Happy Birthday to Aunt Susan~

We were so happy to celebrate Aunt Susan's birthday with her sister Jan

and brothers~

 The kids love spending the night with her and LOVED celebrating with her!

Scott, Susan, Jan, and Larry!

A beautiful family!!!

Weekend Highlights~

EK & SJ DID make it all night and all morning and into the afternoon~

With Aunt Susan... and had lots of stories to share!
They can't wait to go back AFTER the boys have their turn!!!

Rosie and Hayden went to Luke Bryan concert~

and now off to Guantlet for a week with our church NewSpring.

THIS was last year~

When Rosie made a profession of faith and was baptized in the Atlantic Ocean...

SO excited for the blessings God has in store this year for every student going!!!

Lots of time spent swimming~

Holly is getting so comfortable in the water~

Laughing and jumping~

As we swam, Scott got the grill ready for burgers and drew a crowd~

For one of his infamous Browny Bear stories.

BIG Step~ {For EK & SJ}

During a very Fun Friday with lots of fun and a field trip to the post office~
{Full story @ Growing Whole Hearts}

we saw Aunt Susan and she invited either the big girls or boys to sleep over~

LOOK who decided to go for their VERY FIRST sleepover ever~

Um yes! EK and SJ!

And pretty sure they took about half their belongings! :)

It was touch and go for about 2 hours but now @ almost 11pm,

they are still there and sleeping!

What a Big Step for them!!

Couldn't be happier and more proud of them!!!

IG Moments this Week~

This week via IG...

My mom and dad's garden is full at the moment and we have enjoyed lots of corn this week~

The silly bitties after our sweet social worker visited for Holly's one month~

We enjoyed dinner with Scott's sisters, Jan and Susan~

After an awesome visit to the dentist and NO cavities, we celebrated with Happy Meals~

Do you remember us sprouting seeds in bags on our window then transplanting to pots then our yard???~

 Well EK and SJ picked green beans and butter beans this week and I cooked them tonight... YUM~

We have enjoyed evening walks and the littles LOVE visiting to pet the horses~

There was much swimming too... here they all are with their person~

A great week and can't wait for tomorrow...

Ben Curtis!!!!!

The Artist~

Amelia is home for a week fresh off her last semester of her junior year.

Time is flying by!!!

She had surprises to share from her painting class.

A beautiful horse for EK and SJ~

And a portrait of her Uncle Tony for Aunt Susan.

Everyone was thrilled.

Amelia... we couldn't be more proud of you.

You have the biggest heart for others.

We love you very much!!!

Christmas @ Aunt Susan's House~

Over the last year Payne and Evie have had SO many firsts.

Tonight was another because we shared a Christmas dinner with Scott's side of the family 

along with opening the first gifts of Christmas.

Everyone had a great time with their cousins~

 Payne was so cute when opening the first gift and couldn't believe he got to open two!

It was nice to spend time with Scott's sisters, Jan and Susan, and his brother Larry plus all their families~

 Jason seemed to be the life of the party with the littles~

 They all had such a great time they were asking if we could go home so they could go to bed.

Worn out from all the fun.

Always such a fun time and so thankful for family!!!

Thank you Susan for having us.

We had such a wonderful evening!!!

Hung with Care~

Payne and Evie were blessed by the Aunt Susan tonight with stockings of their very own~

 She has given all the kids one over the years and now they ALL have one 

Hung with Care...

even you Josh!!!

Thank you Susan... you LOVE all of us so well!!!

Christmas Dinner~

Tonight we were so blessed to be together with family celebrating Christmas. Jan and Ray were in town so we all met @ Susan's house for dinner and gifts. We found it the perfect time to freeze time with photos~

 It was a time of making new memories and remembering old ones. There were loved ones missing and we thought of each one. Family is precious and time spent together is priceless! Having all my children home this weekend is all I could ever want for Christmas! Thinking to next year when our new littles are in middle of the little crowd.

Merry Christmas!

On a sad note, EK's fish Bluebell passed away while we were away. We shared the news with EK after she was ready for bed and she was completely broken. Cried and cried and cried. Scott, Amelia, and she buried him by the pool. She cried and cried and cried finally falling asleep about 10pm. I can't even describe the heart wrenching cry that came from way deep inside her and as I held her, I cried too. Cried for her heart, for her brokeness from long ago, cried for the families in CT that have lost their children and would give anything to be holding them while they grieved their pet fish. I can't even imagine their pain and pray God is SO close to them they actually breathe Him in. 

