summer wrap up and first days of school....

Here are a couple of photos of us with grandma and grandpa from our visit to North Carolina right before school started.

Isabella kept driving grandma crazy by taking toys to grandpa when she was asking Isabella to bring them to her.  It was almost like a game.  It was pretty funny! 

Aside from my insane summer schedule (working at the nature center / green building company / taking teaching test & classes) and Todd going above and beyond with watching the kids and juggling his work.... Mercer bumped around a bit too. 


















He went to several different camps this summer.  He was supposed to go to a taekwondo camp for 6 weeks, but after the first week, it was cancelled. Only Mercer and one other kid signed up.  the owner of the studio couldn't afford to run it with only 2 children.  Stinks.  We were really hoping that he'd have a "martial arts summer" and learn a lot about focus / discipline / self-control.

Instead, he spent most of his weeks at a nearby church camp (Here's his official camp photo from the beginning of the summer with only 1 tooth missing at the time... the camp photos from the various activities throughout the summer which used to be on the church's website are gone now). 

Once a week, they went swimming.  They would take another off-site field trip during the week as well (such as roller-skating / a splash park / etc.)  Mostly, they played games, produced art, and did Bible-related activities.  Mercer said his first week that he read the entire Bible.  The whole thing. every word.  :)  At the end of the summer, the kids got up on stage at the nearby church that hosted the camp and sang a rap version of the 10 commandments.  Mercer kept saying he wasn't going up... he'd just watch. But - by the time the other kids were going up -- he went up there with them!  It was fun & we were proud of him for going up on stage in front of 1500+/- people in the congregation.

His last week of summer, we surprised him with a week at LEGO camp (it was a bit of a splurge).  He learned a little bit about floor plans and elevations, actually, as the guys that were running the camp used them to direct the teams to build houses.  He had a good time, but was a little frustrated that the team with the older kids kept winning the prizes each day and the "big prize" at the end of the week.  I kind of have to agree that they should've diversified the teams a bit instead of grouping by age.  Maybe the older kids' challenges were harder?  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=783008718411136&set=vb.414111485300863&type=2&theater
We found a video clip of one of his builds.


The day after we got back from our quick visit to North Carolina, we went to the elementary school open house to meet his teacher and see his classroom.  Later that day, Mercer and I did some fun stuff on his "official" last day of summer.  (Going out to lunch and to a splash park afterwards.)  Mercer started school on August 6th....  He's now in 1st grade.  Here's a photo from the first day.  Leading up to school, he didn't seem too excited.  But - having gone to the open house the day before - he really was.  He's having a good time so far (except for doing homework).  There was one day he had fun doing his homework:  he "wrote" his sight words with his finger in a plate of sugar.  Other than that, it's been tough getting into the swing of things. 

Isabella was NOT happy to get up early in order to walk with Mercer up to the bus stop.  (as seen in this crying baby first day shot below!)  She - unfortunately - can no longer sleep in every day like she used to.  She started going to daycare full-time a few months ago.  (Mercer started going full-time when he was 18/ 19 months.  She was around the same age when she started going full-time as well.) 

She has been able to sleep in / I would go to my green building consulting job late in the mornings.  Now, however, she will have to get up early two days a week, as I am teaching school at a nearby "hybrid" school. 

I had my first day of teaching school this week!  (Here's a first-day "selfie.")  I'm teaching Physical Science to 2 groups of 8th grade girls, 2 groups of 8th grade boys, and a mixed class of 9th - 12th graders.  The school in which I'm teaching, Johnson Ferry Christian Academy, follows an interesting model.  The kids are in class 2 days a week and at home 3 days a week.  Some have told me that parents send their middle and high-schoolers there to avoid unsavory things that happen in public schools in the upper grades.  I've been learning more about the exceptional athletes, however, that attend because of the more flexible schedule.  Some of the students apparently are on their way to the pros or the Olympics.  I don't know who they are yet, but that's kind of cool.  I can see the value of an alternative education in that case. 

Isabella is 21 months old now.  She's at an adorable age.  She has a sweet sweet voice.  And - she talks a lot!  We can't understand a much of it, but some stuff we can.  She also gives the *BEST* hugs.  Her little arms wrap around your neck and she squeezes tight. My heart begs her to never let go!  She lights up when you walk into a room.  If she's in her crib - she stands up with outstretched arms.  If you walk into the room from the front door for instance, she will run with outstretched arms saying "mommy mommy mommy" or "daddy daddy daddy!"  (Mercer used to do this too).  I hope that never stops either! :)

Mercer had already moved up to the toddler room by this age when he was at the same daycare.   Isabella doesn't quite seem as ready - but it will happen soon.  The lady in the infant room is an angel -- I would love for Isabella to stay longer if they would let her!  (I think she is required to move up by 2, so her days with Ms. Angela are numbered.) 

