Visiting the Big Man

The kids really enjoyed visiting Santa this year!

Picture Dump

Here are some special pictures that I have taken of my children since I last posted.  These two plus Crosson are my heart.

Aunt de reading to Caleb's class, 12/15

Making Christmas cards for sick children at the library

Sending homemade cards off at the post office

Daddy/daughter Girl Scout Dance 2015

Charleston AEP Field Trip

I got to help chaperon Callie Grace's field trip to Charleston yesterday.  It was a walking tour of downtown Charleston.  We had a great time and the weather was absolutely beautiful.  We are very lucky to have Charleston in our back door.  We visited Provost Dungeon.  Here is a pic from from our day.

Veteran's Day Program at school today

Family

Hawkinsville, Georgia... Being in Hawkinsville helps me remember that I did have a life there and it mattered.  Today marks 30 years since my daddy passed away.  Callie Grace and I got to visit with many people this weekend.  We visited with Aunt Dora and Uncle Boree.  We stayed with Christy Castleberry, her husband and their girls.

I am tired today and want to write but mentally just can't.  I hope to be back this week to put thoughts and feelings down.

I love you, daddy.  Thank you for loving me and trying so hard to beat that cancer.  I hope I make you proud.

Guy Avery Plowden, III

Tomorrow, Callie Grace and I will travel to my hometown of Georgia and say a final good-bye to a brother that I loved and respected but didn't really know that well.  He was my daddy's namesake.  We did not share the same mother.  A bitter divorce and a 19 year age difference accounted for the lack of closeness as well as him living in FL and I living in SC.  Yet, I always knew that he loved me.  Avery was very bright, loved his family and friends and had a strong sense of loyalty to the Plowden family name.

Avery, it is my prayer that you are in heaven with Jesus, daddy, Grandfather Guy and Grandmother Callie Mae.  I pray that y'all are telling stories and laughing and bonding.  Please keep an eye out for my little Crosson Avery but if my assumptions are correct, he is never too far from our daddy.  If there is a pond in heaven, I know that A LOT of cane pole fishing is going on!

Callie Grace and I will join with your mother, step father and other siblings to tell you farewell tomorrow.  We will be in Hawkinsville again; only fitting really.  Those Hawkinsville roots are so deep in us, aren't they?  We may have made our lives in other states but much of our hearts are still tied to that little town in Middle Georgia, where the red clay is in abundance and the nights are long as well as the stories.  There are many memories and so much love in that little town.

Thank you, Jesus for my strong roots.  Thank you, Jesus for Avery.

Halloween 2015

My babies had a great Halloween!  We went to a Halloween party complete with jumpy castle on Friday night and then to my sister's house for a cookout and trick-or-treating in her neighborhood on Saturday night.  Way too much candy was received and consumed but I guess that is part of the fun of Halloween!

Callie Grace and Caleb's grandmother made their costumes again this year and they were precious!

Quick trip to the beach

We headed to the beach for a quick 3 night trip.  The kids had a ball.  They swam in the ocean (it was cold), played in the sand, fished, swam in the indoor pool and played putt putt.  We were able to spend some much needed time as a family of four.  It felt so good to get away and recharge a bit.  I am always in awe of God when I look out into the ocean.  I also think about how much my mama LOVED sitting on the beach looking out into that same ocean.  I miss that mama of mine.  I miss her gentle ways.  I miss her love.  I miss the feeling of being safe when you are with your mama.  Now I am a mama and I pray my children will look back on their time with me and feel loved beyond measure.

Caleb caught TWO of these fish!  We were so excited for him and he was so excited for himself!

 

And a "just because" picture.  I love my beauty girl so very much.

Caleb's book report and visual aid

Caleb's awesome 2nd grade teacher made learning come alive for him.  He was challenged with completing a book report on his favorite book and choosing a character out of the book to decorate as a pumpkin.  Caleb enthusiastically chose The Nurse from the Black Lagoon.  We went and got the supplies that he needed from Hob Lob and purchased a medium sized pumpkin for him to decorate.   Caleb worked extra hard on his penmanship when writing his report.  He LOVED decorating his pumpkin and was beaming when I dropped him off this morning as he was carrying his pumpkin in to school.  There is no doubt that Caleb will remember his very first book report.  I think he will also look back at his second grade teacher, Mrs. Allen and know that she loved and taught him so much in his 8th year of life.  She has taught him things that cannot be measured on a standardized test.  His tank gets filled daily by her and for that, we are eternally grateful.  We love Mrs. Allen!

Sleeping Beauty

Gamecocks

It has been a sad season for our beloved gamecocks but Kip and Caleb's love for them has never wavered.  Here is a silly pic of them playing around the other night.

Making Cards for the First Responders

While we feel so helpless during this time of tremendous need, my children made cards for the first responders last night.  They are making cookies today and we will take the cards and cookies to the fire and police stations.

Dear Lord, Please wrap your arms around all those that have suffered great loss.  Please help them to know that they are not alone.

Floods in SC

Oh my goodness.  SC, mainly Columbia has been hit so hard with rain floods.  We have been extremely fortunate to keep power and everything is fine at our house.  So many have lost cars, houses and 9 people have passed away from this devastation.  Thousands are without power and water.

Church was cancelled yesterday.  This is how we spent the majority of our day...

