MMMM...this plate smells good...

The kid refuses any sort of nap most days (and BELIEVE ME, I've tried everything except literally tying him to his bed, EVEN BRIBES, and still, the naps are few are far between), but then manages a face plant into his dinner every now and again. LOL!!

Sparkler Fun!

You assumed I was going to be showing you pictures of my KIDS playing with sparklers, didn't you??

Emily was terrified of the whole idea of the sparkler and threw it down immediately, then Jared got spooked when his was halfway down and he threw HIS down as well. So Dan grabbed them up and started doing this funny little "dance" and I started snapping pictures! Wish I'd had the video camera instead; it was pretty funny! That said, I'm not overly sure he'll be impressed with me sharing these photos, so your lips are sealed, ya hear me??

Front row seats

Several months ago, Emily got to make a bird feeder out of a milk jug as part of a project at one of her Daisy Scout meetings. We hung the bird feeder right outside her window, in hopes that she'd get to see some birds fly up and eat the bird seed. What we WEREN'T expecting, was for a pretty little bird to come build her nest inside the bird feeder and lay eggs!

(pardon the stickers in Em's window, it just got put in THAT morning!)


(taken through Em's window)


The little mama, taking a rest in a nearby bush


Mama birdy sat on the nest for a few weeks, and I just KNEW those eggs were going to hatch while Emily and I were in FL, and sure enough, the day we came back, we went to check out the window and saw fuzzy little bodies. Best I can tell, there are three babies. This picture is a cropped version of a much bigger picture so you can see better


It will be fun to continue watching things progress. I will admit to being rather prone to hanging out in Em's room lately, in order to check on how things are going! It's been extremely fun for the kids to see! I just wish we'd hung the next about a foot lower to make it a little easier to view inside from Em's window. LOL

Florida Vacation pics!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

At Disney World, for the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor show, they used the joke of Em's that I'd texted into the show for her! She thought it was REALLY awesome (especially considering they only used three jokes)! She LOVED Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, and would have happily done them both several times over, but we had too many other things to see and do! Unfortunately, Space Mountain was closed for maintanance, and will be until November. Emily would have really enjoyed it!! She thought meeting the princesses (especially Cinderella!) was pretty neat, and the parade and fireworks show at the end of the day were both really neat as well.

Seeing the manatees in the water near us at Anna Maria Island was an INCREDIBLE experience, even if I did momentarily panic and think the dark shapes in the water were sharks! I guess manatee sightings that close to shore are on the rare side. Emily and I both really enjoyed the WARM waters and the pretty white (soft!!) sand of the beaches. Even on a gloomy and rainy day, it was still warm enough to be at the beach! WOW!

The grass in people's yards in FL is REALLY odd. Very large blades of grass and you have to keep it around 4 inches tall. When you walk on it, you sink WAY down, and it's very spongy feeling. In the pic of Emily and I next to the cactus, we almost look like we have no feet, and that lawn had just been mowed the day before!!

Our flights TO Florida were riddled with kids kicking our seats at regular and FREQUENT intervals, and then siblings hitting and screaming at each other the whole flight. Our flights HOME were rather uneventful, but I could have done without the 4.5 hour layover at LAX, and having to go through security all over again becuase LAX has so many disconnected terminals! GRRRRRRRRRR! LAX was REALLY strict about the security, too. Shoes couldn't go in trays, cameras, video camera, DVD players and laptops all had to be out of their cases and in separate bins, with cases not in trays. Coats/sweatshirts each in individual bins, toiletries in own bin, etc. So we had eight bins, and then shoes and electronic equipment cases, sweatshirts, backpacks, carry-on suitcases, and my purse all strewn out everywhere. It was lovely! LOL

I hadn't gotten much sleep all week and it was two REALLY long travel days going there and coming back, so I ended up sleeping 9 hours the night we got back! I could use another night like that, but I've stayed up INCREDIBLY late putting together that slide show to share with you all today!

ENJOY!

Jared and Elly

Hello LLLL lovers!! This is Kaci from Ellyphant

Last summer I had the privledge of spending a afternoon with Leah and her family. We all had such a great time! Jared and Elly are only a week apart in age and they had a super fun time giggling, holding hands, hugging and just being silly pants!

Now don't you all worry Leah and I are already planning the wedding!

Elly will wear Vera Wang,

the flowers will be orchids,

linens--fresh and crisp, gold trim lining the edges,

bridesmaids in pink with white shoes...

This is the life

Being from the west coast, Emily and I had never experienced going to the beach and swimming in WARM water! It was FABULOUS! But before we ever even stepped foot in the water, we were in awe over the WHITE sand. We spent about an hour in the water, and would have stayed far longer, but a freak rain storm blew through (it's been rainier here far more than not, so far, but it's not slowing us down any!) and we had to high-tail it out of there. We had ourselves a bit of a thrilling adventure partway into the beach visit when several Manatees surfaced within 8 feet of us! Scared me a little at first, to see such huge animals so close, and not being sure of what they might do, but after the initial shock, it was REALLY neat to see them and see everyone on the beach running toward the water to get a better look. I'll keep it to myself how when I first saw the dark shapes, my initial thought was that it was a sharks... *grin*

We head to DisneyWorld today, and I don't think either girl really understands what that means, but Carole and I are giddy with excitement over finally getting to take them (neither one has ever been to a Disney park before, and I haven't been to one since I was 14!).

I don't know if I'll get any more chances to check in, but Kaci ever so kindly agreed to try to deal with things around here for me (please forgive her if she slips up and doesn't get a post done for me, her daddy got a BAD injury and I know her thoughts are going to be with him... XOXO Kaci's daddy!)

Beach

Right now Leah and Miss Em are....sigh....at the beach. Soak it up girls, you deserve it!
Kaci