Disney World!

Joseph got two weeks off in between his first and second years of residency. He has been so busy lately that we decided we really needed some good quality family time! We spent last week at Disney World and it was so much fun! It was crazy busy and crazy hot, but we really enjoyed the time away and all the fun things to do.

We loved all the rides and shows! We spent one day at each of the four parks, and really loved each of them for different reasons. Matthew and Anna are at the perfect age to be able to ride everything and really enjoy it. We had to walk a lot and stand in lots of lines, but they were really good sports about it!



We just about wore ourselves out every day, but we got some good relaxing swimming time in and tried to be flexible with our schedule. It rained every afternoon for a little while, but it helped with the crazy humidity. Of course one of the favorite things was the pool at the hotel!

We loved the trip, and the fact that it was only an 8-hour drive from home. It was definitely a highlight of our summer! Now we get to enjoy the last few weeks of summer before school starts again too soon!

Utah

The kids and I got to fly to Utah for a few weeks and see lots of our family and friends! We always look forward to this trip every summer. It is so fun to play with cousins, meet up with friends, and make lots of new memories to hold us over until the next year.

We did lots of swimming, celebrated Memorial Day, enjoyed the perfect weather, stayed up late, and wore ourselves out.

We spent a couple of days at Lava Hot Springs with my family, and loved having the uninterrupted time to be all together.

Our visits never feel long enough, but we sure do pack a lot into them. We loved seeing old friends and visiting new places. We missed Joseph who had to stay home in Mississippi finishing up his first year of residency. We love having a "home" to go back to every summer with so many people we love always ready and willing to take us in. Until next time, Utah!!

May

Matthew turned 10 this month!! He had a fun little party with some friends and we had a wonderful day celebrating our big boy!

I teach piano and violin lessons to 14 students, and we had our first recital in May. It went really well and it was so much fun to cheer each other on and see how far the students have come.

We have loved watching our little garden grow, and have been enjoying the really nice spring weather before it gets too hot!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day with our little family, and I am so grateful for them. Joseph is working hard in the residency, and is almost done with his first year. I can't believe we have been in Mississippi for one year already!

Matthew and Anna finished school today! They did great and learned a lot and we are all super excited for our summer plans. Up first: Utah!!

Spring Break

We got to kick off our Spring Break with a wonderful Easter weekend, lots of family time, and great weather. We were so ready for this break! We enjoyed a good mix of lazy days and relaxing, and a few fun adventures thrown in.

We went to the Hattiesburg Zoo with some of our friends one day. It was a great little place and the kids had so much fun together.

We also spent a day at Dauphin Island where we soaked up the sun and wore ourselves out! We are so grateful for lots of wonderful friends and beautiful places that are so close to us! The week was just what we needed to get us through our last month of school before summer vacation. We can't wait!

March

March was busy and has flown by so quickly! The kids had a break from school for Mardi Gras, Joseph was gone for 10 days, and I ran a half marathon, plus all the other stuff in between! It definitely feels like spring here, and is getting warmer and warmer every day.

We just realized there are less than two months of school left! We are starting to make some plans for the summer and can't wait to have a bit more free time!

I have really enjoyed running through the winter here in the south. I decided after my 10k in January to just keep training and do a half marathon. It was handy that there was one close by in Bay St. Louis this month, and it has been really convenient to be able to run while the kids are in school so it didn't take up family time. My last half marathon was almost exactly 6 years ago, and it felt really good to push myself and do it again. The course was beautiful and I felt well trained and healthy - but it was still really hard!!!! :) My friend pushed me through the last few miles and I finished strong with a time of 2:08:11. It was a great experience and now I think I'm good for another 6 years... ha!

We've got some fun things coming up in the spring and summer and I can't believe we have been in Mississippi for almost one year! Happy Spring!!