let the countdown continue!

I'm going to be exhausted before we get there... it's a J-O-B getting things prepped to be gone from the kids for so long! Nothing big, but writing out their schedules and where stuff is and emergency info, and... and... and... They will be in great, loving hands though, so I know they will be fine.

Beautiful Friday morning!

What a beautiful day it is so far - about 76 outside - a wonderful reprieve from our upper 90's (and one day 100!) earlier in the week. Our neighbor passed along a sand and water table that their son had outgrown, so Brian and I scooped it up this morning and the kids have not made a single peep since they laid eyes on it! They are having great fun; I hope they continue to play nicely with it today. Thanks Hamill family for the hand-me-down - we are already in love!

10 years ago today...

was the beginning of a beautiful relationship! Brian and I went on our first date on this very day 10 years ago - dinner at Jack Astor's and the movie Shrek. I told him I had to be home early so that I could go out and celebrate my girlfriend Meredith's birthday and he had me home by 11ish I believe. I wasn't so sure about him after that first date... we got the fajitas for two and he grabbed some of the cheese off of my plate without asking when he had eaten all of his and then he laughed out loud - really loud out loud - during the movie - how embarrassing! :-) Oh the things I used to worry about.

Some things have changed, like me not worrying so much and some things haven't, like him still eating off of my plate without asking, but it's been a lot of fun along the way! And if nothing else, I have the best 3 little people in my life because of that date.

At the time of this posting, this is the earliest picture of us that I could find... I'm thinking this is football season 2002, a year after we had been dating.

funny blog links

Friends on Facebook had posted links... I read both and thought they were both funny as all get out. I don't know the bloggers personally, but if you have kids and want to laugh, click away. If you don't have kids and want to laugh at my current situation on some days... click away!

http://www.suburbansnapshots.com/2010/06/10-reasons-having-toddler-is-like-being.html

http://myeffingcookbook.blogspot.com/2011/06/grocery-store-drama.html

Happy Birthday Grandma T!

What a fun weekend!

We didn't seem to really do too much, but we had the best weekend just hanging out around home and enjoying each other's company!

On Sunday, we loaded the kids up along with a picnic and headed out to RDU to watch the planes land and take off. This was so much fun, everyone loved the picnic and Naylor was in heaven watching the planes! After that, we headed home for a nap (which was nice and long!) and afterwards we went down to our pool. This was another fun trip - Naylor and Lalon (with all of their flotation gear) swam around the big pool. Brian tested out our snorkeling gear to make sure it was still in good condition for our trip and Whitley Ann took her first dip in the pool as well. I didn't think to take the camera to the pool, so I missed Whitley Ann's first time... next time!

It was just a fun weekend - hope to have many more just like it!

Last shuttle launch

Just minutes ago, the space ship Atlantis made it's final launch, for both the shuttle itself, as well as the space program through NASA. I remember growing up watching launches at school, with the most memorable being when I was in kindergarten and watched the Challenger explosion - I sadly vividly remember that...

Today's launch was successful with the shuttle being in orbit in approximately 7 minutes. Naylor and Lalon watched and did the countdown and Naylor very enthusiastically yelled, "Blastoff!". Just moments after he said, "bye boys; be careful". As I was walking from the den, the news was replaying the launch and I could hear Naylor saying to Lalon, "look Lalon, a rocket - pretty neat". I just wish he would be able to remember it himself when he gets older.

Here's the AP report - more for the kids' sake years from now.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. — The space shuttle Atlantis launched into orbit Friday morning, marking the last flight of NASA's 30-year space program, despite concerns of a delay because of bad weather.

"We do have a shot at this today," launch director Mike Leinbach assured his team earlier Friday.

Commander Christopher Ferguson gave a thumbs up as he was strapped in after sunrise despite the still-iffy launch prospects. On his way to the spacecraft, Ferguson had jokingly beckoned for more applause, clapping his hands at one point. The astronauts posed for pictures before boarding.

Atlantis holds a year's worth of supplies — more than 8,000 pounds — for the International Space Station.

An estimated 750,000 people were expected to jam Cape Canaveral and surrounding towns for this final shuttle launch, reminiscent of the crowds that gathered for the Apollo moon shots.

Among the expected VIPs: 14 members of Congress, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, four members of the Kennedy family, two former NASA administrators, singers Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan, and the first shuttle pilot of them all, Robert Crippen.

By 6 a.m., cars and RV were packed into almost every available space along U.S. 1 in Titusville, with cameras already trained on the launch pad in the hazy clouds across the Indian River. Many had planted chairs and staked out viewing locations just feet from the water. Some were still cocooned in sleeping bags as the sun rose.

Kenneth Cox, 25, an airport employee from Danville, Ind., joined three friends at the riverside. Hauling Lucky Charms, fixings for s'mores and a bottle of champagne to celebrate the launch, they slept off and on as the sun rose.

"It's the closing chapter of 30 years," said Cox, who went to Space Camp when he was in the fifth grade and has been enamored with the shuttle program as long as he could remember.

"I definitely think it's a somber attitude out here, because it's the last one," said Cox's friend, Simon Lin, 26, who works at Walt Disney World in Orlando. "It's brought so much to the tourist industry in Florida, and that's what we are. Closing it down, it's going to be sad."

Cherie Cabrera, 23, a Disney World employee, tried to explain the attraction.

"It's just powerful," she said. "There are so few people who have the ability to go to space, and for all of us to be here on the river, watching it launch and feeling it rise and feeling the wind, you feel like you're a part of it. You feel connected."

John and Jennifer Cardwell came from Fairhope, Ala., for their third attempt to see the shuttle launch. Twice before they made the trip only to have a flight canceled and they weren't able to stay. They brought their sons, Isaac, 6, and 3-year-old Eli.

