Christmas 2011

*so, I started trying to put all of the Christmas pics into this blog, but it takes sooooooooo long, so for now, the blog will have to be minus MANY pics...one day, when I have 10,000 hours in my day, I will add the pics...(seriously, blogger, can you please provide an easier, faster way to add pictures?????)
We had such a great Christmas this year. I seriously believe that Sadie and Sawyer's ages this year (3 and 4) are by far the BEST ages to have at Christmastime. I know, I know...I'll probably say that again next year...and the next...and the next. But, you get my point. We had SO MUCH FUN!!!

Friday night (Christmas Eve-eve), we went and had dinner at Casa Vieja. Yum. We were supposed to have a big shindig at my sister's house, but unfortunately Emma got strep throat the night before, so we had to cancel the activities for the night. Boo. So, after we went to eat, Dad and Lori came by and we did our gift exchange with them. The kids loved opening their first gifts of the season! Then, they both helped me open all of mine. So cute.




After they left, we let the kids watch our wedding video with us for the first time. It was SO precious. They loved it! The questions they asked and the comments they made were just priceless. I cried like a baby through most of the video. Okay, I sobbed. The kids kept asking me why I was crying and I just told them it's because I was so happy. Yes, that was part of the reason for sure. But, frankly, it's just plain hard to watch! I can't believe it's been 10 years. So many people have changed in that 10 years! There are people who are no longer with us that were in the video because they have passed away. My Grandpa, for example. He was so healthy then. Just walked himself right down that aisle. There are also people who have gotten much older and aged so much in just 10 short years. Dennis' grandfather, for example. He was so much healthier (and quicker) 10 years ago. Then, of course, there were people in the video who are no longer around due to the ugliness of divorce. Boo. It was just plain hard to watch how happy EVERYONE was in that video. Dancing, singing, clapping, smiling, loving, etc. And, then, there was precious little Chance, who was not even 2 years old in the video. There are no words to say how stinkin' precious he was!!!!!!!!!!! I loved and will always cherish that first time that we got to let the kids see how it all began. They need to see that. They need to see how happy we were back then. And, they need to see how happy we are now. It all matters.

Saturday morning, we got up and went straight to Grammy and Captain's house. We had so much fun there. Grammy dressed up as the Fairy Godmother and handed us all of our passes to Disney for the whole week. I seriously cannot wait for that trip to get here! We ate a great lunch and let all of the kids play. It was a wonderful time!!!!

We came home and let the kids nap and then we went to see my Grandma. She's just so wonderful. She's lovely, she's hilarious, she's loud and quiet all at the same time. She's just as perfect as they come. Kate, John, Stacy, and Brittany were all there too. We stayed just a little while and I loved every second of it. I soak up every moment I have with that woman. She's so special. There's just not one other woman on the planet like her. She got choked up several times while we were there and as always, she cried so hard when we left. God bless that sweet woman.

We headed to mom's after that. We had a DELICIOUS dinner and then opened what seemed like a million presents. Mom always goes all out at Christmastime. She got Sadie the cutest little desk for her American Girl Doll. Sadie LOVES it! And, she got me the cutest Prada purse from New York and I LOVE it!!!!!!

We left and came home to put out the reindeer food and cookies/milk for Santa. The kids kept thinking that they heard Santa and it was so darn cute!!! They seriously FLEW through bathtime and getting their PJ's on, b/c they knew that Santa wouldn't come until they were in bed. They kept telling me to look outside and see if he was there. They were excited beyond words and it was so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They came to the den to tell Cocoa, our elf, goodbye until next year and then they went straight to bed. We didn't hear a peep out of them.

Then, the "fun" began. Dennis and I were up until 2:00 in the morning getting it all ready. Wow. We were tired. Excited, but definitely tired. Neither of us slept all night long.

We got up around 7:00. The kids did not. They didn't wake up until sometime after 8:00. Seriously? Who does that??
Sawyer woke up first and then we got Sadie up and the whole moment was a bit anti-climactical. They ran in the den and I think were immediately overwhelmed. They were REAL excited, but they just weren't sure what to do. Hilarious. Sadie just happened to walk by the door and see the trampoline out in the backyard. She was SO excited!!!! So, we put on coats and houseshoes and went straight out there to jump! They loved it!!!!! Mom and Butch came by for just a second and then Dennis and I opened our gifts to each other. He went WAY overboard. He always does. He spoils me. I got him a new 9mm Glock, so he was pretty fired up too! :)
Deb and LJ came by for a few minutes and when they left, we made our Christmas morning breakfast. Mornin Glory Oven French Toast. Yum-O!
We pretty much played all day long. The kids napped and then Dennis' dad came by for a few minutes too. The kids loved showing off all of their stuff.
Dennis smoked bbq all day, so we had a delicious Christmas dinner too. We played our new games on the Kinect and just had a ball. Love the memories of Christmas. They never get old.

Monday morning (the day after Christmas) we got up and went to Dennis' grandma's for Christmas. It was crazy, but a lot of fun! It felt pretty good outside, so the kids were able to play out there, which was nice.

It was a wonderful, wonderful Christmas this year. I definitely was not ready for it to be over. But, it's nice to be able to look back on it and know that it couldn't have been any better!!!

