beautiful boy

I took Sam to the doctor today for his 6 month check up. For those of you keeping track, yes, he is 7 1/2 months old now, but the blog isn't the only thing I struggle to keep updated! He's healthy and happy (obviously), but his stats got me tickled. Here's how my boy measures up:

• weight: 25th percentile


• height: 75th percentile


• head: 90th percentile!!!

Love his heart! Long and lean with a big ole head! Good thing he's so dog on handsome.

the creek

It may not sound like much, "the creek," but it's as breathtaking as any far-away place I've ever been. This is where my daddy grew up, and it's in my blood. I absolutely love it. My grandmother's house sits just above the water's edge, a little white frame house. Nothing showy, but altogether beautiful.
For the very first time in my adult life, my entire family vacationed here this year. It was so much fun to watch Kate run around on "shell island" and to dip little Sam's toes into the ocean. I so hope that we'll come back often, that mom will fry up some more shrimp, and that we'll catch more crabs off the dock, and that my kids will have memories much like my own of this place.

beach bound

Yep, that's all the men in my life out there.

the big 3-OH!

Oh my darling family...how I love them. This year marked my 30th birthday...oh geez...and my family helped ease the pain by surprising me with an unannounced stop in my beautiful Chapel Hill. We were traveling to the creek, and I had resigned myself to a birthday spent in the car. But, they got me. Not only did they arrange for us to have lunch at the gorgeous 411, but they surprised me with my sweet friends, Heather and Maria and their little ones, too. What fun! The best part of all, though, was playing in the quad with Kate and Sam. The same quad where I spent afternoons journaling, praying, talking with girlfriends, studying. To see my babies sitting in that grass, running along those brick sidewalks...I loved it. Thanks Mom, Dad, Stacy, and Stephen for making my 30th so wonderful. I love you.

stars and stripes

Faith, North Carolina

a summer day

This past spring, Kate couldn't stop talking about "a summer day" and all the wonderful things she would do once that blissful day finally arrived. I don't recall this one on her list, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. What a girl.

WARNING: PDA

Wow! I'm a lucky girl. I've been Stephen Burton's wife for 1825 days. How I pulled this off, I'll never know. This man has loved me ever since I was a stupid 16 year old. And I mean stupid. He saw the best in me then, and he sees the best in me now. I love him. I'm blessed to call him mine.
Now, Stephen is good to me all the time, but he really out did himself this year. He took me to an amazing restaurant and surprised me with a gorgeous ring...sneaky dog...and a night away from the kids. So, here's to five and five times five more wonderful years with my wonderful Stephen.