It's Garden Time

Garden Time

Well it's that time of year again where we take our flip flops off and get in the dirt!

Digging potatoes, shucking corn, picking peas etc. A good ol' time with family under the big acorn tree!
Ethan's got to get on the tractor with Papa, Cullen is catching frogs and Ava is chatting with her cousins!

The end of First Grade!

FIRST GRADE IS COMPLETE!!!!

Ava's last day of school was so exciting. Signing her yearbook, having a party and enjoying her friends. Ava has had a wonderful year at school. We are so proud of her accomplishments. Her reading is wonderful. She is on a 3rd grade level! She so smart and loves school. Mrs. Smoak was a wonderful teacher and Ava learned so much this year. On the last day of school Mrs. Amy York, Mrs. Caroline Bussemas, Mrs. Lisa Humble and myself decided to surprise the kids when they got off the bus with a huge water slide and snow cones. The kids were so excited when the bus came around the corner! What a good way to end a school year!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Oh, how happy I am that we are down at the beach! It is the last weekend in May and it is the first time we have been to our beach house. I was so ready to get there. 4 days on the boat, relaxing and enjoying the water. NO schedule, NO phones, NO computers, NO cable tv- just us! I love it- We ate at my Favorite restaurant Mosquito's and we rode bikes, chased down the ice cream truck, found sand dollars on sand dollar island and had picnics on the beach! Ahh the life..... The last day we decided to take the boat out and just ride around. We found this island that was pretty cool b/c it had a lot of drift wood on it so we thought we would anchor and take some pictures. The island was small enough for us to walk around it so we tried to. We were having a good time finding things and we got almost around the island and the sand ran out and it was grass the rest of the way which was still pretty far to our boat. Nathan starts walking in the grassy area and tells us to come on. We start to walk and I notice there is mud under our feet and we are slowly sinking with every step. Trusting my husband I keep going he kept saying "this is a wonderful adventure" and then it is starting to really scare me when I step and I am up above my ankles in the gooey, black, wet mud and my beach shoes are starting to get stuck in the mud- I start to freak out- first rule in parenting I broke- don't freak out or the kids will freak out. Well next Ava starts to cry then Ethan then Cullen- we are in the middle of this island, it is so hot, no one is on the island, we are up to our knees in this mud and now crabs are running around in the grassy mess. I was UPSET. Nathan still going thinking we can make it with 4 out of the 5 family members having a total breakdown - Nathan came back and got the kids and I walked behind- onward we go b/c we can't turn around now. We finally get to this water hole, it looks like we could easily cross it like a creek- OH NO- the mud in it is worse and there are Oyster shells all around. Thank goodness we all had beach shoes on. Well Nathan took Ava first- then his shoes came off in this sticky mud - so he walked over oyster shells to get the boys and then came back for me. Ava said "Daddy saved our lives" I have to say I was not happy at all but once we all got back to the boat and cleaned up - we got drinks and off we went Nathan and I looked at each other and laughed a good laugh.

here is the water we had to cross-Nathan's feet were cut up from all the oyster shells- look at Nathan's black legs from the mud- never again!

LEGOS, LEGOS EVERYWHERE!!!!

TODAY IS BATTLE SAY AT THE EVANS HOUSE-

5.5

5.5

Ethan at this very moment loves:

Subway, Honey nut Cheerios, Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Peanuts, Pepsi and Pork skins

Star Wars, Ravens NFL team then the Saints, watching football and talking about all the plays, Tony Hawk t-shirts, running pants and crocs, throwing footballs, baseball, tennis, basketball, art class, dancing, Black Eye Pea Band, Flo'rida, Beach Boys, sword fighting, playing Rook and Chess, Math, Wii, His Dad, Mom rubbing his feet at night, his nite, nite-,fuzzy pants his Cat, Fluffy his fish, Bully the Bull his Bull, Tom and Jerry cartoons,His Papa

Ethan has the kindest heart, thoughtful and loving-my sweet, sweet Ethan Wallace

He still wants me to lay with him at night as he drifts off to sleep

7.5

7.5

my sweet, sweet Ava Grace is growing up so fast- right this very moment she loves:

reading, Junie B. Jones books, singing and performing, nail polish and lip gloss, coordinating her outfits and jewelry by color, performing magic tricks, riding her bike with no training wheels, her best friend Ashlynn Little, sleepovers, littlest pet shop, writing her own stories, Taylor Swift, listening to her ipod, getting dressed up, parties, dancing.

Ava is very witty and smart. She is always thinking one step ahead. She told me the other day "You always need to have a plan B." Ava is competitive and very determined. Her goal for this year is to read her whole Bible. We are so proud of the young lady that is growing up before our eyes.

Spring is Here!

Well it is that time of the year again when things get going.... Ethan is playing t-ball and coach pitch, since Nathan is the coach. Ethan is doing very good. He is born and built to be an athlete. We are so proud of him. After T-ball he starts tennis. Ava is on the Riverwood Swim team and she is loving it. We are so proud of her because she is a really good swimmer. School is coming to an end and I am so amazed with Ava's writing and reading skills. She is on a 3rd grade reading level and just loves to read. Summer is right around the corner and we can't wait to hit the beach! What a stress relief it is going to the beach- in the mean time we have been hiking which we love to do at Umstead. Things are getting crazy around here because all of my homeschool material is coming in and I am getting overwhelmed a bit but so excited. The things they will be learning next year is amazing to me and I can't wait! Cullen will be off to preschool 3 days a week which will break my heart and I do not want to send him but I have no other choice since I am homeschooling. I am thankful for the opportunity I will have to try this and I pray it works for our family. So for now we are busy, busy living life and continuing to be thankful for all of our blessings.