Trip to Alabama

Last week the girls and I headed to Alabama to see my sister Julie who is preparing to become a nun. It was a beautiful experience and I am so glad that we took the time to go visit. She lives in Hanceville, Alabama at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. She lives a cloistered lifestyle, so our visits with her are limited, which made our time with her very valuable and meaningful. I was so glad that Hannah and Meredith were able to visit with their Aunt Julie. They weren't very surprised to see her in her habit and dress or behind the bars as I had spent a lot of time explaining this to them on the trip down. I think Hannah understood that this is the vocation Julie has chosen. Meredith's response was "I don't want to live here when I grow up because of all of the curvy roads." Julie seems very happy and at peace with her calling. I know she has prayed for a long time that this is what she is called to do. I have to admit that I wasn't sad when I was there or when I was leaving. I was very relieved to see that she was happy and the idea of becomming a nun is not surprising to me since I grew up with nuns as teachers most of my life. I am looking forward to the next time I visit. Here are some pictures of the beautiful Shrine and us with Sister Julie.

The girls at the Lourde's Grotto.

The entrance to the Shrine. There were so many visitors coming and going while we were there.

The Church where we attended a Latin Mass with the cloistered sisters singing.

Julie and I. The bars look intimidating, but they really weren't. We could pass things between them and I could still hug and kiss her. They are more a symbol of the vow she has taken.

Hannah and Meredith with Aunt Julie. She says they can still call her Aunt Julie, even when her name changes.

Dinner Conversation Anyone?

Lake has had a hard time taking an afternoon nap because we are usually always on the go. The last two nights, he is completely alert eating and then when you look again, he has crashed. Hope this won't be the new routine.

Monday Night

Tuesday Night-Yes we change his clothes, they just look similar.

Kitchen Makeover

I usually don't have many bragging rights, but I like how this kitchen project turned out. I have been meaning to redo the kitchen chairs for a couple of years now and finally got around to it this summer. The chairs had a light tan covering on them that had turned a myriad of stain colors. I decided while I was at it to change the curtains to match. With my mother-in-laws patience and guidance, I sewed these curtains and changed the seat covers on the chairs. I was also finally able to hang the plates that Lake got for his birth and the girls for their birthdays. They are really neat and have the kids full name and birthdate on them. You can't tell from the pictures, but I also repainted all of the trim and recaulked the windows and baseboards. Next up, a new kitchen ceiling. I can't decide between tin tiles or wainscoating.

Summer Cont.

We have been trying to stay really busy this summer and catch up on some things we haven't been able to do. Hannah is taking tennis lessons and dance, along with basketball camp soon. We have also been going to the library and pool a lot. In the down time, we have been working on multiplication with Hannah and recognizing/writing the alphabet with Meredith. Summer is flying by with still lots to accomplish. We have a trip to the Lake planned next week, then a drive to Alabama to see my sister and then a couple of days at Tan-Tar-A. Maybe by then we'll be ready for school to start again. Summer is my favorite time of the year as I despise cold or even chilly weather, so I really try to get as much out of three months as I can. Here are some random pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Some days we all need a break.

Meredith isn't very fond of the pool and can usually be found laying pool side.

The girls at the pool.