Summer Days, Drifting Away...

I do love summer.  In fact this is our first full summer here in Charlotte, so it is a little different than what we are used to.  The summer bugs have thrown us for a loop.  (We can handle the whole spider, snake, tarantula thing) but this whole creepy, crawly, mosquito thing is very new, and let's just say an adjustment.

In spite of that adjustment, we have made the most of our summer so far.  We have had visitors, with more to come. A very long road trip, and of course some time by the pool.  I would say all essentials to a fun packed summer!

To kick our summer off we had one of my favorite people in the whole world stay with us for a quick trip.  My college roommate of  four years, the one who I have made many burrito runs with, late night cramming sessions, early morning classes, and has put up with my love for noise maker and obsession for FRIENDS. Lauren Nelson!

This was a last minute decision, so she was only able to stay a night, but I was so grateful to have that time with her.  It was so fun to see Parker fall in love with her.  She was perfectly goofy and loving towards Parker and Camden, and that is a perfect combo for these crazy kids. 

We spent the few hours we had together eating at yummy places, going on walks and of course exploring playgrounds.

As I said earlier, we have also taken a road trip, a 15 hour one to be exact!  We loaded up the boys, (those of you that have kids know that I mean stuffed our 4Runner til nothing else would fit) and drove straight from Charlotte to Springfield, Missouri.  When I say "straight"  I really mean that we didn't stop to sleep, but let me tell you, we had many a bathroom/feeding Camden and ourselves stops.  It was one of those "Are we there yet?" kind of trips.

The good news is that we made it! And when we did, we got to see lots of family, eat lots of good food, and got lots of sun. 

Parker and Camden were able to meet and play with most of Philip's Dad's side of the family.  He comes from a family of 6, so there are plenty of people catch up with.  We stayed in Springfield for most of the trip, but we did take a trip up to Kansas City to spend some more time with more of the family.

We got a night out with Philip's Cousins!

Not only did we spend time with family, but Philip's parents were kind enough to watch the boys while Philip and I had a date night.  We got to drive Philip's Uncle's Corvette, and even went to a dueling piano bar after our dinner and cupcake.

One of the highlights of trip was our dinner at Lambert's, The Home of the Throwed Rolls.  That's right, no traditional bread basket on the table at this joint.  Here they have huge, just out of the oven rolls that get thrown through the restaurant, right to your hand if you hold it up in the air.  Everything here is huge and delicious, it was a fun night for all!

What's summer with out some fun in the sun and some water?  We have taken advantage of the pool in our neighborhood, and have enjoyed teaching the boys to be comfortable in the water.  Camden only thinks it's fun if the water is the right temperature, and Parker is getting better at swimming and going under.  

We had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July, however I did fail to snap a quick pic of the family.  Please forgive me.  We all did wear red, white and blue.  I don't often subject my family to the whole matching coordinating thing, but when I do, I do it with pride :) The 4th is an extra special day for us because it is the day Philip proposed to me!  I sure do love that guy!

Hope you have had a fun filled summer so far, enjoy the long warm days and get some pool time!

With Love, From Charlotte

Father's Day Part 2

I couldn't let today pass by without also bringing some attention to the man that is the father of my boys, Philip.

There are so many reasons Philip is a good dad, one of them is that he is so intentional with them.   I hear the conversations that Philip has with Parker and Camden.  He is always trying to teach, encourage and lift up these boys.  He makes sure that they are learning without even realizing it.  One of my favorite things he has done with Parker as he gets older is tell him Bible stories. He makes it something that Parker not only enjoys hearing, but remembers too!  He can tell you David and Goliath, Jonah, Daniel in the Lions Den, Jericho, and Samson.  (With a little Prompting)  You should hear those two boys up there in his room.  Sometimes I wonder if the roof will come in on top of me as they march around Jericho all 7 times!

I also love the creativity he has when playing with them.  Just the other day Philip told Parker he was going to take him swimming.  This was a big deal. They got dressed, got all the things needed together, and as they stepped onto the pool deck, thunder rolled.  Philip had to explain to Parker that it was too dangerous to swim, and the devastation that came across his face was heartbreaking.  Philip quickly turned the moment around and suggested that they swim in the tub, and that was sufficient for Parker.  The two of them spent a good half hour splashing around and "swimming" in the tub.  Trunks, floaties and all. :)

Not only does he know how to play with and teach them, but Philip is so good at showing and telling the boys that he loves them.  I know that this is hard for some men to do, but loving his boys comes so naturally to him.  His boys know that he loves and cares for them, and I am so grateful for that.

