Play time

Our dear sweet friends the Hills have moved back to the shore for a while. So, we were thrilled that they could make some room for play time at the park on the trip home to Georgia this week. The weather has turned instantly to fall it seems this week, so it was a brisk picnic at the park, but the kiddos didn't seem to notice.

Don't you just love Caroline's face in this one? If you listen closely, you can hear that great deep belly laughter!

Sam was in usual form...marching to and fro as if he was as big as everyone else!

Quick Q & A

Q: What's the best way to make a morning in the park with friends even better?

Sam enjoyed sharing brother's popsicle

And some of Amelia's too...

A: Add popsicles, of course!

Q: Where is the perfect place to have a sweet reward for your little ones after their exhausting photo session?

A: A Krispy Kreme with the "HOT" sign on!

Q: What is a rock waterfall with no water?

A: The perfect "mountain" for boys to climb as they plan to conquer the world and fight bad guys (with a few juice breaks here and there)

Blissful Weather

What a difference the sunshine can make! We gladly greeted some much warmer temperatures this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday were full of sunshine and temperatures in the 60s. It was a little taste of Spring. I know Spring is still a good ways away, but it sure was nice to get a sneak peek. We sure needed it after the past few weeks of frosty weather.

We made the most of the blissful weather with a trip to the park on Saturday morning, Sam's first stroll in the wagon with his big brother and lots of plain ole fun in the backyard. Josh did some yard improvement projects, and I did my best to help. On Sunday, we returned again to the great outdoors after church with swinging, sliding and bubble blowing. The weekend was capped off with dinner off the grill and by the grill. It was a perfect night for relaxing by the outdoor fireplace and star gazing.

Hope you had a blissful weekend too!

P.S. - I added last week to our 365 album.

October

October has arrived, and it brought some cooler temperatures with it. They were short lived, but they will be back again soon. Although we've still had some days hovering in the 80s, most days have been pretty perfect weather wise. They are the perfect kind of days.

Perfect for tailgating with fellow Raiders



Perfect for spending time with cousins!

Perfect for celebrating milestone birthdays! Dad, I'm guessing you weren't specific enough when you wished for a Bulldog victory that night.



Perfect for pumpkins!

Perfect for afternoon outings at the park...with bubbles, of course!







Perfect for train rides with fellow choo-choo enthusiasts



Perfect for a hayride with my boys!



Perfect for basking in the glory of God's beautiful canvas. A canvas on the verge of changing all around us!



Perfect for photo posing with friends.

Perfect for watching football. Although I'm not used to having to go to this much trouble just to watch a game. I guess that's what happens when your team is struggling (to say the least).

Perfect for monkeying around with friends. Think Evelyn is having any fun?

Perfect for cutting loose and letting things slide.

So, we've been keeping very busy these days...but still been managing to get our fair share of fun too.







Wednesday at the Park

Some days it's good to just get out of the house. Last Wednesday was definitely one of those. And what better way to do that than with some sweet friends. Thank you to Erin for not only inviting us to join her crew of three, but grabbing my camera and capturing some of the fun...

"Need a push, Gus?"

Is this not one of the sweetest faces ever? His mom says he's ornery, but I've never seen it! :)

And surely this is the scariest face you've seen, right?! Roar!

Last Few Bits...

In addition to taking in as much time with Emily as possible the last couple weeks, we've also been living up the last few bits of summer. Lots of playtime outside in the evenings after dinner, which is where I caught this adorable and absolutely contagious smile from Sam.

Last week, we started our week with a trip to the park with some sweet friends, who are thankfully back home in Georgia.

It's been a hot and muggy summer and preschool starts back this week. I must admit I'm looking forward to the routine that accompanies the school year. Jack will be in preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Sam will join him on Thursdays. So, Tuesday mornings will be Sam time with mommy, and Thursdays I'll have some mommy-time.

I caught this sweet moment last Wednesday while we were celebrating my birthday and watching the "Miking Queen" movie. (Also known as Cars.)

