Pictures We Love

Going through our albums I found so many pictures I wanted to share. I can't upload 100's of photos, so here are several I found from the last couple of years. I will catch up soon to share our current pictures of our summer fun...the NC Zoo, swim lessons, Holden's summer camp, etc.

Holden and Greg making a snowman in our front yard. 2010

Chase playing in the snow. A favorite. 2009

Family photo. October 2010

Rhys testing out the new swing set in our backyard. July 2010

Ashley and Holden 2011

Holden swinging. October 2010

Rhys and Holden in the tub having a blast! It's still the highlight of the day! 2010

Halloween at Kiwanis Park in Hampstead. From the Left...Mrs. Potato Head, Woody, Rex, and Buzz Lightyear. 2010

Chase and Holden. NC Aquarium in Fort Fisher 2010.

Rhys and Nana. 2011

Rhys keepin' it real! 2011

Ironman (aka Holden). The best Christmas gift Santa has ever made! 2010

Rhys swinging on a cold day! We do a lot of swinging if you haven't guessed that already! 2011

Rhys and Holden waiting on Daddy to get home from work! This is one of my favorite pictures.

2011

Rhys decided to mix Thor and Ironman to make the coolest Superhero ever! Actually, these were what Holden allowed Rhys to wear at the moment.

Holden's Jeep. Don't even think about it little ladies...he's taken! April 2011

More to come! Hope y'all are having a great summer!

Our 4th Anniversary

On June 18th, 2007, Greg and I were married. It was such a dream to get married at Guthrie Castle in Angus, Scotland. Our visit to the UK, Greg's first, was much like the movie, "Just Married," with Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. One of my favorite memories of Greg is him driving our rental car. It was a Fiat, of course with a right sided driver's seat, a stick shift, only large enough to carry us and our luggage, and it couldn't drive over 50 mph. It was hard enough getting out of the airport parking lot, much less drive down the centuries old roads that were to take us through tiny towns to St. Andrews where we were expected at our hotel, The Fairmont. We could hardly stop laughing as we crossed the Firth of Forth in our Fiat. We must have said that a thousand times. Yes...needless to say, we were giddy from the lack of sleep on the plane and excited to say our vows in the next couple of days. Really, it was funny.

Greg and our orange Fiat. He drove it like a pro. I never once touched the driver's seat.

Views of The Fairmont St. Andrews.

The ruins of St. Andrews cathedral.

More St. Andrews Photos

I'll never forget the day of our wedding, being picked up by a gorgeous black Jaguar to be driven to Guthrie Castle in Angus, 40 minutes away. It was a beautiful drive through the country. I remember reminding myself to be totally conscious of every moment, to catalog it in my mind forever. Talking to the driver, the green countryside, Greg sitting to the right of me holding my hand and squeezing it every so often, and then seeing the entrance to the castle (above).

The winding dirt road we went down was paved with ancient trees and stone walls built hundreds of years ago. We crossed over a bridge and in the distance could see the castle we were to be married in.

Guthrie Castle dates back to 1468 and the garden we were married in, dates back to the 1600's. It truly was the most amazing place to get married, and we had the castle all to ourselves for a day and a half.

At 3 pm we were married in the garden. Pastor Brian Ramsey married us. He lives on the castle grounds.

We spent the most romantic evening with dinner in the grand dining room and we walked around the castle grounds. In the morning, we had an amazing breakfast and then were picked up by our driver to return to The Fairmont. From there, we began our fabulous honeymoon touring parts of Scotland and England (Edinburgh, York, London, and the Cotswalds).

It truly was a dream. I can't wait to show Chase, Holden, and Rhys where we got married someday.

To celebrate our anniversary, we decided to go away for the weekend. It was our first time away from the boys and we were nervous, but ready for some alone time! We drove 2 hours to New Bern, NC and stayed at the Aerie Inn Bed and Breakfast and we had such a fabulous time. We had no idea after years of being woken up consistently every night by our children multiple times, how much a full night of sleep can do for a person...and we got two nights! We felt alive again, like real people!

The Aerie Inn.

