Being outside Part 2

Since moving to Carrollton, we've started getting together with Dad and Jeanette most Sundays.  They fed us tamales one week, we watched "Rango" and ate popcorn and ice cream one week, and we've met at the park the last couple of weeks.  It's been very nice to have time to talk and play together while we live here! 

Gotta have treats :)

Being outside

It is beautiful outside right now.  It almost feels like fall and we've loved spending some time outdoors without dying of heat.    

Last weekend, we took James to our favorite place to feed ducks.  Lilah was intrigued until she got her little hand chomped (she was okay).  And Ethie loved throwing pieces of bread and chasing the geese around.  He made it his mission to get all 40ish geese back into the water, which he managed to do.  We figured it was good exercise for all of them :)

He's home!!!

Last Tuesday (Sept 20), Nathan got home from his mission to Madrid, Spain!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, we were all incredibly excited to see him!  Nathan wrote the most beautiful letters every week of his mission, so we were able to follow his investigators, companions, transfers, experiences.  And it was so apparent what a wonderful missionary he was and what a wonderful mission he had!  Nathan put his whole heart into being a representative of Jesus Christ and he brought so much love to the people he taught and interacted with.  He is such an example to me and my family and we are just so happy to have him back here with us!!!    

We all met him at the airport and even though the awesome world balloon I brought floated to the ceiling, we had posters and flowers and I think he felt welcomed and loved.  I don't know why the pictures are so bad either, but you get the idea that we were happy to see him!  

His Madrid, Spain mission pin

Grew much, Scotty?

Welcome home, Nate!!!

Our little football guy

When Ethie was little, he always wanted to play "football guys."  And now he is!

I signed him up for flag football when we moved to Carrollton and it is perfect for him.  He gets to run around and chase and be chased and say "set, hut" and whatever else they do in football.  Only without the tackling, which is also perfect for him right now!

Last Saturday he had his first game in the Carrollton high school stadium, complete with an announcer and everything.  He was in heaven!!!  The kids were pretty confused about what to do most of the time, but Ethie did manage to get one good run in and he was happy with that.  Maybe they will get a little better, but I think he will have fun even if they don't :)

His team (minus a couple).  He's second kid from the right.

They got to run onto the field while the announcer called their name... cute!

Ethie wore his Georgia Tech hat so we could always find him :) 

Lilah little cheerleader!

They taught him to block by holding his hands and using his arms and he didn't forget it!

YAY, Ethie!!!

And here's a glimpse of how most of the game went... :)

Camping+beach=perfect!

A few weeks ago, we realized that Lilah had never been camping or to the beach, two of our favorite things!  We did both right before she was born, and it's been a year, so we decided we needed to go pronto.  So we made a few arrangements and went, and we're so glad we did!  It was perfect!

We also realized that we've been to Savannah for the last 3 years (dating, honeymoon, babymoon), so we had to go back there!  I found a KOA campsite nearby which wasn't very rustic (no firepit, boo) but it was by a lake and pretty clean and quiet, so it worked.  We set up the tent and the kids were happy to be out of the car!

 Then we went in to Savannah and spent the evening walking along the river. 

We always love just walking around and it was fun to show Ethie the fun candy shops and booths along the river.  We also rode the (free) ferry, which he thought was very awesome.

  Unfortunately, there was some kind of beerfest going on, so it was not the most kid-friendly environment.  But we escaped to our fav place to eat, Huey's, and didn't care.  Ethie even gobbled up the fried scallops, oysters, shrimp, and fish.  I enjoyed my garlic parmesan grits :)  And of course, the river is beautiful at night!

 We went back to the campsite that night and the kids did great!  They both went right to sleep and slept 'til 8 the next morning.  James and I played cards and ate fudge and taffy by the light of the lantern, so that was pretty perfect too :)

The next morning, James cooked some yumm breakfast burritos, and then we packed up and headed to Tybee Island!  We've also been there every year and we love it.  It was a bit crowded this time because of Labor Day, but the weather was a little overcast, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.  We played in the water for about an hour an then it poured rain on us.  We were soaked and so was all our stuff!  So we were forced to go eat some more yummy seafood for lunch and when we came back, the sun was out and it was beautiful the rest of the day!  Since there were storms coming Monday, we were very thankful we had sun! 

And the kids loved loved loved the beach!  Of course Ethie found some friends right away, so he was in heaven jumping in the waves, riding their boards, playing in the sand, and having so much fun!

  And Lilah discovered the sand toys and buckets, so she was a happy girl too!  She loved walking around carrying all her shovels and getting her feet wet.  She even loved getting in the water and didn't mind when it splashed her!  We definitely have beach kids!

  

  And I was in heaven sitting in the sun, playing with my sweet little family, eating yummy ice cream, and just being together!  I'm so thankful that James was able to get away for a few days and that the weather was nice for us and that we got to do these things we love as a family.  So fun!!!