Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

If only we all looked in the mirror each morning this way...

Sunday afternoon nap.

Today Rylee slept like this for about an hour.

How does this even happen?
In Rylee's words: "I just forgot to put my feet on the couch, that's all."

It's Pickin time!

Rylee showing off the fruits of her labor!

Landon was sad to go and needless to say, I think he broke rule #6.

You can't go strawberry picking without making freezer jam. Yum!

Happy Mother's Day

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Beach Week 2010

We had another great week at the beach this year. The weather was a little chilly and rainy the first few days but even then we had 3 beautiful rainbows.

Later in the week it warmed up and we were able to enjoy the beach more.

The highlight was when Rylee and Rylan went on a six hour sailing adventure on a catamaran. They saw wild horses and dolphins.

Since we went during the school year she was the only kid on the boat (almost everyone else was retired). So Captain Steve let Rylee steer for about 45 minutes. He even pulled up the cooler so she could see over the top of the wheel. What a great captain and first mate!

Rylee also loved riding on the net as the water flew by underneath her.

They went to Cape Lookout Lighthouse which is on an uninhabited island.

Rylee took this picture of Rylan...not bad!

Together they found some big sea shells!

We also went to the Fort Macon and the aquarium. Landon was quite a bit older than last year....

...and really loved it!

We had him wear this little backpack because there were tons of kids everywhere and he was constantly on the move.

He could have watched the fish swim for hours.

It took Rylee a while to get up the nerve but she loved petting the rays.

I know that was a lot of pictures. I write this blog as a record for our family to have in the future as much as I do to keep people up to date. I am just trying to highlight what I hope to remember. I know I will look back years from now with so many fond memories from this trip. And not just for the sites we saw but for the little memories too...like teaching Rylee how to play battleship and how she arranged her ships like a smiley face. Or when Rylan asked her how she wanted her eggs cooked one morning for breakfast. When she didn't understand what he meant he said "I mean do you want them runny or just firm. She replied "No thanks. I'll just have them perfect please." And one early morning when it was chilly and we went down to the beach in our pajamas. Watching Rylee chase Landon in his sleeper up and down the quiet beach is a sweet memory I will cherish forever. It makes me sad to think next year they will both be a year older, but grateful to know I am blessed with so many wonderful memories!

My Deer Stand

One year ago I started building a tree fort for Rylee over my break. At the time I thought it would only take me a few days...

It turned out to be more challenging than I anticipated. I ran out of days that I had for break and went back to school having only completed the platform. This last year was busy to say the least and I never got around to finishing it. So it sat and sat and sat... My friends called it my deer stand and it was the butt of several jokes. Well, one year later I finally had some free time to finish what I started.
While I was at it, I decided to add a swing set and...

...a fire pit, which we used last night to make smores.

No more jokes at my expense when I start school again on Monday, and Rylee and Landon love it.

Fort Macon

While at the beach last week we went to Fort Macon. The fort, which dates back to the Civil War, has been spectacularly maintained. It was also just a beautiful day to be outside.

This was the oven that they cooked the bread in. (Reminds me of Hansel and Gretel!)

The fort is on a peninsula because it protected the mainland from attacks from the sea. As a result, the views were fantastic.

The kids loved climbing on the canons and canonballs.

These were two of the three sets of doors that at the entrance. This is also the only remaining original wood. The bridge on the outside goes over what was used as a moat.

One of the things we love about Emerald Isle...there is lots to do other than just go to the beach.

Daddy's first extraction!

Rylee lost her first tooth at the beach this week! She was soooo excited. It had been loose forever. It was driving Rylan crazy that she let it get so loose and wouldn't just let him pull it out. But finally he convinced her making it his first extraction! He even numbed up the gum a little first with some topical anesthetic (a perk of being a future dentist's kid I guess). It was probably the easiest one he'll ever do! The tooth fairy even found us at the beach house and left a dollar bill. Apparently she keeps up with inflation because I think I got a quarter for each of mine.