A week in the life...

I will start with last Saturday. While I was taking engagement pictures, Johnny took the girls to the store to buy Mother's Day gifts. I was home waiting on them when the doorbell rang. I went to answer it, and there was Maddie Kate holding a bouquet of flowers and Ava holding a watering can and a trowel! (Johnny had broken mine when we planted flowers, so I needed a new one) They looked so sweet standing there with their little gifts, and they pointed at the truck, and there was a huge box in the back, and my first thought was, "He has bought a wide screen tv for himself and is calling it a Mother's Day gift!" but as it turns out, it was a patio set for me! We set it all up on the back deck and it is so pretty and comfortable. I keep thinking I ought to put it in the kitchen, it would be cute! I think that has been the first time I have ever had a surprise like that for Mother's Day! Sunday we had church as usual and then we went to my parent's house to celebrate Mother's Day and also the May birthdays, which was Maddie Kate, and my brother-in-law, Tony. This pic is me with the girls on the swing in my parent's yard, and another one I just have to add of Maddie Kate that I love!


We spent the afternoon there, and then went to the Baccalaureate service for the graduating seniors at the high school.
Monday and Tuesday were pretty normal, regular busyness of ball practice and gymnastics and dr. appointments, but Wednesday was the visitation of a sweet lady from our church who passed away and who we will miss very much, Mrs. Reba. Some of the youth group met at our house to go over together and then all the kids came to our house to hang out, eat pizza, and play cards and Wii. The youth coming over to play is always one of my favorite things! They are so fun and so funny! Thursday I had my sister come and babysit Ava and Caleb for me so I could go to Mrs. Reba's funeral and help with the funeral dinner for the family. Valerie and I kept joking that we were "pretending to be grown ups" that day! (Valerie is a girl from our youth group that is in college at FWBBC, but she is currently home for the summer. I also consider her a good friend, and we are so proud of her!) That evening was the high school graduation, and we went to support Jennifer, who is Valerie's sister and also a buddy of mine. She is also planning to attend FWBBC in the fall. We are also very proud of Jennifer, she was one of 3 valedictorians in her class, and she gave a great speech. I am always in awe of people who can give speeches, because I absolutely cannot get up in front of a group and talk. I could take their picture, but not give them a speech!!

Friday was Maddie Kate's big day. She has officially graduated kindergarten (we have the diploma to prove it) an is now officially a first grader, which makes me way too sad to think about it too much! That is just TOO OLD! When they are tiny



















babies you never imagine that they will grow so quickly and start doing all these things that "big" kids do! Plus it makes me seem older to have a child that age! Johnny and I both cried at the ceremony, but I didn't really cry as much as I did at the Mother's Day program last week! (The first picture is Maddie Kate singing at the graduation, the second one is her receiving her diploma, and the next one is all the family members who came to see her graduate!)

After the program, we went back to the house and Maddie Kate opened some graduation gifts, and then we all went out to eat Chinese together. Then we all came back to the house and hung out until party time, when some other family members joined us for cake and ice cream, and birthday gift opening (as if that kid needed any presents; we have no room for any more toys!) This picture is me holding a sleepy Ava after graduation.
















This is the reaction she had when she saw her new bike!
It was a fun day though, it was so nice to just hang out with everyone and not be working!

After the party most everyone was gone, and my sister Sweed (her name is Alisa, but we all call her by her nickname) decided that she needed to do a photoshoot of me, apparently because I am always behind the camera, instead of in front of it! The thing I found funniest was that I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO POSE! I can tell others exactly how to pose or where to look or how to hold their faces, but when it comes to myself and posing, you can forget it! I also feel really strange being photographed alone, now that I am a wife and a mommy! But Sweed has a good eye, and she managed to get a few shots of me that I actually like, so that is a pretty big deal. She will most likely become my photography business partner someday! She actually is going to do back up work for me at some of the weddings this summer, I'm excited to see what she comes up with! The next 3 photos are taken by Sweed! (edited by me)

















The last thing that happened yesterday was Maddie Kate lost another tooth, one of her front top teeth. It was quite an ordeal, because even though she wanted it out, she was very upset about letting us pull it, and she wouldn't do it herself. We finally got it out though, and the tooth fairy paid her another visit! So, it was a VERY big day for Maddie Kate!!

Today we are in Effingham, because Johnny is speaking at his parent's church's Homecoming service tomorrow. We will travel home tomorrow, and the Monday is Maddie Kate's 6th birthday. She doesn't know, but I am throwing her a surprise slumber party that night! That should be a pretty fun time!!