Summer Days, Driftin' Away

to, uh-oh those Summer Nights....

 We hit the ground running coming back home after the reunion. We were so glad to have Uncle Casey home that we wanted to do as much as possible knowing we have a limited amount of time. Of course we got to celebrate the Fourth of July together, and it isn't very often that we are actually in town to celebrate. What is nice about being home is being able to set off your own TNT, and we made sure to stock up in South Carolina on our trip back. The boys had a lot of fun making things go boom, and Connor wasn't thrilled with the loud noises and fell asleep out of desperation. I think next year will be better for him to enjoy the fireworks.

 Our next major milestone was Tim's birthday! Birthday's are a big deal in this family and we always want to make sure the person feels loved and celebrated. I think we made that happen, and we enjoyed an evening with family and friends at Tim's choice of restaurant. We still talk about how much fun we had that night, and Tim rang in his last birthday in his 20s with a bang.

 Connor always enjoys his time with his aunts and uncles, whether related or not. We are blessed by the people who wish to have him in their life. He found the race car arcade game immediately, and was spoiled by the guys who all wanted to race with him. He was on cloud nine. He loves anything that goes vroom, and currently calls trains "chi-chi"s! I laugh every time!!

 Tim specifically asked for cake and cupcakes from Publix. He is on a kick with their icing, and Connor couldn't wait to dig in himself.

 For the weekend of his birthday we decided to take a stay-cation and stayed at the PGA National Resort and Spa. Daddy had fun getting to play golf after a long hiatus, and mommy and Connor spent some quality time at the pool. We all enjoyed rest and relaxation! Connor has been working on his "cheese" face recently and I giggle every time he goes for it big time!

 We met Grandma Glenda, Uncle Casey, and Aunt Kaitlyn in West Palm Beach for a day at Lion Country Safari. Not only did Connor get to drive through the complex on daddy's lap he also got to see a lot of cool animals up close. He couldn't get enough of it. His ooohs, and aaaaahs, and animal sounds filled our car and our hearts. I'm sure there will be another trip to this neat zoo before the summer is over.

 After the car ride there is an area with rides and even more animals. We had even more fun here, and for some of us, was the highlight of the trip.

 The Lory enclosure was incredible and we all had up close and personal encounters with these pretty little birds. Connor kept holding his arm out for one to land on, and wanted to do it over and over again. Aunt Kaitlyn was practically a bird whisperer, and we each got nibbled on by these colorful parrot-like birds.

 We've had great playtime outside and in the pool. That is what summer is for! There may be a few more mini-trips on the horizon but a lot is up in the air. Thursday marked a new level of stress in this family that we weren't expecting, and with it more stress came from another angle, and just wait a day because another new stress came from another angle. We are all juggling a lot right now, and yet we can still count our blessings. Then on Saturday morning beautiful Grandma Glenda was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, and even though there is a slight difference, Connor still can't get enough of her. Just now before going down for his nap he was asking for her. We don't know how long it will last but regardless it could have been worse, and I am beyond grateful that it wasn't. As for the other stresses, they too will sort themselves out. Prayer is a powerful tool! There are areas we are learning about, areas we a growing from, and areas we are moving on from. We just take it one day at a time, and appreciate the gift we have in each other.