Poppy and CC visit 4

Enjoying Gabrielle. 

Then we went out to dinner with some friends. The place had tons of banana spiders in the trees!

 At the restaurant....

Uncle J and his kids playing cards with ours...card sharks for sure!

Awww....siblings....

We took Poppy and CC to the horse farm. We were going to ride, even I was willing to get on, not being prego this time. But we were too late, and the trainer had gone fishing (so they said).

This horse, we already knew, has serious attitude. And sure enough we saw him get agitated and kick another horse in the jaw with his hind legs. It was amazing and scary, Sophia cried because it scared her. 

Showing his amazement.

We then ate lunch there

Oh look, he really was fishing. This is the horse trainer, I remembered him from Sophia's party. 

 Good food....including really yummy fresh lemonade

And back home enjoying the good weather and wonderful family.

The girls ready for school, looking like little Christmas gifts.

 Tobin enjoyed the morning times with Poppy and CC to himself (and baby G of course). They took Tobin out riding his car almost every morning.

Poppy and CC visit 3

 Dress up time. These girls really know how to dress up and play 'queen' and 'maid' and all sorts of cinderella wonders...

Our friends sent this dress. It is a 'rag' dress on one side and flip it inside out and it is Cinderella ready for her ball.

Here we are all looking at Laura's photo book for last year, the kids loved it.

Lots of this going on too...

Sophia loves to hold baby G and carry her around. The dress Sophia has on was CC's dress when she was little, I have probably posted it before. Soph loves to wear this dress! Our helper was amazed at how well made it must be to last so long.

Our family loves blokus, the girls really are pretty good at the game! CC practiced on them and then thoroughly killed the adults later in the week.

LOVE This...

 And this...

Poppy tries the exercise machines around our complex...

And CC comforts Bella after a fall...love these little moments...

Poppy and CC visit 2

One of the things Sophia was so excited about showing P and C was that she could make sugar cookies 'all by herself' and by that she means with a little help. I still break the eggs and help her measure a little. She is learning though...Here they are rolling the cookies into balls.

I love the intense looks by both Poppy and Sophia! They brought the girls bracelet making kits that they loved. But it did take a little video instruction. Poppy gets super cool points for listening, watching and going alongside the girls on this venture all the way! 

Bella too could loop the bracelets, with Poppy's help. Thanks for your patience and time with this Poppy!

 Let's just throw in a baby pic for good measure. Who does she look like? You decide.

Lots of this going on! 

We went to some of our favorite local restaurants. This one may look like a dive, but we have been going here for 8 years now.

The girls did attend school in the mornings while Poppy and CC were here, and we did a little homeschool too. They went with David to take the girls one morning and see their classrooms, etc.

 

This is Bella's classroom, Sophia is helping her get her chair I suppose.

View of the courtyard, where three new playgrounds are, no wonder they up the tuition substantially this year.

Sophia's classroom. Here she is getting measured for her performance uniform.

Practicing for the performance. They practiced every day! Then the girls would come home and practice more, they really loved doing these dances.

Bella out in front of the line.

After school they visited the best local bakery that we have, you can watch the folks make all the breads etc. from behind this glass. It is quite cool actually.

Poppy and CC visit 1

I am not quite sure how this series of posts will go. Poppy took over 1000 pictures, I am selecting just a few, by few I mean about 10 or so per post, and who knows how many that will be...

We had an incredible visit with them and were so thankful for the opportunity to share our lives with them on this side of the globe. The kids had a blast and were very tearful when their plane departed.

But here is how it started:

They beat me home! This was at about 3:30 or so in the afternoon, I arrived later that at 7:00 p.m. from Bangkok with Gabrielle.

 First moments, so precious.

Yep, for the first time ever, Poppy and CC welcomed me at our airport. And here is who they came to meet, sweet Baby G!

Alright already, what is all the fuss over me about?!

Days were spent showing Poppy and CC how they could ride bikes, explore, play games, read, etc...

This is in our apartment complex, we love this boardwalk! Those are actual houses in the background, huge houses...

One of my best friends is Canadian and has 3 boys, she sent me some clothes for Tobin, thanks Melissa, he wears them all except the UNC ones (David forbids it, when I said 'maybe' he said, 'would you like me to put our kids in Tennessee outfits?' umm..no, you win)

 Chatting while showing them the swing at the end of the boardwalk

I'm Here.

Yes, we are alive and well (most of the time). I have a zillion posts to describe all that has been going on...but...hmmm...living it just has taken up so much of my time.

I really do hope to give some highlights of the following, in due time:
-Poppy and CC's visit
-The (older) girls' school performances
-Tobin at 2 1/2
-Sophia at 6 1/2
-Bella at 4 1/4
-Gabrielle at 10 weeks

Until then here are some quick takes of what is going on now:

• Baby G has not read babywise, and, unlike my other kiddos by 10 weeks, is NOT sleeping through the night. She even will smile and coo at me in the middle of the night...and sometimes stay awake for over an hour...precious...but UGH.
• Sophia had high fever last week, and now it is Tobin's turn. He will not make it down the street to our Thanksgiving Celebration, we will have to tag team the event
• Weather here is perfect, about mid-50s in the a.m. and then up to 80's in the sun by afternoon. 
• Confession: our two lunch staples of late: 'convenient' noodles (Ramen) and PB and J, with green smoothies of course
• The only thanksgiving type thing I am cooking is Aunt Sara's Apple Cider. The other things I will bring to the potluck are: a roasted chicken, corn on the cob, and strawberry cupcakes (from a box, the frosting, packaged ), this is what I am mustering up.
• we are back into full on homeschool, and it is busy with all three that can walk needing to be doing something...not to mention in the middle I need to nurse! we do have somewhat of a schedule
•  The Florida Gators stink this year, but our kids don't know that, Bella and Tobin wear their gator Tees and go around doing the gator chomp...our friends watch a lot of football and their son keeps telling me how well Florida is doing. That is Florida State my friend, NOT  UF, but he is sweet to try to encourage me.
• we are only taking one school day off for Thanksgiving, don't tell the kiddos that it should be otherwise. For Christmas we may take 2 or 3 (smile).