Family Pics 2011

You know me...can't let a year go by without some family photos (aka Christmas card material). The boys are getting harder and harder to photograph together, but I thought our new photog - Rachel Browne Photography - did a wonderful job capturing the boys and their dynamic personalities. Here are a few of my favs...

East Cobber Days

I've never really heard anyone say they live in West Cobb and honestly, West Cobb is really nice too, but boy oh boy, people will quickly tell you they live in "East Cobb". Which is where we landed in Georgia. No doubt about it, it's a great part of town. The schools are top notch and not just in Georgia (cause I know that doesn't really mean much) but in the nation. So hence our decision to plant our roots here. Last month there was something called "East Cobber Days" and we live right in the middle of it. We just had to walk down the road to see the parade and then the festival was within walking distance too. Very convenient and very fun! The Steinemann's joined us and the kids had a great time getting candy, hearing the marching bands and then playing a bit at the festival.

Blake was so excited to see "Coach Jones" (his gym teacher) and the Mt. Bethel Elem Unicycle Club....future member perhaps?
Luke and Hannah climbing up the inflatable firetruck slide

Blue Ridge Mountains

I feel like my posts are getting so sporadic, but yet life is becoming very routine...and busy.

Last month we took a beautiful Sunday drive to Blue Ridge, GA and took the boys on a train ride through the mountains. They of course thought it was about the best thing in the world. We sat in an open air car, so the views were fantastic and the temperature was perfect. We got to meet the Conductor and Blake of course added a Conductor hat to his costume collection. :) We ate at a cute little restaurant in the town by the train station before our ride and then stopped at a candy shop afterward...so mama could get some fudge. :)

Wouldn't be Blake without some form of a costume on and candy in hand.

The horn was "too loud"

But not so loud as to keep him from falling asleep...ears safely covered. Love this kid.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles...

begins with one BIG step onto the yellow school bus. The day I have quietly feared (well one of many) since the minute Blake Grady was born, came and went last Monday, Aug 15th. He is officially a "kindergartner"...though he will quickly tell you he prefers to "just call him Blake"...at Mount Bethel Elementary in Marietta. He was so excited to meet his teacher a couple of weeks ago and let me just say - Amen. We scored the most perfect, cookie cutter, text book, "everything you could want from a kindergarten teacher". Mrs. Barkley has been teaching for about 25 years and is so warm and caring. Blake really likes her and she had me convinced she was the best teacher ever when she told us she still uses the same "letter people" that Mrs. Leon used when I was in kindergarten!! And did I mention that Cobb County offers FREE full day kindergarten WITHOUT a lottery. Of course full day still means he is done at 2:30, but he takes a little bus to the preschool where Luke is and then we pick them up at the same time. It has been an adjustment having a school bus time dictate every minute of your morning! I now have a new appreciation for what it must have taken my Mom to get all 3 of us girls up and at 'em every morning! Here are some photos of his first day. Yes, there were tears shed...by me, but I have to say if I were to cry today it would be of happiness and relief that he is so happy and so far loves getting up every morning. He will tell you his favorite part is riding the bus and he couldn't wait to tell me about his first trip to the school library yesterday! He got to pick out his own book and "check it." I have taken for granted that I have picked out 99% of the books/stories we read for the last 5 years so he is ecstatic to have some independence!

That's him in the front seat right behind the bus #

Oh yes he did!!

Yay for my little guy who is officially "almost" a big boy! The last couple of weeks have proven to be quite successful for Luke and potty training. Still a few issues to work through, but we are SO much closer to being done with diapers than we were a month ago!! What a cute little tushie!!

We're Alive!

I swear...we are all alive and breathing (though at a frantic pace at times)! The last month...well the last 2 and 1/2 months...have been moving at incredible speeds. We finally closed on a home at the end of July and started moving in over the course of the next week. We are about 75% done with the major house projects and will be very happy when construction is finally done and we can have our house back to ourselves. For a "turn key" house we found plenty of projects to make it our own, but we are loving it and trying to get settled in a little bit more everyday. Work is good, a lot to learn and trying to figure everything/body out, but I like my team and my product category so all is good. Kurt left Sunday for banking school in Seattle for 2 weeks. I don't think the boys realize how long he will be gone...I already do!

Blake started Kindergarten last Monday...big day to say the least. More on that in another post!

Hard to believe the summer has almost passed us by. We joined the Atlanta Zoo and have been a couple of times. They have 3 panda's and a carousel (or mer-o-sel as Luke calls it) so it's a big hit with the boys. We've had lots of playtime with the Steinemann's too. The kids have fun together. Drew has found 2 more boys that he can chase around to his heart content and sweet Hannah is either in the thick of it or watching from a distance thinking "what on earth is wrong with these boys!!"

In general, life is good right now, just need to remember to slow down and enjoy it! These boys aren't getting any smaller and sometimes we forget that all they want is just a little bit of our attention and everything else should wait. The summer has been so hectic that we are contemplating a quick trip to either the ocean or the mountains next month. We need a break from what seems like our permanent vacation!