Christmas Surprise at Opryland

Sooooooo, Dennis came home a few nights ago and surprised me with a nights stay at Opryland Hotel for Thursday night. (last night) He found out that he wouldn't have to work on Friday, so we all got to go and enjoy our night together as a family.

He met us at home and we loaded up and headed to the hotel. We hadn't told the kids yet what we were doing. They just knew we were spending the night somewhere away. When we pulled in and they saw all of the lights and the size of the hotel, they were fired up!

The lady at check-in upgraded us to a room in the Delta with a balcony! Woo Hoo! We went straight to the room to see our view!




After we checked out the room, we went and bought the kids their "passports" so that we could go and meet and have our pictures made with all of the Shrek characters. Sadie was a little shy at first, but once we got to meet Puss in Boots, she was ALL about it! We also got to go into Gingy's Gingerbread House and decorate Gingerbread cookies. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!












We walked around some more...and some more...and some more...the lights everywhere were just beautiful!!! We grabbed some pizza and burgers and had some dinner and then we went and rode on the Delta Riverboat around the hotel. It was so neat. This was a huge hit with the kids!

I had to throw in that picture of Sawyer eating his pizza. It was the biggest piece of pizza I've ever seen and he had the greasiest face and hands. Hilarious!

We went and got some ice cream and then headed back to the room. We all went to bed very quickly b/c everyone was worn out!

We got up and the kids went straight to the balcony! They loved looking out over everything and getting to see people walking by.


We checked out and grabbed some breakfast at Cracker Barrel and headed home to get ready for our fun Christmas weekend ahead! Can. Not. Wait.

Thank you honey for the most WONDERFUL way to kick off our Christmas weekend together! I couldn't have asked for a better night to spend with my family!!!!!!

Christmas Crack

Well, it has officially hit the Phillips household. It should be illegal, but it's not. It is only offered for a few weeks during the year and the best part...??? It's FREE! It's called CHRISTMAS CRACK! And, Sadie and Sawyer are on it EVERY DAY! All. Day. Long.

I love it!

They are definitely filled with the Christmas Spirit. This has been the BEST year so far with the kids. We have done lots of fun things. We have gone to the Rockettes, gone to see Christmas lights, gone to visit Santa, gone to a Shepherd's Breakfast at church, done several countdowns to Christmas, watched several hundred Christmas movies, talked about the birth of Jesus, talked about the importance of Christmas and giving, had several Christmas parties, and last but not least...we are looking SO forward to Sadie's very first Christmas program tomorrow morning!!!!! I remember going to Chance and Emma's programs at school when they were very little and I would almost cry every time, so I hope I don't embarass myself tomorrow!

We still have LOTS to look forward to this week. We are making cookies for Santa, making reindeer food, making LOTS of people food, and celebrating Christmas with ALL of our families! And, Dennis planned a special, AWESOME night for the 4 of us coming up on Thursday night. I. Can't. Wait. We haven't told the kids yet, b/c we fear the Christmas Crack will put them in rehab, but we are so excited! There are no husbands/daddies better than mine! He is the most unselfish, giving, loving, 34 year old kid that I've ever met! He took his small Christmas bonus this year and bought the kids a Christmas train set b/c he knew how much they would love it. And, they have. And, he planned this whole night for all of us on Thursday night that I am looking so forward to! (details to come)

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is Cocoa, our Elf on the Shelf. Although, I brought Cocoa out a little too early this year (whew!) we have so enjoyed him being a part of our family during this time of year. He has ziplined across the den, eaten cupcakes and hot chocolate, brought the kids letters to write to Santa, sat in Santa's lap, played in the fireplace, written on the mirror in the bathroom, been a snowman, and many other things. We're sure going to miss the little guy when he heads back to the North Pole this weekend.

Anyways, I hope everyone else is getting to experience the Christmas Crack this year! It's definitely a drug worth taking!!!!!!

Christmas Heart

Christmastime is all about the heart. What you feel in the heart. What you let your heart lead you to do. What you let fill up your heart, etc.
Contrary to popular belief, I don't think Christmas has to be ALL about giving to others. I know what you're thinking..."wow, did she really just say that?"
Yep, I did.
The reason I say that is because I feel as though we should ALWAYS be giving to others. Don't just save it for Christmastime! If we would all give all year long, there maybe wouldn't be such a "need" during this time of year! And, if we all would find ways to give all year long, we wouldn't feel the "guilt to give" during this time of year.
People love to proclaim to everyone who will listen what they're doing to "help" others during Christmas. If you're letting the world know everything you are doing to help out others during Christmas, your heart is probably not in the right place to begin with and more than likely, you're not doing it for all of the right reasons.

