moving time

So, we totally moved across the country!  My sister Christy gave me the GREATEST idea for staying organized for our move! It rocked! Since we have half our stuff in storage we cataloged everything so we'll know what box to look for what--and it's totally on a spread sheet so we can just do a search for it.  SERIOUSLY--great idea. So this was our garage before moving day!

I wish I would have got a picture of moving day (maybe we were busy or something though....) but my heart was so full of gratitude for our good friends who helped!  That's a long day of working--so so so selfless!  Thanks guys!

About an hour after we closed the moving truck up--the SKY OPENED UP!!!  For reals though, we had all our

 'we don't want to throw it away--but we don't want to move across the country with it either' 

stuff out at the corner and it was getting all sorts of flooded.  The man hole cover beneath the bins actually blew off.  There was a river going down the street!  It was awesome.

I LOVE the storms out here!
I feel like the thunder booming was a little goodbye present.
I loved that.

The Lindquist  made a candy board for the boys before we headed out. LOVED IT! (loved it then--AND as we ate it all the way on our route!)

We were blessed with some SERIOUSLY AWESOME friends and some SERIOUSLY AWESOME experiences while living in Georgia!  It's sad to say goodbye. We're so thankful for such a fun, happy, blessed time!  Game nights, girls nights, play dates, group dates.... Just a great time!

Aunt Jessica and Uncle Adam played a HUGE role in our Georgia life.  Love them!

We were lucky enough to see them a week after we moved...they couldn't stand to be away and flew across the country to see us again :)  It was a good thing too. Rhett was starting to miss his bestie Penny :)

Rhett and Penny swinging in mom and dads backyard

Okay--I digress--back to the moving experience.  We were soooooooo blessed because Jess' mom Julie flew out to help me with the drive.  (Jess drove the moving truck towing the car). Doesn't so look so nice and cozy :)  Sure there was a seat up front, but one of us was back there probably 60% of the drive.  

Andrea and Aubrey and Julie even made traveling binders for the kids! Full of scavenger hunts, fun facts about each state we drove through, books they had to go through to find answers to state questions, games, little toys...they're amazing!  

And really--the driving was a breeze. Sooooo grateful for Julie.

Tree climbing at a rest stop.

We stopped at the Gateway Arch along the way--so...it's pretty big right.

JUMP everybody, JUMP everybody, JUMP! er...okay--just the two of you--that's cool too.

Definitely the boys favorite part of visiting the Gateway Arch--ice cream.

The boys thought it was sooooo cool. Well....mostly--apparently we stayed a bit too long --cause then they were definitely done with being in the sun--and then they maybe didn't LOVE that we had a hard time finding the car on the way back...what do you do--ha ha!  I love Luke's face with all my heart!


But the overall feeling of the drive was so great. The boys loved staying in hotels, swimming in their pools, riding the luggage cart, watching movies in the car, listening to Junie B. Jones--(those books are a hoot I tell you!)

I digress again---I guess Jess didn't LOVE it...turns out his truck was super loud, bumpy--and giant.  Once along the trip he stopped to go to the bathroom and went into an area with the truck that didn't have an out--so he had to take the car off the carrier, take the carrier off the truck and move it, then turn the truck around, and reattach everything...that probably was not his favorite part :) BUT other then that I'm sure he had a blast.

4th of July at Fort Gordon

Happy Independence DAY!!!

So Fort Gordon does their fireworks show on the 3rd, and a group of us ladies (all our husbands were either working swings, mids, or tdy) got all our kids together and headed out.

I had a blast! First off--I had the genius idea for the location of our fireworks watch-ery.  The main place to go is packed with blow-up toys, climbing walls, booths of goodies and toys, bands, and SOOOOO crowded that it's tricky to even find space to lay your blanket.  It's insanity and SOOOO scary trying to keep track of your kids.

We didn't go there.

We went to the OTHER side of the fireworks. A giant field...were there's room for the kids to play with a soccer ball, eat otter pops and goodies, push each other in strollers,

Do crafts together (Thanks to Dantzel--she's AMAZING and brought supplies for all the kids to make 4th of July fans--she's so great!)

Play with Sparklers.

And NOT loose the kids.  I tell you--it was awesome!

Max totally rocked it too. He woke up for the fireworks and just sat and stared. We love him!

It was such a great fireworks show.  And there was even a new firework this year that I loved with all my heart. It was like a waterfall of glitter--mmm--loved them.  PLUS, Jess was able to take a break and step outside his building during the fireworks so he saw some too.

On the actual 4th, we went to a yummy pancake breakfast the ward did. Later that night me and the boys went to the Lindquists for some bbqing and then to the pool with them.  It was a great couple of days of celebrating.

I LOVE AMERICA!

Oh, and here's a picture from just the other day when we had the Rhodes girls, some of our favorite little ladies here in Grovetown, over for bit to play.

Upgraded our bucket pool!

So for REAL! Who knew these pools were only $25! Woo woo! Jess bought one the other day and it has been the best thing that has ever happened to the Winn household!  The boys are out there all the time and have so much fun! LOVE IT!  

