Road Trip!!!

The kiddos and I (sans Peter) took a road trip to Wilmington to visit my parents and Abigail.  We had such a blast!!! Abigail got excited about taking pics so there were over 1200 - WOW! We filled every waking moment with the pool, beach, aquarium, park and mulch extravaganza. 

Pool

The kids were like little fish.  We spent most of the time in the kiddie pool but took a few dips in the big "cool" too.  Anna was not a fan at first, but loved splashing her toes by day two. 

 

 

NC Aquarium

The major highlight was the scuba diver show.  The scuba divers talked to the audience through the tank and the kids could hardly believe they were giving "high fives" to real scuba divers.  So cute!

Beach

Kate LOVED the water.  Max LOVED the sand.  Anna LOVED the "Sand Bumbo" I created so she could be in the middle of all the fun.

 

Rocky

Kate & Max love Abigail's dog.  However, I was not prepared for how much Anna would love him.  She was always trying to pet him and she was actually gentle (most times).  One afternoon, I found Rocky had sneaked into our bedroom and was laying next to Anna's crib - I think he liked her too!

Pool

We made a second visit to the pool and enjoyed a fun picnic dinner.

Park

After a rainy day, it cleared up enough to visit a park in the neighborhood.  The park was super fun with swings, diggers, trees for climbing, and mud puddles (Grandma Mary was not thrilled about the mud).

Beach

One last visit to the beach proved to be a great decision.  We saw a fisherman catch a baby shark.   Kate swirled around in the waves and collected a bunch of shells.  Max dug a hole to China.  Anna decided she liked the water.

 AMAZING TRIP!

Avon Walk 2012

Dear Friends and Family 

I will be participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York October 20-21, 2012. I will spend the next several months training and fundraising. The money I raise will be managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade to help provide access to care for those that most need it, fund educational programs, and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures. 

Each time I do this walk I meet the most incredible people who share even more incredible stories.  Nothing can describe the months, weeks, days, and moments that create this experience.  So many people come together from all over the country to walk, talk, eat, sing, dance, encourage, cheer and celebrate life, accomplishments, challenges and victories. 

As a walker, I am required to raise at least $1,800 in donations to participate in the event.  I have always been blessed with so many generous thoughts, prayers, emails, training buddies and donations (over $13,000 since 2004!!!).  I hope you will consider making a donation today.

You can make a donation by clicking on the "Support Me" Button at the bottom of this blog, visit my Avon Walk Personal Page, or write a check.  If you prefer to write a check, make it payable to: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and mail it to me at: 909 Blackmar St.  Cary, NC 27519 and I will take care of the rest.

Thank you in advance for all your support.

Kids Galore

We had a wonderful opportunity to spend the day with some Greensboro folks - the Ross and Simmons families.  The adults were outnumbered by kids but it was all good.  I love these guys and their families and look forward to many more fun-filled afternoons in the sun blowing bubbles and reminiscing... :)

 

7 Months Old

Nothing but smiles!  

Our sweet baby girl loves to smile, sputter and giggle.  She loves her toys more and more, focusing on the smallest little details like tags and loose threads.  She is not mobile but she does seem to wiggle enough the spin in circles and get to toys.  She is successful at getting access to her toes no matter what socks or shoes I try to keep on her feet.  She found a little baby doll of Kate's that fits perfectly in her hands and mouth - she even gives her a kiss when prompted.

I love her consistent schedule.  She takes two morning naps and two afternoon naps, one of which occurs when Max and Kate nap!!! She was sleeping through the night but recently started waking up midway through the night...teeth??? growth spurt??? We may never know but she smiles and gives me a hug and a kiss whenever I pick her up so who cares!

She is in awe of Max and Kate.  She will giggle at anything they do and smiles adoringly at them whenever they give her the smallest bit of attention.  Max makes her giggle the most and she tries to get his attention in the car. 

She started solids this month.  So far oatmeal, bananas, sweet potatoes, and pears seem to be winners!  She eats two little meals a day, one at lunch and one at dinner.  She sits in her highchair right next to Kate and Max and is content as can be as long as they are around.  

Love You Always and Forever!

A Pool and an Umbrella

That is all it took for an afternoon of pure fun!

Sisters

Kate and Anna had the best time playing
with each other and a set of cones!

First Kate surrounded Anna with cones and kept reminding her not to eat them

Anna giggling at Kate's silly dance (which made Kate get more silly)

Kate tried to see how many discs Anna could hold on her head

Anna pulled Kate in for a Kiss

It is so sweet to watch this relationship develop.

A Friend for Anna

Anna was very curious about baby Ethan the other day.  She kept smiling at him and wanted to touch his hair and toes.