Visit with the GRANDS!!!

Last week CC & Poppy came for a Joss & Emit fix!!! About 3 months is the max we all go without us going their way or them coming here. Of course, they manage to come here more often than we manage to go back that way. And for that we are truly thankful!

 I get sad looking over all these photos because I know we missed out on so many other ones this week too. We went kayaking and sailing and played at Chat-n-Chill and just played a lot out here around the house, but we just didn't snap a ton of photos. I've got a lot, but I hate missing out on good activities to capture the memories. My camera battery was either dead when we got out on the water, or I was feeling like crud, or we just were too caught up in the moment and an extra set of hands on the camera wasn't always an option. I got into something at the beach the day my folks arrived and I was itching like crazy the rest of the week (and still am actually). It's going away, but there are some really red and itchy patches all over me from 'something' only the Lord knows!

 This little activity in the pool was one that we actually got on camera and video. The boys were introduced to water balloons in their little pool, and then they even got to play with their really colorful bubbles (which were the cause of the green water). We could not blow the balloons up fast enough. They thought the balloons were cool enough just filled with water. When they saw that it was: 1) okay to throw them on the ground, 2) that they burst really well when they hit the ground, and 3) that they made a huge, muddy mess when they burst...well, they were all into it. Joss then learned how to pop them in the water and they made a funny noise, so that became the next fun thing with them. 

 Emit of course just loved pouring the bubbles all over himself while waiting for more bubbles... oh to be inside the head of one of these little dudes at times like this :)  

 Many afternoons were spent playing with water balloons in the little pool (as long as the bugs didn't bite too much, and they were awful this week). One day Dallas and I were sitting inside while my folks were playing with the boys (was actually quite a bit this week), and we could hear the boys laughing and playing and saying all kinds of stuff. It was really very entertaining just listening to them. At one point Emit started calling out, "That's for Emit!" when it was his turn to get the next water balloon. He would just shout it over and over until it was blown up and in his hands. Dallas and I have been running around saying that since then!

 We had so many rainy days this week. Almost everyday it rained or looked like it was going to for a short time at least. Not complaining... we needed it badly, but we would go running outside in hopes of playing in some nice and rainy weather and it would stop and lightly drizzle and we would still have to fight off bugs in the rain. 

 Dallas and I were not very thrilled to get our $500+ power bill from April. YIKES... I'm still hoping and praying it was due to all of the extra laundry and baking and power tools that were working overtime in prep for our big sailing trips, but we definitely ran the AC a lot too. Well, after that we challenged ourselves (out of necessity and the strong desire to not be stressed over our power all summer long) to see how low we could get it. We've been keeping the AC off and only running the ones in our rooms at night (we don't have central air) and drying all of our laundry outside on the lines instead of using the dryer. The next bill should be coming soon, and this is the first time I've ever been looking forward to seeing the bill... it better be super low this month. All that was said to say that my mom and dad were troopers in the sweaty heat this week!!

 My mom has this special bag that magically replenishes itself with little surprises for the boys each day (sometimes more than once) and they have learned to LOVE 'the bag'! Even Emit was getting in on the action of searching in the bag for new surprises. These guys really love their CC & Poppy! Not just because of the goodies they bring each time they come, but they play with them and interact with them and just love on them the whole time they are here. 

 Dallas and I had hopes of going camping for a night this week, but after the itching began...being in the sun and sand for extended periods of time weren't exactly appealing. We did get to sleep in a lot. Once my folks came over from the apartment they would watch the boys and we'd go back to bed for a bit, and totally enjoy an extra hour or two of sleep...IT WAS AWESOME!!!! And as simple as it sounds, neither of us have gotten many mornings to sleep past 6:30 or 7 am since the boys were born, so a treat it was in deed :) 

 We took them to a new little restaurant that some friends of ours opened in town for breakfast one morning. It was a nice little change of pace since we really don't eat out down here. It was nice with the boys because it was out on a little porched in area shown here and we were the only ones out there, so I don't get the 'oh my goodness, I hope we're not bothering anyone' feeling like I get in a crowded restaurant. Next was the trip to the slide in town with CC & Poppy while mommy and daddy got to go to the food store. Everyone in the store always asks us where the boys are when they see us both in there without them, almost concerned as if we didn't realize our little dudes weren't with us :) But it is pretty fun to have familiar faces around the island that recognize us and the boys. 

 We only took the boat out twice while they were here. We went kayaking one day which was an absolutely perfect little outing, but the camera was dead so I didn't get any of that. Luckily my mom caught some of it on video. The boys were so good kayaking and we had so much fun playing in the cut out at Moriah Cay. 

 We went sailing another day which was the first time my folks have actually been out in the Sea Pearls. I tried to take them out by myself one time when I was pregnant with Emit and had little man Joss, but the weather and my lack of sailing experience just did not let that happen, so this was their first time sailing with us. Again, that day was really great too, and gorgeous weather for sailing. I was pretty out of it that day though with the meds in my system trying to fight off the rash. The other days of the week the water was pretty rough and not really ideal for boating, so we stayed close to the house and played around here. Dallas took my dad fishing one more with Joel, but they didn't have any luck with the fish. And then the grand finale this week was the skiing and tubing afternoon. Joss really wanted to try skiing, so that's what he's doing above. 

 Emit is fearless in the water which makes me really nervous. I remember Joss being like this a bit too, but for some reason it seems like Emit is a bit more. It probably has something to do with the fact that he's trying to stay in beat with big brother, Joss. He loves the 'fwim' (swim) and only likes having the floaties or life preservers on for short periods of time. He'll start saying, 'take....off' if he's ready to be FREE. I'm so proud of both of my boys in the water, and I won't be surprised at all if Joss is swimming solo by the end of the summer. At least just off the beach, not out deep for snorkeling or anything... that will still be a ways off, but he's really doing amazing in the water. 

 He started playing a skiing game with my mom and dad when we were taking a break from skiing and tubing the other day. They would pull him while he held on to the ski rope and he thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Made him feel like a big boy :) 

 We were over at Starfish Beach, so of course, we had to get a shot with one of the many starfish that inhabit the waters surrounding this beach. Emit starts saying 'touch, touch' when he wants to touch something or get closer to it. He started saying that at first when we pulled this out of the water, but it quickly changed to 'whole fing' (which means he wants to hold the whole thing, all by himself). He carried it around for a bit thinking he was a stud!

 Trying to get the shot with the boys...I just love Joss' look of admiration here. It's so sweet, and so genuine! Emit was distracted by the rocks they were throwing in the water and he didn't want to stop for a photo opp. 

As we were saying our farewells at the airport Joss was giving my mom a huge hug, and as they were 'queezing' each other (as Emit would say) Joss said, "I'm gonna miss you CC!" Nearly broke my moms heart, but I was so touched by it too. I asked Dallas immediately when we got in the car if he told him to say that and he said, no. I'm very proud of my sweet boys! They continue to make me feel so blessed to be lucky enough to be THEIR mom. And little moments like that will touch my heart just as much as they do their Beloved CC's :) 

We love you guys, and thank you for another good week!! We'll be coming your way soon :)