It is rare that I get a chance to read, but I am so glad I picked this book up to go the beach. It is a fictional story of a French girl and her family who were gathered up by the French police in 1942 and detained in different camps before being sent out to Auschwitz. When the police raid in the middle of the night her 4 year old brother hides in a cupboard and Sarah promises she will be right back to get him. Little did she know of the horror that awaited her and her parents. She does escape from the camp and gets back to the apartment to discover the worst. I think the stories told from WWII, are some of the saddest things I could even imagine. It makes me feel so beyond blessed to live in the day and time I do. Along with the horrific things that happened to the Jews, this story really tore at my heart to hear how the children were ripped from their parents and in particular the little girl describing looking at her mother for the last time, not knowing what tortue was ahead, she knew she would never gaze upon her mothers eyes in her mortality again. This book left me feeling how heavy the burden would be to witness and be a part of those horrific events and carry that for the rest of your life.

Strawberry Pickin'

Porter and his buddies and mommy and her friends got together today to pick some strawberries. The lady in charge was a little overwhelmed at our group and made sure to give the boys and the mommy's very clear instructions on just how we needed to go about our little outing. The kids had a great time and now we have some fresh strawberries to take to the beach!


Savannah has taught Porter to pick flowers for momma! Sweet little man!

A very beautiful day

Today I thought I need to really appreciate the beauty of Georgia in springtime. Perfect weather, no humidity, kids with chango merry (mango cherry) stained faces, relaxing on the tire swing and new kicks.

What drives my kids

T. R. E. A. T. S

I wish I had the time to quiet my brain and master the art of not allowing too much sugar, but use their love of goodies to get more done around here. I just got home from the grocery store with sherbet. I started dinner and as is the typical dinner at our house, I'm right in the middle of cooking, praying, can I have water and making sure everyone washed hands (why can't this happen in the right order?) and Cardyn starts in on her negotiations with what she will and won't eat. Since sliders are off of her list apparently, she offers that she will eat a bowl of Kale in lieu of burgers for sherbet. Fine I say. Now they've all scampered outside and I'm wondering why I go to the trouble with trying to come up with something to eat every night. A bowl of Kale and sherbet . . .note to self it's probably healthier than the burgers, just serve that.

Sunday pictures with the girls

Playgroup

Porter had a lot of fun with his buddies yesterday. We did a little Easter egg hunt for them. He loves being with his friends! We had brought sport eggs and it took him a minute to pick up any other eggs. He just wanted the ball ones, but he had a lot of fun and woke up today wanting candy in his basket. Too bad he ate it all in one sitting. When I got him out of his car seat he was covered in chocolate!

Atlanta Temple

Saturday we took the kids up to the Atlanta Temple to go through the tour before the rededication. We had such a wonderful time and it made me so grateful that the temple will be open again soon. It was so beautiful and I think the girls were especially excited to be able to go inside. Savannah's favorite part of the temple was the baptristy. She kept talking about how in a few short years she will be able to come up and be able to attend the temple there. Porter was pretty good through the tour. We had a little struggle keeping him good and he really embarrassed us by announcing after the opening movie for all to hear that he needed to go "poopy." He also refused to wear the booty's they put on your feet and later that night at home he saw a picture of the temple on the bookcase and looked at me real serious and said, "I not wear booty's!" Cardyn was very impressed with all the chandeliers and kept asking where the "kissing room" was on the tour. I don't know where she comes up with these things, other than us telling her that you get married in the temple. She was going to find out where it is you kiss your husband. When she saw it was under one of the fancy chandeliers her eyes lit up. I will have to remember to remind her of this in years to come. I am grateful to be so close to the temple and am so grateful for this Holy place. It's beauty reminds me of how close Heaven really is and especially since my mom has passed away, I crave that connection.

We're going to soccer . . .grab your helmet and football

Spring Break

The kids had their Spring Break from school this week and we have had such a blast! Normally we don't go out of town for Spring Break because we try to avoid the spring breakers by going down to Destin in May. This year some good friends offered their extra room in their condo to us and we just couldn't resist. We stayed at the Adagio in Santa Rosa Beach. It is such a quaint community of homes and trails and shops that make my head spin driving by. I try to see everything and secretly wish Richard would just drive through all the neighborhoods. The condo was on the gulf and had a heated pool and a larger pool. It was still a little chilly for the pools, but the kids and Richard were in the Gulf every day, all day. We got there Saturday night after about an hour and a half traffic jam right out of Eufaula. Eufaula is usually the place we stop to get something to eat and take a potty break and the Spiers family have a very dysfunctional relationship with the Wendy's that goes back to when Richard and I were on our first date. I don't know why it has taken us 13 years to break this relationship off, but this trip did it and we have sworn it off for good. There is a new Hardee's at the end of town that we may be giving a chance, but no more long term bad experiences. If so, it will be off the list. Kim and I, Taylor and Alexa decided to make the 14 mile trip into Walmart to get food after Cardyn went to bed complaining that she was going to wake up to nothing to eat. After the condo was stocked with food, we spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday getting up going down to the beach, coming in for lunch and heading back down until dinner. The kids spent some time at the pool, but it was hard to get chairs at the heated one and the other was too cool. After dinner we'd take the kids down to the beach at night to hunt for crabs with flashlights. The first night we just caught a few, but after inheriting a net, we caught about twenty the next. I loved watching my girls right with their dad getting those crabs. I ended up carrying Porter, the bucket a couple pair of shoes and an occasional flashlight or shovel. I felt like such a pack mule. We could not get enough of the beach. Time just disappears and my kids have so much fun in the sand and surf. I love watching them riding waves and collecting shells and digging in the sand and of course the traditional getting buried in the sand. We are so lucky to live so close and Richard is determined to get down there more often than twice a year. The only good thing about leaving Wednesday was knowing we would be back down there in two weeks.