I'm a little behind on posting my weekly photos, so I decided this was as good a time as any! Our first week home from the beach was hard. It was an adjustment. Nobody wanted to work, or get up early or do anything productive. It was long and we were ready for the weekend about thirty minutes into Monday. Sunday, June 17 (Day 168): Unfortunately for Josh, we are always traveling home from the beach on Father's Day. I always feel so bad for him, but there just isn't a way around it. I think next year, we are going to try going a week later and see how it works out. We were on our way home from Gulf Shores when Sophie insisted that Tuck ride on the heat-hot. For those of you not "in the know", the heat-hot refers to the armrest between the front two seats. Apparently I started calling it ...
Monday
Wanna know how to gain 4.5 lbs in 8 days? Eat at the Shrimp Basket at least three times. Have a MASSIVE meal at the Original Oyster House that breaks the bank. Have a single and a double mint chocolate-chip ice cream on a waffle cone. Plow through a case of cold, canned DP. Choose Krispy Kreme chocolate glazed donuts instead of a sensible breakfast. Don't consume a single bottle of water or even open the boxes of protein bars you brought. Only run once and only then because it's breezy and raining. Read five Sookie Stackhouse books on a lawn chair in front of the box fan. Lay on a blanket in the sand and watch your girls serve make-believe meals made of sand. Enjoy seven, sun-filled days with 20 of your favorite people. It was fun, but the laundry is ridiculous and my girls ...
Project 365: Week Twenty Four
Here is just a tiny glimpse into what makes our family vacation the best. More to come later this week. If you follow me on Instagram you've probably already seen these, but here they are again! Sunday, June 10 (Day 161): On Sunday it rained all day. Seriously. What do you call four adults and two children in a pop-up camper during a monsoon? Bored stiff. After a glorious nap and many Krispy Kreme donuts, we finally braved the rain and ate at our favorite local haunt. I know it's bizarre that my favorite thing to eat on the coast is chicken fingers, but these are THE. BEST. Monday, June 11 (Day 162): Finally, some sunshine and a little relaxation. SD went to pick up our travel trailer on Monday morning, so we got to move out on our own. After setting up camp and buying groceries, we ...
Project 365: Week Twenty Three
By the time you read this, I'll be soaking up the rays with my toes in the sand. I have missed my babies this week and cannot wait to get my hands on them. We are driving to the beach late on Saturday evening and I'll be unplugged and out of touch for the next 7 (glorious!) days. I'll be back next Sunday with another Project 365 post and then we'll start the beach recap on Monday. If you're lucky, there might be a daily instagram post between now and then, but don't hang your hat on it. We're going to be relaxing and flying by the seat of our pants. Ah, vacation. Sunday, June 3 (Day 154): Since our girls left for the beach with my parents early last Sunday morning, we've been on our own since the night before. We didn't know what to do with ourselves, but it was fun not having to plan ...
Bunny Fun, Again
Yes, I know I promised to share more party pictures on MAY THE EIGHTH, but let's face it, it's a miracle I remembered at all. I'm just shy of a month later delivering the details, so I hope you remember the first post about Sophie's bunny birthday well enough and that you'll enjoy these precious pictures just as much as you did the first ones. Almost two months later, I'm still pretty sure this was one of my favorite parties I've planned. Ella's fancy party would be pretty hard to beat, but this one is running a very close second. We decided to have story time and an egg hunt as part of the festivities and the kids all had such a great time together outside. The weather was beautiful and there were plenty of fun activities to keep them busy. First up was story time. My mom spread ...
Ponies in the Park
I feel like all of this week's blog posts begin with the words "a few weeks ago", but that's just the way it is! One weekend in May, our town had a celebration at the city park and my girls were so excited to be there. Our daddy couldn't make it, but we met up with Gran, Heidi, Granmom (my grandmother) and our neighbors for a few hot, sweaty hours in the park. First on the agenda were face-painting and bounce-housing. The face-painting wasn't the most creative I've ever seen, but it was fast, easy, and cleaned up quick before nap. Ella wanted a purple flower and since Sophie can't exactly articulate what she wants without some examples, we opted for a pink heart. She couldn't have cared less! The most exciting thing, to me, were the pony rides! Since you probably don't know ...
Sprink-a-wah
That's how Sophie says sprinkler and it's darn near my favorite word these days. I might not have the summer off to spend with them, but we are getting plenty of water time in on the weekends. This was a fun Sunday afternoon spent playing outside with their besties, who just happen to live next door. ...
Kindergarten Bound
A few weeks ago, Ella finished up her first year of "big school". We have the pleasure of having a four year old Pre-Kindergarten program at our public school and Ella attended this year. It is on the same schedule and calendar as the elementary school, so she had a year of practice before they start keeping up with absences! The last week of class, parents were invited to attend an end of the year party with a little presentation of awards. Ella was so proud to have us there and it was fun to see her in action with her friends. She loved her teacher this year and had such a wonderful experience. Growing up is bittersweet, but I am so excited to see her grow and learn as she moves into Kindergarten next year. one of my favorite pictures of Ella, taken by another mommy hamming it up ...