The Walker Family

Our first time

2012-01-29T20:11:00.000-05:00

We went 4 wheeling for the first time this week. It was more than the boys could ever have imagined. They loved it!
John Lawrence is just as we thought he would be. Level headed and uses good judgement as to which path to take. Mac on the other hand, is just like we thought he would be. Daring, quick to ride, moves before he thinks of the best path. Granted he is 5, but Mason has his work cut out for him!! It was truly so much fun and I even rode them both a little too.

The boys are both asking when we are going out to ride again. Mason could not be happier.

man toy

2012-01-27T14:27:00.000-05:00

This is Mason's new toy. They are so excited about this new adventure!

boy toy

2012-01-08T20:37:00.001-05:00

This week Mason surprised the boys with a 4 Wheeler! Mason told the boys we would get one in a couple of months, but surprised them this week. John Lawrence rode with Mason to pick it up and they surprised Mac with it when they got home. He was so excited! Mason is also planning on getting himself a 4Wheeler and then the fun starts. They first need to learn some safety tips, lessons, helmets, chest plates and more. It will be a process, but the boys (Mason, JL and Mac) are so excited!

Tomorrow

2012-01-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow starts the beginning of the New Year in my eyes. John Lawrence goes back to school. Mason goes back to work. Mac starts school on Wednesday. Tomorrow I start getting the house back in order after the Christmas Holidays and start working on my New Years goals. Exercising and Organization are at the top of my list this year.

Today we slept late, had a friend sleepover, ate pancakes and bacon for breakfast and played until it was time to go to Monkey Joe's. There the boys played some more. I am ready for tomorrow, but it sure has been a fun 2 weeks off of school and everyday life.

I am ready for 2012!

New York New York

2011-12-31T22:47:00.004-05:00

I took a Girl's Trip with Jan, Ellen and Martha Jane (my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law) during the first week of December. This was my Christmas gift from Jan and Mason.

We left on Friday morning and returned on Monday night. We saw The Lion King on Broadway and The Rockette's Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Both shows were incredible! We toured the city by jumping on and off Gray Line Double Decker Bus Tour. It was easy to navigate and we were able to cover so much ground without having to pay for taxis. We went to see the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Little Italy, China Town, and Macy's. We shopped and shopped and shopped some more. It truly was magical seeing New York at Christmas time. The lights were amazing as were the many department store windows.

We stayed in the heart of the city at the Crown Plaza. We were within walking distance to so many things. We were only there for a few days, but we got to see and do all that was on our must see/do list. Jan was the planner of the trip and did a fabulous job. I told the girls I was along for the ride and I was up for anything. It was so nice to go and not have to plan a single thing. Martha Jane was great at looking at maps and figuring out where to go. I don't know what we would have done without her.

Thanks Jan for the trip of a lifetime! I loved being in New York with three of my favorite women.

**picture overload-my blog book would not be the same without these pictures. These pictures were taken by Ellen, Martha Jane and myself.

China Cat

2011-12-31T12:46:00.001-05:00

We ended the year by saying good bye to our China Cat on the 31st of December. She was 12 years old and such a sweet cat. She loved the boys so much and slept with them every night. John Lawrence was her favorite person by far. She started losing weight and slowing down and we chalked it up to old age, but we took her in to the vet and realized she was in kidney failure.

She had a great life, but it was her time to go. She will be deeply missed!

Ice Skating at Centennial Park

2011-12-29T21:43:00.017-05:00

We always go downtown for a day during the week between Christmas and New Years. Mason is off of work and Aunt Martha Jan (this year she had to work) joins us to go ice skating and eat lunch.We actually had a day free the weekend before Christmas, so we decided to go to the Zoo and lunch. We tried to talk the boys into letting that be our downtown Atlanta day, but they were not buying it. So we ended up going ice skating this week and had a ball! This was our 3rd year in a row going ice skating at Centennial Park.

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T21:18:00.001-05:00

Christmas Day started for John Lawrence at 6:00am. Both boys slept with Aunt Martha Jan and she was not sure if she should wake everyone up or wait for Mac. She decided to wait on Mac (thank you so much)to wake up at 7:30. The boys were so excited to see what Santa left them. The boys played with their toys until 1pm and then we went to Grandma Walker's for lunch and then Mammy's house for dinner. It was a wonderful day filled with family.

**JL's favorite gifts or the ones he loving the most on Christmas Day were the Lava Lamp and the Teddy Bear(from GranJan and Pop) and Mac's favorites were the Under Armour Shirt and Shaving Cream. It really is the little things that get them excited.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

These pictures were taken on Christmas Eve night when we were opening family gifts. That is always a fun time to see what everyone picks out for each other. The boys go to the dollar store and pick out gifts too. Mason actually took the boys to TJ Maxx for my gifts:).

Christmas Activities

2011-12-23T20:24:00.001-05:00

We always spend Christmas in Spartanburg and this year did not disappoint. The weather was wonderful for playing outside and enjoying all of the festivities. We did the usual golf cart rides, feeding the animals, fill bags of sand for the night lights and play outside. The boys even met a new friend Alex that lives two doors down from GranJan and Pop's house. We added shooting the BB gun and my brother Gregory joined us this year for Christmas. We loved having him. Gregory even woke up early on Christmas morning to see what the boys got from Santa. It was a great Christmas!

