July 2014

We have had a fun and full month of July. Between family trips, dinners with friends, and Andy working insane hours at work all the time, it has been a packed month!

We started off by celebrating July 4th with our best friends who were vacationing in Asheville.

 Rosemary and I have been best friends since our first week at Auburn, we've been roommates and in each others' weddings, and somehow we've let 2 years slip by without seeing each other. So this was such a fun and special time to get our families together.

 A toasty summer day called for fun at the splash pad in downtown Asheville

 Stealing the above pic from Rosemary, as she got some cuties of our kids on the dock, in the bathtub, petting a turtle, and lots of hugs

 Rosemary's in-laws graciously watched all 3 kids so we could escape to The Glass Onion (my new fave!) in Weaverville, NC, for a much-needed couples-night-out.  We had so much fun talking and laughing and eating delicious food, that the elderly ladies sitting behind us asked to move tables :) That's the sign of a good time had by all. (note: we did apologize to the restaurant owner and she said the elderly ladies had already moved to 3 other tables prior to our arrival)

 Andy's eyes are closed, but at least we got a couples' shot.

I can't say enough about how refreshing it was to fill my soul with best friends, food, laughter, wine, delicious home-cookin' by Carole (Rosemary's sweet mother-in-law), and to watch our kids play together so well.  

For the day of the 4th, we watched fireworks back in our neighborhood after a pool-filled weekend, and had a great time at our neighbor's huge BBQ  party.

 We've had some fun gatherings with our favorite new Charlotte couples, the Harbucks and the Flannagans, and we are so grateful for their friendship.

 A quick trip to pediatrician and then urgent care for 2 small stitches after Jackson cut his finger on glass. He was so brave, and amazingly did well the whole duration of the stitches (8 days in total).

 A picnic with the Flannagans on the Anne Springs Greenway, in front of Billy Graham's grandfather's cabin

 We loved our getaway to Pawley's Island, SC, with just our family of 4. Jackson loved the sand, Ellie not-so-much.

 Standing atop oyster shells at Murrell's Inlet

 Andy and I celebrated 8 years of marriage on July 15th

 My cuties in the tub

And the best ever dinner and bowling with the Harbucks and the Flannagans. So much fun and a great night out.  I call these ladies my "soul-fillers."

May & June

These past few weeks, we've celebrated this guy turning the big 3-2 :)

I think the kids certainly enjoyed the Coconut Cake I make every year for Andy's birthday. Recipe below

Three Day Coconut Cake
 (you make it 3 days in advance so the flavors all have time to meld together, hence the name)

1 Duncan Hines Golden cake mix
14 – 18oz bag of coconut
16oz sour cream
1 cup sugar
8oz cool whip

Make cake and use 8”pans (2). Cool and cut in half to make a total of 4 layers.
Filling:
1. Mix sour cream & sugar in a bowl, then add all the coconut except 1 cup.
2. Frost between the layers.
3. Add 8oz of cool whip to the 1 cup of reserved coconut and frost the top and sides.

Put in sealed tupperware and refrigerate for a couple of days for best flavor. This is great frozen
(pre-slice and wrap so you can pull out a few pieces at a time).

 This summer, we've enjoyed trying on big boy clothes, picnics, popsicles, outside swim time, indoor movies to beat the heat, time at the pool, and staying put to enjoy our neighborhood, meet more neighbors, and get more plugged in to our church. (a huge praise, in that Andy and I felt a simultaneous mutual peace about attending Forest Hill. If you're in need of a good podcast to listen to/watch, check out their website)

 Jackson & James

 a picnic with the Bakers at the Dairy Barn

Enjoying peach ice cream at Springs Farm, our local produce stand.

Jackson attended 4 days of Vacation Bible School at his preschool, Andy traveled to Miami for work, we visited with my sister before her World Race tour, attended fun BBQs with our neighbors, and are overall enjoying sweet summer time.

Lazy 5 Ranch

My sweet mama flew in 2 weeks ago to keep the kids while Andy and I went for the day to the US Open in Pinehurst, NC:

 

Later that week, taking full advantage of the extra set of hands to help me, we ventured up to Lazy 5 Ranch to drive through their property and see all the animals. We had so much fun, despite the fact the beady-eyed emus and aggressive mega-deer-animals were clamoring in our laps to find the food buckets (hence, a mass amount of squeals from me and my mom):

 aka Bucket Stealers

Llama Llama Mad at Mama 

 Water buffalos

 he's not so sure of this adventure

If you're in the Charlotte area, this is a really fun outing to do!

Ellie 18 Months

This little chick-a-dee turned 18 months last week.  At her pediatrician's appointment, she weighed 24 pounds (below 50%!! What happened to my 90% weight baby??) and was 30.5 inches long. Right about 50% in all the growth charts.

Ellie finally likes to eat blueberries and blackberries (I think she is a texture baby, as she spits out whatever she doesn't like, and usually it's an odd texture), still loves pizza, anything of monochromatic color. I have a hard time getting green foods in her, but I'm still working on it.  She goes to bed around 6-6:30 each night, and wakes up around 6-6:30 in the morning.  And she takes about a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon.

Jackson is hit or miss on naps these days, usually averaging about 3 naps a week. He is my little swimmer, and I think his activeness has finally convinced his sister to test her limits in the baby pool. He talks, a lot, and one night I alternated reading stories and listening to him talk for a solid hour straight. Love it. He is usually sweet with Ellie, although they certainly have their brother/sister moments of not getting along (and Ellie has certainly learned the art of provoking her big brother).

 Fun at the Lazy 5 Ranch (another post on that later)

An attempt at a pic with GiGi and GoGo

I'm off to a friend's birthday gathering (yay! Mommy night out!), but I hope to post more of our summer in a bit. Have a great week everyone!

By the way, go here to see the World Race that my little sister is about to embark on. We are sad she'll be gone for the next 11 months (to 11 different countries), but are super excited at all the Lord will do in and through her. Just a plug for my sis :)