Summer began with a wonderful trip to the mountains with our dear friends,
Adam and Jessica (a.k.a. Uncle Adam & Aunt Jessica). We went to my Grandmother's house on Scaly Mountain in north Georgia. It was a restful and fun way to kick off my favorite 2 months of the year! :) We rested, hiked, fished, shopped, and of course enjoyed wonderful fellowship.
Then, we hung out here in Knoxville while Jason was busy studying for his prelims and I was doing grad school during naptimes and a once or twice a week daycare day for Jon Loran. In between those days, I enjoyed a visit from Mom, going to the pool with a good friend and Jon Loran's girlfriend :).Oh, and let's not forget the 5 days without power! We were so thankful for our in-town family to take us in during that crazy time!
After the storms, our arbor/carport beside our house took and beating and we quickly learned it was NOT pressure-treated wood. All I can say is I am so thankful for home insurance! This is currently being repaired.
Next, we ventured down to Alabama to see friends and family, then caravan to the beach with my family. Jason and I have learned the art of traveling with a 9 month old: drive during nap times and eat/play during wake times. So, our first stop on the way down was our old home, Chattanooga. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants, then Jon Loran had his first carousel ride!
Then, my family went to Port St. Joe for a whole week. We chartered a boat, enjoyed our pool and beach, and lots of play time. Meanwhile, Jon Loran cut his 4 top teeth!
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| First impression of the beach...it got better :) |
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| We arrived on my 30th birthday--nice way to enter the 30s: relaxing with my family at the beach! |
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| Delta's beautiful family! |
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| Playing peek-a-boo with Levi | | | | |
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Returning home, we got back into our school routine and being at home with our little man. I'm learning to not be anxious with Jon Loran's milestones (i.e. crawling) and trust the Lord for his beautiful work at hand with our son. It is so fun watching him develop such a fun personality. This summer, he's begun making really silly noises, playing peek-a-boo, dancing to music while holding onto the coffee table, walking around the coffee table and cruising, waving and giving high fives. He has also started eating bits of table food: blue berries, cheese, a little chicken and turkey too! At his 9 month check-up, he weighed in at 20 lbs 3 oz and 27.75 inches--both in the 25-50th percentile. You certainly can never tell he was a preemie now!
My final recap is that I have finally completed my graduate school! I completed my Masters in Education: Curriculum & Instruction with Autism Studies Option at UMass Lowell. I learned a ton and I am incredibly grateful for the provision to do it. But, now I'm ready to focus on my family and classroom (when that begins in a week). So, off to soak up the remaining week of my summer with a quick family trip to see cousins on vacation in Maggie Valley, completing a long-desired project of tiling my kitchen back splash with my mother-in-law (will post those pics soon), welcoming new friends as they move to Knoxville, and snuggling with my almost 10-month old while I can!
