Life Lately

We've been busy around here! And I am proud to report, the very last box was emptied and a huge pile of cardboard was taken to recycling on Monday.  DONE unpacking.  We still have some things that need to find homes and I still have some stuff at the old house to bring over, but I am feeling pretty good about my status over at the new house! Not much on walls yet... but that will happen.  Won't it?

Last week, the boys had Vacation Bible School at our church and they loved it! It was so fun to listen to them talk about all they learned (one day Andy told me about praying with your hands clasped together-- heart melting!).

We rode bikes/walked to the neighborhood pool on Monday to cool off for a bit. 

 Love having a pool in the neighborhood we can just ride down to.  We only stay about an hour because we had to ride home to get to swim team practice!

On the way to practice, Cal made a mistake of back talking.  He was asked to get out of the car and to run to swim practice.  Disclaimer: we were only in my mom's neighborhood and it wasn't very far to the pool.  Also: he hasn't talked back (much) since.....

They brought home these frames from VBS and I adooooore their smiles!!!!! I gotta find a spot in the house for these.... I am in love. 

 We had a swim meet on Wednesday and while it wasn't their best meet ever, they did really well and the both got heat winners in back stroke (there is come controversy over Cal's ribbon.... apparently there was a "tie" in his heat-- either way, they were excited and proud!

 Andy has become fond of a few of his coaches-- he watches them swim and pretty much follows them around the deck.  These two have "fights" over which one is Andy's girlfriend.  It is pretty funny and he doesn't seem to mind the attention one bit.  ;)

 After taking the above picture, he asked the coaches if he could get a picture with a bunch of six and unders... they grabbed a bunch and the next pictures happened....

 ...maybe picking your nose in the front/center of a picture isn't a great idea. 

 Flexing is better, I suppose?

 Discussing his swim with another coach...

and then parked on a chair, watching some of his favorites swim.  This kid is alllll about swim team (please note the heat winner ribbon still in his hand....). He really is soaking it all up and love to watch all the heats and all the swimmers.  Such a change from the start of the season. Thankfully.  

We put the lego table in his room in the new house and he loooooves it.  I walked by the other day and found him in the middle of building a creation.  

After swim team one night this week, Cal walked by after pulling his goggles off and he looked just like Alfalfa-- and we love the Little Rascals in our car, so this made us laugh-- well, Cal didn't laugh when he realized why we were laughing...but still. 

Andy wanted a picture of the ribbons he won from the last meet-- he loves to have a variety of colors in his ribbons....

Popup kicked major booty on Monday-- we were sweaty messes and definitely said OH MY QUAD a time or ten.  Love these tanks-- so soft and they stay put while working out. 

One of the boys' swim coaches was swimming in the Olympic trials and they wanted to watch him-- but it was only streaming online... so they curled up in the chair together to watch.  And for the 2 minutes this lasted, it was glorious.  

Okay, so, keeping it real.  This is our front family room.  We have no furniture for this room yet.  We plan on getting some-- hopefully sooner rather than later.... this massive brown recliner is not staying in this room.  It didn't fit in the room with the other brown furniture, so it was parked in this room.  I think it looks hilarious because it is like a throne facing a TV.  I can't get this room put together soon enough.  We need to close on our other house before we go buying furniture, but man on man, I can not wait to have this room NOT looking like this.  And all those cords and electrical stuff on the floor?? DEAR LORD someone help me from taking all of those and putting them into a shredder.  Apparently they are "important" and we need them for something or another or whatever.  They've been there a week.  Time to get up and go.  But, aren't my built ins fun?? Can't wait to decorate them up!

Speaking of the Olympics-- a former student of mine, Maija Roses is out qualifying and she's kicking rump! This was in the 200 Medley Relay and she for first in her heat-- amazing! It will be so fun to follow her and watch her swim! I love watching the Olympics and I am excited to have the boys watch this year too.  They were too young last time to really get it at all.  

This new house wears out the pups too.... sweet boys.  Love them way too much.  

