HOT, HOT, HOT....

We had a great time camping this weekend but it was STEAMY. Friday afternoon we met Teri, Joe, Danika & Jayde at Mahoney. We spent a couple of days playing, eating and sweating together. It always takes the girls a few minutes to get reacquainted, but then they have so much fun playing.

Needless to say we didn't need the sweatshirts I threw in "just in case".

One of the girls favorite things was to take a bucket full of water balloons in the
bounce house and throw them out. It kept them busy, but it meant someone had to keep
filling the balloons for them!

I think Arnie was mistaking me for a bug!

Lots of teamwork.....everyone wanted to carry the bucket!

PONIES!!!!

If this picture is any indication, Grace may not have the same love for
horses her sister has!

The pool was a great place to cool off. Teri, Joe, Arnie and I felt a little out
numbered. I think there was a minimum tattoo requirement to get in....yikes!

Gracie is becoming more of a climber....I kept getting her down and
right back up she'd go!

She fell off of this table several times, the first couple we rushed to
comfort her screams, after that we just decided she'd have to learn....
apparently she's a slow learner!

hmmmmm....does it look like they might be up to something?

Gracie stayed awake all the way home, then she only made it about 10 steps
in the door before she decided to lay down and relax.

Bottle Racing...

The other night Arnie and I took Maggie to the Madison County Fair/Rodeo. We left Gracie with Grandma and Pops, and it's a good thing. The rodeo was pretty long, Grace never would have sat through it. Maggie on the other hand, LOVED it. She would have gone back for the next 2 nights, if we'd let her. She loved the girls events, especially "bottle racing".....actually barrel racing, but whatever. She suggested that when she's bigger maybe Daddy will be her team roping partner. I'd love to see that :)

All ready to go....








She thought it was cool that this calf was about Reagan's size :)


We had to stop and visit Sam, the horse that lives next door. He was too busy enjoying his fan to come talk to us.


One of the Rodeo Princesses let Maggie pet her horse, Maggie can't wait to be a rodeo princess.....Daddy was thrilled to hear that :)


This horses name is Maggie!


Maggie even talked Daddy into a ride on the ferris wheel, he's a good sport.


YeeeHawww!!!


Here are a few other pictures from last week....



Tuesday night Maggie was a pizza chef. She did a great job!


Gracie's new favorite place to hang out is in Maggie's gator. She hasn't figured out how to make it move yet, but I don't think it will be long.


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A what?

Last night we were sitting on the couch, not talking about anything scientific (not that we usually are). Some guy in a lab coat showed up on tv, Maggie said, "is he a paleontologist?".....I had to say "a what?" twice, not because I couldn't understand her, but because I couldn't believe she used the word paleontologist! Then I asked her if she knew what a paleontologist was, and she said, "yes" (with the, your the dumbest mom in the world tone) "it's the scientist who can tell us what fossils we're looking at. The people working at Ashfalls were paleontologists." and that was that! We're in real trouble.

Back to normal....

After a weekend full of 4th of July celebration and family. Things are back to normal around here. We didn't do much but play last week, so it seems we have more to do and more projects around the house then we can tackle, but so far it's shaping up to be a productive week. Our storm shelter has been damp lately, so today I tore out all the carpet, cleaned up the mess, threw things away, scrubbed the walls with bleach, etc....It stinks to work so hard and still have more mess then I started with!!

This morning Maggie had "camp" at church. She was really excited to go, but I wasn't sure how she would actually respond when we got there and I turned around to leave. She did AWESOME. She walked right in to her class, found a familiar face and didn't look over her shoulder once. I'm so glad we seem to be past the screaming crying fits when I leave her....I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

The fireworks in Norfolk were Saturday night. They were amazing as usual. Grace enjoyed them (once we went inside and watch through the window) and of course Maggie thought they were amazing. Mom, Dad, Vadim, Laura, Mark, Nate & Bri were all here to celebrate with us. We had a house full, we wouldn't want it any other way. Uncle Evan, Aunt Amy, Aunt Lori, Emma, Aunt Diane and Howie were all here too.....I didn't do a very good job taking pictures!

BUBBLES!!!

Surprise, surprise...Maggie spent as much time as possible in the pool.

Come on Aunt Amy, I know you have ice cream!

Yesterday we had some friends over to play. After a week of 100+ degree temps it was a nice break in the weather, but of course the kids whined that it was too cold.....seriously?

This is her new "cheese face"...I think it kind of makes her look toothless.

All the "real" toys and she'd rather play with empty spice bottles. We didn't get Grace
a birthday present, at the time I couldn't think of a single thing she could possibly need. She
played with a water table at Grandma and Pop's and was mesmerized, so her belated
birthday present arrived yesterday. She spent a couple of hours playing with it, that's a BIG
accomplishment, I usually can't get her to focus on one thing for 10 minutes! I see alot of
wet toddler in our future. But she loves it!

The never ending 4th of July....

I LOVE the 4th of July, and it's a good thing because this year it just keeps on happening! Maggie keeps asking if it's been the "real 4th" yet. We started with the concert at Memorial Park last Friday and it feels like we've been having holidays every since. Tomorrow night is Big Bang Boom (our fireworks show here in Norfolk) and then it will officially be over.

On the 3rd we went spent the day playing at Aunt Trisha and Uncle Jeff's....

Even the kids need to relax a little...

Don't mess with Maggie and Aunt Joyce, or you'll get it!!

Let me in, I know those cookies are in there!
(Grace figured out she could reach the cookies onthe kitchen table by herself. I have
NO idea how many she'd eaten when I caught her.)

I like this pillow so much I might need one for the kiddie pool in our driveway!

Bri's (Nate's girlfriend) Mom and Dad taught us how to make pretzels over
the fire...they were delicious!

Mom and Uncle Mike spinning their pretzels.

Yum, Yum!!

 On the 4th we spent the evening swimming and playing at Dick and Betti's....

It looks like the girls might be working on a plan to team up on Cooper!

She wasn't sure about the sparklers at first, but after a couple she thought they
were pretty cool.

....so did Pop's and Uncle Evan.

Arnie brought her this hat home from golf yesterday, she looks about 15 when she
wears it. (and she thinks she's pretty cool, because after all it is a "real golfing hat".)

This morning Maggie painted a flag....then another and another and another....she said,
"Mom, I started painting flags and I just can't stop. I love America."

Happy 4th of July to all!!