Welcome Summer!!

Ethan's last day of preschool was the 21st. I now know why Mommy's aren't so thrilled about summer vacation...it means your kid is home ALL THE TIME! We've kept busy though. Last weekend was the final weekend of Memphis In May - which is the airshow weekend. Mark spent most of Friday and Saturday out at the airport hanging out and helping around the hangar and I went out several times with the kids. Friday we went down the the river banks downtown to watch the practice airshow. That was great! Then Saturday it actually rained and they weren't sure if they would fly, but they did and they put on another great show. It's amazing looking at these planes and watching them fly - makes you think about the young boys that were flying them many, many years ago and how they were flying those planes fighting for our country.

This past weekend was Gracie and Sydney's birthday party. We spent Saturday outside with them and just had the best time! They rented several inflatables and the kids had a fabulous time playing on those and playing in the pool too. I will say Summer is officially here....sunscreen and baths everyday! Love it, love it, love it!

This time next week I'll be on my way to France with 22 other fabulous ladies! I cannot wait! I've been to Paris at least 10 or 12 times, but have never left Paris to see other parts of France, so I am looking so forward to that part of the trip. There is much to be done here though to get ready to leave. It's so much easier when you don't have to worry about anything except packing and going....but I've got to make sure all is copacetic around the house before I leave! I'm not worried about the kids at all. Mark is wonderful with them and his Mom is coming so he didn't have to take much time off from work. They will have a great time and are looking forward to going to Cathy's pool to swim, playing outside on our playground and maybe going to the zoo. I hope they miss me! Ethan with Mrs. Whiteside - Kim was wonderful with him early on in the school year....she would come get him so he could call me to say "hi" during the day. She said that he could call me everyday as long as it took to get him comfortable at school. It didn't last long though, but he became close to Mrs. Whiteside after that. She's always at the door greeting every student, parent and sibling everyday as we drop Ethan off. She knew my name, Mark's name and Nina's name quickly - and all the other kids that went there. She was a great director and we're glad she'll be back next year!

Ethan with Mrs. Albin and Mrs. Rieman - they were wonderful teachers!

Nina playing inside on her big wheel that Nona got her for her 2nd birthday.

Ethan and Nina sitting on the banks of the Mississippi River waiting for the practice airshow to begin

Ethan and his friend Lindy hanging out in one of the airport Jeeps

Watching the airshow (eating whatever they could find in my bag)

Skip Stewart flying around Mud Island....he lives here in Memphis and is a pilot for FedEx. He was one of the most incredible pilots I've ever seen fly. He was truly amazing to watch. At one point he was flying sideways over the Mississippi not even 20 feet off the water - holding our breath for sure!

Nina in her Memorial Day attire

Nina playing in my purse - making a mess!

Wednesday night before church, I wanted to get a picture of them. Mark was at work, so it was just me trying to get their attention and get them to smile. Ethan doesn't smile much at the camera anymore, he just says "cheese" and gives me this funny look. I finally got a somewhat cute pic of them, but it took many to get that one. They are too funny!

Can't you tell it's Wednesday night? Dazed and confused!

Ethan leaned over and kissed Nina and then he pushed her away and said, "there Mommy, did you get it?" Hilarious!

As good as it got that night!

Gracie and Sydney's birthday party!!

Ethan is in the back (with his back to the camera), but every time I thought I could get a good shot of him, he was coming at me with the water tubes, so I got outta there. They had a blast on this thing!

Sydney, not wanting much to do with anyone! She's 2!

Nina playing on one of the other slides

The party was at Mitzi's parent's house (which is just 2 doors down from Mark and Mitzi) and they have the best set up. Inside the pool area, they had several Little Tykes houses and play things, so the kids just ran from that to the pool, back out to the slides, to the playground.... it was great! They live out in the country, or what I call the country, and have beautiful land and it's just a kid's dream out there!

Ethan playing in the pool. This is the first year without a vest, but he got in Gracie's ring and just took off all over the pool. I didn't want to get in all the way, so it was perfect for me and he loved it!

The swimsuit cover up I made Nina. I wanted to get her pic in it at the party, but of course she took it off before I could get my camera out.

Bon Voyage!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Nina!

May 8th was Nina's 2nd birthday. We went to Georgia and spent the weekend with my Mom and Mark's parents. We had a great time and Nina, of course loved being the center of attention. We were able to have a night out with Chris and Melanie and enjoyed dinner with them while the kids enjoyed getting spoiled by the grandparents. One of the things that Ethan has always looked forward to at my parent's house is riding my Dad's tractor. Mr. Roy is taking care of it now, but hadn't been over to make sure it was running....so we didn't get it out, but Ethan stayed in my Dad's shed for hours playing on the tractor. He even had Ro Ro bring his lunch out there to him and he had a picnic on my old wagon in the shed. It was funny. The kids stayed outside almost the entire weekend - they just love being in the yard playing together!

Nina is quite the 2 year old already! She is such a huge talker and loves to sing and dance. Among her favorite songs are ABCs and Let's Go Fly a Kite. She sings both quite well and it's adorable. She cracks us up all the time - we never know what is going to come out of her mouth. She and Ethan play well together, most of the time, and she loves her Bubba! Nina is a delight to be around and such an amazing blessing to our family! Happy 2nd Birthday, Nina! It only took Ethan 2 days to figure out how to flip himself on the rings.

Here I come, Mommy....watch out!

This is Kaylee from Ethan's preschool class. Let me just tell you, this girl is already throwing off the scent. ALL the boys in the class fight over her. ALL of them! I witnessed it one morning as I dropped Ethan off - Brian and Kaylee were talking and Ethan walked in and put his bag up and then started talking, or trying to talk, to Kaylee. Brian literally stepped in between them and put his arms out at Ethan....like he was telling him to stop. Ethan's teachers say that this happens many times during the day, with all the boys. She is the one that all the boys talk about when they go home. How funny is that? Ethan is going to miss her!

The birthday girl giving someone a dirty look

I'm 2!!!

Ethan on Poppa's tractor

Waiting for her party guests to arrive

How cute are they?

Nona, Ro Ro, Melanie and I took the kids down to the clubhouse to play on the playground there. On the way back, Melanie and I put all the kids in the back of my Mom's truck....evidently they were quite wild driving through the neighborhood - but then again, my Mom does exaggerate a little.....!

The cake

Nina attempting to blow out her candles. She blows up instead of out....so she never can get it. She had several helpers though!

Enjoying cake and ice cream!

Mommy and Daddy with the birthday girl

Melanie with her girlsSunday (Mother's Day), we drove to Chattanooga to spend the morning and afternoon with my grandparents. Here we are with Mema.

Nana and Papa with the kids

Ethan loves to climb on the side of their swing - except this time, he kept trying to use the top of the swing like his trapeze bar. "He's all boy"!

Nana made Nina a birthday cake and a chocolate pie. Ethan had 2 pieces of chocolate pie before we left - everyone loves Nana's chocolate pie!

I just had to throw this picture in here....Mark made these grilled sweet potato fries with cilantro tonight. They were super yummy!