July - Litchfield Beach

 July is our annual Litchfield Beach vacation (at least the last 3 yrs annual - ever since we moved to SC and "discovered" Litchfield - 30 min S of Myrtle Beach; it's non-tourtist and low key).

Carlene came down to visit just after the 4th and we had a great week in Greenville - I know it's her 2nd home and I'm so glad she feels that way (I've missed our Thursday Girls' Days since she went back to MI at the end of March).

Then we all drove to Litchfield together.  It's an easy drive - just 4 hrs or so - and this year I got to drive Brent's car all by myself.  It was frickin' AWESOME!!!  I plugged in my MP3 player and listend to 3 musicals (Wicked, City of Angels - musical, not movie - and Mamma Mia) plus some other random stuff.  I sang my heart out (since there were no kids to tell me, "No singing, Momma!!!"  They're quite the blow to my ego).  I must have been having a good time because at one point Brent told Carlene, "Janet's either singing or she's having a seizure."  Pretty sure I was singing/dancing to Mamma Mia at that point. :)

While we're pretty lazy at the beach (it's supposed to be laid-back, right?), I decided I was going to take pictures of the kids this year for their belated birthday shots/X-mas cards.  It worked out that Megan packed a great dress (not that she needed it - she's so pretty anyway) and we got some shots of her and the kids.  I also took some good pictures (if I do say so myself) that she may get to use for her Sr. pictures  The kids cooperated (more or less), despite the wind, and I think Megan had fun too.

We swam at the pool, saying hi to the Banana Spiders Rosco and Stevie (plus 3 smaller extras this year) around the pool fence every day.  We played cards on the porch - 9's is fun.  Chris got the kids silly string and they got everyone at the pool.  Carlene took her iPhone swimming and turned it into a dive stick (yup - I know).  Megan took the adults for nightly golf cart rides around the neighborhood (with roadies for us, no her).  Just so much fun.

The kids, Brent, Carlene, and I also took a dolphin tour on a small boat - we had a good time and saw a pod of dolphins complete with a baby one too.  We also learned that Will inherited his mama's sea-sickness but was a trooper.  Despite feeling sick, he kept it together and (I think) enjoyed the experience.  Fi did too, but wasn't as gracious about it - she got hot and let the boat know she was feeling it.  I had fun too (even if I also felt sick while bobbing in the waves watching the dolphins.)  I also got drenched, as I was sitting on the outrigger portion of the boat.

Of course, it wouldn't be a beach vacation without trips to the beach.  Megan was my daily afternoon beach buddy (I LOVE the sound, smell, and feel of the beach - I just can't get enough of it).  The kids came a couple times too.  The last day we had a great time with a tide pool and making a monster sand castle and flying a kite.  We also saw some dolphins in the waves that day (so love!)  We, of course, swam in the ocean too - the kids are getting quite good and it makes me really proud.  They've come a long way this summer in the pool.

I think Litchfield may always be our special place in SC (there's a lot of places we haven't been yet so I don't want to be too final) - we'll be going back again next year to the same house.  Wonderful memories.

June - Travel

We decided since we were soooo committed during the school year that we would ditch all extra activities this summer so that we could just have fun - it was an awesome idea and one I plan to do every summer (so I say now - don't quote me later).

We started out with a long trip back North to visit family.  We started with a trip to PA - just me, the kids, and the dog.  We spent 4 days with G-gpa and on the Booth farm.  I got to share a lot of memories with the kids about the summers I spent at Grandpap's and on the farm - wonderful things that mean a lot to me.  The kids got to help Grandpap in the garden - even though he's 94(!!), he still has a huge garden with over 60 tomato plants, lettuce, lots of garlic and some other things.  They drew him chalk pictures on his sidewalk and showed him how they rode scooters.  Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda came down for a day to meet the kids again (it's been awhile) and we had fun.

We had a lot of fun on the farm too - the kids got to pet Rose and Billy (the horses) as well as ride Rose (the older, more experienced horse).  They got to drive the tractor (Will did a better job although Fi explained how axles worked).  I got to ride Rose too - such fun and it brought back so many memories of the farm (and my Dude Ranch trip).  There are a lot of riding stables near us now and I keep thinking about taking Will and Fi riding (and me too).  Something about a girl and horses (not sure why). :)

After some time in PA, we braved the OH turnpike (which FINALLY decided to up the speed limit to 70, expect in construction zones, which was over half the drive) and went to MI.  We had a wonderful time.

We spent a day at the Detroit Zoo with Kristi and her kids - they're all getting so big and despite the giant lags in hang out time, they all get along really well and play nicely together.  It's always so nice to see Kristi - I hope she and her family end up coming to Atlanta so they'll be closer. :)  I'm always so thrilled that despite the distance, Kristi just feels like home, if that makes sense.  She just knows me and I know her - must be because she's known me for so long.  It's like we had coffee the day before, even if it's been 6 months between phone calls.  We made it through most of the zoo, rode the train, and even managed to get into the butterfly exhibit (I've never been as strollers are banned).  The kids all really liked that one.

