I Know 3 Big Sisters-To-Be...

Each of these girls! Yay!!!I'm so excited that I may just explode. :) Come on November!

Fun with Sutton and Sam

My cousin Tom and his wife Sara have two boys - Sutton and Sam. Over Memorial Day weekend, my mom and I offered to have them come up for the weekend from Greenville, SC while their mom recovered from some surgery - we thought they could really use a weekend to just rest. Mom picked the boys up half way on Friday and they stayed until Monday when I met Tom in Charlotte to hand them back off.
The boys are a hoot. Sutton is 6 1/2 and knows everything about pretty much everything. Mom said she got an extensive lesson in rare jellyfish on the way from Hickory to Winston on Friday. I don't doubt it. Sam is 2 1/2 and often goes by the nickname "Trouble". He was obsessed with my dad, "Wee Wah" (a name my cousins gave my dad well before I came along) and was also found asleep under the desk in my sister's room one night at 11:45. We thought we had lost him....oops... :)

We had a great weekend. I had made a $5 investment in some sidewalk chalk before they got here that ended up being some of the best money I've ever spent. I wondered if boys would even really care, and if they did, if it would be fun that would last at all. Turns out, Sutton is quite the driveway artist, and Wee Wah's perfect yard was flanked by chalk art galore. Even flags and all of the branches of service in honor of Memorial Day.

Sam had more fun than anyone ever would have imagined in the sprinkler (wearing his PJs, thank you) and Dad helped the boys make s'mores in the fireplace. Under an umbrella. In the rain. Promises must be kept! I think fun was had by all!

It's a Zoo Around Here!

Every 6 months or so, I get to go to one of my favorite things. Ever. The Knollwood Baptist Preschool music program. This happens every year at Christmas and at the end of the school year, and it literally makes me laugh hysterically and cry like baby every single time I go. I can't tell you how many times I've gone and while there met someone I haven't met before, and they'll say "Which child is yours?" My answer is always "Well, I don't have any kids, actually." Cue an odd look. But, whoever I'm with, be it a mom or dad or grandmother that I'm sitting with, will quickly turn and say something along the lines of "Actually, she's got more kids here than anyone else in the room."
Today was the Spring program at KBP. My favorite part is when the kids get up on stage, turn around, and see people they know. They light up and wave like crazy and act so surprised to see familiar faces in the audience. With my camera (and some pretty sweet parent connections) I usually get to sit right up front, making me pretty visible, and when I get a "BECCA!" from someone I get all emotional. Every time.
Today's play was a zoo theme. Songs about monkeys and ducks and frogs. Even the chicken dance. Who doesn't love watching a zillion little kids, 2 through 5 years old, do that?It was my last time to see Will and Ford up on that stage. Sad sad - all grown up and off to Kindergarten next year!

I have a bunch of loves in the 2 year old class...

Sam, looking cool and tough for the paparazzi during his getaway.
And then I got to head to soccer after work.

First a little time at Jack's game.

Please look at Ford's eyelashes. They have their own shadow. They're beautiful.

Spencer is a soccer rock star. Natural born.The best part? Sam got a trophy for being an assistant coach for the team. Have you ever SEEN such pride???

I love these children. FIERCELY. What a great, great day for Becca. :)

Making Up For Lost Time

Okay, so I have sucked it up at this blogging thing. Summer should bring much more fun things to report. And hopefully a little sun for my w-h-i-t-e skin. Please excuse me and my glare.

A quick recap of all that has happened since I last reminded folks that I am, in fact, alive:

My sister got engaged.

Yep. I know, I was speechless too. They'll get married next January at Duke Chapel, with what is shaping up to be one big heck of a party after. My parents love throwing a party - they may outdo themselves with this one. Planning has been...interesting...she's an odd duck, my sister. She quacks to her own drummer, I assume.

It snowed! Vivi went sledding for the first time and made her first snow angel.

Easter weekend brought an Easter Bunny Breakfast with the Woltzes and egg-dying with the Petronzios. It was multiples madness...
The following people are having babies:

Ellen & Terry

Shanna & Brian

Carmen & Leister

The poor store in Winston where I go get all of my baby goodies is having to work overtime. Aunt Bec is a busy woman folks - busy. And none of these children are even here yet.

Birthdays have been all over the place, but Nora and Uncle Abe are all I have pictures of in this area. She turned 1, he turned 35 - I love them both.

Occasionally I get out from behind the camera. I had a very fun date to this year's Blanton Vogler party. No duh, Wes is always fun. :)Until next time...so long!

Georgia on My Mind

In ten days, I will be with these girls in Georgia, and I'm so excited that I may just explode before then. We'll hit the road bright and early on Thursday the 28th and head to Sea Island for a nice long weekend for Katie and Michael's wedding. You know a good time is in store when people come from Winston, Jackson Hole, NYC, Nashville and Austria for a wedding. Throw in a beach house and some fun boys (I haven't forgotten about them, don't worry) and a blast is sure to be had by all.I.

Can't.

WAIT.

Stay tuned for whatever insanity may be included in a wrap up of the trip. I'm not promising it'll be anything pretty...

Little Miss Bubbles

Does this make you smile all over? It should.

Heavenly Mountain

This past weekend was one of the more fun times I can remember as of late. I headed to the mountains with 2 dozen of my closest friends, which is true except for the fact that I had only ever even met 3 of them - and of those, 2 were last week and 1 was only a month ago. For those of you that know me well, I'll give you a minute to process what I have just said, because this was so outside of my usual doing that it's just bizarre, no?

We stayed in a ridiculous house - I mean what house do you know with a full-out fountain in the smack middle of downstairs, just right there in the middle of the hall? It was at the tippy top of a mountain right on the edge of Boone and had amazing views that went on for ages. I heart the mountains.

What I heart even more, though, are fun, real, genuine people. And every single person on this trip was one of those. Really, every last one. It was way beyond fun. And now I have 22 or so new friends, which will make anyone's day.

Outside your comfort zone can be surprisingly comfortable. It's a good lesson. :)