Ella Taylor, N I N E

 

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY, Ella Taylor!

Ella opened gifts while the cinnamon rolls were baking. I think Ella has picked cinnamon rolls for her birthday breakfast since she was 3. I need to look back and see for sure.  No school today for Memorial Day so we headed to the skate park and then Claire's to use her birthday gift card.

We had some friends come over after lunch to play and do modeling clay.

Clay creations

After our friends went home, Lily, Ella and Mom headed out for haircuts. They were rescheduled from last Monday due to our stylist being sick. After our haircuts, we met the rest of the crew at Panera for Ella's birthday dinner. Then home for a birthday movie and dessert.

Ella made her birthday dessert with very little assistance.

She made a yummy peanut butter oreo ice cream cake.

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY, Ella Taylor!

You are caring, helpful, and quick to forgive. 

Your giggle is the best.

We love you.

Ella is currently 4'7 3/4" tall & weighs 69 pounds.

5k with my girls

As I previously posted HERE, Lily, Ella and I registered for a 5k back in February. We have faithfully trained since registering. It has been hard work with a lot of motivation, sweat and some tears.  We have realized that one girl really likes running and another absolutely hates it.

Thursday night, I checked back in my registration email to look up the race website and figure out the details for packet pick up. I was completely shocked and disappointed to find out that the race had been changed to a VIRTUAL race. They had not notified the participants! I texted back and forth with my friend Christine, who, with her two girls, trained with us. She didn't know either. So 36 hours before our race, we found out it wasn't really happening. This was so disappointing.  This final week of training had been hard.  It's hot here and a lot of motivation & encouragement has had to happen to get the girls to work hard. Christine and I had also been telling our girls how fun the race is - the atmosphere, the music, all the runners, the sponsors, the swag bags, the post race snacks.  Welp, now we had not race for Saturday morning. 

Since the race was virtual, we decided to let our girls decided if they wanted to finish and do the 5k. Lily said YES and we ran it together this morning. She may be my runner and I would absolutely love that. She even said, "Mom, this is so fun, I may want to do this every Sunday morning." I'll take the one on one time any way I can snag it with each of my kids.

So PROUD of Lily for finishing strong!

My Employees Champions Trip to Hilton Head Island, SC

This years My Employees Champions Trip was to Hilton Head Island, SC.

It was a perfectly timed getaway and a wonderful gift to have time together this past week. We enjoyed sleeping in, walks on the beach, uninterrupted conversations, reading on the beach, lounging by the pool and a lot of really good food. As always, here are some of the highlights through photos.

The beach was full of horseshoe crabs and jellyfish. 

We also saw dolphins on many occasions throughout the week.

Monday night dinner at Skull Creek Boathouse Marina.

The kids were home with a sitter living their best life - Lewis Farms after school 

for picking strawberries and eating ice cream!

Tuesday the company did a group trip, by ferry, to Savannah.

Lunch at VIC's in Savannah was amazing.

We took the ferry from Harbour Town.

Wednesday night dinner at Holy Tequila, for a workmate's wife's 40th birthday.

And while we were enjoying our getaway, the kids were having a pizza picnic with a sitter here at home. 

And the littlest L was in respite care with another family here in Wilmington.

Thursday night dinner in the cute and quaint town of Bluffton, SC at Local Pie.

Wren and Jessie enjoying ice cream at Lewis Farms on Friday.

Love this guy so much!

 Sea Shack came highly recommended by the Jon & Em, so we had dinner there on Friday night.

We also saw Coligny Beach and then grabbed ice cream at Hilton Head Ice Cream .

One of the many walks and/or runs on the beach.

The kids talked the Saturday sitter in to grabbing ice cream at Boombalatti's.

Jake & I really enjoyed the trip to HHI.

Our 4 did great for the sitters and L did well in respite care.

Now we are in vacation detox and currently wading through SEVEN loads of laundry.....

Mother's Day 2021

 

Thankful for these 4 who call me MOM, and all the other 5th kids 

we've welcomed in to our home over the years.