Friday, June 22, 2018

Friday Favorites: Almost Beach Bound!

This week has been a busy one because we are getting ready to leave for the beach!! I didn't take many pictures but we've enjoyed our week of mostly being at home except for running errands. We've had a couple of appointments, started packing, done tons of laundry, cleaned the whole house, and crossed several errands off our to-do list. Now we're looking forward to our week away on our favorite island! 😊

Here are my favorites from the week...

*On Monday morning Garrison was recognized and rewarded for being in the top 10 scores for Georgia Milestones testing in 3rd grade at his school. He was THRILLED. And we were soooo proud. He is motivated and hard working and definitely earned his reward! The scores came in late this year so it was a summer recognition... which means a few students from each grade level couldn't make it. The principal wanted to do a little presentation for the students before they were off for Sky Zone and Chick fil a. Garrison had a blast and loved every second! He had the best 3rd grade year!! I'm praying 4th grade lives up to it. 😊

*While Garrison was away, Austin helped Layton practice his letters and numbers. Big brothers are the best teachers!

*We're doing what we can to avoid the summer slide after Layton's preschool year. 😊

*I finished this book this week and LOVED it! It was another fictional book based on real events and was soo good. It was sad, it was amazing, it was riveting, it was awesome. The main characters are unforgettable. I highly recommend it!!

*I think we officially have FIVE swimmers at our house now!! Layton is done with his float, goes to the bottom of the shallow end to get toys, swims all over the shallow end, and begs to swim in the deep end (which we let him do as long as we're beside him). He's officially a little fish!

*And just this week Austin started swimming all over the deep end! He's been swimming great all summer but refusing to swim in the deep end, jump off the diving board, etc without a float. He's our safety first kid so he has to be 100% sure and confident of something before trying it out. But this week was the week! We are super proud of both our littles!! (And Garrison has been half fish for years now. 😊)

*Our favorite after supper snack and dessert.... ice cream Sundaes! AnAn gave us all of her leftover toppings from her end of year party at school so we've enjoyed a record number of Sundaes this summer. Yum!!

Today is all about packing and a little more laundry. We are soooo excited about our vacay!! Happy Friday!! Have a wonderful weekend and a great last week of June!

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Our Backyard Project: Start to Finish

Now that our pool and dream backyard are complete, I've been wanting to document the whole "story" of things here on the blog. It's our family scrapbook after all and since this was a huge project for us, YEARS in the making, I wanted to have everything in one spot/post. 

So, to start from the beginning, I've always wanted a pool. Haha. It's been a dream or "want" of mine since childhood. And then when we got married I knew it was a pretty lofty, long-term goal and something that definitely wouldn't happen until we moved into our forever home. (Well if you know the story of our years spent longing to move back to the hometown you know that there was a time we didn't know when we'd ever get to move. It felt like a long shot for years.) At the very beginning it was just my dream, but Terrell came around and pretty soon wanted it almost as much as me. 

Once Terrell got a new job and we finally did move and then finally did find our "forever home", my top priority was a pool. Or my almost top priority I should say. The house itself was probably most important with the pool as a close second. 😊 

When we found our home we even had the county guy come and check to make sure we could put in a pool before closing on the house. I remember Terrell saying to me, Is this really going to change anything if they say we can't put a pool in? And I said, yes, I think so. I love the house but can't imagine it being for us, forever, without a pool. So I guess you could say it was a VERY big deal to me. 

Long story short.... we had several pool guys come out and talk to us and give us estimates and ideas our very first summer in our house. But we decided to wait. Terrell is extremely patient with these things. Me not so much. Haha! FINALLY, once I received a job offer and signed a contract, we knew it was time to move forward with our plans. We had found the pool company we wanted to go with, had determined a time frame for everything, made plans to have a new septic system installed (since the current one was right in the way of the future pool), and began thinking about what sort of deck we'd like. 

These are pictures of what our deck looked like before....

There were no stairs and no way to get from the deck to the backyard.... and even if there were stairs, they would probably lead to the area right outside of our basement, not our backyard.

So Terrell and I talked and looked up pictures and tried to get a vision of what we'd want, what we could afford, etc.... and then one day Terrell's dad said he thought that he could do it for us with Terrell's help. We were thrilled!! If he was up for it, so were we! 

So then began the plans... Terrell's dad helped us with our "vision" and he drew up some different plans for us and we talked about it and then talked about it some more. And after finally making some final decisions about what we wanted it was time to get started! 

Demolition of the old deck began in August! We were SO excited as the beginning stages of our backyard project were officially underway!