JL's Christmas Party at school

2011-12-19T20:02:00.002-05:00

John Lawrence's class had their Christmas party during the last week of school before vacation. The kids loved it and there were a lot of adults to help and run the centers. Mac came with me and he actually was a great helper and picture taker.

Our Angel

2011-12-18T09:25:00.001-05:00

Mac was an Angel in the Christmas program at his school. He was not that happy about being an Angel for the fact that he thought it was for girls and he had to wear a head band. He survived and he looked super cute, but don't tell him that.

Gingerbread House

2011-12-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

We decorated our Gingerbread house last week and it was a piece of cake. Really it was. It used to be my nightmare, but now that I use a glue gun to assemble it it is a piece of cake. Here she is in all her glory.

JL thought up the idea of using the icing to make icicles and he is so proud!

Basketball

2011-12-17T21:20:00.000-05:00

Mac is playing basketball this winter and so far is loving it. He loves the outfit and puts it on by 7:00am on Saturdays and games don't start until 10:30am. Mason is the assistant coach and is really enjoying coaching the little guys. Here is Mac all decked out on the basketball court.

Christmas List 2011

2011-12-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

Christmas List 2011

Here are the boys Christmas lists for 2011. I wanted to write them out, so I can look back when they are teenagers and remember what they were into when they were 7 and 5 years old.

John Lawrence's List
XBox 360 with the Kinect

XBox games

Diary with a lock and key

Dagedar with balls

Ds game

Science Kit

Favorite item on the list is XBox 360 with the Kinect

Mac's List

Electric Scooter

Bike

Under Armour sleeveless shirt

Wrestling Men and Ring

Ds game

Angry Bird stuffed animal

Favorite item on the list is Electric Scooter

He's Back

2011-12-14T17:14:00.000-05:00

He is back! We love our Elf on the Shelf (Cricket). The boys get so excited when he arrives and never is there a morning that one of them don't ask where is Cricket and the search begins. He has been a little lazy this year so far and has stayed in the same place two times. The boys were sad and were so happy that he flew the next day. He needs to stay on top of his flights and new hiding places;).

Santa Claus

2011-12-14T16:53:00.001-05:00

We went to see Santa Claus last week at Bass Pro Shop. It is our favorite place to see Santa. The same Santa has been there at least the last 3 years. Where else can you go and see Santa, check out fish, rock climb and play with guns and stuff? I will have a separate post of what the boys are asking for this Christmas. Mac's list grows and grows by the day.

Christmas Books

2011-12-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

I can't remember where I got this idea, (my sister or a blog I read) but I wrapped up 24 Christmas books right before December 1st, so we could count down to Christmas. The boys take turns unwrapping 1 book a night and then we read it. I am always trying to get JL to read more and Mac to listen to more books so this was perfect! It has really gotten us in the spirit as well.

I will definitely do this again next year!

Actual Birthday 11-29

2011-12-12T14:15:00.001-05:00

Mac was born on November 29th and I am not a fan of having a birthday this time of year. It is too close to Thanksgiving and too close to the hustle and bustle of Christmas. We always have his party around the middle of November, so that means his birthday lasts for 3 weeks.

On the day of his birthday we sent in cupcakes for his class and he loved it!! This was his 3rd party! The two things he wanted for his birthday were a pair of basketball (that he picked out) and a straight brim hat. He was so excited to finally get the shoes. I bought them on November 1st and I had to tell him because he was so worried someone else would buy them. He counted down for 29 days until he got those shoes. He loves to count down to whatever.... He has not taken them off since.

This is what Mac woke up to on his actual birthday.

Decorating the Tree

2011-12-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

The boys always help decorate the Christmas tree. They do not stop until the last ornament is on and the star is on the tree. This year Mac started talking about putting the star on the tree about a week before we actually got it. John Lawrence has always put the star on, but this year was the first year Mac even cared or thought about the star. Time to start taking turns. Mac put the star on the tree, but JL wanted pictures of himself putting it on too. Silly boys...

Christmas Tree Farm

2011-12-12T09:35:00.001-05:00

On the way home from Kentucky (Thanksgiving) we stopped in Waynesville, NC and went to Boyd Christmas Tree Farm. It was the first time our family has ever been to a tree farm where the trees are actually in the ground until you pick it. The place was incredible ~picture perfect. We saw Santa Claus, ate cookies, drank apple cider/hot chocolate, picked out a beautiful tree and played badminton. We could not have asked for a better experience. This will become a new tradition on the years we are in Kentucky to stop here on the way home. We loved it!

Thanksgiving in Kentucky

2011-12-11T21:33:00.000-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Kentucky this year and had a great time. The Duplers were there too and Gregory spent a couple of days there as well. The boys loved playing with Sam and Hudson and the dogs. My Dad and I woke up at 4:30 am on Thanksgiving day and tried to do a little bit of shopping. Thanks for getting up with me~ Dad! We also celebrated Mac's birthday while we were there. He loved it!

Thanks Dad and Diane for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Monkey Joes Birthday Party

2011-12-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

Mac had his 5th birthday party at Monkey Joes and it did not disappoint. He invited 9 of his cousins/friends and they had a ball! They jumped and jumped some more.

Happy 5th Birthday Mac

2011-11-29T08:00:00.003-05:00

Mac today you turn 5 years old. We are so proud of you and the boy are becoming. You are no longer a baby, but a big boy. You love to hang out with John Lawrence and his friends, but you are wanting to have your own friends too. You run to the beat of your own drum and we love that about you.

