A Week in the Summer



Here are some fun things we did during this fabulous week of SUMMER!

A movie date with my little guy...He took me to see Brave.

A fun day at the science museum with Owen and Rebecca.

A trip to Build-a-Bear with Nana.

Hanging out at the Coppell Aquatic Center with good friends.

Cousin Pics, Round Two!

Yesterday the kids had their second round of cousin pictures.  Look how much everyone has grown!

Then:

December, 2010

Now:

June, 2012

No girls allowed in this picture.

Marin, Liam, and Ellery



Rylann, Keaton, Gracyn, and Gavin

The dolls

The guys

No photo shoot is complete without a trip to the beach?  Just a little random to end the session.

Little Fish

Splishin' and a Spashin'

More summer day fun at the splash park...

Marin was not feeling the love at the splash park, and her swim diaper was the only thing that ended up wet the entire time we were there.

Here's Ellery getting into the action.

Liam loves splashing!

A Stop At the Petting Farm



Liam stood by that goose and waited and waited and waited for those eggs to crack open with little baby geese.  Much to his shagrin, it never did happen.

Although Marin did not get up-front-and-personal with any of the furry friends, she didn't freak out.  That's a step in the right direction!

And, of course, Ellery could not get enough!

BBQ, Bowling, and Ben

To celebrate our anniversary, we chowed down on BBQ at Spring Creek and then hit the lanes for a few rounds of bowling.  Jon beat me hands-down.  He's actually pretty good, with a high score of 129.  I didn't even break 100.  Whomp, whomp.  Believe it or not, this was the first time we had been bowling together.  I guess after six years of marriage, a year of engagement, and another year of dating, it was time.  Who knows, maybe league bowling is in our future...  Later at home, Jon surpised me with a Death Cab concert he had recorded earlier this week. It was the perfect way to round out a lovely sixth anniversary.

Six Years of Doing

I did, he did, we did.

Six years ago today.

And I do love, honor, and respect him more and more each year.

Three Pirates

We've been spending quite a bit of time in our pool this year.  It's a cheap, convenient, and a fun way to entertain our three little pirates. :)

Marin @ Two

AKA...Baby A

Weight?  28 pounds
Height?  33.75 inches

Favorite book?  Bad Dog, Marley!

Nickname?  Mar-Bear

Favorite TV show?  Blue's Clues

Take to bed at night?  Baby Doll and her dolphin from our Spring Break cruise

Favorite food?  Blueberries, bologna, and smoothies

Favorite activities?  Climbing, playing with Playdoh, reading, taking care of her babies and giving them rides in the stroller

Fun Facts...

• It's not usual for Marin to walk around the house wearing other people's shoes.  In fact, I think she wears her brother's shoes more often around here then hers.
• Marin loves to give hugs and kisses, and no one ever has to "work" for them.
• She is terrified of water and animals.
• Our middle child is quite an actress and can really turn it on when directed to make a silly face. 
• Recently Marin has added "escape artist" to her list of achievements as she can now get out of her car seat straps and crib.  We may need to begin stock piling duct tape.  :)

Ellery @ Two

AKA...Baby B

Weight?  26.8 pounds
Height?  34.5 inches

Favorite book?  Brown Bear

Nickname?  Ellie, Ellie-Bu, Elbow (by Daddy)

Favorite TV show?  The Fresh Beat Band

Take to bed at night?  Pooh Bear and stuffed dolphin from our Spring Break cruise

Favorite food?  Strawberries, pasta, and cheesy Pringles

Favorite activities?  Playing in her little kitchen, setting the little table, coloring, watching TV


Fun Facts...

• Ellery has perfected the stink-eye is not afraid to use it.
• She snores loud enough for it to register on the baby monitor.
• Little E loves, and I mean LOVES, animals.
• Although the quietest of our three littlesh, around 6:30 pm, Ellery starts getting ready to party, and is as rowdy and rough as the other two until bedtime.
• Ellery is our little fish and not afraid of water.  When her floats are on, she "swims" around the pool all by herself.

Chasing Butterflies

We took the kiddos to the Butterfly Garden, part of the Discover Garden in Fair Park yesterday morning.  It was the perfect morning activity.  It wasn't crowded, free on Tuesdays, fairly cool for June in Dallas, and there were lots of butterflies for the kids to see!