Thursday, April 13, 2017

Birthday fun :)



Abby's 7th Birthday!!

birthday lunch!

some of my most favorite peoples! - with Lyla and Aaron




the bounce house that she was so excited about!

Jackson, Ryan, Asher, Brendan, Oakley, Gracie, Hannah, Kayla, Abby, Lyla
Elli, Zoey, Cooper, Chloe, Andrew, Seth, Dylan, Kinsley, Max, Naomi, Caden

awesome babysitter Taylor stopped by

Chloe, Oakley, Mari, Abs

Asher, Oakley, Cooper, Jackson, Abs, Mari


birthday request - brownies and ice cream



At her seven year checkup, Abs weighed in at 52 lbs and was 46.7" tall



Monday, April 10, 2017

Chloe's broken arm

Monday, April 10th, 2017
Our sweet Chlo-Chlo broke both bones in her left forearm at Ryan's baseball game.  She fell about a foot from a sitting position at the bottom of the slide
[as you can probably tell, that bandage isn't actually helping.  I'm convinced it was so Chloe and I couldn't see it.  Her arm was bent at a very awkward angle]

sleeping it off the next day, we didn't get home from Scottish Rite until 3am.  Fortunately she slept until about 11:30.



The sweetest thing ever!!  This is from neighbor Oakley.  She wrote this 100% by herself as soon as she got off the bus and saw Chloe's arm.

Kayla, Kinsley, and Oakley signing the cast.
The first morning [well early afternoon by the time we got out of bed!] was a bit of a downer adjusting to our new normal.  
But a bath and a stroller ride and then seeing all her friends at the bus stop really perked up Chloe's spirits a lot!

sweet Kayla, we are blessed with amazing neighbor-friends

just like her mama, she just needed some fresh air!  
And lots of loving and spoiling from all her extended siblings.


the spoiling continues, the Conleys brought all sorts of treats and Pizza Hut for dinner!

we weren't sure about sleeves yet, so here's her new, super awesome, one-sleeved PJ shirt

I was a wreck leaving her at preschool her first day back.  her awesome teacher sent me this picture of her doing great.
Emery, Chloe, and Lainey Kate [they're both in the other 4s class and not two that she usually talks about, but she sure looks happy so I'm happy :)]


worn out from her first day back
shutting down is also her coping mechanism though ;)
-with "the bear that Addie gave me" her sweet friend Addie brought over a care package after school.
  Our friends have certainly rallied around us and made Chloe feel super loved!  


My facebook post from 4.11.17
So yes, our sweet Chlo-Chlo broke her arm at the baseball field playground last night during Ryan's game. She was sitting on the bottom of the slide and fell straight forward off it. It was visibly bent and broken, and I could barely look at it. But she has proven that she's one tough cookie and has been so strong through it all. We took an ambulance ride to Scottish Rite, and she got her hot pink cast. It's her left arm, not her dominant right. We made it home about 3am, and she slept all morning.
It's times like these that give me goosebumps in a good way. Coleson and I are so thankful for our amazing community that has rallied behind us. As you know, I rarely get on Facebook, and when Coleson and I decided we should post about Chloe's arm, we both knew we wanted to post about the many blessings our family experienced. From the off-duty paramedic who was in the right place at the right time to whoever called 911. For amazing friends and teammates and coaches that were sending texts and emails and prayers our way all night, your messages were so appreciated. Our awesome friends [the Esterlings] who took care of Ryan and Abby so we could both be with Chloe, they loved their ice cream party sleepover! Having to leave behind your other kids when one goes down is a horrible feeling, but I'm so grateful for trusted friends who cared for and loved on them. for Chloe's sweet friends who spoiled our girl with love and flowers and stuffed animals and handmade cards and stickers and cupcakes and sidewalk chalk drawings. And most importantly their presence, Chloe totally perked up this afternoon when her siblings and amazing neighbor-friends got off the bus and showered her with attention. Our dear, sweet friends [the Conleys] that brought us dinner and their company tonight. We love our community and last night we saw how truly blessed we are. Thank you for all of love and prayers and concerns! Y'all are the best, and we are so thankful!

Monday, April 3, 2017

Birthday weekend with the family :)



Saturday 4.8.17 - Dawgs baseball vs. Missouri at the new Braves Stadium


the new SunTrust park

cool kiddos!
Stratton, Maxim, Nana, Grandma, and Grandpa all joined us for the game [and Abby's birthday dinner afterwards] 
[don't you just love Abby's hat?!  she can totally pull off hats!  thanks for the bday present Grandma]






Abby's birthday dinner!  ::  Steve and Howard met us back at the house after the Braves game



Happy 7th birthday!!

Sunday Fun
celebrating with confetti on UpStreet


a stop at Lowe's on the way home from church in preparation for a fun afternoon of planting!
Abby & Nana's garden, complete with the new fairies Abby got for her bday

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Spring Break camping trip

Spring break!
Sunday, 4.2.17 - hiking Providence Canyon with the Conleys, so much fun!
**this place is amazing!!**



fearless as usual



Ryan and Seth




headed back out of the canyon, we hiked probably 3-3.5miles would be my best guess






hiking up along the top now
I may have bribed them with Oreos for this picture, they were getting tired of the adventure and tired of my pictures :)







Florence Marina state park
bubbles back at the campsite

after dinner date stroll around the campsite, compliments of Alyson and Marcus

hammocks are the best

having fun at the campsite
love these pictures!  Chloe wasn't cooperating, so Alyson tickled her.  It worked!



Monday

our stair step picture!  
I wonder if/when one of them will outgrow the one in front of them?!

a mom and kiddo hike along the lake  - a storm was brewing, the guys were actually back at the campsite packing up


We left Monday morning after this hike.  There were tornado warnings, and it rained on us ALL the way home.  After unpacking and showering, we met back up at our house for the nacho dinner that we had already prepared - we were supposed to stay both Sunday and Monday night.  We also watched the movie Sing, while clean and in dry, warm PJs.  Beats hunkering down in a wet tent in the rain :)  Fun trip and memories with our friends!!