Gratituesday~just a little more summer

I am starting to get very excited about our upcoming school year. Our curriculum is here, I have been spiffing up our school room and the kids are ready to dig in. It is gonna be a great year!

But, I am also very thankful that we have just a little bit of summer left to enjoy. Summer is such a care-free time. I still hold dear beautiful memories of my childhood summers-Popsicles, riding my bike, playing outside until dark, watermelon-seed-spitting contests, sparklers on the forth of July.

We are looking forward to a weekend of fun in the sun with family and friends this weekend. And, next weekend we are squeezing in one last summer camp-out at the beach. The weekend after that is Labor Day weekend, and we will be visiting family and celebrating our last official weekend of summer with style!

I am grateful that we have had the opportunity to do so many wonderful things this summer. We have visited beautiful places and spent sweet time with precious friends and family. What a blessing!

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Gratituesday~sweet time with family and friends in TN

We had the most wonderful time on our family trip to Tennessee. We spent a couple of days in Savannah, TN. My sister and her husband have just moved in to their beautiful, brand-new home. We were so grateful for their hospitality in letting us crash on their guest bed, futon, air mattresses and couch! Their house is gorgeous, but the real reason we were there was to see them...and it was precious time!
We also got to spend far-to-little sweet time with some very dear friends. The Seller's Family is now living in Savannah, also. John is the associate pastor at Mount Hermon Baptist Church. I am always amazed at how we can go a whole year without seeing these precious friends, and as soon as we get together, it is like we see each other every day! We had so much fun! We grilled-out (one of our favorite pastimes) and the kids played so well together! Becca and I even had the chance to sneak away to the fabric department at Wal-mart and shop and talk without any kids!!! John and Becca also have a beautiful and welcoming home and they are doing an amazing job raising their 2 little ones...Brighton is 3 and he is funny and charming...Raelyn is 5 months old and she is a happy, smiley, sweet and oh-so-cute baby girl!


showing the kids how to shuck corn



Hadley was fascinated by the little worms in the corn



Our yellow lab, Crush loved playing with the Seller's weimaraner, Macey




Avery loved Macey, too!



Ben and baby Raelyn got along great...except when Ben tried to steal kisses...Raelyn does NOT kiss on first dates!



The 2 Mommies


We also visited Clarksville, TN, where I was born and where my grandparents still live. My Grandma Sue graciously hosted us all, and she fed us well while we were there! We had a wonderful afternoon at her house visiting with her, along with my other grandparents, Oma and Pa. I absolutely adore visiting with my grandparents. They are the most fascinating people! On Saturday, we drove over to Nashville to visit my great grandmother, Grandma Katherine. It was wonderful to have the 5 generations together again. Ben enjoyed meeting his great-great-grandmother for the first time. It was a special visit.
We were gone from home for 9 days, but we had such a wonderful visit~we wouldn't have minded staying another 9 days! I am grateful for all of the people who were so gracious and hospitable on our journey. And, I am so thankful that they are apart of my life!



Grandma Sue loving on her first great-grandson


Avery LOVES her Jason!



Isn't he handy?



Ben meeting his great-great Grandma Katherine...(don't know what happened to this pic)



Ben thought Jeff was funny



Ash and I enjoy our visit at Grandma Katherine's while Avery catches a quick nap


our visiting wore this little dude out!

for more gratituesday, visit Laura at Heavenly Homemakers...prepare to be blessed!

Gratituesday~VACATION!

I am just so excited about our family vacation! We leave on Friday after Brian gets off work and head to Panama City to visit with family. We will spend a few days there and try to "fit it all in". Our plans include meeting a brand-new baby cousin, eating at some of our favorite spots, going to Ship Wreck Water Park, and my mother-in-law is taking me shopping! Fun! On Tuesday morning we will wake up and head to Tennessee to visit with more family and some very special friends, who are like family! My sister and her husband are moving into their new house and we are so excited to see it! We are hoping to enjoy a few of our favorite spots to eat there, too:) And, I get to see my Grandma Sue, my Oma and Opa, AND my Great Grandmother! I am really looking forward to all my extended family meeting Ben for the first time! Plus, I can't wait to spend 9 days with my hunny bunny! Yay!

So, after Friday I will be on blogging hiatus for about a week. Don't forget to keep praying for Avery...we go for her MRI the day after we get back from vacation. I will update everyone on that situation as soon as we know something!

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Gratituesday~Happy Birthday Ben!!!