One of the most important things that I see Philip doing every day for our boys is being a Godly example for them.  I am so grateful that they get to see how a man of God should live in this world.  The ways they should treat other people, their wives and their kids.  He is constantly teaching them the importance of respect and honor towards others, including mommy.  Something we try to be conscious of is that we are raising future husbands and fathers, and we want their wives and kids to know that they will be cared for in the way that God intended.

After a long day at work, I am sure crawling on the ground and changing dirty diapers isn't the number one desire of his heart, but you would never know. This guy doesn't miss a beat! Many times I ask myself how he does it, but I know that his strength comes not from himself but our heavenly Father.  I am so glad that my boys have Philip to model their lives after.  And as you can see, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree :)

Happy Father's Day!

With Love, From Charlotte

Father's Day Part 1

This is my dad as a young'n

Every time I look at this picture all I can think about is how much my brothers look like him.

Am I right?  Anyways, on to what I'm really here to talk about, and that's my dad.  It's Father's Day, and I want to honor the man that my dad is.  I have so many wonderful memories of my dad it's hard to even begin, but one thing that really stands out in my mind is our rides to school, Kindergarten through 5th grade.  My dad has been an elementary school teacher, and an incredible one at that.  I can say that because he was my 4th grade teacher.  No, I didn't call him Mr. Plumb, I called him Dad, and no he wasn't easier on my cuz I was his kid.  In fact he was probably harder on me because I belonged to him, but I only remember getting detention in his class once, but that's because he wanted to give me a hard time.  That was tough on this teacher's pet over here.  That's right, I'll admit it.  

So, back to our rides to school.  The drive to school consisted of many things.  We would sing. When we were young it was a lot of the days of the week and months of the year songs.  Along with a song that he made up to help me learn how to spell my middle name.  We could also be guaranteed a round of You are my sunshine, with our names inserted. "You are my Angela, my only Angela..." you get the idea.  And to finish it off, he would pray over each of us as we were sent off to school.  When I was a kid, I thought this is what all kids did with their dads.  I didn't realize just how intentional and loving my dad really was.  This takes a lot of thought, time and effort, and I am so grateful that he instilled those values into each of us kids.  

Something else that I love about my dad is his love for other people.  Growing up, we went on mission trips to Mexico on a regular basis.  My dad has such a heart for these people, and he has such a gift of helping other people feel comfortable and enjoy serving others too.  If you have ever been on a trip to Mexico with my dad, or had a conversation with him about it, you know that he is called to help these wonderful people and he is fulfilling that call incredibly well.  

Not only does my dad have a heart for missions but he has a heart for his family as well.  My dad really values the time that we spend together and always has.  Another thing that I took for granted as a kid was the fact that both of my parents were teachers.  So, every summer we went on these really fun, sometimes very long, road trips.  We always came away with a good story for sure.  Not only did we follow the Oregon trail one summer, but we also drove to and from Ohio several times, (one time at the last minute straight through because Isaac got the chicken pox and we could no longer fly) and one summer we were in between houses so we traveled around the north west part of the country for 2 months straight, camping and riding our dirt bikes.  These are just a few of our family vacations.

I have so enjoyed watching my dad become a Papa, let me tell you, he was made for this.  He brags on his grandkids every chance he gets, he spoils them (in a good way) with fun treats and adventures. He does a great impression of Donald Duck, and is animated and exciting when reading and telling stories even if it is through face time.  I know that each of our kids will know that they are loved by their Papa, and will be so grateful for their relationship with him.

Thank you dad for loving on me, my hubby and our babies.  We are so grateful for the ways that you are so intentional and thoughtful. You have taught us well, we love you and Happy Father's Day!

With Love, From Charlotte

Camden's First Road Trip

A couple weeks ago, Camden and I embarked upon our first road trip together.  It was just the two of us, Parker stayed at home with Daddy.  My mom and her sisters and their mom try to get together once a year for a girls' only weekend.  Basically what this means is lots of eating, shopping and giggling, and that's exactly what we did!

Camden and I left on a Friday morning, and drove about 8 hours to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.  He was so good in the car.  There were times that he was being so quiet I almost forgot he was in the car with me!

The night we got there we had a delicious dinner, and unfortunately my Aunt Jo experienced her first gall bladder attack.  The picture below is her attempt to alleviate some of the pain.  Even with the painful start to the weekend she made the best of it, and was able to enjoy the rest of the time together.

 On Saturday morning we woke up and headed out for a long day of shopping and eating.  We went to a very cool market where we could each choose what type of delicious food we wanted.  We also went to a matinee movie, Mom's Night Out.  Such a wonderful movie that all of us could relate to and enjoy together.

That night we went to a hibachi restaurant.  We thoroughly  enjoyed watching him chop, flip and serve us our small portions mounds of food.

