Greenfield Lake

There is a beautiful cypress lake in Wilmington, surrounded by a neat park. The first few days we were there it was uncharacteristically cool, so we loaded up Grandpa's canoe and headed for the lake. The kids each got a few turns to go out on the canoe with Grandpa and Uncle Brian. We saw turtles, Blue Herons and a white Egret. It was gorgeous. I loved gliding through the quiet trees.




Sam did not show an interest in the canoe, so he waited on shore while we all had a turn on the lake. Even though it was cooler than usual, it was still plenty hot. It got too hot to play at the playground so he chilled in the stroller. It made both Mom and Grandma a little calmer to not have him on the loose so close to the water. Thanks for humoring us, little man.


The other kids were pretty good about waiting their turns as well. It did help that Grandma was there to keep them entertained.


When we were done in the canoe, we packed it up and had a picnic lunch. We took pudding for dessert, but forgot the spoons. Good thing we had bid pretzel rods. It was actually pretty yummy to use pretzel spoons. We might do it again sometime on purpose. Sam was excited to be out of the stroller. He had a grand time eating lunch and chasing squirrels.

No, we did not feed the alligators. We did not even see any. (Although Dad and Brian have seen them when they have been out in the canoe.) But before we left the lake, we did feed the turtles! The kids thought it was fun to feed turtles instead of ducks. And the turtles are obviously used to being fed. They all came as fast as they could when the first bread crumbs hit the water. I was surprised by how many came to get a bite.



We all tried to throw bread to the littlest turtles. One piece I threw landed on a turtle's back. Another turtle just climbed right on and ate it. We left some on the railing and a few birds came and helped themselves. We were all hot and tired by the end, but we left contentedly with another great memory made.

Grandma's House

Grandma's house is just the best, don't you think? It does not matter who you are or where Grandma's house is, it is just a special place. And why do we call it Grandma's house? Grandpa is there, too, and he just as much a part of what makes it special, but we will always call it Grandma's house. No offense, Dad.

One of the best parts of our vacation was that we were there long enough to have down days at home when we played and just hung out together. Grandma scored major points with Sariah when she put together a doctor kit, complete with a white coat and Rx bottles full of "medicine" (aka Skittles and Lifesavers) that she could dispense to her patients. There were also real Band Aids, a stethoscope, clipboard with patient information forms, a scrunchy blood pressure cuff and a "shot needle." Grandpa scored big points by patiently playing patient. My parents are cool.

Zac and Brian logged a lot of time playing video games. They did other things too, but this was definitely the activity of choice. Zac was Brian's shadow. He wanted to do everything Brian did, including eating everything he ate, right down to the peanut butter and Cheeto sandwiches. Thanks, Brian. Brian was even kind enough to take Zac along when he went to play basketball with some friends and the missionaries. What a great kid.

Sam became instantly attached to Grandpa. He gave the biggest grins to "Bampa." If Dad was in the room, Sam had to run over to him, giggling, and at least just touch his leg. Sometimes he wanted to be picked up as well. Sam also loved the dog. He even let Molly lick his fingers.

Of course, Sam also made plenty of messes. I found him asleep like this one afternoon. He had figured out how to reach the diapers on the bookshelf beside the crib. He also pulled a huge pile of papers off the shelf and stuffed them all behind the crib. But we were at Grandma's house so it was all OK. Good think he is so cute.

Ally and Brook were in cousin heaven. Katy came to play almost everyday and Caroline was down several times, too. For the most part they all played well together, but where there are four little girls, you know there will be a certain amount of drama as well. They about came undone when Grandma pulled the Barbies out of the attic. It was fun for me, too, as I remembered all the hours I spent with Western Barbie and Angel Face Barbie in the Dream Cottage. The kids also loved any chance to get wet. We filled the pool a few times and let them cool off. On cooler days they put Grandpa's new swing set to good use.

