Summer highlights-- August

As I said, it was a crazy summer! The first weekend in August, the Linams came to see our new house, so we took a break from unpacking and toured downtown Little Rock, in the rain no less!!

Riding on the trolley in downtown Little Rock.

Two weeks after we moved, the kids and I packed up and headed to the beach with my mom, sister-in-law, 2 cousins, and the kids' godparents. Although I was worried it would be too much, it was just what we all needed. Grace Caroline and Drew (and I) had spent a little too much time together. Since school hadn't started yet, we really hadn't had a chance to meet anyone and make any friends. It was Sam's first trip to the beach! He loved the sand (no big surprise there, given how much he loves the sandbox) and the pool, but wasn't too sure about the ocean. We didn't get in too much, because there were a lot of jellyfish. Grace Caroline and Mary Emma both got stung. It was a fun trip, and the kids did amazingly well in the 9 hour car ride!!

Sam loving the sand. He was completely covered when we finished. He even tasted it!Sam loving the pool. This boat was the greatest. Give him a toy, and he was set!
Bathing beauties!My sweet babies! I love how much they love each other!

And of course, mid-August brought the start of school. Grace Caroline is in Kindergarten, and Drew is in Pre-K 3, both at Pulaski Academy. Grace Caroline was especially nervous about making friends, and had a little trouble the first day. But the second day of school she came home all excited that she had made a new best friend ("I met her in the bathroom, Mom!"). Of course, now she has a whole ton of friends and loves school. Drew, in his usual fashion, has sailed right into school, quickly making friends and fitting right in. And Sam has been loving the extra time with Mama. Until we moved, he really didn't want much to do with me. But now he'll occasionally even reach for me when Matt is holding him!

Getting ready to leave for school. Grace Caroline wasn't excited about having to wear uniforms, but quickly learned to love it!

Both kids at school on the first day, getting ready to go in!

Summer highlights -- July

It has been the craziest summer ever!! At the beginning of July we spent some time at the lake, as we do every year, to celebrate the 4th. On that trip, we met and hired Lincoln, our nanny, and checked on the paint in our house.

All 5 cousins "hanging out" in the hammock at the lake.

The two youngest, Sam and Hamilton, in their baby pool. Sam was unable to enjoy the lake on this first trip because he had just been circumcised the week before.

The big highlight of July is that we moved. From Cincinnati to Little Rock. 4 nights in a hotel and 6 nights at Momse and Doc's for the kids between houses. Matt and I were able to have the kids' rooms and playroom, the guestroom, living room, den, and our room nearly completely unpacked before the kids arrived. My mom was a huge help and completed all the dishes (kitchen and dining room) after they got here. All three kids made the transition beautifully. Sam had a little difficulty sleeping the first 2 nights. And, of course, he got all 4 molars at once right during the move, so that didn't help the sleeping. Once we figured that out and started giving him ibuprofen, he did much better!!


Grace Caroline and Drew playing in the sprinkler in our new back yard.

We are all loving our new house, and are really feeling settled 2 months later. The space is good for all of us!! Oh, and I forgot to mention that Sam learned to crawl the day we moved out of our house in Cincinnati! He also learned to climb: stairs, onto a bed, or whatever else he can find!