Summer Fun List 2015

Tomorrow is May 1st and I am officially thinking of SUMMER! 

Hensley's last day of school is May 27th and since his school is going back way early this year      (July 28th!!), we have a short time to get in a lot of fun. Of course we will spend a lot of time by the pool but this summer I also want to get in some different activities. There is so much to do so close to our area to do and now that Hensley is a little older it's time to start some new experiences. Last summer when we visited a near by park and waterfall (you can find that post here) it really lit a fire in us to start exploring new places and taking more adventures. 

I came across this website a few days ago. It really inspired me and I hope we can do a few of these this summer and continue working on it through out the year until its done. With Hensley's school starting so early they sort of following the year around schedule which means they get several weeks throughout the year off. Since all the other kids will be in school during these times I am hoping it will be the perfect time to check a few of these off our list. Speaking of lists, we had a summer fun list on the blog here and although we did quite a few of the items there were some left that we are excited to do this summer :) 

Here's the list! 

1. Admire the Blue Ghost fireflies in DuPont State Recreational Forest

2. Take a trip to Jordan Lake to hopefully see some Bald Eagles.

3. Take a plunge down Sliding Rock. 

4. Climb to the top of Chimney Rock and also see Lake Lure and Broad River Gems and Mining while we are there. 

5. Visit Biltmore Estates and maybe take a horseback ride through the grounds. 

6. Cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain. 

7. Visit the site of the first U.S. gold rush at Reed Gold Mine. 

8.Carriage Ride through Wilmington and see the USS North Carolina battleship. 

9. Attend the Greensboro Summer Solstice Festival 

10. Kure beach trip of course :) 

11. Hensley really wants to attend a Break Dancing Class and they are having them at a local dance studio starting July 7th! We are planning to give it a go!

12. Hit up the drive in! Not too many towns have one left but there is one near us and we plan to catch a movie :) 

13. Lastly we hope to visit a local racetrack near our home. It's a dirt track and I think Hensley would love it :) 

It's a lot to squeeze in this summer but I am hopeful we can check off a lot of these adventures and HEY, what he don't we will work on next summer! :)  A trip to Texas to visit my parents is also coming up this summer :) We are excited to all take our very first plane ride!!!

Happy 6th Birthday Little Man!

How has another year passed already?! 

This year Hensley's birthday seemed to come so quickly after the holidays. Luckily for us Hensley told us last year a place he REALLY wanted to have his birthday party and they do it ALL! 

I didn't have to do all the planning and work this year and I'll tell you, it's the way to go! I wasn't up stressing over decorations, or buying lots of treat bag items. It was awesome! And honestly it was such a more enjoyable day. 

Hensley decided a while back he wanted to celebrate this year at Airbound Trampoline Park. He had been a birthday there before and really enjoyed himself. I really was pushing for a Lego theme this year because I had seen some really awesome projects on Pinterest but Hensley had other plans. He really wanted Minecraft theme and in hind sight I really glad. It was so easy! And he REALLY loved it! 

Once I called and was told that they do everything for you besides cake and balloons, I was IN!

Since we were providing so much fun this year we decided against treat bags. I put together a few fruit trays, popped some popcorn, bought a few bags of chips and ordered a cake :) DONE! 

 I bought this white shirt at Walmart and ordered the iron on online for 3 bucks!! It was perfect!!!

We sent out invites to all his friends, reserved a spot at the trampoline park and we were ready for the big day! :) I was also using a new lady for the birthday cake this year and I was super nervous about it. I made a big mistake of showing Hensley all the Minecraft cakes on Pinterest and he picked the most elaborate of course. I would expect nothing less!

Hensley and his buddy Hunter

         How cute is he! 

He was very happy to dive right in.

 All my stress about the cake was for nothing. It turned out perfect :) Better then expected!

Hensley was pretty excited to have his Pawpaw home for his party and to get his special Texas hat!

 Basketball being one of Hensley's new obsessions was a big hit for him :)

Hensley and his best buddy Gabe :) Friends since preschool!

