Our Family, One Short of a Basketball Team

Okay, so I know that I said I would start a blog to keep everyone up to date with our family when we moved. Well, we moved and we have now been in Kansas for a year and a half! My, how time flies. It really hit me that I should get this going when I went to post our vacation pictures from this summer and I realized that I never posted our vacation pictures from last summer. Also, being 1,000 miles from all friends and family leaves little time to visit with everyone on our twice yearly family trips back to the east coast. So, hopefully this time I won't let life get in the way so much and actually update this thing! Easier said than done, but I promise to at least try.

Now for a little catch up of the last year and half...Tim's job presented us with an opportunity to move out here and he was really excited about both the job and getting out of the DC area. It took awhile to convince me (because, as everyone asked me, "why in the world would I want to move to Kansas?"), but eventually I agreed and here we are. If there were two words to describe it here, it would be FAMILY FRIENDLY. Overland Park is always rated in the top ten places to live and to raise a family and it is so easy to see why. We found a house we love in a wonderful neighborhood and an awesome school district that is a three mile commute for Tim (and there is no traffic here!) While it is an amazing place to raise a family, it is very hard at times being so far from the rest of our families. But, then we just make the journey back home and believe me, with four kids in tow, it is a journey!

Anyway, Timmy and Andrew adjusted well to their school and spent many, many hours playing with their friends in the neighborhood. They have each played a couple of seasons of soccer and last fall played football. Timmy played tackle and Andrew played flag. Dominic and I hung out at home while the boys were in school and ventured out to some toddler story times, gymnastics classes, and kindermusik a couple of times a week. And then in February we had Nathaniel! Since we have had him I don't know how many times people have said, "oh, now you are only one short of a basketball team!" So, I thought it would be an appropriate name for a blog. Plus all the other good names relating to four boys were taken. In the event that we eventually do have a basketball team, I will figure out a new name:).

So this summer, we have just been hanging out at the pool, going to our local amusement park Worlds of Fun, and we just spent three weeks back east in South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. After three weeks of being away from home and traveling so much, we are looking forward to just relaxing for the rest of the summer. Well, whats left of it anyway because school here starts in mid-August.

This school year is going to be a busy one! Timmy will be in fourth grade, in cub scouts, and soccer in the fall. Andrew will be in first grade, in cub scouts, and in football in the fall. Dominic will be in preschool three mornings a week, and as always, Nathan will be my little shadow. Tim will also be very busy as he will be Timmy's soccer team's head coach and an assistant coach on Andrew's football team. How he will find that much time, I don't know but we will figure it out. Also, I vowed to get more involved in the school this year. Like actually volunteering for activities. I'm not sure how good of an idea that was because I have heard that once they get your name, there is no going back:) I'm hoping it will force me to be more organized. For now, we will be enjoying the wonderful mornings of getting up when we want and hanging out outside!