Swimming Lessons!

This summer we decided it was time for Thomas to have a few swim lessons. I really wasn't sure how Thomas was going to react to them, but I thought it was worth a try. The lessons were 40 minutes Monday to Thursday for 2 weeks. The first lesson was cancelled due to bad weather. Evidently there is a chance of electrocution even though it's an indoor pool. Not good. So, we came back the next day to begin. Thomas did surprisingly well. I never dreamed that he would be so willing to do the things the teacher was having us do. He quickly picked up how to float on his back and tummy and how to kick in both positions. But I think his favorite part was jumping off the side of the pool into Mommy's arms. I was really excited after that first night. Unfortunately it was short lived. The next night felt like I was pulling teeth to get him to do anything. He just wanted to cling to me... and he's a strong little boy! I guess he felt like he learned all he needed to learn in that first lesson. Thankfully we can take the things the teacher has gone over with us and practice it on our own through out the summer. I really do think Thomas will enjoy the water as he grows older. I don't know that he will ever get over disliking it being in his face, though. John was able to join us during the second week of lessons. And it just so happened that Michael and Cindy were there on that same night. You know what that means...photos! Thomas had his ups and downs during that lesson but I think over all he had a great time with Daddy. This is something we will definately do again next summer ~ before we move off to Boston, I guess.

Father's Day

Father's Day this year may have been more of a treat for Mommy than Daddy. John agreed to forgo sleeping in so that we could have a photo shoot early in the day. Julie has been wanting to practice her photography on her favorite subjects ~ John and Thomas. Thomas was really excited about the duck that was swimming in the water. It was hard to get him to explore any other area. I think he even started talking to the duck. It was really cute. Julie was even able to get some shots of everyone together. Technology is wonderful!

We had already had our yummy meals the day. Julie fixed a tasty breadfast and we sat down going to church. That's a first ... or at least hasn't happened in a long time. And then John's parents came over for lunch. It was nice to have a chance to catch up with everyone since all the excitement that had been going on the previous weeks.

Unfortunately for John, there's not much down time. Soon after the photo shoot it was time for him to start working on some projects. But I think he'd agree that it was a relaxing weekend.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

MATCH DAY!!

Well, today was match day. For those that don't know what that is ~ it's the day we find out where we will be moving to next summer. John had interviewed at several places a few months ago and then ranked his choices. The programs then ranked the applicants that they interviewed. And today everyone finds out who goes where. EXCITING!! So, can you tell by the picture where we will be going? That is the wonderful skyline of BOSTON! We are sooooo excited! John will begin his 2.5 years cardiothoracic fellowship in July 2009 at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Ever since I visited Boston in academy I have thought it would be fun to live there. And now I have my chance. John enjoyed spending a summer there while in college and always talked about how found he was of the area.

Yes, we know the winters will be MUCH colder than what we've ever experienced. But, hey, we

like the snow...so I think we'll be okay. Thomas may actually be able to go sledding now. And I'm sure we will have to find some ski slopes to try out. The biggest challenge will be finding a place to live. But I'm getting ahead of myself now...we have to sell this house first.

We will certainly miss our family that we've grown accustomed to having live so near us. But just think, we're giving you a new place to visit and explore. And what a place to visit! So, if you've ever wanted to see the sights in Boston come see us when we move.

It Finally Happened

I knew this day would come. And anyone who has spent any time with Thomas knows that's it's probably inevitable. What am I talking about? The day Thomas would need stitches. Yep... it happened. He was running around the house like he usually does. And somehow he tripped and fell. But he didn't land and hit anything particularly hard. It was the cushioned ottoman. The one thing in the living room that you would think would be harmless. Wrong. I guess he was running sooooo fast that it created enough force to lacerate his face right at the lip line. Blood gushed and I tried to find where and how many cuts there were. Thankfully John was able to take a look at him and confirm that stitches were needed. We found a plastic surgeon that could work him in and had worked on kids before. He also happened to be the father of a resident that trained with John in surgery. The wait at the office took a while but I'm sure it was shorter than going to the ER. Thomas did not act like he had been hurt at all. He thought it was great fun to climb and run while waiting to be seen. Unfortunately the surgeon did not have one of those papoose things to strap him down for the procedure. So, I ended up restraining him on me while the receptionist held his head in place. I should have had the nurse take a picture because I'm sure it looked funny. They gave him a shot to numb the area and then put in 2 stitches. The actual procedure was finished pretty quickly and the end result looks good. Poor little guy was exhausted afterwards, and I was pretty tired too. Needless to say, he went down for his nap very easily. The stitches will dissolve but we have to go back for a follow up in a couple of weeks. Hopefully we won't have to relive this anytime soon. But if we do we know where to go.

Here's a video of how energized Thomas was at the office. The world is truly his playground.