Today my precious baby boy is 1 year old. I am not exaggerating when I say that this has been the fastest year of my life! I have been so richly blessed with 3 beautiful children! Thinking back to 1 year ago today, I still can't believe how Ben decided to make his 'grand entrance' into this world. 1 year ago today, I got to experience what a completely natural child-birth feels like; I got my first ride in an ambulance; and I fell in love. All before 7 am. While I was pregnant with Ben, I had such an ideal scenario of his birth in my mind...I never would have imagined the chaotic climax to our story. It was quite a story. At around 5 am that morning, I woke up feeling very uncomfortable. I was having contractions, but I figured if I really was in labor, this was just the beginning. I thought I should try to get some sleep. For about 30-45 minutes I tried to sleep, but finally I decided to wake up Brian and ask him to help me time the contractions. They were about 8 minutes apart at that point. Brian got up and started getting his stuff together and calling/emailing his office to let them know he would not be coming in. I got up and got in the bathtub to try and help me feel better. I really didn't feel like being alone, though, so I got out of the bath and went to sit in the office with Brian while he wrote emails and made phone calls. He called The Birth Center and spoke to the midwife who said we should meet her in an hour. He also called my parents to tell them to come on over to be there with Hadley and Avery. While he was making phone calls, I tried to get up off of the futon in the office to go get dressed. I really struggled to get up and I began to realize I was going to have a baby soon! I went to my bedroom to get dressed, but the contractions suddenly were so intense and close together, I could barely get a break between them to get my clothes on. During this time, my parents arrived and my water broke. Brian called the midwife back and she told him to lay me down in the van and drive to the birth center as fast as he could. Brian and my dad began trying to get me to the van, but I did not feel like I could walk that far...and I knew if I got in the van, I would have the baby on the way to Gainesville...that is NOT what I wanted to do! They got me as far as the front porch before I begged them to call 911. Brian was on the phone with the midwife and when she heard the panic in my voice, she told him to get my back inside and to prepare for the baby to be born. My dad called 911 and I made it as far as the foot-end of our bed before I collapsed. Brian sent my mom to get towels, but before she could make it to the linin closet and back, Benjamin Brian Woodall was born at 6:57 am...I know the exact time because I was staring at the clock when he was born! Brian had the unique opportunity of delivering him. We wrapped him in blankets and towels and I held him close to me until the paramedics arrived. They checked him out and suctioned his nose and mouth. They cut his umbilical cord and cleaned him up a little. Brian was on cloud 9...he was definitley on an adrenaline high. The paramedics loaded me onto a stretcher and took me and baby Ben, along with Brian to the hospital. I am so thankful Ben was not born with any problems. I am thankful that Brian got the opportunity to deliver his son. I am so very grateful for my precious little son.

The Bradford Telegraph ran a story on Ben's unusual birth...to see the story, click here


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Gratituesday-Healthy Steps Pediatrics

Anyone who has children knows how important it is to have a good relationship with your child's doctor and office staff. As a parent, we only want the very best for our children! I am so thankful for all of the ladies at Healthy Steps Pediatrics! When we moved to this area in 2005, I knew I needed to find a good doctor for little Hadley...and quick! I searched the internet for a practice that was relatively close and that would accept our insurance...we had tricare at the time because of Brian's Coast Guard service. I found Healthy Steps online and gave them a call to see if I could just come in and meet them. I knew after the first encounter with this extraordinary group of women that we had found a treasure. Since then, we have added baby Avery and baby Ben to the mix. All 3 of my children LOVE Dr. Anna. She is sharp and professional, but gentle and kind. The nurse practioners are wonderful, also. They are very thorough! The whole staff is great. These are some of the sweetest ladies you will ever meet. They have a beautiful, clean office with lots of toys and fun distractions for the kids. They always work to get us in quickly. They have truly been a blessing to me and my family. I am especially thankful to Renee who went above and beyond for us this week as we tried to get Avery an MRI scheduled within a reasonable amount of time. Avery got an appointment for August 3rd at Wolfson's Children's Hospital in Jacksonville. I will blog more about her situation in another post...

for more Gratituesday, visit Laura at Heavenly Homemakers and prepare to be blessed!

Gratituesday-Florida State Parks

One of our favorite things to do together as a family is camp. We have been bitten hard by the camping bug! It is a pretty economical way for us to "get away" every now and then. It is so much fun to sit around a little campfire and talk and drink coffee early in the morning. It is such an adventure to set up camp and explore and "trek" to the "bathhouse" with your kids. It is so freeing to let your kids get as dirty as they want and not worry about it for a little while! This past weekend our family decided to escape from the Bike Fest (motorcycles up and down our street and very loud bands playing on a stage 100 yards from our house, thankyou-very-much!) and head to the "REAL Florida"...a Florida State Park! Gold Head Branch State Park is located in Keystone Heights, Florida...about 20 minutes from our house! This was our first time camping at Gold Head. It was SO NEAT! It is located in the area known as The Central Florida Ridge. It has lakes and sandhills and a huge ravine with every sort of flora and fauna! On Saturday morning, we went on a hike-it was National Trails Day! Part of The Florida Trail runs through Gold Head. It was a lot of fun...Brian carried Avery in the backpack carrier. Hadley was a good little hiker for about the first mile, after that, I carried her on my back a lot...wow-what a workout! Ben stayed with Grammy and Grandaddy since he was recovering from an ear infection. He had a great time and enjoyed not having to share the grandparents with his sisters! Florida has some WONDERFUL State Parks...we are very blessed! The camping facilities at all of the parks I have camped have been clean and well-kempt. The staff and volunteers are enthusiastic and passionate about their park. In Florida, we have an ocean, a gulf, rivers, springs, lakes and much more...so much opportunity for exploration! I am just so thankful for the state park system. And, of course, I am thankful that God created so many wonderful things for us to explore! Praise be to Him!



