Memorial Day Fun

Happy Memorial Day!! 

We had a cookout at our house and quickly realized that although we had several friends over we weren't actually going to be able to really catch up with each other.  We had 9 adults and 8 children in our back yard.  It was fun but clearly the kids stole the show.  I am now starting to realize what it must have been like for my mom, aunts, and uncles at family functions when me and all my cousins were small. 

Anyway, here are a few photos and if any of you want to stop by for some great bbq food......we have plenty of leftovers!

Zach was a big help in getting the house ready for visitors.

And this is how most of our afternoon was spent....
Kaitlin and Lexi cooled off in the pool while Maeve and Lyra took to the blanket.

 Ryan was excited to be a pirate for the afternoon.

 Back to the pool for the ladies.

 Ava somehow escaped a lot of the photos but here you can see her taking charge as the giraffe water feature.

 Zach got in for a closer look.

 A couple of lovely ladies basking in the sun.

 And finally a few mommies enjoying a cold drink.

 Bro and his little guy found a nice spot to relax.

 Zach was happy to welcome a playmate in the pool.

Whew!  We are exhausted!

He's a Champ

In his patriotic red, white, and blue, with a rowing medal around his neck he proudly displayed the household plunger to me on Mother's day morning.  I really couldn't have asked for anything better than the smile that little champ put on my face. 

Catching up

Ok, so I've been lazy about updating the blog this spring.  Sorry!  Here are some photos from Easter.

Of course the Easter Bunny came to visit.

And eggs were dyed....

And well...eggs were kind of hidden and hunted.  This will be a bigger hit next year I think.

This past weekend I was away at our regional regatta where my girls qualified for nationals!! It was really exciting!  Anyone want to come watch us race in Oak Ridge, TN in June?  Anyway, while I was gone Rich and Zach got to watch the tree from our backyard be cut down.  I'm sad to see our big shade tree go but it was not in good shape.

Before...

Notice the man up in the tree....

Progress...

Zach was fascinated by the whole process.  That was one BIG tree!

After...

 Finally, while I was gone the boys went to the park to play.  Rich was nice enough to send me this video so I could see Zach even though I was hundreds of miles away. 

Behind the ball

Yep....I'm behind.  My race season with my rowing team is in full swing so I've fallen short on a few things lately like the blog.  I have several pictures that I want to share including Easter and Mother's day but I haven't even pulled them off the camera yet. 

Anyway, here is a shot of Zach "chillin" in the car.  He's one cool cat!

Dinner Cruise

So....have you ever been on a dinner cruise?  Typically it consists of a nice boat, good food and drink, and a bit of entertainment.  Zach may not have very high standards yet but recently he insisted on his own version of a dinner cruise.

Dinner, drink, a pirate ship, and the tv just out of the camera shot.

Spoiled

Zach and I are in NC visiting my parents (Nana and Grandpa) and one day in, he is already being spoiled.  No surprise there!  We've had an eventful day.....

Zach loves wagons and he found a decorative wagon that Nana had in her bedroom.  So, needless to say Zach hopped right in.  He is a little big for this one!

Of course I had to have some Chick-fil-a so we had lunch there and gave Zach the full experience for his first trip to the Chick.

 He wasn't a fan of the Chick cow getting too close but he was more than happy to wave at him from a distance.

The day wasn't complete without a ride around the neighborhood.  Nana and Grandpa found this flashy sports car at a consignment store and I think Zach would agree that some other child's loss was certainly his gain.  We actually went out for a ride twice today.  The first ride provided us with some good laughs because Zach actually fell asleep on our way back to the house.  I think the warmth of the sun and the white noise from the plastic wheels made him want a nap.  It was funny to see him try to keep himself upright.  The 2nd ride was much more successful and energetic!

I'm off to coach girls in Clemson for the week so Grandpa will have to be sure to take lots of photos of their adventures.  I think I've heard whisper of slides, parks, and carousel rides.

Modern Technology

The advances that have been made in computers and phones allows us to do such great things these days.  I'm sure some put these devices to use in a highly technical way but my uses are pretty simple.  Zach loves to see the image of someone when they are calling and can't get enough of games on the phone or Skype on the laptop.  Sometimes when either Rich or I are out for the evening and can't spend time with Zach we take advantage of his love for technology and use it for our own selfish interests.  Here is a brief video I took with my phone a couple of weeks ago when Rich wasn't home to say goodnight to Zach.