Build and Grow at Lowes - Pirate Ship

June 27, 2009. Lowes offers a free program called Build and Grow. They have a planned project all set up and kids come and build what they have planned. Lowes provides a work apron and all the supplies needed for the project. This time the kids built a pirate ship. Clayton took a friend along, Jonathan Jones, and they built it all by themselves, then Kevin and I helped Kaylee and Nicholas. Kaylee was thrilled to do this for the first time ever!

Cahaba River * June 2009

Clayton, Nicholas, Izzie, and friend, Jonathan

Kaylee and her friend, Lauren

Clayton, Kaylee, and Nicholas

We love to go play in the Cahaba River! It is right down the street from us, so easy to get to. We took Grandma and Izzie for the first time on Tuesday and then took the Jones family with us on Friday. Izzie is such a water rat, just like the rest of us! It is fun to be able to take advantage of God's beautiful creations.

Backyard Water slide * June 24, 2009

We bought an inflatable water slide for the kids to play on in the backyard during the hot summer days (cheaper than a pool). It is a blast! It is called the double drop raceway and you go fast when it is wet. I almost flew out the end! I would love more plush grass to soften the landing, too, but the hard ground will do for now. Anyway, enough about me, the kids really loved it.

Happy Retirement Mom!

Mom got to retire a couple months ago, but we finally got to celebrate it here in Alabama. We all went out to Tavern on the Summit and enjoyed a nice dinner and a yummy dessert. Mom is so thrilled to have so much more free time! She now is busy with building a new home alongside with my Dad and she is quite the little quilter now, too! Congrats to you Mom for all your hard work over the years - you deserve your new found freedom - Enjoy!

Navarre Beach, FL * June 19-22, 2009

While the kids are safe and sound in Houston, Tx with Grandma and Papa, Kevin and I snuck away a few days to Navarre Beach, Florida. The water was gorgeous and the sand was soft. We rented two chairs and a umbrella for 2 whole days and just rested and relaxed all day long under the hot sun! It was as close to heaven as I imagine :) We got to eat night after night uninterrupted, just the two of us...so nice! Once our time had ended though, we were so ready to hug and kiss our kiddos! What a nice treat for us... some alone time.

Granny GG's and Grampy Mike's

While we were in Houston, Tx for Uncle Pat's funeral, we stayed with Granny GG and Grampy Mike. We got to go swimming one afternoon at their neighborhood pool. It was a super hot day so the water was awesome!!

All Stars is officially Over - June 11, 2009

SAFE!

Safe again, but he did lose his shoe on this one.

We had a great time playing All Stars baseball this year for the Mountain Brook Gray Team. The team we played on was so much fun - great coaches, great parents, and precious kids! Nicholas played catcher and outfield - he liked catcher a lot because of more action. He is a great batter too so he was always rounding the bases! Unfortunately, we have now lost our last game and are out of the tournament. But we do get to relax and enjoy our summer now!

Backyard Baseball Party ~ May 31

We had the baseball team over for a backyard baseball party Sunday evening. We already had the big bounce house/water slide from Clayton's party and the water squirters, so we just threw in 12 baseball boys and had another party. It was fun and the boys had a great time!

Clayton's Turning 9 Birthday Party ~ May 31, 2009

Clayton is turning 9 next week and wanted to have an inflatable water slide backyard party. Our friend, Michelle King had a friend who rents them out, so she called in a favor and got us one for free - Thanks Michelle! The front is a bounce house and then you climb up a ramp and slide down the water slide - it is all inside the inflatable so it is hard to tell from the pictures, but the kids LOVED it!! We also went to the Dollar store and picked up about 15 water squirters and filled a large red bucket with water for water fights. Clayton had a blast and wants to do the same party again next year.

Last PreTournament All Star Game ~ May 30

This was a very exciting game as well. We were in the bottom of the last inning with 2 outs in a tie game and we happen to miss a catch which allowed the other team to score the winning run - Bummer, but good game. We played good and lost by one point. This coming week is the start of our real tournament - first game is Thursday, then one on Friday, and two on Saturday. If we finish in the top 5, we'll go on to compete on Monday as well. Wish us luck!