Better Late than Never!

Growing up in Heritage Lakes, we always spent the Fourth of July with family and friends at the neighborhood "festival." There were pool and yard games, train rides, BBQ, and fireworks, and it was always a BLAST! We wanted Bailee to have those same experiences, so we took her to the HL celebration this year, and she had a lot of fun!

Beach Photos

Patrick had to leave this afternoon so he could return to work Wednesday, so we went to the beach early today. We found a vacated pool, and Bailee played in it most of the morning. As you can see, she's not the only "bathing beauty" on Edisto Beach though!

Family Vacation Part Two

We've spent a couple days down at the beach, and at first, Bailee wasn't too sure about it. She loves the sand, but wasn't too crazy about the water. She eventually warmed up to it, but didn't want to stay there for too long!

We've had a great vacation, and it's hard to believe it's almost over! It's been a lot of fun spending time with family and just relaxing! But as you can see, some of us are still pretty tired!

Family Vacation Part One

This year's family vacation was special because the first part of our week was dedicated to a family wedding in Charleston. My youngest cousin, Sarah, married a wonderful guy from Saluda, SC, named Sam, and we were invited to share in their special day. We enjoyed spending time with them at the rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid's luncheon, wedding, and reception. Everything was beautiful...the bride, the ceremony, and especially the flowers! :) Plus, it gave us an opportunity to spend some long overdue time with the Watson family!

Slipping Through My Fingers

If you haven't been to see Mamma Mia!, I highly recommend it! Having very little knowledge of the Broadway play, music, etc., I was unfamiliar with the ABBA song "Slipping Through My Fingers." And as I sat there listening to that song, the lyrics struck me and I found myself fighting back tears. I could just see my little girl all grown up, and it made me sad. She is my little buddy, and I have truly enjoyed being able to spend time with her this summer! We have gotten so attached to one another, and I know that when I have to return to school in less than a month, I'll feel as if I'm missing part of my own body. That, I have discovered, is the true meaning of love. She has blessed our lives in so many ways, and I often stop and thank God that He has blessed us with such an angel! And while I often say I'd like to keep her from getting any older, and thus slipping through my fingers, I wouldn't want to deprive her of the opportunity to experience this wonderful life and the awesome feeling of love!

Brusha-Brusha-Brusha

Bailee, being the independent, free-spirited daughter of mine, wanted (I should say...insisted) on being the one to brush her teeth tonight before we went to bed. To be honest, I think she ate more of the toothpaste than brushing, but it was too cute not to take a picture and share with the world! Let's just hope she has better teeth than her mommy!

Greenville Zoo

We went to the Greenville Zoo for the first time last Monday with Bethany and MaKynna Pannell, some friends from church. Bailee loved getting to see all the animals! She's definitely on her way to being a veterinarian!

Brilliant Idea

So, I had this idea that I would take Bailee up to the Clemson Botanical Gardens one morning and take some pictures of her instead of going to a studio to have professional photos taken. I thought this would work out great, but as you can see, my subject was less than thrilled! Not only that, but she wouldn't sit still long enough to have her picture taken! Oh well, so much for that brilliant idea!

Summer Time Activities

I have always looked forward to the end of a school year and to a little time for R & R, but this summer, I had something special to look forward to...two and a half months with Bailee! We have had a lot of fun this summer because she is learning and doing so much! Here's just a sample of the things we've been up to:

Bailee is "mastering" the art of feeding herself with a spoon. It hasn't all been pretty, but is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face! And, if you can't tell, she's mighty proud of herself too!

We've also been spending a little time at the pool. We also went to the Splash Zone with our friend, Ashley, and her two boys, Guy (4) and Eli (17 months). It took a little getting used to, but she warmed up to the idea eventually.

One afternoon, we decided to do a little baking, and Bailee helped! We baked banana bread, and she doned an apron and stood on the stool to help! Not only was it fun, but it entertained her for close to an hour! And in Bailee-time, that's almost an eternity!!!

And lastly, probably the one thing that will make her Daddy and her Pops happier than anything else, Bailee's been working on her golf game. She helped Daddy with his chip shots, and I think both of them were loving every minute of it! Maybe we have a golf protege in our midst!

As you can see, we've been very busy! And we're having a ball! Keep checking back for more updates!

Trying it Out

Okay, so this is my FIRST attempt at blogging! (Surprising, I know!) I am starting this to keep a record what's going on in my life.

I chose the title "Unfinished Story" because I've always thought of my life like a book. There's plenty of action, drama, suspense...you name it, I've got it! Anyway, the idea came to me the other night (around 3:00am when Bailee was going down for the second-or was it third?-time that night) that I should write a book based on my life. Now, I seriously doubt it would become a best-seller, but that got me thinking that I should at least attempt to document the events of my life, however pathetic they might be. Because the excitement is never-ending, the last chapter of my story, like an unfinished book, has yet to be written!

We'll see how well this goes!