We love to get our kids lots of goodies for Christmas! I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Now, if we never gave to the church, never helped anyone out, never gave money to help the orphans, or a single mom, or the homeless, etc., and we STILL showered only our kids with gifts at Christmas, I can see the problem. But, I don't think there is anything wrong with allowing your kiddos to have a good Christmas.
I know everyone's convictions are different. Some people desire for the praise of others. Some truly want recognition. I am not here to judge. I am only here to say that only God knows our hearts.
That's what having a "Christmas Heart" means to me. It means that I can do things that maybe nobody else knows about, but all that matters to me is that God smiles. I can do something for someone that my own husband doesn't even know about, but I don't need the praise from him. I simply do it because God leads my heart to do it and we are only called to be obedient.
So, for what it's worth, have a Christmas Heart this year. A heart that's not so focused on how much you're "supposed" to spend on someone, or how to make everything "even" between the kids/grandkids/parents, etc. Just do what your heart leads you to do! Give because you WANT to give. Not because you're "supposed to"! Let your heart be blessed!!!!!

Month of Thankfulness

As I read everyone's post on Facebook about what they are thankful for each day during the month of November, I find myself constantly reflecting on what I am thankful for, although I don't post it to Facebook. I often think that people get way too personal on Facebook. It's not just used as a "social networking" site anymore. Its not that I don't want to share with my friends what I am thankful for. It's just that sometimes I don't think that people are completely honest on Facebook and I like to go against the grain sometimes. I mean, of course we are all thankful for God, our family, our friends, etc. But, I find myself discovering that I am thankful for things that maybe aren't as obvious. But, they still make my heart scream with thanksgiving. For example...
-I am thankful that God whispers to me. I don't audibly HEAR God talking to me, but He definitely gives me gentle nudges (which I refer to as "whispers") all day, every day. It may be something small, like whispering for me to go and love on the kids. Or, it may be something large like whispering for me to step out on faith about something.
-I am thankful that my kids love each other. Ok, I know what you're thinking...blah, blah, blah. But, to me, it's so extra special that my kids love each other like they do. I constantly see them doing sweet things for each other. Sweet things that I don't think ALL siblings do for each other. Sadie takes care of Sawyer. Her little heart truly wants him to be okay in every situation. She rubs on his back if he's upset and she crawls up in the recliner with him while he does his breathing treatments so that he doesn't have to sit by himself. Sawyer loves to see Sadie's face light up when he goes and digs out an old favorite toy that she hasn't played with in a while and he hides it behind his back as to "surprise" her with it when he takes it to her. They love, love, love to play together. Even to the point that they will kick me out of the playroom just so that they can be alone together with their imaginations. I'm perfectly fine with that.
-I'm thankful for my family. But, even more than that general statement, I am thankful for my mom and dad. I am thankful that I have such close, different relationships with each of them. I am thankful that even though my parents are no longer "together", I can recollect memories of 18 years that I did have a complete family and for that, I am thankful. There are lots of kids whose parents get divorced when they are very young and they have no memories at all.
-I'm thankful for my children's health. Again, I know every parent is thankful for this. But, when I was pregnant with both of my kids, I went through times of numbing fear that something would be wrong with one of my kids. I am "that mom" that usually bursts into tears anytime I hear of another child that has cancer, passes away, etc. My kids are so healthy and so perfect and for that, I am thankful. I am thankful that, unlike many other parents, we don't have to take trips back and forth to the hospital, or keep up with medications every day.
-I'm thankful for Dennis. I'm thankful that I've loved him over half my life. I'm thankful that we have a HUGE history together and that I can barely remember life without him. I don't really have to worry that I will "find out something new" about him one day, because I pretty much know it all, and I am thankful for that certainty. He knows every detail of my past, and he is going to be in every detail of my future. I am thankful that he doesn't hound me about money. He lets me get my hair done, buy a shirt when I need some retail therapy, and go to dinner with my girlfriends without ever complaining. I am thankful that he loves our kids and he especially loves our little family. I am thankful that commitment actually means something to him and he doesn't take "marriage" lightly. I'm thankful that divorce is not an option with him.

Those are just a few things that my heart is thankful for. They might be a little different than what others perceive to be thankful for on Facebook. But, that's ok by me. I'm a lucky, lucky girl!

Fall Break 2011

We had an extremely uneventful Fall Break this year. Luckily, for the most part, the weather was great. So, we had lots of time to play outside! By the end of the week though, I was going stir crazy!!! Dennis had already planned to take Sawyer to the farm all weekend, so I knew it was just going to be me and Sadie Jane for the weekend. At the VERY last minute, Dennis surprised me and told me that I could take Sadie somewhere for the weekend. I decided to try and plan a weekend trip for my mom and I to go to Chicago and take Sadie to the American Girl mega-store up there. But, it didn't work out, so we decided to go to Atlanta instead. Which, I love Atlanta and it has become a little like our 2nd home, so I was still real excited about it! Our main purpose was to get Rebecca's ears pierced and her hair done. I also booked us a late lunch at the American Girl Bistro, b/c it was so fun and delicious last time.
We left Friday afternoon and got there with just enough time to go into the store and have her ears pierced and hair done. Sadie was SO excited. It was precious. She was also a bit delirious b/c it was pretty late!





We went to have dinner at Fuddruckers. YUMMY! Then, since my mom is just like me, we went to the Cheesecake Factory and got Linda's Fudge Cake to go! We went back to the hotel and hung out for a bit and chowed down on our cake. Sadie was so tired that she put herself to bed after her bath.
We got up Saturday morning, got ready, and headed straight to the mall. We ate some breakfast and got some coffee at Starbucks and then went back to the American Girl Doll store. We shopped in the mall, shopped some more, shopped some more, and then went to the Bistro for lunch.





