Battle Tested

This weekend was full of lots of fun as the four of us got to spend a great deal of it together. Friday was dinner and a movie, and Saturday included two parties. Of course the hit was the sixth birthday bash for our pal Britton. There was a crew of eager soldiers, and the immediately got ready for battle.

They were eager to conquer the fierce obstacle course.

After their successful completion, they were sporting their hard earned battle helmets and dog tags.

This is a battle tested squad, and they had such a wonderful time. Thanks, Brit! Hope you had a wonderful sixth birthday, buddy!

p.s. Sam was a fan of the cake pops, too!

Back home

We are back from the beach and had such a wonderful trip. There is so much to share, but I will most likely recall it in bits and pieces and share a lot of photos. We returned home to very chilly temperatures and a basement that is practically complete. Since we have been waiting so long, Josh & I were eager to get some furniture (that had been sitting wrapped up) into its proper place. Before that, some cleaning had to be done. We got one room sort of in place Saturday night and another Sunday night. There is still much to be done, but I'm sort of seeing a light and thinking we may actually enjoy a football game or two down there soon.

The beach was so much fun; and the weather was fabulous. I had my doubts about whether we would be able to set foot in the ocean or the pool outback, but we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was overcast a couple of days, which translates to longer beach time with little ones. We rented a house with some great friends, the Shaws and Yorks and our boys had a grand time swimming, running, jumping, singing and just being boys! When Jack and Andrew weren't plunging into the pool they were in the shadow of the "big boys" Tate & Brit. I took so many pictures, which I will eventually upload, but there is still so much catching up to do they will have to wait. So, here are just a few to wet your appetite!

Trains, Planes & Inflatable Slides

Saturday afternoon Jack and I joined several friends and their sons at the Family Fun Fest hosted by the local United Way. I must admit I expected to leave having forked out at least $20 for food, games and whatever else they dangled in front of Jack. I left having only spent $6 and with a child who had a blast. This was a first-time event and it was so well planned and executed. Tickets, games and rides were very affordable. They didn't gouge us on the necessities either...food was a steal. Jack had a grand time with Gus, Mack, Brit, Tate & Andrew. These boys were full speed the entire time...well, except for little Mack who just grinned at all the excitement!

I hope the event raised a good bit of money and the organizers will do it again. It was fantastic. Jack loved all the inflatables (although an older boy had to help him climb to the top of the big slide). He was a big fan of the train ride and the helicopter too. There are many more pictures in our August album, which is rapidly expanding.

After church on Sunday, we headed to Athens for a shower for my sister. It was great getting to see my grandparents and catch up with cousins. One of my cousins, Jenna, was a sweetie to entertain Jack. He even talked her into reading him a book. I think we have a great babysitter in training here!

Eggstra, Eggstra!

Okay, so the title is cheesy, but I couldn't think of anything creative. Jack has officially gotten the Easter egg hunting fever. After two hunts in two days, he's really gotten the hang of it. Sweet Merideth got Jack an awesome bucket to use for his hunting.

Our church held an egg hunt Wednesday night after supper. Things got kicked off with the youth putting on a puppet show for the kids. Jack had seen one once before (I think last summer), and I was pretty sure he would like it. When we walked in, they had put out the little chairs for them to sit in, rather than sitting on the floor. So, Jack sat next to Merideth's boys Tate & Brit. Even though he's a good bit smaller and younger than they are he looked so big sitting in that little chair! I think you'll agree. It was as if he'd aged a whole year over night (I think his new haircut helped too). Our little boy is growing up fast.

After the show, the little ones headed out to the playground to hunt eggs. Jack quickly got the hang of what he was supposed to do with the eggs. He liked throwing or hurling them into the bucket, but we had to point them out. He managed to find three, which was plenty. Then he moved on to the slide. I'm pretty sure his favorite part of the night was the cookie topped with colored sugar.

Today, his preschool class had an egg hunt. This one was held inside because of the yucky weather. Granted, these eggs seemed to be more obviously placed, but Jack had no trouble figuring out exactly what to do with them. He gathered his pile quickly. We had fun playing with the others in his class...although today it was just Jack and the girls (Carson, MacKynna & Amelia). Jack's best buddy, Andrew, is still recovering from RSV. He's on the mend though and we look forward to catching up at his birthday party on Saturday!

You can see lots more pictures from our egg-citing adventures here.

S'mores, anyone?

Friday night we had a few friends over for dinner. With the hectic-ness that surrounds the holidays, it felt like it had been a while since we had been able to just catch up with one another. The kids really enjoyed each other. And despite four boys under the age of 4, the adults managed to survive too, but not without a few twists.

After dinner, we ladies began clearing the table, putting away the food, cleaning, loading dishes, etc. I asked Josh to get Jack out of his high chair and wrongly assumed that meant Jack would then be under his supervision. Well, the fellas all stayed in the dining room continuing to talk (and they say all we do is gab!) About 10 minutes later, we realize that we are down one little guy...Jack. We look in the laundry room, our bedroom, and he was nowhere to be found. Then, we hear him crawling around UPSTAIRS! That's right. He crawled all the way upstairs and was just hanging out by himself. I know you're thinking, "why don't you put up a gate, blah, blah, blah!" We have a gate, actually two of them, but they are sort of a pain in the rear (especially at the bottom of the stairs.) I typically only put it when it's just me and Jack and I'm not in the room with him. Anyway, since he was perfectly safe and sound we all got a good laugh out of it.

