Back to blogging!

Hello family and friends! I am so happy to be writing in this space again. Our little family has had a great spring, summer and now the beginning of fall! We wrapped up our spring with a furry addition to our family, Winnie! Winnie is a black standard schnauzer who is quickly becoming Owen’s new best friend. We picked her up in southern Virginia the weekend of Mother’s Day. It was quite the drive, but it was worth it. Winnie was born in November 2015, so when we picked her up she was about six months old. After breaking some bad habits, and some puppy chewing, Winnie has quickly become a good  family member. She stands a bit taller than Brook did and will be between 30-35lbs when she is fully mature. She has a mild temperament, loves other dogs and people…And flip flops, socks, crayons, bouncy balls… Best of all she doesn’t bark much. In fact, she barks so infrequently that when she does bark, she startles us! I think we had her home for about two weeks before we heard her bark for the first time! We are happy to have a dog back in the house after Brook passed. There’s nothing like a good doggy snuggle.

Winnie loves the beach too!

Back in May, a couple of weeks after we brought Winnie home, Owen graduated from his preschool class.  He spent the last two years making friends, learning classroom behavior, academics, handwriting, and crafts! He loved his preschool and his teachers. We can't say enough positive things about his experience there. We are so thankful.

Owen receiving his diploma

After school let out, the boys and I spent the summer running around, having playdates with their buddies, visiting the aquarium and children's museum, and last but not least, spending time at the beach!

Trying on hats at the aquarium

 

Horse riding with Memaw :)

We were very fortunate this year and we were able to get away to the beach more than we have in summers past. The boys love the beach: playing in the sand, running in the water, and new this year: boogie boarding. Owen is like a fish in the ocean and caught some good waves! On occasion, Greg joined Owen in the water and both of them would boogie board together. It was a lot of fun to watch. Jase loves the water too but only allows it to go up to his shin height before running back to shore. (Okay by me!) A few times we headed to the boardwalk and the boys had fun riding some rides and driving go-karts. Greg and I love the beach too and this year we enjoyed running on the beach. I have a new found love of running barefoot on the beach. It's a beautiful view with a nice breeze and you don’t have to worry about getting sand in your shoes! It's a great way to stay in shape when I am there. While we were at the beach, some of our cousins and friends came for visits and stayed with us a few days! We really had a great summer.
We are now getting back to the swing of things and settling down for the school year. Owen started kindergarten this past Monday. He is going to a local Christian school, and he is loving every minute of it! Every day they have specials…depending on the day, he's learning Spanish, computers, library, music and of course, gym  (a fast favorite already!) He goes for a full day of kindergarten and still comes home with energy! I don’t know how he does it!

Jase is really growing up and coming into his own. He speaks in full sentences now, runs, jumps, and bounces off the walls just like his brother. He and I are enjoying our one on one time now that Owen is in school all day. In a couple of weeks, Jase will start preschool at the school where Owen attended. He will only go twice a week for a few hours. He is looking forward to preschool and making new friends. I am looking forward to having 6 hours a week to myself! What will I do with ALL of that time?

Greg is busy preparing for another school year. This year is a big year for Greg as it is his tenure decision year. We will know by the end of spring if he has made tenure. Prayers for him please! He is working on research, his teaching, his service and of course, keeping his students and the dean happy. It's a tough and never ending job and he does it with a smile! We are thankful for how hard he works.  I am holding down the fort on the home front and fortunate to say that I am  still a full-time stay at home mom (Thanks be to God!) I hope to start the MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) program at church in a couple of weeks, maybe start a bible study blog, staying active with karate, and well, maybe read a book or two (yea..right!)  We don’t have much down time…we sure are busy but we are blessed!