Beach List

Our beach trip went off without a hitch. Well except for Steven's brother's brand new car getting hit in the in the parking garage and the jackasses didn't even leave a note. Klassy.

Also Klassy were the two human whales we witnessed getting into a cat fight on the beach. It was more like a slow moving sumo match. Lady #1 kept getting splashed by Lady #2's kids. Lady #1 said something. Lady #2 decided to open up a can on her. I will say that after it was broken up each lady went back to their respective seats like it was just another day at the beach.

Oh how I love watching these two play together. Zachary and Sophie are 11 months apart. They have always played so well together. Although they do yell, hit, tattle, and as seen here, point fingers at one another!

Don't bother going to the aquarium on the Grand Strand. When you have the idea, guarantee that 29383 people have the same idea.

My water sprite really wasn't a fan of the beach. By day 2 she wanted the pool and only the pool.

Not quite sure what this is all about. I think it's a four year old possibly trying to look hot and wink. Definitely needs to work on the wink!

Or this.

I might as well jump.

JUMP!

Might as well jump!

Go ahead, jump, Jump!

Go ahead, Jump.

No air Madie and Sammi. Still to little to really get off the ground. But next year I'm sure they'll be

Beach quote of the week.

Soph- "Aunt Lawawa, can you pick up my stuffed fish?"

Aunt Laura- "What's the magic word?"

Soph- "ABRACADABRA!"

Stella Bella did great while we were gone! YAY! But she's such a diva. I know that part of her finickiness and pickiness has to do with the fact that she doesn't feel 100% most of the time. But sheesh. I have no doubts that in a former life she was a southern belle growing up on a plantation. Her death bed scene would include a canopy bed, propped up on 20 pillows, silk jammies, and slaves fanning her with palm leaves during her final hours.

We came back from the beach with a case of swimmers ear turned raging ear infection. It's even painful pulling a shirt over my girl's head. So she's on an antibiotic AND ear drops. The ear drops are fun times putting in. So we wait for her to fall asleep and then creep into her room. She's probably going to have nightmares of aliens coming into her room and probing and prodding her with titanium instruments.

So until next year!

4th of July Overload

I loved being home for the 4th of July. Loved. It. Normally we are at the beach over the 4th and although it's great being at the beach I realized this year just how awesome the 4th of July can be. And it was a jammed packed weekend. Which are always the best kinds of weekends to have! So here is 4th of July picture over load!

We started out Saturday morning meeting my grandma, a few cousins, and aunt and uncle bright and early for a parade in their little town. Same parade that I marched in when I was little. Soph will tell you that the best thing about this parade is the entire bag full of candy you can collect.

Here's me and my girl pre-parade.

One of the many many trips to the middle of the road to pick up extra candy. They let ANYONE be in this parade. You basically just show up with a car, a bike, a tractor or even a horse and they'll let you in. She's already said that next year she can ride in papaw Rocky's tractor and throw candy. We'll see.

I think every parent in America could nab a picture of their kid like this when the fire trucks roll through!

Saturday evening we headed over to another little town for fireworks. We had a few options for fireworks but decided that smaller and less hectic seemed like the route to go since our day had already been busy. Hopefully, we'll be able to do this every year. It was fun to kiddie tailgate before the fireworks started.

At the fireworks we met up with the Taylors. And here is Soph, Ben, and Owen.

And the Markins' family!

On Sunday Katie invited us all to a fabulous cookout and afternoon of swimming. Last year we did the same thing. And we can all remember last year saying that one day we'll be able just to set along the edge of the pool and watch our kids swim. This year, for at least half of us that little wish came true!

This crew can swim! Although they look like drowning cats doing it!

Pool "bums"

Jackson is never far from his blackberry.

Charles' swim proteges. Oh how I wish I had a video of Sophie and Emma coming up for a "breath." Funniest thing evah! I can't even explain it. Just one of those things you'd have to see for yourself.

She

1. She is is trouble right now. All of her books are in a laundry basket and locked in my closet for 2 days. The reason for this sentence? Trying to punch her dad's lights out when he told her it was time to come inside and then refusing to stand in the corner. We did leave her Bible on her bookshelf.

2. She cried herself to sleep tonight because of the book ban.

3. She had her last swimming lesson today. On day 2 she cried all the way there. On the last, she cried all the way home.

4. She is more thoughtful and giving at four then I have ever been in my entire life. Swim guy got a silly band, a thank-you card with a monkey on it, a picture drawn in it, a gift certificate, AND his payment. And I couldn't tell her no.

5. Yesterday she offered her daddy the money in her piggy bank to buy a jeep because she knows that he wants one.

6. She could eat watermelon every single day.

7. There is something about her that can talk anyone into anything. I truly believe she could sell ice to an eskimo.

8. She is missing her GiGi like crazy. She is at the beach for 2 weeks and then we'll be gone for a week. That's 3 whole weeks without her G. I think that's the longest she has ever gone without seeing her.

9. She never asks for new toys. She actually doesn't even have that many material possessions.

10. She desperately wants to fly in an airplane.

11. She composes her own songs. Her current favorite is a song she made up about Mexico and a song about a robot cat.

12. She crawls into our bed at least 2 nights a week. I would never admit it to her, but I secretly love it.

13. She has inherited my dad's side of the family's party gene. Girlfriend can stay up and go strong until late. And I mean late. Then crash and be right back at it the next day for round 2. We're in trouble.

14. This morning she told me that I was beautiful and that I had on a beautiful necklace, a beautiful dress, and a beautiful hair clip.

15. She's the one that's beautiful.