We also managed to keep the house from catching on fire. We have a little S'mores maker with a lazy susan. It is a lot of fun and I knew the older boys would like it(Tate & Brit that is, not our husbands, although they enjoyed it too!) Tate may actually have a future in professional S'mores assembly. It kept wanting to make them for everyone. He managed to eat a few himself too. In fact, this is one of my favorites!

Where we're going...

Jack can officially see where we're going...not just where we've been. This week signified the turning around of the car seat. I know he didn't grow any overnight, but he just looks so much older and more grown up sitting so upright...weird, I know! Must be one of those mom things. As you can see, he's still silly when turned around.

Wednesday night we asked the Shaws to join us at the Magical Night of Lights at Lake Lanier Islands. I'm a sucker for Christmas lights and a little eager to begin some silly holiday traditions with Jack, I guess. The lights were good...Britton (the Shaw's nearly 3 y/o) enjoyed them the most. At the end of your driving tour, there's a silly holiday carnival. Thankfully, Jack's not old enough yet to care about riding anything.

Brit took a trip on the carousel and the train, while the big boys tossed skee ball. Derek one a nice prize for all the kids. We finished our stay with a stop at the fire pits, where you can roast marshmallows. (Which they charge for by the way...as if you didn't pay enough to ride through.) Overall, it was fun and I would go back. If you do decide to go: 1. try to get as many people in your car/minivan as possible (I think 9 is the limit); 2. bring your own marshmallows and coat hangers and roast away (we even saw a family who brought their own graham crackers and hershey bars!); 3. pre-purchase your ticket online (you save $10 from the gate price) and use the coupon code 5253 when checking out to save an additional $5.

It's the season of thanksgiving and the season for a very big celebration at our house. Jack turns ONE on Friday! Wild, right? It seems like I just started this blog and now he's a year old. Here's Jack with someone I'm very thankful for, his great grandfather. It was great spending time with family today for Thanksgiving and all the great food ain't bad either. Enormous thanks to Josh's sister and her fiance who delivered a massive spread for dinner (they felt bad b/c Josh was on call and couldn't join me and Jack in Athens). We thought they were bringing by a plate, but instead brought enough to feed an army! How thankful we are for such wonderful family!

Fair or Foul?

There were definitely no fouls around here on Tuesday as we ventured out to the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair at the Habersham County Fairgrounds. We met the Shaws and 2/3s of the Yorks there. It was great fun and wonderful food. We saw animals in a petting zoo...and no this one is not kissing Jack although it looks like it.

We also watched a really cool bear show. They even rode around on a motorcycle. It was fun watching Tate & Britton on the rides, although at times they seemed a little unsure about why they agreed to ride. I think they had a lot of fun. We also ran into Jennifer & Davis and Erin & Gus. They were celebrating Davis turning 2. What a fun place to celebrate your birthday! Apparently, it was his second night in a row at the fair! Lucky boy!

The night concluded with everyone enjoying a funnel cake and the big boys enjoying glow-in-the-dark swords. Very cool!

A Day with the Big Boys

I just put Jack to bed and he ought to sleep well. Today he played like one of the big boys, which only makes sense because he spent most of his day with Tate and Brit Shaw (little ones belonging to our pals the Shaws). Merideth started her new job today with a five-day trip to Atlanta. So, we were happy to entertain the boys until Derek finished up work. I picked the boys up at their school, and we all headed to the park.

I have to admit my motive was to wear down the threesome. The combination of soaring temperatures and lack of shade led to a short stay at the park, but the boys all had fun anyway. For the last 15 minutes, I had all three boys in swings hopping from boy to boy pushing. Despite the heat, we enjoyed our outing. I think everyone was happy to get in the car and cool off.

Once we got home the boys showed me and Jack all the toys they brought along. Tate really enjoyed Jack's tractor, which was a gift from Charlie & Wyatt Spruill (who else right?). After I put Jack down for a nap, the boys and I watched a Larry Boy movie. After Jack woke up we all played some more; Jack was wiggling and rolling all over trying to play like the big boys. Tate and I read what seemed like a million books. Soon it was Jack's dinner time. So, I set the boys up with crayons and paper at the table, while I fed Jack. Tate wanted help drawing the characters from the movie we had seen. So, we drew Larry Boy, the Rumor Weed and then both boys got a tractor to color. Tate even decided to leave his tractor for Mr. Josh.

Once Josh got home we all went to McDonald's for dinner. On the way, I was asking the boys what they wanted to eat. The choices were hamburger, cheeseburger or chicken nuggets. Brit quickly answered chicken nuggets. Tate's answer was the funniest, "which one comes with a toy?" He was pleased to hear they all did! He settled on a hamburger. They both ate well...including yummy yogurt parfaits. When we headed home Derek was there waiting on the boys. He looked exhausted. I hope the boys took a quick bath and went straight to bed for him!

