Michael is 12!

Yesterday, we celebrated Michael's birthday! He had the whole evening planned out right down to the time that he'd like to have cake! He chose Bare chicken patties and crinkle fries for dinner (delish!) and a Caramel cake for dessert. He enjoyed all of his gifts and cards and of course, his last gift was found via scavenger hunt (a tradition!) 

This morning, I captured this sweet moment between my August birthday kids. 

My mom took these last night at his party. 

He loved reading through his cards & opening his gifts. He received a few books in a series he's been loving. He got a Kindle which will be super helpful & fun for this super reader! He got a really nice pair of goggles which is awesone for his strides he's made in the pool. My dad gifted him a very sentimental gift which he's excited to learn to use. His scavenger hunt gift was a punching bag on a stand and a set of boxing gloves. He is so excited to be 12! 

Dear Michael, 

We are so excited that you're 12 and loving life as much as you do! You're kind and genuine and can be such a wonderful friend. You're a great big brother and it's a joy to watch you interact with both of your siblings. We're so proud of how hard you've worked in the pool this summer and how far you've come, by sheer determination and effort! You are a great diligent student who has mastered the locker and who is handling the load of honors classes with ease. We are proud of who you are and who you are becoming. Continue to seek Jesus earnestly and always and He will direct your path. 

We love you dearly!

Love, Mom 

***

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Avery is 7!

This post is a few days late because we were all sick on Avery's actual birthday, so we stuck to essentials of snuggles, cake, and presents. 

As tradition with Avery, she decorates her cake. She loves to do it! 

We also spent time catching up on school work. 

Here's the birthday girl with her Mario characters and cake! 

For her last 2 gifts, we sent her on a scavenger hunt! 

She LOVED her gifts so much that she gave hugs after opening the wrapping! 

Today was "wear pink or gray" day at school and she is set! What a cutie 7 year old! 

Avery dear, 

We love you so much! You're sweet and spunky and loving. You are so strong and work so hard in dance class. We love watching you do things you love to do. You enjoy swimming and drawing/crafting/being creative. Your favorite stores are Hobby Lobby & Target and in fact, you put both stores on your birthday list (yes, the whole stores). Any time I get a "freebie coupon" for Bath & Body Works, you gladly shop online for the perfect item to redeem. You love all things makeup & jewelry and you have your own unique fashion sense. Your birthday party theme this year is Princess Peach and I'm so excited for your friend party & all the activities. 

You love Jesus and enjoy talking about Him with your friends. You love school and this makes us so thankful. 

We love you, sweet girl! 

Love, Mom

***

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Summer Fun, Part 2

We have officially gotten back to our school routine. I'm so excited for them and the great teachers and classes that they are with! I decided to make a wrap up post for summer, so of course my phone put them in backwards with the most recent ones first. 

So enjoy this review of our second half of summer in descending order. 

We took the kids to Auburn on their last weekend of summer. On our way home, we stopped at Buc-ees (of course) and Avery was elated to find Buc-ee himself ready for a photo op! 

Prior to leaving downtown, we stopped at Bitty & Beau's to try it out! Aaron & I went to the one in Savannah and were pumped when we found out that one was opening in Auburn. We will be loyal customers. We love their mission. 

And we braved the potential crowds (it was summer commencement day), and head to Toomer's Corner. We were surprised that it wasn't more crowded! 

Before we went to play putt-putt (no pictures because all three kids hated it since it was so hot), we stopped for lunch at an Auburn favorite, Momma Goldberg's! 

On one weekday after I finished work, my mom & I took the kids to the splash pad. Avery hadn't been able to go the last time. 

We caught our puppies doing their best porch naps. 

We went to an ice cream place with our church family one Sunday after service. 

I caught Noah and Avery being nice to each other, which is worth documenting! 

Avery participated in the summer dance program and got to be Water. The seamstress did her make up that day! So fun! 

Avery discovered Harry Potter and wanted to dress like Hermione one day. 

The boys enjoyed creating crazy car scenes on their computer game. 

We've had some knock out sunsets! 

And beautiful, bright garden blooms!

And Noah discovered a love of puzzles! 

It's surely been a fun summer! Can't wait to see what fall holds!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Running

Running? Who is even writing this post?!

I have wanted to try the Couch to 5K running plan for a while, so a few weeks ago I jumped in! 

Now, I'm not sure why summertime in Alabama was the prime time to start (most of the time I feel like I'm running in a tea kettle) but it can only get better from here, right? 

It's hot out here! 

To my surprise, I am loving it! 

The running plan lays out a timed schedule for the week (how many minutes to run, how many minutes to walk, and how many times to repeat) and it basically alternates a day of running and a day of rest. I need to get better at incorporating strength training in my rest days. 

I am really enjoying this program and I look forward to the days when I can run. I turn on some music & run laps around my backyard. It takes about 30 minutes to complete a set. 

It's super, super hot in Alabama these days so I definitely feel like I've really made the most of my time during these workouts. 

Today marks the halfway mark of the plan and I'm pumped! I haven't signed up for a 5k, but I plan to continue to run (hopefully) every other day when I finish this program. 

Today it actually sprinkled pretty heavily during the run and then everything outside cooled down and smelled so fresh! It was so refreshing & a welcome break from the mugginess! Can't wait for Friday's run!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Recent Books

I read a few good books this summer, but am showcasing only two below:  Crawdad Hole and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry.   

I found these books just by perusing the shelves at my local library (not the big branch, but the smaller local branch). Both of the titles stuck out to me so I decided to give them a try. 

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry was such a sweet book. In fact, I'm envious of anyone who gets to read it for the first time. The emotions I felt at the end were so real! It's an interesting book about a seven year old girl and her grandmother and a whole bunch of wishes and amends. It was a little slow to start, I'll be honest, and it made me question my book choice when it discussed in detail this make-believe world. Don't worry though-- the book didn't fully take place in this make-believe world, but it was referenced and described throughout various sections of the book. Overall, it's a sweet story of redemption and friendship and community. A very refreshing read in this tumultuous time that we live in. 

Crawdad Hole was intriguing to me because it was written about the county I live in! I don't live in that part of the county, but I've been to it and it was fun to read about what life was like in the 1930s. It was a quick read and chronicled a true story of events, which is always fun for me to read. It might not be available in every library or bookstore simply based on it's geographic origin, but if you can find it, I recommend enjoying the journey that is this book. 

These two are definitely keepers and I highly recommend them. I've begun to read A Well Behaved Woman about Alva Vanderbilt but I haven't finished yet and it'll probably require a few library check-outs and renewals until I am finished (it's long and a bit slow). However, I love historical fiction (bonus points for being set in New York City in the 1920s!) so I really would like to read it in its entirety. Fingers crossed. 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba