I miss you Aunt Ruth

Monday started out as the normal memorial day/Monday. My mom stayed the day with us since she had the holiday off and was already in town for the party yesterday. The kids and her had lots of fun and made us biscuits from scratch before Daddy and I woke up. I got to play with my camera some and we all had fun just relaxing and hiding from the heat. The day was over in no time it seemed as Ami headed home again.

All was well and when Ami called a little after 9 I just thought it was to let us know she was home. I was wrong.

I could hear the knowing sadness in her voice and that slight shake of having to say something you really don't want to. I knew something was wrong right away.

My Aunt Ruth (my father's oldest sister) who is part of the reason for E's middle name, who watched me many times as a child, and is part of many of my favorite adult and childhood memories passed away Sunday night from a heart attack and was found Monday Morning :(

I'm still in shock she's gone even though I'm writing the post a couple days later and just adding it for Monday now (I couldn't get the words out before, it made it too real).

She is/was an amazing woman. She had so much love for everyone in her life and always let me know how much she loved and was proud of me. She was sweet as can be, always positive, but also stubborn and would call you on any nonsense. She put so much of herself into everything she did, her church, her cooking, her gardening, and of course her family.

She had the most beautiful garden in her yard as well as many african violets and other indoor plants, and many years grew fresh veggies as well. She definitely had a green thumb and more energy than many teenagers I know.

I miss her so much and keep thinking how we drove past her house a couple weeks ago but didn't want to surprise her in case she had company or wasn't feeling well so we planned to visit a couple weeks later. Now that's too late. The last time I talked to her on the phone she told me how amazing my kids are and to keep having babies because having a family was the best thing she ever did. I wish I'd had the opportunity to tell her we were, but I'm sure she knows and is watching over us still.

I am so blessed to have had her in my life and I know someday we will meet again, though right now I just miss her so much. I love you and miss you Aunt Ruth.

Playing around with my camera

And my new lens. Still figuring settings out etc. plus I haven't had my dslr out in a month (oops) since we didn't take it on our trip. Also disclaimer the uploader made them a little more pixelated though they're really sharp full size on my comp.

A party and a date

Sunday was a bit busier than we're used to but definitely a lot of fun as well.

The kids, Ami, and I started the day by going to our adorable cousin's birthday party. I can't believe this cutie is already 2. He and his little sis are such sweethearts. It was also wonderful seeing my aunt and other cousin's family, and meeting some of their friends. The party was at a kid's play Gymboree so C and J had lots of toys and indoor playground obstacles to play with and explore. E was also happy to explore, especially in and out of a mesh tunnel trying to get to the side Mommy was on :)

We had lots of fun and yummy cookie cake. It was wonderful and seemed over quickly though I know all the kids were already getting worn out a little.

After returning home the kids got to have lots of fun with Ami and Mommy and Daddy got the special treat of a date. We went to a Mexican restaurant that wasn't at all kid friendly lol and then hubby took me to the camera store for a new lens cap and ended up deciding I needed a new lens as well lol. I'm excited to play with my new toy though which is supposed to be much better for portraits with the kids I'll upload some of my experiments with it soon :)

We then went to Cowlicks for yogurt and home again. It was amazing how quickly time passed and we actually got home in time for the kids to have their dinner picnic style on the back deck. C and J couldn't stop telling me all the fun they had with Ami while we were out and E was asleep and greeted me with the biggest brightest smile on awaking.

Definitely a great day and also exciting that thanks to the long weekend we get to continue the fun tomorrow :)

This is what happens......

.....when an 8 month old doesn't want to take a nap and Mommy probably needs one and starts playing with her web cam lol. Still felt these were too cute not to share though :)

Trails and an Ibu Visit

Today was gorgeous out despite last night's storm so hubby woke us up bright and early for an adventure.

We went to the Silver Comet Trail again, this time taking both kids bikes (last time C's had a flat). It was the perfect temperature out with just enough breeze and humidity. There were also a few trees down across the path though which we had to avoid.

I wore E in the Ergo as usual and wasn't as good at keeping pace with the kids on their bikes and hubby at the front of our little train so we kinda split halfway through and J and Daddy were at the front and C, E, and I were at the back.

