A Long Break

So, it's been awhile. Four years to be exact. Turns out that when Luke went off to kindergarten, I went back to work, the girls got busy with school and activities, and Brian took a challenging new job, that life became too busy to keep up the blog. I loved this hobby of mine, but I couldn't keep up and finally gave up on it.

Fast forward four years, the kids are now practically grown at 15, 12, and 9! We have a DOG! Brian is the CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes! And I just got my hip replaced! Lol, life is truly crazy and wonderful. But it took a major surgery to slow us down long enough to pull an old blog book off the shelf and read it. And just like that all those precious memories came flooding back. What a gift those books are. They tell the story of our life which I could never recount on my own today looking back. As I iced and elevated my leg today, I read about all the adventures we had, saw how adorable our babies were back then, and fully appreciated what this blog gave us. 

And so here we go again. It won't all be in chronological order, I will have missed YEARS of our lives, but I'd rather recount and record what memories I can moving forward because it's all so good. So here is a pix I snapped today- March 3, 2026. Can I please introduce you to Bo Nix Frederik Andersen Fork, the sixth and final Fork?

We've got lots to catch up on, so let's get blogging!

Christmas Comes Early

It's pretty exciting to get your first official school bookbag, and it was finally Luke's turn. The only reason he wasn't sad to see an awesome final preschool year end was because he knew after it was over, he got to pick out and order his kindergarten bookbag. 

He ended up picking out a sports bookbag that glows in the dark and has his name on it. It was not cheap, but it was worth the excitement he got picking it out and also the excitement he felt when it finally arrived. I still remember how thrilled Addie was to receive her first school bookbag, and I wanted the same experience for Luke. 

And he got it!

Now it's time to get excited about kindergarten!

Bald Head Island!

We had never been on three straight beach vacations before, and I'm not going to lie. It was really nice. I could get used to never having to do any work except sunscreening my kids, BUT I probably gained at least 10 pounds in the month of July so it all evens out doesn't it? Our final vacation of summer 2020 was at lovely Bald Head Island, and we could not have been more excited. Each of our trips has such a different and fun vibe, and you know how obsessed we are with BHI. We could not wait to pull up to Provision to see Poppy and Nana and to order up some conch fritters and crab cakes...

I'm pretty sure the adults were the excited ones about the conch fritters and the kids were more excited about this...

Our first barge sighting! There would be many more in the week ahead if we were lucky. :)

Okay, worst part of our vacation hands down was waiting in this SUPER LONG ferry line in the BLAZING HEAT. IN A MASK! We all thought we were going to die. Not to be dramatic, but it was uncomfortably hot and people were all in our face, and I thought my sister was going to lose it. It made her super uncomfortable COVID-wise, and poor Sawyer could not have been hotter. And we missed the ferry by one person and had to wait for the next one. Not fun...

But we finally made it!

And finally we spotted our favorite island...our home for the next seven days!

 

Summer Cousin Days

 We decided we wanted to take time to special activities with Sawyer this summer. The first installment of "Summer Cousin Days" was July 1, and we decided to visit Chavis Community Park which has a fantastic playground and splashpad. The kids loved it! And it was SO hot outside so it was the perfect summer activity. We finished up with a visit to the Farmers Market for tomatoes and peaches. And while the kids were playing at home that afternoon, I even found the time to make the first tomato pie of the season. These are the special things I love about summer.

End of an Era

No more car seats in my car! My babies have officially outgrown this one. We recently realized that Luke was too tall and too long for this car seat, and that it was time for him to move into Addie's high-back booster seat and that Addie was ready for a plain booster seat. And of course, Collins is so tall that she doesn't need anything at all! 

It's sad when they outgrow cribs, car seats, and clothes, but I have to say the new phase they are in is equally exciting. Also, it's comforting to know when it's time to move on. It's okay to end one era because you just start a new fun one!

Finally a Lemonade Stand

 Luke had asked for weeks if they could have a lemonade stand, and finally he got his wish. It only lasted for about 15 minutes, and they only made $5, but he was pretty happy with it. 

It's good that a kids' lemonade stand is still a thing, but the more modern version of it also sells Rainbow Loom bracelets and slime made and packaged by Collins and Alice. I like their business plan. I'm pretty sure we have little entrepreneurs in the making!

Fourth of July Fun

The Fourth of July was on a Monday this year which meant we got to celebrate America and summertime for the whole long weekend. We started off with some boating on Saturday. We spent five hours on Jordan Lake eating BBQ sandwiches, tubing (a first for me- SO FUN- my first real "summer moment"), swimming and playing "Wipe Out" on the float. It was so relaxing, yet we came home so exhausted because the sun just wears you out. :)

Luke insisted upon going to a baseball game on Sunday because he loves the Mudcats. And I wanted to go to see fireworks! They won in dramatic fashion (Collins was not happy with the extra innings), and Addie and I were wowed by the fireworks. She had not really seen fireworks in a long time so it was really fun watching her face as they went off. The other three chose to watch from the car, and that was probably a smart move because they were intense and loud! The Mudcats claim they are the best fireworks in the Southeast, and they might be right!

On Monday, we took a day trip to Wrightsville Beach to hang out with the frat. They had all descended upon the Blockade Runner with their families, and we had a great time swimming, eating hot dogs, playing on the beach, using the BR hot tub, and just getting together. 

After seven hours on the beach, it was time to head home. But not before a Vito's Pizza with a view. :)

We spotted fireworks coming back into Raleigh, and of course I had to chase them down at Dorothea Dix Park. No one else in my family cared to see them, but I did! We saw a few and then headed home to crash into bed. 

It was a super fun July 4th holiday weekend mixed with all our favorite things about summer!