Oh Lord Jesus.. I could write a book about this girl! Lilah is for sure the Bolling child that has the most spunk! She is forever making my jaw drop. I absolutely love having a daughter. I love everything about it. She's so fun to spend time with. I love her passion for being girly. I am not sure what I would do if I had a tom boy for a daughter. She is definitely beautiful, but I continue to remind her that beauty is only possible if it's on the inside first!
Lilah is on her 3rd year of dance. This year she added tap dancing. She desperately wants to be a pop dancer, but Miss Mona's does NOT offer it to children as young as she! I hope to sign her up for cheerleading in the fall. While she has expressed an interest in softball, I prefer she stick with the more girly "sports".
Lilah has also done incredible this year at school. Ms. Dixon has continually mentioned how kind and loving Lilah is, especially to those peers who are having a difficult time making friends. The principal commented the other day how lovely, smart, and kind Lilah was, after observing her, during a class observation the other day! I believe she is a definite ring leader. I hope the good kind. She is constantly writing me notes and when she's not at school, she is usually playing school! Haha.
Some of Lilah's favorite things to do are: dance, sing, apply make up, play hair dresser, jump on the trampoline, watch tv/movies/videos, and play school. She is constantly begging for playdates or sleepovers. Sigh... we have them from time to time, but just not as often as she would like to if she had it her way.
Lilah is quite the sassy girl. She definitely could improve on the way she answers to her family members at times. Be it a sibling or her mommy/daddy, she appears to be 6 going on 16. Sometimes, Darren and I have to go in another room, laugh it out, and them come back to discipline her. She really does scare us sometimes. If we had to choose one child who would be a hoarder or lazy, it's Lilah. LOL! We will pray that the Lord changes this aspect about her. This is also one reason that I would NOT sign her up for a sport. I just could NOT see our little diva running bases. She isn't a girl who likes to sweat. My biggest challenge with her is in the mornings or ANYTIME I have to do her hair.
Outside of school, hands down, her best friends are Ansley, Salene, and Saleece. She loves them all dearly. She would also say Cami and Taylor are her best friends. LOL! I laugh because they are 12 years old. She's really interested in the older girls. I think she has sister envy!
I love those moments when I can have some one on one time with her. We had that opportunity last night, while both boys were at baseball. We went on a long walk, with Sadie, and we shared some of our day together. I taught her about the "great commission" and then we took a bath together. I pray that we are always close and that she will never be afraid to tell me anything.
If I had to take a guess at what she will be when she grows up, based on who she is today, she will be either a MOM, a professional dancer/performer, or a school teacher!
Lilah, our home would NOT be the same without you. While you definitely keep us on our toes, but I promise to make sure I am always one step ahead of you. One of my favorite things about you is when I am a little off kilter, you see to know it. Typically you say, "Mommy! I am so sorry you are having such a bad day!" Thank you for your endless mercy towards me. You make being a mommy so much fun! I would not be half the woman I am today if I didn't have you! I love you.
Tyson is definitely my most well-rounded child. He is smart, athletic, outgoing, handsome, and well loved by his peers and teachers. He sincerely has it going on! LOL! He is the type of kid you could carry on an adult conversation with. He's just so bright and has a love for learning and it shows.
Ty is currently on a baseball team. His first game is this Saturday. He has been told that he will be playing three positions: pitcher, catcher, and short stop! I am always the MOST proud of him when I see him on a court or a field. I can't really explain why, but I think it's because I know he knows the game both physically and intellectually and watching him put it all together is so fascinating to me.
Ty has done amazing in school this year. Fourth grade has been really intense. LOADS of quizzes and tests, not to mention the SOLs coming up soon! He has proven to be able to take care of his own work load. I have withdrawn from hovering over him and allowed him to do what needs to get done. To date, he has gotten straight A's on each report card, in fourth grade. His teachers have NOTHING but wonderful things to say about him. It blesses me to hear how helpful, kind, and attentive he is at Fort Lewis Elementary! He is also the Vice Presidnet of his elementary school. I just couldn't be more proud.
Some of Tyson's favorite things to do are: shoot hoops, jump on the trampoline, play playstation, read autobiographies, and play with his pup, Sadie. His friends are really important to him and I don't think a day passes where the door bell doesn't ring for him!
Tyson and I's relationship has improved dramatically. He still tests my patience BIG time, but we are BOTH working on self-control. He is a definite mini me! His biggest downfall is fretting his twin siblings or talking back. When he talks back to Darren or I, I feel like all his smarts go right out the window. He knows how to push EVERYONE's buttons. He's also very hard headed and stubborn. Hmmmm, sounds like someone else I know... ME!
Tyson is still madly in love with Cami Shaffer. He blushes and grins, from ear to ear, at the mere mention of her name. His best friends outside of school are definitely Gabe Shaffer or Joshua Prillaman.
One special thing about being 10 (almost) is that he has some nice quality time with mom and dad after the twins go to sleep, at night. He comes in our room and either watches tv with us or reads while we read. The hard part about this is that he thinks he's a grown up and occasionally will chime in on Darren and I's conversations. We make sure to tell him when he's out of line.