 On Sunday, instead of sticking around in Pittsburg we went back to Berlin which is where all of my Aunts and Grandma live.  I got to see the rest of my cousins, Aunts, and Uncles.   None of them had met Camden yet, so it was a lot of fun being able to show this little man off.

He was such a wonderful travel companion.  I know that it was supposed to be a girls only weekend, but I don't think anyone could say no to this little cutie.  

Meanwhile, back at home my other two boys had a crazy busy, but fun weekend. It consisted of hitting up some yard sales to find some extra special treasures, long naps, McDonalds, movies, Chik-Fila, and of course, church. Parker even went up on stage with Daddy during run through. I think it was quite the experience for both of them :)

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend had by all.  I so enjoy hanging out with my mom, aunts and Grandma.  They are so silly and so fun to be around.  I am always guaranteed a good laugh and fond memories when it comes to these women.  Thank you for investing in my family and loving on my boys!  

I had to throw in one last little video of the weekend.  It is just a good example of the guaranteed laugh when in their presence.  We somehow locked ourselves in the car while the alarm went off... Not too sure how it happened, but I did capture the ridiculous moment on video :) Enjoy!

Have a great weekend and Happy Friday!

With Love, From Charlotte

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is such a sweet day to honor the woman that carried us for nine months, worried throughout the night when we were first born checking every ten minutes to make sure we were still breathing.  Nursed us/fed us every 2 hours at the beginning, despite the desperate need for sleep.  Taught us our please and thank you's, how to spell our name, and how to use the potty.  How to pretend and play house and school, and how to share with our friends and siblings.

The woman who made our lunches for school and had dinner ready for us at night.  The woman who helped us with our homework, and practiced our spelling words with us before our big test on Friday.  The woman who drove us and came to softball games, volleyball games, gymnastics practice and competitions.  The woman who cut our hair, (even when she probably shouldn't have) and sewed our totally awesome, sibling matching, sweat suits.  The woman who taught us how to clean, cook and serve.

She taught us how to drive without making her gasp every time we hit brake or drove to fast.  She consistently encouraged us throughout those high school years even when our attitude and words made it seem as though we didn't appreciate it.

Then, when we went away to college she would call us to make sure we were studying and to see how our last exam went.  She was there to listen and pray for us when our hearts were broken or something didn't turn out the way we thought it should.  She's the one who did our laundry when we came home on Christmas break, and made sure to make our favorite dinners while we were there.

She's also the one who we told first that we were engaged, and would be marrying the one she had prayed for since the day we were born.  She's the one who helped us get ready for the wedding and eventually gave us away to our spouse.  

This is the woman who when we were pregnant answered all of our crazy questions, and assured us we looked great despite our swollen ankles and big bellies.  She's the woman that was there for us in the labor room, because when we don't feel good we need our mommy there.  The woman that cleans my house after my second born because, well mostly because it hasn't happened in weeks and probably won't for several more :) She's the one I think of and thank when I have days with my own children in which I want to pull my hair out.   She's also the one that inspires me to push on and keep investing in them, because I'm their mom and this is the call that God has placed on me.

We use this day to celebrate the women that started praying for us before we were even born so that one day we may be able to experience all of the wonderful, scary, exciting, and challenging things that come with life.

She is my mom and my boys' grandma.  She is patient, gentle, caring, a prayer warrior, casserole master, applesauce maker, and someone that I hope I can be like as I am growing in this role.  Thank you for taking such good care of us.  I love you and hope you feel blessed today.

Your mom may be many of these things to you, or many other things.  But I pray that today we can take a moment to celebrate and honor the one who we call mom

Happy Mother's Day!

With Love, From Charlotte

Uncle Zach and Aunt Carissa

So I am several weeks behind on this post, but I wanted to share our special time that we had with my brother, Zach, and sister-in-law, Carissa.  We had the privilege of having them come visit us in March. Zach was here for almost a whole week so we got lots of time to show him around the city.  And when I say city I mean different parks, playgrounds and libraries, because that is just what we do around here :)

This was the first time they met Camden, and they sure were surprised by his chunkiness.  They also got some quality time with Parker.  Parker just loves having family in town.  He has so much fun playing with them and showing them all the fun things we do. 

We also did a few new things around Charlotte that we had never done before.  This is a park we had never visited and we are so glad we did!  I think it's so funny how every time people come into town we find something new to do that we didn't know about before.  I guess we often take advantage of living in a city and don't use it to its full potential. 

Once Aunt Carissa got here we took them to uptown (our downtown) to 7th Street Market.  Seriously, best latte ever.  We of course had no problem finishing ours off, and even scraped the mugs clean with the little spoons they gave us.  At least we didn't have to lick the mugs, right Riss? ;)   I just love this picture of them... The way that Parker is looking at Aunt Carissa just warms my heart. I think he's in love.