We had lunch one day at The Persimmons restaurant. It was great and had fabulous views of the water. I really loved the decor, simple and modern with a Southern flare.

We were given a carriage ride to The Chelsea restaurant downtown on Saturday evening. I thought Greg was going to die riding in the Cinderella carriage, but he survived! We had a wonderful dinner.

4 years later, I am more in love with this man every day. Getting married to someone, you know you love them and want to spend your life with them whatever that life may bring. I had no idea after all that we have experienced, 4 moves and 2 more children later, even how much more love I would have for him. I had never thought that was possible. He gives everything of himself for all of us and loves us unconditionally. I am so grateful. Happy Anniversary, Greg. I love you!

The Fight for Flip Flop Photos

I thought it would be a good idea to get a good photo of the boys in their beloved flip flops that they wear all day long, inside and outside the house, with or without pants on, just marveling at the feeling of hard plastic wedged between their toes. Whatever works, right? I never got a great shot. Here's how our photo shoot went down...

Holden decided to tickle him instead of pose. It's never that easy!

Hugging is always good to get documentation of. Rhys looks kind of forced, don't you think?

Could this pic get any worse? Just terrible.

And then, after some wrestling, I finally was able to get a sloppy picture of their feet. Whew! That all happened in a matter of 30 seconds.

More pics to upload soon!

One year later...

Well, so much for posting right? Really, the intention was always there when the boys did something amazing or we did something really fun, but my blogging plan was easily put to the wayside when the laundry, dinner, or the kids needed my attention all. year. long.

I finally decided to give up and let myself sit down and write at least once a week. And to write about what I love most...my family. Every now and then I'll come across a great recipe or a place we've visited that I would love to share, too. So here I am, again, hopefully to continue what I've been dreaming of doing for a while.

Since my last post, the kids have grown so much. Chase is 9, Holden is 3, and sweet, crazy Rhys is 18 months. It is insane how time flies. I love those boys so much I can hardly stand it. One moment they can have me so frustrated and upset, and the next, I can be laughing so hard or wanting to cry from their sweetness. Anyone with boys knows, it is wonderful to be "Mama!" I am the most popular of this group that's for sure, at least for now. Chase can hardly wait to talk my ear off when he comes home about everything from books, to school, to the latest video games. Holden is attached to Greg at the hip when he comes home from work, as Holden's desire and interest for sports and boy things grows. It is wonderful to watch, but it's still me he comes to if he's hurt or needs consoled. Rhys is a huge mama's boy like Holden used to be, and I'm soaking up the minutes until he starts to get in "the Daddy phase". Lately, we've been laughing when Greg says, "Rhys, let Daddy put you to bed!" and Rhys's face just wrinkles up and he cries out, "NOOOOO!" Soon it will be Rhys asking for Daddy to put him to bed and then Greg's really going to have a tough time when Holden and Rhys will be fighting over him! Hehe! Greg will then be able to experience what I've been going through since Rhys was born! Oh, the exhaustion!

Today, Rhys got his first flip flops as did Holden. We went to the mall to meet Greg for lunch and went into The Children's Place to get some new shorts for Holden. Of course, with my love of kids clothes, we left with more than we intended, including some new flip flops. I tried to video how funny it was to watch Rhys try to walk in them, but my iPhone couldn't capture the moments of happiness and total concentration he had to get moving in those miserable things. They looked so uncomfortable, yet he kept walking, not bending his knees and shuffling in slow steps...hilarious. They both love them. I don't know why they haven't had any until now (only Crocs), but you would have thought it was Christmas the way they've been running around the house (dangerous, I know) with such excitement in those things, listing the people they are going to show them to (Chase is first on Holden's list).

For now, I am getting a much deserved break from the flip flop craziness and am able to sit down and have some coffee to drink in some sanity. In a few minutes, I will be playing football in the front yard with Holden while he shows me how well he can punt and Rhys will be crying to be included, then dinner, then bath, then bed, and then maybe I can add more pictures of our year. I hope you'll keep reading as I post our adventures of our life and parenthood!