Classic: Boy LOVES Puddles!

Celebrate: Dakota Turns 4!

We had so much fun celebrating Dakota's 4th birthday this year.  She is such an amazing little girl and I love her more the bigger she gets.  This year she had a Carnival complete with cotton candy, popcorn and lots of fun.  Thanks to all who could come celebrate with us and for loving our 4 year old! 

Anxiously waiting to open her new dollhouse from Gigi & Papa.

Dakota's first diamond earrings from Mappy & Pappy.

Showing off her beautiful skirt that Grammy made her.

Uncle Brad and Corban.

Dakota and Palmer.

Silly Leigh Ann.

We had all sorts of carnival type games for the kids to play to earn their prizes.

Emerson.

Mr. John from church came and made balloon animals.

 He even made Dakota a special birthday crown.

Amelia, Dakota and Noelle.

 Instead of presents we asked friends to bring school supplies and medical supplies for the kids in Haiti.  I left 2 days later for my trip.

 Gigi & Papa.

 Grammy & Poppy.

 Uncle Brad & the birthday girl.

Our sweet friend Lauren.

Pennsylvania Summer

Remember when I posted about Pennsylvania in the Spring?  It was my turn to be jealous as I spent a little over a week there at the end of July and enjoyed much cooler weather than we were experiencing in Memphis.  In fact, my daily calls to Jacob included him telling me about the record high heat indexes and just how hot it was.  I told him about going swimming and being cold and sleeping with the windows open.  Now, my family wasn't quite as thrilled with their PA weather as apparently it was one of the hottest they had in 75 years but I didn't see what the big deal was...ha! :)  It's all a matter of perspective.

The kids and I drove the 14 hour trip by ourselves over 2 days so that I could visit with my grandmas, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Summers in PA were how we spent our family vacation when I was a kid and I miss being up there during this season.  My cousin Jess was about to welcome a 3rd baby girl (ok, so she actually welcomed her while I was there!) and my other cousin Katie was having a baby shower for her 1st.  I wanted to be there with these sweet girls.  The time was special and I'm thankful I made the trip.  The kids did amazing both going and coming and I felt God's presence in our car the whole time - thanks for all those who bathed us in prayer while I was driving!!

 Our first stop was in Nashville for lunch and popsicles with our sweet friends, the Buchers.  Anna Beth was Dakota's good buddy when they lived in Memphis.

 The kids loved staying in a hotel on the way up and back.

 I introduced Dakota to Perler beads on this trip.  They were my favorite craft as a kid and she seems to love them as much as I did.  We've already been through 5000+ beads!

Sweet sibling slumber. 

 Shower food!

 Cousin Katie, beaming and ready to be a mommy! (By the way, sweet Tripp was born on September 16)

 Dakota loved jumping into the pool.  She also loved having my younger cousins, Samantha and Rachel, to entertain her and baby her.

 Unfortunately, Nana (my paternal grandmother) was in the hospital for the first few days we were there due to congestive heart failure.  We'd greatly appreciate your prayers for her.

 Dakota helped Aunt Bonnie with her laundry.  I wish I could hang my laundry to dry...but I hate doing laundry so it would probably sit outside on the line for 2 weeks before I put it away...

 It was on this trip that I learned that Queen Anne's Lace has a queen in the middle!  But not all of them. 

 This picture fits his personality so well.  Such a joy!

 The kids and my maternal grandmother.

 Harlie and Dakota had fun as usual.  Too much fun to stop and let me take any more pictures.

 Aunt Patty and Uncle Ned were visiting from Wisconsin.  This was the first time they met Corban because they don't normally come to PA for Thanksgiving.

 Jess and her sweet baby Alyssa.  It's this little one's fault that I now have baby fever.

Corban and Uncle Lynn.

Family Beach Trip - 4th of July Fun

I said I was going to get caught up with summer and then I traveled some more and then I had a broken computer.  Thankfully I was able to reformat and reinstall everything so I should be good to go for a while without buying a new one.  Let's hope.  These pictures have been waiting patiently to be uploaded so I won't keep them waiting any longer.  At this rate, I should have Dakota's 4th birthday posted by Christmas.

Each summer we spend a week at Summer Lovin' (Sally & Clarence's beach house) full of early mornings, sweaty runs, screaming kids, sleeping kids, yummy eatings, games, bathing beauties and tons of fun.  The week changes each year depending on our schedules but 4th of July is my favorite time to go...perfect weather - not too hot, certainly not cool - parades, flyovers, decorations and a good excuse to pull out the beads and bandanas again...remember Dakota's ensemble from 2009?

 I pretty much adore these 2 boys.

 Papa and 2 of his 4 grands.

 My favorite beach meal!  Low country boil!

 Check out her post-parade baubles! 

 The military sends jets out to do a flyover on the 4th and everybody loads up the beach with American flags.  They take a picture from the sky and send to the troops overseas.  It was very touching, especially standing by a girl whose brother was serving in Afghanistan.

 The jets doing their flyover.

 God bless America!!

 I took one for the team and rode this with the kids since they needed an adult with them.  Luckily, lunch stayed down.

On the way back to Memphis we stopped in Greenville and spent a few days with Grammy, Poppy and Uncle Brad.  One day we went to Discovery Island Waterpark and had sooo much fun.  It was a little pricey but the kids loved it.

 I was so proud of Dakota for getting on this thing.  I didn't think she actually would.  She wouldn't let the girl take her hands off the board because she had a cut on her toe and you have to use your feet to keep you from flying all the way to the top.  It's probably a good thing though because there were kids flying everywhere and I'm pretty sure I know how she would have handled that :).

 Daddy showed her how though.

Dakota and Corban both LOVED the slide.