MS trip

While Bryce was at Civitan Camp, the rest of us had to entertain ourselves in Mississippi for a week.  It wasn't very hard to do with grandparents here.  I'll try to recap the 2 weeks we were in MS.

Our first night in MS, my parents took us to hibachi for dinner.  This was the kids first time and they loved it.  They loved the guy cooking and also the food.  A actually ate the most, but after 2 days in the car, I was expecting them to be hungry for more than snacks.

Rin took this with my camera

This counted as B's birthday dinner

The first half of the first week, the kids were down on the coast with my dad and Ella.  I don't have any pictures from that time because I didn't go.  I do have pictures from our Friday night dinner with them when camp got out.  We met them for dinner at Cracker Barrel and then had frozen yogurt for dessert.  We had a fun time and Grandmalupe was able to meet and spend good time with her newest great-granddaughter.

Tuesday night at camp, the kids switched hands from my dad to my mom.  For the rest of our time in MS, the kids and I would be in Hattiesburg.  So starting Wednesday, I think my mom and AC took the kids to story time at the Oak Grove library before lunch.  Thursday we all went to see Monsters University after lunch.  Friday, Ryan and Ashley came down for a while and we went to Kids Rule then lunch at Q'doba.  Friday night was dinner with dad (above).

Our weekend went by quickly with the cookout on Saturday and then taking B to the airport on Sunday (for his California trip).  I don't have any pictures from the cookout:(
The next week was spent going to Pep's Point with only 1 picture from my mom's camera.

The kids also went to story-time with Gram and AC at the Hattiesburg library, another movie (Turbo), the zoo and splashpad with Gram & Granddad, and also swimming at Wesley about every other day.  AC also took each kid (except E) to get new shoes, and she took R shopping for a few school outfits.  Bryce returned home late Thursday evening so I was the only one to pick him up.  Friday we had a nice family breakfast at Cracker Barrel before getting back on the road.

Both on the way down to MS and the way back to NC, we stopped at Chris and Heather's house.  Atlanta is about our half way point so we like to break the trip up into two days.  C/H have become great life-long friends and actually H is due later in August.  Lincoln's due date is just a day or so before R's due date in 2008.  H looks fantastic and is having a great pregnancy.  We talked a lot about labor and delivery and the first few weeks.  H asked a lot of questions and seems to be excited and nervous as would any first time mom.  She and C will do a great job and be awesome parents. 

As summer is quickly coming to a close, I'm so thankful for my family and friends.  Even though I didn't go to camp, I still had a great time and love the time the kids got to spend with their grandparents.  That time is so important and even more so for my family since we live so far from our parents.  Our kids only get to see their grandparents 2-3 times per year (we skype a lot) so the time is very special. 

Civtan Camp 2013

Our annual Civitan Camp trip was planned as usual this summer except Bryce was working and not me.  Since E is so small and still nursing, I wouldn't be able to work camp and feed her every three hours.  I'll be back next year though.

Bryce had to be there at 1:00 so we pulled up at 12:45.  I love driving into that gravel road called Camp Ita Kana.  Camp is the best place in the world!  Bryce's assignment was boating/fishing (like usual) with Rob.  Boating has changed quite a bit since Bubba and I used to run it adult week.  Sand was brought in and now we have a pontoon boat called "Miss Abbie" for camp's founder Abbie Rogers.  There are even some motor boats as well as canoes and kayaks.  The pontoon boat is especially great for kids/adults in wheel chairs.  At last, they can experience boating in comfort instead of a nasty bean bag in the bottom of the canoe. 

Captain Rob

me and Jacob Bush

Me and Braydon

Me and Jackson

Bryce had to sleep in the science cabin this year with 5 other guys.  In all my counselor years at camp (8th grade through 12th grade) the science cabin was never used, overgrown, and didn't even have power.  I'm not sure who worked on it and fixed it up, but it's nice now.  There's not bathroom, so the nearest toilet and shower was Native Village, but it did have a sink.  I'm not sure who gave B the mattress, but he slept on a queen size blow up mattress all week.  Way better than the cots the other guys slept on!

Bryce with Bryce

Bryce with Jordan

Bryce with T

Ian at Native Village

J and Dale

Staff and counselors moved in on Saturday and campers came Sunday.  I rode down with Deane on Sunday for registration and we got there in time to hear B lead the worship time down at the camp fire.  Camp has gotten too big and populated for activities at the camp fire anymore.  A long time ago, we would have a night activity at the camp fire and when Miss Abbie died, we planted her tree there. I took B there one of his first years with me and we just stared at the stars.  I visited B Sunday and then again on Tuesday.  Bubba also came over on Tuesday and we met at camp around noon.  It was really good to see him and hang out.  I left E with my mom and my dad had the bigs, so I was kid-less for a few hours! We went to boating, swimming, moved some chairs, and sat on the porch for a while also.  Both sets of parents met at camp to exchange the kids back from dad to mom.  We had the whole family there for a few hours and it was fun.  I know Bubba misses camp, and maybe some day he can come back.  He's working 2 jobs and hard for him to get off work.  Maybe one day.

