The Gross Family

Best friend reunion

This was the third annual family reunion weekend of the girls who have been my best friends since we were itty bitties. Between the four of us on this weekend, we had nine kids and one on the way. Our first night, everyone came over here for a cookout- it was so fun to see all these sweet kids together!

Abby Jane and Hannah, the two five year old girls.

My precious friends! Time with these women feed my soul in the deepest way, the way that only happens when folks can read your mind and know what you're trying to say better than you do.

Joy with Eli, Hannah's twin. So yes, two sets of twins there!

Nope, you're not seeing double. This is just Blythe's real twin, Whitney's daughter Bella, who was also three here.

Bella and Blythey go together like peas in a pod. They both love pink, they both love being fancy, they both have fabulous hair, and they both answer to Boo!

It was a packed weekend of parks and house hopping. This is at Katie's neighborhood park- Abby Jane (5), Blythe (3), Carlton (Katie's- 3), Bella (Whitney's- 3), Clara (Katie's- 2), Joy (3), Eli and Hannah (Betsy's- 5), and Jackson (Whitney-10 months).

One of the highlights was when Jake took care of our three girls plus Whitney's two, so all four of us girlfriends could go to breakfast with Keri, the woman who has mentored us since 8th grade. We were thankful for superdad allowing us that precious time with an amazing woman who walked us through such incredibly shaping years.

Beyond thankful for these women and for the unspeakable blessing their friendship is and love our reunion weekends where we get to do life and have our kids deepen their friendships!

Nap dropping

It happened after the beach trip in July. We had skipped naps while there to extend the day and have fun adult time at night. Then it stuck when we got home. It changed our lives. Downside, and a huge one- I suddenly could only sew at night, instead of during naptime, so my productivity time was cut in half. 418 Stitches was booked through August at that point, based on my expected pace of productivity... so it was a bit of a scramble to finish those final orders. I realized very quickly that the season for 418 had come rapidly to a close. I elaborated on that decision more here. On the upside, also a huge one- the girls were exhausted by 7 pm and no longer were we chatting with twins at 9:30, sending them back to their room for the 17th time. Another bonus- an entire day to play and go and do, with suddenly half the structure we had been living with for years. Only a time or two did a little body suddenly call it quits in the transition. But it was sweet to me when they did... just a reminder that they were still little ones and not too grown up!

While the cat's away...

The little mice play! It took me about two mornings of walking the round trip 97 second walk to school with all three girls before I decided the twins would be fine to watch me from the window and there's no reason to get all three dressed by then unnecessarily! Like I said in the water balloon post. Simple life. Little folks finishing breakfast while watching mama from the the window. It's good.

Of course, sometimes they wait on the steps, and as the mornings got dimmer, then folks get a really clear view into our little dining room, which is on the corner of the house closest to the school... so all the parents from carline see my little ones' faces smashed up against the glass. The day their preschool teacher commented that she like Joy's red footies really blew Joy's mind. I have no shame. Most of their little ones are still in their PJs, too, just tucked away behind the tinted glass of their minivan! We're authentic here, people.

We got into a lot of artwork at a three-year-old's pace.

Individual portraits Blythe drew one morning. I love the smiles and everyone's different hair. You can tell hair matters a lot to this little lady!

Love getting to march to the beat of just the twins' drum! It's a catchy beat.

Kindergarten begins!

Then suddenly it was the day that my oldest girl and my first baby was going to her kindergarten orientation. How. did. that. happen.

I wasn't the only one busting at the seams proud of such a big day! Blythe and Joy were pretty confident it was their kindergarten orientation, too.

Meet Mrs. Coney, world's best kindergarten teacher. That sweet baby girl in her tummy here has since arrived, and we can't wait to have Mrs. Coney back in the classroom next month! She is a treasure.

Trying to stop time for just a moment, or at least capture what was whizzing by.

The school sent us parents home from our orientation with a note to write to our kids to receive on their first day. Jake drew a fancy illustration, while I tried my best to keep my words light and not too sappy! How to encapsulate what you want your kid to read and be reminded of on their first day of school on just a few lines...

Then it was the big day!

No mistaking who this girl belongs to!

On our long 47 second walk to school for the very first time!

Of course she walks in and is so engrossed that we barely get a goodbye before it's time for us to leave. And that's just the way it should be. There have certainly been some easy mornings and harder mornings in the course of this first year, with the transitions of teachers due to maternity leave, etc., but we have been so very pleased with our school and thankful to the Lord for providing such a special place for Abby Jane to begin her education!

Last cousin days

The Elliotts got to come for dinner one night during their visit and got to see our new home. Ashley spent the night that night, something she and Abby Jane had been talking about for a calendar year. Clearly Abby Jane is not as excited for the photo as she was for the slumber party.

Ashley doesn't have all these girls to dress up with and have morning tea parties with in her house of brothers, and all the girls ate up their time together!

A short time later, we all descended on Grammy's house to end the summer of cousins with a bang. The same group of the usual suspects are dancing in a parade here. They spent the majority of their time at Grammy's with some form of dress-up on.

Another thing that is usually happening is a dog-pile of kids that are drawn to an adult with a book like bugs to a zapper. Aunt Susan and Grammy are the two most popular readers, but really anyone will do. The older kids sometimes feel like being the reader, and then their pop-star status skyrockets even further.

This is about the time Abby Jane started her now-thick monkey bar callouses. Please don't fault me for style points here. We bought the girl running shoes in the summer because she needed some better hiking kicks... and she started wearing them with everything. Bonus points for her being able to tie her own shoes at least!

Maggie and Blythe are very big buds. They like the same pace, have the same passions, and they find peace together when things get crazy.

Some of the crazy.

While Maggie and Blythe are big buds, Maggie and Joy actually look like twins.

The original Pied Piper reader.

Dock life. Fishing, paddle board coming into view, coffee drinking in 90 degree weather... summer in the south at Grammy's.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Now. I take particular pride in my girl being the first cousin to haul in a fish. Of course it is clear that Jake got the fishing bug going amongst the kids. But I was quite the avid fisherlady when I was Abby Jane's age, and at the time planned to grow up and open a bait and tackle shop called "Fishers of Men." (I only admit that on the blog because I don't think anyone reads it anymore since I'm six months overdue.) There is a story about Greg wanting to come see what all the fun was about when my dad and I were going fishing one time. He wasn't getting a bite, and I was getting fish after fish.Since he is so ~~competitive~~ inquisitive, he asked if we could switch fishing spots. So we did, and I kept catching and he kept not catching. He didn't bother coming fishing with us again. So you could say I was a little overly excited when my girl caught her first fish entirely on her own.

I love how her smile goes from face-breaking to forced when she actually holds it off the hook. Classic.

Here are Ian and Katie hanging out on their boards. This was Ian's first summer to have total independence on a board in Grammy's lake, and he did a great job.

The Elliotts left to return to Manila just a few days later. We love our precious family, and we miss the Elliotts!!! Thankful for Skype, but love getting to do with with all of y'all. Already looking forward to this summer!

Water play

As I blog about water balloons and last summer during January, I'm struck how my favorite ever times with my people can be categorized as simple life. So here's a summer afternoon at home living the simple life.