It was going to be a little crazy....

We knew that June was going to be a really tough month for us and it WAS! Crazy times and lots going on for our little family! We fit in lots of fun around the crazy!
I dont mention work too much on here, but there have been some big things going on worth documenting! I went back to work full time about 6 weeks ago and accepted a promotion about 2 weeks ago.  It has been an adjustment for us to get use to our new schedules and having less time at home with the kiddos. I think what made it a little tougher adjustment was that I had some pretty big deliverables for work due at the same time. This type of thing requires a lot more hours for me at work and several late nights.  It is not the norm, but comes from time to time. It also required me to be out of town for a full week in June! We were very fortunate that Mimi and Poppa helped out during that week!
We made it to July and will definitely settle down into our new schedule a little better! We have been kind of just hanging on for the ride this past month! The weeks have been crazy and we have lived for the weekends to spend some good family time together! Hopefully the kiddos didnt notice our crazy too much!
Now on to the fun things we squeezed in!!! We had our family over last Sunday for a late Father's Day celebration and Nunno's birthday! It was so much fun! The kids swam together and played in the pool! Caitlin got some good floating time too! Steven grilled lots of hamburgers and hotdogs for the group and we had a YUMMY cookie cake for a treat! It was a really fun time together and we will have to do it all together again really soon!
We continue to have lots of good time by the pool! We eat most of our meals on the weekends out there and Jack and Lucy love getting to swim! Jack has become a little fish! He swims wherever he wants to go and dives to the bottom to get all the toys! It is so fun to watch! Lucy likes to follow right along behind him! She has gotten pretty quick with her puddle jumper on! We are also starting to get some fun stuff our of the garden we planted in the backyard! We have had lots of squash and tomatoes! Our zuchinni is coming in and looks like we are going to have some cucumbers too! We had asparagus and some berries come up that were planted by the previous owner! We also have basil and rosemary! Jack has never really liked squash but we found out that he does like it raw! Who knew!? He gets very excited about going to see what is ready to pick!
We met up with the Coopers and the Stephens for the Laser Show last Saturday night! We had been wanting to take the kids and actually drove over last September to find out that all the attractions were closed and there was no laser show! Ha! Definitely a Griswold moment for us! BUT this time we were successful! Both kids sat right in our laps the whole show and enjoyed it! They hung in there for the whole thing. Lucy LOVED the fireworks and Jack loved the "Soldiers on horses" riding on the mountain! They were both asleep about 10 minutes into the drive home! It was almost 11:30 by the time we got home!

We took Lucy for her very first haircut! I am sure it was WAY overdue but I had such a hard time cutting that sweet little hair that we waited so long to grow! She was SOOOO excited about going to get her hair cut! We talked about it a lot and she felt like such a princess! She smiled at herself in the mirror a lot and sat so still and perfect! She told everyone about her hair cut! It really does look super cute!!!!

We had a VERY VERY wet 4th of July weekend but had a lot of good time together (feel free to read between the lines that our kids DESPERATELY need to play outside more!) We went to a neighborhood party, played with the Reilly's, had a fun night outside (under the deck while it poured!!) eating pizza and visiting with Aunt Jenn and Uncle John, ran the Peacthree Road Race AND worked on a home project!!! With Poppa's help, we are making a pool room off the patio downstairs! I should have taken more before pictures! Tomorrow it is back to reality! AND........................... Jack starts Kindergarten ONE MONTH from tomorrow! There is no way that is real! It's going way too fast!

Lucy's first haircut!

SUCH a big girl!

Sweet baby hair!

So proud!!!

She looks like such a big girl now!

Poppa and Jack playing in the pool!

Little Lulu

Jack swimming like a shark!

Big jumps!

Super tall!

Caitlin getting to float around and relax!

Poppa and Nunno 

Playing dress up by the pool!

Princess Lucy!

Lucy's first pedicure! She has talked about it non-stop!

Aunt Jenn painting toes and fingers!

Poppa and Nunno and their babies!

 

Everyone helping Nunno blow out the candles!

Craft Beer Festival 5K in Alpharetta!

Stone Mountain Laser Show!

So thankful for my running girls! We had a great time at the Peacthree Road Race! 

Another race for the sisters! It was our first Peacthree!

Beach Babies!

As always, we had a fabulous trip to Seagrove Beach! We got into town last Saturday and headed straight to the upper deck at Bud and Ally's for some snacks and a drink (Lemonade for the kiddos and a cold beer for the adults!)  The weather was beautiful and the water was so clear! It was a great start to our vacation! We spent the afternoon on the beach! The kids just love it and it makes it so much fun for us!
Sunday was a VERY stormy day. I dont think we have ever been down there when it rained ALL.DAY.LONG! We put together some puzzles and even braved the beach for about 45 minutes between rain showers! When Monday morning came around it was nothing but sunshine and blue skies!

We literally spent the entire week on the beach! Jack just LOVED playing in the waves. He would stay out there for hours. He pretended that the he wasn't paying attention and then all of a sudden the waves would knock him over! He learned to ride the waves in all the way to the sand and even got some good boogey board time in too!
Most afternoons we had a perfect tidal pool in front of our place. It was just the right size for Lucy. She really thought she was big stuff without her floaties on! They would race across the sandbar and jump right into the pool! This was the first beach trip we have taken where the kiddos never got all dressed up (GASP!!!) and went out to dinner! We just were having the best time hanging out on the beach in the early evening! We ate on the deck most every night. The kids were worn out from all of the sun and swimming! We did manage to get out to Seaside a couple of times for lunch, but really enjoyed just hanging out together!
We got to spend the week with the Stephens' right beside us! It is always so much fun to be at the beach together and the kids LOVED being next door and getting to play together all week! We even got to sneak out the four of us one night after the kids went to bed (Scott's aunt was with them and agreed to stay with the kids!) We went to Bud and Ally's and had the best dinner and enjoyed some adult time!
Wednesday night Steven did his big low country boil for FOUR families! That is 9 adults and 8 kids! It was one of his best ever! He does it every time we are down there and it is always SOOOO good! There was a ton of it and VERY little leftovers! We put it all out on one of the tables and everyone had multiple plates! The kiddos loved it too! Lucy is our shrimp eater.... Jack usually can take it or leave it (which is insane.... he genetically should love shrimp based on being our child) BUT Jack really loved it too and had 2-3 servings of shrimp too!
It was such a happy week and we were SO proud of the kids for being so good and having such a great time! One of my favorite memories (and there are a ton) is when Lucy ran out of the water right up to me and squealed "Mommy!! I love playing in that ocean! It is so fun!!!" and then ran right back and jumped in! Both kids have mentioned that they miss the beach! We already have our week booked next year so until then!!! I will let the pictures do the talking!  I know there are a lot.. but they are so fun!