Sumber Bucket List Progress

SPLASH PAD

We hit up the local splash pad one afternoon.  It was a great day.  Not the least bit crowded.  And my kids didn't want to play. I don't know if we'll make it back or not so this may have to count.

Barrett played a little but he want AveryAnn to play with him and she was having none of it.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM 

We signed up the first day and we've read around 2000 pages already.  Barrett is loving it again this year and AveryAnn is way more excited to sit a read books than she was last year.  This is by far my favorite thing we do every summer.  I nearly cried talking to the librarian that works in the children's section and another mom last week talking about participating in the program when I was a kid.  It's funny the things from your childhood that make an impact.

BOWLING 

My boss Steven, or Grampy as my kids call him, took us and his grandkids bowling a few weeks ago.  We had the best time.  I love bowling.  The kids had the best time.  I hope we can go back one afternoon and Patrick go with us because he loves to bowl too.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 

I love Beauty and the Beast.  I will see any production I can.  I got to see the Broadway show in New York City the year it opened.  I got to see it again a few years ago when it came to Birmingham.  This month the local Red Mountain Theatre Company was putting it on so we had to see it.  Then I had to find the perfect yellow dress to channel my inner Belle.  I couldn't find anything I liked and a friend text me and was like "I got this dress but I don't like the way it looks on me, do you want to try it?" and it was perfect!  I love it so much!  

When my sister and I saw the show when it came through Birmingham with her/our friend Amy we all three ugly cried through most of it.  I didn't cry at all this time but I did tear up at the end.  Its just so sweet.

Even tried to get the hair right.  

LAKE WEEKEND

We were planning to go to the beach this past weekend but Patrick's schedule got changed at work and he was on call.  My parents and brother's family were going to the lake for Harper's birthday so we decided to crash.  When my sister and younger brother got wind everyone was going to the lake they came too.  It was the first time in a really long time that my family was all up there together (well, minus Patrick because he had to work).  We had the best time!

It rained and stormed a little Friday night.  We kept hearing something and we couldn't figure out what it was.  We finally realized it was the tornado siren.  Luckily it wasn't near us.

The kids played in the water some before it got dark.

We stayed up way to late talking and laughing.  We got up Saturday morning and it looked like it was about to storm, and it did.  It stormed nearly all day long.  Around 3:00 it finally cleared up and the sun came out and it was beautiful.  John put his toys in the water and we had the best afternoon.  The kids played in the paddle boat and had the best day.  

AveryAnn would not get in the water.  Had no interest in getting wet.  

She just stood on the bank and watched everyone else play.

My sister and I skied behind the seadoo.  I rode the jet ski and actually stood up on it.  I wiped out on both.  I'm definitely not as young as I used to be but it was so much fun.  

I was feeling pretty confident.  It was a lot more work than I remembered.

  

We had to take this picture...

to recreate this picture from 2007.  

I posted it with the caption "the greatest gift our parents ever gave us was each other."  and that is 100% the truth.  My parents made family a priority  and for that reason we're all still pretty close and actually enjoy hanging out together.  We're all really different too but we can still hang out and laugh and have a good time.  This trip was just what my soul needed this summer to remember what is really important in life.   

Also had to get one on the wall.   

Matt and Jennifer came up Saturday and we celebrated Matt's birthday too. He might as well be my parents 5th kid.  He loves banana pudding so Jennifer made him a banana pudding poke cake and it was delicious. 

I wanted to get a picture of their coordinating swimsuits but Barrett was having none of it.  He was so upset we had to go home.

Saturday was just what our family needed.  We kept laughing because we were like "this has been the best day,"  then we were like that's crazy,  It stormed for 8 hours and we got to play for 4 hours.  But it was like the first 8 hours didn't even happen.  Don't get me wrong we enjoyed hanging out together but when you're at the lake you want to play in the lake.  When the sun came out it was like all war right in the world. We played and played.  John had his GoPro camera and he got some great footage of us riding and playing.  We've laughed and laughed at it.  We're looking forward to more time together this summer!

That's our Summer Bucket List Progress!  We're having so much fun and really making the most of our days!

Spring is Coming

AveryAnn had a big week of riding forward facing in the car finally!  I'm kind of shocked we made it this long.  Now when we drive she's constantly yelling, "yook, mommy a ____!"  It's really cute!

Friday morning my hair straightener died.  I'd had it for 12 years.  It was the first thing I ever bought with my credit card (stupid, I know, don't be like me).  Of course this is turning out to be one of the most expensive months of the year for us so I'm going to have to strategically work a new one into the budget. 

Friday night we went to my parents house so my dad could color my hair.  AveryAnn was helping Granddaddy get some work done while I was processing.

Barrett curled up on the couch and took a little nap.  We got home late Friday night and crashed.

Saturday morning I got up and got ready for a brunch baby shower.  The kids had a fun morning at home with daddy!  That afternoon I took the kids to my parents house to spend the night because we were going bowling for my friend Anna's 30th birthday!  I also enjoyed a solo target run to get a wedding gift for a tea on Sunday.  I came home a took a little nap before getting ready for our little (group) date night.

I kind of love bowling!  I'm not great at it but I think it's so much fun!  We rode with Jeremy and Jessica and always have so much fun with them!

I love this sweet friend of mine!  I love that we've known each other forever but our babies brought us this deep, forever friendship.  We are soul sisters and almost always know what the other is thinking because we're thinking the same thing.  Also, she's so pretty both inside and out.

Love these girls!  Anna has a ton of friends and all she wanted for her 30th birthday was for them to all be together to celebrate. We were missing a few but we had the best time! 

Sunday, we got up and got ready for church.  I had to run by and get the kids dressed for church because I forgot to pack their church clothes. We went to Mass and then came back to my parents for lunch before the tea.

We went to the tea and then my sister and I ran up to go to HIIT.  Hope came to the tea and then she and John and Madelyn went back to mom and dads to hang out.  After HIIT there were more people at the tea so we stopped by in our sweaty gym clothes to visit.  After the tea was over we went back to mom and dads to visit.  Hope had taken these cute pictures of the girls while we were gone.  They are really starting to interact and play together and it is so sweet!

I took this picture of the three of them.

Then I told Barrett to kneel down so he would be the same height at the girls, but they got on their knees too and we all had a good laugh.

We finally made it home, way too late, but it was so worth it!  We don't get to see John and Hope nearly enough.  We don't live that far away but it's so hard to coordinate our lives and get together!  We're getting into a busier season at work and life.  Baseball practice starts this week and we're really excited!  This is our first year of coach pitch!  I think that's all for today!