Wednesday, August 6, 2014

A Terrific Tuesday

 Yesterday, the kids and I headed to Imaginon in uptown.  
We met my sister, B, and her sweet crew there too, and enjoyed a fun morning out together. 
Sophie's BFF, Zoe, came along with us as well. 
We had tickets to see their "Terrific Tuesday" show called COLD BLOODED ENCOUNTERS, where the kids learned all about lizards, frogs, tranchulas, and snakes. 

After the show, we had a nice picnic lunch outside before heading back in to explore the rest of the library. 
They have an AWESOME fairy tale exhibit on display right now and
the kids had a blast dressing up and jumping into stories like Cinderella,  Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), and the elves (from The Elves and the Shoemaker)!

What a fun way to spend a summer day!














Monday, August 4, 2014

What our summer is all about...

It's AUGUST! How in the world is THAT even possible?!? SIGH. 
We have now entered the month where (very soon) the dog days of summer will be replaced with the busyness of school and schedules. 
And as much as I LOVE the change of seasons, I'm not ready to say goodbye to our summer, quite yet. 
We've packed a lot into our break, so far, and we plan to have a few more fun-filled adventures before it all comes to an end!

So... here's just a little peak at what some of our summer days have consisted of...
AFTERNOON BIKE RIDES
One of our very favorite things to do is ride around our little hood on our bikes/scooters!


 BASEBALL GAMES
The kids and I got Shane tickets to the Knights game for Father's Day.
Friday night, my sweet mom watched the "littles" for us, while we had a fun night at the new stadium in uptown with the "bigs"!
The weather wasn't looking very promising, but the Lord answered my prayers and held off the rain for us! We enjoyed a wonderful (and unseasonably cool) evening out!
SOFTBALL!
Shane is once again playing soft ball with our Adult Life Group from church.
Our family has a blast going out to the church fields each week and cheering on our "Team Grey" to victory. 
The kids love running and playing outside, while I love getting a chance to chat with some of my church friends on the side lines!
It's always such a fun summer night.
SOCCER
 Shane is not the only one who has enjoyed playing a summer sport this year.
 Corban has continued to sharpen his soccer skills while playing in a 3V3 league this summer.
They practiced two nights a week, and then played in a few weekend tournaments around town.
We LOVED watching him play and the kids have so much fun cheering him on!
CHEER CAMP
 And speaking of "cheering"...our Sophie attended Gott Cheer Camp again this summer.
She LOVED it and learned so many FUN cheers...which she continues to practice EVERY.SINGLE.DAY at home;)
LOVE my girl!
KINDERGARTEN
AHHHHHH!!!! Can you believe it?!? THIS sweet girl will start Kindergarten in a matter of weeks!!
Last Tuesday, she went to school for her Kindergarten assessment. 
She was super nervous at first, which surprised me a little because ALL she talks about is how excited she is to go to school. Thankfully, she loosened up quickly and had a great time.
Over dinner that night, she told her Daddy she scored a 100% on her "test" that day!
HA!
I'm not sure she got a 100%, but I do know she had FUN and is now (more than ever) looking forward to school starting in a few weeks.
This summer, more than any other before, is just flying by. I'm doing my best to treasure each moment and celebrate each day we're together. The celebrations are usually simple in nature, like celebrating National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!
 Recognizing the little stuff is what makes each day sweet!
And THAT'S what summer is all about!


Friday, August 1, 2014

The Greenway (a hidden gem)

  After living in Charlotte for most of my life (since I was 6), I tend to think I know our area pretty well. I *think* I know where all the fun, CHEAP places are to hang out with the kids, and we usually make our rounds accordingly.
However, yesterday, I discovered a new spot. 
Well...it may not be new to most "Charloteans", but to us, it was like finding a "hidden gem".
We discovered Anne Springs Close Greenway.
I don't know how in the world we've missed this AMAZING park before, but it will definitely be on our "Favorite Places to Go" list from now on!
 We met some of our friends from our Sunday School class there, and had such a fun morning together. 
We hiked! We explored the creek! We walked across the swinging bridge! 
We had a picnic lunch! And we enjoyed sweet fellowship with some wonderful friends.

We cannot wait to go back again for more adventures, and to discover more of this AMAZING area!