Is It July 29th Already?!

I never thought I'd say this, but I am ready for the school year to start.  Yes, my baby will be going to Kindergarden and that is a very sentimental time but we desperately need the structure that comes along with getting up and going to school everyday!  We have had such a hard time getting back into the swing of things since the girls got back from Orlando.  Apparently, going to bed whenever you want, sleeping late, and getting daily presents make coming home to reality a difficult adjustment.  And the fact that the sun is up til almost 9 p.m. doesn't help, either!  I've just felt out of sorts for the last couple of weeks and am ready to get back on track.
Mary Grace starts school in exactly two weeks from today.  I took her to Wally World last night to pick out some school supplies.  We had already bought her backpack and lunch box from Pottery Barn while we were in Orlando.  Last night, we picked out crayons, markers, a ruler, a pencil case, glue sticks, and hand sanitizer and tissues to share with her class.  She has already packed her new supplies in her backpack and can't wait to go to Open House on the 10th and meet her teacher.
Elsie will be going back to Happy Apple on August 30th.  She'll be a Red Apple on M, W, and F, and a Purple Apple on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Our next door neighbor (and Blake's momma) is her Purple Apple teacher and she'll have Mrs. Galluccio, who was also Mary Grace's Red Apple teacher.
We are all looking forward to a great school year!  I know that these times when the girls are still so little and sweet are so special.  I love that they will be taking dance together and both will be playing soccer.  At their ages, they get to try a little of everything and it doesn't really matter if they are particularly good at something or not.  There's no pressure to be the best player on the field or the most graceful dancer in the studio or the smartest kid in the class.  They get to just go out there and do their best.  So, I'm cherishing these moments while they last.

On the road again

It seems like we've spent the last week on the road. The girls left with my mom last Friday for Orlando. Stephen and I went to Atlanta that Saturday for a wedding. We came home on Sunday and I re-packed and headed down to Orlando on Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed a couple days with the girls and various friends and family then drove back to St. Marys on Wednesday for work. As I type this, Stephen and I are back in the car and are about 30 miles from Mickey and friends. Well be back home on Sunday; probably for good until school starts in 4 weeks. Pray for our safe travels and I'll post lots of pics next week. This has been a very special trip with very special friends--more on that later.
On a side note--I LOVE my new iPhone!

4th of July

St. Marys was the place to be for the extended Kinney family this 4th of July.  Some came in on Wednesday night and the rest came in on Thursday.  The last ones to head back north were Jane, Steve, Bradlee, and John Morgan, who left yesterday morning.

We enjoyed dinner and live music at Lucky Dawgs on Friday night.  The weather was perfect and no gnats!

Then we came home and lit sparklers.

Stephen and I got up early on Saturday and went downtown for the foot race.  I ran the 10K and came in 3rd in my age group and 4th female overall.  Stephen took up money for the Kiwanis pancake breakfast.  The rest of the family joined us a little later for the parade:

Kaden wasn't sure about the loud noises!

But the big kids loved it!

We spent the afternoon on the beach at Fort Clinch:

Kaden was much happier about that:

We came home to a cookout, homemade ice cream

and a paintball fight

Then went back downtown for fireworks.  It was a late night but several of us enjoyed riding to and from the fireworks on a golf cart.  That's one of the things I love about St. Marys.

We were back at the beach on Sunday morning to take family portraits for Robby and Candi.  These are my favorites:

After lunch at Barbara Jean's, Robby and Candi headed back to Talmo and we got to spend one more night with the boys.  The kids watched Alice In Wonderland and then went to bed.  They left for Jefferson on Monday morning and I cleaned the house while Stephen, Blake, and the girls ran errands.  We ended our weekend with a cookout at Mary Grace's friend, Keelin's house.  And that, my friends, is a full, fun 4th of July!