The month of July flew by in a flash! We were so busy with traveling and sick kids...it's hard to believe it's already August!

Beach Trip
We started July out with an 11-day trip to the beach...it was awesome!! Jackson is at an age where everything is exciting to him, which is very fun. When we got to "Mimi's beach," Tonya, Cassidy, Coleman and Mimi were there to help entertain/corral the kids while we unloaded the van (which was slam-full, including the cartop carrier!). With their help we were able to take all the kids down to the beach the next day (4th of July). Jackson loved the sand and waves. Maggie thought the sand was a tasty snack and William wasn't too sure about it at all.

My family was in town for the 4th of July. Mom, Kim and Megan stayed at a new hotel right around the corner from us and Brian, Jen, Morgan and Matthew stayed with our cousins Trey, Steph and Lily. It was fun to hang out with everyone at the beach and the kids had a great time in the pool together. The kids slept great and were really good the whole trip. There were only a couple days that we didn't have any family with us. On those days we'd get up in the morning, load the kids in strollers and take a walk through Carillon Beach. When the babies went down for a morning nap, Brandon and Jackson would head to the pool while I stayed in the condo. During their afternoon naps, I would get to lay out by the pool. So even with 3 young kids, we had a very relaxing and fun beach trip.

Jackson especially loved the pool and is now quite the little swimmer. It took him a couple days to get over his fear, but by the end of the trip he was swimming to the deep end by himself (with swimmies and an adult close by). It was fun to see him emerge from his shell. Maggie and William loved swimming in the pool, too, though Mag thought she'd like to drink the pool as well as play in it. We had to be extra vigilant with her because she put her face in the water every chance she got.

Mimi and Doff spent the last 4 days with us which was really nice because it gave Brandon and me some hands-on help with the kids. We were able to meet Julie and Lane at Bud & Alley's in Seaside one night. It was fun to have some adult time and hang out with friends.

The weather was beautiful, except for the last Saturday we were there, which worked out well...we spent most of that day at the outlets shopping. :)

All in all it was a fantastic trip!!
****************************** iHealth Family Picnic
Brian and Dad both work at iHealth Technologies and we were excited to be included in their 1st annual family picnic at Stone Mountain. It was a fun (hot) day! We rode up to the top of the mountain which the big kids loved. I'm sure Jackson and Morgan felt like they were on top of the world. I could have done without riding through the air in a little box, with only a small wire holding us up, but that's just me! The company rented a hilltop pavilion and served dinner, played game (think: school field day), raffled stuff off and had an inflatable for the kids. When it got dark we went to the Laser Light Show. I hadn't been since I was a kid. It was very crowded but we were able to find a spot to spread blankets and watch. Jackson hated the fireworks (too loud), but enjoyed the rest of the laser show. Maggie and William both seemed to enjoy the show also. All 3 were asleep before we pulled out of the part. Ahh...silence! :)

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Sick Kids
The twins both had a nasty stomach bug, which resulted in the need to replace the carpet in the family room (aw, shucks!). The carpet has needed to go for a long time, but we were trying to get through the kids messy years before replacing it. We're planning to put in hardwoods, though, so whatever messes they make in the future can just be wiped up.

Then came the colds...all three had runny noses, but we noticed that William was being pretty fussy and pulling his ears. I made a 2:30 appointment for him at the doctor and arranged for Jenny to come watch the other two kids. I fed them lunch around 11:30...scrambled eggs (which they've had before). After William was finished I noticed his chin was red. He was so fussy that I was snuggling him in the chair while counting the minutes until I could leave for the doc. Around 1pm, I noticed that his face, head, arms, back and chest were completely red and it was spreading to his legs. Obviously an allergic reaction. Jenny rushed over and gave him benadryl while I got our things in the car. There were two times that I thought he was wheezing and it looked like his tongue was swelling. It was a very scary drive to the doctor. Thank goodness I had mom, Jen and Brandon on the phone so I wasn't so "alone." The color/rash didn't present like a typical allergic reaction to food, so we're having William tested for an egg allergy, but the reaction could have also been caused by the pain he was in due to the double ear infection. Thankfully, the antibiotics have done their thing and William is back to normal!
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Lake Martin
We took the kids to Lake Martin last weekend and stayed at an amazing lake house with Mom and Kim. As an added treat, Nana came up on Saturday and hung out with us for the afternoon. Jackson learned to fish with Kim and Brandon, which was great fun! By the end of Saturday he was even touching the bait (worms). They caught several brim and a bass (?) and threw them back into the lake. I love being out on the water and it was lots of fun taking the boat out for little trips around the lake. Jackson loved the hot tub which he called the "big bath". It was a relaxing and fun weekend.

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Camp Mimi
On the way home from the lake, Mimi called to ask if she could pick Jackson up on the way home from North Carolina and keep him until Friday. Heck, yea!! That's a no-brainer! So, I met Mimi and Doff at IKEA on Monday afternoon and he went to their house for the week. He had a great trip, talked the grandparents into treats that we don't normally let him have (lucky charms and sprite) and got lots of undivided attention. Mimi and Doff raved about what a good kid he is, which I love to hear. He is a great kid and a joy to Brandon and me.
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Almost 1 year old!
Maggie and William are going to turn ONE on August 20!!! Hallelujah!! They are so funny and into everything. We have so many gates up that our house looks like Fort Knox. William has been taking several steps on his own since we were at the beach. Maggie climbed all the way up the stairs at the beach condo, on her own...and anytime at home that we forget to lock the gate she starts climbing our stairs as well. They are both very physical babies. William is relaxed and chill (as Brandon says) and just like his daddy. Maggie is happy, wild, and determined to do what she wants to do...just like her mommy. It's funny to see their similarities and differences.

William (somehow) climbed into this basket but couldn't get back out!
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Rookie Baseball
We got an email this weekend about Jackson playing Rookie Baseball! We should hear from Jackson's coach this week and practices will start very soon. Before the season starts there will be a weekday and weekend practice each week. During the season, there will be one weekday practice and games on a weekday and the weekend. Should be busy and fun, especially since Brandon is also playing on his company team. We're all very excited! If you're in town, please join us for a game.
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School
Jackson starts preschool on September 3rd. He will go 4 days a week and is so excited! We passed his school yesterday and he asked when he was going back, then woke up this morning saying he wanted to go to school. I'm glad that he loves school so much and is looking forward to going back.