There they all go.

This was the moment when I almost started crying.  But I choked back the lump in my throat and hurried up the hill to catch up with them instead.  I've been waiting for this day for 11 years, no sense in crying about it now that it's here. 

Look at them, so ready and eager.  They shopped for and picked out their entire outfits and accessories.  Right down to the ridiculous Sketcher Twinkle Toes that they only wanted because they've seen commercials for them no less than 150 times over the summer.  They were assigned different classroom teachers, but they share lunchtime and recess.  They told me that they sat close enough to each other from two different tables to still be able to talk to each other.  That made me smile.

I don't really know how it all happened so fast.  But I'm happy for them.  And really, the only way I could let them go is because they have their protective and sweet older brothers to load them on the bus and help them get back home safely at the end of the day. 

This was Darin's second day of school, so he got to be in the picture with the "school kids". 

Of course we followed the bus, and made sure everyone got to the right classrooms.

And that was it.  We said our goodbyes, and they each faced their first day at school.  Darin took me out to breakfast, but then he had to be on campus all day long too.  It was quite possibly the quietest day of my entire life.  It was a strange mixture of sadness and posibility.  Who knows what lies ahead for me...I thought of the kids all day long, always wondering what they were doing and how they were feeling.

Imagine my great relief when they finally came home that afternoon to hear that everyone was happy.  Everyone is going to be fine.

The girls wanted to go to the pool, and since it will be closing in just a week or two, everyone was happy to go for a swim:

 

That's our house, just over the fence from the diving board.  Not too bad!

It's been a lovely summer, one for the record books.  And I'm optimistic that the school year can be just as great.   

We took a trip.

Back towards the end of June, my newest niece Mina was born.  We now only live about 4-5 hours away from each other.  It was high time we went to meet her.  You wouldn't believe how much I got to hold Mina.  I think she really loves me.  But I am terribly depressed that I don't have a single excellent shot of Mina on my camera!  This is the best thing that I've got:

I think this is an excellent picture that helps give you a glimpse of the fun people we got to hang out with on our trip to D.C.  But it doesn't really show you Mina.  So I'll just have to steal a picture of her:

Isn't she perfect?!  So I held her as often as I could, and my kids tried to hold her all the rest of the time.  It was grand. 

We also tried to be good D.C. tourist.  This was the first time we took our kids to the Nation's Capital.  You really can't do it all in just a few days.  Especially not in the heat of August.  But we had tons of fun people to tour with, and that made this trip unique.  The fact that we missed getting to the top of the Washington Monument, and missed the tour of my childhood in Kensington, just means that we'll be back sooner rather than later. 

Seeing the "real" C3-P0 almost made up for the fact that Darth Vader is in the Smithsonian Storage unit! 

Seeing the ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz, with Grandma Dorothy was especially special. 

And the "First Ladies at the Smithsonian" was almost more excitement than my ladies and I could handle!  You've never seen a group of girls more excited to look at old ball gowns. 

But hanging out with cousins, even if we made them look at the National Archives with us (or Boring Archives if you asked the 5 and under crowd!), was really what this trip was all about.

Pretty sure it was Uncle Steve who suggested we go to Mt. Vernon on Sunday afternoon.  It was perhaps the most impressive museum of our entire trip.  We all agreed that we could have stayed there for many more hours, but as it was, they were shooing us out as they were trying to shut it down. 

(do not be fooled, CZ has on like 5 inch heels in this photo!)

All in all, it was a fabulous trip.  Mostly I'm so glad we saw so much family and helped the kids establish those ever important childhood cousin/aunt and uncle memories.  As per usual I get home and realize how uncomprehensive my photos are, but let's hope the memories live on!  

Me and my brother with our kids.  Weren't we just kids ourselves?!

In case you hadn't heard, these kids are growing up darn fast!  

Stay tuned, the first day of school is Wednesday.  Although we have purchased all the school supplies and supplied most of the kids with first day of school outfits, I hardly feel prepared at all for what is about to hit us...

More visitors and more treats!

Last Saturday, Cousin Lisa drove into town.  She had attended a funeral in Mt. Airy, NC which is about two hours away, so we easily lured her into a visit. 

Driving so far with four kids alone isn't easy!  But I love Lisa for thinking she could do it.  It's those kinds of decisions that make me know for sure that we are related!

It was so fun for our kids to have built in play mates.  Swimming at the pool has never been so fun.  Watching Lisa do a back flip off of the diving board will remain a summer highlight. 

Not to mention how honored we were to spend Elsie's first birthday with her.  

Thanks for sharing some of your summer vacation with us Marions!  We had a blast.  (Although I think Lisa did a way better job of photographing our moments together.  Too bad I didn't download her photos before she left.) 

After the Marion's pulled out of town, it was time to quit sitting by the pool and turn a little bit of attention to hanging up pictures, and unpacking our 15 book boxes.  

After such a full week, Darin and I had to sneak away on a little weekend date.  I think our kids think that if mom and dad go out, Sugarland treats will return home with 'em.  They might be onto something...