C is definitely a mini-Mommy as I've said before so she was very caring and cautious as always and wanted to wait for E and I to make sure she "didn't lose us." She also is a runner it seems. She often wanted to get off her bike and run a little ahead then stop and wait for us then run some more. She kept telling me how much she loved running to the extent that when I asked she stayed on the bike she moved her arms as if power walking (but on a bike) and told me to do the same saying "This is how you pretend you're running fast" LOL.

We met up with Daddy and J again before heading back and Daddy took the Ergo and carried E on his back the rest of the way back. It's amazing what losing 20lbs in a couple minutes did for my pace lol. It was a gorgeous day and we all finished the walk/ride refreshed as well as a little tired but that good kind of tired you get out after lots of exercise and fresh air.

We next went over to Ibu's house for a visit, swimming at her apartments' pool, and dinner after. This was our first time at an outdoor pool this year and seemed to officially start the Summer. The kids loved it as did hubby and I. It was definitely hot enough for it and C and J are getting better and better with their swimming efforts every time they get in a pool. I'm sure we'll be going back again soon.

Another Storm and a power outage

Yay for internet access again but a BIGGER yay for Power again!

Earlier tonight we were hit with storms and hail all while it was still surprisingly bright out. It hit the North Georgia area worse with baseball size hail there but it wasn't the funnest thing here either.

Thankfully just yesterday hubby found several flashlights because we needed them when the power went out for a couple hours. C and J were happy and content to play with the flashlights on the floor while E was more curious about the whole thing.

It seemed to pass quickly but with no power it was still longer than welcome. Having heard of several downed trees in the area I am very thankful once again God protected us and guided us safely through the storm. Hoping tomorrow and the week to come brings better weather for our friends and family locally and across the country. Definitely been a rough few months and I am often reminded even with the smaller storms like we had today how blessed we truly are.

I haven't forgotten you blog :P

Just a quick note. I haven't forgotten the blog and have kept up with lots of material from the last few weeks I will be updating with soon.

It's been a very busy fun and at points stressful time around here in the last couple weeks since Hubby graduated and we went on a long vacation (made longer by the house issues before we left). Definitely had a wonderful time and made many memories I will share here soon (hopefully can update tomorrow).

I also am having some comp issues right now (aka my comp crashing every 20 minutes of use) so that's impeding my posting too, hopefully can get that taken care of soon.

No big memorial day weekend plans other than celebrating the birthday of my adorable 2nd cousin D and seeing family there. I promise to update more on our Chattanooga adventures and Atlanta ones too since getting back.

Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe through the crazy weather out there!

Home and getting back in the swing of things

Though we've only been home two days now I don't want to fall into too lazy a routine so today we went out for a couple more adventures. We first went to Fired and Wired for pottery painting which we did a few weeks before E arrived and made some cups and tiles. The kids loved it as always and it was nice to bring E back for a visit outside the womb lol. She enjoyed doing some footprints as well.

We went to eat at one of our favorite spots Everybody's Pizza and then went home for a trail ride/walk. We brought both big kids' bikes to the Silver Comet trail but C's had a flat that Daddy needs to patch so C and J took turns riding J's. I wish we'd gotten some pics but the memories were definitely wonderful on their own.

It was sooooo hot even though it was close to 6pm so we didn't get as much distance in as we hoped too but hopefully we can come back soon and make this part of our weekly routine.

It was nice to have some adventures close to home after our time away and seemed to really get us back in the swing of being home and back in GA.

Tired and Happy to be Home

We left Chattanooga Sunday and spent Sunday night and Monday at my mom's house then finally returned home today.

I was a little weary of coming back after the issues we dealt with before leaving but all has since been repaired and my MIL was awesome and had the carpets cleaned while we were away. It was nice coming home to a cleaner house (despite some mess we didn't get to organize as well in packing since we had to leave so quickly).

We had a wonderful long vacation but are all glad to be home again and take a couple days to relax and regroup. We're going to try and keep up with our Summer activities and enjoy all the Atl area has to offer the next few months but it's also nice to just take a break and calm down for a bit.