Terrell's dad was the architect, master mind, and project manager of EVERYTHING deck related. He of course ran all of his decisions and questions by us, but he did it all. He and Terrell both worked on demolition and "reconstruction" off and on when they could for months. My dad even helped a few times when the work required a 3 man job. We loved seeing the progress and were so grateful we didn't have to hire someone to do it for us because our finished product would've turned out a LOT different. 

In November we had our new septic system installed and our backyard changed dramatically. And there was no more playing in back or going out in the back. All of our outside time was in the driveway, the front yard, or taking walks and bike rides around the neighborhood. 😊

In December, our pool guys came and broke ground! Terrell was home for all the initial digging and sent me this picture while I was at school... 

Then the boys and I had the best surprise when we got home!!

Within the same week or somewhere close, the walls were up and we could see the outline!

Then there was a break in the work for the holidays and things resumed again in mid January!

We also continued to make progress on our deck. Terrell had a little more time to work and help out during the Winter but most of the work fell on my father-in-law. He still works full time but at some point during the process the deck just about took over as his full time job! 😊

January was our biggest month of progress. The pool was "installed", the yard was graded, the flooring of the deck was completed, and the concrete around the pool was poured. It was all super exciting!


In late January, the day of Garrison's 9th birthday party actually, the concrete, liner, diving board, EVERYTHING, was ready to go.... so we got to fill her up!! 😊 (And this picture was taken the next morning.)

February rolled around and we had some warm days when the boys could put their feet in! The backyard was still a disaster zone, but our pool was ready to go!

And then the waiting began. We had to decide on a fence guy, decide on a landscaper, meet with them both, and then wait for the weather to be just right so they could come and get started. It felt like a long wait. But once Spring arrived and we had some dry days, the work began and everything turned out perfect!

Our fence was finished in early April...

And our deck came closer and closer to being done too!

After the fencing was complete, it was time for sod and the new look of our backyard finally came to be. We chose to fence part of the yard and leave our wooded area with our trampoline and little play set outside of the fence.



Our deck was complete and ready for use in May and turned out beautiful. We can't thank my father-in-law enough. It was a true labor of love.


In May our backyard was finally fully complete as well! A dream realized. 😊


We just love our 2 level deck and its' perfect shape and design.


The furniture is one of my favorite things too. We eat outside as often as we can now. 

And of course the pool has absolutely made our summer. 😊




The boys also have plenty of space to play in the backyard... either inside the fence in the area to the right of the pool or outside of the fence on the trampoline and playset... which they've done plenty of both this summer. Mostly in wet bathing suits!

This is a look at our fence from the top of our driveway. We've talked about staining it but I really love it the way it is.

My new favorite view ever.
The five of us are definitely in love and enjoying every square inch of our new backyard. I mean, Summer has become even better and changed in a way we are all blessed by and grateful for. And the best part is that even though the pool is only for Spring and Summer, our view, our deck, and our backyard are year round and going to be used lots in every season. I'm already thinking of Christmas décor back here. 😊

We are looking forward to years and years of fun and are so thankful we pursued our dream and made it happen!

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Father's Day Weekend

Father's Day weekend was a whirlwind but lots of fun! We kicked things off Friday night when Terrell brought pizza home and we swam and ate outside. That was what Terrell wanted so that's what we did. It was a great start to our weekend and perfect for celebrating the best daddy ever.

Saturday morning started bright and early with our favorite All-Star! I LOVED their uniforms!! And of course the little boy wearing it the most!

The tournament this year was an hour away in the same exact location as Garrison's t-ball All-Star games back in 2015. It was a little like deja vu. Haha. Garrison, Layton, and I actually rode with my parents so we wouldn't have to be there so long just hanging out waiting for the game to start. We arrived just in time and saw our team play an awesome first game. This is a shot of our infield and my baby was shortstop. 

And here he is up to bat! He played soo good and we loved watching and cheering on him and his teammates!

We won both games on Saturday and went home happy, worn out, and GROSS. The heat and humidity were awful. We were drenched in sweat. Eww. (Austin is #1 and right in the middle!)

We got home around 4ish or so and I thought we'd all shower and get ready to take Terrell out somewhere good for Father's Day.... but his only request was to swim and hang out at home. So we swam and ate leftovers and hung out at home. 😊 (Layton doesn't look okay in this picture but I promise he is... he was "bobbing" up and down and apparently I snapped the picture when he was down. Haha.)

Speaking of Layton.... he has been practicing swimming every chance he gets and is becoming a swimmer fast! He doesn't want to wear a float anymore at all and has been practicing swimming all over the pool! (With us right beside him of course) We are so proud of him!

Sunday morning I surprised Terrell by letting him sleep late and sneaking out to pick up doughnuts.... and I pulled it off! He was super surprised and the boys did great keeping it quiet. 😊 We all enjoyed daddy's doughnuts. We made it to the first hour of church and I grabbed a picture of daddy and his boys before we went in. #myfourfavoriteguys

Our games scheduled for Sunday were delayed by a few hours so we had time to eat lunch at my parents' with several other family members before hitting the road. 

