Aidan's First Birthday Party

What fun...hard to believe Aidan is really one! We hosted a party for Aidan's first birthday yesterday. I think Hatcher was more excited than anyone! He requested that I specifically buy party hats, party cookies and party cake...and yes, they were in that order. He was such a proud and helpful big brother that I got him this simple shirt that reads "Big Brother" for him to wear to Aidan's party. He was a great helper all day!

In typical fashion here at the Kemmerlin house, no one napped before the party. We even tried riding around in the car before hand and there was just no go at it! So, we decided to grin and bear it...and all went well. We had the usual suspects over (grandparents, relatives and friends) along with a couple of kids...Madison, Maddox, and the newest Riley addition, Carter who is just shy of 4 weeks old! The kids had so much fun and baby Carter did really well.

We enjoyed some bbq and sweet tea and let Aidan (with Hatcher's assistance of course) open his presents. Upon opening his first present, which came in a large box, Aidan proceeded to climb up on it and remained atop of that present the remainder of the gift unwrapping session! It was too funny. He was so tired but held out for the cake, and man did he really enjoy squeezing it all between his fingers and then trying to feed it to me and Derek. He didn't face plant or get any in his eyes like Hatcher did; but, it was still messy none the less. After the sugar high kicked in, Hatcher and Madison took turns riding the big 4-wheeler in the backyard with Derek and Brian. Aidan didn't make it that long, he was soooo in need of his nap! Maddox managed to see it, but watched the kids safely from the deck.

We had a wonderful time and thank everyone for coming. Although Aidan won't remember it, we sure will and rest assured I will have photos for him to look at when he is ready. I can't wait to see what Aidan does over the next year. He is such a love and a calm adoring spirit. He and Hatcher are so close already and that bond can only get stronger. They are such a source of joy and happiness in this house. I wish they wouldn't grow up so fast, and yet I love getting to know them!

Aidan Grey turns 1 today!

Today is Aidan's first brithday and it so hard to believe how fast time has passed. I remember a year ago today going to my dr appt and my midwife, Renee, telling me that we could head on over to the hospital. At 7:40 pm that Wednesday evening, we welcomed Aidan into this world. What a dear he is and what a wonderful spirit he has. His birthday invitation turned out so good that I am sharing it here.

Happy Birthday Aidan. We love you so much!

Happy 60th Birthday Grandma!

We hosted an impromptu dinner to celebrate Grandma's momentous 60th birthday! Tom had to leave town for work and we just couldn't have Grandma celebrate alone. Her bigger party is planned for a later date, but her actual birthday was yesterday. Hatcher was so excited to go to the grocery store and buy birthday cake for Grandma to eat. He also practiced singing to her all day. Derek, Ben, me and the kids all enjoyed a nice meal and some dessert in honor of Grandma's 60th!

Happy Birthday Grandma! We love you very much!

Aidan is 51 weeks old

It is hard to believe we are approaching another milestone. Aidan is nearly 1 year old...in only 4 more days! Just flew by! Although I haven't been as consistent about taking photos, I did get some marking his 51st week. The last two photos were taken one morning last week while I was getting ready for work. I knew that Hatcher was watching Sesame Street and Aidan was playing, but things got a bit too quiet in the room, so I peered around the corner and noticed that Aidan had crawled up into the chair and was lounging along side Hatcher watching Sesame Street too! I snuck around them and took the picture. They do love each other so much it is really endearing to watch them together!

Visit to NC and Beach

This past weekend we took a trip to North Carolina to visit Granddaddy Wayne, Abuela Nuri, Aunt Roxie and Uncle Jim. We spent the first night in Goldsboro visiting with friends who all came over to Granddaddy and Abuela's house for a cookout. Hatcher got to spend some time running around with Carla's daughter Ansley. Hatcher fell in love. He ran around so much that he got super sweaty and we had to take his shirt off, and of course, that is when we got the priceless picture below. I told the kids to stand together for a picture and Ansley put her arm around Hatcher only to have him hold her hand with his hands. So cute you could eat it up with a spoon. (Carla - Hatcher asks about Ansley all the time now and wants to see her picture on the computer whenever he can! Good luck with the new house!)

The next day we all headed to the beach. That is where the kids had the most fun. Hatcher absolutely LOVES boats and wanted to be on the boat all day long - whether it was parked in the back yard or on the water, he wanted to be on the boat..."Hatcher's boat" as he referred to it. On Friday we went out into the sound for a ride and then traveled to a little island near the edge of the sound entering the ocean. We were the first group there so kids got to play on the sand almost entirely by themselves. The only other people on the island were catching minnows for bait. Hatcher loved building sand castles, burying his feet in the sand and catching those mini sand crabs with Daddy. Aidan just wanted to scoot into the water or eat the sand. He did get a big kick out of having his legs buried in the sand too.

Hatcher and Uncle Jim hung out in the ocean for nearly an hour swimming and floating and playing. When Derek finally went out and let Aidan float in his baby shade float next to Hatcher and Uncle Jim, he claims he was "attacked" by crabs trying to eat his precious "other white meat legs." HA! We all got a kick out of that! Roxie and I tried to hang back and relax as much as we could on the sand. A big thanks to Aunt Roxie and Uncle Jim for bringing lunch out to the beach area! That was HUGE! The kids had so much fun playing on the beach that they both passed out on the boat ride back inland even as we were being pelted by oncoming pouring rain! We had a great time and can't wait to go back to the beach! I have a ton of good photos and am creating a montage, but for now, here are some of my favorites.

Sunday is our Funday!

What a blast the boys had this past weekend. Hatcher and Aidan loved the 4th of July festivities as well as all the friends and kids who stopped by. On Sunday we went to Grandma and Grandpa Tom's house to catch up before going to NC this week. Grandma has such a nice flat yard, perfect for hitting the baseball or golf ball - and boy does Hatcher love to do both. Even Aidan got in on the action. Hatcher is really picking sports up quickly. He can already swing and occasionally hit balls gently tossed his direction and seems ready to loose the "t" in t-ball! We came back home Sunday evening to a big surprise...Hatcher (and Daddy's) 4-wheeler was done. Uncle Jared has been working on repairing the motor back to working condition and it runs like a champ now. Hatcher didn't want to get off that thing and has made Daddy take him on a ride every day this week so far. Our yard is really taking a beating!

4th of July - Happy Birthday USA

I wanted to get some photos up from today. We started off getting everyone dressed and ready for the parade. It comes right down our street and it seems the whole town in involved in the parade - so we make a point of being at home to cheer them on. Hatcher loved the folks who passed by and tossed candy at us! He kept trying to shove it all in his pockets..."I save for later Mommy." Too cute. The kids had such a wonderful time. Although we didn’t have our usual big crowd, Uncle Jared came by for the festivities down at Berkeley Lake and Derek B and Cynthia brought Maddox. We all followed the tail end of the parade down to the dock where the BBQ and games were held. This year the water was high enough so that all the party boats were docked and decorated for the day. Aidan really loved the BBQ but Hatcher preferred the Cheetos and cookies! After lunch, Hatcher insisted on taking off his socks and shoes and getting into the water. He played in the shallow water at the boat ramp for at least an hour. Aidan had fun just watching it all. The longer we stayed the more kids came over to splash along. Brian came down with Madison and his Dad to give Mandy and new baby Carter some quiet time. Hatcher and Madison attempted to take part in both the water balloon toss and hula-hoop contest...too fun. Aidan wasn’t going to make the fireworks and Hatcher was just not interested in the loud booms and pops...so no fireworks for Mommy this year. Maybe we can all try again next year. Hope you all had a nice holiday.