Right now you are big into clothes and having your own style. Things you like to wear are an under armour sleeveless shirt (no matter if it is cold outside), jeans, belts, a chain from the front of your jeans to the back. You are going to play basketball this winter and you knew you wanted high top basketball shoes, so that is what you asked for your birthday.

You love school and seem to do well. You are starting to want to work on your letters more and trying to make words. JL is trying to teach you how to add and multiply. Nothing like some good brotherly competition to get you motivated.

You love to ride your bike, jump on the trampoline, hang out in the treehouse and play with friends. We forget you are little most of the time, until it is late and you come to either me or Daddy and ask if we will cuddle with you. It melts us every time.

You are an absolute joy and we love your little spirit. You know what you want and will stop at nothing until you get it. You keep our family on our toes and we would not have it any other way.

We love you Mac Attack!

Mac's Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

Last week Mac's school had a Thanksgiving Feast and Performance. He loved it! He had to learn 4 songs with hand motions and a couple of verses and a prayer. He was a great pilgrim! We ate lunch at school and it was actually pretty good.

Their trees

2011-11-28T10:37:00.000-05:00

The boys both have their own Christmas trees for their rooms. They take pride in setting them up all by themselves and getting to decide where the ornaments will hang. They turn them on throughout the month without me even having to remind them. Our family loves Christmas and you can see it being passed down through the boys as well.

I will admit I got some of our inside Christmas decorations out before Thanksgiving, so the boy's trees have been up for about 2 weeks. During the first week of the time change (always hard on mom-they are early risers) Mason went to give the boys a kiss before he went to work at 6:15am and JL had already turned on his tree and he and Mac were in bed singing Jingle Bells. That is what it is all about. This week the boys are getting back to their 7-7:30am wake up time. Thank Goodness!

Operation Chirstmas Child

2011-11-18T08:28:00.000-05:00

This week is National Collection week for Operation Christmas Child and we turned in our shoes boxes yesterday. This was our first year to fill a shoebox and I must say it was such a good experience! We chose to fill two boxes that were for boys the same age as JL and Mac. The boys went shopping with me to pick out all of the items to put in the boxes.

JL truly got the concept and really wanted to give his boy great stuff for Christmas. Mac on the other hand, got the concept, but was still torn about parting with all the great candy and toys. We also included some basic items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, washcloth, socks and then some fun stuff like markers, crayons, paper, toys, candy, flashlight, batteries.

We took the boxes to a local church and we were amazed at the amount of shoe boxes that were already colected. It was such a great learning experience for the boys and it is something we will definitely do again.

We filled out some information online and this will enable us to track our boxes and see where they end up. That will be the exciting part!

Mac's Room

2011-11-17T20:28:00.000-05:00

This is what Mac's room looks like everyday. He is back to changing some part of his outfit about 5 times a day. It makes me crazy!!!!!

Disney World -Day 5 Magic Kingdom

2011-11-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

This was a our final day in the park, so we decided to go back to Magic Kingdom. We rode all of our favorite rides again and again. The boys even got me on Splash Mountain! The hit of the day again was Space Mountain of course.

We had an absolute ball and could not have asked for a better trip! The boys never complained about being tired or all of the walking. We actually were trying to keep up with them! It was awesome having Pop and GranJan with us on the trip. They were fun and the kids loved having them there. It was a trip of a lifetime and we will definitely go back in a couple of years.

Disney World -Day 4 Animal Kingdom

2011-11-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

We got to Animal Kingdom when it opened and this day was supposed to be filled with rain. It rained as we were making our way to the park and rained for the first 15 minutes we were there. It then did not rain again until about 5:00pm and it was a light rain. It turned out to be an overcast day, which was perfect for Animal Kingdom. We really had a good time at this park. We thought we may only stay here for a couple of hours, but ended up here till about 5:30pm. It was a great day and a wonderful park.

Favorite Rides:
Expedition Everest: Roller coaster, of course the boys favorite ride
Kilimanjaro Safaris: Everyone loved the safaris
Kali River Rapids: We wore our ponchos, so we did not get so wet.
Boneyard Playground
Festival of the Lion King: Great show, We all loved it!

We ate dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe in Downtown Disney. I included some pictures. The food was just ok, but the decor was amazing. There was a thunderstorm inside every 30 minutes, which the boys thought was super cool.

Rainforest Cafe

Disney World-Day 3 Epcot

2011-11-05T19:25:00.002-04:00

Day 3 started off by sleeping in and spending the morning at the hotel. Mac was obsessed with the waterslide at the pool, so we had to let him swim and slide and get it off his mind. Best decision ever! We eventually got ready and headed to Epcot.

Favorite Rides:
Test Track: The boys and I loved it!
Soarin': Mason's favorite ride
Mission Space: Green Team (less intense), Orange Team made JL and Mason motion sick
Countries: GranJan and Pop toured a few

We ate at Ohana in the Polynesian Resort and it was the best dinner by far of the trip. The boys discovered that they love wings and devoured them. It was like the were eating for the first time in a week.

We ended the night back over at Hollywood Studios and Mac was not able to ride the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster(too short), so he decided to get a tattoo and ride Toy Story Mania again. Mason and JL rode the roller coaster two times and did the Tower of Terror again. We stayed until they closed!

Disney World-Day 2 Magic Kingdom

2011-11-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

We were so excited to show Mac~ Magic Kingdom! We knew there would be so many rides he would love. JL was trying to explain all the rides and he finally just said " Mac just wait and see"! We got there around 10 that morning and left that night around 9pm. The weather again was just perfect!

