Grammy and Grandpa

So Hannah left us and Grammy and Grandpa came to visit. They stayed for a week--you sure can pack a lot into 7 days.

We went to Monkey Joe's (which is a big bounce house--if you don't get that from the pictures). We used to go last summer and Marcus and Addy would cry when I forced them down the slides (on my lap of course because they were only 10 months). There was no crying this time; Marcus was nervous the first time down but quickly got over that.

We went to the pool almost everyday--because it was hot, it's summer, and because we can.

We went on a walk on a local trail.

I think all of the kids must have been tired from all the action because the walking part didn't last long for them.We had a mini-birthday party for Katie so that Grammy and Grandpa could give her their presents, complete with cookies and milk.

(Somewhere in the middle of everything Mark gave Marcus another mo-hawk)

Mark and I got out of the house a couple times by ourselves; but for me the highlight was Wicked. Mark bought me tickets for my birthday and Kerry and Eileen joined us for dinner and the show.

On Monday morning we headed to Lazy 5 ranch and went on a wagon ride to feed all sorts of cool animals. Marcus was a little nervous about the actual feeding part of the first part of the ride (yes, my son is a little bit of a scaredy cat, but he will be fine in the NFL).

Marcus finally loosened up after we fed the giraffes and got into the action before it was too late.

Katie posing with the "lamb" in the background. She saved 1/2 of her feed from the wagon ride to feed to the lambs at the petting zoo. But, the lambs were under the shade with their mothers--they wouldn't come out, probably because they knew the goat would butt in front of them anyway. But she did get to feed the loan Ram a couple times.

We also spent plenty of time hanging around the house and enjoying our back yard.

Katie, showing off her dance routine

Wait for it...

Yep, right on the head and down the face...this went on until Addy couldn't breath anymore.

Dance

Katie had a busy week last week. Tuesday was her preschool graduation and Thursday was her last day of school and her dance recital. I don't think I have ever seen a cuter kid!

Ballet

Jazz

Katie is on the left

You can see Marcus at the bottom of the stage--Katie sees him as well.

Now bring on the summer!

Ode to Hannah

My sister Hannah was on her way to Guatemala when she got stranded in Houston because of Volcano Pacaya. She waited it out in Houston for a night, but Hurricane Agatha headed towards Guatemala as well, so she flew back to Charlotte. I picked her up on Sat morning (it was meant to be that we didn't spend that 2nd night camping) and she spent the next 5 days with us; until she was able to make it into Guatemala City.

We love Hannah in this house.
She played with the kids the whole time, which gave me a much needed break, not to mention the kids enjoyed all the attention. Katie especially loves her, she got her fingernails and toenails painted 2 times in the short time Hannah was here! This morning when Katie got up and ran to Hannah's room she cried because Hannah was gone (we did warn her and she said goodbye, I think Katie just hoped we were joking).


Come back soon!!!


(Also, Guatemala got hit pretty hard, and lots of the people we are working with there were affected--some lost their homes and crops, most had nothing to begin with. The roads are destroyed from mudslides, the country is a mess. If you want to help 1 time or monthly, let me know--there is so much need.)
http://casadesion.blogspot.com/

Gradualation...

The "big kids" at Katie's preschool were graduating, and Katie's class got to sing for their graduation. She was so excited for these kids all week--mostly because they get to go to the big school next year.

She called it "gradualation."

Katie's preschool class

Ava, Ally (Katie's best friend), Chase (who is going to marry Katie), Katie, Ivan, Bailey, Keith and Nicholas

None of the other kids are leaving for the summer, so I pulled Katie out of school a week before it was officially over. I brought in yellow frosted cookies because they were focusing on yellow that day. Katie is sad to be gone, but I think this summer is so busy that she won't notice. (Plus, she's is too young to love her friends more than she loves me.)

Katie and Miss Kelly
Katie loved her teacher and was so helpful in class. Miss Kelly told me that Katie was the only one who 'never gets in trouble'. Miss Kelly was a great first teacher.

Camping

I love camping. I grew up going camping with my family and then with my friends. We camped during college and Mark and I went a few times when we first got married, but then the kids came.

