Mother's Day Bliss

There are rarely dull moments being the mom of these two!  I can't even believe what a wild ride it has been.  I feel so incredibly fortunate to be able to call Hazen my son, Cally my daughter, and John my husband.  We really do have an amazing little unit-- kids who initiate family meetings, a family that randomly screams the team Abbott cheer, hugs and kisses that are thrown out like passing breezes...... All of this makes my heart feel so full and complete.  I had no idea that motherhood would be so amazing.

My mother's day was perfect!  John has figured it all out and knows exactly what this mama needs-- a lie in until almost 9am, coffee and the New York Times delivered to my bed, eggs benedict with grilled asparagus for breakfast, a morning spent in the garden with my kids, and an afternoon spent riding bikes and playing on the playground with these monkeys.

 

Being a mom is hard. There isn't a day that goes by that my patience isn't tried and I feel rested and relaxed. The only thing easy about being a mother is loving these kids. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.  And being a Mom with John as my partner is the best decision I ever made.  It was definitely worth the wait!  Thank you Universe, for aligning all this together.  I'm so happy!

Cousin Chris-- The Graduate!

We had great reason to celebrate this weekend!  Cousin Chris graduated with a degree in elementary education.  He's going to be a great elementary school teacher or special educator, but we are going to miss having him around.  It's been so fun to have him around for the past four years.  The kids have basically grown up seeing him fairly regularly.

Since tickets to the main event were limited, we watched from an auditorium nearby:

But the kids didn't quite make it through the 2 hour and 45 minute ceremony, so they took a break to bike, but made it back right when the sun came out and the ceremony was ending:

His family was really proud of him and we were so excited to see everyone!

We'll miss you Chris, but we know you'll make a difference wherever you end up.

And one of the benefits of having a big family event, was getting to spend time with Nana and Grandpa.  Even if for only one night, the kids LOVED having them around.

Newly Inducted Outing Club Members!

Membership has it's privileges!  At this years Outing Club Awards Ceremony, Cally and Hazen got wood cookies with official acknowledgement of their membership to the Outing Club.

They weren't really sure what to think about the whole acknowledgement at first, but now that they have their "plaques" in their room, they are pretty excited about being a part of such a great group of "big kids".

Sun, Sand, Fun, and Family- Hilton Head Part II

We couldn't have asked for more ideal weather for our vacation.  Everyday after Easter the skies were clear and the temperatures were perfect.  We had a lot of beach time:

 

                                          

The beauty of this beach house is that the beach is a baseball throw from the beach, so if you forget something or need to check on a napper, it's just right there:

 

We took bike trips to get ice cream and search for alligator:

We played board games and dominos:

The kids stayed up too late, watching movies and adventuring outside to play with glow in the dark necklaces and sparklers and hear stories about Eight Claws:

 

We even got to spend a morning at Sherry & George's pool:

We held Alligators and snakes:

 

 

We celebrated Zoe Macalister Walker's big 7th Birthday!

We spent quality time with Bumpa & Grandma:

We did art projects:

We played with smoking "snakes"

We spent more time at the beach:

We rode bikes:

We went hunting for shark's teeth:

But mostly, we bonded with family.  There really isn't anything better than the relationships we have with our family.  It wasn't always easy.  The Abbott kids stayed up too late and were sleep deprived and whiney, but they loved being with their cousins.  We loved being with cousins and aunts and uncles and parents and brothers and sisters.  Big meals came together every night.  Bellies were filled, wine was imbibed, and stories were told.  

 

None of this would have been possible without all the behind-the-scenes work from Sherry and George.  Everything from renting bikes, to getting guest passes, to researching activities and supplying the house with pails, shovels, towels, books, puzzles, and more.  It really was a perfect vacation!  Exactly what this family needed!