Family Fun

Sunday we made the short drive down to Winterville (just outside of Athens) for a family reunion. Despite the heat and humidity, it was a grand and great afternoon. As you can see, Sam got in some great grand time with Mimi & great Grandaddy.

Jack didn't seem to mind that there were swings at the park where we had lunch.

He also enjoyed getting a lift and a little ride.

Not to mention the chocolate cupcakes.

He even managed to find a place to cool off.

Operation Heal Mema

Last Thursday we headed down to Athens to visit with Mema & Pop and help play nurse to Mema as she recovered from gall bladder surgery. While we waited for Mema & Pop to return home from the hospital we hit up a local park. The park's playground is aptly named "World of Wonder." Despite the heat, Jack had a ball exploring this new and different playground. His favorite was bouncing on the bridges. Somehow poor Sam managed to drift off to sleep in the extreme heat. He was a trooper for sure.

After the park we headed to my parent's house to help with Operation Heal Mema. Pop headed back to work for a few hours while we destroyed the house. I'm guessing Mema was still so groggy from the anesthesia that she didn't hear all the ruckus. Thank goodness, because after laying down for 20 minutes Jack said, "I done my nap." He doesn't do so great with napping/sleeping in unusual places. After a while I made dinner, and then dad got home. Soon my sister arrived with her dog, which thrilled Jack. He had a ball playing with him. He also easily convinced Pop to play some baseball in the front yard. We left Friday morning and headed toward Greenwood, South Carolina to catch up with some old friends. My sister stayed home with mom; so I guess we left her in good hands?! ;) No doubt quieter hands!

A Plain Old Great Day

Well, Sunday started off far from "great," but it sure finished strong. Josh was showering, Sam was fed and I was pretty much completely dressed and ready for church (things were great and on schedule for me to arrive early to teach a preschool Sunday School class this week), when I went upstairs to get Jack up and dressed. I was greeted with a bit of a mess. Seems our big guy had a bit of an upset stomach during the night.

Of course, my mind immediately recalled a crying spell heard over the monitor sometime around 3:30 that I pretty much ignored thinking he'd go back to sleep...which he did. Now, I felt like a complete failure for having ignored my sweet son's pleas for help. My poor child had called for me and eventually gave up. I had disappointed him. Thankfully my husband reassured me that I had not in fact scarred our son for life and that I was a fantastic mommy. He also volunteered to stay home with the boys.

So, I drove off to church still feeling the heavy burden of mommy guilt. But, as four-year-olds arrived one after another, I was met with smiling faces and eager hearts. I sat in on the beginning of the service to watch the graduate recognition and the sweet slideshow that preceded. I cried for the second time that morning. After a dash to Ingles for Gatorade, I arrived home to find three happy boys. Jack had even had a bit to eat with no incident.

I fixed a quick lunch and then everyone took a nap. Mine was interrupted by a hungry three-month-old, but I quickly got him satisfied and back to dream land. Naps are so much more satisfying when the whole house is indulging! Jack awoke still feeling good. So after a bath, we headed to church for his end-of-the-year preschool celebration and program. As you can see his part was very minor, but fun nonetheless.


What better way to celebrate the end of the year than a trip to McDonald's, right? We finished our night out with a stop at the park. I have the incredible opportunity to spend many days with Jack and Sam at the park, usually with good friends alongside us. It is a rare opportunity to get to enjoy the park with daddy too. Jack took advantage by taking his first ever pass on the monkey bars...and it wasn't his last.

Reunion

Last week we had a wonderful reunion with some special friends who have been away for almost a year now. Thankfully for us they paid a visit to Georgia and even more awesome is the fact that they will be back for good in just a couple of months. Anyway, what better place to plan a reunion with the kiddos than the park? The weather was a little muggy, but that didn't interfere with the fun, food and catching up we all had planned.

So glad to have these sweet friends back in my frames again...