Kade and Luke crack me up.  Kade had just pushed Luke in...

This was the beginning of the chokehold that went on for like a 30 minute play fight over the soccerball. Ha! Good times.

I mean yeah, there were a few shovels to the eye, or kids tripping as they ran to the pool, or bums that hurt from cannon balls into 20 inches of water...but what are backyard pools for? 

The Awesomeness of Summer Months!

Oh how we love the summer!

Here's a cutsie picture of Rhett at little Miss Paisley's birthday party. He surprisingly loved it...well, for a short time.  Then he was done--but he was happy long enough for a picture at least.  

"otay mommy"  I hear this all day--and I love it.  Also, I am currently loving when he sings, "I got my tight pants on" while scrunching up his face! Ah!  (from Jimmy Fallon and Will Ferrells skit on Saturday Night Live--we watch it with the kids up till 1:39 :)

Okay---so I probably get 5 pictures like this one each time I empty my pictures onto the computer. Luke just loves to do it.  He kills me!

Luke's quote of the month:

"MOM!  Ice Cream man!  I'm gonna get my pants on!"  (on account of he only had on his boxer briefs)

Rhett eating his breakfast cereal...with a glove obviously ?

Kade is SUCH a great kid with babies and little kids. He gets it from Jess' side of the family--they just love kids and are so amazing with them. I'm really glad he got that.  Anyway--he's a huge help around the house and is a first responder to anyone's cries.

Kades favorite things about living in Georgia, have been:

Tons of friends (like Nathan Conrad (from school), Rachel Rhodes, and Alex Nocchi (from church), and Brody Lindquist

Lots of delicious food like French fries, pomegranates, and chicken (he’s a carnivore)

            Everybody’s happy

            I like that it’s sunny most of the time

            I like that they’re like a million people in my class (when I asked him how class was today since they just combined, he said, ‘terrible, there were too many people and they talk too much…well, it wasn’t horrible, I just didn’t like it. J

What I’m excited about for Utah:

            SNOW!

            Living with my GRANDMA AND GRANDPA! “boo-ya”

            Hiking

            Being able to see family more often

            Being able to see the Salt Lake Temple.

Whenever it rains--these boys HAUL out the door to go outside to play.  (also--I know we look slightly ghetto because of the fence posts that are gone--Jess had just taken down broken ones but new ones are up okay--okay!)

Luke spends his money on the funniest things.  He decided to spend $3 on this bag of GIANT marshmallows.  And let's be honest--who wouldn't at that age! They're gi-normous!  The only rule was that he couldn't eat more then one a day. Ha--silly.

Luke's favorite things about Georgia: 

Only one more week until we move.  I am scared and happy cause I can play my ds until its out of batteries in the car for our trip.  Bad cause I’ll have to leave all my friends.  Like Bridger, Brody, and Ben and Mara.

 We have a 10 foot pool in the back yard.  We play in it almost everyday.  This summer has been good. I like playing in the pool, playing games, and sleeping in.

My favorite thing about living here is:

            We have lots of friends, like Daniel

            We have a big house

            We have lots of toys

            I also like the forest by our house

           

I’m excited for Utah because:

            We get to live with our grandma

            After Scott gets home from his mission I can show him my Pokemon collection

            I get a new class—cause I’m bored of my old school class.

 Max :)

 Garrett got on these rain boots, put some puzzle pieces in his Elmo tin and informed me as he headed for the door that he was going to work.  Well then...okay :)

Ahhh--just one of those evenings that the sky takes my breath away. I called everyone outside and we all enjoyed it together--pictures never do nature justice.  LOVE IT!.

For Fathers Day.  A few of us surprised our hubbys with a man date to Six Flags White Water in Atlanta.  Here's Jess, Adam, Nate and David right before taking off for the day.  Jess LOVED it and said it was 'epic'.  Lot's of lines, but he had so much fun.  Ahh--love water parks!

 Kade is such a great lego builder. His mind just creates such fun things. He created 4 creatures--then showed me all their 'upgrades'.  It was super impressive.

 Then he took those creations and combined them into one giant...creature.

The other night I went to tuck Kade and Luke into bed. Kade and I were talking about whatever…pokemon, or something, when he said, ‘mom, I’m scared about something’ and with small tears in his eyes he said, ‘I’m afraid our whole family won’t make it to the celestial kingdom.’ Ooooh, rip out my heart—he’s sooo amazing.  I asked him why he was thinking this, he said, ‘I try to repent to our family, but sometimes I forget to repent to Heavenly Father.’ 

Wow. I love him so much. I learn so much from that little man with his strength and faith and testimony of the gospel.  He truly knows and feels why were here.

And Jess turned the big 32. Woo woo. He did a great job with his candles, despite his old age.

Girls Weekend in Charleston

FUN FUN FUN!!!

So Jess doesn’t so much like the beach right?  We’ve lived here 6 ½ years and haven’t spent much time there (meaning we haven’t taken the kids there to play since 2007…) SO, some of my girlfriends and me got together to play for the weekend.  YAY!  It was sooooooo great!