Hadley holding a baby ringneck snake we found on our hike through the ravine


The girls exploring the dried-up lake bed


mommy and the girls just hanging out together at Gold Head State Park

Gratituesday

I love sunny, warm weather. I love playing outside with my kids from morning until evening. I love tank-tops and sundresses, flip-flops and sunglasses. I love hot, humid Florida heat. But, today, I am thankful for the chilly and drizzly weather we have had for the past 2 days. Why? Well, our little lawn and garden was getting pretty thirsty! And, today, the girls and I will spend our time baking and learning and laughing inside of our cozy, warm and dry house-what a blessing! Now, don't get me wrong-the kids do go a little "stir crazy" after being cooped up inside all day. And, I will be very thankful when this wet weather passes and we can play outside again. But, for now, I am thanking God for the gift of rain.

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Gratituesday

As I tried to decide what to blog about for Gratituesday this week, I realized I am so very blessed. I have so many things that I am thankful for...I don't even know where to begin! Easter is such a refreshing time. What a glorious weekend we had! First, I am so so SO thankful for Jesus. Thankyou, Lord for being the perfect, sinless sacrifice. Thankyou for the cross. Thankyou for the resurrection. Thankyou for making a way for sinners to be justified and sanctified. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou! I am also ever-so-thankful to have been blessed with a precious family to celebrate our Lord's ressurection with. My sweet and helpful husband was hand-chosen just for me by a loving and merciful God. How awesome is that!?! My 3 beautiful, healthy children who make Easter ( and everyday) much cuter and more fun! My godly parents who are so supportive and helpful. My unique and "random" little sister who makes me so proud! These are the characters with which I was blessed to spend the day. I am also thankful for an AMAZING church family. What a day we had on Sunday! WOW! We have THE BEST music minister in the world. The musical Sunday night was such a blessing to be a part of. What a weekend. Oh, I am blessed. Beyond measure. THANKYOU JESUS!!!



Gratituesday is hosted by The Heavenly Homemaker

Gratituesday

This week, I have Disney on the brain! In about 31 hours, the Woodall Family is outtahere! I am so excited about this trip. 4 days with my precious family. I am looking forward to watching my kids take in the wonder and magic that is Disney World. They are just about to bust with excitement! We are going to Disney's Animal Kingdom on Thursday. The kids have never been. Hadley is very interested in animals and veterenary care. She is going to LOVE Animal Kingdom. Avery's birthday is on Friday and we will be at Disney's Magic Kingdom. They both are so excited to go back. We are eating lunch at Crystal Palace for Ave's birthday. Saturday, we are going to Sea World. Avery is the most excited about that!
I am just so grateful for a fun-filled trip with my family. Thankyou, God for my family!!!

Gratituesday

Well, we have sprung forward into daylight savings time. I know most of us don't have an hour of sleep to spare. Most of us don't get enough sleep as it is! I knew Sunday would be rough. But, I am still trying to catch up!

But, I LOVE daylight savings time. Last night, Brian got home from work around 5:30. We ate dinner out on the front porch. While I cleaned up the dinner dishes, the girls splashed around in their kiddie pool and Brian did some yard work. It is so wonderful to have some daylight left to enjoy after Brian gets home from a looong day at work.

So, this week I am grateful for daylight savings time. And, I am thankful for spring. I am thankful for warm weather and sunny skies. And, for a precious family to enjoy it all with!

A day at the beach

As I type this, it is 35 degrees outside. Makes it kind of hard to believe that we were at the beach this past Saturday enjoying temps in the upper 70s and low 80s! We had such a wonderful time. We packed up and drove over to St Augustine for an afternoon of sun and sand. This was Ben's first trip to the beach. He LOVED it! The water was too cold to play in, but all 3 kids played in the sand (and ate sand) all afternoon! Brian bought the girls brand new kites-Hadley a Tinkerbell kite and Avery, of course, a Lightning McQueen one! My mom and sister met us for the latter part of the day. It was so relaxing to sit and visit and watch my kids play. The sound of the waves and the smell of the salty air-it was like medicine for my soul! I am so grateful for God's amazing creation. As I looked out toward the horizon, I tried to imagine how big God is. I couldn't even fathom it. He is truly bigger and greater than my mind can grasp!



After we left the beach, we headed to Osteens for supper. Now, if you have never experienced Osteens, you wont be able to fully understand how perfect our beach day ended...How do they do it?!? It is THE BEST fried shrimp you will EVER put in your mouth! It was delicious, as always.

As Brian and I drove home that night, the kids were SOUND asleep in the back of our van(another thing I am grateful for). We swung through the McDonalds drive-thru and got coffee drinks. I SO enjoyed the drive home with my sweet, funny, unique husband. We sipped our coffee and talked-more than we have talked in a looong time. It was great. We are usually so busy. With 3 little ones vying for attention all the time, it can be difficult to get a word in! It was a precious time.

I am so thankful that we had such a refreshing day!