Home of the Four Trans

It’s only now that I speak of Summer as she leaves us for another year. Our time with her had been well spent, without one day or moment wasted. Pool, beach, Legoland, weekly dinner bbq by the pool, Mommy and Me classes, splashing at a water/sand park, impromptu July 4th San Diego vacation, movie in the park, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, watercolor painting, water balloon throwing, bubble blowing…

Oh, Summer, how we’ll miss thee!

We’ll remember Summer for many things, but most of all, for our first family vacation as a four.

It was tiring, I’ll admit (we packed just about our entire house into the car), but worth every bit. It was with this trip that we embraced the many blessings we’ve been graced with.

Last year, it was San Diego, a drive only one hour from where we live. This year, a bit braver with our little Justin, we ventured with a car to eight hours from our home, traveling through Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey Bay, and San Francisco, cities all within vicinity to hospitals with experienced CHD care.

It is this road trip that I’ll remember Summer fondly by.

My children were both alive and well, wrestling, tackling, and arguing with each other for that matter.

My younger sister came along for the ride. She couldn’t believe how “bad” Justin was; the word she really meant to use was “mischievous.”

He fought with Nathan for toys and Mommy’s attention, mostly. He’s not bad, he just did typical two year old younger sibling stuff.

It was also during this trip when we realized how much Nathan had grown up from the newborn we brought home those few years ago. He’s become quite independent and fearless. Those days of hanging on to Mama’s pant leg are gone.

He explored and touched things without hesitation, whereas before he would sit and observe things to the nth degree, understanding an object’s ins and outs before  even thinking of approaching it. In this photo, he was not only splashing, but throwing water into Loi’s camera, which he got scolded for. But, the picture did turn out pretty cool. His questions, as always, were never-ending (some things don’t change, and I hope this part never does!)

He learned to sit still for a few photos before…

He splashed in the freeeezing cold water of the Pacific Ocean along the 17 mile drive and Carmel Beach, each time venturing further than the last. Luckily, my younger sister was there to run by his side so that I didn’t have to.

Justin became a budding photographer, following after his brother’s footsteps, of course (I should share some of Nathan’s pictures sometime; he has great perspective).

Best of all, as corny as it may sound, we were all together.

Thanks, Diane, for being there and capturing this moment for us.

Summer had been kind. Oh, how I’ll miss thee!