2nd time better work

*Editor's note (HA!): So, this is the 2nd time I'm attempting to write this post. I started one last week and had several, several, several paragraphs written and when I clicked "save"...it DELETED THE ENTIRE POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did not have any of the copy saved, so I'm going to attempt to start all over. I got so depressed about it, that it has taken me a week to get up the nerve to write again.


I feel like I say this every time I start a post, but the past few weeks have been so busy. I really had no idea that a family could possibly schedule something for EVERY week of the summer, until I looked at our calendar back in May. It's ridiculously insane to me!!

Since my last post we have had Father's Day, several birthday parties, a couple's trip, 4th of July, my birthday and a girls/bachelorette beach trip. Whewwwwww I sure am tired, but some how manage to keep going.

Father's Day weekend Brandon's dad came to visit. He hasn't seen the boys since Christmas, so it was fun to see the boys interact with him. He came with gifts and man he won some hearts, for sure. They still talk about "Grandpa" and the goodies he brought. I think we've managed to play with just about all of them. Brandon and I are trying to get up the nerve to put out the slip-n-slide. I know the boys will love it, but it's just soooooooooooooooo hot these days. It's us, the parents, that can't get motivated.

Brandon and I got to take a weekend trip with 3 other couples to the river the last weekend in June. It was super fun! The times before we have been to the river have always been with the kids. Between the 4-5 couples that normally go, we all have 2 children under the age of 5! That's a lot of kids..........and maddness!!! It was so nice to go, visit, lay out all day, ride the boat and jet-skis and not worry about chasing around children. I'm scared to say that all the adults may have agreed to "never go back to the river with our children...at least until they can all swim and entertain themselves." HA! Is that bad????

4th of July was pretty fun but very laid back this year. At the beginning of the year we had talked about revamping our annual vacations with the Nelsons (Tony & Leah, our friends in Mobile that have twins). Tony only gets one week of vacation per year and it's the week of/around July 4th. With that being said, we were thinking about trying to start our vacations with them again. Side note...our last vacation with them was the summer Cooper was born, so 2008 - Cooper was 8 weeks old, Cade & Ella turned 1 while on vacay, Brice was 2.5. I'm sad to say, that is a vacation I would rather FORGET FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, the vacation never happened. With Brandon starting a new job this spring, he doesn't have any vacation days yet so therefore we couldn't commit to any sort of vacation plans. Therefore, our plans for the 4th were very low key plus Cooper was sick. That didn't make for any fun, but he did start feeling better on Sunday (the actual holiday) and was able to play and watch fireworks. We ate too much food, drank too many "blue seas" (my mom's favorite NEW drink that she made everyone drink) and watched a great fireworks show. All in all, fun times with the families make for wonderful memories.

Brotherly love :)

Next, I'm sad to say my birthday has come and gone. It's sad when you get to the point in your life when it's not really "fun" to celebrate being old. :( However, I got to celebrate multiple times with my FAVORITE cake in the world, Edgar's strawberry cake. My sweet friend, Kim, took me to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants (yes, I have several) and then that night my amazing in-laws brought me strawberry cupcakes! It was DEVINE and I was in heaven. I even at the cupcakes for breakfast. Later that day, I left for a girls/bachelorette beach trip and Stacy (my best friend of 20 years) brought me more strawberry cupcakes to eat! Oh so fun and just adding more and more to my hips, waist, thighs...need I go on??? We continued to celebrate all weekend at the beach, but thank goodness more of the attention was focused on the "bride-to-be" and not on me. :) I do love, love, love my sweet friends (old and new)!!! We had a blast talking about old times, acting silly or smelling something awful (an inside joke from the trip) but most of all being together. We have not done that in years..........all together, at the same time and place. It was so much fun and defintely a birthday I will remember.

My super cute friends

Our "HOT" glasses instead of bachelorette attire :)

With all of these updates, don't expect us to slow down any time soon. This week Brice is participating in VBS at our church (Coop will go next year...still too young), Brandon's 20th, yes 20th, high school reunion is this weekend and then we are off to North Carolina in two weeks. Maybe I will get another post in before then. Until next time.........