Beach "Pictures"

Yes, we TRY every year to get those "Beach Pictures" that everyone wants when they get to that beautiful white sand. Yes, we TRY. It never quite works out the way I envision it in my head. Anyway I'll wrap up my Beach Picture Extravaganza with a few shots that were pretty good. (Well any picture with my angels in it is a good one to me but you know what I mean.)
I do love this one. It just seems to sum up the innocence of childhood to me for some reason.

With their toes in the sand in their white pillowcase dresses!

Ok so the sun was so bright that morning they could NOT quit squinting. They weren't even facing the sun!! Oh well, it's still cute.

Maggie, Clara Paige & Gracie

One last view of my babies in the sand. Until Next year everyone!

And MORE Beach pictures.......

So here are more snap shots from our vacation. You said you like em so I'm still posting them.

Sometimes, honestly, I do get scared really scared of what I am in store for being the mom of 3 very girly girls. This is My Gracie. Not my diva, camera hog, Maggie but my Gracie!! And what's scarier is CP took this picture.
They had to get a shot of their tattoos. ALL of them had to get a shot of their tattoos together. A family that tats together stays together?? Is that a saying?? If not I just penned it. Might need to copyright that one!! haha.

I love this one. Jumping in the waves together. It was so cute watching them.

On Friday my sister-in-law and her family joined us for the rest of the weekend. Here's our cutie pie, cousin Park.

And finally for today is a picture of all of the Hicks grandchildren all together in the same spot doing the same thing. That doesn't happen often. I'll send ya a copy Meme!!

Daddy just got home so I better go check on him and the rest of the crew. Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe.

More from the Hicks Beach Trip

Here's a few more pictures from our beach extravaganza this year. I'm tired right now because I've had 5 girls at my house for the last 24 hours or so. Rachel's (my bestest friend) mom had intense hernia surgery today so I took her girls for her. The surgery went well. God is good! Whew!! However running around after 5 girls was a lot of work. Fun, but a lot of work therefore this post will be brief. I know you guys like the pictures the best anyway!!

In front of the infamous Souvenir City Shark!! They have to see it every year we go!
Daddy taking in a few ZZZzz's at the pool! hehee.

My girlies waiting to go eat at the Original Oyster House. Another annual stop on our Gulf vacations! Aren't they cute. Meme made their little dresses!! They LOVE them!!

Here's a picture at the Oyster House with some random dude who hopped in our picture! Too funny. Bet he didn't think he'd be on the Internet after that cute little stunt!! The girls were a little confused if you can't already tell!

My girls on their second day out in the sand. They all had to wear their color coordinating swim suits. (The picture is blurry because I'm not and never will be a photographer- I leave that job to the cousins in the family.)

Sorry folks but there are more beach scenes to come. You'll just have to grin and bare it.

Father's Day - Bittersweet

I just wanted to post quickly about today. As you all know, it's Father's Day. I just want to mention 3 of the best Fathers I've ever been blessed enough to know.

Of coarse there is my loving husband, Alex. He is an excellent father to our 3 girls! He is strong and such a leader to our family. When we need him he is always there. I know my girls will learn determination, passion and durability from him along with sensitivity and humility. And you know what? He's getting better and better every day! I'm excited to see how the years go by and his relationship with our daughters grow and grow into that special bond b/w a girl and her daddy. I love you, Alex! I couldn't do it without ya!

Also, I'd like to take a minute to celebrate my father-in-law. He is a great man and loves his family tremendously. He is a giver and wants everyone to be happy. My husband learned a lot of great things from him and one of them is to be an upstanding and honorable man. I thank him for that. He's a wonderful PawPaw to my girls!! I don't have a picture handy of him at the moment but I'll add one later on today!!
Love you Earl/PawPaw.

As you all know this is my 1st Father's Day without the person who defined that role for me. It's hard; I won't lie! However, this is a day of celebration and not sorrow. My dad was and will always be my hero. I learned to be selfless from him. This picture is from last year's trip to the beach. The last one he took with his girls. This defined him to me. He would dig in the sand as long as his grandbabies wanted him to. If we were on the beach, chances were he was digging or building some kind of sand castle just because they wanted him to.

This is his day and he deserves every bit of credit for being the best Dad to me and my brother that he could have ever been. I love you Daddy!!

Beach Trip -Post #1

Well as promised, I am beginning to document our trip to the beach. As always there's chaos going on at my house as Alex has an upper respiratory infection AND strep throat but I was determined to get at least one beach post on the books. When will the madness end?? Haha. Anyway, enjoy....

In my family we just can't start a trip to the beautiful Gulf Coast without visiting LuLu's Restaurant on the Inter Coastal Waterway. If ya don't know it's owned by Jimmy Buffett's sister, LuLu. It is just one of those places that has excellent atmosphere and lets ya know you're on vacation and at the beach!! We love LuLu's!!!
Of coarse one of the first things the girlies had to do was go for a swim. Thank goodness for daddys that get in the water with their babies.

