First Day of School

By now, William has been a Kindergartener for 2 months! These are some pics from his first day of school.

William insisted on getting a metal lunchbox. We finally found him a camo, army lunchbox which he is very proud of carrying.

William and his teacher, Mrs. Stokes. William gets to spend all year with Mrs. Stokes and is loving every minute. Mrs. Stokes is the mother of Sarah, Uncle Jason's soon-to-be wife. She is a great teacher and loves William.

William and Dad.

This is William getting called into line at the assembly. The teachers call each name and the kids get into line with the rest of their class. I happened to take the picture right as William looked back. :-)

Ballerina Lily

These are a little out of order, sorry! Today was Lily's first day of ballet. She is taking at The Alabama Dance Theatre in the 3 year-old class. We were just trying it out today to see if she could hang with the 3 year-olds, since she is still 2 until November. To my surprise, the teacher said she listened well and should do fine. The class seemed a little bit rowdy, so I was worried she didn't pay attention. She loved it and started to get into it toward the end of class.

You Are 1

You are a sweet boy who loves his family. You love to eat, especially meat! You seem much bigger than you actually are. You love to suck your left thumb. You love to go to sleep with your fuzzy bear and a blanket. You are not picky which blanket-any will do. You love to watch Lily and William. You love to try and dance when there's no music and occasionally when there is music. You ride in the car quietly. You do not like to be left in your playpen. Instead you love to be out exploring and being part of everyone's activities. You love to rip off your bibs. You are the only Givens' baby to be drinking out of only sippy cups by your 1 year-old doctor's appointment. You love your Mommy and want her a lot, but you also love your Daddy and want him a lot. You don't seem to prefer one over the other, generally. You grunt when you're out of food and want more. You love cookies and cake. You are a sweet baby with traits that remind us of both your brother and sister. We love you for who you are and there is no one quite like you! You are 1!

Joseph is 1!!!!

We had a little party for Joseph's birthday, and as you can see he thoroughly enjoyed himself! He loved his cake and ALL of his presents. In attendance at his party were Grammy, Pop, Mimi, Papa Bill, Jason, Sarah, and of course, Mom, Dad, Lily, and William. His cake was supposed to be a firetruck, but ended up a monstertruck-he didn't seem to care!

St. Simons Island- The End!

On our last day the tide came in later than usual and we got the beach right as it was at its' height. As we stayed, the water slowly went out and created an incredible playground for everyone. We could sit in inches of water comfortably and watch as Joseph and Lily rolled in the mud! William enjoyed digging holes and canals.
Three generations of Givens' men crawling on their hands and knees.


I do not know how I missed pictures of the kids riding the kayak with Uncle Jason, but I did!-SORRY!
We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation! Everything was so different from what we are used to and was truly a family adventure! We did miss the rest of the family that usually accompanies us to the beach. I hope you enjoy this chronicle of our week at St. Simons Island, Ga.

St. Simons Island- The Lighthouse!

The lighthouse on the island goes way back! I won't bore you with another history lesson, but this is not the only lighthouse ever built on the island. During the Civil War the troops had to abandon the island, so instead of leaving the lighthouse for enemy use, they destroyed it. After the war it was rebuilt. It is an impressive structure with a great view of the island. In the pictures you can see one of the disappearing beaches and the canopy of oaks, underneath which lies the village shaded from the hot sun!
That is Jekyll Island in the distance. Huge cargo ships would come in through the channel each day. This is the view to the South.
This is to the East.
There is a whole city underneath those trees.
This is the view to the West. The area's main pier is just at the edge of the picture. The awesome kiddy pool area and putt putt course are just below.
Not so great family picture, but know that we walked up the winding, old stairway like this. I held William's hand and steadied myself, while David toted Joseph on his back and Lily on his hip. They were very brave and it was quite an interesting climb!

St. Simons Island- Sand Toys!

We FINALLY remembered to take the sand toys with us to the beach toward the end of the week. Here are a few more shots of fun!
Mimi's boat.
Shells and nuts in Mom's bike basket.
The cuties in the wagon!
Sand Toys! You can see the dynamics of our family playing out! They did share most of the week!