Where did September go?

Well it's the last day of September and we've had a busy month. Shell is teaching class tonight so it's up to me to fill everyone in on the Graham Clan in Athens, GA.

School has kept everyone busy. Tucker and Olivia are really enjoying school. Tucker is learning about the phases of the moon right now as well as working on a powerpoint project for his class. He loves reading, especially at night in bed. Now if we could get him to enjoy doing his homework as much as he enjoys the reading part. Olivia is just so bubbly and energetic. I take her into class everyday and it's so fun to watch her interact with her friends as she walks through the halls and into class. It's one of the highlights to my day. Rylie is at pre-school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and she is adjusting to that and gets a little nervous before she gets to class but she loves to talk about her day when I get home. She is painting animals and school buses as well as making new friends. It's so fun to watch them mature and grow.

Tate is just a happy little guy most of the time. He sleeps great, eats great, and really only gets fussy if he gets something that doesn't agree with his tummy. He's rounded out and is rolling over and popping up on his hands. He has a great little laugh that is just infectious.

We celebrated 2 birthdays. Rylie's was on the 12th and she wanted to go swimming for her birthday so we went to the YMCA pool and had a fun morning. She got some really fun presents as well. I think her favorite was the singing "Barbie & the Diamond Castle" with the accompanying DVD as well as the same dress-up dress and dress-up shoes. She loves to watch the movie and, needless to say, the songs get stuck in everyone's head (which isn't always a good thing). She enjoyed the cards and gifts from the rest of the family very much. As for the other birthday...well I hit 34 on the 27th. Seemed like just another day but I was very appreciative of the cards, messages, and phone calls.

Life has been busy. From the kids school and gymnastics to Mom's teaching class and volunteer help at school and with friends to my work...we hardly see each other for too long some days. We were so busy that the grass grew from all the rain into a mini-jungle, the kids thought it was great, but our lawnmower was broken so I wasn't sure what to do. A kind neighbor friend came over and used his riding mower to purge us of the grass, a much needed act of service. We are so blessed though to have a roof over our heads, food to eat, and clothes on our backs. The Lord has done so much for us and we are so grateful. We have some challenges lying ahead in the next few months but are confident that we can meet them head-on and pass through unscathed.

Well I've rambled enough. Be back soon. Check our picasa link for pictures.

First days of school

We haven't had much time since school started to get posting information, but so far school is going really well for the kids. Tucker loves his new class, especially the Thursday "science enrichment" class. Olivia is enjoying class now, after a bit of a rough start to kindergarten. And Rylie just adores preschool, and being a big girl. She goes two days a week, and we're all glad she gets to go. :)

Our visit to the aquarium

We had a ton of fun at the aquarium for our last family summer activity. It was a busy day, but the kids were so excited. It was jam packed, so with three little kids running around and two parents pushing a stroller, we were a tight fit in the different exhibits, but it was worth the wait. Tucker and Olivia and Rylie were even brave enough to touch some rays and shrimp! I love days when we get to spend time with the family, all together. :) (Check the picasa site for lots more pictures!)

She was listening!

Rylie is a crazy horse during FHE (well, all the time, but especially during FHE.) But today we were driving home from her preschool open house (just me and rylie and tate in the car) and we were listening to music. And from the back seat, I hear her little voice, "Mom?" So I said, "Yes, Rylie?" And she replies, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded."

My heart melted. What a sweet thing to say, and to know that she was listening to our lesson on Monday (we're memorizing 1 Nephi 3:7 as a family)...I just wish I knew what was going through her mind the minute before she spoke up. These are the moments I just adore, as a mother. :)

Edisto, '09

I haven't had a chance to post about all of our other vacations, but since Cam and Kym are getting the internet in Africa today, I wanted to take a quick moment and update you all on our trip to Edisto. We had a great few days at the beach. The weather was gorgeous, though we did have a small little storm on Friday night. We played games and ate way too many snacks way too late at night. And it was fun to see baby Campbell play in her little pool and splash around. Tucker and Olivia and Rylie made friends with the family that set up their beach stuff right next to ours, which meant that the kids were busy all day long, riding waves together, building a sand castle home for the "herman crab," and sharing popsicles. Tate was an angel baby (which he pretty much has been all summer long) and he slept the whole time out on the beach, in his stroller under the tent. We missed the rest of the family - couldn't believe that just last year we had Cam and Kym with us, and Tyler and Brittany... Big hugs to all the family - I'll write more soon!

Olivia's prayer...

It's been a busy month, and it's only going to get busier. I haven't got time to write much, but I realized that I need to be better about writing down the sweet (and funny, and frustrating) moments of my life with little ones. 

And so, just quickly, I want to say that we've had a rough time lately since our friends Ryan and Amber (and their kids, Aubrie and Robbie and Hallie) moved away. (They lived right down the street from us.) Olivia and Aubrie were best friends, and she has been so sad. We went to grandma's house this weekend, though, for my little brother's graduation, and I thought she would be over some of the mopey-ness we've had lately. But then tonight I was helping her with her prayers before bed, and she asked Heavenly Father, "...and please bless Aubrie that she won't be lonely. I really want her to be happy in her new home." She took some time thinking about it as she said it and I realized that for all of my frustrations with her teenager-in-a-four-year-old-body attitude, there are such precious moments like these. I'm so thankful that she has faith that Heavenly Father hears her prayers and can help her, and her friends, feel better. And I'm thankful that she shared that little testimony with me tonight.

More pics

So I hope I'm not too late in posting this, I wanted Cam and Kym to see all of these new pictures! We've got new pics on the picasa site - some of Lindsay and John's visit with baby Campbell, and lots of the kids giving Tate hugs. It's been a busy two weeks, and though I knew life was going to be crazy, I think you can never really be "prepared" fully for the changes a new little baby brings. I want to post more soon. Just gotta make it through grading finals...  :)