Time to eat!!! The best part! We had lots of snacks and a fruit tray as well as pizza :) 

My favorite shot of the day! All Hensley's wonderful friends. Something I have prayed about since he was so so little is that during the course of his life he would make true, wonderful, lifelong friends who lift him up and love him and I so believe that each and every year new friends are added to the old ones to continue to grow this amazing little group of kids :) He is one lucky and loved little boy. 

Time for CAKE!!! It was almost too cool to cut! 

In true Hensley fashion he wanted to cut it himself.



Present time!!!

I didn't get a ton of photos of the presents being opened because it was so busy. But he got a ton of gifts and he loved them all so much. Everyone really went out of there way to get him really great gifts and he appreciated it so so much!!!


He asked for a sleep over with his pal Gabe and they had a ton of fun :)

It was truly a great day and reminded me how blessed we are and how loved Hensley is. He makes friends wherever he goes and I hope one day he looks back on all these birthday memories and remembers how much he is loved and just how many good people he has in his life :)

Since his birthday party was several days before his actual birthday there was still more celebrating to be had :)

Special birthday breakfast..his favorite blueberry muffins and cantaloupe.

His birthday fell on a Tuesday which was a school day. He got to wear a special hat and his whole class sang to him. Most kids bring cupcakes to school on their birthday but Hensley wanted Krispy Kreme doughnuts which was just fine with me :)

Later that evening Granny and Pawpaw came over because we had planned to go out to dinner with some family for one last celebration. They brought a very special gift Hensley had been wanting :) A TRICK BIKE!!!

Aunt Jill and Mawmaw and Poppy came over too and gifted Hensley a new Razor scooter he had been wanting! Hensley seriously racked up this year!!! We all went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse for kids night :) We ate good food with great people plus they were making balloon animals :) Hensley requested a a sword and a puppy :) They even brought him ice cream and sang to him :) I didn't take any photos and I so wish I had!! It was really a great time. 

I did find this one photo of him opening his scooter! 

It was a week long celebration when it was all said and done. It was the best birthday year yet (but I think I say that every year)!



Happy Birthday my sweet boy :)

Hippity Hoppity Easter day is here!

Happy Easter!

We had a great few days of Easter fun this past weekend spent with family and friends :) 

At school this week Hensley's class had a lot of fun with parties and egg hunts! I think out of all the fun things happening he was the most happy to have his Granny there with him :) They had a great Easter breakfast party and colored and decorated Easter egg prints and then it was outside of the egg hunt :) With over 400 eggs it was a great time :) 

It was a busy day but overall a great one. We were so excited to leave a little early because it was the official first day of spring break!!!

We came home to a surprise one afternoon. My dad had dropped off a little Easter basket for Hensley! We were also really excited about the break from school because Granny and Pawpaw would be home from Texas for a while! We spent alot of time with them :) More on that later ;)

We spent the Sunday before Easter at our old church watching Hensley's cousin Brooke preform in a really great play on the meaning of Easter :) She did a wonderful job. (I totally forgot my camera) and we also celebrated MawMaw Williams birthday at our favorite restaurant where I also failed to take any photos :( 

Afterwards we headed to a local egg hunt with our friends. You would think 4000 eggs would take a while to pick up but about 45 seconds about they shouted "GO!" all the eggs were collected :) 

Soon it was Easter and Hensley hopped into bed early after helping me get the house in order for our big family lunch the next day! Time for the Easter bunny to arrive :) 

We couldn't wait to see Hensley's face :) 

I would say the Easter Bunny knew was he was doing with this basket! Hensley loved everything inside.

We had planned a big Easter lunch with our families at our house that day to celebrate not only Easter but also Andys mom's birthday as well as an early celebration for my grandpa's birthday. It was quite a feast and we all had a really good time eating, talking and spending time together :)

We really reflected as a family about the meaning of Easter this year and what it means to us, not only about how important family is and how special it is to spend quality time together but also what Jesus did for us and how so very undeserving we are of that sacrifice. We spent time with Hensley explaining to him why we celebrate this three day period now that he can sort of begin to understand.

Later that evening we headed over to our friends the Williams' family and had dinner and an Easter egg hunt :)

 It was a fabulous Easter and we are so thankful we got to spend it with those we love the most :) :)

Happy Easter 2015!