We headed home after our lunch. I had such a good time. There's nothing like spending time with your mom and your daughter. I couldn't ask for anything more!!!!!!

Hilton Head Island, 2011

Ok, this blog is TOTALLY for our memories! I sat down each night on our trip and recorded on here what we did that day. I never wanna forget it! So, feel free to skip this particular blog, b/c it will more than likely bore you to death. I was going to add pictures throughout the whole thing, but I knew it would take too long. Don't say I didn't warn you!!!!
Our vacation officially started around 5:30 on Friday, September 9th. Dennis got home from work a little early, got us all loaded up fairly quickly, and we hit the road. We stopped for a quick dinner-to-go and headed to Kennesaw, GA, where we stopped to spend the night. We always have a good time staying in hotel rooms together. Always an adventure, that's for sure, but we always have lots of laughs and we love being in close quarters together. We got up Saturday morning and headed over to our favorite Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We stopped in Macon at our favorite outlet mall and had a bathroom break and some Dairy Queen. It's so nice over there. We love it. One day, maybe we can even do some shopping! They have the BEST stores!! We were to anxious to shop today though! We wanted to get to HHI!!! So, we headed that way! We only had to stop one more time for a quick potty break, which was unbelievable. Normally, we have to stop about once an hour for someone to go to the bathroom. So, we were pleasantly surprised at how easy the travel was this time! We got to our house and immediately walked down to the beach to see the ocean. I love to see how the kids faces light up when we all take off running down there. They get so excited. We headed back up to the house and as soon as Dennis unpacked the car, I headed to the grocery store. Once I got back, we went over and had dinner at Steamers. YUM! The GA/SC game was on, so it was a bit crazy, but we still had a great, delicious dinner. It's one of our most favorite places to eat here. We had a full moon, so after getting ice cream at the Ice Cream Cone, we headed down to the beach with our flashlights, headlights, glow wands, etc. The moonlight was so bright, it just made a beautiful reflection on the ocean. Just gorgeous. We chased a few crabs around and came on back to the house to call it a night. We were exhausted! Sunday, we got up and ate some breakfast. I then realized that I had not only forgotten ALL of Sawyer's underwear at home, but I also forgot to bring the kids' floaties. They don't technically "need" them anymore, but I always insist they wear them when we go far out in the ocean, for obvious reasons. So, we went to Walmart and luckily found underwear and floaties. LOL
We came back here and went to the beach. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. Not a cloud in the sky. Very calm ocean. Little bit of a breeze. Just perfect. We played and played. We came back to the house and swam in the pool for a little while. I made lunch for everyone and the kids took LONG naps. Sawyer slept for almost 3 and 1/2 hours! Wow! We went to dinner at Marley's Island Grille. Aimee Brown recommended this place to us and it was delicious!!!! I got the sea scallops in a sugar cane sauce and oh me, oh my. It was to DIE FOR!!! We also had Sesame Ahi Tuna and Calamari. Everything was just wonderful. Marley's also has a homemade ice cream shop, so that's where we headed after we ate dinner. We walked around for a while and ran into Harris Teeter to grab a movie from RedBox. We came back here and went down to the beach again. We chased crabs around FOREVER. It was so much fun. It was one of those nights where you want to stay out there forever and just push pause. The kids were having a ball. The Lord has already blessed us with gorgeous days and nights and we've only been here for 2 days.
Monday morning, we got up and headed straight to the beach. Another perfect day. We love the beach here b/c there is NOBODY here! It's almost as if you have your own private beach. The kids can run around anywhere they want to and you don't have to worry about them getting lost or bothering anyone else. Not to mention, the breathtaking beach homes are not a bad backdrop either. It's much better than staring at highrise condos or hotels! Sadie's little foot got stung by a jellyfish, but she really seemed ok. We saw TONS of dolphins swimming in the ocean. It was amazing. They swim so closely to the shore. It is truly unbelievable!!! Sawyer also almost got attacked by a dog, but Dennis took care of that quickly...enough about that...We played a little football on the beach and then headed back to the house for some pool time. We had lunch and swam a little more and then the kids took a nap. I love naptime, b/c it gives Dennis and I some alone time. We just lay out, hang out in the pool, and relax. All by ourselves. Ahhhhhhhhhhh....
Monday night, we went to eat at Salty Dogs, another one of our favorites. I got a drink called the Kiwi Colada. Wow. That was by far the best frozen drink I've ever had. YUM! I got the Margarita Salmon, which unfortunately made me throw up later in the night. So, even though it was delicious at the time, it kept me up half the night while I was sick as a dog! After dinner, we walked all around the docks at Salty Dog. It's so pretty there. We watched the moon rise. It was literally pink as it started to make it's rise. The kids even thought it was the sun, b/c it was so bright pink. It was so pretty watching it rise into a cloudless sky. Just beautiful. We headed to the Ice Cream Cone (again). Sawyer was carrying his ice cream and tripped outside and just ate the sidewalk. He was SCREAMING. The whole place was staring at us. Lovely. Sadie was so sweet to him. She was letting him hold her new dalmation puppy that she had just bought. And, she was hugging him and kissing him. Made my heart just overflow. We came back here and took the kids bubble guns that light up down to the beach. Somehow, our time down there turned into a dance party. The kids were dancing around everywhere and having a ball. No, there was no music. Just daddy saying "Go Sadie, Go Sawyer, etc.". Love it. We came back here and were washing our feet off and we decided to sit on the side of the pool for a minute. Then, I decided to push Sadie into the pool with her clothes on. Then, we decided to push Sawyer in. Then, I went in, and lastly, Dennis jumped in. The kids thought that was the greatest thing ever. Love making memories with them. I hope they remember those times forever! We got them in bed very late!