I LOVE this picture of Gracie and CP! There's nothing like the love of a sister.
I forget where Maggie was. Probably back up at the beach chairs or somethin.

My girlies and their daddy coloring before bed. They love it and I loved that daddy did it with them!! Special, quiet time bonding moments!

Mags diggin in the sand with her shovel.

Diggin with PawPaw. These pictures are so much more precious to me now!! My dad did this with our girls since the very first time CP could sit up in the sand! I don't want to miss getting a picture like this ever again.

CP taught herself to hold her breath underwater. I was so proud of her but I think she was more proud of herself. GO Clara Paige, you little fishy you!!!

My sweet Twins waiting to go get ice cream at Scoops that second night we were there. I might be biased but they sure are cute!!
More beach madness to come soon so don't flip that channel!!

PS- do continue to pray for the Spivey family. Thanks guys!

More Prayers...

Mrs. Cathy Spivey passed away today.

I am heartbroken over this loss.

Please continue to pray for this family and all involved.

Prayers are Needed!

I have more beach pictures to share with you but first I need to ask that you please put Dewayne and Cathy Spivey and their entire family in your prayers. Dewayne is our pulpit minister at our church, Riverchase Church of Christ. He and his wife Cathy are the most godly and precious people you will meet. Cathy is currently in Shelby Baptist Medical Center in critical condition. She has had multiple surgeries all since the beginning of this week. I can't begin to go into all she is battling right now but if you are interested you can visit the family website at - http://www.thespiveys.org/. She is a graceful, peace filled and beautiful soul. I know God's will is greater than mine and we will never know the plans He has laid out for us but I pray that this is not her time. She does wonderful work for the Lord so I really hope he has lots left for her to do here. Please also pray for the doctors that are overseeing her and that they will be guided by His hand to what is needed for her recovery. She's a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, friend, neighbor and most importantly a child of God. You may not know her but I bet you can understand that she would appreciate your prayers anyway.

Beach Slide Show

Here's a quick slide show from our beach trip. I'll post more soon but thought I'd give you a cute little trip through our vacation first. You have to click on play below and it takes you to another page. Enjoy!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

June 6th - Another special day

Today is my Mom & Dad's Anniversary.

Another 1st for us since we lost him last fall.

What a special day it must have been. The love between my mom and dad was unsurpassed.

I can not begin to imagine how my mom feels today but thankfully she is with good friends while we are still here at the beach. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without my dad in it. I wish he were still here so badly. Several times since we've been at the beach I've imagined him here b/c he loved being with his girls on the beach. He would always dig and build in the sand with them. He was my mom's rock. Wherever, whenever and whatever my mom or us wanted to do, my dad was there going along with it.

Please remember us today, especially my mom. Getting through all these firsts is a rough ride but we are a strong family and we will make it through each one of them and be stronger for it! Daddy would want that!

** I just have to add that while we were getting ready for "annual beach pictures" this morning Maggie was just talking to herself and said "HAPPINESS IS PAPPYNESS!" She then told me she said that because she was thinking about Pappy. Isn't it amazing the mind of a child. I had to bite back my tears because it was so precious!!

Planting at Elmwood

Last weekend me, my mom and the girls headed over to Elmwood Cemetery to plant some flowers in my Dad's family's plot to honor my dad. That's where my dad is buried. As morbid as that might sound, it's actually a place of peace for me. I thought going there would produce feelings of anxiety but it really doesn't. It's where so much of my family history lies and Elmwood itself is a Birmingham landmark.

Nana and the girlies watering the flowers.


The twins raking up leaves and debris with their little rakes. Too cute.

If you've never visited Elmwood, you should. There's lots of old Birmingham families that have places there like the Brunos and Lavoys. Anyway, there are these concrete statues there that are amazing. This is just one of them that my girls are standing under.

Here's a pretty bridge the girls are standing on. I know it seems weird to be taking leisure pictures in a cemetery. Believe me it's not something we do often but like I said Elmwood is different and for some reason I like it there.

Oh, and by the way for all you bammers out there - your precious Bear is there too!!

CP's Awards Day

We're at the beach this week and loving it. I got lucky and there is Internet access in our condo so I can do some catching up on the blog so maybe I can get some beach shots in soon!

Clara Paige's class had their awards day the day before school let out. Here's a picture of her sweet little class. She had an excellent year. CP won the Best Listener award because she always kept Ms. Cunningham in line on what she had said that day. I'll agree with that. She's got the memory of an elephant. She NEVER forgets, ANYTHING!! We loved her teacher, Ms. Cunningham this year. We will miss her next year when my baby starts 1st grade!!!
This is her best buddy she made at school this year, Abbey. I think Abbey and Clara Paige were pretty inseparable throughout the year. We plan on getting them together for "play dates" this summer.

And finally here is CP with Ms. Cunningham. She was a blessing to us this year. She took in my baby and helped her grow into a wonderful and independent student!