Enjoying the summer.
I wish that I could find more time for my blog!... More time for sharing the latest news and pictures, more time for reflecting on my days with the kids and reliving those special little moments while typing out the details in a blog post. Sometimes, I actually do find the opportunity, then stare at a blank screen as I consider all of the other things that could be accomplished in the same amount of time.
We are busy, with good things. My kids are enjoying a lovely, often lazy, summer. We've been spending some of our evenings at the pool, mornings at the park, getting together with friends and visiting with family. I've managed to finish reading a few good books, which always leaves me excited about diving into the next one. I'm currently reading one of the latest by Nora Roberts, The Next Always. I'm 100 pages in and it's already sugary sweet and exactly the type of book I want to be reading at the moment.
Ethan seems to be growing and changing by the day. He is such a happy, laid-back baby. I am enjoying this age so much with him. It's amazing to me that just last summer he was a newborn and I was still adjusting to being a new mommy of two. Now, he's walking everywhere and trying to talk. He'll start his first Kindermusik class next month. I think he will love it. He already enjoys bouncing to music and banging things together, so I think it will be a good fit for now. :)
One of the other neat things to happen for her this summer was having her cousin Madison move back into town. Sean's older brother and his family relocated about 4 years ago (to a NC city about 3 hours from us) and just moved back to Kernersville last week. Madison turned 8 years old on Sunday! We picked her up on Monday so that we could celebrate with an evening at the pool, dinner, and ice cream. The girls have so much fun together, even though they argue like sisters.
Gracie is as spunky and sassy as ever. I've enjoyed having her home this summer, but I'm also looking forward to getting her back into a routine. She'll start her last year of preschool at the end of August. She seems excited about meeting a new teacher and new friends. I think she'll have even more fun this year, since she came out of her shell so much last year. I think she's also looking forward to getting back into dance this fall, since we took a break from class this summer.
This post wouldn't be complete without an update on Sean! He's currently gearing up for a work related trip to India, scheduled for September. He has to get updated on all of his shots next week and start taking Malaria pills. The flight schedule is crazy. It's going to be one heck of a trip for him, but it's sure to be an interesting experience! This will be his first overseas business trip, and aside from a cruise to the Bahamas 8 years ago, his first out of the country trip ever! I'm excited for him. Having the opportunity to travel is one of the neat advantages of working on a global Cisco team (for VolvoIT). He has always been like a sponge, ready to soak up any new knowledge, and now he gets to work alongside other engineers scattered across the world. Of course, we will miss him, but I'm already planning to keep myself very busy during the week he's away... I think he's hesitant to leave us, but truly looking forward to this experience. Who knows, maybe one of these days I can join him on one of these out of the country trips. :)
Speaking of traveling, Sean and I have booked our own get-away in October. We'll be going on a Western Caribbean cruise, with stops to enjoy Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. After discovering that we've only ever spent TWO nights kid free (and I was 5-6 months pregnant with Ethan, so does that even count as kid free?) during the past FOUR years, Sean took an idea we had been playing with and made it a reality, despite my hesitation at the time. Now, I'm so excited and know my kids will be in great hands when their Memaw comes to stay with them at our house while we are away. I think new parents forget how important it is to take that time to focus on your spouse/marriage, because you're so focused on being the best parent you can be. This will give Sean and I some much needed, uninterrupted time spent together and I cannot wait!
WOW! FIrst, congrats to Sean on his upcoming trip - that's quite a way to go on your first business trip!!! I can't even imagine how exciting and informative it will be for him.
ReplyDeleteAnd yay for your cruise! We did that about 2 years ago, and it was fabulous. Time to just be adults - without the kids around - is so important!
I'm so glad that you have had a great summer so far! That's wonderful you have been able to take them to the pool so much on weekdays and weekends.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear all about India and what Sean thought about his trip. I'm hoping that you are including dinners at our house, and a Mommy evening out (DH already volunteered to watch all 3 kids for a few hours), while he's gone, to help you pass that time! ;-)
A cruise? I didn't know that! How awesome! That's going to be so much fun. I'm glad Sean just took the idea and ran with it. I'm like you, I don't think I could. But thankfully our husbands know when the "right" time is to just make the plan anyway, despite our Mommy reservations! So happy you two get to do this!