Pre-game pep talk..

The heat was even worse on Sunday afternoon but it was worth it. Austin was a little MVP out there! He did with his bat and he did with his glove! I think Terrell and I both were glowing a little. They underestimated our baby because he's little but every single time he burned them. Haha! 

We won game 3 and played the championship game at 5:30 Sunday afternoon. It was a close game, it was intense, it was brutal. For real. T-ball! My nerves were Out. Of. Control. Our little team fought and played their hearts out but we lost in the last inning 10-11. The boys handled it like champs and are the champs in our eyes. We (the parents and coaches) were heart broken but the boys were awesome. 

We are so proud of our team!! (Austin is 3rd from the right beside the tallest kid on the team, haha!)

Our All-Star and his coaches! 

The All-Star experience was a wild and crazy journey but Austin had a blast and Terrell getting to coach him made it super special. We are beyond proud of our middle man and his team!!

Terrell had a Father's Day weekend to remember. 😊 It was busy, fun, hot, and exciting!

Friday, June 15, 2018

Friday Favorites: Swim Lessons Edition

We have had a fun summer week! Fighting among the brothers has been at an all time high, but this happens every year at the beginning of summer. And it always turns out okay. So there's hope! Layton took swim lessons this week with Piper and that was definitely the highlight of our week. We are loving summer.... minus the fighting! 😊

Here's a look at my faves from our week...

*Our weekend get-away was so fun and a HUGE favorite. We had the best time celebrating 13 years!

*And of course reuniting with these guys and hearing all about their fun weekend was a big favorite too!

*Layton's 1st day of swim lessons was a success! He only panicked at the end when we walked over to pick him up. He's doing great learning to swim and is loving practicing at home.

*Swim time is our favorite time. Plus sunscreen. And photo bombers. 😊

*Daddy and Austin getting home early from All-Star practice one night calls for a fun Game Night of several rounds of Zingo. We had so much fun.

*The boys new favorite thing to do in the morning after breakfast is to play a version of baseball in the garage. They love their little indoor/outdoor game. 

*Day 2 of swim lessons! Layton was NOT feeling having to go back. He had major crying spells before we left the house and did not want to go. It was a wrestling match just getting him dressed and ready. Ugh. Thankfully after they pried him away from me and got started, he did awesome. #phew And the moral support of having me and his brothers watching for this round made a huge difference.

*Piper is doing great too! Especially for being the only 2 year old in the group!!

*These two watch some of the lessons and spend some time entertaining themselves too. They've been troopers all week.

*Layton is learning to jump in and come back up, and to jump in and swim. He doesn't even want his float on at home anymore. He wants to practice constantly and is becoming fearless. Which is a little scary! But also shows he's ready to be a swimmer! 

*Just relaxing while the babies swim. #sweetsummertime 

*Popsicles for the cousins! 😊

*Terrell took his dad to a Braves game this week for Father's Day. They sat in the shade, watched the Braves win, and enjoyed some great QT (that's what we call quality time, haha) together!

*Supper at my mama's. No better southern food around. She's the best!

*The cutest little football player I've ever seen. 😊

*Right in the middle of his down, set, hike! 

This weekend is All-Star weekend for us! We'll be spending Saturday and Sunday at the ball field cheering on our middle man and his teammates and sweating like crazy. Haha. We're also hoping to enjoy some time celebrating all the dads we love. It's going to be a fun, hot, special weekend. Happy Friday, Happy Father's Day!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Anniversary Weekend

Terrell and I enjoyed another wonderful anniversary trip and weekend get-away together! This year we decided to venture out to somewhere new and visit a place we've never been before.... together. We chose Chattanooga, TN and had the best time! It was a LOT different from the beach, but so much fun. We enjoyed our weekend to the fullest!!

We dropped our babies off Friday morning with my mom for their annual, summer Granna-Papa weekend. 😊 They were SO excited and couldn't wait. I think they were more excited about the weekend than we were! Haha! Unfortunately when we got there, something (still unknown to us), got Austin all upset and he just lost it. He cried and cried and didn't want me to leave. He was so upset he was almost hyperventilating. Or at least that's how it felt! So that was pretty awful. And because he was so upset, Layton got emotional too. So we had a really rough start. We never expected anything close to that happening! Finally, like 30 minutes later, we were able to leave with everyone being calm and okay. It definitely made me a little shaky but thankfully we kept in close touch and everybody was great for the rest of the weekend! #phew

Setting off for Chattanooga with my forever favorite! 

