Fall Has Come and Gone

I am ashamed that my last post was talking about summer and here we are about to welcome the holiday season.  A lot has happened since August so I will have to give it to you in a nutshell.  I went back to work...then quit 3 months later. Many factors influenced this HUGE life decision. First and foremost, family is my/our priority. I had struggled with the decision on whether or not to work since Greyson was born.  I was grateful to stay home his first year, and when I returned to work this past spring, I knew it was all wrong but kept on thinking things would get better. Summer came and went and I fought all glaring signs that it was time to be home with the boys.  I can't explain it exactly but it wasn't until Greyson got very sick that I surrendered to what God had been trying to tell me all along.  Greyson came down with just your ordinary ear infection...only his 3rd since he was born, so I have to think that isn't terrible. However, he was given a series of antibiotics all of which he reacted to, SEVERELY.  The poor child was sick for over 21 days.  No penicillin or cephalosporin drugs were going to be an option for him moving forward...long story short, the doctor warned us of the rough go we were about to face come cold and flu season.  Considering there were not many options to treat Greyson, we were in for a bumpy ride.  That was the straw the broke this camel's back.  With our second house vacant, we determined we would make it work on one income. So I gave my resignation to a career that I had gotten a master's degree in and been doing for almost 10 years. It was DIFFICULT but the RIGHT thing to do at this point in our lives. My last day was November 2, and it still doesn't feel real...just like I am on vacation.

Connor is now at our church's preschool program 3 mornings a week. It was an easy transition, however, he misses his best friend, Lucas, from Goddard whom he has known and been in class with since he was 16 months old. Greyson is home with me full time. We are going to join a fun class after the holidays so that he has something fun to do with other children too.
The boys had a fun Fall. We did so many autumn activities...pumpkin patches, harvest festivals, Halloweeen trick or treating, and even football (Connor attended his first Florida Gator football game in Gainesville).

Here are some pictures of Fall here with C&G:  

This was the reaction every time I tried to take a picture of them at the pumpkin patch.  Clearly Greyson is offended that he is not getting any cotton candy!

Connor flies his first kite while Greyson helps with pumpkin carving

My sweet little Things!

Mimi and Papa in town for Halloween

Visiting with our friends the Highlanders in Gainesville, FL-

attempting a group picture with 4 toddlers is pretty much impossible!

Connor's 1st Football Game

Playing at the Park

Love the NC trees in the fall

Greyson's poor little body at the worst point in his 20+ day sickness

Connor riding his new balance bike

When I saw this photo I realized my boys are growing up too fast!

Using our new fire pit

This is what happens when I forget a bib!

Connor on his 1st pony ride!

Connor's Preschool Class visit to the pumpkin patch

Mimi and Papa in town

Day out with Thomas the Train

Last Days of Summer

WARNING- I WROTE THIS WEEKS AGO AND NEVER POSTED> SO JUST REWIND WHEN I REFER TO TIMING :) Well here I am, in my last week of summer break before the school year begins. I am always sad to see summer end, but this summer it is more than that. Probably because I know I am ready to stay home with the boys. I am ready to give up spending my days with teenagers to spend it with my toddlers. Ready to give up a second income and start coupon clipping. So, you may hear of some changes coming soon. We just had some visitors- Oma and Inky left today. They spent a few days here before Inky goes back to college. It was fun, as always, and this time we took a quick girls trip to Asheville....the first time I had been away from Greyson for a night! Daddy held down the fort and had a great, productive 24 hours :) He planted plants, did the laundry...he was Mr. Mom for the day! Other than that we have just been soaking up the sun with play dates, and parks, bike rides and bbqs. Lots of Popsicles, pool time, and pinterest projects. We are all ready for the heat to be replaced by crisp fall weather....so here are a few (or a lot) of pics of our last days of summer!!!

And here is how I feel leaving my boys to go back to work...

South Seas Resort @ Captiva Island, Florida

South Seas has a special place in my heart. Not only did Jeff grow up on this beach, but we were also engaged here. I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to return to this very spot every summer. I know that this place will become an important place for our boys, as they remember summers and 4th of Julys spent with family year after year. We hadn't been in 2 years- since the summer of 2010, a very sad summer for me. Last year we were unable to make it down with Greyson having just been born a few months earlier as well as my sisters graduation from high school in late May. So it was time to return to South Seas, and relax in the sun and let the boys play in the sand! First of all we flew, thank goodness- I was not looking forward to a 12 hour drive, even in our new swagger wagon honda odyssey aka the vandge-rover. Travel went as good as one could expect with a 3 year old and a 1 year old in a tantrum phase. We arrived with a stocked fridge, thanks to Mimi and Papa, and were ready for the week. Little did Jeff or I know, it would be anything but relaxing! The boys shared a bedroom, which they have never done before. It went ok at first, then we realized mornings were the issue, because when 1 was up, he woke up the other....even if at 4am. The resort had daily fun kid activities planned...even for our little ones. So every morning at 9am we went down to Skullys, aka Skully's Cross bones, as Connor referred to it, to join the other toddler tots with the activity of the day. As you will see in the pictures....we did bubbles, musical parade, finger painting, and sand castles. The rest of our mornings were spent at the pool with our afternoons spent at the beach, right outside of our condo door. Mimi and Papa were in a condo as well, and Oma came to visit for a few days. We had other visitors as well, my high school friends Jaime and Erin with her boys came for an afternoon. Also my friend from college, Tammy and her fiancé Derek and their little boy, Dylan, came and spent the 4th of July with us. Don't get me wrong we did get a little time for ourselves. We were able to enjoy the pool-sans kiddo- and a fruity beverage. We also walked the beach, saw some sunsets, and even had a date night dinner to the oh so yummy Bubble Room. Most importantly, the boys had a blast! They loved the pool and couldn't wait to get in it every day. By the end of the week, they were both jumping off the sides with little help. They weren't as fond of the beach...at least Connor was not. He tolerated it in small doses but didn't like the seaweed or the waves (which he called fountains). Greyson wanted to drink the salt water and he loved playing in the sand. I always enjoy every minute of being down there, and I can't wait to go back again next year. Enjoy just a few of the 500+ pics we took!

July 18, 2012