Donuts and Buddies

We met Lindsey in Clanton to pick up our sweet babies for the weekend.  Maddie requested donuts, and we forced ourselves to agree to a stop at Krispy Kreme!!!!  I got extra excited when the Hot & Now sign was flashing!!  Amazingly, Maddie didn't like the hot ones!!  The rest of us dove right in though!!  I've said before that Maddie and Lillian have also been thrilled to have Ella and Emory living right up the street together!  Well, this weekend they had a ball together!  I predict lots and lots of more fun visits.  This is just a quick IPhone update of our weekend.  More to come later of our fun visit!!!


These two will always be buddies!!  They had been pushing Reed through the house, but Lillian was taking her turn here.

It's safe to say that Maddie has outgrown this swing, but she still loves it!  So, does Lillian!

I just love this!!  The girls had been at the house playing in the morning.  Here, they are headed up the street to play for a while.  Later, they came back to the house to swim, and then all went back to Ella's to play some more.  Just a perfect play day!!

 

 

What more needs to be said??  Yummy goodness!!

 

 

We are taking them back this afternoon, after a trip to Chuck E. Cheese!!  More to come!!

Devil Birds and Water Spouts

Reed and I decided we'd sneak off to the beach for a little fun in the sun this past weekend.  As it turns out that just wasn't meant to be!  No sun, but still lots of peaceful fun and some really great food!  We spent Saturday on the beach under an umbrella and watched it rain!  Regardless of the rain, it was still the beach, and I really did enjoy it!

Sunday morning we were treated to something you just don't see every day-not one, but two waterspouts!  It was a pretty amazing site!  One actually went back into the clouds and reformed and came down again!

Pretty amazing thing to watch! It also sums up our weekend weather!!

Reed hates and I mean hates these darling birds!! I on the other hand actually enjoy feeding them!! Drives him crazy!  I think they must like him though!  They kept surrounding him as he watched the water spouts!

It's still beautiful on a rainy, yucky day!

After eating an early supper Saturday night, the sun did come out for a couple of hours!!  We were able to sit out and enjoy a beautiful sunset!!

And it doesn't matter how old you are-a ride through the tunnel is still a blast!!!

We are having some special guests this weekend, and we can't wait!!

Mountains to Climb and Bicycles to Ride

Pop and I had a ball with our babies this summer, and I was very sad to see Maddie head back to school.  She also now has gymnastics and cheerleading two times a week, so it's a little harder to schedule visits.  However, now that I am semi retired, I am planning on lots of quick trips there!  Look out Josh and Lindsey, Nana is on the way!!

First, I got in just a little trouble about this outfit!  Oh well!!  This one loved the sand!  I can't wait until our upcoming beach trip!  He's going to have a ball! Could he be any cuter?

Maddie has always been adventurous, and we were afraid that Lillian wasn't going to follow in her footprints.  By golly, she is proving us all wrong!!  She hung with Maddie every step of the way!

She loved it!  The higher the better!!

This angel was content watching and feeling the sand!

This makes we smile!!!  They are just so much fun!

Sand may not taste very good, but that ice cream cone afterwards did!!

There's lots going on here!!  Levi spent a few days with us, and he and Reed enjoyed fighting over toys!!  Reed LOVED Pop's corn on the cob, and Lillian loves that IPad.  We are amazed at how she can find just about anything she wants on it!!

Fun  in the pool!  The girls love having Ella and Emory up the street now!

This baby logged many, many miles on her bikes this summer!!!

It's been a great summer!

A Blog of Firsts

Summer is winding down, and we have been making the most of it!

I simply can not believe our big girl has started first grade!!  Where has the time gone? 

Lillian's first gymnastics class didn't go quite as planned.  She spent most of it in her mom's lap.  However, at the end she played and jumped and decided she didn't want to leave.  She just didn't want to be in the organized class!!  Maddie loves gymnastics, and I think Lillian will too-eventually!!

And finally, we got to celebrate sweet Rylie's first birthday! She is just a doll!

There were lots of presents to open!

Lots of family!

Precious decorations!

And lots and lots of fun!!

Lillian didn't want to change into her swimsuit for awhile!! That didn't stop the fun though!

This one had a ball!!

Sweet memories!

This one had lots of fun, too!! So did the birthday girl!!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Another First

I am at a professional development meeting today (I am on a break!), and Pop has all 3 of our sweet angels!! He just sent these pictures of a monumental event in Lillian's life!!  In addition to his many other duties today, he got to take Lillian for her very first haircut!

Lindsey's instructions were simple-no bangs, just a trim and she had to still be able to have "Anna hair"!

I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves!! Totally traumatized!! (Check out those pretty nails!  I did the girls yesterday, and they are doing mine this afternoon!!)

God Bless Misty!

All smiles now!!

This is one version of "Anna Hair!"

A celebratory trip to the local dollar store made everything just perfect!! (Maddie was at art lessons.)

Pop is the best!!

Maybe I Cried Just a Little

After a near perfect trip, getting out of San Francisco proved to be a challenge.  We rode to and from the airport on the BART rail system.  The ride to the hotel from the airport went off without a hitch.  We did not have the same luck on the way back to the airport.  First, we got on the train to the airport, and no one bothered to tell us that we had to get off at San Bruno, rather than the airport.  After getting off and changing trains two more times, and shedding only a few tears, we finally made it!!  Little did I know that my trouble was just beginning.  Reed breezed through security with no problems what so ever.  However, this blonde, middle aged white woman sent security into a full fledged panic!  I have flown from major cities with the same id and never had a problem.  However, San Francisco doesn't play.  The problem was my driver's license has my full name, including my first name and my maiden name.  My boarding pass did not have my maiden name on it.  I had to show my debit card, Sam's card, insurance card, and everything else  I had.  NOTHING had my maiden name that I haven't used in the last 33 years.  The very mean head of security assured me that my last name was not Marine!  At this point, I was convinced I was going to have to move to San Francisco.  Finally, he yelled, "Do a modified."  What you ask is a modified??  Evidently it's a full search of all your bags, and a COMPLETE body search!!  I also had a top security man stay with me the entire time!  He led me to a lady who kindly said, "Look straight ahead at the man in front of you the entire time.  When I reach your buttock, thigh, and chest areas I will use the back of my gloved hand."  Sweet Jesus, say it's not so!!  I am happy to say that after quite a long procedure, I was allowed to proceed.  I looked over my shoulder the remainder of our journey.  I just knew they were coming for me!!  Reed, I think jokingly, said that he was trying to decide if he was going to have to leave me or stay with me.

These pictures were taken from our flight home.  I was so very happy to board our plane and head south!!  I promise the next time I fly, my boarding pass will be exactly the same as my driver's license.  
Lesson learned!!