Wow, what a busy few months!! Alot has happened since the last time I posted...

First of all, Clayton is about to turn ONE on July 22nd!! That is unbelieveable. He has had alot happen. He can now WALK! Which is kinda early for a boy I have heard. He started at 11.5 months offically. He didn't even start crawling until June 2nd and by July 5th he was taking his first steps! That's my boy! And at the airport...imagine that! He has spent lots of time in an airport this year! He is also saying bunches of words...like door, fruit, shoe, dirty, button, stinky :), dada, etc...he did manage to say mama for the first time on Father's Day...how ironic right??

We have been having lots of fun in the Big Apple. A few things that have happened...

Our minister Lud Weaver and Jean Weaver and their daughter Kate Weaver came to visit!

Clayton and I have since had lunch with Kate at Koodo Sushi and she is going to come babysit Clayton one night so mommy and daddy can have a much needed date night!

We also had Kelly (Price) Smith and Julia Price come by our apartment while they were in town which was fun!

On Father's Day, I found a really cool driving range on Chelsea Pier 59...so we took daddy to hit golf balls. We walked 2.6 miles in the 95 degree heat, but it was worth it...pretty cool...the driving range sticks out into the Hudson River and Ryan was clearing the net with his driver, so there are a few golf balls in the Hudson now!

Queen Elizabeth came to the World Trade Center so I got to see her from our apt...I got her on video! And it was one of the 100 degree days and she had her hat and stockings on as usual, I bet she was about to pass out from heat exhaustion! Poor little lady!

I also went and met up with 4 of my high school friends that are living here. Ryan let me escape for the night and I walked (all by myself :) ) to Stone Street in the Financial District down below Wall Street...what a cool place...it's this cobblestone street lined with bars, restaurants and it is completely blocked off to cars, and there are a millions tables where people sit and have drinks and/or dinner. We had a BLAST!!! I got to catch up with Jennifer Hoffman, Brennan Durham, David Suggs and Damien Dupont...all of which I hadn't seen in years...we had a really really good time! All thanks to Facebook...ain't that great!!!

Also, I joined a mamas group called HRPmamas (Hudson River Park mamas) which has great playgroups and an online daily blog that you can ask questions or just post general stuff that is on your mind. I have met up with the nicest girl named Callie and her son Jack (who are from GA and used to live in Winston Salem) so we have hit it off quickly! We are now taking swimming lessons in Battery City with them. And we plan to introduce our hubbys soon too...I am so excited to have a friend in NYC!

We also met a couple in our building that have three kids...Ashley and Trey...in fact its the kids we met the first week we were here (Olen and Scarlett and they have since had a new baby named Georgetta) and Joyce is there nanny (who has kept Clayton on time)...they are really cool and we hope to hang out with them again soon! I don't know how they do it with 3 kids in a 2 bedroom apt...I would go bananas!

I am starting to change my opinion on the people in NYC...when I first arrived, I thought everyone would be standoffish and rude, but the more I am up here, the nicer everyone seems to be getting. Maybe it's because I have a baby?? But we take our nearly daily trip to one of the 1 million Dunkin Donuts in the area and 80% of the time, they give Clayton a free donut and they all smile and talk to him! It's great. And everyone is really helpful when you have a child too, well, not everyone, but alot of people. I have noticed that at the airports and in the airplanes especially. I will have to admit that traveling with Clayton is a bit harder these days, but it's simply because he wants to be mobile ALL the time...just doesn't want to sit still anymore. So mommy gets her excercise for sure!!

I am loving this age...although I have said that about every age...it's just wonderful to see him learning new things and to hear him speak is just incredible. His little brain is just absorbing everything!

We have also taken a few trips home...we have enjoyed the freedom of going back and forth and getting to see our family and friends at home. One of the trips was a lake trip for Memorial Day weekend to Lake Murray...we had such a blast! Another trip was home to play in the GCC Member/Guest Golf Tournament (well at least Ryan played - I just got to do the wife things, like a pool party and magarita party - poor me). And another trip which was about 2 weeks ago was a trip home to MOVE which was not a very leisurely trip...at least for Mamaw, Stephanie, Chandler, Papaw and Ryan...and ME of course. We worked our fannies off getting everything moved box by box until the movers came to get the funiture on July 1st, so we officially live on Douglas Drive now...I miss my Rock Creek house that I lived in for over 10 years, but I am extremely excited about the new house! Everyone will have to come visit...

Anyways...I felt like I had lots to say...sorry if I have babbled on too long...we just had tons going on recently...

I hope all is well and will have more news later! I am including photos in random order from some of our happenings!

Love, Becca, Ryan and Clayton!