Won't be long now!

Before this boy is out of his crib! Pray for his Momma!

He seems very excited about making the switch! Wish us luck! :) Once he is ready (or me...seems to be my issue!), the crib and dresser go to friends at church, we paint his wall, slide the big boy bed into the spot where the crib is, and get new curtains, and it will be OFFICIAL....my baby isn't a baby anymore! :*****(

Take me out....

...to the ball game!!!

Aunt Susan got us super cheap tickets to go to a game last night bc her work was selling discount tickets and she knew it was something we wanted to do with the kids this summer! Thanks for the hookup SuzyQ!

The kids were excited bc they knew the mascot from Relay for Life 2010...they got to meet him and hug him then...

And we were excited to have kids finally old enough to maybe make it through part of a game!

The kids enjoyed seeing all the mascots and little side games they did...shooting t-shirts at the crowd, sumo wrestlers, seeing Nutzy and Zinger dance...they didn't watch the game so much... :)

Distracting Carter with a free magazine we got when we entered...

The kids really enjoyed the hotdogs, curly fries, and large pink lemonade we got them for dinner...that was the main event for them I think...eating and sharing a drink in a HUGE flimsy cup with no straw or lid...now that was a sport for us to watch and ref as the parents...

They got really excited when Nutzy come out...Carter was obsessed with looking at the little comic about him in the free book we got...We tried walking around to find him 2xs during the game...once during the 4th inning and then before we left...but he wasn't where he was supposed to be at those times...SADness!

Oh well! That Nutzy...he's an elusive one! We had a great time watching our first game together!

It was fun seeing you and your friends Aunt Susan!!! Even though by the time y'all got there it was almost time for us to head out...Can't believe our kids made it til 9pm!!! Thanks again for the tickets! :)

"Super he whoah guys!"

The kids enjoyed wearing some super hero outfits Mike threw together yesterday...these guys have a lot of fun together and play so nicely...until they don't!...Ahhh the joys of siblinghood! Summer is so different because they get to be the only kids in the house, but it's also an adjustment for them as they are the only 2 in the house...sometimes they aren't quite sure what to do with all their down time...except want the same toy! :)

And some reasons why Mike is my personal "super he whoah guy" (as Carter would say):
He already knocked 2 things off our "Summer to Do List"!

*cleaned and re-sorted the shed while the kids and I were at the pool with MiMi one day
*reorganized Carter's room so we could set up the big boy bed and have the crib up at the same time
*2 big things off our list...2 more to go!

Skylar Sighting!

We love having Daddy home in the summer...Now he can be the one to find Skylar in the morning! :)

The kids were excited to see him again before he went on his merry way! :) We love our little yard turtle!

Waves of Change

"The waves echo behind me.
Patience--Faith--Openness,
is what the sea has to teach.
Simplicity--Solitude--Intermittency..."
~Anne Marrow Lindbergh

Rereading Gift from the Sea and facing the transition of moving the little boy into his big boy bed...Ahhhh the transitions in life and what the sea has to teach! :) I'm gonna be boo hoo-ing when that crib comes down this summer! But I am grateful for the little boy he is becoming!

SECRET Surprise!

This little lady was so excited about our "secret surprise" for Daddy this morning...it has been so nice waking up slow to this little one crawling in bed with us in the morning...and today was Daddy's first day without school! YAY!!!

When I tucked her into bed last night I told her we would make Daddy breakfast in bed in the morning and let him sleep in since we couldn't on Father's Day...She was all about the secret!!! Shhhhhh!!!! :)

Somebody was a little HYPER!! :)

We had fun sneaking around making breakfast together! "Shhhhh!!! or Daddy will hear!!!"

And it is ready to be served! Carter finally joins us at this point...ahhhhh the lazy days of summer! We are loving it and we are so grateful!

SURPRISE!!! I'm sure you weren't suspicious at all right?!!?!? :)
We love you!!! :)!!

Father's Day 2011

Happy Father's Day to a super SILLY and fun Dad...I had Welcome at church so Mike didn't get much spoiling in the morning...he had to choose 1- breakfast in bed 2-kids dressed or 3-sleeping in and he chose 2 and 3...We will have to make him breakfast another day this week...We did get to give him his gifts and cards before church so that was fun! :)
Then we enjoyed working the Nursery at church together and then came home to celebrate with PaPa, MiMi, and Aunt Susan too!
Our kids are so blessed to call you Daddy! Thanks for all the little and big things you do for them each day to show them you love them...(like this super cool "school's out for the summer" fort you made for them and the B&As on Fri!)

