Avery's Softball Swim Party

This past Friday was Avery's Softball team's pool party. The girls had so much fun and Oakley enjoyed himself as well. Avery LOVES softball and keeps asking when she gets to play again. She wants Daddy to pitch the ball to her so she can practice hitting it all the time. Now...not that we would ever force any sport onto our children...but Jason played baseball and I played softball and we would just LOVE for her to stick with softball...and be awesome...and be MVP..and make the front page of the sports section all the time...and get a full ride to college! Okay, seriously though, if she does keep liking it as much as she does right now that would be nice, but if not that is okay too. :) Now for the most important part...pool party pictures!

This is Oaks saying "Peace!" He still holds up all five fingers instead of two...it is so funny!

Swimming Lessons

The past two weeks we have spent every evening at the pool for Avery's swimming lessons. This is her second year taking lessons and she is so close to being able to swim. If she had more time to practice there is no doubt that she would be swimming like a pro. She actually can swim underwater, it's just the doggy paddle that still needs a little work. She can do it for a a min. or so but then she starts to sink. He favorite thing to do is jump off the diving board and go down the slide! Needless to say, I think we need a pool...hint, hint Jason! :)

You would think in July it would be HOT, but we have had several days where it was just to cool to be in a pool. Poor Avery would shiver the whole time. I am pretty sure her lips are almost purple in this picture!

The Link family

I had the pleasure of taking the Link family pictures the other day. Lisa takes awsome pictures herself, but of course she wanted to be in these so I snapped a few for her. {Lisa - you know that I will be hitting you up this fall to return the favor!} They are such a beautiful family and their kids are so adorable! Jason and I would be lost without friends like them!

Cousins

Every year for Jason's mom I take pictures of all the grandkids. This is not always an easy task, but it does seem to get easier every year. My kiddo's are the youngest and the toughest to pose, but this year Avery was a perfect model...now her little brother, on the other hand, is a whole other story!

I don't know what we would do without Jason's niece and nephew's! They adore our kids and are always willing to play with them. They are quite a bit older than Avery and Oakley, but they are so good with them and always willing to include them.

Here are a few of my favoite pictures from our photo shoot.

Taken it Easy

This is how I found my two adorable children at the end of a long day. Curled up on the couch together, watching TV, drinks in hand and cheez-it's right in the middle. Aren't they too cute? I love how they will craw up right next to each other and relax. I hope this is a sign of how close they will always be.

As for what they are up to these days...

Avery is keeping us so busy this summer. Softball just ended, swimming lessons starts on Monday and after that it is back to gymnastics. She is getting so big and is constantly learning something new. It never ceases to amaze me how quick she can pick up on things.

Oakley is talking like crazy and repeating everything anyone says! His favorite word right now is "mine." He has also been talking in sentences and is getting to the point where you can actually have a conversation with him. Especially if it has to do with Papaw and Dada's tractors or four wheelers. I can't believe he is going to be 2 next month! My babies are not babies anymore!

The Wizard of Oz

Sunday, Lisa and I took Avery, Easton, and Allie to see the play, Wizard of Oz. This is Avery's favorite movie of all time. She would watch it everyday if we let her. The play was wonderful and the kiddo's LOVED it. A good friend of ours was also in the play and they thought it was so neat to see Leslie all dressed up. On the way home Avery asked if she could be in a play like that someday. I told her "of course" and then she said that she would be Dorothy because that is her favorite movie and she would be a really good Dorothy. Then she asked how old she had to be...I told her 11...sadly that was very disappointing to her. "That is too long away Mommy." If only she really knew how fast time flys.

Our friend Leslie as a flying monkey!

The Science Center

On Saturday I took Avery to the Science Center. Jason's niece, Kaitlynne and my sister, Katie also joined us. First we went to the IMAX and saw Animalopis. Avery LOVED it! When it first came on the only thing she could say was "WOW." Then we spent the afternoon playing with all the cool stuff they have. Avery loved playing in the water, driving us around in the bus, flying the airplane, and making music. It was such a fun day! I can't wait to go back and take Oakley too. I think he would really like it as well. The rest of the afternoon us girls did what we do best...shopped!