Favorite Rides:
Space Mountain: Everyone rode it once. It was the boys favorite by far!!! The boys rode it about 5 times.
Thunder Mountain Railroad
Splash Mountain: Gran Jan and Pop liked this one too.
Astro Orbiter
Tom Saywer Island
It's a Small World: Only Gran Jan liked this one. Mac said it was boring the entire time!

Ate Dinner at Kona Cafe- the desserts were great!!!

Disney World-Day 1 Hollywood Studios

2011-11-04T22:24:00.001-04:00

We went to Disney World last week and had the absolute best time! Mason's parents came with us and we could not have asked more a perfect trip. The weather was the mid 70's to low 80's the entire time. It was supposed to rain two of our days, but we had one morning of rain on the way to the park. We left on Monday afternoon after JL got home from school and drove most of the way there. On Tuesday we drove about an hour and a half and made it to our hotel ~Coronado Springs~ (inside Disney). We unloaded the van then hit our first park: Hollywood Studios

Favorite Rides:
Tower of Terror
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Mac was too short to ride) JL's favorite ride in all of Disney World
Toy Story Mania (is considered the best ride of all Disney World) Longest wait line too
Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground

We were able to ride all the rides mutiple times. Gotta love going when it is less crowded!

note** We all 6 rode the Tower of Terror, but only Mason and JL loved it.

Dinner was at Cape May Cafe (Seafood Restaurant)

on the tram from the parking lot

Toy Story Area

Parade

Waiting on Dinner at the Cape May Cafe

Halloween Night

2011-11-04T18:31:00.000-04:00

We started the night off at Parker's house. We pretty much ate dinner and then left. The kids decided they did not want to ride on the trailer, but to ~~walk~~ RUN with Gavin and his sisters. This is what they looked liked all night. Mac was done after our neighborhood, but JL hit ours then went to the Park side. They had a great night! Our neighborhood really knows how to do Halloween!

Punk Rocker and Emperor of Evil

Halloween Party-Mac

2011-11-04T18:18:00.000-04:00

Mac's class had their Halloween party on the 31st. Mac dressed up as Spider man because he thought showing up as a Punk Rocker was a little too much for school. I agreed with him. You can see in the pictures he is a head taller than his classmates. The party was cute and the kids had fun!

Mac and his best buddy ~Jack

Hayride

Family Pictures

2011-11-04T17:57:00.000-04:00

We took Family Pictures for the first time ever last month and I can't tell you how pleased I am with the pictures. Our photographer was Audrey Noe. She is fabulous!

I am going to do multiple posts of pictures **I print this blog as our yearly book, so I want lots of pictures of the day in our book**

Pictures by Audrey Noe

JL and Mac pictures

2011-11-04T17:49:00.000-04:00

Pictures by Audrey Noe

Mac Pictures

2011-11-04T17:34:00.003-04:00

Pictures by Audrey Noe

John Lawrence Pictures

2011-11-04T17:33:00.001-04:00

Pictures by Audrey Noe

More Family Pictures

2011-11-04T17:30:00.002-04:00

Pictures by Audrey Noe

Boosterthon

2011-11-04T17:12:00.000-04:00

John Lawrence's school had their annual Booosterthon Fun Run in October. Mac and I went to cheer on JL and his classmates. The kids loved it and had a really good time. The kids are supposed to run 35 laps, but JL ran 42 laps and was so proud of himself. Thanks to our family for supporting JL in his fundraiser.

Camping with Pop, GranJan and cousins

2011-11-04T17:04:00.000-04:00

John Lawrence and Mac went camping with GranJan, Pop, Walker and Henry at the end of September. I drove them to Lake Hartwell for the weekend and the boys had a wonderful trip. The weather was still nice and warm, so the boys were able to swim. Thanks for the taking the boys camping! They loved it!

Engaged

2011-10-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Martha Jane and Ben are Engaged! This is definitely Blog worthy and I am unsure why it never got posted. Shame on me!!

They were engaged on August 27th and the wedding will take place on June 16th. We are all so excited and happy for Martha Jane and Ben.

The Wedding plans are underway and going great!

Congratulations!!!

Bubble Boy

2011-10-07T10:07:00.000-04:00

On the last day of summer Mason and John Lawrence headed off to Six Flags and Mac and I went shopping. At the mall there is this cool ball that floats over water thingy that looks cool and both boys always ask to do it and I always say no. Well I felt bad for Mac because he could not go to Six Flags, so he got his chance to try this thing out. He said it was awesome!!!

**cleaning up my pictures on my phone and came across these from August.

B is for Birdseed

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Mac learns a new letter every week at Preschool and they center all their activities around it. Last week was the letter B. They had a Breakfast with Bears: They actually brought in teddy bears (Mac thought that was for babies, but he still did it) and the kids had to bring in breakfast food. Mac brought bagels. They ate them (Mac did not-hates bread) and they made bird feeders out of them.

They used a bagel, cream cheese and bird seed. Mac loved it and even put it in tree all by himself.

Tree House Part 7-Final

2011-09-27T10:52:00.001-04:00

Here are the final pictures of the Tree House. It is complete and painted! The boys use it daily and love to show it to their friends.

To read and see all parts of the Tree House Build out see these posts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

Thanks Pop!

Countdown to Disney

2011-09-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today marks 30 days until we head to Disney World. Mac loves a count down! We count down to birthdays, trips, spend the night parties, soccer games and many more things.

