6-30-14: Emery Jane is 1!

It's hard to believe in just one year we went from this:  Pregnancy (the day before E was born) 

to this:  Labor

 to this:  Birth!

Here she is today, one year later:

Owen's Last Day

Friday was Owen's last day at UNCG.  To celebrate, we brought in blueberry doughnuts for morning snack complete with NC State napkins, plates, cups, and straws (his teachers are Carolina fans!).  Then, for lunch, his class walked to Slices pizza shop on Tate Street.  It was so cute to see all the kids walking and holding hands!  

 Love his "special" outfit he picked out for his last day!

 Owen with his teachers, Becca and Rissa:

It was tough saying good-bye, but we are excited about new adventures ahead!  We are so grateful for all of the memories made, friendships formed, and growth and development while at CCEP.  It truly paved the way for a successful academic journey for Owen.  For the first time in his life, he will get to stay home with me this summer :)

Starmount Member/Guest Weekend

Last weekend our dear friends, Lindsey and Blake, invited us to attend Starmount's annual Member/Guest weekend.  It was nice to participate in all of the events, and enjoy some adult time with our friends!  Friday, Lindsey and I had a tennis clinic in the morning while the guys played golf.  Later in the day we ate bunch by the pool and enjoyed the band, Walrus, that evening.  

 On Saturday we attended another brunch, did a little shopping, and soaked up some sun by the pool.  We also joined the guys on their golf cart to watch the final shootout.  

 A quick pic before dinner and dancing Saturday night:

Thanks to both sets of grandparents for keeping the kiddos so we could get "away" for the weekend! We felt like we were on vacation somewhere, even though we were actually right here in Greensboro!  

Father's Day

On Father's Day (last Sunday), we started off the day meeting Nanny and Pops for breakfast.  Before we could go, we had to snap a quick pic on the deck!   

 After breakfast, we came home and Pat and Owen mowed the yard.  Then we headed to the pool so Owen could practice swimming.  We are amazed at how far he has come!  After eight swim lessons he can now swim under water, pick up toys off the bottom of the pool, and jump in without holding our hands!  That is major improvement!  We were joking and said he spent more time under the water than out of the water on Sunday!

Emery loves the baby pool because it is shallow enough that she can walk around in her float.  As you can see, she also likes to play on her float!

 To celebrate Father's Day with my family, we went out on the lake and did a little fishing.  Unfortunately, even with our night crawlers, we didn't catch anything!

Safety first:

 Emery's first time on a boat:

 Serious action shot:

 One of my favorites:

 Happy Father's Day Papa Riddle!

 We even tried fishing off the dock but didn't have much luck...

What a wonderful day spent honoring the men in our lives!  We love each one of you and are so thankful for everything you do!

Road Trip

One of the great things about being a teacher is being off in the summer.  Last summer was a bit crazy since I was 9 months pregnant then had a newborn.  Our world was a little chaotic for a few months adjusting to life with two kids.  

This summer we are on the go non-stop and I cannot wait!  The kids and I randomly decided to pack up and go with Pat to Tennessee on a business trip last week.  It took us about 4.5 hours to get there and the kids weren't bad at all.  I was worried about the amount of time in the car, sleeping in a hotel with the two of them, packing enough food/drink, and finding stuff to do.  While Pat worked during the day, Owen, Emery, and I went to a park, played in water fountains, visited the Knoxville Zoo, and swam in the hotel pool.  In the evenings, we ate dinner on the river and explored the streets of downtown.  We also picked up a few things from the UT bookstore.  Go Vols!  Owen said his favorite thing about our trip was staying in the hotel!  

view from our hotel:

water fountain fun:

 dinner on the river:

Knoxville Zoo:

exploring the streets of downtown Knoxville:

hotel pool:

new UT hat:

Later this summer, we are celebrating Emery's 1st birthday, traveling to Hilton Head, Cherry Grove, Ohio, Milwaukee, and back to Ohio.  We have vacations planned, along with two weddings.  Let the fun begin!