One of our favorite places with some of our favorite people

May 21-22 we went to Chattanooga with our friends the Bybees. Sunny already posted about this here, but I thought I would make a post of my own, too! We had a late night Friday, full of driving, checking into our hotel, Cracker Barrel and getting 5 wired kids ready for bed in a hotel! We were so excited to have adjoining suites, so we put the kids to bed in the bedrooms, then the adults could stay up and talk in the living room as late as we wanted!! After Jason and Sunny headed back to their room, we moved our kids out to the sofa...Jordan got herself propped up on this couch cushion--glad she's not a grown-up because she would've been sore the next day!Once everyone woke up, it was kind of like a mad house!!!
Saturday was Sunny's birthday, so Jason and the kids had some gifts for her to open...
Then Jason put the wrong sized memory card in the new camera that he got Sunny, and had to use my tweezers to do 'surgery' and extract the foreign object!
So in the meantime, Jackson decided to just keep on being cute...
Then we went to the aquarium. Here are Lawson and Abby Kate looking at a snake...
And Lawson and Jackson petting stingrays and sand sharks. Lawson's sleeve and right side of his shirt is completely soaked, by this point...
These are 3 of my most favorite people!
We spent some time in the butterfly house, where Jon caught a butterfly, then helped Lawson hold it, then helped Lawson give it to Jordan, then helped Jordan hold it. That's teamwork!
After the aquariums, we were headed back to the parking garage to head home, and Joshua was walking backwards so that the sun wouldn't be in his eyes.
When lo and behold we heard a baseball announcer from high in the sky! We looked up and saw the stadium for the Lookouts, and guessed that the game was just beginning from the announcements. We hiked up about 8,000 steps and got in for only $4/adult! Of course we were all so thirsty we drank $20 worth of drinks, but it was still so fun!
Sunny and Abby Kate
Jason and Joshua
Jon and Lawson
Jon and Jordan
Joshua and Lawson
We left the game right after the 7th inning stretch because it was late, we were tired, and we still had to drive home! We realized we hadn't had dinner yet, so to top the night off we had a fancy birthday meal at Krystal!! So fun!

It really was a fun way to spend a weekend with great friends!!

T-Ball 2010

Today, at exactly the same time, was his last game of the season...and her first game ever. It was kinda sad that we were split up for the games, but I guess that has to happen sometimes!
Without any number requests at all, they both happened to be numbered '4' this year!
Great season Cardinals!!! And good luck Pirates!

Such A Good Big Brother

I love this picture and this memory so much!

One day a few weeks back I was downstairs trying to get some things done. My kids have always been very good about being interactive with me but also being able to play on their own when I need to work on something. This particular day they were playing upstairs in their rooms, but I noticed that they had been especially quiet for a while. I walked upstairs and peeked in--to see this.

I love that they are laying next to each other. I love that he is 'reading' this story (that he practically knows by heart) to her. I love that they are cuddled under his blanket, but that she has her blankie to keep her company. I love that they love each other so much, and really are each others' best friend for right now.

Now Let's Go Out and Play

My friend Lindsey just started a blog, and I loved reading her first post!! She is such a genuine, kind, loving person. Her blog is called I'll Never Be June Cleaver, and it reminded me of a poem that I posted a long time ago. I've never re-posted one of my posts before, but I'm going to re-post this one. I first blogged this in July of 2007.

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For most of you, it's no big secret that I am not going to win any housewife awards. Or housekeeping awards. Which would include dusting awards. Or dishes awards. Or laundry. Or shower-cleaning. Or cooking. Or anything else that involves keeping anything tidy, for that matter. At any given moment, there may be dishes in my sink, flowing out to the counter. Dirty clothes strewn through the living room (and pretty much anywhere else someone from the family has walked today!) There might be dirty diapers laying next to where I changed them (because I'm too tired/lazy to throw them out one at a time). And a plethora of toys and books spread across every inch of floor to let you know that we HAVE been doing something today.

A visit to my house has a prerequisite of at least a 10 minute phone call!! This gives me enough time to scrape the surface and at least make the carpet show through the stuff again! And if you drop in on me, you can bet I'll try to keep you out of the kitchen!!! :)

I found this poem on one of my favorite places to lurk and read--Rocks in My Dryer--and I love it!

I have always said that all I ever wanted to be was a mommy--I don't remember ever mentioning all that housekeeping stuff!! :)

Now Let's Go Out and Play

Some houses try to hide that fact
That children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly--
The signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges on the doors.
I should apologize, I guess,
For toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children
And we played and laughed and read.
And if the bathtub doesn't shine
Their eyes will shine instead.
For when, at times, I'm forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I want to have a lovely house,
But first I'll be a mother.

--Author Unknown