I was really delighted to have the opportunity to hang out with the boys today. When I have my hands full with other people's kids I don't even attempt to do other things like dishes, laundry, etc. So, it was a lot of fun to play motorcycles and monsters, color Larry-Boys and tractors...kind of like being a kid again! Thanks, Merideth. I hope your trip is going well. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Just the Good Ole Boys

On Friday, Jack and I went to Pitts Park for one of the last MOPS Friday in the Park play dates of the summer. Usually he just sits around or hops from person to person, but we did some actual playing today. Joni, a friend of ours, helped him ride the carousel with some of the other kids, and then I put him in one of the swings. He really loved it. I was able to get a few cute pictures of him enjoying the ride.

I look forward to taking him back to the park with Josh, so he can see how he loves the swing. Although you can probably get a pretty good idea just by looking at the pictures I got. After the park, Merideth and her boys entertained Jack while I had a lunch meeting with the PR committee of the local Habitat for Humanity.

On Saturday, Josh wanted to take Jack to see one of his favorite childhood memories, the General Lee. Josh has a picture from his childhood with the famous orange Charger and thought it would be neat for Jack to have one, too. A local car dealership had one on display and we took Jack to see it. I'm sure it will make for a funny story one day.

Our day concluded with dinner with the Shaws. They are in the middle of a lot of changes, one of which is their address, so we thought they could use a break from packing and also gave them a few more boxes. Jack as usual loved being entertained by Tate and Brit. We are looking forward to having them over to play on Wednesday!

By the way, Jack is officially 8 months old as of today. Crazy, huh? He is as fun as ever. He is talking, babbling a lot these days. Mostly da da and na na, which he doesn't associate specifically with anyone or anything yet. He's also a very busy body, wiggling everywhere. He's on the verge of busting loose and crawling everywhere (guess we better get our act together and finish babyproofing!) There are more pictures of our weekend adventures in our usual place.

Getting Ready to say Goodbye

Although last week seemed like a typical week, it wasn't. The evenings were filled with taking care of last minute details for Josh's medical mission trip to Honduras. He needed things from here and there, so we went around gathering all his supplies. Wednesday evening we enjoyed a mid-week dinner with some friends. I thought this picture of Jack & James was pretty funny. He looks like he's about to take off.

Jack also enjoyed his usual entertainment from Tate & Brit. The boys even took turns holding Jack and having their pictures made. The Shaws were getting ready for their trip to the beach. In fact, they are there now and hopefully having a great time. Maybe we'll be reading about it soon on their blog. In the meantime, here's a cute picture of the crew.

On Friday, Jack and I went and met Josh at work for his lunch break. We all went and voted early and then had a quick lunch. Once we were home, I began writing notes on the back of some photos I had printed out. I printed out 10 different recent photos (mostly of Jack, some with Josh & some with me). On the backs I wrote funny messages and notes to Josh and hid them in the pockets of the scrubs he'll be wearing each day in Honduras. I'm guessing as of today, he's seen 4 notes (I put one photo in each shirt pocket and one in each pants pocket). I guess there is a slim possibility that he's so eager to see my hilarious messages that he has skipped ahead in his suitcase and peeking at the next day's early. Anyway, I hope they make him happy and not sad. I'm already looking forward to picking him up on Sunday evening.

Aloha, VBS!

What a week last week was! With VBS at church, it was quite busy...so, I'm hoping you'll all forgive me for my absence in posting and ignore the fact that the next few posts are all done in quick succession. It's naptime, I gotta get as much done as possible (some of you know what I mean). I'd like to point out at this moment, however, my house is a complete wreck after a week plus of complete neglect and I'm choosing to fill you all in on our life rather than clean up...don't you feel special! LOL...here's a shot after bath time one night last week.

Everyday last week began bright and early for me and Jack. After getting ready and having breakfast, we would stop by Josh's office and pick up Tinsley and Emily, his co-worker Regina's daughters. They came with us each day to VBS. I think they really enjoyed it. The theme was Outrigger Island, so everything and everyone was decked out with leis, hula skirts and flip flops. It was a fun, but exhausting week. I'm very thankful for the wonderful care Jack receives in the nursery at church, but he got spoiled this week. I don't think he was put down for 3+ hours each day. Needless to say, I'm paying the price this week getting him back to reality!

On Tuesday afternoon, we celebrated Regina's birthday. The girls and I picked up a cake, balloon and flowers. We all ate at Johnny's for lunch. Tinsley and Emily had been eager to hold Jack, so they got their chance at lunch that day.


On Wednesday evening, we dined at Pueblo's with some friends. It was a nice treat during a busy week. As usual, Jack enjoyed being entertained by the older little ones around. The big kids usually like entertaining him, so it works out. Tate even wanted to hold Jack. Here are a couple of pictures of him being entertained by Tate and Brit. He was also eager to explore Tate's face. Jack has grown into quite a curious little guy, which is neat to watch.