Jane Lauren is 3!

 JL has been asking for an egg hunt for her party ever since a friend had an Easter egg hunt bday party back in the spring.

 

so, of course, we had a turkey egg hunt.

(another misty day, just like last year)

 

 

 

 

 my sister, mattie, was so kind to take pictures for us!

 

I speckled some eggs with brown paint to make them look a little more turkey like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I hid 4 golden eggs in more difficult places for the bigger kids to find. They spent a looong time looking and it turned out to be one of my fav party moments when all 4 were finally found

 

 jl in girly girl heaven. annette and set were very helpful with all of the opening

 

 

 

 

 we are so beyond grateful for this little girl.

I've said since she was born, she was and is like this special little present from God to me.

I have failed in keeping her a baby, so I will rejoice in watching her grow in each cute and new stage.

 

 

Fall Beach Trip

 

we got to the beach just before tropical storm nate arrived.

this might have been the kids favorite time to play, with the overcast skies and huge waves.

double red flag, so we didn't get allll the way in, but we did put our feet in the water. cool to see the ocean before, during, and after a storm.

 

 

 

Isaac's sis, amber and family stayed in the same neighborhood just down the street from the house we rented in seacrest, which is next to rosemary beach.

 

got caught in the middle of some sand throwing

 

 

 

we had one really rainy morning, we went skating and to an arcade. biked in the afternoon.

 

 

the rest of week was perfect, even hot for October. 87ish degrees most days.

 

 

last year we found tons of hermit crabs. one year it was jelly fish, yikes. and this year was the year of the sea cucumber. they were everywhere, and jane lauren was obsessed.... even named them 'jay collins' after one of her fav preschool buddies:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Isaac and set flew a kite one day and it went so far so quickly ike had to crash it into the ocean to stop it. Took a long while for him to reel it back in. short lived fun.

 

loved loved having callie come with us.  i could keep my eye on jl, she could have an eye on set, and Isaac could watch the bigs.  i get so nervous that one of mine will run off, so I'm truly thankful to have her help.

 

 

 

 

lots of lazy slow breakfasts and a little school make up work.

pumpkin patch is ab 5 mins away, near panama city, at a state park

 

 

one day, there were tons of really really cool unbroken shells. guessing from the storm?

i have never been so excited to collect shells, annette as my best helper.

 

 

 the beach in the fall agrees with our family quite nicely. jl was finally old enough to enjoy the sand and waves with the rest of us.  which helps ease the pain that she is hardly a baby anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

can't get all my kids to look at the camera at the same time.  learning to embrace it.