For my friend Karen I tried to photograph our treats.  Too bad the lighting was kind of bad.  I'll leave the professional photography to her, but you get the idea, YUM.     

 
I think the overwhelming favorite from Sugarland is the vanilla.  They just do it better than the chocolate.  But the peanut butter cup delight had me and Darin drooling.  We couldn't figure out why the kids didn't like it?! 

No matter the cupcake flavor, I was still just so excited that I had found the coffee table of my living room dreams, at the Raleigh Flea Market,

It's going to be so perfect in front of the couch that I found on Craig's List, which sadly is still sitting on my front porch because of it's smell!  I was an obvious Craig's List novice that asking if the couch was coming from a smoke free home wasn't my first thought or question.  Live and learn!  I remain hopeful that the reupholstering will help it out. Not to mention the two weeks of fresh air and sun, and two boxes (so far) of baking soda.  What do you think?  Will it be a lost cause?  I sure hope not.  

And that's the latest.  We're off to D.C. later on this week for an almost complete Zackrison family gathering.  And oh.yeah. have you heard?  The sewing machine arrives on Thursday, along with our final 1000 pounds from Korea.  My family better enjoy my company this week, because after we're back from D.C. I think I've earned locking myself in the sewing studio for a few days!!!  

XO,
Annee

It's time already...

...For a blog update. Also, because I'm into choices, I might have titled this one, "The First Day of the Rest of His Life...Darin Gets His iPhone". (stay tuned to the end of the post for some of his first iPhone photos.  They're worth hanging on for.)

But really, the first title encompasses that news as well, it was time already.

We moved into our house in Chapel Hill

Here's the one interior shot only barely ready for a close-up.

We arrived here in Chapel Hill on July 9th, exactly two weeks later on July 23rd our first shipment from Korea arrived.  On the 13th our stuff that had been in storage for two years arrived, so we started sleeping at the house.  But that was a full 10 days on air mattresses before our beds arrived.  To say we were ready to move out of hotels, is mostly an understatement:

 (Thanks to the Major for this sweet window into my reality!  I know, Sleeping Beauty wishes she could look this good when she is sleeping.)

One good part about living in hotels, and waiting forever for our kitchen stuff to arrive, meant we kept eating out.  And really, that would be tragic too, if Chapel Hill wasn't "America's Foodiest Small Town."  We are out to prove it's a title that is warranted.  We're doing our best to hit up every local establishment that has generated a buzz...  

Darin had heard about Elmo's Diner, so one rare morning when we were up and ready for breakfast when it was still breakfast time, we went over to check it out.  Henry was delighted to order the traditional biscuits and gravy for breakfast.  Darin and I were excited to try grits without having to order it for ourselves.

Mostly I'm still confused by grits.  Are they good, or are they gross?  I'm still deciding.  But Henry gives two thumbs up to true Southern buiscuits and gravy.

The fact that we were there on the morning when breakfast Chilaquiles were the morning special felt prophetic to me.  Though I'm sometimes torn when I answer the question "where are you from (as in where did I grow up)".  Do I say California, do I say Maryland?  But when it comes to food I am a Californian at heart and if Mexican food can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's considered the most delicious sort of day!  I'm still dreaming about Elmo's Chilaquiles!!

The first night after our stuff arrived, Aunts Rachel and Christine arrived too!  We were so excited to welcome our first house guests.

And the best thing about their 2am arrival was that it gave us plenty of time to at least unpack the kitchen boxes before our house guests arrived!  Nothing like a little motivation to bust out the vaccum for the first time either.  It worked beautifully. 

The weekend went by too quickly.  But they are only four hours away.  We'll do it again very soon I hope.  Next time I'll even put sheets on their beds.

Their arrival also gave us an excuse to go check out Mama Dip's, which instantly became endeared to all of us when a side of Mac and Cheese was listed under the available "vegetables" you could choose.  Only in the South!

In conclusion their fried chicken and chicken fried steaks were everything you could hope for.  Their Red Velvet Cake was tremendous.  The Coconut Custard Cream pie left me wishing I had ordered the Red Velvet Cake.

And yeah, if you're wondering if all we do in Chapel Hill is go out to eat, let me assure you it's not.  We also swim (which deserve a few photos because it's so beautiful, but we don't have any), go to the mall, and occasionally visit botanical gardens, this time it was to Duke's prized gardens:

I hope this picture properly conveys how excited the children were to be at a botanical garden, instead of at the pool.

P.S.  Here are the promised iPhone photos.  And if you don't think I'm embarrassed that they are more photos about us going out to eat, then you don't know me very well.  But I'm not embarrassed that Darin and I jump at the chance to go out on a steamy date to Franklin St., or about how I hope this is only the first of many times that we bring home treats from Sugarland. 

That's the mosaic built into the cement on the ground as you walk into the shop.  So, so cute!

We made it!

So I don't really know how it became July 11th.  Or why I could never get my blogging act together during our month in Utah.  Blogging always felt like"the next thing" I was about to do.  I guess I never got very far down my list.  We had a great time in Utah.  We loved all our outdoor adventures, time with cousins, visiting Utah's proud collection of Snow Con Shacks, as well as visiting with lots of old friends who were all passing through, just like us.  The time went by quickly and was a great kick off to Summer 2010. 