I was awoke at about 2:00 a.m. to extreme nausea. I threw up for a while! Yuck! Don't really ever wanna look at salmon again. Luckily, I brought tons of medicine, so I took a Zofran and went back to bed.
The kids slept REAL late on Tuesday. Yay! So did we! We went down to the beach and played for a long time. Sadie and I about got taken down by a HUGE wave that was WAY over our heads! It sucked us under and ripped my sunglasses off and ripped my ponytail out! Wow! I was freaking out! Sadie flipped out a little bit, b/c I think it scared her so bad. But, we were fine. Dennis helped the kids build some sandcastles and then we headed up to the pool. After lunch, the kids conked out again and took great naps. We got ready for our beach pictures. Maureen came around 6:00 to take our pics. Then, the kids played in the ocean..in their clothes. Lovely. They were having a ball though, so that's all that mattered. We went and had dinner at the Smokehouse. It was pretty good. We needed a break from seafood for a night, especially after my episode the night before. We went to the Ice Cream Cone and then came on home. We skipped going to the beach, b/c we were just pooped!!!!
We got up Wednesday morning and ate some breakfast and decided to do some shopping. We headed to the outlets and we shopped around for a couple of hours at the new Tanger outlets in HH. We went and had lunch at Fuddruckers. YUM! We came back home and let the kids take naps. Dennis and I spent some time out by the pool. When the kids got up, we headed to Harbour Town. We had a hard time finding a parking space, so the kids and I jumped out and walked around on the pier until Dennis got parked. Then, we headed up the Lighthouse. The kids booked it up those stairs faster than I even thought they could! We were sweating when we got to the top! Goodness!!! The sunset was gorgeous. We came back down and walked down the pier again and saw our very own dolphin show. They were everywhere! It was so neat!! We left there and went and had a late dinner at the Black Marlin, one of our favorites. It was sooooooo yummy!!! I had a Lobster BLT and it was delicious! The kids were so good. It was VERY late and they acted like perfect angels. An elderly couple even stopped as they were leaving to tell us how precious and well behaved the kids were. Made us BEAM with joy!!! We are definitely proud of them. We went to the Ice Cream Cone (where else??) and had some ice cream just as they were closing. We came home and put the kiddos to bed. They have slept like champions this whole trip. They've taken unbelieveable naps every day and have slept all night, every night until pretty late in the morning. It's been wonderful.
Thursday morning we got up and headed straight to the beach. It was so much fun. The waves were pretty big today, so we didn't venture out too far. We played in the sand a lot and played football for a while. It was another gorgeous day. We came back here and swam for a long time in the pool. I fixed us all some lunch and afterwards, we let the kids swim some more. They were having the time of their lives. They were just playing in their own little world. During naptime, Dennis and I layed out and swam and just relaxed. After naps, we went back to the outlets and just went to a few shops. We went and had another LATE dinner at Skull Creek Boathouse, one of our most favorites. We sat outside and it was a gorgeous night. We tried to go by the Ice Cream Cone afterwards, but it was closed. So, we decided to have a cookies/milk picnic on the beach. We packed up our cookies and milk and headed down to the beach. It was so much fun and so memorable. I honestly didn't think I could love my kids anymore than I already do, but this trip has definitely made me realize that I love them more than ever. The memories we have made and the laughter we have shared is completely priceless. The ocean was so peaceful and there was a perfect breeze. That night could not have been more wonderful.
Friday morning, our very last day, we woke up to some cloudy skies and COLD temps! We attempted the beach...but, we had to come to grips with reality...it was just way too cold and windy! So, we headed straight back up to the pool. Luckily, our pool is heated, so the kids jumped right in and had a blast. Last minute, we planned a shark fishing trip, and it got moved to 1:00, so since it was so cold, I left Dennis and the kids playing in the pool, and went to search for some warm clothes for the kids so that they wouldn't freeze on the boat! I ended up at the Salty Dog T-Shirt Factory and got what I needed, then did a quick trip by Food Lion for some snacks and returned home just in time to feed the kids (and hubby) and make everyone take a Zofran! I wanted to be sure nobody, including myself, ended up getting sick on that boat! We headed to Harbour Town and boarded the Integrity. It was sooooooooo much fun. It started a little slow, but then Sadie caught a tiny baby shark. It was precious!!!! Cutest little shark I've ever seen! Then, Dennis reeled in about a 35 pound shark! It was a great boat, b/c it had an air conditioned cabin with satellite