I am amazed at his knowledge of theology and Jesus. During our morning devotionals, he can answer every question we ask and he either elaborates or he asks very intense or inquisitive questions back. It is our prayer that he turns his life over to Jesus soon!
Ty, despite our intense relationship, some most days, haha, you really do make me one happy mommy at the end of the day. It means the world to me that you are well received, looked up to, and enjoyed by all who know you! You will always be my first born and that stores up a special place in my heart for you. I think about the amount of years I have left with you and I pray that the best are yet to come! PS. Your tooth has FINALLY grown in. It only took 2 years. No lie. Haha.
Jax is by far the sweetest child we have! I love how extremely loving he is, especially on a whim. He has a gentle spirit and a heart to serve. He still would prefer to help me cook over sitting in front of the television. His voice is adorable. He has a slight New York accent, but the type that is fun to listen to, not the obnoxious kind. His smile is contagious. Oh how I just love his dimples. I believe he most resembles me aka the Crisafi genes.
Jax just recently started baseball for the GYB. I am excited to see how good of an athlete he really is, up against his peers. He's had a great role model in his big brother, Ty. Darren has also worked with him a ton!
He has done really well at school this year. He is excellent in math (at one point his teacher said he's borderline gifted, but I am not sure if that has changed or not). It's almost like he has a photographic memory.
Some of his favorite things to do are: jump on the trampoline, play playstation, color, and hang all over Sadie! He constantly shares his love for the NFL team, the Jets, through his classwork! Sometimes he tries to make others laugh by doing something that's not funny. LOL! He's a big goofball. If no one laughs, he just laughs at himself. At least someone gets his jokes, even if it's just him. Hehe.
Jax desperately needs to improve on controlling his emotions. He expresses himself through tears and it can be rather annoying. LOL! He cries about almost everything and we just recently had to explain to him the story of "The boy who cried wolf!" He has picked up a few of Tyson's bad traits, but I assume that is to be expected. You learn what you live! He gives me the most trouble in the mornings, when he wakes up, because he wants to wear "comfy" clothes and I want him to wear polo shirts and cute shorts/jeans. We have recently made an agreement, after a long walk together, at the beach, to alternate days!! Now, he gets to dress himself three days a week and I get to dress him two days a week! I guess that's fair!
Jax is painfully shy/bashful! He prefers his room to be neat and clean. If I don't make his bed quick enough he says, "Mom, my room is messy, can you make my bed?" This will make an excellent husband in my opinion. I could never live with a slob. If I had to guess which one of my children would be saved first, it would be Jax. Praying the Lord will rescue his dead heart and he will submit to Jesus soon!
I think it's safe to say he will always claim Cohen as his best friend, outside of school!!!
His favorite places to visit are Myrtle Beach and the Great Wolf Lodge! His favorite colors are green and black (the Jets colors). One funny thing about Jax is that no matter what time of the night you walk into his room, his pillow is always on the floor. Darren and I always wonder how he gets good sleep without a pillow!
Jax, on my worst day, you have that perfect wisdom on how to make everything so much better. You usually come up to me and say, "Hey Mom? I wub you!" Honey, I wub you too! You make all the difficulties and challenges of motherhood so worth it. You are the type of kid that causes every man and woman to want children. You bring so much joy to my life!
It's always a much anticipated and appreciated gift to travel to Myrtle Beach, especially the FIRST trip of the season. The kids are becoming more and more aware this blessing too. This trip, the twins asked about other friends and what their beach condos looked like. "Do all of our friends have beach condos?", they asked. I think it's cute that they are starting to realize that having your own beach condo may not be the norm and it is a perfect opportunity to teach them to not take it for granted and to show gratitude to a hardworking grandad and daddy. We are very thankful.
We decided to make our first trip, to Myrtle Beach, during Spring Break. We left Tuesday night around 5:30 pm and got there around 11:30 pm. We stopped for about 45 minutes to eat dinner. So it took us about 5 hours and 15 minutes to ge there. The kids fell asleep on the last 30 minutes of the drive and got a second wind, helping us unload and unpack. They are so helpful at the beach because they are just so excited about everything.
The next morning, we headed out to the beach. The weather was beautiful, but the water was pretty cold. I could barely even put my feet in the water. Of course, our kids didn't seem to notice. They enjoyed it all, but especially loved playing in the sand. Their biggest highlight was when Darren would cover/burry them with sand up to their necks.
We threatened to keep them there most of the day while Darren and I sunbathed. I know they didn't believe us, but I think the wheels were turning at the thought of "What if they really do?!?!"
It wasn't long before they popped right out of the heap of sand, covering their bodies.
I also joked on instagram, when I posted the below photo, saying, "Ty doesn't know this yet, but they plan to burry him alive!"
During this trip, we had a 6th family member join us... "Sadie girl". She traveled excellently. We only allowed her to use the potty the ONE time we stopped, to pick up dinner. Traveling to Myrtle Beach, with 3 kids and an over grown puppy, was definitely proof that our mini van is so helpful. Getting another Rhodesian Ridgeback may NOT be a possibility after seeing how crowded our van became with just one. The way home was a little more challenging because we went shopping, so we had more things to bring home. Everyone was a little scrunched. We will just have to use our "white and nerdy" hard shell, turtle, cargo carrier next time.
