CAMP HARDING

What a fun-filled week we've had! Last Saturday, we sat down with Riley to plan a week of camp activities and outings as a family. We didn't always stick to the plan, but we did pack the time full of new adventures and great family memories. Here's the run-down:

Last Sunday: The Segura family invited us to spend some time with them at the resort they were vacationing at for a few days. It was awesome! The resort featured at least a dozen pools, a water slide, a bounce house, the beach, and a beautiful condo where we ate lunch. We had a blast spending Father's Day with such a sweet and wonderful family.

On the way home, Shawn wanted to stop at Dairy Queen and then Subway for his Father's Day dinner. And for such a great Dad, of course we stopped!

Monday: Morning outing: Park and then library. In the afternoon, I hit the doctor's while Shawn and the kids painted rocks and a piggy bank. In the evening, Riley went to Caroline's church for Vacation Bible School. She had a ball. And learned that God created her. Not me, not Shawn, not panda bears, not the sun: just her.

Tuesday: Movie morning! Riley and I grabbed some candy and headed to the movies to see The Tale of Despereaux. She lasted an hour, and it was great getting to see her face when she first saw how BIG the movie screen was. That, and she is too light to keep the seat down when she sits at the back. Too cute. In the afternoon, we played Hi, Ho, Cherrio! Riley's new favorite game. At night, back to Bible School before heading over to Caroline's house to watch the Bachelorette (DVRed, of course). Riley was a terrific addition to our girls' night of milkshakes and ABC television. As a side note, I cannot express how much I am going to miss my Monday (or in this case Tuesday) nights with Caroline. We've hung out for at least the last four seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, a Dancing with the Stars season, and some Greys. Our time together has been a week highlight for the last two-three years. Mondays have never been dreaded because I knew I would get to hang out with Caroline. I am so thankful for that time together. I am so thankful for her as a friend.

Wednesday: Bowling! Riley had a ball bowling a full ten frames, and scoring a 57! Adrian just liked wondering around the empty alley. In the afternoon, Riley and I made a family treat: Pizza Freet (we used to make it with my great grandma; basically, it's fried dough topped with powdered sugar). Riley also made her very first pizza!

Thursday: We have been meaning to get Riley a bike this summer, so we decided to make our outing this morning to ToysRUs. Riley loves her new Princess bike and Dora helmet. Then, we all went to BJ's for lunch! After nap-time, we played more family games (Memory and Hungry, Hungry Hippos!) and painted a sun-catcher.

Friday: We ended the week with Water Day! We trekked up to Alachua to visit the sprinkler park. Riley had a ball darting among the sprinklers, and Adrian chilled around the outskirts until venturing forth into the water sprays. Afterwards, we headed to the park there, now dubbed Dinosaur park by Riley. Good times! This afternoon, we'll get our naps on, and practice bike-riding before heading to the last day of Vacation Bible School.

Whew! I just hope my kids have had as much fun as I have had! Enjoy the pictures!

Changes...

Here we go!

So much is going on, and I have so much to post about. Our lives are full and about to be awash with change. And change is tough. On the one hand, I am thrilled about starting the next chapter of our lives in Athens, Georgia. I cannot wait to continue pursuing my dream to be a teacher and a writer at The University of Georgia while I work on my Ph.D. in Creative Writing and English. I am excited for new restaurants, new adventures, new parks, new experiences, new friends, new inspiration, and new memories. But at the same time, this change makes me sad. We've been in Gainesville for five years, and that is the longest I have lived in any one place since I was in elementary and middle school. Here, I have a great group of girl friends, a great school to work at, and Chinese and pizza places in a Publix plaza minutes from our neighborhood. We even have a pool across the street. The decision-making process was hard, and I felt distracted and bi-polar for a couple of weeks. But, I have an amazingly supportive husband, and we decided to go for it, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Now, my days in Gainesville are numbered. I start in Athens on July 1st. Shawn and the kids will be moving up to join me in the middle of July. Come fall, I will be teaching two sections of Freshman Composition and taking a couple of classes. Everything is coming together, and we are trying to make the most of our time left in Gainesville to hang out with friends and hit our favorite spots. Boxes litter our house, and the kids are having a ball playing with packing material. They build and tear down foam houses. Their worlds are about to be rocked, but I know change will be good for them, too. I learned so much moving around throughout my childhood, and I am excited for my children to have the same learning experiences.

In Athens, we already signed our lease on a beautiful home on 1.5 acres. I will post pictures later this summer. We've already found a school for the kids, too.

So the adventure is about to begin. I will miss my friends dearly and Gainesville, too. Hello, Athens, here we come!

PS Enjoy the new pictures on my blog, courtesy of Cristi Lopez Photography. I just got them today. She captures something special in Riley and Adrian. Her photos take my breath away.

All About Adrian

Yesterday, Adrian turned one. I cannot believe that last year at this time, I was in the hospital with my little man, Shawn, Alli, my dad, Riley, and visiting friends. What a blur this year has been. And how grateful I am for Adrian in my life! Riley was an easy baby, but Adrian is easier. He has a mellow disposition, his default demeanor is a smile or laugh, and he seems to be bursting with energy, especially now that he is mobile. He now has three teeth, can clap, wave, and gobbles down pretty much any food you put in front of him. Balls are his favorite toy at the moment, and he's got a pretty good arm for a lil guy. I love his exciting run to me when he hears my voice at daycare. I love, love picking him up out of his crib in the morning to cuddle and smile together. I love watching him chase after Riley and sometimes run away. I love the way his hair poofs and grows and grows and grows. He fits our family so well and adds so much to it. Adrian, I love you so much. Happy birthday, kid!

