Water, Water Everywhere!

We have been having record highs the last week or so and to combat that, we've been all about anything involving water. Everyone is turning brown despite putting sunscreen on.

We went to a birthday party at a place called Reunion Ranch which is really AWESOME. It's was a kids' wonderland....teepees, ziplines, most amazing playground I've ever seen, paddle boats, a pool, and lots of other stuff. Anyway we got to take the girls swimming. Elle was wary as usual but Ava fell in love. The minute she got in she started giggling and smiling from ear to ear. She loved the water!

Ava hugging the turtle

Kicking!

My girls


Friday, we had some errands to run and found a free water park near where our errands were taking place. It's really just for young kids and it's water shooting from the ground and other objects but no pools. Elle threw a fit when Shawn ran her through it once. She did NOT want to be in there. Ava liked it but didn't like getting water on her face. She still had fun. But, it wasn't really to either kids liking so we probably won't go back...IT WAS FREE :(

Before the freak-out by Elle

We are also spending almost every day in the pool and both girls love it. We plan to go to the public pool soon, when I'm brave enough to battle the crowds. Stay cool.

Feeling Inspired

No, I'm not about to add a chapter to the bible...this post is about scrapbooking. I was in Target the other day and looking for something to lift my spirits and give me something short-term to have as a goal...yes, in Target. Anyway, I came across a few little items on the scrapbook aisle..surprise, surprise. I snatched them up and ran home and immediately wrote a list of things I want to do this summer. Here's my list:

1. Cook out
2. Go to friend's houses for playdates

3. Go camping one more time before fall

4. Eat watermelon on the front lawn

5. Get rocking chairs for the front porch

6. Make homemade popsicles

7. Eat at the picnic table for dinner

8. Lay on a blanket in the yard and watch the stars one night

9. Swim at the public pools

10. Have an awesome 4th of July (we miss it every year due to Blue Haven and we'll actually be here this time! We leave the 5th for camp!)

11. Take a quick roadtrip?

12. Have a picnic at a park

13. Make homemade lemonade together

14. Catch fireflies

15. Make homemade icecream just because ( I just added this one.)

All that came from a few scrapbook stickers. It really lifted my spirits though and gave me a lot to look forward to in the hot days ahead. Anything special you do to get through the summer?

Fun in the Sun

What, you might ask, is making Elle laugh this hard???

She "cracked" herself up pouring water in Ava's swim diaper.

Too much water in the diaper, thanks to big sis.

Speaking of crack, this was when they first got in and I hadn't gotten a bathing suit on Ava yet.

Getting every last drop out

I love how the camera catches the water and freezes it.

She actually posed for me!!!

Oops! She still isn't quite coordinated enough to realize she was about to pour water all over herself. But, she took it in stride and smiled real big afterwards. She seems to not be as anxious of the water as Elle was.

Thinking Positive

Okay, I meant to post yesterday but 10 pm ran up on me and I was really tired. To counterbalance Monday's post here are a few good things that happened yesterday.
1. I got a haircut...love that feeling!
2. I got to mosey through Hallmark just because, all by myself.
3. The girls behaved really well together yesterday.
4. We had a front come through and it gave us some very nice cool weather for a few hours.
5. I found something to cover Elle's bedroom window so not as much light comes in and I didn't have to spend any money getting it.
6. Shawn brought me a Sonic Slush just because.
7. My new watchband that I ordered is here so I just need to go pick it up...my old one is more tattered than any one I've ever owned...it's way past time.

Okay that's all I can come up with. Also, I was REALLY bored some yesterday so I got on my Amazon wish list and decided to add up the cost of every item I wanted to see where I stood with it...you know, "what is the price for total happiness ;)" So if I ordered one of everything on my list, without shipping the total comes to $2,792, $1,000 of which is just a camera. I was actually quite surprised because I thought it would be a lot more than that. Anyway all of that to say if you really want to make my day, send me a check for $2,792. I think I'm addicted to my wish list....thanks Lesley and Chad for getting us into that. Have a great humpday.

There's good news and there's bad news...

The good news is that Paul and Carolyn took the girls for the morning and then will deposit Ava for naptime and keep Elle, so I don't have to manage my children for part of today.

The bad news is that we are broke therefore not able to enjoy mommy and daddy time. Okay we aren't technically broke but with the cost of everything right now, we have to live so tightly that it hurts. Sometimes it gets really old living this way. I know some of it is that we are "young" and I'm using that term loosely, there is only one income, and we are in a semi-recession, but it still gets old to be stuck at home when we actually had the chance to go do something together. So, I sit on the computer and Shawn is working on the yard and I started my bedtime countdown about an hour ago...sigh...it's going to be a long day. Here are some pics of the girls I took this morning and one of the girls with Papaw and Carolyn.