 OH! And finally-- I think it's safe to say...maybe...but Andy has been sleeping through the night consistently here! If I had known a new house was all it would take, I would have done this forever ago! (not really....)



 

Weekend Update: Summer Regional

Well, helllllo!

How can it be Monday already?! This summer is FLYING by, and I don't like it one bit! I feel like we are so consumed in all the house stuff that I am not taking the time to just be outside and at the pool and relaxing with the boys.

This weekend, I was forced to take a break from the unpacking world because we were off to Williamsburg for Eddie's regional meeting.  We have the summer regional every summer-- and the past few years it has been at Myrtle Beach, so it was nice to mix it up this year a bit!

We let the kids go to Vacation Bible School on Thursday and then we hit the road after picking them up.

We checked into the beautiful hotel and were blown away by our view! We were on the James River and it was gorgeous.

The TV service in the new house was set to be hooked up THREE different times and THREE different times, it didn't happen... so we have been TV-less for a while, which has been pretty nice, actually... but as soon as we checked in, Cal turned on ESPN and was in a trance catching up on everything that's been going on in the world of sports for the past week--hahaha

Andy got dressed for dinner and insisted on wearing this hat (this hat didn't make it home from dinner this night-- major bummer....)...also-- Cal still in trance....

Everyone dressed and ready to go to the Thursday night Jones dinner! 

 The resort was really neat and really spread out.  We took a golf cart ride to get most places, which was fun.  We were on the way back-- love these sweet smiles!

It was Pirate night at dinner and lots of people went all out and wore some impressive pirate costumes.  Look, I would have loved to have done this... but to be honest, I am just lucky I got everyone there with some clothes in a bag.  I didn't know where a lot of stuff was when packing for this trip.  Thankfully, some pirate gear was provided... Cal donned a sweet hat while walking the plank.  

then there's this kid-- and the reason he lost his blue hat.  He was too busy trying to wear the pirate hat AND the eye patch.  And blow up a ball.  All at once.  

Andy adores his cousins-- actually, all the cousins adore each other-- and he had the best time playing with Catherine and Margaret-- 

We took a pic together since this was the anniversary of our rehearsal dinner, ten years prior!  Hard to believe it's been ten years!

Andy and Margaret tamed an alligator together...

 ...and celebrated with a smooch. 

 Andy asked me to take a picture of us and then he snuck in this kiss.  And I might have melted. 

Then it was my turn to sneak in a smooch...

They had a photobooth set up outside of the room so we took a family picture on the way out-- makes me laugh for so many reasons.  Love this crazy, goofy family of mine.  

Then Eddie and I took a picture together-- we had to squat down to get in the camera just right (a kid used it and adjusted it way down and we didn't want to re-adjusted it.....kinda wishing we had because we look like we are trying to go to the bathroom squatting down like this-- but it makes me laugh, so whatever).  I started laughing and couldn't stop...

I think we had two queen beds, but they really felt like fulls.  Thursday night, the boys slept in one and Eddie and I slept in the other.  We mixed it up the other nights... these two are WILD sleepers, holy cow!!!! The flail around and fling their bodies all over the bed.  

Friday morning Eddie was up and out of the room early for meetings.  I rolled over to see Andy fighting the bad guys....with two eye patches on and a sword.  

 We had a meeting for me to attend and then everyone was out by noon.  We hopped on the shuttle and headed to Busch Gardens for the day! Because doesn't everyone want to spend their 10th wedding anniversary at Busch Gardens?!?!

We had some timidness we were battling, so we started off by taking the gondola to another part of the park so they could see all the rides.  They quickly decided they were NOT going to do the mega-coasters.  

Riding the gondola...

We found a kiddie area and they hopped on the first ride they saw-- this kid was nervous about everything, but after this ride, he was READY to go (still not on the big rides, but ready...). 

They had a kiddie version of the big drop ride-- they were so cute all strapped in....

Then we rode a ride called the worm that they thought was hilarious-- they were laughing out loud the whole time- loving it.  

