July 2012

Here are some of our happenings from this past summer.  July was full of fun!

  

We all (including mommy) dressed like a cow for Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A.  The kids were good sports about it and we all enjoyed our free lunch!

On Independence Day we enjoyed a fun morning at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens with friends, followed by a festival at the Meadow Farm Museum and then fireworks with the Waagners later that evening.  It was definitely a fun-filled day!

We were able to visit the butterfly exhibit at Lewis Ginter.  Amazing! 

Weekends at the pool--it's always more fun when Daddy can join us!

In July we traveled to Pennsylvania for a family vacation.  We had a wonderful time staying at a bed and breakfast on a working dairy farm in the Lancaster area.  The kids had so much fun experiencing farm life.  While there, we were also able to visit some other local attractions.  This was definitely one of our most enjoyable family trips ever!

Claire on the tire swing at the farm.  

The guys kayaking on the creek that runs through the farm.

My country boy.  

We were able to visit the milking room and even milk a cow ourselves!  

Every morning we ate breakfast family-style in this room in the farm house.  

The kids enjoyed riding on the barrel train every morning after breakfast.

We all took the long hayride through the countryside each morning.  Beautiful!

Grant holding one of the many kittens on the farm.  The farmhouse is in the background.

Every morning the kids were able to ride on the miniature horse, Cookie.  

Claire LOVED the "pony."

A highlight of our time in Pennsylvania was a trip to Strasburg Railroad.  We all enjoyed looking at the steam engines, picnicking, watching pennies get flattened on the track, riding through the Amish farms, and just being together.

Another excursion was made to Hershey, PA.  We made a quick stop at Chocolate World and then visited Hershey Park (an amusement park).  

We are so grateful to have been able to enjoy some special family time and make some fun memories together. 

Carter learned to ride a bike!  He had been close for a while, but in July he officially became training wheel free.  Watchout!

June 2012

It seems that blogging has taken a back burner over the past few months.  I will make a valiant effort to post more regularly,  but in the meantime, I will try and get caught up on some of our recent family happenings.

To kick off the summer, we enjoyed a trip to Lake Gaston with Brian's parents (Grammy and Pappy).  We all had a fun time, with the boys especially enjoying tubing behind Pappy's new boat.  It was truly a memorable vacation!

Grant really enjoyed fishing!

Even Claire wanted to get in in on the tubing!

Claire and Davis with Grammy in the boat.

A trip to pick blueberries was a fun morning activity.  Blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes....yum, yum, yummy!

Claire sharing her breakfast with her kitty-cat.

Claire and mommy before heading out for our girls' night.  We had fun shopping!

Grant placed first for the nine year olds in a golf tournament.  Go Grant!

The "Littlest" two

My sister, Susannah, took these photos of Davis and Claire in early June.   I love how she captured their silly personalities.  These two kiddos love to be together!  They always seem to have fun at Gramma's house and it's a special treat when Aunt Su-Su is around!

You know you're a mom of boys when...

Our male-dominated household is noisy and amusing.  There is certainly never a dull (or quiet) moment around here.  Wherever there is a group of boys there is fun to be had--and it usually involves some kind of mischief.  There are many fascinating and perplexing moments that occur every day in the life of a mom of boys.  These are just a few of mine from recent days:

...you tell your son to please take the (rather large and alive) beetle off the kitchen table in such a calm voice and without even flinching that it amazes even yourself.  Because, after all, you have come to understand and accept that insects are just part of life with boys.

...you do have a "breaking point" with bugs however, and have discovered, much to your chagrin, that plastic insects placed under the sheets in your bed and live cicadas being tossed at you both cross that line.  Your boys (and everyone within earshot) now know this also, which you realize may be to your disadvantage.

...you keep a collection of 'treasures' on top of the dryer--the interesting items found in boys pockets when doing laundry.  There are the usual assortment of rocks, sticks, golf tees, and coins, but when the clanging in the dryer alerted you to something that was left in a pocket, you smiled when you pulled out a pocket knife and an arrowhead.  Boys are so much fun.

...while tucking in a boy your foot hits something under his bed.  You peek under the bed skirt and discover that you have knocked over a bowl of dirt.  You ask your son why he has a bowl of dirt under his bed and he explains that it is his pet worm.  His pet worm that died.  You continue on with the the bedtime routine because worms can wait until morning.

...you bring home your hot, sweaty, muddy boy from football practice and still have to tell him, "Yes, you have to take a shower."