Friends, thanks for celebrating with us at the park yesterday. Riley was my big helper. She mixed the cake, helped me decorate it, and watched as I prepared the tomato, basil, and mozzarella skewers. What can I say? The girl loves her parties!

School of Letters Graduation

A week and a half ago, I returned to the University of the South for my graduation. I now hold my MFA in Creative Writing from Sewanee's School of Letters. The weekend is among my all-time favorite weekends ever, and here's why:

1. Family. I was thrilled to be surrounded by Shawn, Riley, Adrian, Allison, CE, Claire, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma Toni, Aunt Marybeth, Uncle Scott, and Brendan (who was a surprise guest! He flew in Saturday morning! So cool!) What a crew! It was awesome to have so many family members around me to celebrate graduation and enjoy a weekend on the mountain. Thank you all for coming! It meant so much to me!

2. The School of Letters. It was great to see John Grammar, Meg Binnicker, and nine of my classmates. Yes, we, the SOL class of 2011, all stood out as the old ones among a sea of undergrads, but it was great to catch up with everyone and hear about the exciting changes in their lives (new jobs, new babies, etc.). And John and Meg are two individuals I admire so much. They are wonderful, warm-hearted people. I am so glad I had the chance to celebrate with them and thank them for everything these past five years. Our School of Letters party was an excellent way to cap off a great weekend.

3. Dinner at High Point. I think it was my second summer at Sewanee that I had dinner with a guest speaker and a group of speakers at High Point. I knew then that I wanted my graduation dinner to be there, and I cannot believe that dinner has already come and gone! But we had a great time! A three-hour meal filled with conversation, and laughs, and good food. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for an amazing celebratory dinner!

4. Sewanee Adventures. Though the weekend was short, I still had the chance to go to Stirlings, the bookstore, the Lemon Fair, and a new ice cream place in Sewanee. We also enjoyed fried pies and live music at the Smokehouse! I feel so whole and full when I am on the Domain. As we were driving up Friday night, I could feel my excitement grow. I told Shawn that Sewanee was my favorite place to be. I hope one day to get back there.

5. The ceremony. Sewanee's Commencement Ceremony is mostly in Latin. So cool! Shawn and Dad "walked" with me to receive my diploma and hood, while the rest of the gang watched the kids and the ceremony from big screen televisions. The speeches were solid, and I especially enjoyed the Vice Chancellor's parting words for the graduates. He talked about Memory and Hope, and how those forces work to make life meaningful. I also really enjoyed the hymns. Two interesting observations about Sewanee undergrads - they leave their robes open and they don't wear caps. All in all, the ceremony was beautiful, and I cannot express how great it felt to walk out among the cheering faculty proudly holding my diploma and wearing my MFA hood.

It is hard to believe I started Sewanee in a dorm room without any kids. My mom was the first to stay with me. We spend a week filled with walks to the Blue Chair, evenings rocking at the dorm, nights watching House, and adventures all over the area. What a great start! By the end of my time, I brought two children to the Domain, Shawn stayed the whole summer, family visited frequently, we had a weekly basketball game, I had read thousands of pages (a couple thousand in the last summer alone!), I had written nine stories and six major essays, and Sewanee felt like home. I am so fortunate to have such a supportive husband. Thanks, Babe, for making my dream possible.

These past five years have inspired, challenged, and fulfilled me. I am not only a better writer and reader and thinker now, but a better person. To my family, to Sewanee, to the School of Letters, to my peers, to my teachers (especially Ellen and Michael), thank you!

Now I have a thesis to publish and new adventures in the near, near future. Stay tuned...

Life with Little Ones

We've been really busy, and pretty soon, I will update on our summer plans. For now, please enjoy the following pictures. These are just a few random shots from recent weeks and our trip to the beach for Mother's Day. I had to put a picture of sad Adrian on here because he is usually so happy. Oh, and Riley's scrunched face is her boy face.

This weekend, we had back to Sewanee for my graduation. Can't wait to get back to the domain.

Recent Happenings of Riley and Adrian

Riley:

1. She can't wait to teach Adrian everything. We've made a list. So far, she wants to teach him how to cover his mouth when he coughs, how to say yes and no, and how to have manners.

2. She has been really into plants recently. She loves watering them and talking about what they need: dirt, water, sunlight, and singing.

3. Eating. I occasionally will get yelled at if I do not put enough food in her lunch. And when we get close to running out of something she enjoys, she is quick to remind us that we have to get more at the store. Fortunately, she also knows that most things we don't buy unless they are on sale.

4. Videos. She asks me to film her all the time! She tries to think of funny things to do and loves to sing with the camera on. It's awesome.

5. Circle time. She tries to get me and Adrian to sit in a circle with her for story-time. Adrian and I get reprimanded if we talk or laugh, though. "You need to be quiet or I'm not going to read this story to you, Mommy." Cracks me up.

6. She started calling me Mama again, and I love it. Of course she usually uses it when she wants something, but it is so cute. I thought those Mama days were behind her. So glad they are not!

Adrian:

1. Now he can stand up straight from a sit.

2. Finally, his second tooth came through!

3. This week, he's been gobbling down ham. We also started trying him on whole milk.

4. He loves to play in the little yard pool that we have. He climbs in and out, and usually that involves a face-first plunge into the dirt. Pictures to come! He is such a boy!

Really Walking Now...

So last weekend marks Adrian's official jump into the walking world at 10 months and 3 weeks. Riley beat him by only a couple of weeks. It is so funny to see him make his way down the hallway by himself now. Enjoy the videos!