Isle of Palms Pt. 3

Okay, final post on the beach trip from 2 months ago...agh! I am so behind on life, but also trying to pack up every last thing we own or get rid of it before we move out of here in just 8 more days.

Love these last few shots: Aidan pushing Nora in the stroller, kicking the soccer ball on the beach, and going for a naked swim (just the kids) in the pool at the beach house after washing off the sand from the beach. 

Aidan: 4.5

Aidan is at a great stage right now. I really love seeing his interests take off. He is very curious about how everything works and likes to break things down into processes to understand them. He does not like being forced to try new things, but what he does put his mind to he will accomplish. He loves being around people and loves giving presentations at his homeschool co-op. He does not like doing any sort of songs with motions though. :) I can see a little boy emerging from this energetic preschooler and I am so excited to watch him grow up. He loves to be read to and that is one of the things I love sharing with him. He has such a good attention span for books, stories, and puzzles and he is actually really good at games. He beats me at Monopoly Jr. all the time! 

Isle of Palms Pt. 2

Our first day at the beach was overcast, but beautiful and we spent about 3 hours of the morning out in the sand and water (no sun). :)

Absence

This blog is the last thing on my mind right now, but I feel for my children's sake (the real reason I blog anyway) I need to keep up with the goings on in our lives and at least attempt to document them.

The big reason for this absence?

Well, most people probably know, but we are MOVING. Seth got promoted to a new position at work that will send us back to Kansas City. We are thrilled to be near family again, but are also feeling sadness over leaving our new friends here in South Carolina. God has been so good to us these last 2 year here and has really blessed us with several great relationships. It has definitely not been without its hardships, but this time in SC was so good for us as a family unit and a great time of growth for Seth and I (both personal and relational).

So, that being said, we are moving in about 3.5 weeks and I am hurriedly packing up this house, getting rid of junk that I've held on to for all our other moves, and organizing like crazy. This is the first move of our 5 or 6 moves in the last 5 years that I am not: very pregnant, have a child under 1, or just given birth. I am so glad that I have more sanity, sleep, and the ability to process this move.

I am doing a craft fair the day before we move so that is a little insane, but I am still feeling like I can manage both things. We have had so much activity these last few weeks and our calendar for this month is filling up with all the "lasts" that we need to have. So, I am fairly sure this blog may not have a lot of documenting for awhile.

So, here we go again. :)

Isle of Palms Trip Pt. 1

We were so blessed to be able to spend a few days at Isle of Palms beach a few weeks ago. I know I had mentioned before the gorgeous beach house we were staying in...and it was indeed amazing.

We made the 2 hour drive after church, had a little nap when we arrived, had dinner, and then walked out on the beach as the sun was setting. It was glorious!

Of course we had planned for the kids to only get their feet wet. And, of course, that was absolutely reasonable. :) Our kids were soaked and sandy on the way home, but it was worth it. I will always cherish these moments with them even if they someday won't remember.

Nora: 2 years old letter

Nora,

My sweet little girl, I can't believe you are already 2 years old! You have brought such joy and brightness to our lives. You seem to get cuter every day and your sweet little voice makes us all smile....even Aidan.

We love to see you experience life because you are so excited about everything and have so much expression. You are filled with delight and wonder over the simplest of things and have such a genuine spirit that I find myself in awe as I observe you.

You love accessories of any kind and usually carry a handful of toys from room to room. You are also generally decked out with a hat, purse, sunglasses, and toys when we go on any outing. I love seeing your little style coming out already.

You love dress up and princesses, high heels and makeup...you are indeed our girly-girl. You clomp around in your "princess shoes" and put on your chapstick meticulously. We smile at the contrast you make to your rough and tumble older brother.

You are affectionate and love to be held, rocked, cuddled, kissed, and hugged. I love all the little ways you love on me. I love all the nights of rocking you at bedtime, even if you don't enjoy going to sleep on your own still. :)

You are flexible, easy going, spirited, happy, full of life, sweet, cuddly, beautiful, silly, and a lot of fun.

I am so excited to experience life with you and to see you grow up in the Lord. I pray that you become a strong woman of God, a "woman of honor" as your name indicates.

You are loved and always will be.

Love,

Mama

Happy Birthday Nora!

We had a great time celebrating Nora on her birthday. She was so fun to watch as she exclaimed and squealed over each little surprise. We did very little for her, but she found it all fascinating and enjoyed every minute of it. We took a lot of video, but managed to sneak in a few photos. Here are a few of my favorites.