June...

June was a busy month for us, as well. I continued working part time at the YMCA and Chris' class schedule stayed very family friendly--we've been loving it! Patrick has been loving his weekly summer camps at the CDC (Child Development Center) at Ft. Leavenworth, and Riley has mastered sitting up, plenty of new sounds, and charming the rest of us. Patrick and Chris enjoyed a night of kickball in the warm rain, and our garden continues to grow--we can't wait to see the huge sunflowers!

Sadly, we lost Chris' Grandma, Rosa (Rose) Smith, but were so grateful that Chris was able to miss a week of school so we could drive to Edenton, NC for her funeral and services. An incredible woman who had a quick wit, an enormous heart, inspirational faith, and a love of family evident in every moment spent with her, Grandma Rose will be sorely missed. A mother of 3, grandmother of 9, and great-grandmother of 8, we will all cherish our personal memories of this special woman!


Chris' school was due for 2 weeks of break so we were able to stay in Edenton and visit with family as originally planned. Patrick loved his time walking and playing with Great-Grandpa Crouch and really enjoyed playing with cousin Charis...particularly when it meant they got muddy. Patrick, Chris, and Granddaddy Bill raced down the street on several bike rides, and we got to experience Patrick's first fishing adventure. He wasn't too sure about how a cricket was going to help us catch fish, but he really had a lot of fun reeling in the catch. As we crept into July, we also enjoyed a few day trips up to Virginia Beach visiting with friends and playing at the Bay. We finished our trip with a visit to Busch Gardens and we loved the new Sesame Street section for kids. It would have been great to have more time in Virginia Beach, but we're hopeful we'll get the chance to visit again sometime soon. We hopped into the car and heading up to Northern Virginia for a quick visit before making the long drive back to Kansas...July updates coming soon!