While the kids were great, Taye was ready to go before we were.  So, we went to see the Polar Bear exhibit (my favorite at the D-Zoo).  We had good timing too because one of the bears kept tossing a small barrel into the water and fishing it out - over and over again.  It was really fun, and nice and cold on a hot day.  We also took a ride on the new merry go round before heading back to Grand Blanc (GB).

We had so much fun with other activities in the D.  Will is completely obsessed with the Titanic, and thanks to the 100th anniversary of the sinking, Mom, Dad, Carlene, the kids and I went to the Henry Ford museum to check out the special Titanic exhibit.  It was really cool - we each got a card with the name of a Titanic passenger and at the end, you got to see if you made it or not (Will, Fi, and Dad died - lower class male passengers - Mom and Carlene were super fancy 1st class passengers and lived - I was a child and lived).  We really enjoyed the rest of the museum too - the kids loved all the cars and, of course, the trains.  They had a HUGE engine that used to work in PA - really cool.  It was hard to drag them out of there (and skip some of the exhibits) but we had a great time and can't wait to go back.

We did some other fun things too - we went to the park in GB and watched the train go by; we got ice cream at Ziggy's.  And, GB added a splash pad that the kids really enjoyed (especially considering that it was actually hotter in MI during June than in was in SC - what's up with that, global warming?)  Will was obsessed with this steering wheel-water dumping feature, and running around like crazy.  Fi just kept following him around and trying to get the water out of her eyes (she's a big believer in goggles - won't go underwater without them).

Brent and I managed to get in a Tiger's game; we did some work on the house in RO and talked with the renters (so lucky to have good tenants).  We stayed with Carlene and enjoyed time with the Maxwell's.

I also managed to have dinner - alone (yeah!) - with Ann in downtown Plymouth at a fun pizza and wine restaurant.  Plymouth seems to have grown and gotten cooler - all without updating their parking (took me forever to find a spot).  We had a great time and talked about so many different things - great girl bonding time.  I can't wait to do it again.

Brent drove back to SC with the kids and I - I was so happy to have a co-pilot on the way back (especially since it's a 12 hr drive).  It's also nice that Will's in a regular seat belt so he can reach everything - snacks, drinks, and can work the DVD player.  Good times!  I'm so thankful they're good travelers (Biz too) because we have so many more road trips in our future.

May - End of School

So, May was super busy.  Hilton Head aside, school ends (and starts) early in SC.  So, we were wrapping up all kinds of activities (dance and baseball) along with the end of school.  It felt like we had something on our calendar every day.

Sofia had her very first dance recital to the wonderful Annette Funicello song "Pineapple Princess."  Since we've been studying it all year (seriously), the song totally sticks in your head.  And, the 3 and 4 yr olds did a great job, especially considering that there were only 4 of them dancing on the giant stage at Furman University (beautiful campus).  She did a great job and was so proud to receive her first trophy!  We'll be dancing again next year.

Sofia also finished K3 - it was a great year and she learned so much.  In addition to discovering that she is THE slowest eater in the world (yup - took her 30 min to eat half a sandwich and some raisins - I can't pack more than 3 things in her lunch box), she discovered a love of Spanish (so glad CDC teaches that) and finally found some more girl friends.

While we're excited to have a summer off and return to CDC 4 days a week next year, we are really going to miss wonderful Miss Ashleigh.  I'm glad we'll still get to see her every day and can't thank her enough for the great start to school and learning that she's given Fi.

Will graduated Kindergarten - can you believe it?!?  He's so big now and such a little man.  He also had a great year - his final report card was all +'s (the best you can get, says the proud mama.)  He's reading really well and made so many great friends.  He's interested in so many different things and it's wonderful to see how he's grown yet stayed the same.

We're ready for 1st grade next year!

May - Hilton Head with the Bries'

 In May we were sooo lucky to be able to spend a weekend with our Iowa friends, the Bries, at Hilton Head.  Thankfully, Dr. Andy has an annual conference there.  So, while it may take us awhile to get to Iowa (Will still wants to move there, so I'm sure we'll be visiting at least once), it's so nice to know that we may have a chance once a year to see our friends in person.

This year, we got to meet Gabrielle, the new addition.  Tara was pregnant with her when they left and we've only seen pictures.  Gabrielle had some ear issues, so I didn't get as much "holdy" time (to quote big sister Ali) as I'd like but she's a sweet girl.

The kids started playing together the minute we walked in the door late Friday night - it was like they hadn't been apart at all and so heartwarming.
 

We went to the beach the next day - the kids had a blast playing in the sand.  My kids had a lot of fun in the ocean as well - not so much the Bries babies. :)

We headed back to the pool that afternoon and Andy's sister and her family joined us as well.  They were really nice and the kids got along really well (with mine leading the charge, as usual).

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with awesome chicken tacos and margaritas, courtesy of Dr. Andy, and had a lot of fun catching up.

It was too short of a visit but we hope for a longer one next year - at least we know we'll have that!

We're Baa-ack!

Seriously, we are.  And, I'm fully armed with a new Mac laptop (which I'm totally still learning).  So, I hope we still have some of you with us (please say you haven't given up, please).