We just moved right in and made ourselves at home. I got the master bedroom while we were there. (Mom and Dad stayed in the "cave" which is our affectionate name for an additional bedroom/bathroom that used to be separate from the house, but is now attached.) At one point Sariah was talking to Mom and said, "Hey Grandma, you know that bathroom that you use when my mom's not here?" That made us chuckle. We did have a pretty sweet set up. Thanks for making our home away from home so comfortable.

Road Trip

So I guess I should start at the beginning, a very good place to start. We left early on a Wednesday morning. It took literally all day Tuesday to get everything gathered and packed. We bought a car top carrier which I am grateful we had since it made the van much more comfortable. I did not take a single picture of our trip. We were too busy driving and mapping out the next best place to stop for a break. We stopped at rest stops to eat picnic lunches. It was perfect. The kids had a break from the car and could run around. Sam was in heaven. He quickly learned that there were often dogs or babies (two of his favorite things) at the rest stops. If there was a dog, we could not keep him away from it. He would not eat until he had been over to visit the "woo woo." (According to Sam, that is what a dog says.) It was a little frustrating, but mostly cute. It did not matter how hard we tried, by the time we were done stretching our legs, eating lunch and taking multiple trips to the bathroom, we never managed to get back on the road in under an hour. When you are driving for 7+ hours a day, any delay feels huge. But we came to expect it and deal with it.

Back to Wednesday, we made it our super long day and got all the way to Kansas. After 11 hours of driving, we were exhausted and very grateful for the DVD player in the van. We made it in time to swim at the hotel and then drop into bed. The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and hit the road. By the time we had the car top carrier loaded and all of us in and ready it was much later than we wanted to be. That day, the miles seemed to crawl by. We didn't make our final destination until after 10 pm. It was the worst day of traveling. I made the executive decision to put the car top carrier in the stow n go and just cram everything in the back. It saved tons of time in the morning. (And for the return trip we packed smarter so that we did not have to get into the car top on hotel nights. I feel pretty dumb that I did not think of that on the trip out, but live and learn right?) Day three was better. We got a better start, but it was still a long 8 hour day. Our goal was to make it to the hotel with time to relax and swim. Our hotel was in Knoxville where two interstates merged. Needless to say, we joined I-40 about 30 miles down the road from our hotel. By the time we realized our mistake we were DONE with driving. We got a room at a different hotel. In the end, we were able to cancel our previous reservation. We did get to swim and relax a bit before bed. That alone was worth the possibility of paying for a room we did not use. Day four seemed to drag! We thought we would never make it. We were out of picnic stuff so we stopped at a Wendy's for lunch. That was when I realized what a great idea the rest stop picnics had been. The kids were literally crawling on the floor and dancing on the chairs. They were so tired of being cooped up in the van. I took Sam and Brook into the bathroom and by the time we were done both of them were crying so loudly, Laura could hear them in the dining room. I was embarrassed, but mostly I wanted to sit down and cry with them. We did eventually make it and Grandma was waiting for us with real food and a comfy house where the kids could run around and make as much noise as they needed.

I am grateful for the safe trip we had, no major incidents or trouble. Laura and I kept each other laughing and sane. I will always remember driving over bridges, looking at maps, finding Sam's pacies, playing the alphabet game, weird billboards in Kansas, and lots of good girl talk. And we still like each other and would do it again. Love you, Laura!

The Grand Adventure!

This summer was truly magical. I think I am still in denial that it is over. We had the opportunity to take a six week vacation. Laura came out and then drove with the kids and me back to North Carolina where we spent the majority of our time. Joseph stayed in Utah so he could finish his summer classes for his doctorate degree. Then he flew out to join us. We spent some time in NC together and all drove home together via St. Louis where we visited with more cousins.

It was an amazing trip and I tried to soak up every minute of it. I can honestly say that I truly "got away." I was able to let go of all my responsibilities and most of my worries and just enjoy time with people I love. What a true luxury. I had to remind myself, "Oh yeah, I do have a house and friends and a life somewhere else." There were times I truly did not care if I came back home. Mind you, most of those times were on the beach:) That's when I had to remind myself that if I truly lived in NC, I would not live at my mom's house and get to play all the time. It was all a wonderful illusion.

