Now Welcoming House Guests....

We are having our first houseguest since moving here to NC. My mom is coming for a nine day stay. Hope she is easily entertained as I don't know my way around too much as yet!

Many people have asked about the house.. so I am posting a picture here so you know what it looks like when you come visit. No basement here .. but we do have a "bonus room" on the third floor. It's equipped with a bed and a full bath. And four kids who would love to see you!

You are officially invited as the Savage Inn is open for business! No excuses now Northerners!

Say Cheese!

Seriously... was there any other choice for a title?

This is what happens when you combine a toddler, processed cheese food, and a mommy trying to fold laundry.

Sigh.

Highcroft Hurricanes Swim Banquet 2010

We came. We ate. We sweated. (Is that the correct past tense?)

Despite a heat index of 111 degrees, the swimmers and their families attended a great end of the season banquet at Bond Park in Cary. The kids all received trophies with their names on them ... big stuff at this age. And... they got to watch a slideshow full of pictures taken throughout the summer. On the way home, we topped off the evening with frozen ice treats from Rita's. Our new family favorite - think differently flavored snowcones in a cup... only smoother.

Throughout the evening I kept thinking ...we didn't really even feel all that new anymore. Good times.

Prayers for Health

And so it goes.

The every day marches on ... bringing with it a host of minutia. Activities, schedules, commitments, fires to put out and dramas to stop watching all keep the mind on the smaller things. Then something happens to bring it all back into perspective.

In the past two days, we've had some fairly serious medical blips on our personal and extended family radar. I am reminded of a certain radiologist and what he told me back in my hospital days. "It only takes a moment for a life to be turned upside down." How right he was.

So, in the midst of the minutia - I am saying a prayer for health on the part of our loved ones. May they know the ways of our hearts, the strength of our spirits, and the power of our prayers.

Serenity Now....

It is 9:43 am and with coffee in hand, I am trying to go to my happy place. The "littles" are squabbling, I am "reliving" a committee meeting from last night that infuriates me, there is copious amounts of dry cereal on the floor, the organizational status of the house is nowhere like I'd want it to be, and we have an away swim meet tonight. On a school night... which means tomorrow may shape up to turn out ALOT like today.

So ... since I am looking at some "zen" beach pictures from last week, I thought others might enjoy them too. Calgon.....take me away.....

First Full Day of School for All ....

While Emma and Grayson started school on Friday, Claire had to wait until today as they have a staggered entry school system for Kindergarten students here. We now have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, and Kindergartner! And ... one in preschool!

The "bigs" were ready to roll ... and Claire was too ... last night. This morning she woke up with a bit of a tummy ache. I think her nerves were getting the best of her. Thankfully, we had purchased a (huge) bag of guinea pig food to take to donate to Lucky, their class pet. With pet food and princess lunch box in hand, it was hard to feel down for very long.

With all the school supplies, backpacks, and other extras, we had to take the wagon to school. At the end of our street, there is a backpath that leads directly to the school. From our door, it is literally one street over. That's nice. Especially because it is already 90 degrees.

They just look so big - don't they?

A Day at the Beach...

We took a day mid-week to take our first excursion to "the beach." The kids had been begging to go since we arrived here. Wrightsville is only two hours from here ... thought we'd take a day trip. It was 100 degrees so there were people there ... but we found parking and were able to spend about five hours getting our crevices filled with sand.

"The Bigs" immediately began to body surf and boogie board... while "the Littles" started out on the sand and moved more slowly into the waves. By the end of the day, we had to literally "go in after them" to put them in the car.

There is an aquarium 15 minutes south of the beach ... and next day we vote to spend the night so we can get more things in ... aquarium, ice cream ... and some shopping for the discriminating seashell seekers. Not that we had ANYONE who fought over who-got-which-shell. Not us.

A Special Kind of Bond...

exists between each one of the kids. Their bonds are strong, sacred, and as unique as their personalities. It is fun to see how they change ... how one may step up ... and another steps along side. Their relationships are, despite many changes, one of the truest constants.

Does that mean my house sounds like a Hallmark commercial? Hardly. I think these just about capture it. Underneath it all... I think they really love each other. Maybe. Some day.

North Carolina 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

We spent our first major holiday here with a pool party followed by a fun-filled night with friends on a cul-de-sac behind our house. Food, fun, and fireworks ... what more can we ask for? Thank you to all our NC friends for making today a special day for us!!!

What a Difference ...

four years can make. I was browsing through old pictures and found some from summer of 2006. Four years ago... we were living in Morton, IL with three kids. Claire was using floaty arms and a ring to enjoy the pool. Here were are in North Carolina (after a three year stop in Indiana) with four kids ... and Claire is swimming in three events in tonight's meet.

I remember that summer well ... and we never would have dreamt our lives would change in soooo many ways. How many new people we would meet ... places and experiences we would see. Not that we wouldn't have been content to stay there... but what would we have missed out on? What would we have gained?

One thing is for sure ... they are growing up so fast.