Our Redneck Pool 2013, Roomies, Fireworks

Why we waited until July to buy our summer pool, I'm not sure, but this girl was ready to take a dip Saturday as soon as we got her pool home!!

Miss Fearless made her reappearance this year on the pool's slide!

We're just waiting on the HOA to tell us to remove it...guess we'll have to move it inside to the bathroom. On second thought, maybe we will move it there anyway. Think of all I could get done inside while she swims!!

We met Daddy's college roommate, Clint, and his wife, Taylor, as they passed through Sunday. We enjoyed meeting Taylor! She couldn't be more perfect for Clint!

Here's my sweet model Sunday afternoon in her crab dress her Mama's been telling her I'd get ready for weeks.

Keeping cool and playing inside!!

Avery Claire kept telling us there were gonna be fireworks Sunday night- her Sunday School teacher told her so! We told her they'd been the night before at the Helen Keller festival. Then, right before she went to bed, I saw people on facebook getting ready for the fireworks show, so we loaded up and went to watch. I'm not sure if she was more excited about seeing the fireworks or about being right about them!!

We didn't even tell her where we were headed, but she was just excited to be surprised!

Our attempt at a family pic 

Loved the fireworks!

Balloon Man

The girl loves her pillow. She can't part with it some mornings.

We had a lunch date today and then ran a few errands before heading to the library for the Balloon Man's show. 

We sent this pic to Daddy before it started. Why does she look 8?!

He makes tons of things out of balloons (goat, steamship, monkey, vegetables, monsters, crocodile, snake, etc) and uses them to tell variations of stories on the summer reading list. 

This chick thought he was pretty impressive! She asked me 25 times "What did he say?" Because he did talk over their heads and very fast!

In other news, I'm almost caught up with hats and have been busy this week with a few outfits for our neighbor.

Little Bit of Nothing

Dusty had a trip planned today to join Papa at a Golden Flake event to hear Nick Saban in T'town. Avery Claire and I had nothing on our agenda today...but had to make a Jack's run first thing because we need breakfast foods!! We've been to Walmart every day and can't seem to remember cereal or waffles or cinnamon rolls! (FYI: we did have Froot Loops, Frosted Cheerios, and Mini Wheats.)

Here's Sally Sunshine...she's been getting up around 7:30ish, which I'm perfectly okay with. I kind of like getting the day started early- feels like there's more time in the day!!

We did get outside and wash my car. Avery Claire drove around in her Coupe after strict instructions to stay where I could see her. I didn't have to worry. She pretty much stayed mesmerized by the chaos of construction work going on across the street. There are 3 houses being built across from us, and there was so much beeping, digging, nail gun shooting noise going on, it sounded like a war zone. And this was after about 4 trucks pulled away. (And you can't even see the tractor going behind that dump truck!)

This is one of her favorite things to do lately. She rarely asks me to color with her-that's Daddy's thing. She's actually getting pretty good at stayin in the lines . I need to take pictures for memory's sake.

Blurry, but sweet. 

She's all I have to judge by, but I'm not sure there's a busier kid! She never stops! Still not pushing a nap, so this is her by 8 most nights. 

This is from a couple of nights ago, but the blow dryer is like a magic kid whisperer. Gets her every time. She doesn't even want to sit with me when I dry her hair 'cause she knows she can't fight it!

Splash Pad Success

We hit the splash pad today with LeAnn and "baby" Grant, who is really not such a baby anymore! 

Our last trip was disastrous....sunscreen in the eye immediately led to lots of rubbing eyes, pouring water in eyes, and quickly loading up and leaving. Today, this girl was READY!! She took a few warm-up laps along the outer edges and started working her way in. She was so proud!

Grant, on the other hand, threw caution to the wind! He immediately started ducking his head under water, sticking his face in it....and his poor mama probably needed a long nap from chasing him and dragging him back to the splash pad as he made 56 runs for the playground!

I think this was probably the highlight of both of their days. There is too much cuteness in this picture!

After LeAnn and Grant left, Avery Claire got really brave and started to really enjoy herself! She figured out that the kiddie part was more her speed and started ducking in, under, and around the mushroom waterfall. She had a ball!! I had to promise Sprite and another Popsicle to get her to leave (without an embarrassing scene).

So we both enjoyed ourselves a Popsicle when we got home. Let's be honest, who needed it more? The girl who splashed and played in the water for two hours or the mama who baked in the hot sun and tried to keep an eye on that bright pink bathing suit skipping all over the pad?!

Daddy watered the grass this afternoon and Avery Claire had a little more fun splashing in the sprinklers!

I went to pick up pizza tonight, turned around to back up, and discovered I wasn't really as alone as I'd thought I was!!

LeAnn and Grant, we loved seeing y'all today! We're ready to go back whenever you are!

Just Because I'm Officially Caught Up!!

Nana took these pictures before she left Saturday. We never have pictures of the 3 of us!!

I am officially caught up with the blog!! I hope I can keep myself caught up, at least for a few weeks, anyway! I'm hoping the Blogger app will help me out. I hate not to post many "real" pictures from my camera, but apparently that extra step is what keeps me from posting.

Weekend with Friends & Daddy's Racing Experience

For Father's Day, Tia and I cooked up a plan to take buy our boys a ride-along at the race track. We headed to their house Saturday afternoon.

Emma was so sweet to Avery Claire!! 

Can you tell what they have in their mouths?? It's gum!! The girls had to have some from the gum ball machine, and Avery Claire could not be left out of the gum chewing!! She chewed it like a pro, which makes me wonder if someone may have slipped her some before??!!

Emma read their bedtime story. They had big plans to sleep together, but after Emma fell asleep, Avery Claire was over it and ended up with me.

We headed for the track this morning. We had to wait, and wait, and wait some more! But there was a lot going on, so we were pretty entertained for most of the time. We were thankful for metal chairs and tents to sit under!

 

 

 

 

I think the boys enjoyed it (and their girls were so proud!)!

Maybe next year they'll brave the driving experience! They were pretty shaky after their 190 mph rides yesterday and said they couldn't imagine driving!

We loved spending time with the Lawrence's and can't wait to see them again. Time with them makes me miss them that much more!! Your open invite stands, so y'all better make plans to come here soon!!

Meet (Life-Size) Barbie

Tammy, who works in the library with me at school, has a daughter, Aryn. Aryn still had her life-size Barbie, who is in really good shape! When she decided she wanted to part with her, she asked me if Avery Claire would like her....

I'll let you decide what she thought of Barbie...

Avery Claire's Visit to CC (Without Us!!)

Monday, we took Avery Claire to meet Nana and Papa so she could go visit them for a couple of days. A couple of days turned into FOUR nights! And I'm pretty sure she would still be there if we hadn't insisted that she come home!!

She had a ball and came home good and spoiled!! We're still trying to get her straightened out!! :-)

We missed her like crazy, but we did get a lot done!! One night, we cleaned!! According to Dusty, I spent the whole time in front of my monogramming machine, which is partly true.

We did spend some much enjoyed, much needed quality time together! We sent Avery Claire a picture of us before we saw Man of Steel in 3D. We told Nana to tell her it was a grown-up movie or we would have never gone without her....as if she cared what we were doing!!

She's on her way home today, much to her and everyone elses' dismay. She's been gone long enough and we need her back home with us!!