We chose Chattanooga because I went years ago as a child and don't remember much, Terrell had never been, and we've always heard great things about it. Plus it's close by and affordable! After stopping for a late breakfast date, I read my new book and Terrell listened to sports radio and before we knew it we were there!

Since we arrived before our check-in time, we rode around the town and sort of checked things out a little before stopping for ice cream. A delicious first impression! 😊

Once we finished our ice cream it was time to check-in! This year we decided against a hotel and instead rented a flat for the weekend. It was perfect! Simple and small but full of character and charm. We really enjoyed our stay.




After getting settled in, we got ready for our first night out. 

Chattanooga had a huge festival-thing going on while we were there (Riverbend? Apparently it's a reeeally big deal) and Friday night was opening night. Soooo, we had a tough time finding parking but after a quick dinner we finally made it aboard our riverboat for our sunset cruise. It was a close call but we made it!


We had some really pretty views and enjoyed our ride. It was a 2 hour cruise and we ran out of things to talk about. Hahaha! 


We stretched our legs and took a selfie as the sun was getting ready to set. 😊

The views were gorgeous! Even if we did get a tad bored. Ha! It was a pretty special way to kick off our trip. 


Saturday morning we slept LATE, like until 9:00 (#glorious), then we went to CFA for breakfast before heading to Ruby Falls.  

This turned out to be our favorite part of the trip. It was just a really cool experience. Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public in the U.S. Guided walking tours of the cavern run daily, taking guests 1,120 feet underground to explore and learn about the incredible geology millions of years in the making along the trail to the waterfall. ~Trip Advisor

We had the best tour guide and laughed the whole way! We had a little bit of a wait to get tickets and then to get on the elevator to go down for our tour, but it was worth it. This is a shot of our group walking along the trail in the cave. We really want to take the boys sometime in the future. We think they'll love it.

They had lots of fun signs describing the shapes of the rock/cave we were passing and the "Elephant's Foot" was one of my favorites. 😊

Exploring and caving with my love. And several other strangers. Haha.

And we reached Ruby Falls! The falls were beautiful. And have such a neat story behind their name and history. God's creativity and beauty is amazing.


Once we finished our tour of the cave and the falls (where it was pretty chilly!), we went out and climbed the tower in the heat for a view of Chattanooga from the top. 😊


After leaving Ruby Falls, we rode around checking out Lookout Mountain and trying to decide what to do next since we had time on our hands and weren't ready to call it a day. So after riding and talking for several minutes we decided to visit Rock City... which is a part of Lookout Mountain that features rock trails, gardens, a waterfall, etc.

About to begin our "hike". 😊 

Part of the hike/trail at Rock City is a "swing-along" bridge that literally swings and sways as you walk across it. This is our quick selfie from the bridge! While holding on tight. Ha!

At the top!

Our view of all 7 states. 😊

Rock City's waterfall...

And us!

Walking through "Fat Man Squeeze" along the trail. 

We were hot and sweaty by the time we finished but enjoyed the fun little features of Rock City. And since we had a late breakfast and skipped lunch, we stopped for ice cream again on our way back to our flat. Yum!! Cookies and cream for her, butter pecan for him. #2daysinarow

On Saturday night we chose to go out to an Italian restaurant away from downtown to celebrate with our "fancy meal" we like to enjoy for our anniversary. The lasagna was delish and we had a really fun date night celebrating 13 years. 

I am so thankful God brought us together all those years ago. Being this guy's wife is one of my greatest joys.

While we were eating we started talking about what we wanted for dessert and Terrell kept joking that we should get Krispy Kreme. (He knows I like a fancy restaurant dessert... especially for our anniversary.... and that Krispy Kreme wasn't what I had in mind. Haha.) Well by the time we finished our lasagna we were stuffed and couldn't even think of dessert. So after we left the restaurant we decided to go to "North Shore" which is the other side of the river (away from the festival) and found a local doughnut shop that we decided to visit. They gave us 6 free so we came home with a baker's dozen. #doughnutsfordessertafterall #sogood

We had the best weekend together and loved our little get-away. We slept in Sunday morning, got packed up, and hit the road for home. We even stopped by one of our favorite places from Covington for lunch...

So many laughs. So much good food. So much fun.

We got home Sunday afternoon and unpacked while we waited for the boys to finish up lunch. They had a GREAT time with Granna and Papa and loved their weekend. They even got to play golf with Papa Sunday morning as an extra special treat. 😊 Austin cried when Papa brought him home because he was going to miss Granna and Papa and he just wished we could all be together.... and LIVE together. Hahaha. Bless him. 

I love our anniversary weekends. Now more than ever. We're looking forward to many, many more. Reconnecting and spending time together as a couple is so fun and so important. I hope we prioritize these trips for years to come!

Happy Anniversary Terrell Selph. I love you most.