July was another fun month! I was determined to pack in as much fun (at home and away) in Dawson's last month before starting school.
(note-a lot of these pictures are out of order. I'm trying to fix it!)
Every single time we drive through or by downtown Knoxville since we moved back up here Dawson (and now Carter AND Nora Kate) point to the Sunsphere and ask to go in there! I always tell them we will one day. Finally, one Monday morning we decided to head over to Knoxville one morning to visit the Sunsphere. It was a hot, hot morning, but luckily we got to park relatively close.
The boys were funny! They were so excited to be in the Sunsphere, but when we first got up there it did feel a little weird with the curved class and you could tell they were getting used to the feeling of being able to see out all around them and below them. They grabbed each others hands as they walked around and got used to it.
It really was cool to see Knoxville from this view. I will take them back because they enjoyed it.
I forced Nora Kate to stay in her stroller while we were up in the Sunsphere, but she could still see everything so she didn't mind!
After the Sunsphere we walked through the Worlds Fair Park, saw some baby bunnies (this was a big hit!), and then visited The Chocolate Factory (an even bigger hit!).
Everyone got to pick out their own piece...the boys were so excited to choose their own...then ended up picking the exact same thing!
We then walked back down and sat along the water in the shade where it was maybe slightly cooler and quickly enjoyed our chocolate before it could melt. As badly as these sweet kids wanted to bring a piece home to Daddy I knew it would be a melted mess by the time we walked back to the car. Next time, Daddy, we owe you a piece! :)
As I think I mentioned Nora Kate loves her books. Here she is just chilling and reading on a rainy day in the sun room.
My sweet new niece Zoe! She was born in July and this is one of the onesies we gave her! I love how she struck a pose in her sleep for the picture! No wonder Nora Kate loves this girl!
I forced the kids to have a few pajama days at home even though Dawson loves to be on the go 24/7! Some of my favorite days are just the play at home days and these are some of the best memories I love to think about with the kids, so I forced a few pajama days in July before school started. We enjoyed a little iPad time!
Pajama days are perfect for puzzles!
Dawson's new thing is he loves to carry Nora Kate around and spin her. She loves it too.
Love them!
One of the most exciting things that happened in July for the kids was having their playset completed the first weekend of July! The love the glider swing, the regular swings, sandbox, club house up top, and slide! I can't count how many endless hours we have already spent outside on this playset in just the month of July! It's all the kids want to do! They love it!!
(as you can tell we are still trying to get grass to grow in the backyard, we had the whole yard re-graded and had to start growing grass from nothing in the heat of the summer)
In mid-July we loaded up and headed to Alabama for the first time in 15 months!!!
We were SO SO SO excited to go to Huntsville to visit all our friends. Here the kids are in the car with these cute travel bags Nana made them full of car entertainment!
Our good friends the Houghs have moved into a house with a pool which was AWESOME! It was seriously like a little vacation for us because we swam the whole time we were there. We arrived late Friday night, but the picture above is from an early morning swim on Saturday. And then of course we were back in there on Saturday afternoon and evening!
Dawson loved that they had a diving board.
Dawson and Henry on Henry's Jeep.
Henry is Carter's age, but he thought Dawson was SO cool! It was sweet! We went out to eat and he HAD to sit by Dawson. Dawson ate it up! Loved being the big kid!
Henry sharing his Jeep with Carter now!
Saturday afternoon and evening Steven and Kelly hosted a big party and invited TONS of our friends so we could see and visit with everyone while we were in town! It was AWESOME, and we are not only so grateful for wonderful friends who were willing to let all FIVE of us invade their home and stay for the weekend but then host a pool party and dinner on top of that!!
It was SO fun! And the weather was absolutely perfect!
Carter and Georgia had way too much fun in this hammock!
These guys couldn't get together without some cornhole!
The Houghs have a great flat yard outside their pool fence area for the kids to run, play, and a fire pit for making s'mores! Can you tell this sweet girl LOVED her s'mores!
Our 3 playing with Henry
Our 3 playing with Henry
Sunday morning we decided to drive by a lot of our old places from when we lived in Alabama. This (bottom right, unit 340) was our first apartment when we got married.
This was where I worked.
We unfortunately didn't get to drive by where John used to work. It was the total opposite direction, and the parking lot is secure so we couldn't have really seen it anyway.
This was the liberal arts building on the UA Huntsville Campus where 95% of my classes were. We have a picture of me (pregnant with Dawson) and John standing on the steps to this building holding a onesie (that now all three kids have worn) after my graduation in December 2008.
