At the end of June our family packed the car and headed to South Carolina for a couple of weeks. Michael had to travel for work during the first half of our time there but returned for beach week. Here are some pictures from our time!

Ready for the next 10 hours!

Beats.

Sleeps.

We kicked off the time in South Carolina with a visit to my grandparents’ house on Lake Murray!

Summertime Fincher.

Lovin’ life.

Lake lounging.

Colt’s airplane arms.

I think this is the ride where Michael flipped all 3 of us off!! Woops…!

Finn loving his new Clemson gear.

Back in Columbia…

Colt!

My parents got a sandbox for their yard and it was a HUGE hit!

Sandy Finn.

Sweet face.

We checked out the water park at Ft. Jackson.

Colt ready to go!

Finn in on the action too.

My grandparents also took us all to the zoo!

Colt & Finn with Nanny & Papa at the new otter exhibit.

Colt’s favorites are the elephants!

With Nanny and Colt.

Feeding giraffes is always such a highlight!

The gorilla was putting on a show!

Colt riding a pony!

Mom and Colt on the zoo train.

One evening Colt was thrilled to go watch my mom compete in a tennis match which she OF COURSE DOMINATED!

Colt watching Gigi on the courts.

Playing in the dirt with Gigi in the background.

At my parents house the kids run the show.

Finn exploring.

And I wonder why he always wants to climb into the dishwasher while I’m trying to do dishes!

Riding his bike around their neighborhood.

Finn learning to pull up in the crib.

After a week in Columbia we drove to Charleston for a week at the beach with my family!

Driving to Charleston. First stop – airport to get Michael!

Second stop: Meredith & Andrew’s house where Colt promptly made himself at home on the drum set.

The beach week was in celebration of my mom’s 60th birthday that previous May. She and my dad joined together with my dad’s brother and his wife and they rented an awesome beach house for all of their kids & grandkids. There were 4 from my parents generation, 8 from my generation and 7 little ones (ages 10 months, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 8 and 10) so it was a full, FUN house. The house was a block off the beach and had a great pool that was well shaded in the afternoons so the routine was usually beach in the morning, pool in the afternoon. Some highlights included celebrating the 4th of July, celebrating Colt’s 3rd birthday and lots of family time! Here are some moments from the week!

Dad & Colt.

Dad & Finn.

Colt & Augusta Clare digging at the beach.

My brother Brad and Augusta Clare. Love this pic of them.

Sweet little May.

Pool scene. Colt…

More.

Spiderman goggles!!

Finn loved floating in the pool.

The best little infant floater.

Harper bros. #matchingsungas

Love snuggling this guy.

Beach babes.

Besties Augusta Clare & Colt.

Patriotic Finn.

At the coloring table.

Face!

Laughing the days away.

Finn and Aunt Suzanne!

Colt with Delaney and Gavin.

May and Finn building with blocks.

Family 4th photo.

Colt’s first time really watching fireworks. Best view on Dad’s shoulders.

Colt learning all about block towers from big cuz Gavin.

All 8 of my generation: JC & Matt, Michael & me, Brad & Suzanne, Jenna & Mark.

On July 7, we were so happy to celebrate Colt’s 3rd birthday!

Birthday table set-up, all ready for the birthday boy.

Birthday morning at the beach.

Birthday kite flying.

Birthday brother.

Birthday playing with Augusta Clare while Finn crawls headfirst into the surf.

Birthday playing with Dad.

Jealous.

Fun on the beach!

Mom & Finn.

Family photo with the birthday boy.

Birthday Colt.

Love our 3 year old!!!

CAKE and PRESENTS!!

Evening walk on the beach with this cutie pie.

Papa with his granddaughter and granddaughter in law. 🙂

Our attempt to get the great grandparents with their 4 great grands.

Lunch with these cuties.

Family Photo Shoot!

Harpers on the beach!

My parents with their kids & grands!

Beach crew (minus Mark & Jenna!)

Beach boys.

Last April (almost a year ago…eek!) we flew to Arizona! 

We were visiting for a family friend’s wedding in Sedona so after we landed we drove straight there to the Harpers’ property at Hidden Valley.

Colt loves it.

Feeding the ducks!

Sweet little visit from Sharon’s sister Patsy and brother Tim for a hand of Pfeffer.

Great Aunt Patsy and Great Uncle Time with Finn!

Colt is a focused Pfeffer player.

Colt and Papa!

The rehearsal dinner Friday night was western.

Aunt Lise with her boys in their perfectly fitting Western wear.

Yeehaw.

Mike & Shannon.

A couple pictures from the wedding and party Saturday.

