Beach Bums!!!!!!

The week before school started we took our annual Wilson/Foster Family Beach trip to Panama City Beach. This year the rest of our family in Auburn (McGhees and Lowerys) came too...............and what fun we had. We spent 6 beautiful days down on the coast and soaked up as much fun and sun as we could. You can say, we definitely packed it all in......all day at the beach/pool and at night eating out/cooking out. We even spent one evening at Pier Park riding all the fun kiddie rides that they moved from Miracle Strip over to that area. The kids had a BLAST!!!!! Don't they say, pictures say a thousand words? In that case, I will quit blabbering and you can enjoy some snap shots.

The End!!!!! (sorry Baby Bradley, this is all I got of you....guess it's because you slept most of the time)

10 years.............Can you believe it?!?!?!?!?

I absolutely can not believe that 10 years ago I married this wonderful man.

Rod, thank you for loving me, watching over me and taking care of us. Not only have you blessed me by taking me as your wife, but what a blessing you are to our 2 boys. I couldn't ask for a better daddy for them. I pray they grow up to be half the gentleman you are. We have definitely had our ups and downs over the past 10 yrs but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving me unconditionally. I look forward to the next 10 yrs ;). I love you.........and I will "all my life".

1st Day of 1st Grade!!!!

Ok.....somebody tell me IT'S NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!! My baby started 1st grade today and I can absolutely not believe we are already at this point in his life. It truly feels just like yesterday I was rocking and singing to this brown-eyed cutie.

Nathan, your daddy and I are SO proud of you and love you so very much. We know you will have a great year at Ogletree......just be your sweet, smart little self and you will do just fine!!!!
Let your loving, kind character shine through everyday in all that you do and you will sail through 1st grade with flying colors.

Getting comfy in his classroom.

The day is complete now and he has come home saying he can't wait to go back tomorrow.....good thing b/c not much choice in that one. His favorite part was lunch of all things and then second was recess. Typical! Can't wait to hear if those change tomorrow (wink, wink).

5 Boys and a Beach Trip

1 little guy....................Plus 4 bigger guys...........................

Makes for a VERY FUN TRIP!!!! We got back a couple of weekends ago from Orange Beach with our sweet friends, the Holmes family. We packed it all in ......lots of swimming, eating, and just plain ole having a good time.

Snack break!

We stayed at The Caribe......it's basically a water park built into a condo. All kinds of slides for all ages and even a lazy river. The dad's (and mom's-no pics for proof though) even got in on the fun!

The dad's got lots of exercise throwing the young ones.


Nathan and Ryan

Nathan, Luke, Matthew and Wilson

We did venture down to the ocean one afternoon but didn't spend too much time there because of the oil situation and also a tropical storm was causing the waters to be pretty rough.

Until next year Holmes Family-----We had a blast!!!!!!

I think we are missing something........................

OUR TWO FRONT TEETH!!!!!!!!

Check out that crooked little toothless grin!!!! I love it! And while you are at it check out those 2 ears your looking at.....LOVE THAT EVEN MORE!!!!!!



I know I haven't posted any pics of Nathan's ear since right after the surgery, so here is the almost 2 month post op pics. How amazing is this?!?!?!?!?!?

The inside still has minimal healing to go through and of course like I have said before, the ear will continue to change over the next 2 yrs. The ears don't have a drainage system like most of our other body parts, therefore the swelling is slower to dissipate.
On a different note........I do need some prayers for our sweet Nathan. Last week we took him back to his ENT here in Auburn and had his hearing rechecked (in his "good" ear). I had started thinking he wasn't hearing very well and with him being deaf on the right side we really can't be to careful with his left ear. Much to our dismay Nathan's hearing on the left side had dropped by 10 decibels over the past 4-5 months. Not really good!

Our plan of action is this..........on July 28th Nate will go back to have a new kind of tube put into his eardrum. Right now he has what they call a T-tube, but our Dr. is not very happy with how things are going with his hearing so he wants to try a brand new kind of tube called a U-tube. We hope this new tube will work much better for him and that his hearing will somewhat be restored. If not and the hearing does not improve we will begin looking at our options for hearing aids. Obviously, this new obstacle has put a bit of a damper on our summer of celebration of the conclusion of Nate's surgeries. Please continue to lift Nate up in your prayers-- we pray for ultimate healing of his hearing: complete restoration; pray for his bravery, he is not really happy about another hospital, operating room and more doctors; pray for Rod and I, this year has been a tough one and we are feeling like we are at the end of our ropes. But we are definitely thankful for all of our family and friends who have travelled down this road with us over the past year......we love you guys more than you know.

Family+ Fun + Fireworks = The 4th of July!

Lots of pictures but not a whole lot to say EXCEPT.......our 4th of July was lots of fun with family, good food, sparklers, and fireworks. The pictures speak a thousand words.

Until next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or at least my next post ;)