I'll try and get to the vacation updates soon but with my comp acting up and just catching up on sleep at home (which for some reason is always so much more restful than sleep away) it might be a bit.

2/3 of a year for Miss E

E is 8 months old aka 2/3rds of a year old today! I've sad it more than a hundred times I'm sure but I'm still so amazed how fast time goes by with kids! E is getting sweeter and more fun with every new month and milestone. She has regained more of her independent streak this month with a break in teething and more food options. She has also gotten out of the warm up stage a bit, she'll still take her time with strangers but now recognizes the grandmas and other friends and family and seems to pick up more on my comfort cues around new people and if I know them she seems to be fine with them now. When it comes to food we haven't found anything she doesn't like though she does have some preferences given the choice. She also is still nursing in addition to the solids which we are very proud of.

Current milestone in progress is working on branching out with the steps more. She can manage 2-3 steps between items still, but loves crawling for the longer journeys and is a pro at it for sure. She's kept up the standing and is same main words as last month though she's branching out into other things. She's always looking forward to the next challenge and trick to attempt and surprise us and her big siblings. A couple of these are waving Hi and raising her arms if we say "Reach for the sky" (thanks to big siblings who like Toy Story lol). I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

At 8 months E is:

-Still my loudest little one and saying the same words I mentioned last month plus attempting several new ones

-Has a bad habit of going "Mmmm" for More

-Still very mobile cruising and crawling very quickly, as well as taking a few steps between things but not fully walking yet

-Standing independently for as long as she wants for awhile now (since 4/23)

-Still nursing while eating solids and loving everything she eats though has some preferences

-Loves playing with the big siblings still and is branching out pushing their buttons a little more and seeing how much she can get away with with them (amazingly she hasn't found the limit YET and still has them wrapped around her finger)

-Still a Mommy's girl when it comes down to it but realizing Daddy may be the more adventurous fun one and Mommy is for snuggles more

-Past the warm up stage for the most part, recognizing people she knows and those Mommy is okay with, still stand offish with strangers which is pretty much how C and J are now so I'm good with it

-Getting more blonde hair and still has sea blue eyes though whether they stay blue or go green is anyone's guess

-Can wave Hi, "Reach for the Sky", clap, dance, and other "tricks," all of which she thinks are hilarious and we enjoy immensely for sure

-Is getting prettier, sweeter, and more fun with each passing day and is such a blessing, even at her most challenging when she's laughing at us while we deal with her newest feat

The Chattanooga Aquarium and TN Strawberry Festival

We took a more relaxed day around downtown Friday and then lots of trips to the pool and then made up for it today with a long trip to the Aquarium. Though we have the nice new aquarium in Atlanta, Chattanooga's is the aquarium and I went to as a child and it was a lot different and still definitely worth the visit. My favorite part was the outdoor areas and Butterfly sanctuary where I got to actually hold a butterfly in my hand. C and J loved the turtles that were everywhere, the touch tanks, and of course "Nemo!" (aka every clown fish we saw lol).

After leaving the aquarium we went to the Strawberry Festival in Dayton. It was a bit overwhelming especially because it was the opening weekend which we didn't realize but there were lots of awesome food, fresh strawberries, and fun including a parade. We all went back to the hotel very full, tired, and a little sunburnt but it was very cool. We got dinner nearby the hotel and another pool trip in before bedtime :)

Children's Museum Meeting Long Distance Friends

Today we walked around downtown Chatt a lot and then went to the Chattanooga Children's Museum. I've got to admit this Museum makes the Atlanta one seem like nothing and I am very envious of those who are closer to it. Another exciting part of this trip was that I got to meet up with a friend I'd only met online before this. She was due with her daughter around the same time I had E but had her 3 weeks earlier and her son is about 4 weeks older than J so we have a lot in common. She was even sweeter in real life and C, J, and E made some new friends. I can't wait till she gets to visit us in Atlanta next :)

Rock City

Chattanooga Zoo

This goat stole the map out of my pocketAnd now the Dinosaurs: