Catch up before (yet another) BIG trip!

This time it's a BIG BIG trip.  We leave tomorrow for VA for Leah and Bill's wedding weekend!!!  From there, we go to the lake for the week and then back to MD for Julie and Peter's wedding weekend in MD!  It's going to be a busy one but full of FUN FUN FUN!

We've been preparing for these weddings for a while now (as you saw from my last post!).  But also, both kids are going to be in the weddings.  Leah's will be a small family affair but Noah will play a role with the rings and Kylie will be a little flower girl.  Then for Julie's wedding, they are 'officially' the ring bearer (or ring bear as Noah says) and Kylie is one of three offical flower girls.  They are going to be so adorable at both weddings.  We've done a lot of talking about how it's going to go so hopefully it will go smoothly.  Here is a pic of Noah's tux for Julie's wedding!  We were so lucky to borrow a tux AND Kylie's dress too from people in the neighborhood!

So proud!

So now a look back on the past few weeks in photos....

Silly snuggles with Mommy

One day a few weeks ago, daycare called me and told me that Kylie was coughing and wasn't feeling well.  I left work a little early to pick her up and she was completely fine!  :-)  She had had a cough the night before so I think she had just been coughing at nap and took an extra few minutes to wake up.

See how sick she looks?

Bubble bath time one night!

Bubble Afro!  :-)

And bubble mohawk for Kylie

Both kids have been taking swim lessons (now at our neighborhood pool) and doing GREAT!  Noah's teacher says that he's trustworthy even in the places that he can't touch so I'm working on that.  :-)  Of course I'll never fully trust him in the water (until he's about 25) :-) but it is nice that we don't have to worry so much about him staying in the shallow end.  Kylie is doing really well also and loves the water just like her brother!

Kylie is in a class with Abby and loves it!

Noah has become quite the loverboy with the ladies.  :-)  He has a crush on Addy in the neighborhood and now has also been talking about a little girl named Morgan at school.  One day, he came home with this in his folder - he said Morgan drew it for him!!  :-)

Kylie one moning before school.  I had to wake her up and she looked so sweet, it was so hard to do.  :-)

Two Fridays ago (June 15th), Noah graduated from pre-school!!!!  :-)  It was the cutest little ceremony and he was so proud.  They marched in to Pomp and Circumstance, sang three songs, and then we watched a little picture montage video while they got ready for a little skit.  They did a spin-off of the Eric Carle book Brown Bear Brown Bear with what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Noah was a teacher.  It was so adorable!  Then we had a little dance party and there was even a commencement speech by one of his teachers.  Afterwards, a little party with tons of food!  Such a nice little event.

Noah and all his classmates!  He's really made some good friends here.  Some are going to his school but some he'll have to say goodbye to.

Nana and Grandaddy came to share the festivites!

Getting his diploma from the director, Miss Twanda

Noah as a teacher during the skit  :-)

Dance Party!

Our big boy!!  Where did the time go?

Family shot.  I think it's a pretty good looking one, if I don't say so myself!!  :-)

With Nana and Grandad

Noah and his teacher, Miss Megan

His buddy, Brody

With Miss Twanda - the director

Directly after graduation, we hopped in the car and took off to the lake to spend the weekend there with Grammy, Papa, Roz, Duane, Jill, Dan, Max and Winston!  What a fun fun weekend.  We started the weekend off with a nice dinner on the deck and some bike riding and a cornhole game!  So fun!

LOVE this shot with Grammy and Papa!

Dinnertime with Max (he was born 1 week after Kylie!)

Bedtime - the three older kids all slept in the same room!  It took a while for them to settle down the first night but they actually did surprisingly well!

Grammy reading them all a bedtime story

The next morning, we enjoyed some down time and then went straight out to the beach for some fun in the sun!!  Such a gorgeous day!

Kylie on the kayak with Duane

Baby Winn enjoying the shade.  Look at those blue eyes!

Then off to lunch at the marina on the boat!

Max and Noah - buddies!

Daddy and Kylie - she doesn't look so happy here but she was!  :-)  LOVES the boat!

Feeding the fish - before lunch

Jill and Winston

Mommy and her kiddos

Silly Max

Feding the fish - after lunch!  :-)

Papa where he loves to be!

After a little down time at the house, a few of us went back out on the lake and enjoyed playing a bit!  Tubing and wake boarding....

Can you tell he LOVES the tube??  :-)

Time to throw Jill and Dan around a bit!

Then my turn to wakeboard!

Bathtime with Max before bed - I told them this was blackmail down the road  :-)

Sunday was Father's Day!  The kids were excited to give Daddy and Papa their cards (they picked them out themselves) and gifts.

Love the expression on Noah's face here.  He looks so in awe of Waylon  :-)

Papa's turn!

My mom is making sashes for the flower girls in Julie's wedding and we tried on the outfits that morning.  She was very proud and loved the dress.  Didn't want to take it off!!  :-)

Checking herself out in the mirror

With Mommy - our outfits for Julie's wedding

On Sunday morning, we went back out to the beach and a few of us went back on the boat to 'play'.  Jill and Dan both got up on the wakeboard and we were so excited about that!!!

Jill

Dan

Action shot!