Enjoy your last few weeks and live it up there on the beach, Hill family and then hurry home! See you soon!

Three guesses...

Take a look at this shot of Jack's shirt from earlier today. I'll give you three guesses where we spent our day and the first two don't count. At the playground of course! And with some great company I might add.(As if you don't have enough to do, Erin, here's where I would insert a link to your blog as well; I know you want to start one!)

The weather has been beautiful around here the last week or so. Pretty hot for April and of course we have to put up with the pollen, but it's still not that yellow around here yet. We've been trying to take advantage of the beautiful temperatures and today was no different. Just a tad bit cloudy and a nice cool breeze made it the perfect day to be outside and the perfect day to enjoy some McDonald's with friends. Poor little Eli couldn't convince anyone to share their fries or sweet tea!

Getting so dirty wore us out, but after Jack emerged from his nap we headed outside to enjoy our afternoon snack. This kid sure knows how to enjoy the outdoors, huh? Shades and a cool drink...don't worry it's just juice folks.

We had a wonderfully busy Easter weekend, and I promise to post some more images soon!

Hooray for Spring

I know old man winter is still teasing us each week with his bursts of cold and chilly winds, but I'm hopeful that Spring will win out soon. Last Wednesday was a perfect day and this week should bring another one. We spent our morning at the park with some friends and plan to do the same this week.

Yesterday was so cold and dreary. Once we got home from church, we enjoyed hanging out by the fire all afternoon. Jack even helped Sam with his milk. Most of the time, he thrives on his role as helper.

Scenes from the week

We spent last Monday at the park with Gus, Mack, Davis & Carson. Oh, and their mommies too! It was a great day to be outside. We have been having such wonderful weather these last couple of weeks. Our time at the park was full of play, picnics and laughter. I wanted to pick up a few things at the grocery store while we were out. As you can see, despite the fact that Jack got his standard free cookie from the bakery...it was just too much to stay awake!




We're staying busy getting ready for the holidays, and Jack has a birthday coming up. So, we are gearing up for a Choo Choo Train party.

Park-ing

**Updated to include photos...gasp!

I know it's been a while, but instead of apologizing or telling you how crazy life has been (because seriously, who's life isn't crazy, right?), I thought I'd just cut to the chase and tell you what we've been up to the last two weeks, yes...two weeks worth of fun!! The main theme was definitely "park"-ing, as in multiple trips to Pitts Park, a trip to the ball park and a couple of trips to the Splash Park.

Like most 19-month-olds, Jack loves to explore and is often a bundle of energy. We try to focus that energy somewhere, so we've been meeting friends at the park in the mornings a couple of days a week. If we go early enough we miss the unbearable heat, and usually have plenty of time to get a few other things done before lunch too. On really good days, we end our morning out with lunch with Josh before heading home for a great nap!

Last Tuesday, we headed to Atlanta to watch the Braves take on the Yankees. It was a great game, and Jack did really well. We made it 7 1/2 innings. He might have made it a bit longer, but we didn't want to risk meltdown. It was the only game in the series that the Braves won, so we couldn't have picked a better one. You may remember we took in a game a few weeks back with some friends from Charleston. They were so sweet to share their peanuts during the game with Jack. So, naturally, this time he was puzzled that the fans behind us (and in front of us) weren't just giving him their peanuts! That boy loves some roasted peanuts.

Twice in the last two weeks Jack and I have joined friends at the Splash Park in Gainesville. It's a short drive and a great value...$4. Jack doesn't LOVE all the excitement and is actually quite cautious, but he seems to enjoy it. It's also a great excuse to have Chick-fil-A for lunch...even if we do have to go through the drive-thru because of our passed out children. Note to mothers: splash zone will exhaust your child and hopefully get you a good nap!!

I'll be back to post some pictures soon and fill you in on what else we've got going on. Here's a teaser (just like the scenes from next week's episodes on your favorite shows): Josh starts farming, becomes a preacher and flees the country...I know, you're dying inside!