TV, bathroom, etc. It was perfect for the kids. Right about the time we were set to come back into the dock, I was able to experience reeling in an almost 100 pound stingray! It was by far the most exhausting, physical, adrenaline rush, thing I've ever done in my life! I was sweating, out of breath, hurting in about every muscle on my body, but I was also having the time of my life. It took me about half an hour to get it all the way in. What a rewarding experience! I want to do it again right now!!! There were definitely a few moments that I thought I was going to have to give up, b/c I couldn't feel my arms and hands, but I pushed through and reeled that sucker in! It ended up being a lot of fun and I'm already looking forward to next year! We came home from that and let the kids take late power naps while we got ready for dinner. We went and closed out our week the same way we started it...at Steamer! YUM! After we ate, we had to meet our photographer back here to pick out our pictures and then we went to the Ice Cream Cone one more time. What a perfect, perfect, perfect vacation week. Every year we say that there's no way it can be better than the last. And, every year, it just keeps getting better.
Saturday morning, we got up and finished packing everything up. Boo. Dennis actually got up very early, as he always does on our last day, and he went to Starbucks and then went to watch the sun rise...only, the sun rose behind all of the clouds, so he didn't get to see it. Bless his heart. He woke me up and asked if I wanted to come. I was OUT, so I declined the offer. Whoops! We packed up and headed out. We stopped to get me some Starbucks and then ran in Publix to get the kids some muffins to eat in the car. We decided to stop for a quick potty break at the Bass Pro Shop in Savannah. We walked around for a little while to stretch our legs and we were trying to decide what to eat for lunch. Somehow, as we were leaving Bass Pro Shop, we decided to check out and see how far Lady and Sons was from where we are. Much to our luck, it was only about 10 minutes away!!! It's been a dream of mine to go eat there, b/c I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Paula Deen! So, we drove down there and put our names in for the 2 hour wait. We went and parked, took the kids by Quiznos to eat a quick bite and then took them down to the Riverwalk. We got to show them where Dennis and I stayed for our 1 year anniversary. (at the Westin) It was so special! We took them in the candy store on Riverwalk and let them pick out some candy. Then, after walking around a little more and checking out Paula's store, it was time for us to eat. We were starving!!!! It was sooooooooooooo worth the wait! Most. Delicious. Food. Ever. And, that's saying a lot, considering we had just come off of a full week of delicious seafood! Dennis got the buffet which consisted of meatloaf, fried chicken, mashed taters, lima beans, black eyed peas, creamed corn, mac and cheese, collard greens, green beans, and candied yams. Whoa! I ordered the meatloaf sandwich, which was served on pumpernickle bread with a mushroom mayonnaise. It was to die for! Then, the best part...they gave us samples of ALL desserts! Warm peach cobbler, homemade banana pudding, and Paula's famous chocolate gooey butter cake. Be still my heart. Then, because Dennis is Dennis, he ALSO ordered a HUGE piece of Key Lime Pie, which looked unbelievable. And, yes, he finished it ALL! It was just absolutely delicious. No other words. So worth it. And, the best part was that our bill was only $39! I cannot believe food that is THAT good is served at a famous restaurant at such great prices!!!!! We left there and headed to Atlanta. We got to North Point Mall just in time to run in American Girl and buy Rebecca a few hair accessories. LOL We walked around the empty mall (b/c it was closing) for a few minutes to burn a little more energy and then grabbed a VERY LATE dinner at Fuddruckers. Hey, why not??? We made it to our hotel around 10:30. It ended up being a great day. Especially b/c we started the day not knowing what our plans were!!!!
Sunday morning, we all slept LATE!!!!! Woo Hoo!!! We had 2 fans going in our room, the air turned to FRIGID, and I had made sure that sun couldn't get through one spot in that room. It worked! We got ready and went to have breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Then, we headed back over to North Point Mall to do some more shopping. Basically, we were looking for every reason to prolong our trip back home. We ended up staying at the mall all day. We took the kids to Build a Bear and let them totally pick out a stuffed animal to take to Alba at the airport next week. It was very sweet. We hope she likes it!!!! We also took Sadie to get her ears pierced. Aaaaggggghhhhh! At first, she chickened out, b/c a baby was screaming in front of her after getting her ears pierced. So, we left and let them ride the merry go round, and then she said she wanted to go back. So, she did it. She was so nervous. It was breaking my heart. But, she did it. My sweet, brave girl did it! Now, she definitely cried. Which broke my heart even more. But, only for a minute. I think the "stick" shocked her more than it hurt. She looks so unbelievably grown up now. Boo. But, I love it! She looks like a precious little lady. We got treats for her. Ice cream, cupcakes, cookies, etc. She deserved it all!! We headed back home. Again...BOO! None of us were ready. I went into a major post-vacation depression pretty quickly. We literally had the time of our lives this year. It is a trip I will never, ever forget. God blessed us in so many ways that whole week. He blessed us with memories, laughter, perfect weather, content children, simplicity, good food, pretty sunsets, pretty moons, etc. The list could go on and on and on. We are so blessed. I'm already counting down the days until we go next year!!!!

