Wrappin' up July

So I just noticed that I didn't really finish our July adventures before starting on August.  I guess that was because we were so excited about Grandma and Grandpa visiting.  Anyway, I figure I had better document a few things or it will be like they never happened!

 

Andy's last day working at the VA was July 31, 2012.  He won't ever be on rotation there, so it was with mix emotions that we took him and Dr. Pinkerton to lunch.  (More accurately Dr. Pinkerton took us to lunch at Costco.)  After lunch we dropped off donuts for Andy to share with his co-workers at the VA.  No more VA rotation will also bring an end to our lunch visits and trips to the Duke Gardens.



Our neighbor Haili came to visit one day and see Nathan.  I think he enjoyed snuggling on the couch with her almost as much as she did.  We invited her to come back and snuggle Nathan anytime she wants.

Our awesome neighbors Marek and Margaret made us some cool presents.  They made us some home made soap, and a hair cutting stool!  The stool is just what I needed for the boys.  No more aching back from bending over to cut their hair!

Thanks Marek and Margaret, you two are the best!!!

 

The last weekend in July we decided to head out to Jordan Lake.  It had been really hot and Andy wanted to do something fun for one of his last free weekends.

 

Daniel and Eliza building a sand castle.

Daniel did most of the work and Eliza did most of the watching.

We ran into some friends at the beach as well.  The Burgeons are also here for Oral Surgery.  It was fun to visit for a while and watch the kids play.

Nathan and I stayed under the sportbrella the whole time and he still ended up with a sun burn on his little face!  I felt so bad.  What kind of a mom lets her 5 week old get a sun burn?  Fortunately for Nathan he has more of my skin tone and the burn was gone in a couple of days with no peeling.  Now he is sportin' a cool baby tan!

Daniel next to his sand castle.  He built a couple different ones while we were there.  When ever a boat went past the waves would erode the walls of his castle.

 



Eliza standing next to Bradley's "bath tub."  She loved the water!

Bradley dug out a hole and built up the wall on the lake side.  Then he used the green bucket to haul up more water for his tub.

After eating lunch Eliza took off her life jacket and just played in the shallow water. 

We couldn't get her out of the water!

 

Two hours at the lake was about all we could do.  It was starting to get really hot and Nathan and I were done.  Eliza didn't think she was done, but after only 5 minutes in the van...

 

Eliza was out like a light!

Daniel was out too...

or maybe not.  I just love this kid!

Bradley decided to join in the fun of pretending to sleep.  He did a better job than Daniel did.

 

We have had struggles with our garden this year, but one thing that has done well is the butternut squash.  They aren't very big, but we are getting quite a few of them.  And they are very tasty if I do say so myself!

We had to document Nathan getting a sponge bath in the sink.  He still hasn't lost his cord, so we have to keep up the sponge baths.  We are anxiously awaiting the day we can take a really bath!!

Nathan is a good sport and doesn't mind the baths too much anymore.

July 25-31, 2012

Nathan's Blessing Day

  Since we had borrowed blessing outfits for Bradley and Daniel we didn't have on for Nathan, so we asked Grandma Kenison to help us get one like cousin Luke has.  We just loved his little coat tails!  When the blessing suite arrived it looked a little bigger than I thought it would be.  We decided we had better try it on to make sure it would fit.  That way we would have time to make alterations if needed.  Nathan looked so cute in it that we decided to do a quick photo shoot.  The lighting wasn't the best, but we still got some super cute pictures.  These pictures also turned out well for his 6 week pictures.  He is getting so big and more and more alert!

I just love his cute little face!

His profile is pretty cute as well.

I love the coat tails on his little tux!

Nathan was blessed on Aug. 5, 2012 by his father with Grandpa Shirley standing in the circle.  It was great to have Grandma and Grandpa Shirley in attendance and know that more wish they could have been here as well.

We almost forgot to get pictures, but I remembered before everyone had changed. 

Mom, Eliza, Grandma, Nathan, Daniel, Grandpa, Bradley and Dad

Family photo on Nathan's big day.

Grandpa, Nathan and Dad

Nathan with his brothers and sister.  It was quite fun trying to get them to all look at the camera and not at Nathan.

Almost there....

Finely a good one. 

The kids all wanted to be the one to hold him during the pictures, so we had to get individual pictures of each one with Nathan.

Bradley and Nathan

Daniel and Nathan

Our two little pigs!

Eliza and Nathan

After the kids went up to change I got a couple more pictures of Nathan in his blessing tux.  He was so good to sleep there the group shot, but he woke up while I was getting some of just him.  

He is always so happy when he wakes up.  I just love how his whole face lights up when he smiles.

 

"Oh...are we still doing pictures?"

 I love his serious face. 

We have really enjoyed Nathan and we are so glad he is part of our family.

After lunch we played games with Grandma and Grandpa.  Daniel and Eliza both got Yahtzee on their first turn.  That hasn't been duplicated since!

Grandpa was good at getting Nathan to sleep.  We are so glad that Grandma and Grandpa Shirley were able to come share Nathan's special day with us. 

 

Aug. 5, 2012

"My Grandpa & My Grandma Come!"

We are so excited that our Grandpa and Grandma Shirley were able to come visit us.  We haven't seen them since Christmas and a few things have changed in our family since then. :0)  We took them to see the Duke Gardens.  The weather was really nice and the ducks were hungry!

Dad trying to lure to ducks in closer.

Grandma and Nathan watching the kids play with the ducks.
 

Daniel feeding some turtles.  It is hard to feed the turtles unless they are right below you because the ducks move in so quickly and steal the bread.
 

Andy was trying to catch a turtle or some catfish with his hands.  He almost fell in a couple times.  He grabbed a big turtles shell, but it was too slippery because of all the moss on it's shell.  If only he had a net!
 

One of our first family pictures!

Eliza, Dad, Daniel, Mom, Nathan and Bradley
 

More wild life.
 

Andy and the kids with Grandma and Grandpa
 

Grandpa and Nathan enjoying the scenery.  Grandpa is good to teach the kids something new when he comes.

Here he is teaching Nathan to talk like a monkey!
 

I am not sure what they were doing here, but they are cute.  :0)
 

This little pond is by the visitors center.  The lily pads are so pretty!

I may need a pond like this in my yard some day...complete with Coy fish and frogs!
 

We were heading into the visitor center and we found a group doing story time.  They were reading about butterfly.  Afterwards we went inside and they made butterflies.  They have things for kids on the first Saturday and the third Thursday.  It was really fun.

Bradley and Daniel making butterflies.  They had two thin paper circles that they put marker on.  Then they used little water droppers to make the marker smear a little.  Then they used pipe cleaners to connect the butterfly wings.  They turned out pretty cute.
 

Eliza making a butterfly.

Eliza with her finished product.

Bradley, Grandpa, Nathan and Grandma trying to cool off in the visitors center.
 

After we got home Dad and Nathan took a little nap.  It wears you out to chase ducks and walk around the gardens.

Bradley watching a quiet movie with his lizards.

Thanks again Grandma for the lizards!

Grandpa taking a nap.  We really did have a bed for Grandpa to sleep on he just didn't want to walk up the stairs to the bed.

He was afraid he would miss something I guess.

August 2-6, 2012