Fireworks

One of the pretty fireworks that R liked so much.

I'm not sure about the goofy look on PaPa's face, but baby R kept reaching for the fireworks in the sky!

Two sweaty girls enjoying the fireworks!

R with MiMi, trying to figure out those things in the sky...

It's not the 4th of July without fireworks! It was a definite change of pace for us this year. The last two years we have gone to huge displays in Georgia, but this year it was a small town display in Altus, AR. We didn't want to drive to the big display in Little Rock because we weren't sure what little R was going to think of them anyway. Turns out he quite enjoyed them!! He kept reaching up trying to get them...it was really cute! I was worried about him being scared, but he wasn't at all! It was unbearably hot and humid that evening... you can tell by looking at the girls' hair in the pictures...A's was a bunch of sweaty spirals and T's was soaked and stuck to her head!! Overall it was a successful night with all the kids having a good time.

A funny afterthought

I was looking through the pageant pictures again, and saw this one. Do I need to even point out how much taller A is than all the other little girls in her age group???? Now you understand why A is always saying that she is "freakishly tall"!

A's 2nd pageant...different results...

Looking pretty, waiting for her group to start.

Doing a wonderful job on stage!!

Receiving her "participation prizes"

T even got into the patriotic spirit and wore red, white and blue. I couldn't convince her to do the pageant, though. She said NO WAY!!

A was in the Little Miss Firecracker pageant on the 4th of July. She was very excited and looked great in her patriotic outfit! She even endured me working on her hair for over 30 minutes!! She did great once again...was very confident and beautiful and we were very proud of her. She didn't win this time...actually she didn't even make the top three. I have no idea why...she did a great job!! She was very disappointed at first (it didn't help that baby R had already won his age division). Her pageant career may well be over now that she has realized it just isn't nearly as much fun when you don't win!!

Baby Mr. Firecracker!!!

"I'm way too cool for this!"

"Why is everyone staring at me?"

You can see how thrilled he was to be "crowned"!

After his performance, he needed a long, cool drink of water!

For little R's first 4th of July we decided to let him give the pageant circuit a try. A was going to be in a Little Miss Firecracker pageant, and they had an age group for R, so we entered him in it. He looked absolutely adorable in my opinion, but he sure didn't put on much of a show. The other babies were waving and smiling, but he chose to just stare out into the crowd with his angry eyebrows on most of the time. But the judges saw through his "tough guy" act, and he was crowned "Baby Mr. Firecracker"!! We were so excited for him! He now has a very manly crown and trophy to put on his bookshelf in his room!

Branson fun...

R with MiMi at Splash Country

T enjoying the water slide

R's first carousel ride...you can see him in the back...the mom and daughter in front of him couldn't take their eyes off of him!

A in the biggest rocking chair ever at Celebration City!

R agrees...Branson IS fun!!

Every summer my parents take the girls to Branson for a few days of fun. This year baby R and I met them up there to introduce him to the fun of Branson. The girls enjoyed showing him all their favorite places, and he had a good time everywhere we went. He wasn't too sure about the swimming at the waterpark...he hasn't quite figured out why the girls think it is soooo much fun! But he tolerated it, and even managed to get MiMi in the kiddy pool...without her swimsuit!!!

Back to the world of blogging!!!

I know it has been forever since I last posted anything, but it isn't because there has been nothing going on! I just downloaded over 500 pictures from my camera! June and July have been a whirlwind of activity, and we haven't had a moment to stop and catch everyone up. Be on the lookout...in the coming days I will add pics of all that has been going on in our crazy life!

More pics from the trip...

TJ & Kendal enjoying little R

Bonding with Uncle Jaimie

More fun times with Uncle Toby!

Hanging out with Auntie Robyn! (Can you tell R hasn't slept in 2 days?)

And we even got Uncle Dustin to hold little R (unwillingly)...

Visit to Oklahoma

Uncle Toby was pretty crazy about R...and the feeling was mutual!

All the boys...

All the girls...(the girls are outnumbered now)

R CANNOT figure out what in the world is on Grandpa's lip!

Happy family!!!

The kids and I made a quick trip to Oklahoma last week. It was great to see R's family, but it sure did make us miss him even more!! We had a great visit, even though it was a short one. It was the first time some of the family had met little R, so that was exciting! We bravely ventured to the portrait studio to get a picture of all 7 of the grandkids together and it turned out great! Little R and I came back thoroughly exhausted because he didn't feel the need to sleep the whole time we were there...but all in all it was a great trip, and we can't wait to see everyone again next month!

A New Kind of Haircut...

BEFORE the haircut...

R is wondering what in the world this lady is doing to his head!

At this point, he decided to use the "angry eyebrows"

Now he is has just decided to give in and endure it...

AFTER...he sure is happy to be out of that chair, but he won't take his eyes off of it!!

Little R has been needing a haircut for quite a while now, but R has always been the one to take him to get one, so I was reluctant to take him. It finally got so bad that I had to give in and do it...I knew it couldn't wait until R came home for a visit! This was little R's first haircut using clippers, and he was not at all sure what to think of it!! MiMi was there, and little R kept us laughing the whole time with the funny faces he was making! He was quite the cooperative little boy as always, and he sat through it very well until the very end when he let the lady know that he had had enough! It always makes me a little sad when we get his hair cut because it makes him look less like a baby and more like a big boy!

Smart Kids

T with her "All A's" award

A with her "Homework" award

A with her "All A's" award

We were worried that moving the girls a couple of months before school was out would effect their grades in a bad way, but both girls have done GREAT in their new schools! They both received end of year awards...T for All A's...and A for doing all of her homework and for proficient report cards (which is the kindergarten equivalent to all A's). I didn't catch T onstage receiving hers...little R grabbed the camera just as I was taking the picture, but I did get one of her right after the ceremony with her award.