Flower Girl

We were thrilled when Tim and Channing asked Carolina to be their flower girl! They are the coolest and we just adore them. Will was supposed to be a groomsman in the wedding, but as you know he's been away for the summer so he was unable to attend. He was pretty bummed about not being there to share their big day.

Carolina did so well!! I was so amazed and so incredibly proud. This has been a tough summer for her - with Dada being gone (and she's 2) - so I honestly thought that it might not work so well. She actually walked down the isle with all of those people watching and she stood up front during the entire service and even walked back out - WOW.... it was just amazing! Tim and Channing were beautiful and their wedding was fabulous!! We had a great time - thanks again for including us :)

4th of July

I forgot to post these :) Fun pics from our fun filled fourth...minus the falling in the pond fiasco with Carolina---too bad I didn't get a few pictures of THAT!!!!

We started the day picking blueberries. Later on, Danny and Cheryl stopped by for some BBQ. Dad brought sparkelers with him and Carolina had a blast with them. All of our neighbors seemed to have "shelled" out a small fortune in fireworks so we enjoyed all of their firework displays. It was a relaxing fourth of July. Wonder what Will was doing?!?!






Dad is so silly!!!

kinky curly hair

my hair hasn't curled since last summer. I have no idea what happened to this mane of mine, but once I cut it shoulder length last summer, the cut (or the pregnancy hormones) caused my hair to go limp. I've let it grow out for a year and I finally had it cut :)

Before

After

I found a local salon that could give me a Deva Cut. Deva is a curl line that specializes in curly hair. They are the experts. So, this Deva cut lasted about an hour and she cut my hair dry. I've NEVER had someone cut my hair dry. I wanted to keep the length, I just wanted my curls back. When the cut was over, there was very little hair on the floor- but it has already made a huge difference in reviving my curls. I've also learned that curly girls (or anyone for that matter)should never use sulfate shampoo. It is so harsh and drying. I've been using only conditioner for the past 6 months at least. Well, guess what I didn't know?!?! If you use hair product with 'cones, then you have to use sulfates in order to break down the product buildup. Well, here I am using my silicone based hair products and never shampooing out the nasty gunk. No wonder my hair wouldn't curl!!! Well, I've learned that in order to have healthy curls, you need to get rid of all hair products with the nasty 'cones in them allowing you to not use the harsh sulfates. This "method" of hair care is called "curly girl". If you're interested, check out the forums at naturallycurly.com. I have sooo much more to learn and I'm sure the next few months will be trial and error while I find a new routine, products, and styles that work with my curls. I want these ringlets gorgeous and juicy again... like this:

Grass

It seems as though most of the summer has consisted of shoveling dirt and laying sod. Dad and I have worked hard in Mom's yard moving sand, repairing sprinkler lines, and trying to encourage Mom's grass to grow. We have her yard looking much better. There is so much more work to do, but we're setting the foundation :)

You can't see the peninsula here behind the dirt pile, but it was basically sinking into the pond. It was a mess....
I am still amazed by the look of the peninsula now :)

My car has been working hard this summer. We've packed it full three times thus far......So, who'se hiring me next?!?!

Blog Hop

Daddy .... blissfully in love with our sweet baby girl... Carolina Murray - 1 day old (9/5/06)

A few photos from the past few weeks... I'll try to post some others when I have extra time. Mom has me busy doing projects :) I hope you are having a great summer thus far!

sweet summer feet

Aunt Catherine!!!!

I enjoyed sunning my diapers on her clothes line and realized just how much I miss mine.....

Raelyn and Carolina

playing together :)

I haven't posted in a while and I won't be able to share any pictures at the moment, but I wanted to update you all on what's going on in our crazy busy lives! Since my last post,

Dad, Carolina, Aurora, and myself spent 2 weeks in Elizabeth City, North Carolina visiting with Aunt Catherine and Uncle Joe while Will was enduring Phase 1 of OCS (officer candidate school)

After that, we had a busy two weeks preparing him for the rest of the summer. Immediately upon returning from officer training(lots of sleep deprivation, physical exertion, and being yelled at) he had to return to his desk job :) All the while, continuing his physical training, packing all of his gear, and studying for his flight test. Yes, that's right... FLIGHT TEST!!!!

Well, the flight test that he's been studying for over the last two months was this morning and he aced it! He got a 143 out of a possible 150. Apparently, it's the highest score that they've seen in a while.... if not ever. Hopefully this really helps his chances of getting an aviation slot once he submits his packet. So, he's trying to become a helicopter pilot in the national guard :) Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers! Well, I'm finding myself very excited and proud of his superb test taking abilities, but also quite sad because he left today for phase 2 and 3 of OCS in Alabama. He'll be gone for the next 6 weeks or so.... but once he returns, he'll be a 2nd Lt. WOOOHOOO!!!! It's been a long road but it's been worth every second and every bump that has brought us here!!! I'll post again soon and keep you all updated on what the girls and I have planned for the summer..... i think we'll spend the majority of the time at Mom's....feel free to contact me and lets get together... I'm looking for ways to stay busy while Will is away