Then we got Kylie and Max out on the tube!!  :-)  Both of them weren't quite sure what to think but I think they had fun.  :-)

Kylie's first tube ride - VERY slow  :-)

Same for Max - with Jill looking on from the dock

Then Daddy and Noah got on the tube together.  They had a blast but when they stopped, the front of the tube did a nosedive and they both fell off!  It was Noah's first wipeout and he was actually kind of excited about that - even though Mommy and Daddy were a little nervous about it. :-)

Daddy's turn with Noah! Happy Father's Day!!

We left around 2:00 and the kids were out pretty quick as soon as we got in the car!  :-)

We went straight to Nana and Grandaddy's house to celebrate Father's Day with them and the Sharpes, too!  Such a fun time as always.

Kylie setting the table for Nana

Getting ready to feed her babies

Grandaddy, Savannah and Noah played horseshoes

Grandaddy opening his cards - with some help!  :-)

Waylon checking out his card from Savannah

That following week, we took a quick trip to Target and Noah tried on this mask.  He wanted me to take a picture and he had to pose with his fingers how Spiderman holds them.  :-)  The things they learn from classmates!!!  :-)

We had two neighbors on baby watch in the past few weeks and they have both had healthy baby boys within the past week.  This is the first one - born last Thursday - Jonah.  Cari-Anne and Conrad are the proud parents and Jacob and Ben (close to Noah's age) are his big brothers.  We got to spend some time with them last night and I got lots of snuggle time with the baby which was so fun!

Sweet Jonah

Friday night, we had a last minute dinner with Kirsten, Chris, Addy and Jack.  After dinner, we went to Yolo for dessert and the kids sat at their own table.  They were so cute and actually well behaved!

Last weekend was another fun filled one!  Since Waylon's birthday is actually tomorrow, the 29th, and we are leaving town that day, we celebrated with friends and his family last weekend.  It was such a nice time and I think Waylon was really happy with all the festivities.

First up, a get together with friends.  We dropped the kids off with Nana and Grandad Saturday afternoon and we both went shopping.  I went with my friend, Jenn and found a dress for Leah's wedding (that I'd been hunting for for a while!) and got a few other good deals.  Waylon messed around and got a few clothes also.  We met back home around 6 to get ready to head out to the Ale House with a group of about 15 people.  We had a great time just eating, playing Cornhole and hanging out.  Then we went back to Kirsten and Chris' house in the neighborhood and stayed out LATE (or maybe I should say EARLY)!  So fun!!!

Chris made this 'Waylon Import Sampler' for Waylon with a bunch of cheap beers and 40s.  Too funny!

Back at the Gebharts' house, doing Peppermint Patty shots.  Kristy used to be a bartender so she brought us these!  :-)

Not sure Waylon liked it!  :-)

Stephanie's turn

Kirsten's

Silliness.  I had a little 'rest' on this couch at a previous party and Waylon was making fun of me.

Playing cards

I think the birthday boy had fun!

Sunday morning was a pretty lazy one for us - not so much for Nana and Grandad, I don't think.  :-)  Actually, they said the kids did really well with them though.  They took them to see Madagascar 3 and played playe played!  They stayed up late and woke up early but no one seemed worse for the wear so that's fun!  They went to a park on Sunday morning and Kylie took a short nap in the afternoon.  We arrived around 2:30 or so to start setting up for the family party!  We let Waylon open his birthday present and revealed the surprise I'd been planning for him....

Crab picking tools!

I had reserved some crabs from a restaurant in Wake Forest and we had plans to pick crabs that afternoon!  Waylon had told me he was jealous that I got to do it last time I was in MD and was disappointed that he'd missed it so I figured I'd bring it to him!  :-)

Noah went for a quick ride with Grandaddy in the 'race car'.  He loved it!

The kids played in the pool and sprinkler while we picked crabs.

Excited birthday boy!

Ready to start

I didn't take many more while we were in process cause I was too busy and too dirty to push the shutter button!  :-)

Nana and Grandad were the last ones standing!!

Water gun fight

After dinner, time for dessert and presents.  Nana got Waylon an ice cream cake (his favorite) from Cold Stone Creamery!

YUM!

Kylie had fun helping Daddy

What a fun fun weekend!!!  Happy (Early) Birthday, Waylon!  We love you so much!

On Monday, Waylon had to fly to Boston for work.  We actually had about 10 crabs left over and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them.  I offered to give them away but we decided instead to re-steam them and pick them on the back porch with the Gebharts!  It was such a nice fun last minute decision and it was just as yummy the next night!

Kirsten and Chris getting ready to dig in

The kids had fun, too.  They all liked the crab, too (except Kylie who didn't want to try it)  :-)

One night this week, we were talking to Waylon on the phone and he had to go but Kylie didn't want to hang up.  She broke down screaming and crying because she didn't want to say goodbye.  It was pretty sweet.  Of course a few minutes after I hung up, she was perfectly fine so I told her to 'smile big for daddy' and this was the picture I got - so adorable!!.  Waylon was happy to know she was fine.  :-)

The second neighborhood baby arrived earlier this week - Carolyn and Eric's little boy, Abby's little brother.  His name is Will and we are hoping to meet him tonight before we leave on our trip!  Here is a picture they sent.  Can't wait to get some more baby snuggles hopefully!  :-)

Sweet Will

That brings us to today - trying to get organized for our trip tomorrow!  We are so excited about all the fun events to come in the next week and a half.  Should be a BIG update next time!!  :-)