No, these are not more pictures from our beach trip a few weeks ago, they are new pictures from the trip we took yesterday. We love when Morgan has time off! I know, some of you are wondering if he really is doing his residency or if we just came to Florida to retire! But all good rotations end, and believe me, Morgan has his work cut out for him.

Catching some made-for-Max waves...

and also some baby sister waves.

Did I mention that on our last trip a Seagull grabbed food out of Max's hand while he was eating it? So now London has to chase them all away from him while he shouts random things like "Sqwaking like that doesn't make me like you any better!!" while he hides behind me.

Some sort of squid (or Octopus, as Morgan insists) that he and Max found.

Great way to start the trip home...too bad they woke up with still an hour and a half left to drive!


Also, I just want to say Congratulations to Lindsey and Whit on their new baby girl, Maggie! We love you guys and are so excited for you!! This little girl is so lucky to be born into a family with such amazing love and strength. We'll be praying hard for you these next few weeks and months.

Trip to La Chua Sink

Yesterday Morgan and I took the kids to the La Chua Sink, it's kind of an alligator habitat. Let me just say, the pictures do not do these alligators justice...they were HUGE. I am not kidding, I was terrified. There is a lookout set up and you go and just kind of look over the water and wait. That's when you see bubbles start emerging and slowly a gigantic head breaks the surface...and bit by bit, he completely floats to the top of the water. And whoa. They are every bit as scary as people make them out to be. They would come right up to the lookout terrace and just stare at us. Like they were plotting. Over the hour we were there, we saw about 6 different ones, one small one that wasn't so terrifying, but the others were bigger than Morgan. I'm glad I waited to take the kids until he could come. I think I would have had a nervous breakdown there without him. The kids definitely thought it was amazing. London actually got a little too hot and tired at the end and sulked the whole walk back to the car. I started teasing her and she got even madder! She folded her arms, pouted her lip, stuck her chin in the air, and stalked off. Oh, London Lewis cakes, you make us laugh! (That's Max's nickname for her, by the way)

First day!

Max's first day went great! He loves his class, loves his teacher, and loves having a break from me...sniff sniff.
It was a relief that at the end of school, he was excited to see me and come home. London and I were glad to have him back!!



His brand new school!

Thanks for my awesome shoes, Grammie Mathie!

At the fountain in front of his school...doesn't he look thrilled?!

Finding his cubby to put his backpack in.

Max's Preschool Orientation

Max in front of his new school...

and of course London wanted in on the picture taking...

2 of the cutest kids around:) Ok, I'm biased.


Some classroom shots:

Wow...Big day! I know it's not the "first day of school" but I thought I might be able to take more classroom shots. He LOVED his new school and the weekend can't go by fast enough for him. Wish us luck!

And on a side note...thanks gramma Lewis for the back-to-school stuff! Max and London are enjoying their pez's as I post:) and Max is LOVING those mechanical pencils! Thanks for remembering his big day!

Clearwater Beach

I love that Morgan has weekends off because it means we get to explore our new area! Yesterday we headed to Clearwater Beach and hung out at Pier 60. This beach is pretty far south, past Tampa and Orlando. We were in the car about 2 1/2 hours and by the time we got there, the kids were ready to get out and play. It was a beautiful day and the water was ridiculously warm so it was nice to just sit in the ocean and let the kids get smacked around by the waves. Max had a "reward" jar this week and earned himself a boogie board, which he loved laying on in the shallow area and riding some mini waves. London's favorite part of the day was when she discovered she could do the same thing just laying on her tummy with the waves pushing her around. That was hilarious to watch!

We walked around the fun little shops afterwards and only then got a map to see how cool Clearwater really is. Next time we are definitely going to head further down the coast to see some of the fun attractions and other beaches.

And of course, we ended our day with a quick trip to Costco. After we finally found it (thanks, GPS mom!) we spent some time enjoying samples, stocking up on diapers, and eating some dinner before the 2 1/2 hr drive back.

Such a beautiful beach, lots more crowded than Augustine and Crescent, but lots more to do. We'll be back for sure!

Rainy Days

The rain here is insane! Sometimes it's HUGE raindrops that feel like someone is just throwing buckets of water on you. This usually lasts about 5 mins. Other times the rain is misty and feels like the hose is set to "spray". It's just enough to get you damp and ruin your hair. The kids prefer the misty rain because generally there is no lightening. So, here we are getting damp and ruining my hair;)

Dad caught a what??

Max is always so excited to find things outdoors. Like today, he saw a kitten climbing a tree...totally made his morning. So, you can imagine how thrilled he was (me not so much) when Morgan found a frog out in the backyard and brought it in to show the kids. London liked it but Max kind of freaked her out when she tried to touch him (someone told him frogs were poisonous), and so she kept clear. Max loved it but didn't want to touch it. Trying to be brave myself, I offered to touch it first to show it was ok. Cringing and shaking, I petted the little thing and stood back to watch Max. I barely got the picture he was so fast, but I was proud of him and was grateful he said we should let him go.
Who needs a zoo? We've got a full-on amphibian exhibit in the backyard. Next wild animal we want to see, alive I should add, is an armadillo. Wish us luck:)

Oh, LONDON!

Seriously, I say that over and over ALL DAY LONG. She is my little trouble maker, whether it be finding her with a rogue marker getting ready to draw on the walls (probably an improvement!), pulling Max's hair (not a problem anymore!) or having her get away before her face or HANDS get cleaned off, it's always something with her.
But really. Look at that face. She KNOWS she can do whatever she wants and still be adored.

Hair today, gone tomorrow!

Max was very nervous (and very brave!) at first, but loved it afterwards. London was TERRIFIED we were going to do her next! She wouldn't go near the tub.

My gratitude list

I try not to complain, really. But the past few weeks have been a tad bit rough on our little family, and anyone that dares call me, sadly, gets an earful. In efforts to get me to stop complaining, my all-too-wise sister recommended I come up with a gratitude list...so after days of considering, here are 10 things I am grateful for...and in no particular order:
10. The squirrels that run around our backyard. Any time Max starts arguing with me or London starts yelling, I just shout "Squirrel!" (yes, like on the movie "Up"). Distracts them every single time.
9. My feet not being filthy all the time...I still don't understand why they were always so black in AZ??
8. London dancing in the kitchen until she falls over.
7. My moms texts just checking in on me.
6. 1 running car...I'd prefer 2, but I'll take the 1.
5. Really nice girls in Gainesville that are beyond friendly.
4. Phone calls from old friends.
3. Morgan trying to catch a frog to impress Max. What a good dad.
2. Karl Rove's 500 page book that gives me an excuse to sit in the bath and read every night. With jets that now work! (Again, grateful for Morgan!)
1. A pool a few houses away. I don't know how we'd fill our days without it.

So fine. I do have a lot of things to be happy about, and I know it. It's just hard to pull out of that moving funk. I guess I'm not as adaptable as I thought. Or maybe just spoiled from AZ. But, I'm in the Sunshine State for crying out loud! Best be getting my sunglasses on, my diet coke out, and enjoying it while we're here. After all, if time flies like it did for Med school, it'll be over before I know it.

Outside of our house

Ok, I'm working on pictures of where we live...

View out of our front door

Front of our house


More to come...

Can I have a taste?

What is it about Sundays that makes me want treats?? I guess it's something I've passed to my daughter...and she sure loves to help! Anytime I get that Kitchenaid going, she brings over the stepping stool and hops right on up, eager to shove her little fingers in for a taste!