Wednesday, June 3, 2009

East Coast Vacation

Well, we made it back from the East and had a great time! The drive was manageable and the kids were amazing on the road--not one meltdown! I have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things, but slowly I am coming around. Vacations are so nice and always go by too quickly. The best feeling is leaving work knowing you have the next week off-the sun seems to be shining brighter, and the air just seems fresher. That's how we felt anyway. So, we packed the kids up Thursday night and drove through the night to Savannah, GA. We made great time because the kids slept most of the night. We spent Friday in the historic district down by the Savannah River.




Saturday, we went to Forsinyth Park to play most of the morning. It really was beautiful. All of the trees reach out and are covered in moss. There is a beautiful fountain and several old statues. Of course the kids favorite part was the playground so we spent plenty of time there! That afternoon we met up with one of my best friends Natalie and went to a Blue Angels show. Nate was in heaven!








We drove to Charleston, SC on Sunday and got to meet baby Ava Johnson for the first time. She was so tiny and cute with really blond hair and eyelashes (thanks to her daddy)! The first couple days were kind of dreary and rainy-it was quite disappointing, but we managed to get out a little and make the best of it. The beach house was perfect for us. It had a large deck with a swing and sand below it so the kids could play and keep semi dry, not to mention it was just across the street from the beach!






We found this little park right by our house too. It became a nightly favorite!


On Wednesday the rain let up and it was beautiful! We spent the day at James Island County Park. I must say the parks in Charleston are amazing! They have huge playgrounds and picnic areas, bike trails, dog zones with open fields and ponds, splash areas, and gorgeous scenery. We had so much fun. We took a picnic lunch and played on the playground forever. Then we all loaded up for a 2 mile bike ride through the marshes. We stopped at one of the marshes and searched for crabs. Will was fearless and found several, Kate looked but wouldn't touch and Eli went to touch daddy's and got snapped. It was very comical to watch him try and get it off--Eli didn't think so! We ended the day at the beach-still a little windy but at least the sun was shining!








Wednesday night, my parents drove down from Virginia where they were visiting friends and stayed with us a couple of days. We headed to downtown Charleston on Thursday to see some of that southern charm and history that I love. We went to Battery Park, walked down streets lined with beautiful homes, and visited the historic downtown market.






The kids loved wading in the fountains at Waterfront Park, while Nate and I always enjoy swinging on the Pier. Its so peaceful and pretty.






That night, my parents watched all the kids, including Miss Ava, so that we could go out with Brooke and Steven. We ate at our favorite restaurant Fleet's Landing and had dessert at a little place downtown. We all greatly appreciated the time together without kids!



On our last full day in Folly, we got up early and walked to a Morris Island Lighthouse. The beach at the end of the island was calm and gorgeous. Jetties stretched out into the ocean and palm trees and tropical bushes lined the sand dunes...I loved it! We played around at the beach most of the morning then took a short break at the house and headed to another beach that afternoon. If only it could be that simple everyday!










That pretty much sums it up. We had a wonderful time together as a family and really enjoyed seeing our friends. Sorry for such a long post...I took way too many pictures!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Beach Bound

Just wanted to say farewell! We are finally headed to the east coast, and everyone is already anxious to be there. Of course, before we can enjoy the warm sun, ocean breeze and rolling waves, we must first survive the 16+ hour drive to get there. We are leaving after work today and driving through the night (stopping if necessary). We are headed to Savannah, Georgia first to visit my lifetime friend Natalie for a couple days, then moving a couple hours north to Charleston, South Carolina to spend next week on the beach with our best friends Brooke and Steven and baby Ava. I love family vacations and hope that we continue to keep the tradition throughout the kids' lives. Keep us in your prayers-we always need it! We'll see you after Memorial Day! Have a great week!
Here's a picture from our first family trip to Charleston in 2006...what was it like to just have two kids???

This is our family trip to San Francisco in 2008.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

My How Time Flies!

I can't believe its been nearly three months since I have updated our blog. We no longer have internet at our house making it much more difficult to post pictures, not to mention the fact that life has been going by all too quickly. William is finishing up his K-4 year at Shiloh and is registered to attend Lowell Elementary next fall for kindergarten. He is really excited about his new school and all the new friends he will make. He also starts t-ball in June and is anxious for it to begin. I have to admit I am pretty excited too. It is the first sport we have participated in, and I know he will be "awesome"(as he says)! Kate had her first "real" sleepover last week with her friend Addie and had a great time. She is already getting excited about turning four and having her best friends (Addie 1, Addie 2, Kimberly, and Emily) come to her birthday party...mommy's not sure what all that will entail yet! Eli just celebrated his 2nd birthday and gets more vocal and loud every day. His facial expressions and comments keep Nate and I thoroughly entertained. Eli's birthday was extra special this year because the Kilpatrick's came to visit and celebrate too. We enjoyed spending time with them, especially a fun day at Silver Dollar City. Last but certainly not least, Baby Brown #4 is officially a surprise. We had our 20 week ultrasound in April and everything looked normal. We got to see the heart beating, mouth moving, legs kicking, arm up by head, and, as requested, no boy/girl parts. I am so proud of myself for not cheating!(It's a first!) I will be 6 months this Sunday, getting that much closer to September 1st, every week! Our good friends Brooke and Steven had there little girl on April 29th and we are headed to South Carolina for 10 days! We leave next Thursday and have rented a house on Folly Beach for that following week. The entire family is excited about relaxing on the beach with our friends, not to mention the great seafood and southern charm that's in store! Well, I guess that gets you caught up. I will do my best to get some pictures up very soon. Have a great week!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Heartbeat (Singular)

We got to hear the heartbeat of our newest family member today and yes, there was only one! Nate has been really nervous about the possibility of twins and was quite relieved when the doctor confirmed he heard a single baby heartbeat. The doctor's visit was pretty standard; my blood work came back and everything was fine and the baby's heartbeat sounded strong-always a relief! I had forgotten how fun it is to simply hear it beat. We're so thankful it's going strong.

On another note, my sister-in-law, Rachel has just moved back to Northwest Arkansas and is continuing her photography business in our area. She started her business in California and has taken some amazing pictures. If you need any pictures, please take a look at her website and give her a call.

Rachel Blackwell Photography

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Quick & Painless!

I was tagged by my lovely friend Kari Beth. Its quick and easy, so I thought I would give it a go. It is the 6th picture in your 6th folder tag. I promised myself I would be honest and luckily its nothing too incriminating.

I don't know why the image is so small, but it is a picture I took after I had Eli. I was trying to get a cute picture of all three of them that I could frame, but ended up with this lovely mug shot...where is my sister-in-law when I need her. Well, that wasn't too bad. Now I tag...
Kate
Brooke
Sarah R.
Alissa
Ashley
Robyn