Oh, and even though it's not evident, I am generally an optimistic person, so if some great stuff comes along today to swing my mood the other way, I'll make sure and blog it...check the blog at least once an hour to see if something good has happened.

A First Birthday

I was asked to take pictures of a 1st Birthday party for a little girl from church, yesterday. Here are a few of my favorites...although it was "hotter than blazes" whatever that means, she was fun to photograph.

I love the effect below...all black and white except for the green icing.

Our 9th Anniversary

Tuesday night as I was about to drift off to sleep, Shawn asked if I was still awake and wanted me to turn over so he could tell me something...I got suspicious...that's all I'll say. Anyway, he proceeded to tell me that I needed to pack my bags the next day because after church, we were headed on a surprise anniversary trip!!! I was so excited!!! We were headed to Austin to spend the night on Wednesday and then we'd drive down to New Braunfels for a day of rafting on the river! Then that night we'd go to a place a few block from our hotel in downtown Austin called the Alamo Drafthouse. They serve dinner while you watch a movie. Remember that it's around 10:30 PM and I was just about to fall asleep. Needless to say, I did not sleep well at all that night. Wednesday I spent the day cleaning a little, doing laundry, trying to pack and preparing the girls for life without me for a day.(I have to do that to everyone who comes in contact with me ;)

After church Wednesday nite we took the girls home with Gramme and tucked them in bed and couldn't leave fast enough! We stayed in the Marriot in downtown Austin in a room that usually costs $230 a night which we got for $50 a night because of a friend that works in the hotel business!!!! Thursday morning we woke up early and headed south to the Guadalupe. We got an 8 ft raft and took a 3 1/2 hour ride down the river. There were a few scary parts...particularly because I insisted on taking my camera and I was willing to do anything to keep that camera dry. After baking in the sun and wandering around downtown Gruene, we headed back to our hotel to get cleaned up and then brave 6th Street in Austin....it's truly like New Orlean's Bourbon Street....scary after dark and even a bit scary when it's not dark. We went to the Alamo Drafthouse and watched Iron Man which surprisingly was quite good...maybe only one cuss word and just a good movie! The food was delicious too. Then we quickly scurried back to our hotel so as not to get mugged or anything. This morning as we got ready to come back to reality, we had two last stops. Since we were about 4 blocks from the Capitol, we went and toured the inside which I'd never seen...very neat inside. Then we went to a quilt store I've been wanting to hit up and bought some wonderful fabric for me to start a quilt. This will be the 3rd quilt and biggest I've made...it's going to be throw size and I'm LOVING the fabric!

This trip was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary and Shawn did an amazing job....he picked things to do that are just the kind of stuff I like. This is the one time I don't mind bragging...I'm so proud of us for making it 9 years together...it has been HARD! but it's so nice to have that person that you know is going to stick by you in spite of yourself! I had so much fun and this will be a wonderful memory to remember forever. By the way, thank you thank you thank you Gramme! for allowing us this alone time...it was much needed!

The quilt fabrics...I could eat them up!...but that wouldn't work well with my IBS.

Outside the Alamo Drafthouse

The Capitol

Overlooking the House of Representatives

Getting ready to raft

Can you tell we love our self timer? This spot is close to where we ate lunch

9 years together....and better looking than ever!

Life is Good and Boring

Too hot for pants

I love the slogan "Life is Good" that I've seen on T-shirts and stuff. I wanted my title to be upbeat but also to reveal why my blog has been growing cobwebs...it's boring right now. I'm okay with that because I don't need things to be earth-shattering every single day....that's too much drama for me. The only interesting thing that has happened lately was yesterday. We took Elle for her four year check-up and shots...four shots to be exact....two in each leg...highly enjoyable....not really. She did very well with all other parts of her well check but she knew what was coming and was very jumpy the whole time. Well she survived as did I and afterwards we went to Target and got some candy...I am all about bribing when it comes to pain...I'm a wimp about shots too so I can sympathize. Anyway she is 41 1/4 inches tall and 32 pounds.....tall and skinny....string bean skinny...pencil skinny....other metaphors for tall and skinny....We don't have to get anymore shots until she is 11 which is AWESOME! Ava is doing well. She has become deaf I'm pretty sure...but maybe not because she can still hear me whisper if it's about food or bugs :) But it's odd because she can't hear me yelling her name at the top of my lungs from 7 feet away...is there a scientific something that goes with this syndrome? She can now tell you just about what sound every animal makes and I think she is recognizing some of her colors...she is beginning to say more also. She's getting good at mimicing the words we say...that's good and bad depending on the word. ;) Nothing else new going on. We are counting down the days till Blue Haven. We are excited and ready to go. Wish we had a "real" vacation planned where we could go and chill for a few days...not working in youth ministry anymore has one big downfall...no fun activities for free or low cost anymore. We haven't really had time off at all since we moved here....there's my pity party for the day. Well, I'm off to wipe a snotty nose and work on some kind of lunch. Enjoy today...we are having record highs right now which made it the perfect time to get a little pool yesterday and get Elle a bathing suit....F-U-N!

