Cousins Visit!

My sister Audrey and my mom came to visit this week with my nephews Jacob and Sam. They arrived in time for dinner Tuesday night and we planned a big day on Wednesday since they needed to leave Thursday morning. To say we had fun doesn't do it justice.

Our first stop on Wednesday--drive-thru breakfast from Chick-fil-A and onto Keeneland to watch the horses practice.

Jacob loved seeing the horses race, gallop, and walk by.

John enjoyed picking up trash and throwing it away.

Picking up trash together and stopping to watch the horses when they pass by.

Group picture (FAIL)

Next, we head back home for naps, lunch, and play.

After lunch, we headed to Old Kentucky Chocolates to tour their factory and get some treats. (Sweetie stayed behind with Sam, hence the reason why we have no pictures!) I think I've found a new favorite--all future visitors should expect to tour there as well! We had dinner at a (really) good Mexican restaurant--Mi Paquena Hacienda--and came home for a bath before bed.

Sweetie patiently watches the boys as they play together in the tub. Normal bath time--12 minutes and a few laughs. Cousin bath time--30+ minutes and too many laughs to count.

Jacob and John have fun pouring water on each other.

We had so much fun! John has been napping like a champ today since he had so much playtime and activity. The time flew by--we can't wait to see them again!

At the Beach with Gege and Grandaddy

After our time with Sweetie and Mush, we headed to Kiawah to spend the week with Grandaddy and Gege. It was also a fun week of relaxation and fun in the sun.

Making the drive. The keyboard was well received...for about five minutes!

Testing his new hat on the beach.

John loved being in the ocean. His biggest smiles came when the waves hit.

Dancing at Mingo Point

The phone calls continued at the beach as well.

Lots to see

Visiting Sweetie and Mush

John and I spent the last two weeks in NC and SC visiting the grandparents. We stopped first at Sweetie and Mush's for a nice week of relaxation, special privileges, and other wonderful things that being with the grandparents affords. (I even got a day in Durham to visit some friends and do some shopping at my familiar spots.) We concluded the week with a big family party, getting the chance to catch up with cousins and aunts.

John likes sticking his fingers in your mouth. He finds it most entertaining!

Sweetie lets John play with the phone.

Important conversations ensue.

Not sure about this life jacket.

I think someone loves the boat ride!

Still chewing on new things!

New Shoes

John's feet are growing like weeds so it was time for new shoes. I broke down and bought him some Crocs. I can see their appeal--they're light-weight, easy to get on, and quite cute on the little guy!

Obsession

John has been fascinated by our computers for quite some time. As a baby, he would reach for it and touching it was an early motivation to crawl. He received a "computer" for his birthday, but it broke soon after we took it out of the box. I bought one recently, hoping that he'd love it and play with it on our upcoming road trip. Our nephew Jacob had one and loved it, so I thought it would be a nice long-term purchase since it's purpose is to teach the alphabet and letter sounds. He started hyperventilating as I pulled it out of the box, and I knew it would be a hit.

The look of love

Working very hard

He gets excited and moves around the hall with it, pushing buttons along the way. Sadly, about thirty minutes into playing with his new computer, I notice a malfunction. When you press the letter keys, you no longer hear the correct letter name. "L", "E" and "J" are what you hear, no matter what letter you push. So much for that long-term toy! I promptly returned it and went for round #2. Thanks to our friends at Goodwill, we got a less sophisticated, but equally enjoyed keyboard.

Can you hear him gasping as he hits the keys? "Aduh! Ah! Ah! Ajuh!"

I must touch it, even when I need to stand up.

Ah keyboard, where have you been all my life?

Frankfurt

This past weekend, John's parents were in town and for a little field trip we headed west to Frankfurt, Kentucky's capital. I'd spent a lot of time as a child in Raleigh touring the state government buildings and even working as a Governor's Page for the governor in high school, and I've seen some other capital cities (Richmond, Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Charleston). Frankfurt is not like any of these! The capitol building is surrounded by houses, not office buildings. It is set near downtown, and looks a lot like the US Capitol Building. The governor's mansion next door was beautiful--I could easily move in. It was an ideal place to walk around with all the gardens and green space.

The shady sidewalk leading up to the capitol

The capitol up close

Taking a stroll on the mall

With Grandaddy in front of the Governor's Mansion

Exploring the mansion's herb garden