Also, I’m totally still nursing Max, so he came with us and was a ROCK STAR! For realz!  So so so good.  Turns out when you have 5 moms and 1 baby, plus no set schedule babies are super easy J

Friday morning I got a babysitter-since it’s way cheaper to pay a sitter for 7 hours then for Jess to take an unpaid vacation day—plus the boys love her so that’s nice.

Here are our adventures:

We drove to Charleston, picked up Rachel from the airport, checked into our hotel and took off to the beach.  It was great weather and not very crowded.  

We read a tiny bit and talked a lot.  

Max slept for most of it but woke up at the end to take in the awesome-ness of it all.

Then off we went to dinner by the beach at Banana Cavana’s—We sat outside, I had the Mahi Mahi with a pineapple mango salsa and awesome mashed potatoes; I’m pretty sure they were mostly butter. Mmmmmm.  There was a live musician playing and it was the perfect temperature and was just so nice!

Then back to the hotel for more girl talk, hair, painting our toenails, and falling to sleep with their bajillion pillows.

Saturday morning we drove out to Charleston proper (we were actually staying in Mt. Pleasant). Jessica called to make us reservations which was so great cause turns out Memorial Day Saturday is in there top 5 busiest days of the year.

It was hop-n!  But we got there in perfect time, got 4 hours of free parking, AND got right out on our horse drawn carriage ride. Those homes are beautiful, and the gardens were incredible!!!

We stopped afterwards to do some  souvenir shopping at the market for our AWESOME KIDS AND HUSBANDS back home--great prices and cute cute stuff.

Side note:  (and GENIOUS IDEA that everyone should do!) 

I have a good friend who purchases a piece of jewelry as her trinket from cool places she visits.

Isn’t that the greatest idea EVER!  Who has a place for trinkets?  And I don’t buy jewelry hardly ever, so I think it’s genius—cause then you have this awesome memory every time you wear it—So smart.  (I actually didn’t get it this time..dumb..mostly I just kept looking for the fams stuff first and then we were done shopping-lame—but next time cause I LOVE THAT IDEA!)

We stopped for lunch—at fancy Chick Fil A—which has just changed my life because now I have tasted Chick Fil A sauce—MMMMM so delicious! (thanks to Shalynn for introducing the sauce to me :)  Then back to the hotel to change, and off to the beach again. 

This time the beach was super crowded, and the weather was a little different.  It started to rain…. Ha! Fun! We just waited it out, but the beach became quite a bit roomier after that. :) 

This time Chelsea and I wanted to play in the water! 

Such a highlight of the trip! I haven’t played in the high waves of the ocean since…ak!  Prolly Monterey I guess.  But it was sooooooo fun.  

The water was perfect. You know when it's too cold and you have to hold your breath as you get deeper and deeper?  There was no holding my breath or anything—just the perfect temperature!  Something about the power of the waves, jumping to miss them, being successful sometimes, other times failing miserably and getting a face-full of water J.  Jumping with the waves and being carried up weightlessly to the tip, digging my toes into the sand to no avail because the water is sooo much stronger then me, diving through the waves, coming back to shore and realizing that the waves moved you way past your starting point.

 AHHH! I love it all. I want to do it again right now.

And seriously, Max was sooooo insanely perfect for this trip on account of he still sleeps all the time.  Plus, he doesn’t wake up till like 8:30 so AWESOME!  He slept the entire 3 hours we were at the beach..through the rain and everything.  He’s so cool like that!

This is us trying to catch everyone in the air--Wowza! Turns out we failed...a lot!  (there were like 12 shots...bwaha ha--we had a little audience by the end of the fun.)

Sunday we woke up, drove to church with the Charleston ward—and enjoyed such a great service!  The lesson in Relief Society was from the talk Boyd K Paker gave in general conference.  “And a Little Child Shall Lead Them”.  That was such an amazing talk!  Anyway, the teacher was superb and had us all in tears wanting to be the most incredible moms ever—and making us feel positive about our current state—that’s a hard thing to accomplish!  She was awesome and we all loved it!

 

We made some soup in the crockpot (Chelsea’s delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup—mmm) for dinner, chatted forever, and then played games outside in their courtyard that night.  

I love games so much, they’re one of life’s great joys!—this one I totally failed at…but I’m noticing something about myself.  When I realize I’m not good at something.  All the competitiveness in me disappears.  So that’s nice. J  No hard feelings!  Also—no one should ever want me on their team for any pop culture.  Just a heads up.  I just have NO memory names of actors,  song titles,  musicians, sport stars…other stuff like that. 

Monday morning—after our breakfast (which—seriously, they had the greatest waffles ever that I had each morning…light, fluffy, crispy, and so tasty) we tried to layout by the pool…got rained on a bit, so back inside to get ready for the ride home.   

It was a weekend filled with 

relaxation, 

fun, 

food, 

GREAT conversation and 

fantastic friends.  

I’m soooo thankful for a husband who could and would watch our 3 big boys so I could do this. 

Thanks baby-you’re nice.