We love you and are so grateful for all you do and all that you are!

And we got to celebrate our PaPa too! We enjoyed eating fried chicken, watching the race, and watching golf with you!

Such a nice rainy cozy Father's Day 2011!

Grateful for the GIFT of SUMMERtime!

Carter loves playing on the back deck with Mags looking on....seriously...is she not part dog? And check out the "heavy metal" plant one of Mike's students gave him for Teacher Appreciation last month...that thing is growing so tall so fast...it's out-of-control! Hence the name maybe! :)

M has been enjoying her week at summer camp at school learning all about the ocean...A father came in yesterday and brought his surf board, taught them how to stand when they surf, etc....the kids had a big time...and M made a little surf board to bring home...such fun! Carter is sad not to be going..."I go to school Momma! I go to school!!!" Hopefully his excitement for school will carry over to excitement over the potty...not so much interest at this point!

And check out those tomatoes Pepere!!! They are almost ready as summer starts tonight!!! YIPPIE!!!! So excited for Mike to come home today and for summer to officially begin! Yeeeehaw!!!! :)

Chickens!

M would love to have a tire swing in our back yard...good thing we have a friend that does! And see the chicken coop behind her? That's where our eggs come from! So cool for the kids to get to see and pet the chickens who give us our eggs each week at church! And in sad news...on the way home from playing with friends and petting a chicken on the particular day this pic was taken we got behind a chicken truck...D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-N-G!! Always makes me want to become a vegetarian!
M was like, "what's in that truck?"
And I said, "chickens."
"Where are the going?" asks Mal...
"Up the road that way I think"...I said which was true (just limited info) and we will fill the kids in on the awful truth later in their life...SADness!
But for now we can think HAPPY chicken thoughts! :)

hApPiNeSs!!!

On Sunday we went to our fav diner near Lu's house with the Graham Fam and Matt and then headed to the pool at Matt's place...such a relaxing time of hanging out...Then the girls and Matt did a little shopping while MiMi, Mike, and the kids hung out at Laura's...(PaPa was home before we were done shopping! MiMi and PaPa drove separately bc Mom went to Laura's bridal portraits on Thurs! Special times!) We then ate a late lunch at Laura's before hitting the road with Aunt Susan again...We had a wonderful weekend of celebrating you guys...We are so happy for you both!!! :)

Showers on the Shower

We really lucked out with the weather...there was a breeze and the storm held off til the very end once only the families were left...
Below Laura's future Mom and Dad in law!

We took some pics while we waited for the rain to let up before heading home...(Dad had already headed out to go let Kayla out back at Laura's so he didn't get to be a part of this photo session...sad!)

Such a good time and we are so happy about the family Laura is marrying into!

We enjoyed having guests make predictions about what the future holds for the couple in 5 and 10 years while we were at the shower...

Hope they will enjoy reading them and seeing what people predicted on their 5 and 10 yr anniversaries! We are all REALLY looking fwd to Sept Matt and Laura! :)

The Couple's Shower

Becky and Rob were the first guests to arrive! Time to get the party started and chow down!

Good times with MLM!

The kids and I...

PaPa's famous pasta salad!

The infamous bowl of straw-"babies" (!!!!!)....

Wish I had thought to take pics of the spread before we all started munching!

Mike and Rob entertained the kids at a distance for part of the shower...

People were so generous! :)

This little girl and little boy looooooooooooove their Aunt LuLu!


The Bride and Groom played a game where they both answered questions at the same time and had to reveal them together...Made for some good laughs...

Mike hanging with the kiddos right before the "upchuck of 2011"...Carter's little cheeks look like a little hamster...totally stuffed with straw-"babies"!!

Some of the guests looking on...

Susan running the game with the couple...

Carter came over and said, "Momma..." and then got sick all over...poor little guy! Can't seem to learn to slow down sometimes! So he and I went over to the side for a while...MiMi took some pics of the couple opening gifts...

Mike and Mal over in our "upchuck section" :)

The Bride and Groom about to open up our gift with a card on top a la Mallory!

Our family before we parted ways...

The bridal party!

The kids and Mike headed over to our Beach Buddies house to play with their little girl and newborn at the end of the shower while a few of us stayed a little later...

One last pic of the Graham Girls before we left...Thanks for throwing such a GREAT shower Mom and Dad!!! We all had a lot of fun! :)