People keep telling us to hold on to these days.  Baby / toddler / Kindergarten / elementary school... that they are the sweetest days.  We are tired, but we ARE enjoying them immensely!  

Remembering Aunt Sandra

We went to North Carolina in April.  For some reason, something made me push to see Aunt Sandra.  She was working - OK - let's go visit her after she gets off of work.  Not off of work yet?  We'll come back.  We did.  We ended up having dinner with her - which was the last time we saw her. 

I mentioned our visit in the blog post from April -- confessing that we did not get a photo with her that trip.  I wish we had a photo.  At that point, she was already suffering and in pain from a tumor in her brain - however she did not know what was causing the pain.  That next week, she went to the doctor and found out about the tumor... what had been causing her pain.  She went through chemo for awhile, however, treatments were stopped and she was admitted to hospice shortly after.  Mom, grandma, grandpa, cousins Tracy and Mandy were there visiting her almost every day while she was in hospice.  Her co-workers went to visit her a lot too.  She made a mark on a lot of people.  She had a lot of folks around her and felt a lot of love.

Here's a photo from the end of May that mom took.  She's seated with cousins Tracy (across from her), Mandy (next to her), Grandpa (across), and grandchildren Cooper and Caitlin (leaning on the tree).  

She always worked so hard.  She laughed a lot.  She loved her grandchildren so much.  They meant the world to her and she spent a lot of time with them.  I remember times with her during the summers that I spent in NC.  Roller-skating in the basement.  Spending the night there with my cousins.  Playing games.  Watching cable.  Eating junk food.  Riding our bikes to the store nearby.  Jumping on the trampoline.  Taking a beach trip with her and "the girls."

I remember her like this more recently (pulled from previous blog posts).  Even though the photos are goofy (especially the last ones with the funny teeth), they capture her spirit.

"Fun" Aunt Sandra. Willing to be zany.  Acting crazy.  Loving on the babies / grand kids in the family.  Making others laugh.  Spreading joy.

She always went out of her way to visit us when we came to NC and even come for extra visits if she could squeeze it in.  She made our little family feel very special.  We have a spot in our hearts where we will remember the fun times we had.... remember her fondly.  

There was a nice write-up the paper:

Sandra Nunn Lawson passed peacefully on Friday, July 25th. She is remembered as a kind and peaceful person who loved her family and the simple pleasures of life. She had a great comedic wit and infectious smile.

She was the proud Grandmother to Cooper Lee Jones and Kaitlyn Clontz. Her grandchildren gave her much fulfillment and joy. She enjoyed crafting and was a skilled bookkeeper. In her younger days, Sandra was awarded the annual Randolph County Basketball Player of the year award while playing for Liberty High School.

Sandra was married to Roger Lawson, for over thirty years, who predeceased her in 2003. Sandra leaves her daughters Tracy Clontz, of High Point, and Mandy Jones, of Greensboro, to cherish her memories. Surviving Sandra are her parents, Melvin Cornell Nunn, Sr. and wife, of seventy-one years, Inez Simpson Nunn, of Liberty. Also remembering Sandra's gentle spirit includes her siblings, Gloria Ann Moore, of Liberty, Mel Nunn and wife, Erika Nunn, of Staley, and Edward Nunn and wife, Rhonda Nunn, of Randleman.

Sandra's family is conducting a private service at her request.

_____



We are honored to have had the opportunity to have spent as many of our days with her as we could.  I'd say that she had a life well-lived!!  xoxo

Our little family's summer vacation

Todd and I were wondering why we take the kid(s) to the beach year after year.  There is NOTHING relaxing about young children and water!  Actually - there was about 1/2 an hour of relaxation on Todd's part this trip (see photo).  1/2 an hour.  That's it!  :)

These smiles say it all, though!  In the end - it was worth it.
















Isabella was nervous at first to get into the waves.  Later... she was fearless!  She would get knocked down, but still absolutely loved it!

She also had a lot of fun playing in the sand.  It was interesting to watch her as introducing each new item:  bucket + shovel.  Water.  Make a sand bucket tower to smash.  Add watering can and watch the water sprinkle the sand.  After an introduction of each activity - she would practice that new skill over and over and over again!