Sadie loved being on the beach. I wish we could have released her to roam free, but I was terrified we'd never catch her. We did buy a leash that goes into the sand and then gives her a 60' foot extension. She mostly just enjoyed sitting with us and feeling like a part of our family. I was really excited that the beach rules, up until May, allowed her to be with us, on the beach, anytime of the day. After May, the rules change, which stinks.
The first night we usually always go to our favorite dinner joint, "California Pizza Kitchen and Games". The kids are used to this tradition and I LOVE that we have created that tradition, but this time, we chose to meet up with a few of our Church friends (Belchers and Cannons) at Señor Frogs. Then we walked around Broadway At The Beach with them. We rarely get to see anyone at the beach that we know, so that was fun, and the kids didn't even complain about NOT being able to go to their favorite Myrtle Beach dinner spot. Below, is a photo of the kids funny balloon hats. Actually, even the adults got them.
The beach always provides great opportunities to rest peacefully. Lilah was BEAT between a very late night bedtime, the night before, and a day at the beach. She took a short nap (accidentally) before heading out to dinner. Doesn't she look so peaceful?
The second night, we did take the kids to the Ultimate California Pizza Kitchen and Games, after a short trip to Tanger Outlets. Darren and I were excited to get a little shopping in. At the California Pizza Kitchen, we always give the kids $25 each (Darren included). The money lasts about one hour. It's fun watching them run from game to game, swiping their game cards, wining tickets, in hopes of getting some big prizes at the end. We won over 5,000 tickets this time. That was the most tickets we've ever accumulated. When we were through, we came home and took the kids (Sadie included) on a loooong, night walk, on the beach.
Ty carved Jesus' name in the sand. I am so glad that our children do have Him on their minds often.
My handsome, almost, 10 year old.
Jaxey Jo!
Liley Bo!
Sadie Girl!
And just so you know I was actually there...Darren and I!
Selfies. They never turn out good! But I was happy to be a part of the family photo album.
Day #2, we did the pool. Day #3, we went back to the beach!
This was my typical position/spot. Sit back, relax, and snap away!
Look who joined us again?!?!
These next four pictures bless my heart. I am glad that we finally selflessly gave in and got a family pup!
OH MY GOODNESS! I can't wait to frame this one.
You can tell both Liley and Sadie are happy to be at the beach!
The beach wasn't crowded at all and the weather was seriously perfect.
The view from our seats.
Loads of digging took place.
Happy Girl!
On night 3, we took the kids to "Dickey's". It's a restaurant we used to have locally and man do I wish we still had it. It's sooooo delicious. THEN, the kids were able to enjoy their first experience at "Ride Makerz". Grandad and Grandae, as well as Darren and I, chipped in, and they each received their own remote control car. I will do a seperate post on that experience. (Below) I always take pictures in this one spot, near our condo. It really does makes for some great group shots.
Can you take this? Haha. Ty desperately needed a haircut, but it's still such a fantastic photo.
It's hard to believe this kid is almost 10.
What will we do with her? Haha. #shescaresme
My handsome little guido!
Her favorite hand sign for photos.
On Day #4, we switched things up a little. Darren, Ty, and Jax took Sadie on a LONG walk, while I got ready. We went to a yummy Mexican lunch, then we headed back to the condo. Darren allowed me to go to the Tanger Outlets without everyone. I shopped for about 3 hours, while Darren let the kids swim their little hearts out. I was very thankful he allowed me to do this because the Tanger Outlets is a great place to shop. The last night is always the saddest. We have to worry about packing up and cleaning the condo. We normally save it for the morning of our departure, but Ty had baseball practice, so we made certain to leave Myrtle Beach by 8:00 am to get him there on time. Darren wants Ty to be a leader and show that he is responsible. I'm glad he is instilling those values in him.
We still had a great last night. We didn't get home until 10 pm. Our tradition, on the last night, at Myrtle Beach, is USUALLY to eat at Villa Romanas. This restaurant is phenomenal. Everything about it. It's the real deal Italian food. The service is stupendous. And the entertainment is something we can't wait to encounter. We have grown accustom to the accordion player being there. He is so funny and can pretty much play anything you request. He makes a point in visiting each table. The food is so good, my children actually tried soup and salad and ate every last drop of their meal.
You can see a small clip of the accordion player below. We requested him to play the song "Amazing Grace"
Well, that pretty much concludes our Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach. The car ride home was very adventurous in that we had so much more stuff to bring home and a tad too many car riders. I am thankful the Lord blessed our travels there and back and that our only hurdle was the space/room in our van. We will take it!!
OH, and Darren NEVER lets us go off the beaten path, on the way home. He is usually anxious to get home so he can unload the car and mow the lawn. BUT... he had been craving Biscuitville since our trip to Greensboro a few weeks ago. So, he stopped and finally got himself a biscuit. The rest of the car declined! I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip.
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