Digging for Crabs!

Last year we didn't make it, but this year we made it to the BEACH!! It was awesome! We went north this time to Rehoboth Beach, DE, which is where good friends of ours have been for several years, so we decided that if they like it, we would too! It is about 3 hours from here, so the drive was perfect.

We went with our good friends Molly, Justin and their boys Joshua and Aiden. Allie and Joshua had a ball all week together, whether it was at the boardwalk playing games and riding rides, digging for crabs on the beach, or just hanging out in the townhouse. Aiden loved Hunter, and Hunter tried to keep up with the big kids!

Hunter's 1st steps on the beach

This is Hunter, the 1st day in the afternoon!

This has to be my favorite of Hunter. Love this picture Molly got of him.

These were a few rides at the boardwalk.

Brian and I got to enjoy a lunch out without kids, and Molly and I had a girls evening out!

Allie loved the beach, she always has. Brian took her in the ocean everyday, and she played lots in the sand...digging for crabs mainly! Hunter's first time at the beach, he was a little skeptical, but warmed up quickly when we went back that afternoon. He loved the ocean. He would cackle so cute when the waves touched his feet. He would sit in the sand, but didn't want to use his hands to get back up. I loved watching them play! We had a blast this year, and I can't wait to go back next summer.

Hello T-Ball....Bye, Bye Bottle

Everyday, the kids are changing and growing up so fast! Just thought instead of writing a post about trips, I'd write about how my babies are growing up!

Allie has had a great summer. She has been to pony pals camp, where she got to ride and feed ponies, a few gymnastics camps, and vacation bible school. All of which she loved this year. This summer, Allie completed a summer reading program through the library. She had to complete 16 out of 20 items listed for her age group, and she would receive a free book. We worked on it most of the summer, and she received her book a couple weeks ago.

Allie showing off her completed reading list from the summer reading program!

She's now taking showers, instead of baths, which is nice for Brian and I. Allie is now a swimmer, at least in the shallow end. She puts her head under and will swim all over the shallow area. Maybe next year, we will move to teaching her to go in the deep end without her swimmies. This summer, she took an interest in t-ball. This started when she wanted to play with the 7 and 8 year old boys down the street, who were playing ball. She's a good little hitter when we pitch to her in the back yard. She wanted to play t-ball this fall instead of soccer, so we are giving it a try. She just got her first baseball mitt and we have been practicing with that each day. Kindergarten starts in just 13 days. She has picked out her backpack and is ready!

She can go all the way across on the monkey bars.

Hunter is walking all over the place! He loves his lovie monkey. He can clap, and his newest love is giving you a "high five." Today was the 1st day that he didn't have a bottle at all. So, I packed them up! Wow, no more bottles to wash! Hunter loves to eat, but is picky in some cases. I believe it's the texture of food. He likes things he can chew, more so than softer foods. This week he ate beef enchildias, but I can't get him to eat a slice of cheese! Hunter babbles, and might occasionally say dada, but nothing consistent. Soon, enough I know he will say Mama. :)

Hunter with 2 of his lovies! He usually carries one, but always carries it in his mouth. He also sleeps with it in his mouth.

He loves the swings!

Swish!

More from up North!

I posted a couple weeks ago that we recently took a road trip to Maine. Well, here's more about our trip! It took us 2 days to get there, each day driving 7 hours. We stopped in Conn. overnight, on the way to Maine. Sky came along with us, for this adventure too. She was an awesome dog in the car. Guess she likes to travel as much as the kids do. Mimi and Papa Tim, also went to Maine, however, they did the drive from VA to ME in one day! On the way back we got up early and were on the road by 6:15am, hoping to make it home in one day. 16 1/2 hrs. later we arrived back in Ashburn!

We had lots of fun with family. We went to Aunt Raine's camp on the lake for the day, swam in the pool at the motel, Allie spent one day with Aunt Tracy, and even had a sleep over at her and Uncle Alan's house without Brian or I. We visited Great Great Grammy Hilton, and also got to hang out more with Aunt Raine, Uncle Harland, Kristin, Ethan and Ashton. Ethan and Ashton are Allie and Hunter's 2nd cousins. It was the 1st time they have all been together and I loved watching them play. Ethan is almost 3 and Ashton is just a couple weeks older than Hunter. We loved our visit with everyone. Now, you all need to come to Virginia!!

Allie's tattoo from Uncle Alan's tattoo shop.

Alan and Brian off on a Kayak adventure

Allie caught a fish.

Great Grammy Curtis and Hunter

Ashton and Hunter

Best picture I got with the 4 cousins. Too bad Hunter had a ball in front of his face. Keeping 4 kids ages 5-1 still for pictures wasn't easy!

Uncle Alan and Aunt Tracy with the kids

Papa Tim and Hunter

Mimi and Allie

1 to 100

About 5 years ago, when Allie was just 7 months old we took a road trip to Maine, so that lots of Brian's family could meet her. We especially went to visit Brian's great grandmother who was 95 at the time. Well, this year, we again took a road trip to Maine. This time, introducing Hunter to lots of relatives AND so that Brian's great grandmother could meet him! That's right, Great Grammy Hilton is now 100 years old. We were able to take a 5 generation picture with the youngest person being Hunter at age 1, and the oldest being the kids Great Great, Grammy Hilton age 100.

Pictured: Great, Great Grammy Hilton, Great Grammy Curtis, Mimi Bonnie, Alan, Nikki, Brian, Allie and Hunter = 5 generations