Here we go! We are ready!

Paint Party

2011-09-24T10:00:00.002-04:00

Since the beginning talks and dreams of a tree house JL, Mac and Gavin have had a plan to paint the tree house together. Last Sunday the boys painted the tree house for three hours straight. No breaks to use the bathroom, to get food or a drink. They had the best time painting with only one rule. Only paint the inside of the tree house. They did an awesome job! The colors the boys picked out were black, green and red (for the Gamecocks). I did not take after pictures that day because of the insane amount of paint on the floor. I will take them this weekend, so you can see their masterpiece.

**While the boys were painting the inside Mason was painting the outside. He had started it weeks earlier but ran out of paint, so he finished it on Sunday as well.

Soccer Players

2011-09-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

Mac and John Lawrence are both playing soccer this year. We love having them in the same sport and on the same fields. Mason is the assistant coach and I am the team mom again for JL's team.

Mac seems to enjoy it and is picking up the game very easily. He has scored a goal during each game.

JL is really growing as a soccer player. It is amazing how much more confident he is this second season. He scored 2 goals during last Saturday's game! That is amazing considering last season he scored 1 goal all season. He was so proud!! So were we!!!!

Club House Signs

2011-09-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, John Lawrence had a friend from school spend the night named Gavin. Not Gavin our neighbor another Gavin. Anyway this led to a party of sorts because before you know it Christian came over because his parents were house hunting and then Parker and Gavin who live in the neighborhood came by and then we had 4 second grade boys and Mac at our house. It was a party until about 9 or 10pm. They had a great time! The boys decided they needed to make signs for the Club House. See below.

Tree House Part 6

2011-09-22T20:59:00.000-04:00

Here is another picture update on the boy's tree house. It is awesome! Pop came and spent a couple of days with us and finished up the tree house. The boys and Mason were responsible for painting it at a later date. The only thing left is to decide what kind of ladder to build to go up in loft. That is it! The boys and their friends love the Tree House. Thanks Pop!!!!

Labor Day

2011-09-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

We went to Gran Jan and Pop's for Labor Day and had a relaxing time hanging out at the lake. The boys loved riding the tube and fishing. It was a quick trip, but a perfect way to end the summer.

First Day of Pre-K

2011-09-18T21:06:00.002-04:00

Mac started his first day of Pre-K on Tuesday, September 6th. His teachers are Ms. Carol and Ms. Jennifer. John Lawrence had Ms. Carol as well, so we know her already. We love her!! He really seems to really like school and is learning some new things. I asked Mac what he likes best at school and he said "going outside to play and eating lunch".

Old Door/New Door

2011-08-29T10:50:00.000-04:00

We have a wood front door that has bothered me for years. It was a light oak color that I hated. Over time the sun faded the door and damaged the bottom portion as well. To cover the damaged part it needed to be stained a dark color. No problem here considering I wanted it to be a dark brown stain. We ended up picking Dark Walnut as the stain color and I could not be happier.

We chose to stain the inside of the door as well and I am so glad we did. The door looks less country with a rich dark stain on it. Better curb appeal too! **We had a professional stain the door.

Edisto Beach

2011-08-26T08:46:00.000-04:00

The boys and I went to Edisto Beach last weekend with my side of the family. Nana and Grandad rented a large 4 bedroom house so we could all have our own bedroom. Allison and her family came too and all the boys had a ball! We spent all of our time at the beach with small trips to the pool. It was a quick trip, but a perfect weekend family weekend! Thanks Nana and Grandad.

Tree House Part 5

2011-08-23T16:35:00.000-04:00

Here is the most up to date pictures of the Tree House. This was on the last day that Pop was in town. The following day Mason painted two of the sides then ran out of paint. Pop is building the windows and door at his house and will bring them here to install. The finishing touches will be molding around the windows and railings. It looks awesome!

Tree House Part 4

2011-08-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

Pop came into town last week for the whole week to try and finish up the tree house. They worked hard and got a lot accomplished. The walls are up, they cut out the windows and door, built the loft over the porch and built the ladder. It it playable and the boys love it! Great job Pop!!!!

Shoes

2011-08-22T21:08:00.000-04:00

JL and Mac got new tennis shoes to go back to school. Mac of course wanted them all summer and I told him he had to wait for the school year to start. Both boys saw the shoes they wanted over the summer and of course they were nothing that Mason or I would pick out. They were black!!! It took us a couple of trips to the mall to find their sizes and fully get on board with buying black shoes for the kids.

They wanted Reebok Zigtechs. They love them and that makes us happy even if they are black tennis shoes.

He knows what he likes

2011-08-22T20:55:00.000-04:00

So much has been written about John Lawrence that I needed to get a Mac post in here. Here is what he looks like every other day. I wash clothes every day or two so he can this shirt. He loves it!

Essentials
2 necklaces- 1 Phiten necklace and 1Titanium necklace (athletes wear them)
black socks
new black Reebok Zigtecs
Under Armour t-shirt with no sleeves (the tighter the better)
athletic shorts or brown shorts

This kid knows what he likes and is stubborn about his clothes and shoes. Mason and I have to just go with it most days.

He is our strong willed child and we love that about him.

Parasailing at the Beach

2011-08-17T21:18:00.000-04:00

John Lawrence, Aunt Martha Jan, Walker and Aunt Ellen went Parasailing while we were at the Beach this summer. Mason and Uncle Eric went out on the boat to watch, but did not go up. John Lawrence loved it and said he was not scared at all. He loves adventures and will try most things. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. Thanks Aunt Martha Jan for going with JL.