We left Utah on July 5th on our way to Colorado Springs to visit old friends and to check on our house.  Our four days in Colorado are quite possibly the fastest four days of my life!  And just to prove it to you, we didn't even take a single pictures.  Lori, Kim, how did that happen?!  Did anyone take a picture?  I'm so sorry that I didn't.  We had such a great time seeing so many old friends.  What a treat.

But we were also extremely anxious to meet back up with Darin who was traveling perpendicularly to us, and made it to Chapel Hill on July 8th.  He was able to get the keys to our house, and acquire the all important summer pool pass, all before our late night arrival on the 9th.  And just as predicted, our best laid plans to have our stuff arrive before us, didn't quite pan out.  But much to the kids great relief, the van has, so at least we have moved out of too small rental cars!    Perhaps the rest of our household goods will be here before the week is over?  Great news, we at least know that our stuff is in America, so that sounds close in our opinion!! 

On our first night in town, Darin took us to the little down of Pittsboro, NC established in 1787, which finds itself on the National Historic Registry! 

The General Store Cafe was were we had our amazing dinner

And felt very posh while eating listening to live music.  Which was particularly interesting to Darin who thinks North Carolina might be the place where he learns to play the banjo. 

I think we'll always remember Pittsboro as the first place where the kids saw fireflies!

And how all of my childhood memories came flooding back to me as I demonstrated how to catch them. 

So here we are!  We've arrived.  I think we're going to like it here. 

But mostly it's just great to back together again as a family.  I think we can do anything, as long as we are in it together.  Stay tuned...

Sitting around is for sissies...

Or, another possible title:
When you download 120 photos from your camera, you know it's time for a Blog post!

You decide.

Anyway, we're doing our best to make memories around here.  We are getting these cousins together as much as humanly possible.  We run ourselves to the point of exhaustion most day.  We fall into our beds well past 10pm most nights.  We sometimes don't climb out of our beds until well past 10am!  If this isn't what summer is made for, then I don't know what summer is made for.

Also, I've had a few dreams for my kids (they can thank me later).  I'm making some of them come true while we're here in Utah.  I'm dragging lots of people around with me along the way.  We are surrounded by good sports.

Did you know I've been living at my mom's house for 4 weeks now (with four kids and about 84 bags)?!  And did you know she's still acting like she hasn't noticed?!

I tell you what, if that isn't what a good sport is, well then I've never met a good sport in my life!

Here you go, dream number #1 that I made come true:  Take 8 children, two sisters and a grandma, and hike up "Y" mountain!!

Oh yes we did:

The thing about hiking "Y" mountain is that it's not that far.  Less than half a mile ROUNDTRIP.  So try not to feel too sorry for anyone, except Sarah who often carried two kids at a time.  But it's pretty steep.  In fact, it's very steep.  So while I generally don't feel sorry for this latest privileged generation, I'll hand it over to them for a steep hike up "Y" mountain.  The other thing about it, after you leave the parking lot, you never see the "Y" again until you are basically sitting on top of it.  It's hard to keep kids motivated when they've lost sight of the end goal.

You most definitely should not feel sorry for this guy, getting a ride wherever he goes!  How will he ever learn to walk on his own two feet?!  I'll make him hike it next summer! 

But once you actually reach the "Y", you basically feel like you can do anything!  Especially if you are 42" or less.  Jane completely impressed herself with this mountain climb.  She couldn't stop smiling.  Oh yeah, until it was time to walk back down, then she resumed complaining.

Our three boys, Oliver, George and Henry made it to the bottom of the "Y" from the path, and then were so excited that they had reached the end point that they climbed the face of the "Y" all the way to the top!  Sadly, Brenden, Sarah, Huck and June had to turn back.  Sometimes despite our best efforts we still have to accept defeat and say we'll come back again next time!

Though Grandma and Ruby thought they would never make it, by simply putting one foot in front of the other, they joined the rest of us for the most amazing view in Provo.  And, it's a good thing we brought grandma, she'd never been there before!!

 

A gorgeous moon climbing up over the mountain,

followed by a tremendous sunset over the lake

Followed by a giant snake slithering across the path,

Had everyone nearly convinced that I really had helped make one of their dreams that they never knew they had, come true.  You're welcome!



You'll want to come check in again soon to hear more about the next dream coming true, of taking the whole family (this time even convincing Grandpa) to go see the Mormon Miracle (Manti ) Pageant.  And how even though we got home at 2:30 am the one night, we were all gathered back up again by the following afternoon for a little bit of this:

And this,

And this,

And finally this!

And then how the day ended like this:

all impromptu and completely candid.  All lined up like they still loved and care for each other even after we keep dragging them all over creation.

So, in conclusion, let me just say, if the Garden of Eden herself is more beautiful than Sundance is right now, I probably wouldn't believe it.  It's that gorgeous.

Seriously, tune back in, there are about 73 other photos where these ones came from, and you won't want to miss the Manti recap!