Moving Uncle Tone

This past weekend we loaded up the girls, crammed Uncle Tone into the back seat with them and headed down to San Antonio. Uncle Tone is in law school there and decided it was time to upgrade apartments. We all agreed. :) With Grammy and Pa off on their well deserved vacation, it became a sibling weekend. Andy, Michelle and Logan met us there and we got busy. We were all pretty pleased with our progress...all though Michelle and I did request that Anthony clean out his fridge a little more often in the new place. We got the job done and had a great time with each other. One of the highlights of the weekend was taking the kids swimming. Logan has had a fear of water for a bit, but he has made some AMAZING progress this summer! He is even in swim lessons...honestly, you wouldn't know this kid was petrified of the water last summer when you see the pics below!!

Uncle Tone was a favorite swim partner for both Logan and Carli

Look at him now!!!
Carli was a little apprehensive at first...we think it was b/c we were swimming at night and the lights in and around the pool kind of made things look a bit scary.
She warmed up and started attempting to copy Logan's jumping skills.
Ava wasn't to be left out...right!
Carli and Daddy
Double jump!
The most awesome picture...tell me this kid doesn't love water! Way to go Logan!
Cute kiddos

The long drive was worth the effort! We got our job done and had a wonderful time as well! Maybe next time we go down to SA it will be to take the kids to Sea World!

Bathroom Reno...Take 2...

When we moved into our house three years ago - the first project we took on was our bathroom. Three years later, we are doing it again! It isn't as crazy as it sounds. Turns out the shower in our bathroom was not so good (it was the original, fiberglass one). The floor cracked and it became apparent that we were going to need to replace it. To get a fiberglass shower out of it's little nook, you have to take out the surrounding sheet rock...and that turned into, we didn't really like the job we had done with the bead board to cover up the horrendous paint/wall treatment that was there - so why not put up new dry wall? And while we are at it, lets go ahead and reroute that vent pipe in the wall so we can recess our medicine cabinets. Might as well, get all those matching fixtures too and one last request...a heater vent - I'll be in heaven!

So July 4th wkd, with the help of more than one set of friends the true work began and we hope doesn't last months and months and months...

We'll keep ya posted!!

We love Craigslist...

I have a minor obsession with not paying too much for things, especially kids clothes and toys as it seems they go through them both so fast! So, we love to visit resell shops, garage sales and for our big toys...Craigslist! Our latest find is a Little Tikes mini cube that I paid $5 - cleaned up, painted and put in the soon to be play room. It is missing it's little slide, but that doesn't seem to bother Carli at all. She spent all day Saturday "reading" books on it and "diving" off of it!

Mastering Yogurt and a Spoon

When Carli gets up from her naps, she is usually famished and cranky...wonderful combo. Lately she is on a cheese (nothing new) and yogurt kick. For the most part, she is content to let me feed her the yogurt. However, last week she demanded to feed herself the yogurt. Which was fine, they have to learn sometime right?

Loving the bed head here...

Meltdown! The yogurt was spilling off her spoon and on her leg, so I put a dish cloth on her leg...and yet she still managed to have a meltdown when the yogurt had the nerve to get on her hand!

Success!

I am pretty sure I cleaned more yogurt off the chair, table, clothes and Carli than made it in her mouth - but she did a little better the next day when we repeated the whole scene! Small progress...

Won't you come play?

Carli LOVES to be outside, despite the horrid heat. She doesn't quite understand why Tidy-Tidy (Whitey Tighty) will not come and join her!

So we finally, finally go our backyard fixed. There is a long story with this whole adventure - the short version being that the folks before us inherited a beautifully landscaped backyard - complete with tons of bushes, a massive flower bed and lawn...then they proceeded to add a massive rock bed for their play equipment (why rocks, I'm not sure) and a deck (that overlooked into the neighbors yard) and apparently forgot to take care of their massive flower bed and tons of bushes. Over the last three years, we have taken out the rock pit and had the deck removed. We also took out one of the raised flower beds. We were sad that we had to remove all of the bushes that lined the back fence as well b/c they were dying or had died due to not being taken care of...all of this we took our time doing. But when this summer rolled around I was really wanting to take the next step and have it professionally regraded and sodded so that Carli could play with her dogs and her play things back there and I would not have to worry about her venturing into the street if I got distracted as I am dealing with now that we play in the front yard...

Last week we finally got the backyard finished and ready for two kids and three dogs!

The yard looks massive now, but I am so excited. I can handle mowing and weedeating...massive flower beds and bushes were a bit too much!

Left side of the yard..

Middle (view from living room windows)

Right side of the yard

We have to water like there is no tomorrow for the next three weeks and then we can move Carli's Little Tikes Cube to the backyard and she and the dogs can play to their little hearts content while Ava and I sit on the porch in our hammock and cheer them on!!

Caught On Camera

Finally, we caught a smile on camera!

Naggy & Pappy Came to Visit

Naggy and Pappy came to visit last weekend and what a blessing they were! It was a welcomed break for me. I even got to go get a massage and go to Wal-mart...alone! Thanks you both so much for the weekend. Carli had a blast playing with you both and despite Ava screaming half the time...she loves you too! (Sorry, at least I know not to eat pizza now!)

All the girls ready for church

Can she smile?

Ava has flashed us a big gummy smile quite a bit this last week...it is so stinkin' cute! But every time we break out the camera in an attempt to capture it...well, lets just say it hasn't been successful...

She seriously flashed this huge grin and konked out...

The total opposite face of what I was trying to capture...she looks rather ticked off in this one!

Pretty stinkin' close...Naggy caught the end of one smile!

This one is as close as we have gotten...

Father's Day

Just a week late - but couldn't resist sharing this picture of Keith with his girls on Father's day...

Blog-cation

I took one - I admit it. Last week, I don't think I even took pictures. Sorry, girls. Your Momma just had one of those weeks and picture taking and blogging were not high on the priority list...keeping my sanity was! Perhaps it was the six week milestone. We did make it and we have survived thus far. Two kids, under the age of two. I lay in bed at night often and wander if God is trusting me too much - perhaps this time he gave me a little too much to handle. But then there are times that I know He didn't. It is fun to watch Carli give Ava kisses - and when Ava flashes that big gummy grin - it just melts my heart. The 2 am feedings, the not going back to sleep until 5:30 and Carli getting at up at 6...disappear in those moments and all is well. I keep telling myself to make it to the three month milestone...but then I admonish myself for not enjoying the here and now. I won't lie...this is hard...I knew it would be but it is harder on my sanity than I thought it would be! I understand the stories my Mom tells about taking her "me" time in the bathroom - and having little fingers reaching under the door calling for her...and that was as good as "me" time got...I get it now. Who knew the bathroom would be such a sanctuary? Ha! Who knew that I'd hit up Happy Hour at Sonic, every single day last week - and even got something besides Dr Pepper?! Thank goodness both girls don't mind a car ride every now and then b/c that is my little "sanctuary" at times...

A new week begins...I got more sleep this week than I have for the last 5 months I bet (Ava kept me awake even before she made her grand entrance), thanks to Terry and Tessie being here. Bless their hearts for taking Ava at 4 am this morning and not coming to get me until well after 7. Here comes a new week, with a new start and a new attitude...here's praying it makes it the wkd!

Sisterly Love

In trying to teach Carli how to share her things with "Ba-va" (yes, this is what Carli calls Ava - it evolved from "Baby" to "Ava" to "Ba-va"), Carli has taken the lessons and turned it into Ava should share with her too! Thus, Carli has started climbing in Ava's bouncer and then demanding to hold Ava so they could share the seat. I don't think Ava was very happy about the whole sharing thing...