It's been forever!

Hi everyone! I can't believe how long it's been since I posted, this summer has flown by! Luke and Britton are keeping us very busy to say the least but life is good, no complaints here :) Luke starts school next week and will be going 5 days this year. I'm kind of nervous about it but I know it will be good for him and he absolutely loves it! Plus, I'm excited about getting some alone time with little Britton. Speaking of her, she's an absolute handful these days but it's so fun to see what discovers each day. Just yesterday she found the stairs, the plant next to the front door, candlesticks on the fireplace and all the drawers and cabinets...whew! She's been crawling for a couple of months now but it's like she found the world yesterday! Britton is very verbal and "talks" to us all the time, it's so cute! Luke loves to "teach" her stuff and any attention she gets from her big brother is fine by her! It's really hard to believe that she'll be turning 1 in just a couple of months.

We also have big news about Hap. He has been absolutely miserable in his job for awhile now and as we all know, it is tough to make a move in this economy. However, we are so thankful that his old boss, Tony Moluf, caught wind of just how bad things were and asked him to come back to work for him. This has been Hap's dream for some time now and he jumped at this opportunity. He's doing business development/outside sales for Moluf's now and couldn't be happier. We have learned a lot lately and realize now more than ever that life's way too short to not enjoy what you do everyday.

I'm sure there's a lot more to catch up on but Little B is waking up from her nap and we've got errands to run! Enjoy pictures from our boat trip to Beaufort and other summer fun!



Our third attempt at a family pic...aagghhhh!

Luke in his "sunglasses"

Teaching Britton how to drink from a sippy cup!

Look who's cruisin'!

Beaufort boat trip...

Fun in the sun!

Now that summer is in full gear we have really been enjoying the beach and pool! Luke is quite the little fish and LOVES swimming. He isn't quite ready to swim on his own yet but I have a feeling it won't be long! Britton seems to be enjoying the water as well and looks so cute in her little lady bug float...thanks Gigi! Dad's family rented an awesome beach house at Folly last week which we all thoroughly enjoyed. It was wonderful to spend time with family and let the kids burn off lots of energy. Britton sat in the sand for the first time and I wasn't sure if she would like it or not but she did! I remember when we took Luke to the beach for the first time he wouldn't even put his hands or feet down in the sand (hard to imagine now, I know!). Britton took to it right away though and was immediately shoveling the sand in her mouth...gross!

Beach babe!

Henry, Zack and Britton

Busy, busy, busy...

We have had a great last couple of weeks, although quite busy! Adam and Allison came to town which was perfect timing for Luke and Taylor's school program, the twins first year birthday, Luke's birthday, Matthew's new boat, and an early birthday celebration for Allison...whew, all in 4 days! We had a wonderful time with them, it just makes us miss them so much when they have to go back. Luke really warmed up to them and is still asking when we're on our way to Mom's house if Aunt Allison and Uncle Adam are going to be there. He loves them so much and we all wish we could see each other more often. We are really hoping to make it out to Denver with Luke before they head back to the East coast, they are dying to get Luke in skis!

Luke's 3rd birthday party went off without a hitch, luckily the weather held out for us and it was a great time. He loved his party and showing his swingset off to his friends! We still can't believe he's 3, my how time flies!

During his party we realized that Britton has 2 teeth coming in and she can sit up by herself now. Oh, and today I watched her army crawl across the room. She is growing up way too fast and I'm just not sure I can handle 2 mobile kids. I have it pretty easy right now but I have a feeling those days are about to come to a screeching halt!

Easter pics!

Here are some of the pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt at the JIYC and Easter day!

Playing catch up....

Sorry it's been forever since I've posted! We are doing great and Luke and Britton are growing like weeds! Britton just turned 6 months this week and checked out perfect at the doctor. She is now in the 75th percentile for weight and 50th for height and head...our little chunky monkey :) She rolls anywhere she wants to go and is already getting up on her knees and rocking. I am SO not ready for her to be mobile! She has such a sweet little personality and thinks her big brother is hilarious! My favorite is in the car when Luke doesn't think I'm listening and he'll start talking so sweet to Britton and giggling and then she'll giggle back. Gotta love it!

Luke is doing great, too and is turning 3 at the end of this month (hard to believe!). We asked him this week what he wanted for his birthday and his only response was a "big party"! Guess I've got some planning to do! Oh, and on top of his cake he wants Mater, Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson and Sally...you think he's a Cars fan? He is completely potty trained now and we're so proud of him. He hasn't even worn a diaper at night or at naptime in at least a month now. It's amazing what I get excited about these days!