You Just Got Served

Callie Grace was charged with serving a neighbor last Sunday night during church.  She decided to serve Ms. Ann, our neighbor who we love.  We got chocolate chip cookies

and made her a little card.  This simple gesture sure made our day and I hope it made Ms. Ann's also.  I often pray for a servant's heart in my children.  I hope that Kip and I will do our very best in modeling this behavior for them.  I truly believe that we are Jesus' hand and feet.

Go Gamecocks!

Caleb went to the USC football with his daddy this past Saturday.  They had a ball.  Caleb has become Kip's shadow.  Caleb is learning a lot about the ins and outs of football thanks to his daddy.  I love that they love each other so very much.

God Sighting

We always pray before each meal and at night before we go to sleep.  The children know that they can pray at any time for any reason or no reason at all.

This morning was a first for me with my children.  We were busy getting ready for our day and I happened to glance over at Caleb.  He had gotten dressed and brushed his teeth.  He was sitting on the ottoman in the den.  His eyes were half closed and his mouth was moving but making no sound.  I walked over and asked him what was wrong.  He said, "Mom, I'm praying and you interrupted me".  My heart truly swelled with thanksgiving.  It was such a full circle moment to me.

Lord, Caleb and Callie Grace are your children.  Please help Kip and I raise them up loving and worshiping You.  Amen

Last night of VBS 2015

Callie Grace's 1st time to ride in the front

Callie Grace and Caleb are headed to see the movie Minions with one of my best friend's, Jamie.  Due to the # of children that were riding and with CG being the oldest child, she is getting to sit in the front.  I just got this picture from Jamie...

Tennis Camp 2015

Well, another year of summer tennis camp is in the books.  This was the first year that Caleb attended and he LOVED it.  This picture sums up the difference in my kiddos.  As always, my children loved being with their friend Jackson.

Sunday

We had a nice Sunday.  We went to Sunday School and big church.  We went to a small reception afterwards to say good bye to our music minister, Mr. Frank.

The children went swimming with their daddy for many hours while I stayed at home and cleaned.  I then took the kids to get a Kona Ice.  They enjoyed the cold slushy on such a HOT day.

I loved this normal day and hope to be able to look back on it and thank God for the normal, sometimes quiet days.  You are so very loved Callie Grace and Caleb.

Yummy food at the beach!

Callie Grace tasted ribs and shrimp for the first time while at the beach.  She LOVED both.  People say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Look at Callie Grace's face after having ribs!

Why is this picture posting like this??!!

And Caleb?  He ate his weight in ice cream the entire week!  Here is my most favorite ice cream face boy of all time.

Loved spending quality time with my people for 9 days.  It has been tough trying to get back into the swing of things!!

Beach Vacation 2015

We are extremely thankful that we were able to spend 9 nights at the beach this year.  We played, ate and rested!  The children has a great time with their cousins!  We fed the billy goats, ducks and swans.  We rode the golf cart, played at the ocean and pool and played putt putt.  The children went to Kids Club from 10-11:30 in the mornings.Callie Grace tasted ribs and shrimp for the first time on this trip and LOVED both.  Caleb got a shark's tooth necklace and he is too cool for school!

Here is a picture of the children at putt putt.  They scored a hole in one on the same hole! :)

SC State Museum

Today, we went to the SC State Museum.  We are so lucky to have such a nice museum that is so rich with history.  Caleb and Callie Grace loved the visit.  Caleb loved the one room school house and Callie Grace loved Rainbow Row.  She decided to model on the little bench in that area.

Our cousin, Rion joined us for this outing.  Rion is 13 and my children adore him.  Caleb listens to him pretty well which can be a miracle some days.  We went to Chick-fil-A after the museum visit and then swimming.  Callie Grace and I went to listen to the Palmetto Singers that night and they did an amazing job.

We enjoyed our day off from school and work and the time off has us ready for summer break!!

My best girl is 9

Dearest Callie Grace,

Somehow, you have turned 9.  I love seeing you grow and learn but I would be lying if I didn't say that I feel a little sad at the same time.  You are so independent and bright.  You are a kind and loyal friend.  We are working on you being a kind sister.  You love to sing and wear lip stick.  You love Jesus and going to church.  You are ready to be double digits, while I am telling you not to rush your life and enjoy being 9.

I never imagined having a 9 year old child.  9 was such a horrible age for me that I am very conscious not to impart that on you.  I want 9 to be wonderful for you.  My prayer is for God to put a hedge of protection around you.

I love you, my 9 year old beautiful blessing.  Here is to many, many, many more birthdays!

Mama

Here are some recent pics of my growing children at the pool...

What We've Been Up To!

The past two springs have been nothing but busy!  Caleb is doing coaches pitch and boy scouts. Callie Grace is doing tennis, soccer, Girls On The Run, piano and girl scouts.  Church and school keep us very busy as well!

Caleb has done very well with 1st grade and simply adores his teacher.  Callie Grace has excelled in 3rd grade and loves her teacher also.  Caleb is laid back and brings his own party everywhere he goes.  Callie Grace has started to encounter feelings in almost everything in life.  Her very best friend is moving the end of this month.  She says she feels like her heart is breaking.  It makes my heart so sad to see her like this.  We are trying to focus on the present and enjoy the remaining time they have with one another but we can literally feel the clock ticking.

Here are a few recent pics of my babies.

Callie Grace and her best friend

Caleb the rabbit