Mom's Last Day :(

Mom took the kids on bike rides at least twice a day, often more. Ruth thought it was the VERY BEST thing ever and both her and Will got a lot faster and a lot more comfortable navigating around our new little neighborhood. It is so much easier than our last complex--the sidewalks are full size and there is a curb between the road and the sidewalk and not far away is a little pond with a black track all around it, which is where they headed to and went around each time. 

So this is our new pool. Smaller than our last one obviously, but very, very nice. Everything is extremely well kept and the chairs are super nice quality and you can't see it, but I'm underneath a big roof covering some picnic tables and chairs and there are bathrooms too. A perfect place.

 I thought mom and the kids would get LOTS of swimming in while she was here. Perfect Florida summer activity. But our key didn't work. And it took us half the week to get a new one. And then it was REALLY rainy (except the day we went to the beach, luckily) and in the afternoons I slept a lot (thank you for that, mom! I miss it!!!!). But on her very last day here we decided we'd check it out so I'd have a feel for it and know what to expect when I took the kids by myself the next time. It did rain, but luckily only for about 5-10 minutes and there wasn't any thunder/lightning, so they just kept swimming and mom said it was the FIRST time she's ever swam in the rain! 

She LOVES that Ariel little people doll. She carries it EVERYWHERE we go. Haha.

Ruthie acquired this new swimsuit while I was in the hospital and our awesome friends had my kids swimming in their pool. She's adorable.

Will throwing the football with Grandma. It was hilarious--she hit him full on the head TWICE. She was laughing, "I couldn't have done that by aiming if I TRIED."

In the background you can see Will flipping into the pool. He's really great at it now!

Haha-Will's legs!

Pool to themselves. 

Ruthie showed grandma how she can do a handstand.

Baahaahaa.

Cutest little lady ever!

RAINING!!!!

MORE RAINING!

They thought it was awesome. I wish rain hitting water showed up better in pictures-it was cool!

Awww, isn't he just the SWEETEST most ADORABLY SOFT baby you ever saw!?!?!?!

And then Sterling took mom to the airport while I cried. And stayed home to nap, only I spent the entire time on the phone with our insurance. Which I had already spent three hours doing earlier in the week. I wasn't able to get Russ's newborn appointment scheduled in Delray, so I had to drive back to Miami to see our old pediatrician. Which worked out okay since I could do my OB appointment then too. But it was a long, horrible day of driving down there, sitting and waiting around for doctors all day with four kids. And still feeling like mom should be there to handle all of it for me. Oh well, starting July 1st we should be able to be seen in Palm Beach County (we had to change providers, our old one isn't used in this county I guess). 

I am SOOOO grateful that my mom could fly out for a week and help us finish unpacking and get settled. She fed us wonderful meals (namely her homemade bread which we all ate for dinner one night with butter because it was so delicious we didn't want to contaminate it with anything else...and Sterling told me to keep 'trying' so my bread could taste like hers someday...thanks?!?!)  and made my kids fall even more in love with her. She also fixed our vacuum, for which I will be forever grateful. Thanks mom, we love you so much! Now come back in a few months when we are recovered and can do a beach day every day!!!

Father's Day

This Father's Day was great--the kids get SOOO excited about holidays and simple little gifts, it makes it so much more fun! Sterling really should win father of the year award for this past year--and for the past two weeks. Juggling med school, orientation for third year, studying for Step (!!!), moving, painting our last apartment in quite a few spots, getting me and the kids and my mom to and from the hospital and airport and home, sitting with me all day at the hospital and writing a paper there, I mean...I can keep going. Med school life with FOUR kids is not an easy feat. It's definitely not a normal/easy way to have a family. He's pretty happy that life has slowed down enough that starting today he has ONE GOAL from now until August 2nd. Step 1 studying. I think that would make him MORE happy if it wasn't so terrifying. Keep us in your prayers that we can pass and move on to third year!!! 

All that to say--this man is pretty awesome. I think we'll keep him.

He loved it. Which thrilled the kids.

Ruth got to hide this under her bed the day before and she was just ecstatic waiting!

Random photos of Molly playing house.

She is such a cutie.

On Father's Day we had Russell's baby blessing. I think that is really, really neat that he got blessed on Father's Day. 

After dinner we decided to take a walk in this cute little downtown part of Delray Beach that mom and I had driven past to go to the beach earlier in the week. It was a little less exciting than I had anticipated, but still very enjoyable and the weather felt amazing.

This fountain has some serious character.

The canal was a lot dirtier than I expected. But we DID see several boats go by AND see the bridge go up and down for them which was SUPER exciting for the kids. So that was pretty great.

We had already seen this bridge go up and down, and then we walked across it because Will really wanted to. Well, another boat went by and the lights started flashing to not cross because it was going to go up. We were about half way across. So Sterling walks ahead with the stroller and doesn't realize that Ruth was FREAKING OUT that the bridge was going to open with us on top of it (it wasn't. The lady was watching us out of her lookout window.) and we literally had to haul her backwards off the bridge because she wouldn't go forward. Silly girl. We reassured her several times, and then when we finally did cross the bridge, the lady came out to reassure her some more. Poor girl. 

Mom made us a DELICIOUS Father's Day dessert per my request. Haha. She made this 4th of July brownie/fruit pizza last summer when I was there and I LOVED it. So I wanted her to make it so I could re-create it here for our 4th. And I can't wait. I literally lived on these leftovers for three days after mom left haha. 

Will is such a great big brother. He is so awesome at being soft and gentle.

Our new house! Best part--people leave stuff out here and it DOESN"T GET STOLEN! So our kids can just jump on their bikes and head out without us having to unlock them every time. So wonderful.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!! 4 kids looks good on you.

Kisses for Baby Russ.

Awww, I love this man.

He's just SOOOOOO perfect!

Oh, this was in the morning of Father's Day. They played Chutes and Ladders. Lets just say...maybe next time we'll fudge when Will is about to fall down the ladder that takes you from the very top to the very bottom....haaha.