First Day of Second Grade

2011-08-11T20:12:00.000-04:00

Monday was the first day of school for John Lawrence. He did not want summer to end, but he did not miss a beat. He woke up bright and early and was ready to go. I took JL to school last year and he rode the bus home, but this year he wants to ride the bus to school too. He seems to like school and is happy when he gets off the bus. So far so good!

Six Flags

2011-08-10T10:24:00.001-04:00

Last year in 1st grade, John Lawrence had the opportunity to read 6 hours worth of books and he would qualify for a free Six Flags ticket to be used over the summer. We used the ticket! Mason took JL on his last official day of summer (Sunday). They got there when it opened and stayed all day till closing. John Lawrence loved the roller coasters and it was not too crowded, so they were able to ride some of the rides multiple times. To say that they had a good time would be an understatement! John Lawrence said it was the best thing he did all summer. Even better than Para Sailing! That is a whole other post.

Water park

2011-08-10T10:17:00.000-04:00

Ellen and I took the boys to the Water park last week to end Summer on a high note. They all had a good time even little Foster. He was a trooper and even missed his morning nap, so we could stay at the park for 4 hours.

Beach Week

2011-08-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

We went to the Beach with Mason's family in July and again had a great time! This is our 6th year going to the same house and things are so easy now. It is amazing how much the boys grow each year. This year the beach was a big hit. They loved playing in the big waves on boogie boards and JL even got a skim board this year.

I posted pictures of Jan and Larry's meal. It was wonderful! We look forward to it every year. They cook crab legs, boiled shrimp, sausage, and potatoes. Every couple takes a night to shop, cook and clean. It is great to only have to worry about one meal for the entire week.

The boys planned to have a Mohawk at the beach week since the beginning of May. We followed through with the promise and they loved their Mohawks. I did not even bother taking photos on the beach this year. We are going on one more beach trip to Edisto next weekend so, I plan on trying to get some then.

Thanks Jan and Larry! We had a great trip.

For the memory book

2011-08-08T21:01:00.000-04:00

For Henry's birthday Jan, Larry and Mammy spent the night at our house and I caputured these pictures of John Lawrence and Mammy playing checkers on my iphone and the boys and Pop playing in the pool. These are just pictures that show love and need to be added to the memory book.

Skull and Bones

2011-08-08T20:13:00.000-04:00

On a "Bear Hunt" in the woods at Pop and Gran Jan's house the boys came across a Skull. You can imagine the stories they thought up over this skull. We heard it was probably a human, bear, deer, dog, coyote, monster, etc. They thought it was super cool and brought it home and thought it would look great on the tree house. They want to collect other skulls and add it to their collection.

Never a dull moment around here!

The 4th of July

2011-08-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

We met our friends in Chapin for the 4th of July and had a wonderful time. The Smith's were wonderful hosts and the boys could not get enough of the creek and pool. We all had a great relaxing 4th!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T18:36:00.000-04:00

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Bored summer day...Hotwheels Wet Track in the bathtub helps.

Week with GranJan and Pop

2011-07-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

John Lawrence and Mac went to spend the week with GranJan and Pop the first week of July. They had a ball and was a highlight of the summer! They arrived on Sunday night and July 4th was the following day (We celebrated in Chapin that weekend-not on the true holiday).

Sunday-went to Church that night for a 4th party that included hotdogs, bounce house and three legged races

Monday-went to see Grandma Walker and went to the Foster's Lakehouse for the 4th. They rode a Jetski, a Three Man Tube and went down the Big Kahuna Waterslide.

Tuesday-Waterpark in town, The boys went down the waterslide no less than 47 times each, went to Academy Sports and got Phiten necklaces from GranJan and Pop. Mac told the clerk he had been dying to have one. Mac picked a red one and JL picked black. They wear them everyday.

Wednesday-Stayed around the house and enjoyed Pop's birthday with multiple Golfcart rides, Rides on the boat, Kayak rides, Fishing and Hikes in the woods. Took bb guns in the woods and even found a skull and brought it home for the treehouse.

Thursday-came home exhausted from a wonderful trip.

Thanks Gran Jan and Pop! The boys loved every minute of it.

4th of July

Made their own pizzas for dinner one night

At the waterpark playground

On the way home from getting their necklaces

got caught in a rain storm with the top down in the convertible

Skull found on a bear hunt in the woods

Zoo

2011-07-28T22:04:00.000-04:00

We went to the Zoo a couple of weeks ago with Ellen and the boys. We went on a day that could of been really hot, but we lucked out with an overcast afternoon and even a sprinkle while we were there and then it poured as soon as we left. There were no crowds and we stayed until they closed. The boys had a great time! Their favorites were the Birds, Reptile House, Playground and Rock Wall.

Family Work Day

2011-07-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

One day this summer while Mason and I were working in the backyard John Lawrence came outside and asked if Mason and I would come in the house and have a family wii night. We decided that was not going to happen, but we could have a family work night in the yard and that was just what we did. The boys actually liked it and really were a big help.

Be careful what you ask for around here...

Tree House Part 3

2011-07-28T21:32:00.001-04:00

While the boys and I were out of town (Chapin-Swimming week) Pop and Mason worked on the tree house. It now has more braces and a green metal roof. I love the metal roof! We have caught a few rain showers under it and it is heavenly! The boys are getting excited to know the end is near. The final touches are walls, an inside loft and paint the inside and out. The next phase will start soon. We can't wait!

