Beach, birthdays, back to school and new lot

We've been busy over the last couple of months. The kids are growing up and keeping us busy as well as our jobs. 

At the end of July, we made it to the beach with my family. We had a great time and I think everyone enjoyed the beach this year and playing in the sand. We found a great place that was walking distance to the beach and the pool was right outside our window. With all of us, it is hard for us to get a photo with us all looking at the camera. That's the joy of having a family of five. 

When August rolled around, we started birthday season for the kids. Jay had his first sleepover with a few friends his age. The boys played video games, ate ice cream, watched movies and just had a great time. Jays now trying to plan his eighth birthday party. We keep reminding him it is another year away. 

This year Jay wanted to play football. Tackle is a bit much, but we wanted to find a flag football league. A church right around the corner started a league this year. We had a great time meeting new people and playing ball. If our church doesn't have it next year, we definitely will try there again. 

School is back in session for Jay and me. Jay is a big second grader and I get a whole bunch of ninth graders in math I. Everyone is doing well so far as we come to the end of the quarter in the next two weeks. 

In September, Taylor turned 2. Somehow we lucked out with a very nice weekend for a little pool party for her. She seemed to enjoy her self and had lots of fun. She is talking a lot (at least to us, not anywhere else). She is hanging in an acting tough with the boys as well. 

On October 1st, Mason turned 4!!  Yes this little guy is four. He and Taylor are almost the same size and he still wears 2T clothes and we get asked all the time are they twins. His birthday party was with a fire truck. Unfortunately the party had to be in doors because of the rain we received the last few weeks. It didn't stop Mason from running to the truck and getting in the drivers seat. He loved every minute of it. 

Mason will be getting his 6th set of tubes this Wednesday along with a hearing test to see if he has any hearing loss. He's been a champ the other times, so I expect the same this time. 

Lastly, Garrett and I have been searching for land. It is every architects dream to build their own house. We wanted a lot near down town mint hill. We didn't want to change location too much. We found a great one acre lot two miles from where we are now. We look forward to building in the next year or two.