Random Thoughts...

I've been meaning to update this blog for the past couple of weeks. I've had a lot on my mind lately, but none of which has seemed worthy enough for a whole blog post.
First of all, my friend Cayce, had something horrible happen to her precious little boy, Crew (2 and 1/2), the other night. He fell off of the top of a barstool in their kitchen and basically had 100% impact on his little mouth as he hit the hardwood floor. Long story short...he had to have emergency surgery at Vanderbilt that night. He had to have 3 teeth pulled (which were basically already dangling by their roots after the fall) and LOTS of stitches. He had a facial fracture. He was swollen. Bruised. She said he didn't look like himself. To Bryan and Cayce, it was tragic. Obviously, it could've been much worse, BUT, to them, it was AWFUL! And, to me, it was AWFUL! I seriously felt (after talking to her) that it had happened to one of my own children. I was disturbed. Upset. Shaken. Unsettled. I had never heard Cayce THAT upset in my life. I have known her for 23 years and she has NEVER sounded so sad, scared, distraught. So, I said all of that to say, I have spent the whole week just wanting to be with my kids. I don't want them away from me. I was scheduled to go on a girls trip this weekend, and along with Cayce, am not going anymore. I just don't want to leave my sweet family right now. Some things happen that puts things into perspective. I just realize how precious those kiddos are and I just want time with them right now.
So, we are going on our first camping trip tomorrow night! Ok, so we are cheating a little bit. We are camping at the farm. BUT, we are still sleeping in a tent! We just have the "option" to escape inside the house, if needed...Baby steps, ok?? Growing up, our idea of "camping" was in a motorhome! So, all of this is new to me!!! I was spoiled! But, I am super excited and think it's going to be so much fun. The kids are soooooo excited! You'd think we were going to Disneyworld or something!!! I love that they get so fired up about the simple things of life! I know with technology these days and with ALL of the changes in toys, TV shows, etc. since when I as a kid, it's hard to keep them grounded. But, I want them to appreciate the simple things and to grow up loving the things that I did while having wonderful imaginations as well!
On another note, I am covered up with VIP tagging for the upcoming consignment sale. Wow. Never seen so many clothes in my life, but am hoping to make a little extra money by doing it. We shall see!
Both of the kids are loving school. Love, love, love. They get excited to go EVERY time! Yay! They both have great friends in their classes and they both love their teachers. Doesn't get much better than that! And, I have TOTALLY enjoyed having a little free time each week! I've gotten to spend time with my precious friends and I have LOVED that!!!!
So, all is well at the Phillips household. We are READY for vacation! We leave 2 weeks from TODAY! Bring it!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Day of School! First Day of School!!

This is a day I have been waiting on for...well...a long time. I am not ashamed to admit it...I have been LONGING for a little bit of freedom...especially over the past year.
Those of you that know me, like, REALLY know me, KNOW that I have needed a little separation from Sawyer. He's precious, precious, precious, BUT, he is 100% attached to my hip!!!! Which, I know...go ahead and say it..."one day you will wish he was still attached...blah blah blah"! I know that. But, for now, I need some separation. Just a little bit. Or, I might kill him. Just kidding...kind of.
He's my little buddy. I could eat his face off. But, I knew he was ready to go to pre-school and be away from me. It's just for 4 hours a day, 3 days a week. Perfect. Not too much, but not too little.
And, as for my little Tinkers. Well, she just loves school, so it was natural for her to continue on and start Pre-K this year. Sadie is a teacher's dream. She loves to sit, color, paint, read, etc. That's just her thing. She's just like me! She loves organization, projects, schedules, etc.
I have looked forward to this day all summer, but I've also been a little sad about it.
The kids were both fired up about starting school. They were both excited to get up this morning and get ready to go! Well, kind of excited. I had to wake them up early and they were both a little slow to get started, but they still did it with smiles on their faces!
Dennis stayed home this morning so that he could go with me to take them to school. Oh, if he could do that every morning!! Life would be so much easier!!! But, it is definitely a special treat when he is able to do it!
Sawyer rode with him and Sadie rode with me. We took some pictures before we left!



Once we got to school, we took a few pics with some of our bestest friends!!!! So thankful to have these kids and friends at school with us!


We took Sawyer first. He actually hesitated just a tad. I was surprised, b/c I thought he'd be the one to run right in! Sadie kind of helped to show him what to do and then, without our prompting, she gave him a big hug AND a kiss and told him goodbye! Precious.

Then, we took Sadie. I was freaking out inside. I was so afraid she was going to be so scared. Well, I was wrong! She actually did so well, I didn't even get a good picture of her. She gave us a hug, walked right in, and started to put her bag and lunchbox away. She turned around, blew me a kiss and that was that. Broke my heart. I was so proud of her, but at the same time, I realized what a big girl she has become. She was the one SCREAMING, KICKING, and CRYING last year when we dropped her off! What a difference a year makes. Love her. This is the only picture I could get of her in her room. Her and Olivia were putting their stuff away together.

I left, went to the post office, went to my step class at the gym, came home, showered, sat and ate some yogurt, and then headed back to pick them up! It went by VERY quickly!!
Sawyer seemed to have a great day. Ms. Pam and Ms. Shannon said that him and Emma Cate had a small issue in the gym b/c Emma Cate hit Sawyer, but besides that, all seemed well!! LOL We picked Sadie up and she seemed great too. Both of them said they had a "great" day! Yay for school!!! I pray that every day this year is WONDERFUL for both of them!!!!