Of course, it is good to be home and back to "real life." I am grateful for the memories we made, some of which I will attempt to share in the posts that follow. Thanks to Mom and Dad for letting us invade their house. Thanks to Donny and Katy for sharing Laura with us and for coming to visit everyday. Thanks to Laura for the fun road trip. Thanks to Toni, Kevin and the girls for all the trips back and forth to Greensboro. Thanks to Brian for being an amazingly patient Uncle. Thanks to Emily and Chris for coming to play with us, too. Thanks to David and Amy and company for showing us St. Louis and for letting us crash in your basement. And thanks to Joseph for enduring a brief stint of bachelorhood so we could have extra time at the beach. Mostly, thanks to my kids for being such great sports about all we did. Now you definitely have something to say when you're asked what you did on your summer vacation!

Stars and Stripes

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE the 4th of July? I'm sure I have, so forgive me while I tell you again. There is just something about celebrating the freedoms we enjoy with the people we love to share those freedoms with. Maybe it's the combination of parades, summertime, childhood innocence, barbecues and fireworks. Or maybe it's the family traditions we have created. One day I will be able to put my finger on it and eloquently express it. But until then I will ponder on my blessings and try not to tear up too much when the parade route goes silent as the flag passes by and we all put our hands on our hearts. And I'll clap a little louder for the veterans who sacrificed more than I'll ever know so that I can enjoy summer holidays with my family.









This year was extra fun because Laura was with us, too. She came out to spend a few days with family and then help me drive the kids out to NC. (More on that adventure to come.) We opted out of the fireworks this year due to weather, exhaustion and our upcoming trip. Nontheless, it was another great day.

Summer School

The beginning of our summer was also full of "lessons." Zac, Ally and Brook all wanted to take swimming lessons. They loved being in the water, channeling their inner fish and I loved that they all had class at the same time, so it was one trip to the pool. Joseph was at home so I did not have to chase Sam around and worry about keeping him out of the water. I actually got to watch the kids swim.

All three kids had great teachers, especially Brook. Somehow, there only ended up being two little girls in the class. A perfect first experience with swim lessons. Sam was amazing with them. She had them putting their faces in and blowing bubbles. She even convinced Brook to jump off the side of the pool, where she caught Brook and took her all the way under the water. Here Brook is showing off her scissor kicks. She still does her "swimming lesson bubbles" in the bath tub. Thanks, Sam.

Ally loved her teachers as well. She improved her front and back float and left her face in the water for a little longer than she did last year. Slow and steady improvement. We'll take it.

Zac was super excited that part of his lessons were in the deep end. He learned to tread water and pencil dive into the pool.

During the end of May and all through June we logged many hours at the ballpark. Ally played her first year of Tball. She was on the Cubs, just like Sariah and Zac their first year. So now we have three Cubs hats to keep track of.


I managed to snap one or two action shots in between cheering and keeping tabs on the other kids. I was proud of the way she hustled and participated. She has informed me that she wants to play softball with the big girls. I have a feeling that we will spend many more summers cheering her on.

Zac played for the Orioles this season. He had an amazing coach (Joseph) who had an amazing assistant (me) who made many phone calls to keep the team informed and on schedule. They played on the bigger fields this year so it was a little harder to take pictures.


He did well and had a few great hits. Baseball is in his blood. Like father, like son.

Sam loved running around at the games. Sometimes it was a challenge to keep him off the field, out of the dirt, and protected from the sun, while still witnessing all the amazing plays Zac and Ally needed me to see. I also had to make sure Sam did not eat the rocks. He is ALL boy.

Brook was a good sport about being hauled around to all the games. She'll be old enough to join the fun next year if she wants to.

