Sayonara Summer of 2014!

Nothing like eating popsicles on a hot summer day

Posing by the sunflowers we planted by seeds...one is finally blooming!

Sweet Baby Caroline at just 1 week old

Great Grandma Anderson and Cousin Chase admiring Caroline

We didn't see pirates this cute at the Blackbeard Pirate Exhibit

Just like his shirt says, "Monkey See, Monkey Do"

Crazy how my last blog posting was over Memorial Day weekend and here I am posting again Labor Day weekend.  Summer of 2014 zipped by faster than any summer I’ve experienced; this truly must be a sign of getting older.  Speaking of getting older, Tim and I both had birthdays over the summer to celebrate: my 33^rd and his 35^th.  We also had our 13^th wedding anniversary on August 25^th.  We celebrated our anniversary earlier in the month of August by taking a trip down to our favorite vacation spot: OBX.  Although it rained the entire weekend we were there, we still enjoyed exploring all of Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island.  Tim’s parents (Grammie Pam and Papa) watched Chase and Gabe for us as it’s a rarity we get time to ourselves with our busy work schedules.  As crazy as it sounds, we were almost happy it rained while we were in OBX as it forced us to do things we normally wouldn’t do, like spend more time sight-seeing while driving on the island, shopping, trying out different restaurants, and even attending a Jars of Clay concert (it just so happened they were playing in Manteo the Sunday night we were on vacation).  Time is fleeting, so I’m thankful Tim and I were able to see past the dark clouds during our vacation and still make the most of it.

Unfortunately, that August 3-day vacation is long gone and we’ve been back to the grind for a month now.  Work has been unusually hectic for us ever since we returned from vacation with Tim and me both working long hours.  I’m thankful we’re both off from work today to enjoy the Labor Day holiday.  We had one last day at Smithfield Swim Club; it was a bittersweet day as the pool emptied its freezer to give out free ice pops knowing that kids wouldn’t be there to eat anymore until next summer.  However, I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that we survived another summer season. 

Chase reached so many awesome milestones this summer! He can now ride his bike without training wheels.  He can also somewhat swim; he’s surely not an Olympic swimmer, but he’s leaps and bounds better than last year.  We enrolled him swim lessons in early June and it helped him get over his fear of being under water.  He can now swim under water and go down slides.  We still need to work on his surface swimming, but again, we’re proud of him for as far as he’s come in one summer.  He’s also learning how to play soccer on the Isle of Wight Parks and Recreation League (I believe his team is the called the “Thunder”). His first game is next Saturday.  Go #5! He starts Kindergarten (K5) at Faith Outreach Education Center (FOEC) tomorrow.  This isn’t a huge shock for him since he’s been attending FOEC since he was 3 years old.  We’re excited to keep him at FOEC for another school year.  I’ve had many people ask me if we’re going to put him public schools eventually.  My current response to that is we’re going to pray about it and let God pave the way one year at a time. 

Since my last posting, Gabriel is still not blooming as much as I had hoped with his speech.  I had his speech evaluated at CHKD and it was confirmed that he is a little behind in his development; however, insurance wouldn’t cover speech therapy sessions for him since there is no medical reason to attribute his speech delay.  In other words, Gabe’s hearing is fine and he is on target with all other developmental skills for his age, so there is no medical disability involved—in which case, I’m beyond thankful!  So, I’ve taken the more laid back approach in not stressing over it and trusting that he’ll start talking when he’s ready.  He recognizes various objects, points frequently and can understand most commands.  In the meantime, Chase still does enough talking for the entire family to make up for whatever Gabe isn’t saying. 

On a sad note, we had to say goodbye to our almost 14 year-old yellow lab Dexter back in July.  Age had taken its toll on our beloved pet with several health problems continuing to compile and erode at his quality of life, so we knew we had to do the right thing and send him to Doggy Heaven.  Although it was painful to say goodbye, we’re relieved to know he’s no longer suffering.  Tim and I had Dexter cremated and spread his ashes at sea while we were on Ocracoke Island.  It was a peaceful and symbolic way to have our final goodbye since we used to take Dexter down to OBX with us all of the time when we were younger.  We’re nowhere near ready for another furry pet anytime soon, but we did get 3 low maintenance goldfish to brighten Chase’s spirits.

On a happy, happy, happy note (because I can’t end this blog on a sad note), many congrats to my sister Laurie and her husband Ken as they welcomed their sweet baby girl into the world on August 22^nd: Caroline Rae Stephens!  She’s healthy and beautiful.  I was able to hold her for the first time on Saturday.  What a blessing it is to have a newborn baby in the family again.  Although we let one family member go in July (because in my family, pets are considered family members), we were blessed with a new one in August.  “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21