Backyard

2011-07-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Mason and I have worked on projects in the yard all summer. We had trees taken out and sod professionally put in. Mason revamped the pond and the final touch was to clear/clean out the natural areas of the backyard. Here are the before and after pictures of the clean out. It took many hours of hard work, but so worth it in the end.

Swimming Week

2011-07-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

All of these pictures were taken by Ashley. She did a great job of capturing the week for us. It is definitely a highlight of the summer. We love going to Chapin every summer for swim lessons and this year did not disappoint.

Ashley, Jenny and I stayed at Nettie's house and Mary and Denise live in Irmo, so the only Bestie that was missing was Hillary. Between all five of us~ there were 10 kids there plus Ashley's sister-in-law Laura and her daughter Eden. That made a total of eleven kids~Swimming week is now being referred to as Summer Kid Camp!

Thank Nettie for opening your home to us as always!

Backyard Pond -Before and After

2011-07-07T15:12:00.000-04:00

Mason and I have worked on the yard this summer and decided it was time to fix up the pond and get it back up and working. Here is a Before and After picture of the pond. Good Job Mason! This was my Mother's Day present.

5K Run

2011-07-07T14:56:00.001-04:00

On June 4th Martha Jane, Ellen and I ran in The Jacob D. Bullock Foundation 5K run at Little Mulberry Park. I was working on the Couch to 5k program, so Ellen challenged me to a 5K. It was a first for both of us. Martha Jane decided to get in on the action. She has completed a good amount of races, but decided to do it with her "sisters". We had a great time and Ellen and I came in 3rd place in our age group!

Thanks girls for running the race!

Photo taken from Ellen's Blog.

Litchfield Beach

2011-06-26T21:30:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago the boys and I went to Litchfield Beach to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa and Sam
and Hudson. We met them on Wednesday and got to play with Sam and Hudson for the day before Dan had to come and pick up the boys due to Sam's All-Star baseball games. We all went crabbing together and to the beach. The boys really got into crabbing and we had to pull them away to go the beach. The second day was spent with more beach time and lots of bike riding. Dad and Diane fixed some great meals and I truly had my best camping meal ever (steak, shrimp and salad). We ended the trip with an overnight trip to my Grandma Hunt's house. She is 88 years old and still has it together. It is always nice to sit and talk to her and hear what she is thinking.

This was the first time the boys and I had gone camping at the beach~much different than camping in the mountains. Thanks for inviting us Grandma and Grandpa. We had fun!

Beaufort

2011-06-26T21:05:00.000-04:00

We went to Beaufort to see Nana two weeks ago and as always had a great time. My mom is so good about trying to set up fun activities that she thinks the boys would enjoy. This trip she scheduled a boating trip called the Jungle Boat Safari boat trip was 2 hours and we saw lots and lots of dolphins and many different kinds of birds. The captain even let the boys drive the boat.

We also took the boys bowling and to both of the parks in town. We never miss the Chocolate Tree or the Upper Crust. My mom sings in the Beaufort Belles and we went to one of her performances and saw her sing. It was so nicet to see her doing something she loves.

We love our Beaufort trips and Nana! Thanks Nana for a wonderful summer vacation!

Progress~ Tree House Part 2

2011-06-25T23:20:00.002-04:00

Pop came to our house a couple of weeks ago to work on the tree house. He constructed the framing at his house then brought it here on a trailer. Mason and Eric helped piece it together. At that point the floor and framing were complete. Pop has been back two more times since these pictures and has completed the roof and supports. Mason has really enjoyed working on the tree house with his dad. The boys are beyond excited and can't wait for the tree house to be complete! They have big painting plans.

Pool Days

2011-06-25T22:58:00.000-04:00

When we are in town this is where we end up most days.

End of the season baseball party

2011-06-25T22:54:00.000-04:00

Mac had his end of the year baseball party on June 1st. He was looking forward to the party because he knew he was getting a trophy to take home. The party was at a park which the kids loved. The coaches and team mom were awesome this season! Mac enjoyed playing ball and we loved seeing him have so much fun on the field.

Next season we are on to soccer. Both boys will play the same sport and I could not be happier.

Memorial Day Weekend Camping

2011-06-25T22:37:00.000-04:00

Just the four of us went camping over Memorial Day and had a really great time. It was a good ten degrees cooler in the mountains than back home. We had a cold stream behind our site and the boys pretty much stayed in it the entire weekend. We have started taking bikes on our trips and the boys love to go and explore the campgrounds on them. At the end of the campground was a beautiful waterfall that was really secluded and quiet. We were able to explore the area around the falls and get some really good pictures of it. We had a wonderful time and it was great to get away for a few days.

Made pancakes one morning

Snake we saw on a walk

This waterfall was in our campground. We could walk to it. Beautiful!

Blog Break

2011-06-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

I have taken a blog break for the last couple of weeks and now I am going to attempt to get caught up before I go out of town again this summer. We have been out of town for 2 weeks and are finally home for a couple of days. I also have to complete my 2010 blog book by July 8th (blurb Groupon will expire) so that will take priority. I have to say, I am overwhelmed at the amount of pictures I need to sort through and posts I need to do, but these are our family memories~ so here we go......

First and Last Day of School

2011-06-07T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here is John Lawrence's first and last day of 1st grade.

