Thankful....

Thankful that my daughter walked away from this with only a bruise and a scrape...

Packed and Ready ....

Today is the day.

The day that Joey has excitedly waited for and the day that I hoped would always be just a few more weeks away.

Why is it when I picture Joey driving away - headed to University - I picture this?

I know he is ready. I have 100% trust in my son. He is an amazing young man. The thing is..

I am just going to miss him.

A Few More....

I have - literally - over one thousand photos from our trip to Chicago. Until I have the time to sort through all of them, I will simply share a few of my "early" favorites! Enjoy....

Just a Peak....

We had the best trip! I have so much to write and so many pictures to share! Until then....

Can't Wait!

Muffins or Pancakes?

What do 2 adults and 2 children do when the temp hits 100 degrees plus in Alabama? Well - we go berry pickin' of course!

Joe, the girls and I had a nice lunch - yummy soup for all of us! Joe came up with the brilliant idea to go pick berries when we were done. So off we went to a small local farm.

The blueberries were ripe for picking! The blackberries... well, luckily there were a few left on the bushes. We picked enough blueberries to do a little cooking - hmmmmmmm - muffins or pancakes? The blackberries - they were so sweet they didn't make it to the kitchen!

The cool thing is the farmer does not use any chemicals; therefore, you can eat just as many as you pick while you move down the rows. The girls did just that!

We learned (while cooling off in the little office) that the farmer is actually a retired army soldier. He went to work for the govt. after he retired... but that was not his passion. Turns out that farming berries is - how wonderful that he can do what he loves and make a living!

Hmmmm.... Why So Serious Ms. Lilli?

Well..... when asked, Ms. Lilli states that she was daydreaming about 1 pony and a unicorn. Hmmmmm.....

Grandpa Puppy and His Adoring Fans

Summer Sample

We have been quite busy this summer.... busy having fun! We have crossed a few state lines to visit friends and family.

First, we made our way to the Great Smoky Mountains. There we spent a day at Dollywood and Dixie Stampede and most important an afternoon with the Little family - who adopted Thomas - who was at the orphanage in Xian with Lilli. They are both quite the adventurous little ones. And this great family is soon to travel back to China for a daughter - a very beautiful little girl! Congrats Little Family!!!!

After that fun, we made our way to the eastern side of North Carolina to my brother's house. The girls enjoyed his pool for the week - and are now full on swimmers! YEAH!!! We took a few trips to the outer banks before the 4th and all the crowds that come with the holiday. What a beautiful area it is. And we saw where the Wright Brothers tweaked their flying machine. Way cool! And boy did we eat well for the week... my brother is the BEST cook... well, second best... next to my mother!

Now we are back home... to recharge a bit... before we hit the road for Chicago and the big JUDGE family reunion! We are all getting excited about that!

5 Stars and 5 Tissue Alert!

At the Judge house, the most played with toys are not very new. They have been around for years in fact. They are a Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Bulls-Eye. Abby has been faithful to this bunch for quite a while now. In 2008, she added Lilli's name to the bottom of Woody"s and Buzz's boots with hers.

These are the toys that, on occasion, I have to pull out from underneath the pillow once Abby falls asleep. So you can only imagine....

2 little girls have been going crazy since Friday because ..... T@y Story 3 was released and we were not in the 1st showing! What even made it worse... Joey went with his friends to see it late Friday night!

So... after a yummy Father's Day dinner, we headed to the theater. I was smart and purchased the tickets yesterday morning at 7am! The theater was packed. Amazingly, just as many adults and teens as little kids in the show.

As expected, the movie received rave reviews from the entire Judge family! Abby did think there were a few "scary" moments... but that is was scary and great.

As for me... who is getting ready to send my first born off to University... well, lets just say I needed a few tissues for this one. It was brilliant and touching and funny! Loved it!