last day of july update

Someone somewhere has said, "The days are long but the years are short." This is especially true during the hot summers in Texas... which is why for the last 6 years we have gone to Pennsylvania for weeks at a time. (Well, that and to see grandparents and teach kids how to work on a farm.)

We got home at 2 am last Friday after deciding last minute to skip our planned visit to the St. Louis Arch. We were ready to leave Mark Twain country around 3:00 pm and someone (me) offhandedly mentioned that we were only 9 hours away from home and wouldn't it be nice to sleep in our own beds? It was kind of crazy (and impulsive--which I'm not), but we made it, and it is wonderful to be home. (Remind me--when does it cool down?) 

Auggie was not a great sleeper in PA, which means I was not a great sleeper, which means that I was tired, and therefore cranky. Happily, we have gotten back into a flexible routine and he is sleeping much better. (Thank you, son!) Actually, he has been a much happier baby this past week, which means I have been a happier mom. His fun personality is starting to emerge, and we are all completely smitten. He has recently discovered his hands, started batting at toys, and he even enjoys tummy time now. 

For the past 4 months we have enjoyed having a large field behind our home. It felt like we had a little bit of country and privacy in the city. Sadly, I think it's about to change. Yesterday some big, bad tractors showed up and they've been creating dirt mountains and what appears to be future roads. We will miss having these pretty sunflower neighbors. 

I also wanted to note that after 4 months of living in our house we finally hired someone to install ceiling fans. I resisted at first because I felt lame that we couldn't do it ourselves, but I'm so glad I caved in! It took the man about 3 hours to put 4 fans in, and he will come back on Saturday to finish the last few. Why didn't I call him sooner?!

6th annual summer road trip

I am blogging on my phone, in the car, somewhere in the middle of beautiful Pennsylvania. Technology is amazing! 

Auggie had an early 2 month appointment at 7 weeks since we were going to be gone all summer. A week ago he weighed in at 12 lbs 4 oz and he is 24 inches long. Big boy! 

He has done ok on the road, although yesterday we went to Gettysburg and had to cut our 2 hr audio tour short because he just cried and cried. We will have to go back again when the kids are all a little older. 

Anyway, I'm jumping ahead. We dropped Joe off in Washington D.C. for a conference, picked up my dad (who drove down to meet us), and then drove to Fenwick Island, DE, where we stayed at my aunt's beach house. 

Our first day there we went to Assateague Island, where there are lots of wild horses. They didn't seem too wild, but it was fun seeing them on the beach. The kids read Misty of Chincoteague as preparation. 

Everyone but Auggie had fun on the beach. 

Grant got lots of sand in his shorts and my aunt taught us how to do a "sand evacuation." 

Logan got pretty good at the boogy board. Those waves were quite strong and even I got knocked down more than once. 

Logan. I found it on my phone just now. (I was reading up on puberty and boys and was relieved to learn that muscle obsession is normal for adolescent boys. I'm not ready for teenagers!!!) 

He really is a happy boy most of the time. 

The kids loved kayaking and were able to go out on the water every day that we were there. 

Grant's arms weren't quite long enough. 

Madi and Logan got pretty good at kayaking and even went out to the bay a few times. 

We went to the local beach our second day (pics mixed in above), and on the third day packed up to meet Joe in Gettysburg. Everyone told us it was a bunch of fields and not very exciting to drive through, so we tried to prep the kids as much as possible by learning about the battle of Gettysburg as we drove across the country. I highly recommend the book, What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? We bought a self-guided audio tour, which would have been fantastic if Auggie hadn't been screaming. Our trip coincided with the 152 anniversary of the battle, which was neat. 

Little Round Top

Pickett's Charge 

We ate a late dinner at a random pizza place; good pizza, nasty bathrooms. 

We stayed the night in Harrisburg, PA, and then visited Hershey, PA this morning. I wish we had studied up on the history of the man and the town before we went. We took the free tour, which was lame, but at least we got miniature kit kats at the end. There is a lot to do right there if you want to spend money, but as a family of seven, that means a good chunk of money and the kids kept saying they wanted to go to Grandma and Grandpa's, so we skipped out of Hershey after an hour of being there. Maybe next time.....

Now we are on our way to the farm, where the high today is 72 degrees. The kids are excited to ride four wheelers, gather eggs, pick wild berries, and play with the dog and cat. Grandpa even told Grant that he could be as loud and crazy as he wanted (outside). Yay summer!!