Back to the South. (Well, at least for 2 weeks!)

Just as we were starting to put our summer clothes away up north, we headed back south this September to enjoy a little family time and loads of warmer temps, sun, southern accents and sweet tea!

We spent the first week in Kiawah Island, SC with Scott's family. This was the girls' first time at the beach and they loved it! We tossed the frisbee, flew kites, rode bikes, enjoyed the wildlife, played games, walked around Charleston and just enjoyed spending time together as a family.

Our house:

Downtown Charleston

Lots of bike rides:

Angel Oak Tree: ~1500 years old

Next, Scott and I went to Amelia Island, FL to visit my Dad and Deborah. They own The Williams House Bed & Breakfast. We slept in, Scott and Dad played golf, we ate out (and didn't have to rush!), relaxed on the beach, and even got to see a movie. All the while the girls were enjoying tea parties and play dates with Nana and Poppa back in North Carolina. (Thank you!!)

The last stop was at my Mom's in NC. We spent lots of time with Mimi, Aunt Leslie and Uncle Scott and our cousins Ethan (Big Ethan per Addison), Eli and Erin. The guys got to play golf while us girls shopped, we went to a fun Children's Museum in downtown Greensboro, and got most of our energy out at a local inflatable bounce place.

Children's Museum

Bounce place:

On another note, Addison started nursery school (2 days a week) before we left. I'm volunteering twice a month (thank you to my friend Sabrina for watching Emma!), so it's nice to see what they do first-hand!

She also started her first dance class. She wears her leotards A LOT!!

Well, we got home to a high of upper 40s yesterday. And then I promptly changed out all of the girls' summer clothes for their fall/winter clothes. Sad:)

Our Summer

We've had a great first summer in Canada! We've enjoyed the cooler temps that have allowed us to play outside every day. It's been mostly in the 80s-90s, but we've already had days back in the 70s. And, we had to wear light jackets one night recently, so fall is fast approaching here (and summer just began!).

Emma is now walking and I'm so glad. It makes life much easier now! She's a pro at our stairs and loves being pushed in the swing, going down the slides, and petting every dog that comes to the park. 5 teeth came in last month, so she had a little bit of a rough month:)

We often call her sprout. The only way to keep the hair out of her eyes (that she won't constantly take out) is a sprout on the top of her head!

We got Addison a big girl bike with training wheels and she's been riding it so well! She'll be going to nursery school 2 mornings a week this fall and I already have anxiety about how that's going to go the first few times!! Separation anxiety has been an issue for both girls since our move. I'm excited for her and I know she'll love it once she gets used to it! I'll be in her classroom a couple times a month volunteering, so I'll get a chance to see firsthand what she's doing.

New backpack:

Addison has also become a pro of stalling tactics when it comes to her bedtime. Recently each night it's the same routine. 1) I'm hungry. 2) It's too dark. 3) I don't want to lay down by myself. 4) I'm still hungry. 5) I'm not tired.

And then we find her like this after she finally gives in. Even without a nap, she may not give in until 10pm! Sometimes she's halfway off her bed, on the floor, etc. Let's just say it's a new, challenging phase:)

She has enjoyed playing at the park, going swimming with her new floaties, and she still loves her playdough. I finally made homemade playdough because it lasts so much longer! She also loves taking pictures. Here is one she took. The other 20 are of the ceiling and my arm:)

We also have some birds that finally hatched in one of my hanging baskets!

We've been able to enjoy the small town life and found a great ice cream shop downtown. They have "baby" cones for 89 cents. Genius!

We've made a few more friends here, which has been great for Addison and me! Here are the girls at Ribfest in our town. Yum!

Mimi is coming next week for a visit and then we'll be headed back to the east coast for a much needed 2 week vacation! A week at the beach in South Carolina, a few days at my Dad and Deborah's B & B in Florida, and then back to Mimi's before we head home. It's the first time the girls will be going to a beach!

Uncle B and Tara

A few days after Nana and Poppa left, we had more visitors! Uncle Brent and Tara came from Michigan and stayed for the long weekend.

It was Canada Day (Canada's July 4th) on Friday, so our town had a (little) festival at the fairgrounds.

Paddle boats:

We also went to the farm.

And the park/splash pad a few times.

And, here are our sweet girls:

After making smoothies last night, Addison decided on her own to share with her sister. How sweet! I don't think she realized how much she'd have to share, though!

Thanks, Uncle B and Tara for a wonderful time! We miss you already!

Nana and Poppa's Visit

Nana and Poppa just left after a great two week stay. This smile sums up their trip:

We did so much while they were here since it has finally warmed up. It was in the 70s-80s the entire time, so it was perfect! Their trip included: the farm to pick strawberries, story time at the library, Toronto a few times, the lake, Niagara Falls, the local parks, etc. Scott and I were also able to go on several dates: Toronto, New York (shopping!), hiking to Rattlesnake Point in the escarpment, and out to dinner. It was AWESOME!

Strawberry picking

Learning to milk a cow

Flying a kite at the lake

She reached up to hold Nana's hand... it was so precious!

Toronto: We were headed to the Toronto Islands, but there was a festival going on and the line for the ferry was outrageous. Thankfully, we ran into a dog show, magic show, face painting, and really fun wave shaped walkways down along the water. Whew!

Playing outside

Emma is almost 16 months old and although she can walk/take several steps at a time, she still prefers crawling:)