Ryan Smith and Cal Pierce (camp babies)

  I also came Thursday to visit B again, with just E.  Typically Thursday is the big fish fry night, but the directors decided to not to the community event and try to keep it smaller.  I think feeding so many people became too expensive and with so many visitors, it caused a lot of distractions and maybe became a little unsafe.  I surprised B and he was very happy to see us.  We had a nice evening of the talent show before I headed home around 8:30. 

Camp got over on Friday and we (me and the kids) picked B up to head down to the coast for dinner.  We met my dad, Ella, and Grandmalupe for dinner at Cracker Barrel in Gulfport.  We've done this for the past 3 years and it's just become our tradition I guess.  This way I get to see Grandmalupe, which is very important to me. 

4th of July 2013

4th of July this year was a ton of fun!  We started the morning off with Ell sleeping past 7:00 and I was in shock!  I will admit that I was nervous going into her room so I asked B to go with me just in case:(  Everything was fine though and she was just snoozing!

We had a normal breakfast as headed into downtown wake forest for the children's parade.  Our small group made matching t-shirts so we were sporting them all for the parade.  We had our small group plus the Gillam's so our group was pretty big.  It was fun.  R biked, A rode his scooter, W and E were in the stroller that I pushed.  B walked with A & R.  We had a great time talking with friends and we even got a picture with Uncle Sam!

After the parade, we were all hot so we quickly at lunch and then went swimming at our pool.  Our pool was pretty crowded but it was nice to cool off a little.  B swam with the bigs and I sat with E on the side.  After pool time, we headed home for naps since we had a late night ahead of us.

I can't remember what time we went to Andrew and Sara's house but after naps.  Andrew had BBQ and we all brought something to contribute.  We brought 2 desserts: a 4th of July fruit dessert and dirt cake. We ate, played, did our own fireworks and watch the big fireworks in their backyard.  This is our 3rd year to come over to A/S's house and as long as we are in the area, I see this being our yearly tradition!

A typical summer day

I love summer.  Certainly not because of the hot weather, but because I get to spend everyday with my kids!  We have a busy, fun-filled summer every year and this summer was no different.  I thought I would have to miss out on some things due to having a newborn and nursing, but we didn't.  I have great friends who helped out so much and I wouldn't have had such a wonderful summer without them.  A typical summer day was like.....

First I would check the calendar.  Nicole created a google calendar online that all us 'moms' had access too and we could schedule play-dates/activities and view what things were scheduled.  Pretty much the standard things were a free movie every Wednesday and a park date at least once a week.  The park location might change, but we did a park/picnic date once a week and then usually a house play-date once a week as well.  The calendar was very easy to use and allowed for great communication without sending texts all around trying to give details.

Our family's weekday schedule was usually awake around 7ish and tv time while I fed Ell, pumped, and got breakfast ready.  We (me and the kids) at breakfast around 8ish and then after breakfast we would do puzzles, color, or some play activity while I cleaned up the kitchen and did dishes.  If I had to make a picnic lunch, I would do that after breakfast.  Once all the cleaning was done, I would dress the kids for the activity for that day (park, movie, storytime, pool, sprayground, house).  Ell would eat again at 10, so I would either leave my house at 9:30 to get somewhere before her meal or feed her at 10:00 and leave at 10:30.

After the activity/lunch, we would come back home and get ready for rest time.  Ell would eat at 1:00 so usually I would feed her while the other 3 watched a show.  W would go down at 1:30 and the bigs would play quietly in R's room.  Depending on the evening plan, I sometimes would let A/R just have quiet play time instead of rest time.  Sometimes I made them lay down for rest time, but not actually take naps.  Honestly, if there was a show on at 8:00pm that I wanted to watch, I would let them skip naps on purpose so they would be tired at 8:00pm.  

Bryce would come home around 4, so we would have family time and dinner.  Our most favorite afternoons included swimming at our Cimarron Pool and the kids jumping off the diving board over and over again.  Swimming is great!

Our most favorite day-time play-dates would include the t-shirt making playdate at Kristen's house for the fourth of July. 

The spray-ground play-date was awesome as well and it was so much fun watching the kids play in the water.   After the first free movie, I finally figured out that W wasn't a huge popcorn fan so I would pack him something else to keep him occupied.  We have gotten better at the free movies :) The next two movies are Madagascar 3 and The Lorax which are favorites in our family so those movies will be a hit.  Even the rainy days aren't bad because we find stuff in the house to do and I'm branching out with play-dough and painting.