Brayden & Lexi are back in SC

Scott and I met my parents for lunch this afternoon and did the switch. Which would be code for picked up Brayden and Lexi. As usual, they had a week filled with alot of activities - a couple of movies, Hersey Park in PA, Chuck E Cheese, McDonald's, etc. Look for some posts about that maybe next month. I am heading to Charleston for two weeks for training and don't anticipate making any time to post. Plus, I have to get the pictures from my mom.

Here's a photo from this afternoon.




P.S.
If you live close, please feel free to check on Scott and his sanity over the next two weeks. Luckily, for him and the kids, I will be able to come home over the weekend.

P.S.S.
Leigh,I hope Whit & Livi are ready to play!!!!!

Happy 4th of July

So immediately following the surprise anniversary party we headed back to my parent's house and had a neighborhood celebration. Now, as in previously posts, I will not make any specific mention about what anyone might have done to protect the guilty. But I will say, we stayed up too late enjoying some fireworks provided by my dad and two of his neighbors and some blue eyed blonde. My mom brought out her fire pit for the kids and those adults who wanted to enjoy some smores.

Lexi wasn't going to miss an opportunity to make smores.



Neither was Doris (co-conspirator for the anniversary party).



Have to show you some of the fireworks... after all it was Independence Day.





Another group shot, it was hard to find one that didn't implicate anyone.




I had to memorialize this event and I hate I can't say anything more about it. Anyone identify the floating object? Okay, so maybe it drowned and hasn't floated in a really long time.



Hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom & Dad

On June 28th my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary and so I decided to give them a party the weekend of July 4th. We were coming in town to "drop off" the kids for a week of fun and sun with their grandparents. So, I spoke with my Uncle Rico, Aunt Renate and (cousin) Katarina and they flew in from Chicago for the weekend and party. Then with the help of one of my parent's neighbors, we arranged several other neighbors to meet us at a local, favorite Italian restaurant of my parents to celebrate an amazing milestone. I am blessed to have wonderful parents and hope that they enjoy another 40 years together.

My parents were really surprised and everyone seemed to have a great time. The food was fantastic and I have to thank Doris and Ciro again for helping me pull it all together.

Unfortunately, I don't know how to "paste" a slide show in my blog so I'm only going to do some highlights. Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!!!



Even my dad seemed to enjoy the Prosecco (an Italian, sparkling wine).



Here's a group shot.




Have to include the "cousin" photo.




Of course, I have to include Grandma sharing a cappuccino with her grandchildren - just like she does every time we go to an Italian restaurant.

Almost, but not quite sleepovers

So who would have thought Brayden and Lexi would have two friends sleepover the same night? Well seveal weeks ago, we gave it a try. Brayden's buddy Bryson came over and Lexi's BFF, Livi, came up the hill. It all started out well but it didn't last long. Bryson came into my bedroom sometime around 10:30 or 11:00 and said, something along the lines of, "Ms. Bry, I'm ready to go home". As I was getting him ready, he made a comment about how brave another friend of his was to be able to spend the night at another person's house. But before they went to bed, they were some rootin, tootin cowboys ready to ride off into the sunset.



Of course, the girls had to have their picture taken as well. So here they are...with their fine jewelry and makeup.




And for those of you wondering, Livi came into my room around 4:30. All I have to say about that is "Thank goodness, she just lives down the hill".

From the beach to the mountains

So we spent four great days at the beach and then we had to come home for an afternoon before we headed to Gatlinburg, TN for a week. Of course, on the afternoon we were home and into the evening all I did was laundry. (Actually, I had to come home early to attend a seminar for work). The mountains were filled with lots of fun filled days and evenings with extended family. The trip was shared with Scott's immediate and extended family (his parents, sister & family, grandma, aunt, cousins and cousin's children). Luckily, for all of us we had two houses. The house we stayed in was the "Light House".




I don't think any of the adults even got into the hot tub but the kids sure seemed to enjoy themselves.




The kids had a blast riding go-karts with Scott, going to Dollywood & Dixie Stampede, and Wonder Works...among other things. Here are just a few pictures of the highlights.



Just in case you didn't understand how many people were on this trip here everyone is right before we went into the Dixie Stampede.



Here the kids are at Dollywood.



Scott had to pay Lexi, after he lost a bet that she would scream on the ride that drops you straight down from waaayyyy to high in the sky.







Just a few more, these are from Wonder Works - which was a great mix of education and fun. So you walk into the place - it's upside down and all you hear is some creaking noises, as if the building is teetering from side to side.



We experienced an earthquake and mid-level hurricane force winds. Scott even laid on a bed of nails. Anyone believe he said it didn't even hurt???







Look closely, because those nails are extending out of the plexiglass about 2-3 inches.

The background in this picture was too beautiful not to include and plus it had Nana. (I think this is her first appearance on the blog).

Our annual beach trip

The weather was incredibly sunny and ridiculously hot! I think it was in the high 90's two of the four days we were there. But as always we had a great time - especially the kids. Here's the proof.

Football on the beach anyone?



How about wake boarding?



Seashells anyone?



How about a shark or a jellyfish? (Luckily for us, they were not presenting any danger to us or anyone else).





I have to give you a brief look into some of the incredible photos our friend, Mark Craven, took again this year. You might remember some of his work from last years' Christmas card.

A pit stop

So it's been over a month since my last post and we have been so busy that I just have not had any time. Sorry. So mid June, we headed down to the Isle of Palms with a bunch of friends from church. But before we made it to the beach we stopped in Columbia, at Riverbanks Zoo.



We saw lots of animals. Some of which were .....








One of the coolest things the kids saw and touched was giraffe fur and hooves.



This post wouldn't be complete if I didn't include the pictures of one of the gorillas that recently escaped and injured a zoo worker. Just in case you have no idea what I am talking about, several weeks ago we had a horrible storm and apparently high winds moved some tree branches around and one of the Silverback gorillas was able to climb out of the exhibit. He was out for just a few minutes before he jumped back into the exhibit. Anyways, I do not know if they ever determined which one it was but here they both are. Fast asleep,inside their exhibit.