OH - IO!

If you're not from around the Buckeye State, well, let me clue you in... Anyone who IS knows that when someone says to you, "O-H" your immediate response should be "I-O." Allow Lear to demonstrate:

So now that you're in the know, let's proceed with a photo re-cap of the 3 weeks the kids and I spent at my folks condo. Avery calls it Oma & Opa's castle and it's not too hard to see why...

 

We cooked up a batch of homemade playdough.

Took a tour of the American Whistle Corporation (the only metal whistles made in the USA and used by NFL, NBA, etc).

Went on a movie date with my Dad.

And a theatre date with my Mom.

Spent an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens checking out their annual butterfly exhibit.

Watched Monarch butterflies on a 3D Imax documentary too!

Hated his first jelly donut, can you tell?

Reminds me of a certain ad campaign...

Spent many an afternoon in the pool.

Matched outfits.

Took important business calls on calculators.

Naps. Lots of naps.

Snapped a series of "selfies" on Mom's phone for her to find later. Much later.

Contemplated serious sculpture at the art museum.

Played a round of mini-golf (Lear had to be relegated to his stroller after stealing everyone's balls off the green).

 

Plus there was time spent splashing in the city park fountains, dinner with my new sis-in-law, boardgames, cookie baking, library storytime, the zoo, and much more. Summer at Oma & Opa's is always the perfect mix of fun activities and time to kick back. Thanks for having us!!! (and doing our laundry and cooking our meals!)

Hey you,

"O-H"...

Hitched, Ohio style

The event Avery had anticipated all year finally arrived: her debut as a flower girl.

Otherwise known as my brother Casey's wedding! And what an event it was.

First things first.

All dolled up and ready to rock the aisle.

Let Lear finish napping in his carseat (air-conditioned and supervised, of course) or wake him for a family photo op?
Easy choice.

I didn't get any great pictures of the church service. Apparently I was too busy trying to force-feed a wiggly, cranky toddler goldfish crackers in an effort to contain that tantrum I could see lurking just under the surface.

The reception, however, was held at the bride's childhood home - 21 acres of the most beautiful Ohio countryside I've ever seen.

Seriously, perfect.

Meet my new Sis-in-Law, Cammie! Casey and Cammie Coe... doesn't get any cuter than that.

Every little boy's dream come true!

They have chickens, goats, and real tree swings!

The big Coe family (my dad's siblings & a handful of my 11 cousins).

As the evening continued there was dinner, cupcakes, and dancing. With our bare feet in the lush grass we spent magical time relaxing with family under big shade trees.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

But that's where the blog version of this wedding story ends. Because some things are just better left under the big white tent!

(except for this gem... sorry dad, had to do it!)

Best-ies

We may have moved 2,730 miles from Avery's bestie, Cheyenne, but it just so happens that we are now located a short hop north of the beach where the Goodnight gals vacation twice a year. Well, isn't that a spectacularly convenient coincidence*!

No time like summertime for an East Coast reunion... we just love this crew.

  

*I do not believe in coincidences. Praising God for His sense of humor and grace in the friendship of two little girls!

 

Countryfication of Two Yuppie Kids: Part 2

Avery's Antics 4.2

"Do crabs pee?"

"Mom, what's a home birth?"

"How do you say penis in Chinese?"

"My life is so hard. I have a really rough life."
"Avery, you do not have a hard life. You have clothes to wear, food to eat, friends to play with, and a family that loves you. Why is your life hard?"
"Because I really wanted those princess spaghetti-o's and you wouldn't buy them for me."

Holds up a quarter - "Mom, is this George Washington?"
"Yes."
Holds up a nickel - "And is this Hamilton Wrinkleknees?"

"I wish we could marry our brothers. I just love him so much and I don't want him to leave and marry some other wife."

"I totally pissed out."
"Excuse me?! What are you talking about?"  
"In the car... when we were driving home last night. I was really tired and pissed out in the car."

The Countryfication of Two Yuppie Kids

toad from The McNeils on Vimeo.

Getting Settled

Virginia Beach is not San Diego.

The weather is not gorgeous all the time and there are more bugs, BIG bugs. There are no palm trees and very few freeways. You can't drive 1/2 a mile without stumbling into a stripmall and the terrain is mostly flat.

Life is slower here. Life is simpler here.

Part of that is due to the fact that we know very few people in town. And with no kids in school, we have no place we "have" to be on any given day.

Honestly, that's been nice. No rushing, no busy-ness.

Accomplishing the mile-long-new-house-project-list is slow going with two kids in tow.  Avery did help me paint the kitchen, though. I think her self portrait is spot on!

And, while I was hyper-aware of the wet paint, making sure no small hands tracked blue high-fives to my furniture... I failed to notice Lear sneaking upstairs to leave his own mark on our brand new carpet. (Of all the WASHABLE markers Avery left out, how did he find the one gigantic permanent sharpie? Wait, why was there a sharpie in her stash in the first place?!?) *sigh*

Avery did, however, use her art supplies to draw this stunning portrait of me sailing. I just told her to go draw a picture of me and this is what she came up with. What a joy she didn't come back with a picture of me doing laundry or sweeping the kitchen!

Avery views me as a sailor, but my son will be sure to keep me classy. Every morning he finds these red pumps in my closet, brings them into the bathroom, and insists I put them on - as if I could totally handle a "mom-day" wearing those bad boys! As Matt says, "At least he's not wearing them!"

 

We've had lots of time to run through sprinklers,

check out the Atlantic shoreline,

and rainbow-gaze.

I get this distinct feeling that this will be a marvelous place to grow up. Whether my kids are building forts in the tall green trees, catching those big bugs in mason jars, or peddling their bikes fearlessly around this nice flat neighborhood, they will find joy in the little things. The air here is clear. There is room for growing healthy imaginations. The handful of new people we've met have opened their homes to us like old friends.

Virginia Beach is not San Diego. And I'm strangely ok with that.