Happy Birthday Poppy!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPPY!!!!!

He'll walk to the ends of the earth, or climb the highest mountain for his family 

(especially two little blonde-headed boys!) 

We LOVE YOU Poppy!!!!!

We can't wait to celebrate with you in a few days!

xoxo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIMI!!!!!!

It's okay, you can do a double-take. . .yes, that is indeed BRYCE, and not Tanner.  (Circa 2007)

Happy birthday to the best Mimi EVER!!!!!

We love you!!!!

xoxo

One more trip to Fort Myers!

Since we didn't get to see Mimi when we were in North Carolina, and since it was almost Tanner's birthday, we decided to make one last trip to Fort Myers, before school started! We celebrated T's birthday, played in the pool, and went to the bookstore. . .some of our favorite Fort Myers things! Annie Grannie ended up staying in the hospital for a few days while we were there, so we didn't see Mimi quite as much as we had anticipated, but we made the best of it, and the boys were happy as long as they could play in the pool! (And although she may not admit it, Mimi jumped in the pool with the boys one night. . . in her clothes!!!!)

Opening some gifts. . . .first up - the Rescue Bots police station!!!!!

Tanner and Chica, a character from our favorite TV channel for kids, Sprout. Now Tanner can "Squeaka with Chica seven days of the week-a!" just like the commercial says! :)

Tanner surprised me by choosing carrot cake for his birthday cake! He likes carrot cake, but I think what wins him over every time is the frosting carrots on top! (Seriously, have you ever had a carrot cake that DIDN'T have frosting carrots on the top!!!?? :) Carrots are great, but FROSTING carrots are even better!!!!!

North Carolina

After all our stops along the way, we finally got to the cabin! This was the longest we had ever spent there at one time, and it was DIVINE! We had so much fun, and lots of time to relax. The boys were a sandy, muddy, wet mess almost the whole week. (Oh wait, actually ALL of us were a muddy wet mess most of the week!) 

It was bittersweet to be there without Mimi, but we sent her lots of pictures during the week, and tried to pretend that she was there.  I kept joking that we needed Mimi there, to help with the DISHES! :) I know she gladly would have done dishes the whole time, to be able to be there, but it's important for her to be at home with Annie Grannie, and we love her near or far!!! And we got in an extra trip to Fort Myers over the summer, so we got to see her a few times down there! 

Okay, so some of our adventures:

We picked about a gallon of wild blackberries. We were covered in scrapes and scratches from the thorns, but we couldn't help ourselves! 

We did a lot of work in the creek. The new "Swimmin' Hole" that Eric made his mission, turned out great, and he built up the sides to get the water pretty deep in one little area. The boys sailed boats down the creek, and they really would have been happy spending all day EVERY day in the creek. 

We went to the waterfalls at Deep Creek, (because we just hadn't had enough creek stomping.) We stopped and had the best burgers and ice cream afterwards, at a little creekside snack shop. (Seriously - everything tastes better, creekside!) The weather was AMAZING all week. Bryce actually complained every morning that I didn't bring him jeans, because it was CHILLY in the mornings!!!

We fed the horses - except for Bryce. Ever since that mule tried to eat his hair last Christmas, he and the horses are NOT friends. :)

The boys had fun in their clubhouse outside, and Bryce added treasures to his museum shelves.

We played at the playground one morning, although it was a little rainy and wet, (and therefore a muddy mess) but it was worth it!

These pictures are completely out of order. . . .deal with it! :)

The begining of berry picking.

Riding behind Poppy's tractor.

Hammock over the creek!

At the plaground. . .

Somewhere we have an identical picture of Bryce on this rock, at Deep Creek.  :)

Bryce found this awesome vine hanging from one of the trees on the mountainside at Deep Creek. He considered a Tarzan move. 

Ice cream and burgers, at a Deep Creek snack shop!

Seriously - LOTS of blackberries. This was the FIRST of two batches!

This is the harbor that Bryce built in the creek. . .we called it Bryce's Happy Harbor. :)

In front of the Jarrett House after lunch

S'mores! We didn't get too much bonfire time this trip, because there had been a lot of rain before we got there, and things were pretty damp, but we managed one decent bonfire!

(at the creekside snack shop)

Tanner was happy to feed the horses, even if Bryce wouldn't!

At the plaground! 

With his pal, the mule. (The one that ate Bryce's straw - I mean hair - last visit!)

It was pretty rough to head home after a nice long relaxing trip! 

Is it next summer yet???? :)

Strike of the sickies (with 4th of July in between)

Right after our trip to Fort Myers, Bryce got sick. And sicker. And sicker. And I think we were probably about 12 hours away from a hospital stay, when finally he started improving.  He didn't eat for 4 days, and lost 6 pounds. He was MISERABLE. I don't think I've ever seen him so sick.  This picture was day 1, when things really weren't too bad.  He watched about 8 hours of tv on the ipad that day, tucked in his bed.  The next few days were filled with every symptom you can imagine, and three hour naps - WHAT!? 3 hour NAPS!? Bryce!!!???? It was pretty sad around here!

Thankfully B was better just in time for 4th of July at the condo.  Here are three of the boys, watching. . .oh look, tv on the ipad again.  ;)

 We stayed overnight and enjoyed the sunrise!

Me and goggle boy, ready for the beach!

 The cousin entourage in the big hole they dug.

Fireworks! Would you believe Tanner fell asleep DURING the fireworks!? Seriously. He was exhausted!

And then, low and behold a few days later, TANNER was down for the count.  Thankfully not as sick as B, but still pretty pathetic for a few days!

 Sick sleepy boy.

Just a few more random pictures. . . .

Tanner has started drawing people hugging each other.  Yes, that blue stuff is the arms hugging.

LOVE it.  

Scary summer-in-Florida weather? Um yes.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Happy Father's Day to some of the best dad's ever!!! We are so blessed to have dads and grandfathers that have each enriched our lives and made us who we are today! Bryce and Tanner have so many fabulous, fun, wise, and wonderful role models!!! We love you dads, and grandpas!!!!! xoxo

{Uncle David}

{David}
He made us laugh. 

He could talk to anyone. 

He was a wealth of miscellaneous  knowledge.  

He loved us.

We love him despite the choices he made.

It is a shock, but not a surprise that we've lost him. 

He is a part of our family, and without him, our family will not be the same. 

{May 8, 2013}

{happy easter!!!!}

(SCROLL DOWN!  I added more Easter pictures to this post!!!)

Bryce informed me, that this is his "International Super Spy" face.

We managed to squeeze the boys into their suits from Steve's wedding, one more time.  At least, when Tanner turns 6 or 7, he'll be able to wear Bryce's suit.  And then we'll all say, "I remember when Bryce wore that suit!" and by then Bryce will be . . .well, gigantically old and big. (But I digress . . . .)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Here are some of our Easter festivities. . .

first up, the Easter egg hunt and activities at church.  We had lunch, cotton candy, and the boys played games, hunted for eggs, and went in the bouncy houses.

Next up. . .decorating Easter eggs, and then opening Easter baskets!

(I don't know why B looks so concerned about his chocolate egg! He loves them, and he was excited about them! You just can't tell!)

and finally, one more egg hunt at the condo . . .

(sneaking jelly beans)

"I think I need more hands, Mommy!"

Whit and Bryce checking out their loot!