Colt opening up the dance floor.

Rent the runway triplets.

Photo booth.

After the wedding, Michael had to fly to Brazil for work for the week so the kids and I stayed in Arizona. Since we were there for a full week, Michael and his parents decided to take advantage of the time and get Colt into swim lessons with the amazing swim instructor, Marta. The Harpers originally met Marta when she taught the Harper kids to swim back when Michael was 2 or 3 years old. Soon she stepped in to fill the void left by an au pair and has worked for his family ever since – currently their Home Manager! So, she’s basically family. But her hidden talent is definitely swimming lessons. People come from all over Arizona to have her teach their kids – especially since pools are so common there so water-safety is essential.

Colt was only 2 and a half and had NO swimming experience. We only had a few days so they coordinated with Marta to have him take lessons every morning and evening for 5 days. The first few days were pretty brutal and Colt would seriously resist getting dressed and ready for it, but just when I was ready to pull the plug, he turned the corner and started to like it. 

By the end of the week, Colt was able to jump into the water, go under and come up onto his back totally on his own. Then he learned how to float and paddle over to the wall until he could grab on, flip over and “monkey” across the wall to the side of the pool until he reached the steps where he could get out. I was amazed by the incredible progress and accomplishment! We celebrated his “graduation” with medals and gifts.

Excited for his lesson!

Graduation gifts!

Facetime with Dad to show off his medal.

And when we weren’t swimming we were busy enjoying time with family in Arizona!

Bubbles with Lise in the backyard.

Happy Finn at 8 months.

Driving down the lane.

Colt and cousin Julian at the children’s museum.

Finn!

To close out the trip I did one of the bravest things ever and flew with both boys by myself from Phoenix to DC. The Harpers walked us up to security and Michael met us on the other side but I was nervous about the 4 and a half hours in between. Thankfully it was before Colt was really potty trained (so no emergency runs to the bathroom!) and before Finn was mobile so he stayed relatively content in his carseat (I think the only time we’ve bit the bullet and bought a seat for a baby under 2). Not sure I could do it again right now but it was worth it to get that sweet time with family! 🙂

(Still playing catch-up!) Earlier in 2016 Michael was still traveling a lot to Brazil for work. He needed to be in Brazil the week before Easter so we decided to have my mom fly up to VA so that she could help me do the drive with the boys from VA down to SC to spend time with family there that week. Then, Michael met us in SC for Easter and we were all able to return to VA together as a family. Here are some pictures & memories from the trip.

Making our standard Cracker Barrel stop along the drive!

Easter-week activities at my parents’ church.

Colt & Finn are happy to meet the Easter Bunny. 

Finn at 7 months old! Had just gotten his first tooth!

At the Easter Egg hunt!

Finn & Pasha.

Kids settling in for some scripture readings.

Colt was a huge fan of the whole Easter egg concept. 

Gigi introducing Finn to dolls.

Meanwhile, Michael was hanging with our friends back in Brazil and sent me these pics with the Parkers’ precious kiddos who are both within days of our two.

Michael & Jack.

Little Finley!

During my week at home, my parents let me leave Colt with them for a day so that I could visit a dear college friend for an afternoon in Atlanta. Finn was happy to have come along for the ride with me though!

Finn!

So happy to meet Bess and her 2 cuties.

With Bess and her princess Mary Carol!

Next morning back in Columbia.

Sweet boys!

Necklace making with Colt.

All set up to race matchbox cars down the hill across from my parents’ house.

Colt always took the better cars…

Funny bath Fincher.

Loves the bath.

It was during this trip that Colt wrote his name for the first time. He has a really simple name to write and it’s obviously not perfect but he did it totally unprompted so I was kind of shocked when I saw it so of course I took a photo.

“Colt” – age 2 yrs 8 months. Showing me it’s time to start working on writing! 

During our visit, my mom also introduced Colt to the whole concept and process of dying hard boiled eggs. He was a HUGE fan AND it got him to eat hard boiled eggs (at least for a while…).

Egg-dying 1.

Egg-dying 2.

Egg-dying 3.

Egg-eating 1.

Egg-eating 2.

Puzzle-building 1.

Puzzle-building 2.

Puzzle-completion!

Egg-dying 4.

Egg-eating 3.

Nanny & Papa with their great grandsons.

Easter Sunday with Gigi & Pasha.

Michael is back!

Brad’s family visiting my parents’ house as well. 

Michael catching up with May.

Easter egg hunt with the cousins.

Colt, Augusta Clare and Gabriel.

Pasha entertaining grandkids. 

Henry & Margaret teaching Colt cornhole. 

Fincher Fam!