Still Here

Don't worry I'm still here. I know there has been a long intermission in between recent blog posts. To be honest, I haven't had anything too interesting to blog about...which means life has slowed down just a little for the Boutwell Bunch. So here's what we've been up to... Last weekend we took a one night trip to Swansboro, NC where Evan's dad's family grew up (if you don't know where that is, it's about 30 minutes outside of Emerald Isle). It was his uncle Fran's 60th birthday. This is the first time since I've been married to Evan that we have been involved in a (sort of) family reunion with his dad's side of the family. We left Saturday around noon and returned home the next day around 1pm, so just over the 24 hour mark. We had a great time. The food was delicious...and of course included fresh NC coast shrimp which is a favorite of ours. Swansboro is the place we stop on our way home from the beach to stock up on fresh seafood. Ethan was the youngest grandchild, but had no problems enjoying himself anyway. He was fully content playing in the driveway with a few toys which was made up of rocks and seashells. It really doesn't take much to entertain boys. We stayed about 5 hours when I knew Ethan was reaching his "I'm exhausted and am going to turn into a crazy person" phase. I can't say I blame him, since 5 hours is a long time, and he didn't take a nap that day (NO my child DOES NOT sleep in the car). I have never known the pure bliss of a child sleeping car ride...oh well that's a whole 'nother tangent. Anyway, we had a great time visiting with family and catching up. Our night in the hotel went beautifully. Ethan slept great in his own queen size bed, while Evan and I had our own peaceful nights sleep in our bed. First successful nights sleep in a hotel...check. We all met downstairs for breakfast the next morning, before heading out. We were all tired when we got home that day, but it was well worth the trip. That same evening, we went out for a boat ride on my dads boat. Evan tried his hand (successfully of course) at knee boarding, while my sister learned how to water ski. I was tired this time around and decided to pass on all of it. Although seeing my dads new pair of skis was quite tempting. Ethan and my dad spent a lot of time in the water swimming together. I can't keep that kid out of the water. I am sure you could guess that we all had an early bedtime that night, and slept awesome. In other happenings... Ethan just finished his second and final week at Dream Sports Camp in Apex this week. He absolutely loved it. This was our first ever introduction to the world of sports...and now there is NO turning back. They played tennis, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, football, soccer, inline skating, and golf. I kept asking Ethan after each day what his favorite sport was. Even after the two full weeks, his answer remained the same. Soccer. So, soccer mom here I come. I've signed him up for 10 weeks of beginner soccer starting in September with Dream Sports. I was very impressed with the coaches and how they interacted with the kids during camp. I loved that the groups were small, with a lot of one on one attention. It's really great to see your kid passionate and excited about something...and in Ethan's case something besides trucks. :) The start of preschool is right around the corner. Three more weeks until his 3 year old class will start. He is more than ready. I, on the other hand, know that once school starts the time will go by even faster, and I'm not ready for that. This summer has flown by. So, here's to the next 3 weeks!