First Day of School

So Caleb wanted to ride the bus today and I took Grace to school. The teachers make you feel like a celebrity walking through the door because they line up and say welcome as you walk up. Caleb's teacher from last year said "You are missing one!" I said He took the bus, he walks to the beat of his own drum! He ran up to me when I came in the community room. Julia sat down in line with Grace and wanted to stay at school. After the kids had gone to their classes, I was in the hall talking with friends and Julia says to me "I be back a minute" and walks down the hall, I don't think she'll have trouble going to Kinder, but I am sure it will be hard on me.

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk, Blueberries for Ju

Some of MY favorite things....

Somehow in NC it was all about the food and I ate at almost all of my old stomping grounds. Now the one thing I can brag about in the Seattle/Tacoma area is that they have great shopping (you may have to drive, but you can get there) and great food. They are missing one teeny tiny little awesome fast food market, let's hear it for the cow! CHIK-FIL-A! From Florida to NC we ate there four times! If I could only open a franchise I would be rich and I wouldn't have to work on Sundays! The next picture is a local favorite called Locopops. They have very unique and homemade popsicles. We tried Chocolate brownie, Very Berry, Berry Hazelnut, but they also have flavors like pomogranite tangerine and other exotic flavors. NC You ROCK! We missed you Jamie and Sophie!

Good friends in my favorite state....

The friend's kids......

that is just from the three of us, whoever thought we would have this many kids! We are lucky they are all adorable!

High School Reunion

Why did the years go by so fast. This was the first reunion I had been to and I had lots of fun. It was great to see everyone, but I especially enjoyed talking to Josh, Dougan, Jason, Kevin and Mike and yes you girls too.

We haven't really changed that much have we?

I feel really blessed to still be friends with my wonderful friends that I have known since I was in Kindergarten and first grade! I remember in Dani's highschool yearbook I insisted in writing my last name and she didn't want me to, I said, you might forget who I am, no chance, you were right Dani. We are in it for the long haul now!

We are so blessed

to have such wonderful, beautiful kids and a wonderful grammie!

Flying and Jumping

Julia is changing so much. When we got to FL, she could barely jump off the ground, now she really does jump off the ground, it is so cute. Judson has a wiggles toy that sings 5 Joeys (instead of monkeys) jumping on the bed and she loves to play that song and jump all over the room. This morning when she woke up in her pack n play, she said that she wanted to get out. My response that early in the morning is "Just a minute" then next thing I hear her saying is "I flying!" I look over and she is balancing on the edge of the pack n play, half in and half out. Another thing she has accomplished that is so exciting is drawing circles. She would always make us draw a zebra, an apple, a ladybug, a dolpin, now she can draw apples herself!

A day at the Beach....

is not what it used to be. I am so glad that I took the kids to the beach because they had a lot of fun. It was worth my anxiety level going through the roof. I have seemed to have more anxiety since Kurt has been gone and my sister in law said it is because "It is all on you" and I realized that is so right. Anyway gone for the moment are the days of rubbing on the tanning oil, Hydrogen Peroxide in my hair and reading a magazine. I took our wonderful new friend who is 12, so I essentially was in charge of four kids at the beach. I finally bribed Grace and Caleb to get out of the water so I could breathe for awhile. "You have 5 more minutes if you stay in the water or 20 more if you go play on the beach." We left right before the afternoon thunderstorm started.

Sunday Adventure

We decided to go to Busch Gardens for the day. I think we were a little crazy as it is HOT in Florida, (Did I already say that?) but our saving Grace was that there was some water there. All you want to eat in FL in the summer is ice cream, I am going to pack back on the lbs if I don't stop and get back home! So the rest of the vacation plans are to travel this weekend to Maine for my highschool reunion and then to North Carolina on our way home. Then it will only be a week until school starts!

Feeding the Fish

There are ponds all around this development and my brother has taken a special interest in them. He got a Grant for a couple thousand dollars and planted plants in these ponds that are beneficial for them. There are so many fish and it is a great activity for the kids.

Summer, Fun, Sun, Popsicles & Watermelon

Julia would not turn her popsicle around! The cool treats are a must here, it is HOT! I have to admit that I appreciate WA and cooler weather and no humidity, but mostly NO BUGS! Remind me of these words in November! There is a 12 year old girl who lives across the street from my brother and she isn't doing anything this summer, so she comes over and plays ALL day with my kids! She has even babysat! She is a true Godsend.

Julia and HER DS!!!

Fun with Cousins....

Since both of the boys birthdays are at the end of July, we decided to go to the Fort Wilderness cabins for the weekend. It was a great time spent with family that we do not see often enough!