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

A Hero~

To quote his precious daughter Stephanie, Judge Tony Welborn was A Hero to ALL who knew him.

You may remember back in May he won reelection for Chief Magistrate Judge by a landslide and we were all SO proud of him!

What you didn't know was the amazing battle he was fighting against cancer and last evening he was healed in heaven!

His family is doing awesome and we are spending lots of time together as family.

Tony was the Hart County Chief Magistrate Judge, he was Captain of the Hartwell Police Department from 1975 to 2009, member of the Hartwell Kiwanis Club, American Legion 109 and the Georgia Peace Officers Association. Tony was a member of Cross Roads Baptist Church, Deacon, former Sunday School Teacher, Church Trustee, played with the Praise Team, and a US Air Force Veteran of the Vietnam War.  

We LOVE you sweet Tony and we will miss you beyond words~

Please pray for Susan, Jason & Melissa/kids, and Stephanie & Wade/kids during the next days and weeks.

Happy Birthday~

To Aunt Susan. 

The littles LOVED making special bear hug birthday cards during school today~

 and going to visit her this evening to deliver them~

Happy birthday Aunt Susan... wishing you many more!!!

Love the Ankerich crew!

 

Daddy's BD Party for SJ~

Scott has a meeting that will pull him away from SJ's birthday of Wednesday.

It is breaking his heart so today about 2:30, he sent me a text asking if we might have a little birthday party tonight.

Of course we can... Amelia ran to the store, I made cupcakes, and we had a party!

Daddy Love~

Aunt Susan and Uncle Tony came over too~

The beautiful birthday girl~

We sang Happy Birthday~

Made a wish and blew out the candles~

SJ loved her gift from daddy~ my little pony

The Beautiful Big Sisters~

 I can not believe 'Sweet Joy' will be 5 years old on Wednesday!

Happy birthday week sweet girl!!

(New Post up on Growing Whole Hearts)

Meet the Judge~

Our brother-in-law Tony ran for reelection for Chief Magistrate Judge yesterday and WON~

 LOVE this photo of Susan and Tony... so happy!

They threw a great party so Scott and the bigs went~

(After a Huddle House visit)

 Everyone had a great time... the siblings~

Congrats to Tony, Susan, and their beautiful family!~

 We are so proud and love you all!
All photos shot by the talented Amelia!!!

Great and Not so Great~

The day began so great as we all went to vote~

Amelia's first time and very important since her Uncle Tony was running as the incumbent Chief Magistrate Judge.

Just so happens we ran into him and Susan as we were leaving.

Loved getting photos with them!

The afternoon not so great for EK and SJ... a dental visit. 

EK needed a spacer put in to hold room for new tooth to come in

and SJ needed an x-ray to check for an abscess.

EK really struggled through her procedure~

and then it was SJ's turn... 

x-ray confirmed an abscess and tooth would indeed need to come out.

She and I were NOT happy about it but SO thankful for Dr. Lugas and his sweet team!

After the big pull, we headed to Target for a prize and then home.

All is well that ends well.

245 Years~

That's the cumulative number of years

Scott and his siblings have been alive.

And they all turn a significant new age in 2011.

Scott-50, Susan-60, Jan-65, and Larry... 70~

AND I only got the photo above after these~

You think they love to have a good time???

I'd say that's reason enough to celebrate SO

celebrate is what we did yesterday in the mountains

at Susan and Tony's new getaway...

It was SO wonderful to have everyone together...

All the big kids~

Scott/Larry (missed Jennifer), Ray/Jan, Susan/Tony, Scott/Me

And the Bigs and Littles~

Just can't say how wonderful it was to be with ALL of them!!!

Pure sweetness~

We spent the day...

Opening gifts~

(thanks Aunt Jan & Uncle Ray)

Eating~

(This girl can clean a chicken leg:)

Horse riding~

(EK's dream, SJ... not so much)

Just being together!!!

And a birthday party~

(you guessed it... more laughing. :)

Happy birthday to 4 very SWEET siblings...

who learned a lot about having fun, laughing, and love

from their precious mom and dad...

Curtis and Louise Ankerich~

They are SO missed and loved

and without them...

NONE of us would have celebrated such happiness!!!

Thank you Mama and Papa!!!