of attack while kayaking, particularly when a storm starts to brew about an hour and a half into it. It didn't help that one of our fellow adventurers decided to tip out of her kayak about three times. Or, that I decided that David and I should use a tandem kayak. It seemed so sweet to me, working together and all. What I didn't know is that it is much harder to steer and brake and generally requires more calm conversation than I was wanting to have while on choppy ocean water with thunder in the background. But, I digress...

Here are the kayaks..the red one is our blessed vehicle.

Captain, my captain

Yes, I  know the hat is crazy but it was hot. Well, hot in the beginning before the storm of the century!! (Really, it was a few drops, wind and thunder in the end, but still.)

Happy marriage

Um, no pictures from the end of our trip. I was so happy to get off on that sandy shore and to our car in one piece that I completely forgot to commemorate our victorious return.

A few more Dr. King shots

 Here are a few more photos from David's defense day on Memorial Day. These three professors are a part of his committee, Dr. Liz Bounds, David, Dr. Brooks Holifield, and Dr. Jonathan Strom. Dr. Grant Wacker, from Duke, was also a part of his committee, via conference call. 

David and Dr. Holifield

All 412 pages!

LES Good byes

Six years ago, I was searching for a job online. I found a great school close to where we were moving and simply felt drawn to it.  It was a Title One school, with mostly second language students, and the photos revealed a principal with one of the sweetest smiles I've ever seen. I truly believe that God led me to LES where there is a such a wonderful and committed staff. Our students come with many challenges, but our school of over 1,200 elementary students continues to pass and exceed state standardized testing. I will really miss this family! Here are a few pictures from our last day's celebration.

Some of our third grade team: Sally, Kelly, Jan, and Amy

some of the admin team: Jenny, Carol, Tracey, Sharon

Love this couple! Jeanine was a mentor teacher for me and Coach Dunn is the best PE teacher ever!

The last day ended with a dance party

taking it down!