Time in Greenville

After visiting my mom, we headed to Greenville, SC for General Assembly.  Throughout the course of the week we did many fun things:

Reconnected with old friends (from toddlerhood),

visited my alma mater,

rested and hung out in the hotel,

posed for pictures,

and made new friends

(while I hung out with old friends).

We even squeezed in a trip to Monkey Joe's - something we rarely do in St. Louis.

The kids had a great time letting out lots of energy that afternoon,

and Cole especially enjoyed trying new things and showing off his brute strength and athleticism!

Greenville will always hold a special place in our hearts.  So glad we got to spend some time there this summer.

Visit to Hendersonville

On our way to General Assembly in Greenville, SC, we stopped in Hendersonville, NC and visited my mom and Alex.

One evening we made a trip downtown to view the bears all along main street

and to get some ice cream at Kilwin's, of course!

Cole devoured and absolutely enjoyed his cone.

What a face!

Nan took the girls and I to the Hands On Children's Museum.

Laine and Mead had a great time at the museum and are already talking about going again on our next visit.

So glad we got to visit - the kids loved their time with Nan and Pop.

Pool time

One of the things the kids love most about summer is swimming in the pool.

Whether it's the pool near our house, or somewhere else, they're sure to have a good time.

Laine started swimming independently this summer - after many rounds of swim lessons the past few years.

 And Cole is often just as content throwing a ball into the water as he is being in the water himself.

Cole and Mead are both practicing their kicking, so some future summer they'll be independent swimmers too.

Laine's favorite trick so far - the cannonball!

Jazz Concerts at the Gardens

Every Wednesday night in the summer the botanical gardens open up for free and host a jazz concert.

The children's gardens are open for kids to play,

and they allow you to bring in a picnic dinner - however simple or fancy you want to make it!

The music starts at 7:30, and you can sit in front of the band or just enjoy it while wandering (or riding) around the gardens.

The first week of June the Byars invited us to join them at the gardens for the concert.  It was our first time, but they've been going for many years.

Despite being slightly rained on throughout the evening, we had a really nice time.

Looking forward to doing it again sometime soon!

Strawberry picking

Even though we have strawberries growing in our garden, it's still fun to go to a big strawberry patch and pick lots of big and juicy berries.

As usual, Cole ate his way through the morning.

Mead enjoyed picking lots of strawberries to fill her tray.

Despite the look on her face, Laine also had a good time picking with her friends.

We brought home 4 pounds of strawberries and successfully ate through all of them in a little over a week!  Not too bad.

Botanical Gardens

Last week we made it to the botanical gardens for the first time in a while.  Of course the kids were eager to get to the children's area.

Sitting in the old wooden canoe,

playing in the sandbox,

enjoying the water spouts,

wading in the creek, 

and, of course, sitting on the sheep.  Always a fun time!

Hanging around

Though we will have many adventures around town this summer, we also enjoy just hanging out close to home.

Baseball at the church playground,

playing with blocks inside,

goofing around in the back yard together,

(Love these hand-me-down shirts, by the way.  They're perfect for these two!)

and hanging out with friends.