A Very Full Summer!

The first word that comes to mind when I think about life in our family at this moment is "FULL". The boys are FULL of energy, Matt's work schedule is FULL and continuing to grow, our days are FULL of activity, and God is continuing to make our joy FULL as we enjoy each day together as a family. We are cherishing our time together as we realize that over the next year Matt will be away more than he is home. I really dislike sea tour, but I know this is what God has for us during this season. I am just praying that HIS grace will sustain us through this time. I know he has amazing plans for our family!

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has for those who love him." I Corinthians 2:9

Since I am so far behind on this BLOG, I am going to do a quick recap of June. The details are going to have to be brief. In late May, we went on a long trip (over three weeks) to the east coast. Sadly, Daddy didn't get to come with us, due to the ever changing schedule of the ship! Here are the highlights from our trip...

After flying into Atlanta and staying for one night, we drove to Pensacola to visit with Matt's extended family on the Loesch side.

We took the boys to the Air Museum for the first time.

Then, we drove to Montgomery to visit (Daddy's) Uncle Wil and see his farm!

Enjoying watermelon in the grass.

Andy's found treasures while helping on the farm... a turkey feather, a horseshoe, and a rock.

A tractor ride with Uncle Wil.

The boys loved the animals (especially Zach) and the freedom of lots of open land. We can hardly wait to be back in a house with a big backyard!

Our next stop was Foley, Alabama for Bart and Rachel's wedding.

Andy got to be the ring bearer and I must say he looked adorable in his little tux.

Our Loesch Family... never the same without Daddy.

Our two happy little boys!

Our next stop on the road trip was St. Teresa beach. We enjoyed a chance to just sit back and relax a little.


More freedom for the boys!


We got to try out Grammy and Grandad's new Kayak!

Cousin Ted took us on a boat ride to Alligator Point. Andy was disappointed that we didn't get to see any alligators!

Then it was back to Atlanta for the last week of our trip.


How many cousins can you fit in one little sandbox?


Celebrating Grammy's Birthday and Grandad's Father's Day a few days early.


It was a long trip home... We were so thankful that Daddy surprised us with an early homecoming and picked us up at the airport!

Great Grandma and Grandpa came to Coronado for a visit the week after we got home.

Andy ran into Zach and got a blackeye.

Zach had his first ER visit after falling against the latch on an aluminum trash can at the park. He had to get seven stitches in his ear.


And we moved Zach into his toddler bed! Our boys are getting so big!

Hopefully I will have time to catch up on July sometime soon! June was full enough for me!

Water Table... or Mud Pit!

This week the boys got a new water table. This table has brought hours of entertainment for them. Today while they were playing, they decided to fill it with sand from their sandbox. This created a big mud pit that they enjoyed even more than just the water... of course! They made mud pies for the first time (other than at the beach). And then they got to play in the hose to get all the sand off of their little bodies. I never imagined that I would be the mother of two energetic little boys and I certainly never thought I would be the mother that let them get so dirty (the pictures don't show how bad it got). I love having boys! They are so much fun and have taught me to loosen up a little!

La Jolla Half Marathon 2008

Matt and I successfully completed our first half marathon! The La Jolla Half is the hardest half marathon course in San Diego. It is a beautiful run along the water and through a national park. The toughest hill is a 450 ft climb starting at mile five! My childhood friend, Christina Kirby, runs several half marathons a year and encouraged me to try one with her. She hadn't run this one before, so we decided to do it together. After I started training, Matt decided to join in as my coach and encourager. The weather turned hot the day of the race, so we ran it in 90 degree weather. This was a huge challenge, because we had only run in the heat one other time. The hills were brutal and the water stops were few! Though I am proud to have completed this race, it was much more challenging than I had anticipated. Matt stuck with me and we completed it with a decent time. Christina beat us by about 10 minutes... you go girl! I would like to try a flatter course next time and hopefully see a vast improvement in my time! We took the pictures above just before the race... right after I locked Matt's keys in the truck! The pictures from the race and after are below.

The Summit at Torrey Pines... the BIG hill!

Crossing the finish line!

Our post race photo shoot... thrilled to be finished!