Sariah was a good spectator as well. She especially loved when Grandma and Grandpa Anson came to watch the games with us. And so did I. It was a big help to have extra hands and eyes, especially for the games when Joseph was out of town.

This summer Sariah opted for art class. She loved going each morning with her friends, Shawnie and Nicole. She created many masterpieces. On the last day of class, our family got to go to the art show. Each student presented his favorite piece. Sariah showed us a picture of a camel she worked hard on. Then we got to walk down the hall and look at the gallery. It was a great experience for her. I love watching the kids develop talents and learn new things. I can see their confidence growing and that makes my heart happy.

Family Outings

As soon as school was over, we made a list of things we wanted to do this summer. We have been packing in as much as we can before the summer really gets crazy with grad school and a cross country trip. So far we have done Tball, swimming lessons, played with friends, camped in the backyard, and walked to the library. Our bigger outings were to the zoo and the children's museum. I think we will all be exhausted when it is time for school to start again.

The zoo is always at the top of the list of fun places the kids want to go. This time it finally worked out to do the bird show. Brook and Ally were a little bit nervous about the birds flying over head. It was pretty cool, actually. They even talked us into a donation so Zac could have his picture taken with a bald eagle. It was a great start to our day at the zoo.

Sariah loves the zoo. This time she walked the whole way. Way to go, Sariah. She got to spend some time with the camels and even got to talk to a keeper about them. We learned that the camels' names are Mabel and Gobi. We got to watch Mabel eat a treat that was supposed to lure her onto a new scale that she was not wild about. Smart girl. What woman is excited about getting on a scale?


Sam loved the zoo, too. Especially when we let him run on his own.

One of Brook's favorite things this time was the egg at the playground. She was quite content to crawl in and out and sit inside. Maybe it was nice and cool in there. The weather was actually perfect and the zoo was not too crowded either.


They do have a new exhibit of sorts. There are animated dinosaurs all over the zoo. Some made noises and others sprayed water; they all move. Ally and Brook were a little nervous, but Zac thought they awesome. So did I. If you are headed to the zoo this summer, be on the lookout for the dinosaurs.

I love spending time with my crazies. We fit right in at the zoo, loud and wild!

A friend also gave us a pass to the children's museum, so we decided to squeeze in a trip. Zac asked if we could ride the train into downtown. We thought, why not? The trip up was great. The kids kept saying, "This is so fun."

Sam was not as impressed. Probably because he filled his diaper right before we got on. The trip home was a little less fun. We hit all the after work traffic. The train was crowded and we could not all sit together. But the kids were very well behaved and made new friends. They were cracking people up with their very "candid" report of our outing.


The museum was amazing. The kids all enjoyed the Life Flight helicopter on the roof. They could climb inside and pretend like they were flying the helicopter. There was even a button that made chopper sound effects. It scared Brook as it was fairly loud, but she was brave enough to get back in and take a turn at the controls.

Sariah about came unglued when she saw the grocery store. She was definitely in her element as cashier. She enjoyed scanning groceries for several of the kids in the store. It was fun. I secretly wanted a turn, too. Play is an important part of life for all of us.

Ally was excited to play mailman, but before she could deliver any mail she was off to the construction zone where she made fast friends and built amazing structures with them.

Zac liked the construction zone, too. He was also pretty excited about the rock wall. Coming down was harder than it looked. Little Sam wanted a turn, too. That is him in the green shirt.

Brooklyn would have spent all day in the playhouse. There was a little kitchen and a pink mommy dress, all just her size. She also loved the grocery store. Life got even better when she learned that you could shop at the store and bring the groceries back to the house to put away in the cupboards.
Sam loved the museum, too. There were lots of balls and places to run. His favorite was the water play area. He cried when it was time to leave. I missed the photo op since I was keeping track of the others. But here he is drinking water. Does that count? Probably not. All in all it was a fun day. While family outings get a little hairy sometimes, they are totally worth it. I am glad we a building a treasure trove of memories together. Family time is always time well spent!