Move on Back

Eden is so close to crawling. She can get up on her hands and knees, rock back and forth, and move BACKWARDS! This has caused her to get into some interesting places lately.

Popsicles

Parker and Addison ate their first popsicles today and it was quite an experience! They started off enjoying their new treat, but smiles quickly turned to tears as the hot sun melted the popsicles and made them fall off the stick and onto the ground. They were both crying hysterically by the time we finished. It may be awhile before we try popsicles again!

Fun with Family

A few days ago, my family hosted a pool party at my mom's house for some of my mom's cousins and their grandkids. There were 7 adults and 8 kids under the age of 6, and it went surprisingly smooth. No tantrums, no crying...just lots of food, swimming, and fun. The kids had so much fun together and it was great to see them playing with cousins that they had never met. I really enjoyed getting to visit with my cousin, Tracy, who lives in Fort Worth with her husband and 2 daughters. My younger sister babysits for her girls a lot, but I have never really had a chance to hang out with her. We have a lot in common and I hope we will be able to get the kids together for another playdate again soon.

The whole gang

Parker blowing bubbles into the birdbath

Parker and Ridge deciding on which snack to choose next

Eden (what else can I say!!)

A Day at the Lake

What did we do today to escape the hundred degree weather? We went out to the lake, of course! Our friends Heath and Stacey asked us to come out to their lake house for the afternoon so we decided to pack up the kids and see how they reacted to being on a boat. They both did great! We took Parker out last summer but he was still too little to ride on anything. This time, he was able to ride on the tube with us.

Because it was so hot, we didn't stay out too long, but Parker got to take two rides on the tube. The first ride was with me, Stacey, and Jewell (their little girl who is 2 months older than Parker) and the second ride was with Cory. We also spent some time letting the kids jump off the back of the boat into the water. Parker and Jewell both had a great time together. I can't wait until they are just a little bit older and we can start teaching them to wakeboard and water ski.

Parker in his new life jacket

Jewell and Eden in their sunhats

Jewell and Parker

Getting ready to ride with Daddy

Riding on tube with Mommy

Eden's new BFF

Eden has recently discovered my sister's dog, Brinkley. He is a rescue dog and is great around kids. Don't they make a cute pair!

Happy Anniversary!

Cory and I celebrated our 11th anniversary this past weekend! Oh, how quickly the years fly by! It seems like it was just yesterday that we were saying "I do". My parents offered to keep the kids for a night so we took them up on the offer. This is the first time that we have been gone from the kids overnight since Parker was born 2 years ago, and it was way overdue! It was so nice to get away from changing diapers, nursing, crying and whining and have some uninterrupted time together. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and was glad to come home on Sunday, but it was very refreshing to have some much needed time away.

We decided to head up to the Grapevine area and stay at the Gaylord Texan. (For all of you teachers out there...they have a $99 special for teachers this summer.) We first went to the Grapevine Mills mall for a little shopping before dinner. I told Cory before we got there that I wasn't going to shop for the kids at all, and I stayed true to my word. It was so nice getting to try on clothes without having to worry about Parker trying to crawl out of the dressing room or Eden needing to nurse.

We then went to dinner at The Melting Pot. It is a fondue restaurant that my sister recommended. The food was good and the dessert was incredible! I could have skipped the entire meal and gone straight to dessert! We will definitely have to go back there again.

At breakfast the next morning, I got to see a friend of mine from college who was also there celebrating her anniversary. She lives in Amarillo so I do not get to see her very often. It was great getting to visit with her and her husband.

The weekend was great... I just wish it could have been longer! As always, I had so much fun hanging out with Cory. He truly is my best friend and I can not imagine my life without him. We have been through a lot together in the past 11 years, some good and some not so good, but I always know that I can count on him to be right there by my side no matter what the situation. I can't wait to see what the next 11 years have in store for us.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads out there, especially Daddy, Grandaddy, and Papa. Parker and Eden are so lucky to have you in their lives! We hope you had a great day!