Trip to Lenoir

August 13, 2007 Old news, really, but I got some really cute pictures of our trip to North Carolina a few weeks ago. We all packed the truck up and headed north for a busy weekend filled with visiting Granny, an awesome bluegrass cookout at my cousin Diane's house, and a Patrick family reunion in Hot Springs. Busy, busy weekend with lots of road time, but a fun time anyway.

In other news, Mom and Dad have finally settled in to their PERMANENT residence at The Cliffs. We have made two overnight trips to their beautiful home and I am anxious to get pictures posted.

Max and Kinsey are both doing great. Kinsey is an amazing big sister as you can see from the pictures.

School started back last week and while it has been hard leaving the kids everyday, I really love my job and we are so fortunate to have found an awesome nanny to stay at home with the kids.

Terra's Key

July 9, 2007 We just got back last night from our vacation in the Florida Keys and we had a wonderful time. Jack actually convinced me to drive and although I worried about it the whole month before the trip, it turned out to be a pretty good idea. We met up with my parents and my sister, brother-in-law and nephew for a week of swimming, fishing and eating. We also managed to squeeze in one snorkel and one dive trip, too. I think Kinsey had the most fun of anyone. She learned to jump off the side of the pool and swim to the steps and we even had her swimming with a mask and snorkel some. She really is a fish. She also decided she wanted to take tennis "lessons" from her mother. THAT was interesting! We celebrated Jack and Laura's 35th birthday while we were there but the highlight of the trip for me was sitting on our private, 7-acre island watching about 10 fireworks shows from all over the Keys. Wow!

3rd Birthday Party

June 24, 2007 Kinsey had her 3rd birthday party last night at our neighborhood pool. She had a wonderful time and got to celebrate with her favorite friends doing her favorite summertime activity. Jack and my dad (AKA Papadad) made an amazing themed birthday cake as usual. Jack baked a two-layer cake and cut a pool out of the top layer filled with blue icing. Then they decorated it all the way down to the wafer tiles and bikini-clad Teddy Grahams. They sure are creative and work hard for their Kinsey! Max had a ball, too. He was dressed in a bright orange surf suit from head to toe and he loved hanging out in the water. It beat the 90 degree heat! All in all, it was another successful birthday party with the ones we love. Life is good in the Patrick household. We are off to spend a week in the Keys this coming weekend. Private house on private island AND we're smart enough to be taking a sitter to help with Kinsey, Max, and cousin Thomas. Pictures will posted soon after we return.

TERRIFIC THREE!!!

June 20, 2007

We just got back from Myrtle Beach. Mommy, Kinsey, Max and Nanny went for the week while Daddy and Papadad came for the weekend and celebrated Kinsey's 3rd birthday and Father's Day with the rest of the extended family. Kinsey had a blast at the beach--we even had her boogie boarding by the end of the week. And Max loved the ocean, too. We would suit him up in his infant life jacket and hat and he'd just bob away on the waves. He loves the water already like his big sis does. For Kinsey birthday party, we decided to go to Senor Frogs. What an experience! By the end of the night we were standing on our chairs dancing and she just ate it up. She certainly does love being the center of attention. We had a wonderful time and can't wait until our trip to the Keys in less than two weeks! If you're ever in Myrtle Beach, try this little hole-in-the-wall called Mrs. Fish--best seafood around, I promise you!

Lakehouse Fun

June 6, 2007



We have been enjoying a lot of fun at Mom and Dad's Lake Hartwell house the past few weeks. They will be selling and moving up to Keowee before we know it. It has been so much fun getting all the new cousins together (my nephew Thomas with Max in the 2nd picture). Kinsey caught her first fish with Papadad and she's not a real fisherman because she didn't lie when we asked her how big the fish was. She put her two index fingers almost touching and said "Iiiity Bity" and this past weekend she learned how to jump off the dock and boat in her life jacket. Tonight she swam about half the distance of our little neighborhood pool--AMAZING!!! I'm lovin' the summertime!

Updated Pictures

I know the other pictures were so tiny, so here's the video montage I put together of the kids for Jack for Father's Day. Shhhh!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Has it been THAT long???

June 4, 2007 OK, has it really been almost a YEAR since I've posted? I think it has. Really, the last news was that I was pregnant. Obviously, the babe grew, developed, and was born since my last post. Welcome to this world John Maxwell (AKA Baby Max). Kinsey absolutely LOVES her baby brother and hasn't had one negative reaction toward him YET. But then again, he's not stealing her toys yet either. Since Max's arrival on March 7th, we've been to Sunset Beach, a Brave's game, swimming in the pool and at Lake Hartwell, to visit the family in North Carolina, etc, etc, etc. Life sure has been busy. I can't believe Kinsey will be THREE in less than two weeks. That makes me at LEAST three years older than I think I am doesn't it? OK, I'm going to work on being better at this...

Another Day With the Boys

September 25, 2006 Nothing new, just another dinner with Kinsey's favorite fellas. We just don't get pictures of the three of them sitting still very often!

Tweetsie Railroad

September 10, 2006 OK, so it has been a really long time since I posted any pictures, but that's just what happens when school starts back I guess. Our last big adventure was a trip up to Lenoir, NC to visit Granny. We decided to take advantage of the gorgeous fall weather and take a day trip to Tweetsie Railroad in the mountains. Granny took me when I was a kid at least a million times, so the times have a changed! What an amazing day it was. To see the magic in your own child's eyes in indescribable. I never knew what this day was going to be like. When we walked in the gates, Kinsey saw the towering green steam engine "choo choo" and wanted to ride it immediately. On the ride there are cowboy and indian fights so I didn't know how she would take it. She was as solemn and wide-eyed as I'd ever seen her. Then she wanted to ride the rides, another idea that made Mommy nervous, but she rode like a big kid all the way. She fed goats and deer, ate cotton candy and LOVED riding the "horties" on the carousel. We couldn't get her off. As you can see, the day wore her out (and us too) but it was one we won't forget...at least I know Granny, Mommy and Daddy won't!!!

