Last Days of Summer

Grady's school has an extended school year, so he basically went back to school in the middle of the summer. It certainly felt like summer (and still does) here in SC. But for Anson, who started school right after Labor Day, there was some more summer fun in store. Grady got to pretend it was still summer on the weekends too.

Anson did go for a meet the teacher, which was fun. Mrs. Jordal was Grady's first teacher and will someday be Camille's too, hopefully.



Anson and I also fit in a fun zoo day!

Anson adores his big bro and tries to be just like him. Do you see a sign of that in this picture?



The super loud monkeys that Ansy loves



Trying to stay cool in the misting area



So handsome



Lions!



Giraffes



In the playground



Snakes



The giant pig



One Saturday Eric decided to help us knock an item off our summer bucket list by bringing the boys to a natural swimming hole




















We also made it to the Farmer's Market a second time (you would not believe how badly they wanted to go back). These pictures show just how much my boys love mascots of any type





Another day we went downtown just to explore and splash a bit











And recently Eric helped us with yet another bucket list item - hiking at Paris Mountain




Anson checking out a model of some sort at the lodge



Daddy isn't a big picture-taker, as you can see. I've got a bit more summer fun to share, coming up!

Back to School - Grady

Grady started kindergarten at a new school this year! He is going to Five Oaks Montessori, a beautiful school that is housed in a 100 year old farmhouse on 10 acres of land. So far he is loving it and making lots of friends. He was so excited on his first day!

Here he is with Cami, who is chewing on his new pencils



With our back to school banner



Being silly



Showing off his backpack






He was so excited and came up with the idea of jumping for this picture



On his new classroom!



For an idea of how well he is doing in school, here is a recent email his teacher sent...


What can I say about Grady?  He brings a wealth of knowledge on every subject and has an unmatched enthusiasm for every new lesson.  Grady is a great friend, polite and kind to all, and is always helpful and reliable.  He is a wonderful role model for younger children.  I look forward to that great smile of his every day!

Have a great day!


We are so excited for this new adventure in his life!

Family Beach Trip - Last Day

The last full day of our vacation was also our 10th anniversary! We started the day with a nice trip down to Harbortown with the boys while Cami stayed home with Nana and Papa.

They have a great shady playground there











Anson loved all the boats



They were looking for more "life" since the tide was way out



The lighthouse!



We all climbed every step - even Anson!




We made it to the top!



What views!





Such a fun morning!



That day we went to the beach and then got to go out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary at the Jazz Corner. It is an awesome restaurant (rated #1 in Hilton Head) and both dinner and the live entertainment were awesome. We even got a shout-out during the show and a gift from the restaurant (a cd of their most popular acts). It was a great night!

We had such a fantastic trip. The kids were all very good, and Nana and Papa helped out so so much, which allowed us to have a true vacation, even with 3 kids. We had so many great experiences and made so many memories we will treasure forever.