10 Years

Wow, 10 years! Definitely has gone by REAL fast! I wanted to reflect on what I remembered from my wedding weekend.
I remember showing up at rehearsal and seeing Dennis sitting at the VERY top of the balcony all by himself. I went up there to see what was wrong and I remember that he was either crying or almost crying. I don't remember exactly why, but I do remember that it had something to do with family. Still dealing with those issues to this day.
I remember having a lot of fun at our rehearsal. I remember almost putting some exes together (bridesmaids and groomsmen) walking down the aisle as a pair and having to make some last minute changes to avoid that! This also resulted in Cayce and Bryan walking down the aisle together, which years later turned into them getting married!
I remember sweet little Chance, who was not even 2 years old, running down the aisle to me! I also remember realizing at that moment, he probably wasn't going to cooperate the following night at the actual wedding!!! HA
I remember loving every minute of the rehearsal dinner. Just hearing story after story after story and doing lots of laughing! I remember going back up to Dennis' grandaddy and Joann's hotel room after the dinner and they gave us the most beautiful vase as a wedding gift that we still have to this day.
I remember telling Dennis goodbye.
I remember going back to my mom and Butch's apartment in Rivergate to spend the night. Rachel stayed with me. I remember us sitting out on the back patio and chatting until it was time to go to bed.
I remember waking up that Saturday morning and being REAL excited for what the day had in store. I remember that it was supposed to be a beautiful day, but it was extremely cloudy and humid and I was real afraid it was going to rain...it didn't.
I remember going to get a massage and I specifically remember laying there and I was actually able to relax! I remember going to get my hair done and making sure that Angie did it VERY simple.
I remember going to the church to get ready and ALL of my sweet friends and family being there to get ready with me.
I remember Rachel putting my make up on.
I remember telling lots of stories. I remember Dad and Cathy bringing tons of food and snacks up to the church for everyone.
I remember getting nervous as guests started to arrive.
I remember my dad telling me right before the doors opened for us to walk down the aisle "this church is SO big, so it doesn't look like there are a lot of people here, but there are!" At that very moment, I didn't care if those doors opened and Dennis was the only person standing there. That's all that mattered to me.
I remember the very second the doors opened after the bell chimed 6 times, I looked at my dad and asked him if he was ok. He didn't answer. Then, he started to cry. Then, I started to cry. We both cried the whole entire way down the aisle. I loved every minute of it because it was so real.
I remember trying not to laugh during our vows. I didn't think it was funny or anything, but I think I was just nervous and wasn't used to being so "serious" with Dennis.
I remember when all was said and done, I have never been more happy walking back down that aisle with my "husband". I also remember when we got into the foyer, giving Dennis a big hug and realizing that he was crying happy tears. Precious!
I remember wanting to get those pictures over with quickly so we could get to the reception!
I remember having the time of my life at the reception, but its still a blur. There were so many people to talk to, so many things to do. Even though I was having so much fun, I was ready to start the honeymoon right away!
I remember leaving the country club and driving to Opryland Hotel. I remember lots of people staring at us as we got out of the Prowler in our wedding attire and checked into the hotel.
The rest...I defintely remember...but it is not for me to share!!!!!!!!
So, happiest anniversary to my love! I cannot wait for these next 10 years!!!!

Last Minute Girls Trip

Tuesday night, my sis called me to see if me and Sadie wanted to go to Atlanta to the American Girl Doll store w/ her, mom, and Emma on Thursday for Emma's birthday! I was so excited. Sadie didn't really know what to be excited about, but she was real excited about another road trip!
So, we headed off (much later than expected) on Thursday night! We didn't get to our hotel until 1:00 in the morning! My precious, 4 year old trooper, never skipped a beat! Never dozed off, never whined, never complained! She just went with the flow and had a blast just being up late and hanging with the older girls. I was so proud of her and a little bit shocked that she can go off of so little sleep! We got to the hotel and pretty much went straight to bed.

We all slept in Friday morning and after we were ready, we went straight to the mall to hit the American Girl Doll store.


Sadie LOVED it! She didn't even know what it was up until this point, but she became hooked very quickly...as did I! She picked out "Rebecca" and mom was very excited b/c that's mom's name. I thought it was real sweet.



We had lunch at the American Girl Doll Bistro. They had the BEST food! I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious ALL of the food was. They do it right! The girls got to eat lunch with their new dolls. Sadie thought it was so cool b/c they serve little plates and cups for the dolls to pretend eating out of.



We headed BACK into the store after lunch to do a little MORE shopping! It was so much fun!!!
We did even more shopping throughout most of the day. I have never had so much fun with Sadie in my life. She was so much fun and so super sweet and she made me so proud because of what a trooper she was. She had NO nap again on Friday while we shopped all day long and she was as happy as a lark! We headed back home Friday late afternoon.



We made such great memories and I cannot thank my mom enough for taking us and for maxing out her credit card (see picture below) so that the girls could get so many nice things!

I know that Sadie will treasure her little Rebecca doll for years and years! But, even more than that, I think she will treasure those memories that we made even more!

I hope and pray that we will get to do things like that more often!!!