Final set of pictures with the update!

Anna with cousin, Mallory. They are 7 months apart in age and yes, they had matching bathing suits....and no, we didn't know the other one had bought it!

Anna and Daddy had fun playing in the sand at Wrightsville Beach!

BEAUTIFUL!!



Anna playing the piano with her Great Aunt Libby.



Yes, I am terribly behind on updating this blog. We are all doing well, no one is sick, we are all still alive....I'm beginning to get e-mails and phone calls asking if we are okay since I haven't updated in over a month. We have been wrapping up our homeschool year as well as Lauren's school year. We had the annual Rett Syndrome conference here in northern Virginia at the end of May. That was FABULOUS! Shawn and I are always encouraged when we spend time with other Rett families and Rett experts. Our girls have so much potential...they will make us work to get it out, but it is in there. Everyone who works with them agrees, they are smart girls. So we have once again been motivated to keep fighting for Lauren and to help her learn to communicate so others can see the smart girl that she is. Anna is growing...and she should be the way she eats! This girl seriously eats all day long! She is beginning to say new sounds and is definitely trying to say things every day. She starts speech therapy next week and we are excited about what she will learn. Emily and Sarah are thrilled to be finishing 5th and 3rd grades. We will finish up this Friday. We've never gone this late into the summer before, but then we've never taken a trip to China in the middle of the school year either! Swim team has started in full force. Both girls swam time trials on Monday and were pleased with their times. They worked with Shawn throughout the winter and can already see how it helped them. Swim team will take over our lives for the next 6 weeks....thankfully it is a short season!

Last week we went to Wilmington for the birth of my niece, Elizabeth June. My sister, Lisa, had her 3rd child last Monday. I took the 4 girls down for the big event. It was our first trip with Anna and my first trip as a mother of four. The trip down was pretty good. Anna's limit in the carseat was 3 hours so that got us half-way before I had to stop and give her a break. The week in Wilmington was great! I LOVE my hometown and look forward to getting back there one day. The beach was awesome and Anna loved it! That is a good thing because the rest of the family certainly does! Enjoy the pictures from our week in Wilmington. I will try to post again after our first swim meet.