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words!!!

Look closely now... :)

Big Girl Swimming

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August 15, 2006 We knew Kinsey liked the water and we've been pretty impressed by her independence in th epool and ocean and her ability to swim with her life jacket on. But we were NOT prepared for her latest feat. As of last Thursday, Kinsey is now OFFICIALLY swimming with no outside help of floatation devices. She asked to get out of her baby boat and climb the pool ladder and when I asked if she wanted to swim to the ladder, she said "uh-huh" so I let her go, and boy did she swim. And the best part was she climbed the ladder, looked back with a grin and asked for "mo". And now, there is no stopping this kid. Swim, swim, swim--even when we aren't in the pool with her. Hope this video clip works. I think you'll be proud, too!

Last Lake Hurrah

August 9, 2006 With the first day of school upon us, we decided to go to the lakehouse this weekend with the Griners for one last summer hurrah. And boy what a trip! We all swam and played on our homemade slide and even talked Kinsey into a tube ride with Mommy! Kinsey and the twins had a blast. Burgers, boat rides and lots of giggles made for a great last weekend!!!

Mimi's Birthday

August 3, 2006 Kinsey's favorite nextdoor neighbor, "Mimi", was sweet enough to invite her to her 11th birthday party at a community pool last night. Kinsey had a ball and I swear she was convinced she was 11 herself. Jack and I didn't even bother getting in the pool because she wanted NOTHING to do with us and only wanted to hang with the big girls. What fun it is to see her growing up!

Graduation

August 2, 2006 Kinsey's first graduation party and I'm sure it is nothing like the one she will have when she's 18!!! Kinsey will move up to the 2 year old class on Monday, so they had a pizza party at her school today for the "graduates". The camera battery died before her teachers could take more pictures, but this is just before they devoured the pizza and cookie cake.

Definitely TWO!

July 26, 2006 Today, Kinsey proved to me that she was definitely two! Usually when I take a shower in the mornings, she will sit quietly and watch Sesame Street. So this morning, when she wanted to play with her barnyard animals, I was curious to see how well she did. I had a phone call just before I got in the shower, so I ran upstairs one more time before I got in to check on her and this is what I found.

Video Montage

July 22, 2006

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Back from FLA

July 1, 2006 Kinsey and I just got back from a 10-day trip to Ft. Lauderdale visiting my parents. We had the best time. We spent most of the vacation in Nanny and Papadad's pool, but also enjoyed the Discovery Museum, Safari Park, and dinghy rides (the seas were too rough to take the big boat out). I'll have to post Florida pictures later since we took pictures with mom's camera and not mine. Kinsey became a fish almost overnight. She's always loved the pool, but after this trip she can blow bubbles, put her head underwater ALONE and kick her feet really well. I think she probably would have been swimming if we'd had another week. Since we've been home, I've taken her to the neighborhood pool twice though, to try to work on these skills so she doesn't forget. I attached a picture of Kinsey with another neighbor, Rex, and one of our Jack Russells, Emmett. Rex and his older sister Peyton, who I'll be teaching next year, went swimming with us this morning.

Backyard Beach Blast

The party was a HIT! We had even more fun than her circus party last year. And what a crowd! I didn't know how Jack was going to top his clown cake from last year, but the sandcastle cake this year was amazing. He really has a talent.
We had a houseful of family and we all woke at the crack of dawn to prepare for the party. Jack and my dad worked on the cake, Laura worked on the party favors, my mom and I food, and Paul had backyard doggie poop pick-up doodie (get it?!)--boy do I owe him one! The backyard looked great with Kinsey's playhouse that Jack finished just in time as the centerpiece.
She had a sandboat, and adirondack furniture and some sprinklers and of course a pool to go with the beach theme. Eight two-year-olds came and some neighbors and we all partied and grilled out until dark. As you can see by the baby pool picture,things got a little wild towards the end of the party! :) It was an amazing day that at least the adults won't forget. What a wonderful family we all have!

She's TWO!!!

June 16, 2006 I can't believe our little tiny baby is two years old! Boy how the time has flown. I love this age more than any so far. Don't get me wrong, I think babies are adorable, but the personality of a toddler, even if its the middle of a tantrum, is the best. I guess I'm weird because I'd take a screaming tantrum over a crying infant any day. But then again, I do teach 13-year-olds an love it! For Kinsey's real birthday, we had just the family over for steak supper. Jack's mom and dad, Laura and Paul, and my mom were all with her. My dad didn't arrive until after Kinsey had already gone to sleep. We celebrate with a "Melmo" cake and party accessories since he is her first real crush! Jack made the cake and I decorated it. Not too bad if I say so myself! The big party is tomorrow...I hope we can get everything done in time. We are expecting more than 20 guests!

Birthday Week

June 14, 2006 So Kinsey will be the big 0-2 on Friday and what a better way to spend her birthday week than playing at the pool with her bestest neighbors "Mi-Mi" and Turner. Every morning this week we have taken the golf cart down to the pool and played until lunch. Her best buds Jacob and John Scott even met us a few times. My mom, "Nanny" had been visiting with us and is helping my sis and BIL move out of their house. This week has been so busy planning for the big beach blast!