We ended the week with a service project at church.  We love taking our friends and family to experience the way God is moving through Elevation and some of things that we get to be a part of.

They ended their trip at our place on my birthday, which was such a special treat for me.  Philip also had many surprises planned for me that day, including a childless night out to a delicious dinner at Ruth's Chris. (A first time visit for him) and continuous videos from people that I love throughout the day.  Thanks to all that participated, and a special shout out to Philip who organized it all.  

We love visitors and welcome you to come see us :)  There are always new places to explore in this beautiful city.  Have a great rest of your week and happy late Easter.  

With Love, From Charlotte

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Today is a very special day for us, it is this guys' 28th birthday.

We have had such a good time celebrating him today, and hope that he has had a relaxing day.  The morning started out with giving him the opportunity to sleep in, (quite the luxury around this house)  and the boys and I decorated the downstairs for his big day.  We also went out to get his favorite Dunkin Donuts (Chocolate frosted sprinkles) and then made him some chorizzo to enjoy once he woke up.  We followed that up with a trip to the mall to spend some birthday money and a Chipotle Burrito. (Thanks Zach and Carissa!)  Now we are all relaxing and napping.  Tonight I have planned an evening out just the two of us, while some friends have offered to watch the boys.  (Thanks you Kelly and Chris!)

But what I really wanted to blog about today was how much I appreciate and love all that Philip is to me.  Philip and I met and then later started dating in high school, we were only 16 at the time, but I told him then that I would be his wife one day.  (Yes, 16 year old Philip was very freaked out by that) :)  Through many years of off and on dating, I am so grateful that he pursued me even when I didn't want to be or asked him not to.  I can't imagine doing life without him.  He is such an incredible man that I have had the opportunity to see so much growth and change in these last 14 years?!  Wow, That's officially half of our lives!  

As a husband Philip is right up there at the top.  He is our spiritual leader, and challenges me to learn and grow in my faith regularly.  He is the provider, he works so hard to make sure that we have a nice place to live, food on the table and more clothes than we need.  He includes me in making decisions, calls me out when that needs to happen (shocking I know!) and comforts me when I'm having a rough day.  He considers my needs and desires and we honestly have such a good time hanging out.  

As a dad Philip has blown me away and does continuously at how good of a dad he is.  Don't get me wrong, I have always known that he would be a great dad, but this guy is a natural.  He knows how to balance fun and adventure, with teaching and discipline.  Sometimes I don't know how he has the energy or patience to do all he does with our boys, but I know that I couldn't do it without him.  He is so intentional with making sure he spends the time that he has at home with each of our boys every opportunity he gets.  Thanks for being so invested in our kids babe,  I am so glad that they get to learn how to be the men they've been called to be from you!

This is one of our Fun Family Fridays.  Philip found a fun trail to take the boys on.  In this picture they are spying on the pretend bears and lions.  Parker loves "Adbentures with Daddy"

As a Man in Ministry Philip has had such an impact on so many people.  He is so gifted at encouraging and guiding people.  I love hearing him teach the Word, because he is so passionate about it.  He knows how to speak in such a way that makes God's Word apply to me, even if I can't always see it.  I have loved watching him grow in his new role at Elevation as an eGroups director.  Not only does he lead so many of the leaders within our church, but I see the ways that he communicates and impacts their lives each weekend.  

This is Philip at church one weekend, encouraging people to join a small group

Leading and encouraging our eGroup leaders on the Matthews location

As a Brother and a Son, Philip has always been so intentional with his family.  I love watching him form relationships with each person in our family.  He is so good at caring for each of them.  I often envy his ability to be so consistently intentional with our family.  He is so good at keeping in touch with each of them, and showing them that he cares for them. I think one of my favorite things to do is to watch him watch his family open up the Christmas gifts he got them.  I think he enjoys that more than opening his own gifts.  He is so thoughtful when it comes to giving something to someone, and he loves seeing the joy that comes with the gift.  Thank you for valuing our family!

 As a Friend, Philip is a keeper!  People have always been drawn to him.  He has always been a good friend to those around him, but lately I've been seeing a different side come out with his friends.  Not only does he have a good time and enjoy being around them, but I can see that the choices he's made as a husband and dad are admired and have been an example for those around him.  The way that he chooses to serve his family has been noticed and appreciated by those around him.  

As I didn't finish the blog before we left for our date I now have pictures from the evening. It was a kid free dinner and movie night! 

 This doesn't happen very often anymore, so it was welcomed for sure.  Philip, thank you for being the husband, dad, ministry man, brother, son and friend that you are to each of us. You are loved and appreciated!  

If you haven't had a chance to Facebook, call, text or send a fun video take a moment to do that, and let this guy know how much he means to you. 

With Love, From Charlotte