Here is Mac's first and last day of 3 year old preschool.

Time please slow down.

1st grade End of the Year Party

2011-06-07T20:48:00.000-04:00

The theme for the party was a Luau. The kids were excited and really got into the action. There were fruit smoothies, fruity drinks with umbrellas, a huge fruit tray, bowling -using pineapples and coconuts, sand art, hula hoops and Hawaiian leis. It was perfect! It was a great end to such a wonderful year! We loved JL's teacher, Mrs. Barr-She was the best!

Buzz Cut

2011-06-06T17:35:00.000-04:00

Mason has been cutting John Lawrence's hair for about 2 or 3 months now and Mac has been wanting to get in on the action too. Mason took him up on the offer. I like to refer to it as his summer cut. Now he wants to get a Mohawk-we will see!

End of the Season

2011-06-06T17:26:00.001-04:00

Soccer came to an end the middle of May and I can say were ready for a soccer break. John Lawrence and Mason both learned a lot. JL got to play with his best friend Gavin (his dad was the coach) and he got to have dad coach (assistant)him. It was an amazing season and both boys want to play in the Fall. I am excited to have JL and Mac play the same sport at the same place. We look forward to the Fall soccer season. Mr. David and Mason are going to coach together again. We can't wait!

Family Camping

2011-06-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

For GranJan's birthday she wanted to get everyone together and go camping for a night. We met them and the Pangles at Lake Hartwell (1 hour drive) on a Saturday in May after JL's last soccer and had a ball. It was cool and felt more like Fall than the start of Summer, but that did not keep the boys out of the lake. The boys slept in the new camper (Darlin) and Mason and I slept in our tent. It was a great little getaway!

Boys-Spring Break

2011-05-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

The first week of April the boys were on Spring Break. They along with their cousins went to spend the second half of the week with Gran Jan and Pop. Mason and I went to Edisto Beach during this trip and had an awesome time.

Thanks Gran Jan and Pop for watching the boys. They loved it!

I just got these pictures from Jan last week and wanted to show you how much fun the boys had at Pop's house.

Field Day 2011

2011-05-16T09:33:00.001-04:00

Field Day this year was so much fun! Hot but, so much fun! The favorites were the Sack Race,Tug of War and hanging out with Friends and eating Popsicles. We love JL's school!

Hurdles

Sack race

Tug of War

Their class came in second place out of all the 1st grade classes (8 classes)

Hero

2011-05-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

Mac's teacher sent this letter home on Tuesday. It made me so proud!

Mac is a Hero

On the playground this morning some children were pushing others on the tire swing. The swing started spinning and the girls on it were scared. One began to cry.

Mac raced up to the swing, grabbed it, and stopped it!

Mac comtinues to show these types of very caring behaviors. I am so proud of him. What a cool kid!

Love,

Ms. Debbie

Mother's Day gift

2011-05-14T13:00:00.001-04:00

John Lawrence made me this card/letter for me for Mother's Day along with a candle that he was so proud of. I was so overwhelmed with this letter~ I forgot to take a picture of the candle. This melted my heart.

My Mom

My mom is the best mom you can ever have. My mom works on the computer. She likes the pink dress I gave her. She makes the best sprinkle cookies. She likes to play board games. She let's me sleep in her bed. My mom is very tall. She is very happy and sweet. She is very helpful. I think my mom is the best person in the whole entire world!

Muffins with Mom

2011-05-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

The week of Mother's Day I went to Mac's school to celebrate Muffins with Mom. Mac was so proud to give me the gifts he made me. It was a sweet day!

Open for Business

2011-05-13T22:27:00.000-04:00

The pool opened last Friday and the Walker's have already been there 5 out of the 7 days. Can you tell we are ready for summer?

Backyard After

2011-05-13T21:01:00.000-04:00

The Backyard After~
Here are the after pictures. We are so excited to have it completed! The grass is turning green and my house no longer has red mud (clay) all over the floors.

Backyard During

2011-05-13T20:49:00.000-04:00

The Backyard During~
Our landscaper finished our yard in two days. The first day he cut down two trees and clear the huge bed and the second day leveled the yard and put down sod.

Sorry there are so many pictures, but I use this blog as my family record/blog book.

Backyard Before

2011-05-13T20:34:00.000-04:00

The Backyard Before~
We had some work done to the backyard about 2 weeks ago. We had two trees removed, our flower bed made smaller and had some sod put down. It was in dire need of a huge face lift. We kind of just let it go over the last 2 years. Our yard had a lots of beds, plants and trees and it is really hard to maintain, so when the grass started dying in that one area we decided it was time to ~~get to work~~ hire the job out to the professionals.

Easter

2011-05-13T20:31:00.000-04:00

We went up to Spartanburg on Saturday to spend Easter with Mason's family. I posted pictures of the Egg Hunt and Fishing at Jerry's farm, so here are some after church. I will update this post after I get some pictures from Ellen.

Fred the Dog

2011-05-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of Earth Day, John Lawrence had to make a trash sculpture and write a story about it. Here is Fred the dog.

Petting Zoo

2011-05-09T08:00:00.003-04:00

Mac's school had a petting zoo come bring animals for the kids to see, pet and brush. Mac loved it; however, I was worried that his allergies were going to get the better of him. He is allergic to hay and animal hair. I was prepared for the worst and medicated him in the carpool line before I even dropped him off for school. He did great and I think giving him benedryl before he came into contact with the animals was the way to go. The highlight was sitting on the pig!