Brookgreen Gardens 2007

This year when we went to Brookgreen Gardens, Aunt Caitlin tagged along. We started our visit with a picnic lunch on the grounds. The birds must get fed by the visitors because we had more than a few come over to our picnic table to scope out our grub.





As usual the boys loved looking at the sculptures, flowers, and fountains. But, without a doubt, their favorite spot is the koi pond. I think they would spend hours watching the fish if we let them.

Pawleys Island 2007

Every June we head to South Carolina for our annual beach vacation. Each year the drive gets a little longer and a little harder, thanks to young children. But being at Pawley's Island always makes it worthwhile.

In order to maximize our vacation time, we usually drive down a day early. It helps us avoid some of the worst traffic and makes the first day more relaxed. This year we spent Friday night at a hotel in Conway, just west of Myrtle Beach. When we got into our room, Mommy and Daddy collapsed while Avery and Zach immediately started jumping back and forth between the two beds.



The next morning we went to the Children's Museum of South Carolina. Eli thought it was rather dated and run down, but the kids had fun making play pizza, stacking blocks, and looking at the small reptile and mammal exhibits. We heard that the museum is moving and expanding, so we may try it again in a few years.





After leaving the museum we ate a quick lunch at Red Lobster, and then I got some Mommy time at the Tanger outlet mall. The kids fell asleep in the stroller while I bought maternity clothes and Eli picked up some new boxers at Banana Republic. After that we had just a short hop down the coast to Pawley's Island.

Seth and Rob's Wedding

Great wedding, hectic day!

We left our house around 11am to drive to my parent's house for lunch. Then Lisa and I went to have our hair done, which seemed to take forever. When we got back, Eli was struggling to dress the boys and himself, but I couldn't help because I needed to get dressed and put on makeup.

Lisa, Brian, and I left early to have our pictures taken, but it turned out to be unnecessary because the photographer was 30 minutes late. The cousins arrived shortly after we got started and proceeded to run around the grounds and get dirty. When the pictures were done we had to wait for almost an hour before the ceremony started. Thankfully, Nani thought to bring Color Wonder and Color Explosion activity books for the kids and some sandwiches to snack on.

Finally it was time for the ceremony. Avery and Zachary made it down the isle, but got extremely antsy soon after. Poor Eli spent the rest of the time chasing after them in the back, trying to keep them quiet. Then all the guests gathered in the garden for a champagne toast. Once again the cousins were disruptive and destructive: throwing rocks in the koi pond and pulling flowers off the bushes.

After appetizers and a quick dinner, Martin and Barbara took the boys home so we could enjoy the rest of the wedding. But somehow we ended up watching Lisa's kids instead! Gigi was upset and overtired, but couldn't find her mommy. Sammy was wandering around taking drinks from random cups. He was probably looking for soda, but who knows what he was actually drinking. After the cake was cut we finally tracked down Lisa and then left to head home.

In my mind, one of the greatest things about this wedding was seeing more guys on the dance floor than girls. I loved it! I know Seth and Rob had a blast. And, I got to see my parents going wild on the dance floor.

Seth and Rob's Wedding Rehearsal

Tomorrow, Seth and Rob are getting married. It's ceremonial at this point, but we hope someday soon they'll be able to have a legal marriage. At the rehearsal we had to practice the wedding processional. All of the cousins were involved, so it took some effort to get them to pay attention and follow instructions. I have to say that given the time of day (dinner time!) they all did pretty well.

After the rehearsal we had dinner at Mom and Dad's place. All of our close relatives were there along with many of Seth and Rob's out-of-town friends. There was enough food to feed a small town. It was great to catch up with everyone, especially my cousin Beth who I hadn't seen since her wedding in 2004, and her 14 month old son Tyler.

ASI Shootout

Our company has a group of dedicated gun-nuts and they have gone shooting a couple of times. I tagged along last night and got to do some target practice and try out a couple of rifles. Here's a picture of me shooting a Saiga 308, which is an AK-47 knockoff incapable of automatic fire.

Photo highlights: bald spot, muzzle flash, bizarre terrorist skeleton target.

A Place to Call Home

We bought a new house!!! A new playhouse for the kids, that is. It took a couple of hours of hard labor, but Eli finally got it all put together. The kids have had so much fun playing with it. They love to eat their snacks inside, and Avery likes to pretend there is mail in the mail box. Maybe one day I'll surprise him with real mail :)

Between the play set in the neighbor's back yard, the sand box in our yard, and the new playhouse, the kids are very well entertained. They also enjoy painting on the driveway. The sidewalk paints are perfect because they are washable and I don't care if it gets all over them.

Spring Arrives At Last

Yeah! It is finally warmer and we can enjoy our screened porch again. The boys and I are spending a lot of time outside. Most of my time is consumed by trying to beautify the back yard. The boys spend their time playing in the sand box or on the neighbor's swing set. Sometimes they get to play in the sprinkler too, but Avery recently broke it while trying to drag it to his preferred location.