Making a bubble around herself.

Playing in the water.

One of the many tunnels.

Doctor Avery

Blowing Bubbles!

In the cave.

The Johnson Family

Last week I had the pleasure of taking our good friends, The Johnson's, family pictures. They are such a beautiful family and have such a cute little boy! Here are a few of my favorite. Enjoy!

My Friend Gino!

The other day I took my good friend Gino's family pictures. I will post some of those later on, but this is all about what happen after we finished. We took them at my Mom and Dad's farm and if you know my parents you know that they NEVER throw anything away. I am not joking...I promise...ask anyone who has ever been to their house. So that being said, of course, they still have our old trampoline. And in fact it is still intact and my kids love to play on it. So of course once the pictures were done, Gino's little boy just had to get on the trampoline. However, he wanted his momma to jump to. {I secretly think that Gino was dieing for him to ask her.} Next thing you know they are both up there jumping away.

Then low and behold she has Brody get off and this is what happen next...

And this...

And this...

Can you believe that girl can still bend like that! I was in total awe. Then she told me I could still do that too, "I just need to try." No thank you...I knew that my muscles would not be happy with me if I had them bending in all sorts of directions. It wasn't long ago that I did a cartwheel for Avery and I am pretty sure that I pulled every muscle in my body and then I ached for about a week. No way...not me...I did my last flip on the trampoline when I was a teenager!

Needless to say she did call me the next morning and said she was having a hard time getting around! Regardless, I am still VERY impressed!

4th of July Weekend

What a FUN weekend! Don't you just love long holiday weekends?! On Friday Jason and I got together with a bunch of our friends and kayaked/canoed a 6 hour trip down the river. It was so much fun and I wish I had more pictures to share but, until I get a water proof camera these will have to do.

This is right before we left to meet everyone else. I think there was about 18 of us that went. It was such a good time!


Friday evening was Bible School Family Night at church. The kids sang and danced to several songs they learned, they received a certificate for participating in Bible School, they showed off all of the crafts they did through out the week and then we ate! Avery had so much fun at Bible school this year and hated for it to end. She asked when she gets to go back and I told her next year. Her response was, "Oh man, next year is really far away!"



Catch a ride on the Boomerang Express!


Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the parade for White Mills Days. We were also meeting some old friends that we don't get to see that often. It was so nice to spend some time with Maria, Clay and their handsome little man, Cohen and Becka and her little cutie, Lanee. It was the first time we met Cohen and the first time I had seen Maria and Clay since their wedding shower 4 year's ago. It was so great to see them!

Oaks amazed by the parade!


Cohen checking out the parade after getting his belly full!


Having fun at White Mills Days!


The girls and our babies...minus Avery...she had already talked her Daddy into taking her to the playground. (Please excuse my very bad hair day...one day it will be long again...I hope...sooner than later!)


Maria, Clay and Cohen. It was so good to see you guys! Hope you get to move closer to home soon!

The 4th is also Jason's dads birthday so every year his mom has a cookout to celebrate. This year we had a special treat...the kids put on a concert for us! They had Papaw pull the wagon out and made sure that we brought our karaoke machine with all the microphones. It did start to rain, but it did not stop the show! We backed the wagon into the barn and they sang their little hearts out. The crowd favorite was "Going Through Hell" by Rodney Atkins. Of course the last song of the night was a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday to Papaw."

Kyle, Avery and Chandler


Of course Oaks had to get in on the action!


It didn't take long for Oaks to have enough and was ready for bed, but since his bed is no where around cousin Kyle's shoulder will do just fine. Poor Kyle...Oakley is just about as big as he is! :)


Sunday we spent the afternoon over at cousin Levi's birthday party. The kids had tons of fun seeing all the animals, having a water fight and busting the pinata. Wish I has some pics to share, but after taking tons all weekend I didn't even get my camera out. Then we headed to Gran and Papa's to say goodbye before they left for their 3 week vacation in Malaysia.

Whew...I am wore out...I think I need a weekend of rest after a busy holiday weekend!