Happy belated birthday to....Jay-Jay, Nonna, & Pops

So...what have we been up to since June?! Well --- We took a long drive to Rochester, NY via Leesburg, VA to see Dave's family, Marty, Jeannie, and crew; We dropped off Drew and Grady with Dave's parents then took a 5 day trip to NYC (just me and Dave--10 year anniversary); Drew learned how to really swim on his own; Grady learned to exercise his right to be either very happy or very mad (hilarious and painful at the same time); Dave is finishing our sunroom into another family room (since we don't have a basement); I'm training for the Atlanta half-marathon on Oct 2; We're waiting for baby Cisneros who will be born on Sept. 27th...yippee, and we're all back at school...summer is over, and fall is here. We're asking for prayers for my grandmother, Grams, as she is fighting off an infection in the hospital right now that has been taxing both mentally and physically on her and the family.

In the meantime Pops celebrated his birthday yesterday on Sept 16th. We celebrated with pizza and playtime with the three stooges...Drew, Grady, and Hudson. He wouldn't have had it any other way. They all love to play with him too. He's also a very good frozen yogurt date...or so we hear from Drew & Grady.Thanks for always making us laugh and for supporting us in all we do...we love you, Pops.

And to our sweet, Nonna, who celebrated a milestone bday (you do the math) on Sept. 11th. Nonna is a doting grandma who loves to play baseball, golf, and just about anything else with her boys. She's definitely not afraid to get down and dirty with them. They are so lucky to have her and so are we.

And a VERY belated to Uncle Jay-Jay who turned 29 on August 22nd...our boys love to wrestle with their Uncle Jay-Jay, and they really love cheering on his beloved Florida Gators with him too. He's got all three boys doing the Gator-chomp. We love having him so close, so all the kids can be together. Happy belated...little bro!

I'm not sure when I'll update again because we're busy fixing up the ol' homestead and watching college football these days.

Hope this finds you doing well.



Happy belated 4th Birthday to Caal...

Our sweet Caal turned 4 yesterday, and we hate that we live so far away and can't celebrate in person. Caal is full of life and full of fun. He's also about to be a big brother...yippee! We can't wait to add another cousin to the mix. This picture was taken at the beach in April, so I know he's changed even more. He, Drew, and Grady are great pals and loved playing the few days we were with them. We can't wait to see him this fall and meet the baby. Sometimes Drew and Caal even talk on the phone...it's precious. Yes, I said precious, but it is.

This summer has been filled with playdates, pool playdates, lazy days, school days, playing, playing, and more playing. I'm wiped out for sure, and once again, I only have respect for the stay at home moms and dads who do this all year long.

We're headed to Rochester this week then Dave and I will be taking a short trip to NYC for our 10 year wedding anniversary. We can't wait...it's much needed for sure. The boys will stay with his parents while we are enjoying some time just to ourselves. That's a rarity these days.

I'll post some other pictures soon of all of our summer adventures.

Happy 91st Birthday to Grams....

I wish I had a picture of my sweet Grams to post on her 91st birthday, but we are in Clearwater with Dave's family celebrating Easter weekend. As many of you know, Grams recently left the home she spent many decades nurturing her family in to be closer to us. She moved to an assisted living home in Roswell about 15 minutes from where we live. I am so thankful to have her this close to me at this point in her life; although, we talked on a weekly basis for most of my life, I have really enjoyed seeing her over the last few months and watching her enjoy this time with my children. She is an amazing woman who has endured tragedies beyond the comprehension of most humans. Her faith in God has never wavered through all that she has endured and continues to inspire those around her.

On another note, my hubby is becoming quite the photographer these days...love this shot below of Drew at sunset tonight.

 Drew and his cousin, Caal -- They are about 6 months apart in age, and it's like they never miss a beat when they see each other every few months. We're in trouble when they are teenagers.

And sweet Grady....just trying to hang with the big boys....as always!

I hope this post finds you ready to enjoy Good Friday and Easter weekend with your friends and family. We'll head back to Atlanta on Easter Sunday and hit the ground running on our last few weeks of school. Enjoy!

Easter egg hunt...

Our neighborhood had an early Easter egg hunt on Sunday. The boys had a blast as usual with their friends. We hung out most of the afternoon with our neighbors...it's a great place to live. We head to the beach later this week to see Dave's family (minus Uncle Mark...we'll see him in May though). We're fully invested in this neighborhood for sure-I helped plan the egg hunt, and Dave is an HOA board member. Wow! --how things have changed?!

Drew with the Easter bunny

Grady and Drew - surveying the scene and not pausing for long to take this picture

Grady after his encounter with a mini cupcake. I think he liked it?!?!

Grady checking out the sights from the playground

Drewman - always on the move

Spring Break Picnics & Birthdays

Summer is in the air...ok, it's really just Spring Break around here, but boy did it get us ready for the real thing. We have about 6 more weeks until SCHOOL's OUT FOR SUMMER! So, in the meantime, we'll have picnics in the front yard, playdates in our culdesac and at Cogburn Park, and lots of late nights up with friends and family. Luckily, we have a trip planned to Tampa (the beach condo...) with Dave's family for Easter weekend to get us through the next couple of months.

We also have some birthdays to celebrate! Check it out!

Grady & Drew enjoying our front yard picnic on Thursday--the weather was perfect - sunny and NOT humid! We ate leftover stromboli, watermelon, and our new favorite treat, applesauce from a squeeze packet.

Our sweet nephew, Hudson, turned ONE yesterday, and his party is today. Chelsea and Jay were sweet enough to let us celebrate Dave's birthday last night on Hud's actual birthday..they rock! What a sweet little boy he is?! It's hard to believe that he is just ONE because it seems like he has been here forever. He, Drew, & Grady love to hang out and play. He's very independent though and can entertain himself with just about any toy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUDSON!

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DAVE!!--Our favorite daddy and husband! Below you'll see Dave with his biggest helpers and biggest fans. They love to play with their daddy and to "help" him with his chores like mowing, clearing the yard, cleaning up the kitchen, remoldeling our sunroom into an additional family room (his latest project...he really is amazing!--more to post on that in the coming months) and opening his birthday presents (probably their favorite thing to help him do). You can tell how much they love their daddy because Grady will literally stop whatever he is going (including chucking a toy across the room) when he hears his daddy is home from work, and Drew loves to hide, so Dave has to find him. Drew's new favorite game is hide and seek these days...just what Dave wants to do right when he walks in the door, but he finds a way to put on a smile and play with them even when he is VERY tired.

Personally, I am so appreciative of this amazing man that I call my husband and best friend. He continues to support me no matter what, and I can be a royal pain in the ass...ALL THE TIME!

Thanks to everyone who sent him gifts/cards and for my parents treating us to a great "healthy" dinner last night.

So...Dave - We hope you enjoy your birthday and more importantly, your Masters weekend. WE LOVE YOU! Drew, Grady, Kari, Tex, & Scout

Dave getting a little help with his new zero gravity chair from his parents....Grady really likes it!



We're back...

At least for now...It's been a VERY long time since I posted anything, and we've been busy with school, work, and just playing. Here are a few pictures from our last few months. The boys have been playing in the culdesac on most afternoons with our neighbors. (even if it's freezing cold)


Drew & Grady riding around in their Jeep


I took a group of seniors from my school to the Capitol for Senior Day; we met the new governor.

Grady at the playground

Drew & Grady

We'll be enjoying spring break around here this week, and at the end of the week, we'll celebrate Hudson's 1st birthday and Dave's birthday. More pics to come soon...I hope!