FALLing Behind...

I'm SO sorry for taking this long to update my blog...thank you for all of the requests and inquisitions.  It makes this all that much more worth the while for me :)  I appreciate your interest and continued support! And since it's been a while, this will be a LONG one!

Welcome Fall!  The beautiful sight of the leaves changing, the nostalgic smell of bonfires in the evenings, the sound of fans cheering on their favorite football teams, the days growing shorter, and wonderful feeling of the crispness in the air, while I struggle to get my long runs in, as I prepare for yet another half marathon.  Yep.  Autumn is here, along with much needed rain (although it makes for some long, dreary days with a mom who struggles to find new activities to keep her little ones entertained indoors!)

Let me back up to August.  95 degree, humid days.  Pool and lake time.  Early mornings and late evenings.  Porch wine.  And my favorite part of August?  Griffin's birthday!  My little man is FOUR!  FOUR?!?!  He couldn't wait to turn four.  Something about four, to him, indicates that he's a big boy.  He insisted he grew overnight, and kept showing people how much bigger he was on August 9th, than he was on August 8th.  He is a big boy, and a big helper, indeed.  So very smart.  So very caring and sweet.  He's sensitive.  He couldn't be cuter.  He couldn't love his family more.  I am lucky to be able to call Griffin Miles my son.  I am so proud of the little man I'm raising!

Some of the "stats" from his 4 year check up, you know, for baby book reasons...

HEIGHT: 44 inches (90%)
WEIGHT: 40lbs (75%)

He has grown 3.5 inches in the past year!

We had, yet another, pool birthday party...poor Griffin.  The gift of a summer birthday.  Anyway, the kids all had a great time, and we had gorgeous weather.  Griffin was excited to tell his friends, again and again, that he was four.  I wish I could freeze time.  The kids are at such cute ages, with adorable personalities, and so innocent.  I can't believe both of my kids will be in school this time next year.  GULP...TEAR.

My little "mini-shoot" I did one morning...

Little Miss Reesie

Best Buds...Toley and Griffin

Marley and Reese

Sweet Father-Daughter Moment

Marley and G-Money

Payton, Marley, Reese, Pav, Reece, Stella's brother, Griffin, Stella, Charlie, Tolley

Happy birthday to youuuuuu!

Griffin had a wonderful birthday!  Thanks to the grandparents for being there, and to all of our friends who were able to join on a Friday afternoon!  

And of course, we've had more lake days.  More time on the surf and wakeboards, and more time playing and swimming.  I even competed in a wakesurf competition. Ah, how we love our lake life!

It takes a village....

Dad of the year! (Yes he is carrying a wakesurf board AND his baby!)

Multi-tasking

August is full of birthdays for me...one of my best friends turned the big 4-0 on August 15th.  She had 5 of us up to Asheville, for a girls' weekend.  We had A.BLAST!  Asheville is such a fun, quaint, and eclectic little mountain town.  Full of character and not lacking in things to do, see, drink, or places to shop.  Yep, I think Andy had the exact weekend she was wanting, and us girls had so much fun, we are going to make it an annual tradition!

What can I say...the horse was obviously hilarious!

I had an amazing time with these beautiful ladies! Elizabeth, Andy, PJ, and Kim

With my gorgeous friend, Andy...the birthday girl!

Then, out of nowhere, SCHOOL STARTED!  Payton is officially a kindergartner!  How did this happen?  Like school.  Real school.  With real homework and real school buses (I drop her off in the mornings, and she likes to ride the bus home in the afternoons).  We both love her teacher, Ms. Kilduff.  I have volunteered to be the room parent, and I'll be helping and working closely with the PTO.  I find that with parents who are involved with the school, and on a first name basis with the faculty and staff, the students are better adjusted and it guides them to have a chance at having a more successful school experience.  So I'm going to do all that I have time for in order to be involved!  

They are the "Winget Park Wolves."  Each week, the students have the opportunity to earn "Wolf of the Day."  This is awarded to a student who goes above and beyond the expected listening and following directions.  It's for someone who is helpful and nice to another peer, without being asked to do so.  Or doing something helpful, without direction.  After 5 of these in one school year, the student gets his/her handprint on the wall of the school.  Payton was awarded the "Wolf of the Day" in her second week of school.  Each day she strives to receive that award again.  What a great incentive!  She is doing so well, reading and writing, and learning all of her sight words...it amazes me what little sponges kids are!

Griffin is in his last year of pre-school at Sardis.  We are going to miss everyone there next year.  He is doing really well, and to be honest, probably could have started kindergarten this year.  He is so smart (is actually helping Payton sound out words with which she has trouble), can count to....well, until he gets tired of it.  I think 200 may have been his limit so far.  Can count to 39 in Spanish (only because I keep forgetting what "forty" is in Spanish).  He is reading Payton's sight words, and we read books together each evening.  He is amazing in math already.  I don't think he'll have any issues starting kindergarten next year!  He is doing Soccer Shots again, but seems to be ready to play on an actual team.  He wants to play soccer, basketball, baseball, and football (here we go.......)  Busy on top of busy!

