Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength: Happenings (30th Birthday & Gymnastics Class)

This post has been sitting in my "drafts" for over 10 days! Life around here has been BUSY! But I know I'll be sad, if I don't document this month! Summer always goes by too fast!

Most of these pics are just from the phone, but they will help jog my memory of the last few weeks.

Playing at the park after story time.

Mama, Lyds, and Baby Patty.

Buying supplies at Lowes. She likes for the men to help me cut the wood, but always covers her ears. They are so nice to her! I have done tons of the baby door hangers and some new crosses for my etsy page! Don't forget to check it out HERE.

Pretty curls all brushed out. I love her hair.

After a trip to the science museum with the Payne's, she thinks all little markers at the nature trail are maps. She kept running up to them asking me to read them. She ran to this one and said, "Live a life worthy of the Lord."
I was shocked! This is part of her life verse that Alan and I picked for her before she was born. It is written across 3 canvases in her room and I try to read them to her often. She has repeated it before, but only when looking at the canvas, never in public. I was proud and realized just how much she is listening/watching us!
Her verse is:
Colossians 1:9-10
Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

Parker's Birthday with the other Payne Boys.... just didn't get Parker in a pic.

And then I turned 30.......
I wasn't going to be one of those people who got upset about it, it's just a number, I love my life and wouldn't change a thing about it. But when it came down to it, I didn't really "want" to celebrate. I usually love birthdays and go about the entire month of June, proclaiming it "MY" month! But this month I wasn't sad, upset, or scared of 30. I just seemed to ignore it. But now I'm over it. So I guess that's good! My awesome husband took me out on the town Saturday night and he and my parents threw me a little shindig at our house Sunday night with my closest friends and family. Now, that's what I call a good time :)
Saturday we dined at Nick's, a local Jackson favorite. And they just happen to be celebrating their 30th birthday too. It was especially good.... I got my favorite: Filet, potatoes, and wine..... and I sat there until I ate every. last. bite. We were in a hurry to get to the next event, so no dessert there. We then ran over to see Hairspray at New Stage Theater. I loved it and have since I saw it in Memphis and Jackson, when they were at Thalia Mara Hall. I got the soundtrack a few years back after seeing it in Memphis, so I was jamming all week. I was able to sing and dance to every song! Then we had to make the night complete with dessert, so we stopped by Baskin Robbins on the way home! It was such a fun night away!

And I hate to single out presents, because I love all presents, but Cletus got me this, and I was all choked up! Also, Alan got me a very pretty Ronaldo bracelet with pearls in the middle, he did great! ( I think he had a little help from the ladies in his office too.)

Lyds in her jammies, "painting" my toenails.

Hydrangeas from my mom's neighbor's yard for the party. I want to grow them now.... don't they look so pretty! And they lasted for over a week!

She loves her outfits with pockets!

Lyds taking my picture with the phone, she's getting better.

Library fun outside.

Audrey and Ella came to visit! Saying goodbye is never easy, they are moving and will be greatly missed!!

She loves her color tablets in the bath tub.... except they only come in primary colors and she always request the secondary colors, so we get to have an art lesson! I love it, now she knows red and blue make purple!
(Except when daddy does bath time. She asked for purple one time, and he looked in the jar and said, "Sorry, we only have red, yellow, or blue." Then we got to have an art lesson with daddy too!)

She loves our shoes...... even the big rain boots.

Everyone lined up with their snack to watch a show.

The whole McCormick bunch came to Jackson for PawPaw and GiMaw's memorial service. It was a great service at the MS Methodist Annual Conference. Our outgoing preacher, Connie Shelton, delivered a wonderful message. It was very special to me and the whole family. I loved having them in Jackson! And Annual conference was always a treat for PawPaw, so I know he appreciated our presence. I even got to go be Galloway's delegate one year and he showed me the ropes. Y'all, I'm not kidding when I tell you, he is famous in the Methodist church. I have never felt so special as I did walking around conference on his arm, and smiling while he introduced to EVERYBODY! And it made feel so welcome too, because the convention center can be a big place when you don't know anyone. Not many people remember my Granddaddy Lander in the Methodist conference anymore, but the McCormick roots run strong with 3 generations of preachers!

Lydia at one of Alan's tennis matches. The same weekend everyone was in town for conference was State Tournament for USTA. He did so well and his team won! Off to sectionals in South Carolina in July!

Look at him go!!!

Lydia loves her baby doll! She told me this morning, "Mama, I just talk to baby Patty, she doesn't talk back."
But judging by how much she talks, she doesn't care that her babies don't talk back. Now I know why my granddaddy Troxler used to affectionately call me "mouth of the south."

Troxy picked up this cute dress at Double Decker this year. It is made of vintage hand towels, and it reminded him of his grandmother. I wasn't crazy about it on the hanger.... but boy, it looks super cute on! I even had to do a ponytail to make sure everyone could see the bows.

At the library with Emily, she always makes someone play ring around the roses with her!

She crosses her little ankles when she's sitting in her high chair. I love this lady like little girl.

She loves Doc McStuffins these days and gives EVERYONE a check up!

Don't forget to keep praying for Baby Will. He had a successful bone marrow transplant, but is now waiting to see if his new cells will take to his body. The hardest road for him is still ahead. Check our her blog here.

1st day at Gymnastics..... (mommy and me class at 2.5 years old)
She loved it! She ran up and down the mats, jumped on the mini trampolines, "swam" in the pit of soft blocks, and did some balance beam action too. But mostly, she ran around just jumping and yelling, and I ran around chasing her and trying to get her to do what the coach did! This is the first organized activity she's really done where she was supposed to follow directions, and it didn't go as planned. But she had a blast, and I was one tired mama! I do hope she likes it better as the weeks go on because gymnastics is so good for your body, strength, and hand/eye coordination. We signed up for 8 weeks, and we have 5 more to go, maybe she'll warm up to the instructions and Coach Fico!

She looks adorable in the leotard, however, I was a little upset they said no bows..... I mean a little girl is supposed to always wear a big bow, right?!

Seth from school is in her class, she loved seeing him and his big sister Abigail.

And Kenzie Bug is there too! These two are not ever allowed to be in the same class at school.... they are so rambunctious when you get them together and definitely the ~~bossy pants~~ leaders of the group, it's crazy!