Eddie got this picture of us-- hahaha

The worm ride got them brave so we went to the kiddie coaster-- but it had some umph to it! Like, a lot of umph! We took this selfie right before we took off... there was not to be a selfie after because we had some tears.  It went faster than we were expecting, I think..... hahaha 

To calm everyone down after that, they rode this water ride, which, I kid you not, was slower moving than the lazy river.  But it was very soothing.... I think Andy went around 4 times.  

They decided the low key rides were more their speed. 

We watched a water ride and I got soaked, but it felt amazing, so I didn't care.  And also: beer.  

We got the kids on the bumper cars with grandma, and the three of us ran to ride a ride.  We didn't want to leave the kids for long, but we all wanted to ride one.  Holy cow, it was terrifying and so fun! I was screaming and laughing the whole time.  We literally had no idea what to expect and when the scary stuff happened, we had no clue it was going to happen- hahahaha

After the ride we were back on the bumper cars-- Cal thought it was so funny to drive me around and crash into people.  

No surprise Andy liked crashing cars....

My sweet mom is such a trooper- she got in the bumper cars with Cal-- and he didn't take it easy on her at all!

We finally met up with my brother and his family and the kids were excited to ride together.  

We finally left the park super sweaty and tired around 7:00 and we headed to the hotel pool so the kids could swim until bed time.  And then we went to bed that night.... me and Andy.....

 ...and Eddie and Cal.... the MOST romantic anniversary ever! hahahaha we were cracking up!

We got up Saturday and spent some time by the pool and then there was a kickball game that we all played in that was SO.MUCH.FUN! It was pirates vs. patriots.  Here's my little patriot.....

And my pirate!

We weren't on the same team so we had to take a selfie before kickoff...

 We had the best time playing-- there were loads of people playing and everyone was drinking and laughing and playing hard.  Andy pitched a few times and loved it. 

Grandpa came to watch-- these two are something else together....

Family shot after the game-- my abs hurt Sunday morning from laughing so hard. In other news, I need to work my abs this week.....

Saturday night was the awards dinner.... always fun to get dressed up and have a fun night out with Eddie.  We didn't get any good pictures from the night-- the lighting is weird in all these pictures.  And also, I tried to wear red lipstick and I realize looking at pictures that I can't pull it off.  At all.  Oh well.
Here is my man, ready to head to cocktails!

Cocktail hour was out on a patio over looking the river-- truly beautiful!

 I was so proud of Eddie during the awards ceremony.  He works so hard and it is really nice to be able to recognize his hard work and really get to celebrate HIM.  Proud to be his wife!

Edward Jones provides childcare for the kids while we are at the dinner.  We went in to pick up the kids and I found Andy sound asleep on the floor-- bless his sweet heart.  It is hard playing hard all day!

We got up Sunday morning and headed home.  The kids were super tired, but not too tired, I guess. We pulled in the driveway and they took off-- never even walked in the house! They just left to go find their friends.
Andy came running in (actually, I heard him screaming in the yard) when he got stung by a wasp :( but was calmed and went back out and came RUNNING when the kona ice truck went through out neighborhood....! Have I mentioned how much I love this 'hood?!?! 

 Some of the kids (there are more on the other side of the porch!) enjoying their kona ice!

Some friends invited us over for dinner Sunday night-- a whole bunch of girls and Cal and Andy-- my boys were swarmed when we walked in...it was hilarious! They were chased and tackled and hugged and teased.  Cracked me up!

When we got home, the boys were beyond dirty.  Showers and bed, but first, Cal took a few minutes to play with the super heroes set up in the corner of his room-- they were in the playroom in the old house, but in this house, they are going in his room-- he was so excited to have a few minutes to just play.... and it made me happy to see him playing with TOYS.  Lately he hasn't been into toys and it makes me so sad..... glad he still has some little boy in him.  

 We have a few days left here to get things done before heading to the beach for the 4th! Yes, packing AGAIN! Maybe one day I will get all unpacked...?! Maybe?? I made a ton of progress on Sunday when we got home, thanks to my mom.  My goal is no more boxes before we leave for the beach....