Foo-fackles

This is John's translation of "popsicle."  We are loving some popsicles in our house this summer.  When I look back to summer 2013 I think two things will immediately come to mind:  popsicles and golf cart.  John runs to the fridge and starts shouting "foo-fackle!" as soon as we get out the door.  Oh, this age!  Everything they do and say is so stinkin' funny.

Ready to ride

Forgive me but the remainder of this post is going to be a bit all over the place.  These are just some random shots from the summer: 

I love this pic of Joe in his truck w/ all 3 car seats across the back seat.  lol

Laid-back Jack!  (or Mattie)

Kate's friend Hadley and her new baby brother came over to play one morning.  Love watching these girls play together!  Hadley and Kate will be starting pre-K together in the same class next week.

We went to the library a few weeks ago for the last "story time" of the summer.  I have decided that story time is still a little over-ambitious for us.  About 10 minutes in they lose total interest and begin running in different directions.  Kate on the other hand LOVES story time.  She would sit there and listen to book after book and sing song after song.  Hopefully the little guys will get there by next summer ;)

Ready for story time!

Listening quietly the first few minutes...didn't last :(

Last week we took the boys for their 2 year-old check up.  How has this happened?  I feel like just days ago we trudged in there with two infant carriers looking like death warmed over.  lol  Something about becoming a parent spins life into speed of light motion.  I don't like it one bit.

We had a little dance party while waiting on Dr. Massey to come in.  I have got to stop and talk about this doctor visit.  The boys were SO good.  The nurses could not believe it.  Normally babies don't get shots at the 2-yr visit but they each did end up getting one shot a piece...we were a little behind on our Hep A.  The nurse came in to stick John and when she did, he puckered up his face just ever so slightly, but never really cried.  He did so good.  Next Matthew got his, and when she stuck him he just looked up at me and never so much as twitched.  The nurse told us that in 22 years of administering vaccines to babies, she had only seen that happen 3 times.  Tough little guys :)  Note:  every time we have EVER been to get shots of ANY kind, all 3 of our children have screamed their faces off.  This was like an out-of-body experience. 

Just before the 4th of July the Sullivans were in town so we all met up for ice cream again just like last year.  It was no easy task getting a shot of all these wild kiddos so we did the best we could.  Can't wait to do it again next year guys!  We miss y'all!

Cameron is my BFF from forever-ago and still to this day.  They live in Connecticut now :( but still come down south to visit family (thank goodness!).  It is still crazy for me to think she had a little boy and then twin girls, and I had a little girl and then twin boys.  What are the odds???

Beautiful kids

Joe and I snuck away last weekend to Charleston to celebrate our anniversary while mom and dad watched the kids for us.  I think this may be the only pic I took from the whole weekend.  It was so wonderful and long overdue, although we missed the little guys pretty bad :/

Walking the battery

We had a great July 4th and the boys are now "2"!  I am once again behind... I will get to those posts soon.  Kate is starting pre-K next week and the boys will be going to Mother's Day Out.  The boys have Kate's same first MDO teachers and Kate will have Will's pre-K teacher from last year...all very very sweet ladies.  We are excited about starting a new year!  Crazy, but Fall is right around the corner again...

Eight is Great

This same night eight years ago (and about this same time, too) our closest friends and family were raising glasses and wishing us well for a lifetime of happiness as we began this journey called marriage.     

Eight years in and I'd say we're well on our way.  It isn't always easy (heaven knows!) but how thankful I am for what we have today, eight years later.  

Babies!!  Eight years ago tonight, at our rehearsal dinner

So grateful to live out this adventure with you, Joe.  Love you forever.

Hilton Head 2013

We had a great (if not exhausting!) week at the beach this summer with the Greers and the Greers.  A little short on time today so I will let the pics tell the story.  We couldn't have asked for better weather! 

We're here!!

John

We all were getting dressed for our first day on the beach when we realized we had all picked out this same swimsuit for our girls.  Completely unplanned.  Too funny!  

Kate & Ellis.  These sweet girls play so well together

Ansley, Ellis, & Kate in their matching suits

Silly beach girl

Ansley all up in some chocolate chip cookie 

Ansley and Ross-y sharing a snack-y

Emily sneaking a kiss from John-John.  He has always had a little thing for her ;)

I snuck up on the girls doing each other's makeup one afternoon:

This shade is perfect for you...

Really brings out your eyes...

There was a huge park across the street from the house we stayed in, so we would go out there a lot in the evenings and just let the kids run and play:

One evening....yes, that is right, ONE evening....we got brave and ventured out for dinner.  It was quite an ordeal but we survived!  lol  Wish I could tell you what the food tasted like, but I inhaled mine.

Love Ross's sweet lil face!  We had to park down the street and ride the trolley into Harbour Town.

Sweet family

The big tree behind them in the background is the "Big Oak" at Harbour Town where Gregg Russell plays.  Oh, the childhood memories!  He didn't start playing until 8pm (a little too late for our crew) but it was fun being back in that spot with my own kids.  Hard to believe he is still playing music there.

Ross-y, Nate, Emily, Ellis

At Harbour Town

John wore these sunglasses all week long.  He did not want to take them off.  Hence, why he is wearing them (even indoors) in almost every photo from this vacation.  lol  

They were BFFs all week

Watching the big boats come in with Daddy

Ansley and Mitch watching the boats come in

Listening to music outside The Crazy Crab

Headed for a little after-dinner gelato at Pino Gelato

Beach bum

Fishy #1

Fishy #2

Pure fun!

This ocean thing is pretty cool, ya know

Always double-fistin'

My world...right there

Shelley and Ansley...look-a-likes!  Two beauties

Sweet brother and sister

Ellis pounding an unsuspecting Mitch w/ water balloons...we got him pretty good!

The park across the street also had an awesome playground which we wound up having pretty much all to ourselves.  The kids loved it!

Ellis

Mattie

John

The guys all went golfing Thursday so we decided to take the kids to "The Sandbox," which is the children's museum on the island.  Kind of a similar concept to EdVenture, the place we just visited in Columbia, just on a smaller scale.  Really cute and fun place.

Playing in the sand

That couldn't possibly be John w/ the sunglasses on...oh, wait.  It is John.

Ross-y and Ellis dressed as pirates!  Arrgghh

Arts and crafts time

More beach time

John was acting really sleepy this particular day out on the beach, so we laid him down on the towel for a little snoozer.  Nothing like a good beach nap.  Wish I could have gotten one too! :/

This next pic was my attempt at getting a similar shot to the one we got from our beach trip last year w/ all three.  This year was a little tougher.

This year....

....and last year.  A lot of change in a year!

Thanks for an awesome week, everyone!  Can't wait to do it again!