Seaside

There's just something about the ocean, isn't there? We were so blessed to take the boys to Seaside, Florida for a week. Michael and I, along with our 3 loud and rowdy boys, traveled with some dear friends and their 3 quiet and sweet girls. Yes, we were a bit nervous about this combination, and I will admit that there were definitely moments when I wanted to lock our boys in a closet, but all in all we had a great time. Some of the girls' sweetness rubbed off on our boys......But I think the boys had a bit of an effect on the girls as well...
Seaside is the most perfect little beach town. Our "cottage" was right on the beach and in the center of town. It was so great to step out the back door and walk just a short distance to the beach......or to get a treat...Just so you don't think we were living in complete luxury, here's a picture of the room that the 5 of us shared for 6 nights...Beautiful, isn't it? But small and even smaller with 3 little ones. This photo was taken before the 5 of us and our 500 bags moved into the room. You can see the pack-n-play wedged on one side of the bed for Graham. One of the boys slept on the floor and one in bed with us (this was a 1st for us!). It was tight but so worth it.

The first couple of days were unseasonably cool so we just hung out in town......and explored the beach...It quickly warmed up, and we were able to spend the rest of the days on the beach. I don't know how to even begin choosing pictures to post - I'm embarrassed to admit how many there are. This might take me a while.

The boys were a bit timid at first.But trust me - they warmed up quickly.
I should have said that Levi and Ben warmed up to the water. Graham, on the other hand, enjoyed being more of an observer. He was definitely more comfortable being in my arms or playing in the sand. Ben, particularly, was a fish. He could have spent all day in the water. He had a smile on his face the entire time. It was so much fun to just watch him. And Levi loved the water too. While we expected him to be very cautious, he was actually quite comfortable in the water. I think he was "fighting the waves" in this picture (oh, and this was on the last day when it was VERY windy so the waves were a bit scary and the air was filled with sand, which made for very hazy pictures!)...
We had a lot of fun having picnics on the beach and playing in the sand.
Michael definitely had a lot of fun too.
We spent one morning hanging out in Rosemary Beach and visiting the Sugar Shack where the boys stocked up on, well, lots of sugar!...
We went out to the beach one evening before dinner and tried to get a few pics.I just love this picture... Probably our favorite activity was taking family bike rides around Seaside and Watercolor. It was so fun to ride around and explore the towns - we could have moved there in an instant. The kids really enjoyed it too, although I don't think they were admiring the architecture like me. Seriously, just look at these gorgeous homes on tree-lined brick streets. Ben was hilarious riding on the back of the tagalong. That kid just cracks me up. He and Michael are so much alike! They thought "no feet" was pretty funny. And bike rides were a great way to get in a little afternoon nap. As I've been looking through all of these pictures I've realized that the pics look like everything was just perfect all week - everyone was happy and we enjoyed every moment. Ha! This picture probably better represents the week...It was actually a tough week for us. The kids all had a virus, and that combined with less sleep and small quarters led to very cranky kids (& parents). There were many times when we wondered why on earth we were there. Sometimes adventures like this don't feel worth it at all. But I know the boys don't remember all of the struggles. They don't remember all of the whining and crying. To be honest, I don't remember much of it either. We all do remember the good times, though, and that makes it all seem worth it.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the plane rides because four plane rides with a 5, 3 & 2-year old is always a lot of fun! They all did great, and it was actually pretty non-eventful, although trying to convince Graham that he needed to stay in his seat with his seatbelt buckled was a bit difficult. He consented, and I couldn't get over how grown up he seemed. The way back was a bit more difficult because the boys were completely exhausted. This sight could not have made me more happy...
That's all. I'll be back soon for a Halloween update!

I haven't disappeared!

I have had several people ask me what happened to my blog, and I haven't had a good answer. I guess I'm not sure what happened to it. In fact, I'm not sure what happened to my time the past 2 months. I was going through all of my pictures and realized that we've had a lot going on since school started. So here's a quick update and maybe an explanation of why I haven't had much blogging time (if anyone is still reading!).

We took a quick trip to Wichita over Labor Day weekend to visit family, and the boys had so much fun at a small amusement park.
They LOVED the go-carts. Levi rode with Daddy, and Ben rode with Uncle Steven. Something tells me that the big boys had just as much fun.
I felt sick just watching them on the tilt-a-whirl. We all had a great time hanging out with the family all weekend. Here's the boys with Papa right after bathtime...We also got to celebrate Daddy's birthday. Of course, there was some wrestling. Why can't the boys just sit still and keep their hands to themselves?! Ben and Aunt Casey...Levi with Daddy, Uncle Steven & Aunt Jes...