We've had quite the year - we had some terrible losses (Jerry and my grandma) and some wonderful experiences (graduating K3 and Kindergarten, vacations with friends and family).  I don't plan to go back through it all, but I will be doing some brief postings with pictures that highlight some of our fun times.  AND, since school starts in a week, I'll pick up with weekly (hopefully) updates about us.

So, stayed tuned and it's ON!

Love to Travel

Everyone knows how much Brent and I love to travel. Well, it appears that the kids have inherited that too (quite excited) - all summer they have been packing their bags and taking trips. It started when our wonderful friends and neighbors, the Bries', moved back to Iowa. The kids really missed their friends, Cooper and Ali, and they decided to pack up to see them. They then proceeded to take every article of clothing out of their dressers and pack them into their rolling back packs (normally used to pack toys for trips). They place their stuff next to the front door and inform me that they need to be taken to the airport, as they are traveling alone. When asked what they'll do when they get there, they say they'll take a taxi, stay in a hotel, and visit with Cooper and Ali. I have to say, I was pretty impressed at this point (and thankful that they don't know about rental cars yet). There was quite a lot of drama when I told them we couldn't really go to Iowa right now and tried to explain that plane tickets are a lot of money.

They must have thought about it in their sleep though - after that, they (still packed, I might add) decided they were going to Russia to ride the longest train in the world. Thinking that technology might help me, Will and I pulled up the site for the Trans-Siberian railroad and looked at the cost. We also created plane tickets. Despite understanding money (they have to use their own to buy toys, ect - it's really cut down on the whining in stores), Will could not understand why we couldn't leave for the Russian train the next day and went to bed in tears (poor boy).

Russia via Iowa was his next suggestion - until we went to the Cars 2 movie. Then, the plan changed to Japan to ride the bullet train (he knows the name, but I can't spell it - Shincanzen). I didn't even bother with web-sites this time. Luckily, I didn't have too - they packed up and pretended (thank goodness!).

They packed up early for Dollywood; they packed up early for MI - the kids love to travel and definately have plans to see the world. We're very excited about this and are thinking of actually getting their passports. In keeping with Cars 2 (and if exchange rates improve a ton), we may try a long family weekend in London sometime. But, we're pretty booked until summer so we'll keep you posted.

So, It's December

Sooooo, it's December (almost) and I haven't blogged in awhile. And, to save my sanity (and keep me blogging in the future), here's the Cliff Notes version of what we've been doing for the last 6 months:

- Summer was awesome - we went to the beach with the entire Maxwell clan and just hung out for a week; both kids tried some new sports with the Y; Will played some more t-ball; our wonderful friends and neighbors moved back to Iowa (even though we knew it was coming, we're still very sad about that)

- Fall was busy (and awesome) - Will started Kindergarten at Bethel Elementary and rides the bus home every day; Sofia started T/Thurs preschool at Disciples Methodist and loves every minute; Will started playing real pitch baseball 2 nights a week in an awesome complex, complete with night lights; Sofia started a preschool combo ballet/tap class on Mondays; Brent got to take batting practice with the Greenville Drive (and did really well off some Michigan State Spartan pitchers, I might add); and I completed my first (and only) Mud Run.

- More recently - we spent all spent a fun weekend in Gatlinburg with my parents and went to Dollywood. We had an interesting drive through the Smokey Mountain National Park (too many leafers to safely maneuver the mini-van) and the kids were both tall enough to go on their first "real" roller coaster ride; it was unfortunately in the dark for part of it and freaked them out. They did love the Sky Rider though and went on it 3 times, and no longer have the patience for the "kiddie" section. Halloween was OK - Will was a race car (more cardboard and spray paint for me) and Fi was a sparkly, scary spider (her words). I channeled my inner Project Runway and made her costume (she picked the bolt of purple, glittery fabric and wouldn't let it go) - she loved it and that's all that mattered. They both weren't that into trick or treating, so it was an early night.

- Most recently -- during my parents' visit in October, Jerry, my wonderful father-in-law, was admitted to the ICU for pneumonia due to lung cancer chemo. Despite his heavy travel schedule, Brent was able to be in MI quite a bit and talk to his dad one more time, and help his mom, sister, and brother-in-law. Unfortunately, Jerry passed away on October 29th. We held an wonderful celebration of his life on November 19th - he will be missed by all of us and we will keep his memory alive for Will and Sofia by telling stories about all the silly, funny, smart and stupid things he did and loved.

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in MI with family - big thanks to my parents for taking the kids so we could help organize things with the Maxwells; more big thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for changing Thanksgiving plans and flying up for the celebration. With everything going on, I snuck some time to head to Ann Arbor and show the Big House (we snuck in - very awesome) and some of the places I used to live/study to the kids - we even had lunch at the Union. We were able to see Kristi and her kids for a short bit, which is always full of fun and loud :), and I was also able to have a nice dinner and catch-up with Ann.

And now we're back in SC getting ready for the holidays. We hope your preparations are going as smoothly (or better) than ours and I promise to blog again soon.