"This is our last-ditch chance to see one," said 38-year-old Jennifer Cardwell, cradling a sleepy Eli in her arms just after dawn. "This is the end of an era, and I wanted to be able to experience it. My son is interested in space and science, and I wanted to encourage that.

"It's that last frontier, that last place left for us to explore," she said. "We've gone all over the world, and this is what's left."

NASA must launch Atlantis by Sunday or Monday or it will have to wait until at least July 16 because of an unmanned rocket launch scheduled for next week.

The 12-day mission will close out the space shuttle program, which began with the launch of Columbia in 1981. Atlantis will join Discovery and Endeavour in retirement, so NASA can focus on sending astronauts to asteroids and Mars. Private companies will take over the business of getting space station cargo and crews to orbit.

Once Atlantis soars, it will be another three years — possibly five or more — before astronauts blast off again from U.S. soil.

This will be the 33rd flight for Atlantis and the 135th shuttle mission overall.

"Everybody should be really proud how we've ended and just finishing strong," Mendoza said.

Paint Can Drinks

Leslie and Jason introduced us to this fun time in a can over the 4th weekend. I'm not a huge vodka person, but you couldn't even taste it; seriously. However, that can lead to other problems as you may not notice how much you've consumed until it's too late... Enjoy!

Paint Can, Leslie and Jason Darden

• one paint can, cleaned and/or new; I'd suggest new. You can also just use a pitcher, but that's so oridnary
• 1 container frozen orange juice
• 1 container frozen lime juice
• 1 container frozen lemonade
• 1 can or 16oz bottle of Sprite
• 2 cups vodka
• 1 cup Peppermint Schnapps

Stir ingredients together and serve chilled.

Beach photo shoot

Dustin took some really great pictures of the kids and me while we were at the beach this weekend - I thought they turned out really great. Grandpa Pat and Grandma T gave me and Brian a gift certificate for a canvas 16 x 20 picture, so I'm thinking I will use it for the picture of the 3 kids with Lalon standing.

THANKS DUSTIN!!

Naylor thought he had to hold both girls; Lalon didn't like that idea - look at her face!

They loved running up and down the beach here

4th of July Fun!

Cousins! Lalon, Lincoln, Naylor and Anna

Miss Priss

Mr. Cool

Naylor, Lalon, Whitley Ann and Brian enjoying the beach and a snack

Annie and Robin

Brian, Robin, Dustin, Leslie and Jason pre-Buddy's

Taylor and Robert

The boys cooking up the shrimp - yummy!

Ava James going for a ride with her glasses on - too cute!

As is tradition over the past 6+/- years, we headed to Wrightsville Beach to spend the long weekend with some family. And as is another tradition, there was tons of food and fun - and this year, toddlers! We have certainly grown over the years and there are more air mattresses and pack and plays than when we began, but it's a lot of fun. I grew up with my cousin Leslie (just a little less than a year younger than me) and there were times growing up that she was sometimes more a sister than a cousin - oh the memories we've made together! It makes me so happy to see my kids, playing along with their cousins Anna, Ava James and Lincoln and I hope for them, they are as close as we were growing up.

This weekend proved again how close we all are and how much we enjoy each other - we could sit in the driveway or on the back porch and just talk and re-tell stories for hours - and we do! Another 4th tradition, Uncle Craig cooked up his famous boiled shrimp and Annie made her awesome crab cakes - Leslie and Jason shared a new drink recipe served from a paint can - fun all around.

The kids enjoyed the beach, but Lalon was a little scared of the water - she didn't want to get too close, so she and I just let the water roll up on our feet. Brian and Naylor were a little more brave and went out a bit, but not too far. While we were out on Saturday a crew of ladies came through and then made their way into the water - one without her top. Well, as you can imagine that made quite a scene for conservative Wrightsville Beach. The poor lifeguard that had to tell her to come in and get a top on, well... bless his heart. She didn't make a fuss, she came in and did as told. You'd have thought she robbed a bank though, here came Park Rangers, lifeguards and two Wrightsville Beach police officers - oh boy! So that was entertaining to say the least. Whitley Ann also made her beach debut and took a small nap - I think she'll be a natural on the beach next summer!

The kids (and by kids, I mean me, Brian, Leslie, Jason and Dustin) went out Saturday night to the local watering hole and had the best time - it was like old times for me and Leslie! We got home that night and had a 'dance off' in the driveway before our parents came out to quieten us down... we all felt like we were going to be grounded the next day - ha!

It was a super fun weekend and has inspired a new Naylor family blog with recipes and whatnot - it's just a start, still lots to work to do on there, but I hope to get on that over the next few weeks! www.backporchmore.blogspot.com

4 months of Whitley Ann

Whitley Ann - 4 months old

Whitley Ann's first time in the exersaucer; I'm not sure who's the most excited!

Our sweet baby girl is now 4 months old - wow! She's doing great and just the happiest thing almost all of the time (unless it's time to eat and she has no patience for a late meal - much like her mother!).

We went to the pediatrician this afternoon for her well check and got another good report. She's doing all she should and we'll continue working on rolling over for our 6 month appointment. We also got the green light to start solids when we felt we were ready, but by 6 months... I'm a little hesitant to start because it's the first big step in growing up and no longer being a baby.

Whitley Ann is rolling over both back to front and front to back, has great head control and is sleeping on average 10-11 hours at night. She's just the best and has brought us all so much joy - we love you sweet girl!

4 month stats:

• 14 lbs, 8 oz - 70%
• 24" - 50%
• 41 cm head circum - 50%

precious