Memorial Day Fun

We had a great Memorial Day Weekend. We headed to Nashville because Julie was helping her sister, Latonia, at a campmeeting event. While there we stayed with our friends Andrew and Jessica. A couple of our other friends, Oki and Jason, were there at the same time. While the guys were sleeping Sabbath afternoon we took the kids, Thomas and Christina, to a nearby park. And of course Thomas had a blast. He loves climbing and sliding. It was sure to wear him out. After the guys woke up they took the kayaks to the river for some fun. We took Thomas down to watch for a little bit but he was more interested in playing in the water himself...I should have known.

Sunday morning I went to help Latonia and left Thomas with John. After I returned we took Andrew and Jessica's boat and kayaks out to Percy Priest Lake for an afternoon of fun. It was Thomas' first time in a boat and he had a blast. I think he likes the speed like his Daddy. The only time he was worried was if Mommy or Daddy were trying to wake board or ski. We had to keep reassuring him that it was fun. Somehow we managed to make it through the day without anyone getting sunburn...if you've seen John lately you'll know how much of an accomplishment that is. Unfortunately the fun had to end as some point and we had to leave the lake. But I think Thomas is definitely hooked on the boat now.

The fun wasn't over, though. We enjoyed hanging out at Andrew and Jessica's house Saturday night. And Monday we enjoyed spending lunch with Erik and Kajsa and their son, Kaj. Thomas and Kaj are very close in age and activity level so it was really good to spend some time with them. We don't get to see them as much as we would like...I guess we'll just have to go back again soon. And our trip would not have been complete with out seeing Susanna, Moni and their brand new daughter, Sophia. I must say she is one of the prettiest newborns I have ever seen. And she was certainly a good sleeper while we were visiting...hope it continues.

We didn't get to spend as much time with family as we usually do, but I know we'll be back again soon. John will start his second year of this fellowship soon and he should have more weekend off. So, maybe we'll get to do a little more traveling once he does.

Mother's Day Festivities

Mother's Day was a week long celebration this year. Julie's sister (Karissa), Mom and Grandmama came to visit for the festivities. Karissa arrived on Monday and then Grandmama on Tuesday. Wednesday we took Thomas and Haylee to the Children's Museum for some fun and to wear them out. I think it may have worn us out more, though. The kids had a great time and I think Grandmama had a lot of fun watching them too.

Later in the week Latonia and her kids came over and we all went to the Botanic Gardens for a fun family photo shoot. The idea was to get pictures of all the cousins. But who were we kidding? Get pictures of just the kids? Impossible! We did manage to get a few of just the kids but most of the time Karissa and I had to be near Thomas and Haylee to keep them where they were supposed to be. I hope to work on a slideshow of the photos Latonia took and post them soon.

Karissa had to head home Friday before Mother's Day but that didn't keep us from continuing to have fun. Mom had arrived by then and we took Sam, Maddie and Thomas to the Memphis Zoo for a fun morning. Unfortunately there were thousands (literally) of school kids on field trips, so we didn't stay as long as we usually do. We still have fun showing Grandmama and Nana all our favorite animals.

For Sabbath and Sunday we headed to Jackson, TN to spend the day at Latonia's. Sunday morning Latonia prepared a scrumptous brunch for all of us to enjoy. My mouth still waters just thinking about it. (We need to do that again, girl!) It's amazing how fast the food was eaten, when it took so long to prepare...it was worth it though. The rest of the day we lazed around the house and played games.

Thomas and I took Grandmama with us to his Little Gym class on Monday morning. She got to see first hand how much fun he has jumping and swinging on all the cool stuff. Afterwards we headed back to Jackson to spend the last afternoon with Latonia and the kids. We arrived just in time for lunch and fun in the pool. Thomas wasn't very interested in the pool last summer but this time is a different story. It took him a little while to actually stay in the water (it was freezing cold) but then I couldn't get him out. Of course he had to jump in like his big cousin Sam.

We had a great time with Grandmama but she had to head back home on Tuesday. Thankfully she had beautiful traveling weather. We look forward to seeing her again in August when we go up to visit her.

A Quick Summary

Welcome to the Craig Family's Blog. We've never done this before but thought it would be a fun way to let our friends and family know what's going on in our lives. This next year is sure to be an interesting one. In just 2 weeks we will find out where the next fellowship will be. And as soon as we can we will be putting our house up for sale. It's sad to think about leaving it but I guess we can't stay forever.

Thomas is doing great. He is such a bundle of energy...I don't know where it comes from though! He has recently expanded his vocabulary to who knows how many words. He loves to talk (I think he gets that from his Mima). **wink wink** His favorite thing(s) to say is "I want (fill in the blank)!" It's so much fun to listen to him talk. He will even tell me when he wants to take a nap. (Hard to believe, I know.) He is still going to The Little Gym once a week. Although, I think we'll take a break for the summer. I'd like to do some swimming lessons this summer instead. He is also really enjoys playing in the backyard. We'll set up the pool and put his slide in it so he can have a "water slide" of sorts. And of course he still likes to go play in the sand box.

Well, that's about it for now. Keep checking back for more news and happenings!