Hilton Head 2013

Wow, we've already been home for a week, and I'm just now getting around to blogging.  Catching up after a week away is hard work!

We had the awesome opportunity to vacation with our dear friends, Brian, Jill, Lincoln and Graham in Hilton Head (thanks to our very generous parents!) for a week.  We knew that traveling with four adults and three little ones under the age of 2 could be a little crazy, but we really love the Hammers and were totally willing to brave the unknown to be able to spend a week together.  Overall, the kids did really well.  We definitely had some bumps along the way and some cranky, sleep-deprived kids at different points, but it was all worth it in the end.

Kate and Lincoln are only two months apart, and as you will see in the pictures, they are still in love.  Kate follows Lincoln around and loves to give him hugs.  Lincoln likes to hold Kate's hand.  It's so very sweet to watch them.  And then, 10 seconds later, Kate is hitting Lincoln in the back and they're fighting over toys.  I guess that's what toddlers do.  They both learned lots of important life lessons about sharing and being kind to our friends in South Carolina:)

We didn't really have any plans for our time on Hilton Head; just to relax and enjoy time together.  We went for lots of walks on the beach.  We swam every day.  The kids loved to dig in the sand and run around in the ocean.  The weather was perfect - high 70's or low 80's every day and sunny.  It was just what we all needed after a long, busy winter in Michigan.

already holding hands in the airport on the way down :)

loving the ocean!

sweet, sweet Graham

throwing mud...he's a boy

early morning walk...and then shuffleboard!

afternoon in Harbour Town

ice cream!

playing in the park at Harbour Town

Hammers

Pridgeons

the mamas and the babies...so thankful for this friend

bedtime books:)

this hug led to both kiddos falling face first in the sand...oops!

love:)

time out for snacks by the pool

relaxing with my girl

back to the beach and digging away!

post-pool snuggles

lots of fun on the putting green!

toes in the water, toes in the sand

date night at the Black Marlin

sushi nachos....probably the best thing ever

watching airplanes while we waited to take off

sweet nap action on the last flight home

We had so much fun and loved vacationing with friends.  Hopefully we get to do it again someday!

what a week!

This was a busy, eventful week for the Pridgeon family! On Tuesday we went to my friend Sarah's husbands baseball game.

Wednesday was match day for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowships.  After Bible Study, Kate and I walked up to the hospital to meet Matt and find out what our future would hold.

We are all smiles about matching in Grand Rapids and being able to stay here for the next 4 years.  We had a fun dinner with friends Wednesday night to celebrate Matt's match.

On Thursday, Kate and I went to the zoo with our friends Leigh and Caleb and had a great time.  There are many more animals out now and we had beautiful weather.  Kate especially liked the monkeys and the penguins again.

Friday, my mom and I went garage sale-ing in the morning and then Matt's parents came for the rest of the day.  They brought us new mattresses for our guest room:) We went shopping in the afternoon, and then out for dinner for Justin's birthday.  It was a really fun day.

On Saturday, while Matt was golfing with a friend, I took Kate to Tulip Time in Holland.  We walked all around the arts and crafts fair and watched the Dutch Dancers.  Kate was mesmerized by the dancers at the beginning, and then just wanted to run out into the street and join them:) We made a quick stop at my favorite Tulip spot (6th street) for pictures on our way home.

welcome spring!

Finally, spring seems to have sprung here.  Last Saturday, we welcomed the warm weather with a trip to Frederick Meijer Gardens and a cookout with friends.

new words

Kate is picking up words like crazy right now.  Last week, she learned no.  I knew it would only be a matter of time before she figured it out, but man, do I dislike that word now that she's using it.  At first, she would just walk around repeating it over and over, like she was getting used to it.  But now she uses it in context and everything.

One day last week, she was pulling on a table runner and a metal lantern was about to drop on her head, so I asked her to stop several times.  Once it got dangerously close to the edge, I came over, slapped her hand and told her no.  She proceeded to laugh and then walked around slapping things and saying no.  The next day, she started doing it in her high chair, so I took a video.  I'm laughing about it now, but it was so not funny at the time!

our bubble girl

Kate loves bubbles.  It was one of her first 20 or so words and as soon as she sees a bottle of bubbles, she goes nuts.  I'm pretty sure she could blow and pop bubbles all day.  We got out her BIG bubble wand on Friday when my parents were here and had so much fun.  I love hearing her say 'bubbles' and 'pop', and she's constantly asking for more (with sign language - thanks to Lincoln Hammer for teaching her that!).  It's so incredibly cute to watch her blow bubbles and to watch her chase them and squeal in delight when she actually pops one.  Such joy!

first ice cream of the season!

Friday was a beautiful day in our neighborhood, so after a fun day of playing outside and a yummy grilled dinner, we went to Houseman's with my parents for our first ice cream of the spring.  Kate is so smart that she sat in the middle of the table, and just spun herself around, trying bites of everyone's ice cream.  She didn't like mine too much (moose tracks), she kind of liked my dad's (Traverse City Cherry), she liked Matt's a little more (mint chocolate chip), but her favorite by far was grandma's (triple chocolate).  She is so my daughter:)

Happy weekend, everyone!

pack it in

Kate loves to play in her boxes.  The other day, she filled one of them up with all of the things she wanted to play with and then somehow got herself inside too.  She cracks me up!