Thursday, October 23, 2014

square one

a valiant effort

midfield daydreaming

post-game muffin break

going on an adventure

after some trepidation, matty now loves the lake

silly faces on little jamaica island at the lake

happy birthday mommy!

riding in the "spaceship"
this guy leads the pack

cheering his brothers on from the sidelines


learning to play golf

run run run as fast as you can...

having friends down to the lakehouse (max, davis, elliott and peter)

1st grade buddies
Chief at Peter's 1st grade pet show


selfie!     


 The boys had Fall Break last weekend and we decided to skip town for a much needed change of scenery.  Change the scenery we did.... we trekked to Gatlinburg for a weekend in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Foliage, bears, hiking, Dollywood, mini-golf, aquarium, and a cabin with a hot tub.  It was a huge success that we will hopefully turn into a tradition.  Hayes plans to take a picture with the kids at each state's highest point.  One down, 49 to go....


smoky mountain sunrise

these curls!!

let the lessons begin...

our big boy

our little middle

"caBOOSE"
Welcome to Dollywood!

brotherly love

relax much?

hard to know who had the most fun

picnic fun

there's no telling

taking care of his little brother on the kiddie rides

double waving as he passes me by...

At Newfound Gap, taking in the sights


Hiking up to TN's highest point, Clingman's Dome -- Note he has one in the backpack and one hanging on his front
The first of many hikes along the Appalachian Trail
At the top of Tennessee, hanging out in the clouds
Little Red Riding Hood

Poor Matty spent most of his time picking himself back up

After hard work, extra effort and a little bit of traffic luck, Peter became a National Park Junior Ranger

This fall has been jam packed and the winter is shaping up to be just as busy.  We started basketball this week, swimming continues with a mini-meet in the next few weeks, and Peter is asking to learn the piano.  We are excited about Halloween festivities in the neighborhood and at school, not to mention Thanksgiving in South Carolina. 

I confess that posting here gets more difficult with each week that passes by; I don't know where to begin sometimes.  Yesterday I looked on our mantle and we have a book for each year's blogs for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.  I haven't taken the time to transfer 2012-2014 yet, but something tells me I could fit them all in one volume! Adding it to the to do list...

Thursday, August 21, 2014

mccall and jay


About twenty two hours before her wedding, I realized that I have known the bride for over half of her life.  That factoid should not have surprised me as much as it did.  It occurred to me that while Hayes and I "grew up" together, Callie was right there with us the whole time.  Although, admittedly, I think she was more grown up than either of us for a while there.

Moments after his "first look" at his bride, a few hours before the ceremony
McCall and Jay Lurie


The wedding event itself was a remarkable day.  It could not have been scripted any better.  Everyone was beautiful and happy and drama-free.  It's not my story to tell, but it was a very special day.




the bride's boys



In the interest of posterity, I want to document what I said (and meant to say) when I toasted McCall and Jay at their rehearsal dinner.  It's editorial, of course, but it is very important to me that the boys read it and hear it even when I'm not around to tell them.

In this life we are given one family at birth; a family that molds and supports us as we grow.  I am one of the lucky ones who can still stand mine thirty years later.  Then there is the family that you choose.  Ten years ago, I chose this family and it remains one of the best choices I have ever made.  They are great fun, delightfully close and fiercely loyal.  Jay fits right in like he's been around forever.  He has proven his integrity, loyalty and legendary thoughtfulness.  He clearly recognizes that it's a privilege to be a part of something so special, and we are thrilled to finally welcome Uncle Jay into the clan. 

McCall with the first boy who ever asked her to marry him

a month(ish) in captions




a man to man chat

This is what I call a playdate!

"Bay! Bay! Iluh! Bay!" (Baby! Baby! Lilah! Baby!)

Davis finally met Lilah, his godsister (is that a thing?)


Lonely at the top
Quickie 60 hour visit in Louisiana - lots of Frozen singalongs

The Great Appliance Apocalypse of 2014 continues.  I now have EPIC capacity in my washer and dryer.
Lego Camp gained a new fan this summer!

Davis's creations from Day 2
All smiles on the plane to Texas


The big boys visited Nanny and Mr. Tommy's  Circle C Ranch in Texas - harvesting vegetables...
watching a cow get milked...
playing with sheep and kittens...

exploring, exploring, exploring...

fitting in a little target practice...
shelling beans - the easy way...


enjoying the cowboy life.

Clearly they inherited their daddy's sense of style

Peter's 7th birthday party at a rock climbing facility was a huge hit.  Operation Avalanche was complete with camo bandanas and personalized dog tags and for all. (Note: this is Avery, my future daughter-in-law. I have been informed that their wedding will take place when they are 25 and Panera will cater with PB&J and macaroni and cheese.  Her dad is a huge fan of this plan.)

I think we wore them out sufficiently.

What's a 7th birthday without a volcanic eruption?!


:)