My sisters were going camping over Memorial Day weekend and we (I against Mark's advice) decided we would join them. Mark was against the idea because he didn't think the kids would sleep in the tent.
The kids had so much fun--I mean what is better then cousins, being permanently dirty and the great outdoors.

Addy and Cooper

Their first campfire s'mores
cousin Carson

Marcus did give us a little trouble at night and decided to not sleep. He spent half the night awake and the other half curled up in my arms. I think I even told Mark 'he was right' at one point during the sleepless hours. Marcus and I got up bright and early and took a walk to the lake with Flossie, Cooper and Carson. (Addy didn't wake up until we came back around 8am)

waiting for breakfast

Katie and Carson
There were plenty of woods around our campsite so all of the kids had lots of fun exploring and playing hide-n-seek.

After breakfast Sat morning we went for a REALLY long hike. Marcus and Addy walked most of the way.

I was taking the picture of Mark and Katie above and turned just in time to capture this little pose. Is this not one of the cutest things you have ever seen?

After the hike and lunch we headed to the lake. There was an area roped off for swimming that was covered in sand and had a pretty good size beach. We only had to fish Addy out of the water once, and she had held her breath the whole time so she was fine. We had to rescue Marcus another time when he ran out above his head.

It started raining right after we left the lake so we had to cook dinner over our stove instead of the fire.

Mark and I were both so tired from the night before, we decided not to try another night so we stayed until bedtime and then drove home.

Katie and Talia

The group
All in all, I would say it was a successful camping trip, sleepless night and all. I might not try it again with Marcus in the next year, but Katie and Addy can sleep in a tent with me any time.

Life

We are officially moved into the new house. All the boxes are unpacked. The backyard has toys in it and I have stopped going the wrong way after I drop Katie off at preschool. I think we love it. The backyard is fenced and it backs up to the woods. There are trails in the woods that the kids love exploring. And, there are a lot of little kids in the neighborhood, so there is always someone to play with (when they are sick of each other).

The last few times we have been outside we have found frogs...my girls love them, but if it gets to close to Marcus he squeals.
The weather has been really great, as well. It's not quiet hot enough to go swimming, but warm enough to get wet.

All in all, I think the stress of moving was worth it.

Here are some more pictures of our cuteness . . .

Marcus and Addy were so cute sitting on the pillow sac together while they watched Little Einsteins; but when I tried to take a picture they both got so annoyed, and tried to look around me.

Oh, and the Secret Service stopped by again last week to see if I knew anything 'new'. They were nice to me this time, but I saw the 2nd agent looking to see if anyone was going to come running around the corner as I opened the front door.

My next 30 years...

(Mark bought me a whole cheese cake from The Cheesecake Factory for Mother's Day and my birthday. I ate a piece every night in between Mother's Day and my b-day.
I only shared on the two special days!)

It's weird to turn 30.
It makes me think of Tim McGraw.
What am I going to do with the next part of my life? When I was a teenager, if you had asked me to tell you my plans for the next 10 years of my life, I could have told you all about college and travel, a mission and maybe even marriage--I might even have thrown in a child. Point is, I had it all planned out-I knew what was going to happen and when. And it happened.

But the last 5 years has been a roller coaster of unknowns and the unplanned-Katie joined us a little earlier then I thought I wanted, and while Addy was planned, Marcus wasn't supposed to be here for another few months. Pittsburgh wasn't my idea, and Charlotte was 5 years from now. Mark was supposed to be at his firm by now, and I should be putting paint on the walls of my own home. Instead, I am wishing I could at least hang up my cool pictures from China--but my husband doesn't want to put nails in the wall of a 6 month rental.

I have too many kids way too close together, I have moved 5 times since Mark and I got married 5 1/2 years ago. And, I am STILL working this job that I thought would just put me through college and grad school.

But, I wouldn't change any of it. (Maybe not even the job??? Maybe the job???).

So what have I learned for my next 30 years?
1. I still love Tim McGraw
and
2. STOP PLANNING,
it is much more fun this way
(not that I ever had anything planned for after I turned 30, who ever thought I would get this old?).