Mercer was pretty into the waves as well -- wanting to ride boogie boards most of the time we were at the beach.  (no pics of this)  He was constantly active when not in the waves too -- playing paddle ball.  Wanting to go for early morning bike rides.  And - in a lazy river loop at the condo pool - he was swimming lap after lap after lap instead of floating on foamy things like the majority of people there.  He's like the energizer bunny!

This trip, we rented a tandem bike for Mercer to ride.  He still needs a little help on the bike, so we thought this was a good way to do it.  The first few trips, he leaned over a lot - making both riders unsteady.  After awhile, he got the hang of it.  Mercer had a *FANTASTIC* quote while riding bikes one morning.  After I told him it was hard to petal a bike on the sand, but we should try it anyways..... he yelled out after awhile "hey mom - I'm smiling this big because we didn't think we could do it -- but look at us.  We ARE doing it!"  I had to stop the bike and ask him to show me that big smile again.  

Mercer and I took another early morning bike ride at one point - to search for a letterbox stamp.  This sculpture is in a park that we drove by several times.  I'm glad the clue led us here and we got to explore.  The man (Charles Fraser) was an early developer on the Hilton Head Island.  Supposedly he was written up in the New Yorker in the '50s for walking an alligator across the golf course. 



We spotted a real alligator several times in a lagoon that we bicycled by every day.  We saw turtles sunning there too.  And... we saw a long-legged white bird (a tern?) sitting in a different lagoon quickly dipping his beak in the water over and over again.  After a few tries, he caught a fish!  (I'm really glad that Mercer and I stopped to observe the wildlife while we were riding.)

Isabella did great on her first series of bike rides.  (Mercer bawled the first time he rode -- he hated the helmet.)  Isabella didn't seem to mind.  She rode in the back of a "toter" along with towels, beach toys and boogie boards.  She was pretty patient considering she was crammed in there with all of the stuff!  She actually fell asleep on the short ride home from the beach a number of days..

Hilton head was quite crowded.  We really missed our low-key Edisto beach trips.  but there were some things that HHI had that Edisto does not:  a giant playground for the kids and pirate putt-putt golf.   It is interesting that the tree that is low to the ground is one of the most popular things to climb on at the playground despite all of the equipment that's there!


Todd won a free game of putt-putt because of a hole in one in his first round.  He and Mercer played a 2nd round after our family game was over.  Isy didn't play, but I got some nice pics of her while the boys played.  (Here's a good shot of Mercer without his two front teeth.) 

She is wearing a dress that Aunt Tonia brought her from Greece last summer. 

We took a couple of day trips to escape the crowds.  One was definitely remote!  We took a ferry (courtesy of some former neighbors) over to Daufuskie Island which is between HHI and Savannah.  The boat ride was nice.   We even spotted some dolphins on the way over.  

We spent a bit of time exploring the island via a golf cart - visiting some of the historic sites as well as the amenities of the community in which our friends live.  Isabella is such an animal lover and enjoyed visiting the horses.  Mercer thought they were smelly!  When we met back up with our friends, we went to the beach.  Between our two families and the other families that were on the beach... there were maybe 20 people as far as we could see.  (It was wonderful!)

Here is a photo (posted on our blog in 2008) of Mercer and Brody when they were babies.  















And.... here they are now!

Our other trip was to Savannah.  Things are quite a bit different with kiddos in tow.  The majority of the day was spent at a new children's museum that was built within and around the walls of some old warehouse ruins.  This campus is next door to our architecture building.

  They are all a part of a historic roundhouse complex which is one of the last in existence in the country.   Currently, it's only an outdoor venue, but the museum is fundraising for an addition / renovation inside one of the warehouse buildings.  Todd went to meet a client after awhile while the kids and I stayed to play.  

We met back up with Todd in the afternoon and explored some other areas of this amazing city.  We showed Mercer where we lived in college, where we were married, and River Street.  It was kind of interesting to share our past with Mercer.  Isabella just chilled in the stroller while we walked around.  Later, we met friends for dinner.  

Here's another shot -- this is one of my favorites from the whole trip!  (Look at that mouth full of teeth!)

And - I'll wrap with a family selfie from the top of a light house on Hilton Head.  (Promise we were at the top!!)

Despite the crowds, we are glad we went to Hilton Head... it afforded us the chance to visit some folks that we don't get to see often as well as check out the changes that have taken place in Savannah.  We may go back to the low country in the spring.  We'll see!