On to other news, we finally got a new AC unit yesterday just in time for a scorching hot weekend! Jess and Lea got engaged out on the boat a few weeks ago and have set the date for March 20, 2010. Porter has officially signed to go play soccer at USC Upstate next year and then will be transferring to Clemson. Luke is really going to miss going to all the high school games and cheering Porter on! Mimi is back with Mom and Dad for several months and has really enjoyed meeting Britton and catching up with Luke. Speaking of Mom and Dad, they are doing some exciting renovations on their house right now. They're adding a beautiful front porch which just makes the house, I'll add some pics when they're done! Matthew is working on getting his new business up and running and is eager to get started this summer. They named it Trio Charters and he will be running out of The Sanctuary at Kiawah on M/Tues/Wed starting in June. If anyone knows of anybody coming to Charleston that would like to go fishing or see the beautiful sights let us know, Captain Matthew would be happy to show them around! Adam and Allison are coming Memorial Day weekend and we're so excited they'll be hear for Luke and Taylor's closing program at school and all the birthday parties. Can't believe the twins are going to be one!!! So, as you can tell we've been very busy, but in a good way. We're looking forward to a good summer and lots of trips to the pool and beach. Luke's taking swimming lessons starting in a couple weeks so I'll keep you posted on his progress. This is my favorite time of year as we are really enjoying spending time outside with friends. We've spent several evenings down at the yacht club letting the kids play and having some adult time at the same time...doesn't get better than that!

Girls weekend to Edisto! What a great time!

My sweet boy...

Okay, so I feel a little guilty, I feel like all the latest posts have been about Britton. She is changing so fast and this is a great way to keep everyone posted. I figured it's time I really fill you in on Luke. I worried for a year that he was never going to talk, well, be careful what you wish for is all I have to say! He is talking now like he's been doing it all his life! We now have to speak in code most of the time because he is constantly asking, " What are you talking about?"or "Why?", or if I'm on the phone, "Who is that? ... Oh, what is she talking about?" I wonder where he gets that from!!! If we get in the car it's, "where are we going?" Then, he'll tell me exactly how to get there, he'll point and say "this way, mommy or that way, mommy". I swear he can tell you how to get anywhere on James Island and even how to get to Papoo's on Wadmalaw.

Although Luke is all boy and LOVES to get dirty and play tough, he has one of the sweetest little souls I've ever seen. He is very sensitive and affectionate. He was sick a couple of weeks ago so I decided to sleep in his bed in case he got sick throughout the night (I know, in hindsight doesn't seem like the brightest idea but I just didn't want him to be alone). Well, thankfully he didn't get sick anymore but I still didn't get much sleep. He told me exactly how he wanted me to lie down, on my side with his back up against mine and I was told to put one hand under his shoulders and the other had to be on top of his tummy...perfectly spooned! I would think he was asleep and try to move a little and he would wake up immediately and say "no mommy, put your hand this way". I finally did drift off to sleep and was awoken with little Luke kisses to my forehead in the morning :) Gotta love it!

As we get closer to him turning 3 he tests us more and more. I just have to remember these sweet little moments when he is having an all out tantrum or bossing us around! Or, when he puts a clothes pin with a balloon attached to it to Grady's ear and watches him jump around the house or draws all over the hardwood floors :) I hear parents say all the time that each phase they go through with their child is their "new favorite" and I know exactly what they mean. It is so wonderful to watch your children learn and grow, and yes, even test you. I love to see him interact with Britton and how proud he gets when people ask him about her. He is a great big brother and is already protective of his baby sister. I am already so proud of Luke and the sweet little boy that he is, and am so excited to experience life through his eyes.

4 months...

I can't believe Britton is already 4 months old...time really does fly! I feel like she grew up so fast just this last week, she started laughing, slept unswaddled for the first time all night, ate rice cereal and started rolling both ways. Seriously, all in one week! Luke is doing great, too, he's talking up a storm these days and his favorite line is, "I don't want to talk about it". What in the world?!? Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of pictures of him to post, he's more into taking pictures these days than being in them :)

Uh oh, looks like someone's in trouble. Thankfully, it was just a dry erase marker that came right up!

She loves her new jumperoo!

Luke took this one, not bad, huh?

She loved the rice cereal, though sometimes it just makes her mad because she can't eat it fast enough! Britton has turned into quite the little piggy, I wasn't really supposed to start cereal until closer to 6 months but she's drinking up to 40 ounces of milk these days so I thought it was time for a little filler :)