Someone in our family turned 2 on September 24th...
I can hardly believe Graham is already 2. I have no idea what happened to the past year. We celebrated on the 24th with cupcakes and a few presents.
He doesn't like to get his hands messy so he just dives right into the cupcake. No hands needed!He loved his personalized Sesame Street book. He still reads it every night.
That weekend we celebrated Graham's birthday with Grandma, Mimi & Papa and my sister and her family. Graham is a big Sesame Street fan so we had a Sesame Street celebration.
The kids had a great time playing outside together, eating pizza, and of course, eating cake and ice cream. I had a lot of fun making his Elmo cake... He had some help blowing out the candles. And he used a fork this time...
He got to open a few more presents...I think he liked having some toys all to himself, although I don't think it was very long before he was ripping them out of his brothers' hands.
Here I am with my 2-year-old and his very serious face...
His smile is pretty sweet too.

We had to say good-bye to some very close friends and neighbors a few weeks ago. It was so hard to see them leave. Things just aren't the same around here without them! Here's Levi with his buddies Davis (in the middle) and Timmy (on the left) on one of their last play dates before they said good-bye to Timmy. It's a good thing Wichita isn't too far away.

We have spent most of our weekends at the soccer field watching Levi and the Cowboys. Levi has absolutely fallen in love with the sport and has so much fun playing. It's fun for us, too!

We visited the pumpkin patch on the first weekend of October. We go every year with our community group and it is one of my most favorite activities of the year. I just love fall and everything that goes with it. Here's our attempt at a family picture. (Can you tell who was NOT cooperating?)Playing on the hay bales...Picking out our pumpkins...In the corn maze...Watching the pumpkin launcher...

We have also been remodeling our kitchen the past month. It has been quite the process. We had Leroy, a painter, in our home all day everyday for about 12 days. I am so happy with the outcome - we absolutely LOVE it. I'll post some before and after shots soon - I promise!

Levi had his first field trip a couple of weeks ago - they went to a local pumpkin patch. I got to go along, and it was so much fun to watch Levi with his new buddies.

We just got back from spending a week at the beach in Seaside, Florida. We had the greatest time! I would post pictures here, but there are a ton and I haven't even looked through them yet. I think the trip will require it's own post so I will do that soon too!

Lastly, I've also been doing a lot of research about this...
As of today, I am gluten-free. Here's a bit of history about why...

Last fall I developed this awful rash on my knees and elbows. I tried to ignore it, but it kept getting worse and spread to my torso, arms & feet. A few months later and it was almost everywhere. I finally went to the doctor, and our first guess was psoriasis, but after a few biospsies and blood tests we discovered that I have Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH), which is basically a fancy word for a gluten intolerance. This came out of nowhere. As far as we know, there is not a history of any gluten allergies or autoimmune disorders in my family. I immediately went on a medication that quickly took the rash away but also left some big side effects. I had my blood monitored weekly for several months and then moved to every other week. This drug can not be taken long term so in the back of my mind I knew that I would need to be gluten-free at some point.

At first, going gluten-free was too much to even think about. I was mad and annoyed. The thought of it completely stressed me out. No more bread, cookies, cake, pasta, etc. Ugh. But God has done a huge work on me and right now I can honestly say that I'm not that bummed about it. I know it will be a lifestyle change, and it will definitely take a while to get used to. There is a lot to learn and a lot to think about, but I know it's simply not an option for me to ignore this any longer. It gets a bit difficult when I think about the foods that I won't be able to have for the rest of my life, but there are also a lot of foods that I CAN have, and right now I'm choosing to think about those.

Gluten is a really tricky thing and is a secret ingredient in the most unlikely places. Did you know it's in almost all canned soups? It's also in things like yogurt and sour cream. People who are gluten-free have come out of the woodwork, and I have had lots of support and advice. I am so thankful to be getting some great inside tips. My prayer is that I will be able to go off the medication sometime in the next 6 months.

OK, that's it for now. I'll be back soon with a recap of our Florida trip and pictures of the kitchen remodel!

My life purpose has been defined

A few days ago, as I was getting Graham out of his seat after lunch, I made the comment that I seem to make after each of this child's meals...

"Graham, you sure did make a mess!"

To which Levi commented...

"Moms are the cleaner-uppers, dads go to work and kids play and make messes."

At least everyone in our family has a well-defined role.

Look who's in school now!

Today was another milestone day (they seem to be happening often these days). Ben started preschool! For the past few weeks Ben has told anyone and everyone that he's going to be an "eager elephant". He thinks it's pretty cool to be in a class named by his favorite animal! And he was really excited to find out today that the class mascot is named "Elliot", which is Ben's middle name!

Ben was more than anxious to go to school today, especially since he now gets Levi's old Thomas backpack. (sorry for the squinty eyes - the sun was so bright this morning!)I tried to take him in the backyard where there was more shade, but I couldn't get him out of this fake smile mode.
He has a great teacher and lots of good buddies in his class so Ben went into school and the classroom with a big smile on his face! Doesn't his teacher look like she's a lot of fun?!
I think it's going to be a great year!