25 Years Ago This Week, the InX Was Born!

Shortly after finishing my two-day Disney "Traditions" orientation in advance of starting my job at Walt Disney World, I pulled my 1978 Carolina Blue BMW onto Villa de Costa Drive in Orlando, Florida, walked up to apartment #7025 and asked to speak with a guy named Scott Hughes. 

Little did I know that I was asking to meet my future husband and father of my children.

As well as meet what would quickly become some fabulous, lifelong friends!

 

 
 

It was, without a doubt, the best summer of my life.  

And I smile at God's infinite wisdom when He chose to put such an amazing group of people together in the same place at the same time for the sole purpose of forming amazing relationships with one another...with the side benefit of pushing an old Bronco through sand :)

Happy 25th anniversary, InX'ers!  

Love y'all more than my luggage!

Mother's Day 2013

I've had a lovely weekend.

North Carolina's weather seems to have fully committed to Spring and we have had both plenty of rain and warm sunshine.

Saturday evening I took a quick drive over to Winston-Salem to have dinner with my Mother and my three sisters so we could celebrate Mother's day together.  

Mom, Dawn, Heidi and Me in a blurry iPhone pic.

We forgot to take a picture at the restaurant and when we finally remembered to take one, Kelly had already left :(  

Trey was too far away to join us but he was there in spirit! 

We had good food and lots of laughs, which was just what we all needed.

Mother's Day Sunday began with breakfast in bed, which was very nice, despite the fact that Will and Eliza Grace ate my toast and Chewie nearly upended the whole thing when he jumped on the bed.  Scott's omelet was divine, as always.

After church I used my "1 hour nap" coupon given to me by Eliza Grace.

Heavenly.

Scottie made his fabulous bread and grilled steaks for dinner.  I prepared a salad straight from our garden and we had watermelon for dessert.

And just when I thought the day couldn't get much better, I was told it was time for the show.

Eliza Grace had written a song for me and got her brother to run the props.

Will had prepared a little something as well.  My shy guy offered something short and sweet.

Definitely feeling the love today.

Dads, Daughters, Dancing.

Our American Heritage Girls Troop held our second annual Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance this weekend.

As one who helped to organize and execute the event, I must say our Fiesta-themed evening was quite a hit!

Everyone had a great time and, oh my goodness, it is so fun to see Dad's and their girls being silly and dancing together.

We had games for the girls and Dads to play before dinner.

After dinner we broke out the dance tunes. Scott even got out there for the chicken dance!

We even played a couple of slow songs.  Watching them dance to Butterfly Kisses about had me in tears! 

Eliza Grace just looked adorable in her peach-colored dress.  She is growing up so darn fast!

The girls had plenty of time to be silly and hang out with one another.

And when the Dads took a break, the girls were still going strong on the dance floor.

The obligatory group shot.

Followed by the obligatory silly faces group shot.

I'm so thankful for this group of families with whom we can do life.

And this is the beaming face of a sweet girl who had a really great time with her Dad and her friends!

And Then She Sneezed.

So yesterday after school I decided I'd better stop to get the kids a snack on our way to Tae Kwon Do. 

As I sat across the table from my babies, overcome with how much I love them, I asked them to scootch together for a picture.  I love the contrast of Eliza Grace's bright blue eyes beside Will's mysterious and multi-colored hazel eyes.

"Hey, ya'll scootch together so I can take a picture.  I want to see your pretty eyes."

"Will, just be natural. You don't have to look all bug eyed."

"Eliza Grace, now you're scrunching up your nose."

"Oh, you need to sneeze.  Look at the light, it might help.  And be sure to sneeze into your elb...."

"Oh, gross!  You just sneezed all over Will's face and arm!"

"Okay, can we try this one more time?"

"Geesh, was that so hard?  

Now both of you go wash your hands.  

And Will, wash your face and arm, too."

Friends, Camo Easter Baskets and Jesus.

Everything is more fun with good friends. 

Especially when Mom throws together an impromptu Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

Will picked out the Camo basket at the dollar store because, "that's what they would use on Duck Dynasty."

The best part was when I asked the kids what Easter was really all about and all four of them shouted "Jesus!"  

Then we had an awesome discussion about the gift Jesus gave us by laying down his life so that we can live in hope and grace forever.  

It was a moment.  A really great one.

Because I Have a Really Nice Camera...

...I'm the type of person who takes pictures of my kids on school picture day.  Might as well snap them while they look nice, right?

Also, let me say that I have always said, "have your picture made," instead of "have your picture taken."  Scott makes fun of me every single time.  

"Picture made? You do know that it's not 1890, right?"  

Hey, I'm a Southerner.  We have our pictures made.  

I also mash buttons.

And every drink must have ice, not just a few cubes, but filled to the top of the cup.

Deal with it or go back home, Yankee :)

ANYhoo.

 See that portrait of the little boy in a fedora on the upper left wall?  That's Scott when he was two!

 No, your eyes do not deceive you.  Will is just shy of four years younger, but only about 2 inches shorter than his sister. 

Needless-to-say, Eliza Grace is patiently waiting on her "big" growth spurt.  

Will, on the other hand, is always in the middle of one!

They always have to have Chewie in at least one shot.  

He's a furry beast in this picture but by the time I pick him up from the groomer this afternoon, he'll have had his Spring shave and will look - and hopefully smell - completely different!

Ah, this kid.  "No personality at all," said no one ever!

From Twinkle to Minuet 1

Last June, Twinkle:

This morning, Minuet 1:

Yes, it still needs some work, but man, look how far she has come!

We're impressed enough with her progress over the past 10 months that we have decided to buy her a decent instrument.  

Goodness knows the one she's playing - that we bought her for $50 on Amazon.com - isn't doing her any favors!

Horsing Around

Posting

Cantering

Approaching

Jumping

Landing

And repeat.

 

Then do it one more time bareback!

Eliza Grace thoroughly enjoyed her week of horseback riding camp, which always ends with her saying something to the effect of, "Mom, I really think that we need to lease a horse."