August 28^th, 2013 Update from Audrey:

What a fun summer!  Hard to believe the boys have been back in school for one week already.  Where does the time go?  Our last update was in May, for mother’s day.  Two blinks later and it’s almost Labor Day.  And a funny thing has happened.  Our boys are growing up.  Last week, our tall, handsome and sweet science loving 9-year old started 4th grade.  And our hilarious, always smiling and living life to the fullest 5-year old started kindergarten.  I, myself, am in a bit of transition if you can imagine.  Translation:  what do I do know???  After spending about 88 long summer days with these boys, I’m kinda sort of missing them.  Sort of.  Sort of a lot.  Ok.  A ton.  A big ton. 

Summer started for us with a road trip to Mom’s.  We have spent so many summers at her house during our 10+ years in Asia.  It seems odd for us to not live at Maw-Maw’s anymore from June – July – August.  And that we have to stay,  ummm,  at our own house???  Strange.  The boys love being at Maw-Maw’s.  It’s the house that my daddy built.   It’s where I grew up.  And it’s where they have made some amazing summer memories, from 8 hour swim days to Maw-Maw helping them catch frogs.  It’s a pretty awesome place to be.

In early June, we took a short trip to Perdido Key for a long weekend.  Quiet and not crowded, our kind of place.  Around this time, we had also gotten some exciting news.  Tom would be starting in a new position as General Manager for the Valmont plant in Tennessee.  We quickly put the house on the market and Tom began his new job. 

On July 4th, we left for our much anticipated summer trip to Alaska.  We had been planning this trip since December, so we were ready.  And Papa (Tom’s dad) was making the trip with us, so we were extra extra happy about that.   We spent the next 9 days with Papa in a cool, rustic Alaskan cabin with nothing to do but enjoy each other’s company and the beauty that surrounded us.  And there was a lot of it.   The pictures below tell the story and I hope you enjoy them.

Soon after the Alaska trip, we were in reunion mode.  And boy was it fun!  My 20-year high school reunion was at the end of July.  Did I say 20?  I meant 5  ;-)  The very next weekend, was our annual Shanghai couples reunion.  We met up with some of our dearest friends and we celebrated this year in Sonoma, California.   The next weekend was a Shanghai girls weekend reunion in Buckhead.  So.  Much. Laughing.  Tom and I loved all the reuniting and look forward to it each year.

Here we are now, the end of summer.  There is still a for-sale sign in our yard and that’s OK.  All in God’s perfect timing we know.  We had a couple of back-to-school get togethers last week with our Birmingham friends and all the kiddos.  Those are always fun.  Over the last year, those special friends have welcomed us here.  We love them and all their kiddos.

And then, just like that, school started.  Tom and I walked these boys to the bus stop on Monday and in a flash, they were on their way.  Before we know it, we’ll be dropping them off at Tech.  Or at that little school over in Tuscaloosa.  Or possibly at the airport, with only their backpack and their ticket to somewhere in Asia.  Or Alaska.  That day will be here all too soon.
 

We are now a happy family of four based in Birmingham, Alabama after spending nearly six years living in Japan and five in China.  Audrey and I have spent close to 11 of our 14 married years living outside the U.S.

Our web site once again has become the medium in which we show our friends and family what we are up to and how much our family is growing.  I hope you enjoy it!