Since the end of August...

I celebrated thirty-four years...and Brent surprised me with a long weekend in Asheville with my parents. The last time I had celebrated my birthday there, I had turned seventeen...half of my lifetime, so far. Crazy to think about that.

Apparently, Brent thinks the number of candles on my cake now requires a culinary torch to ignite. Hmm.

Other fun moments included a date with Brent and a morning/afternoon with my Mom, dining and shopping around some of our favorite places in Asheville, as well as a few new ones...like our afternoon tea/coffee at Karen Donatelli's, a place I look forward to visiting again!

I think we went into at least three or four bookstores (used and new) and what fun to discover a literary appearance of Charles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain, at Malaprops that afternoon. That's him below in the dark jacket. :)

There were also fairy houses constructed...and plenty of time outside.

Home again, the kids continue their favorite backyard pastime of collecting frogs/toads and building "habitats." Can you spot the three below?

After a day and a half home, I set out for Kiawah Island (near Charleston) for my mostly-annual girls weekend with my four college roommates. It is always a sweet time together...with plenty of laughter, tears, talking, and food. More to come on that.

I returned home quite sleepy...but was so happy to return to my sweet family. I set up the most ridiculously constructed badminton net and the kids played here for hours...until the net broke. Thinking a better quality set will be a worthy expenditure.

And we celebrated our first day of Co-op with shakes and slushies from Sonic, which is (happily) much closer to our home now than they were in Virginia. I'm not sure if that's a good thing?!?!

They always request a silly picture, and I figure that's a good trade-off for a sweet one...and I think, years from now, the silly ones that reveal such personality will be the ones I love all the more.

Today, we are prepping for another fun (but full) week after a weekend with extended family visiting us. School, laundry, planning meals, and working on our schedule over the next few months.

I can't believe we are half-way through September already. I just feel like I'm getting comfortable writing 2013. Time flies.

And while I don't anticipate things slowing down soon, I am looking forward to routine helping me iron out a more regular schedule here at New Every Morning. Thanks for sticking around!