First day of school 2015-2016 year

Our first selfie without Payton in the car (after we dropped her off)

One of her school rocks...and yes, she attends a uniform school (thus no cute outfits in her school pics..boo!)

 Griffin and I picked Payton up for her first 2 weeks of school.  This video was upon us picking her up on day one....she's hilarious!

First day riding the school bus...she LOVED it!

Me walking her in day one...thanks for the photo, Griffin!

Walking her in for her first day....SO sweet!

We enjoy our time together!  It's not often I get one-on-one time with either baby.

Soccer Shots!

With his little buddy, Nick

And here is Griffin singing his zoo alphabet song...so incredibly cute (and cuter when he actually slows down and sings it!)

Payton's friend, Anna, asked her to join a cheerleading camp with her.  They got to learn cheers from the Myers Park Varsity Cheerleaders, and the following Friday evening, they got to cheer at halftime! 

And Andy Dulin found me at the game...he was one of our Charlotte City Counsel, and a very funny individual.  He's my ski buddy and look forward to a very snowy winter on the slopes with him!

Getting ready for their halftime appearance!  Check out her performance in the video below (she is on the left side with a
cheerleader)

We had some more summer fun stuck in between the start of school and our annual OIB Labor Day trip...

With my ASU college buddies in Wrightsville Beach...Scott, Tiffany, JJ, (his wife, Jen), and me!  It's always great catching up with them, and it's always like we never skipped a beat!

With Scott and Tiffany's kids, on our way down to hop on the boat and go to the beach (island) for the day!

Diana and Roman invited us out to Anne Springs/Dairy Barn for an outdoor concert.  We had a blast, and managed to squeeze in some pictures! (of course!)

Girls' Night Out

Pool Birthday Party...Payton leading the way!

Typical trip to Target

A rainy Labor Day on the lake...but still all smiles :)

Riding the train around the Greek Festival

A little Sweetwater fun with Solace

This was 5 minutes after he told me he didn't need a nap...

Griffin and his girlfriend, Solace (I can't keep up!)

One of the prettiest sunsets I've seen....

This is down at my docks...the water is usually halfway up the rocks to the left (which aren't really shown).  Lake is down 5-6 feet...lowest.ever.

Out at Fahrenheit with my good friends, Brock and Laura, and Brock's cousin and her bf...spectacular views of the city.

I got my 2015-2016 K2 gear.  WHOOP!  A huge thank you to my sponsor, K2.  Now I'm ready for an awesome winter on the snow...come on, Mother Nature...give us lots of snow and cold temps!  #teamktwo

This is a red fox we keep seeing near our friend's house...apparently she has some babies too!

Enjoying one of the last warm days of the year....

Someone approved of his Saturday morning breakfast!

At Wylie's Wicked Wakefest, for the double-up wakeboard competition...it was gloomy, windy and COLD!  Much different than last year!

With his buddy, Braxton

A family selfie before going into church at Sardis

At Tolley's 4th birthday party...Pav, Payton, G, Tolley and ? (don't know him!)

Getting in the Halloween spirit

Payton and Solace...going on a nature walk at Lake Wylie

Labor Day weekend, staying with tradition, we road tripped over to Ocean Isle Beach.  We have been so lucky with the weather every year...this year, the weekend ended up a bit cloudy, but the water was calm, the temperatures were warm, and everyone had a great time relaxing.  And playing croquet!  Dad was de-throned by a new-comer...Kevin!  We steered clear of the sharks (or should I say they steered clear of us), and managed to walk away unscathed.  

Yippeeee!  We made it!

Grumps gave them each a dollar bill to "spend" at a store (and gave me a little extra, you know, JUST in case what they wanted cost more than a dollar ;)  They were so proud of their money....as you'll see.

G had had it with the pictures, at this point...

So we replaced him with Lauren :)

Happy birthday to GRANBY!!!

My beautiful 69 year old momma!  Here are some of the comments I got on this picture from Facebook friends....I look like her (what a compliment), that we are beautiful twins, that my mom is rockin' it, that I'm a liar and she is my older, 35 year old sister ( I like what he did there!)...either way, she is beautiful, inside and out!

The new champ...giving his acceptance speech (which was quite comical!)

I'll leave you with these images from the warm, sunny beach, as we move into the wet weekend.  Hurricane Joaquin is coming in with lots of rain...much needed rain, I just didn't think we would get it all in one week!  Stay warm.  Stay dry.  And stay safe!  Thanks for keeping up with my sweet little family! xoxo