The kids were excited to go look at the Space and Rocket Center.
Carter entertained himself on the way home from Alabama with colorwonder. He loves these things!!
Breakfast at the Madison Panera where these two couldn't have been sweeter and sillier.
Look at these faces.
A few more pictures from the pool party Steven and Kelly hosted!
Sweet Annie is 13 months old, and this is the first time we got to meet her! Look at these two blond girls just chilling!
Pool Party!
Pool Party!
Pool Party/Corn hole/Fire pit!
On the way home from Alabama Nora Kate got bored and realized she could reach this float. Lots of entertainment and silliness ensued!
Another pajama morning. They "parked all their cars"
THIS IS THE BOOK! If you read the 23 month update for Nora Kate, you read about a book she just can't put down. This is it!! She was sitting on the stairs reading it when Carter joined her and it was too cute not to snap a picture!
Carter's the king of some silly faces!
Fun on the glider swing!
My friend Mary Grace is expecting her third child. She has one boy and one girl and requested we not have a shower for her just join her for pedicures. So we were all happy to agree to a Girls Night Out for pedis!
The kids have spent hours "swimming" in this kid pool this month! LOVE it!
She just looks so big to me sometimes! I just had to take a picture
BUBBLE BATHS...still a hit for everyone!
The kids love the special treat of going to Mr. Gatti's for lunch and then playing games.
Nana took us one more time before school started.
More pool fun for this fish!
I love witnessing Dawson being sweet and really teaching Nora Kate how to do something. Here he was trying to teach her how to make the bubble blower work.
We got to go swim at our friends the Myers pool!
These puddle jumper floats are one of the best inventions. Nora Kate is now pretty comfortable to swim all over with it on!
Pajama morning building trains and tracks!
Whew, this girl! Sometimes she can be a little bit of a mess! :)
This particular morning she was walking around with a pink fuzzy pen, wearing her pajama shirt (she had taken off the shorts), and wearing my flip flops declaring "I MOMMY!!"
She was pretty proud of herself. Look how little her feet look in my flip flops!
All of the kids still enjoy a good ride in the Gator!
At the very end of June and beginning of July, Dawson had a basketball camp at our church every day for a week. He loved it! It also allowed me to have some special time with Carter and Nora Kate. One morning after dropping Dawson at camp, I took Nora Kate to stay with her Lolly for the morning while Carter and I had a date! He was SO excited for his date.
We started by going to Panera for his favorite--pumpkin muffin tops! He must have been feeling big that day though because he requested a whole muffin not just the top! :)
Then we headed to the park to feed the ducks.
He had a great time...until....
A duck "bit" him on the arm as I was snapping a picture.
Then we headed to the library.
Then we did a little walking in the park behind the library!
and jumping.
This was the day they had started building our playset, and this guy was SO excited!!
Nora Kate looking big!
my favorite thing about this picture is her feet!
The playset (not quiet complete at this point) but the kids just couldn't stay off it any longer.
4th of July!
4th of July!
4th of July!
4th of July!
4th of July!
4th of July!
4th of July!
4th of July
It was dreary and rainy so our plans changed from swimming at a friends house to having a yummy dinner at another friends house. The kids had a blast...and adults too of course!
The kids got to have a special drink in their "club house" when it was complete!
This girl has quickly learned how to make the glider swing go.
LOVE him!
and her
and him!
Before Dawson started school we snuck in one more Vonore lunch. We drove to Vonore to meet Daddy for lunch and everyone had a lot of fun!
We had cousin Hailey over to play one day!
and have pizza for lunch! What a treat!
The kids always beg to eat dinner in the clubhouse, so one day that John was working late I cooked a lazy dinner of nuggets and tots and let them eat these finger foods in the clubhouse outside.
Dawson and I had planned a special double date of going to Salsaritas for lunch and then seeing the movie Inside Out with his friend Carson and Carson's Mom. We had such a fun time and Dawson seemed so big!
On Friday, July 10, our niece Zoe was born!
Here she is just an hour or two old!
We drove up to Cades Cove one Friday evening.
The kids LOVE going in all the old churches.
Here they are singing in the old Methodist Church.
And then outside.
The next morning we went to the Farmers Market and then just had to go back to the hospital to see Baby Zoe one more time!
Nora Kate LOVES Baby Zoe and talks about her NON STOP!
Then Dawson and I snuck over and put up this sign and balloon welcoming Zoe home.
We had a great July!!