Mother's Day

I'm so glad my two girls gave me a reason to celebrate Mother's Day!

The Click Chick is at it again

Today, a friend asked me to take her daughter's senior pictures. I enjoyed doing this so much. I thought the pictures turned out wonderfully! Here's a few:

Nature's Birth Control

Making breakfast

Making S'mores after breakfast

Shawn putting contacts in...that's talent.

Smeeps

This was a white shirt

I love these two pictures.

Elle getting ready to hammer Ava, I mean, tent stakes into the ground.

Look close...grass and dirt hanging out of her mouth.

For all of you that are not wanting to have any more kiddos....I have a great natural way to prevent any more pregnancies....Go camping with a 4 year old and a 20 month old! It works so well...it's pretty much fool-proof. We took the girls to McKinney Falls State Park on Thursday to try out camping for the first time. Although it was a little bit warm in the afternoon and more humid at night than I would like, it was still pretty nice weather. Of course, I was outdoors camping and I guess I was hoping for inside type air....cool and dry. Anyway we got there around 6 and waited for some friends to come hang out with us. They heard we were headed out there and wanted to come eat dinner with us and we were excited about that because their daughter is best friends with Elle. Dinner was great and the s'mores were delicious. We played Uno until they had to leave. Ava was a little bit scared to sleep in the tent, but after crying for a minute or so, fell right to sleep. Around 9:30 Elle begged us to put her to bed...how nice. Not a peep out of her for the rest of the night. Ava woke once or twice calling for me and I told her to Shhh! and that pretty much took care of it. We sat by the fire for a while after the girls were in bed which was so relaxing! Then we went to bed. Why is it that while camping the night seems about 4 times longer than usual? Neither of us slept well at all! I know I woke up every hour till around 3:30 and then I think I finally dozed. For some reason I was having irrational fears of animals getting us, people getting us, and Elle peeing in the sleeping bag and me not having packed any extra underwear for her...okay maybe that last one wasn't too irrational...she had refused to pee pee outside before bedtime so I figured she wouldn't be able to hold it all night and I thought she'd rather pee in the sleeping bag than go outside in the middle of the night and pee. Anyway all my irrational fears were proved just that...irrational. Really the only part of the camping that was unpleasant was having to watch Ava's every single move. She gets into everything and she fell at least 8 times and they weren't graceful falls either. She has 4 bruises on her face and a cut on her face and a scrap up and down the front of one leg....all from different accidents. I know you'll all love this next part....here's what all she ate or attempted to eat: a snail (with shell), a coke tab from the 80's, 3 fire ants (she ate 2 and the other stung her on the face), grass, leaves, dirt, a hotdog weenie that rolled in the dirt, a half can of Pringles, a WHOLE lot of Cheetos, and some dirty ice. I feel like I'm forgetting one, but I can't really remember. My dear Ava. I think taking the girls again in the fall will be much more enjoyable. Ava is just really accident prone right now and not very good at following a command quickly...or at all. Elle had a few falls too and I'm beginning to seriously consider renaming both of my children Grace as in graceful as in they are not. My favorite part of the whole adventure was waking up Friday morning and seeing the look on Ava's face when she heard the birds singing loudly and she couldn't figure it all out. She pointed to her ear and then up to where the noises were coming from with a wide-eyed sleepy kid look on her face. It was so sweet. I will say, the only thing that could have made the trip just awesome is a pop-up camper so if anyone is looking for ideas for our family for Christmas, we'd like a pop-up camper. Oh, one more thing....we brought back chiggers...lovely.
Okay, well enjoy the pictures.

Casualities from the trip:

Ava's leg

Ava's white shirt

Elle's knee

Ava's face