Some Family memory moments

Just a few random family summer time memories....

On a mission.....
Down by the dock...Bradley says, "momma, I really wish we could have a boat one day" We were watching a family getting ready to load up and go for a ride. I'm like..."That would be fun wouldn't it buddy?"

Auntie Colleen gave Bradley a gift card for his birthday that we sort of misplaced, (sorry colleen) but found it. It was of course buried in a pile on the "junk counter" Bradley got to pick something out the other day as a late birthday present. He was thrilled when he picked out a power ranger with a motorcycle and learned later that the motor cycle transformed as well. Thanks Auntie Colleen!!!!
Any evening at Chuck E Cheese. Alayna has no fear of the big furry creatures whatsoever.

This was really cool!

We all love air hockey
Barney is my favorite!

My beautiful girl
Watching the birdies
My handsome boy
The locks park
It was the best investment to buy one of those intex pools this year. We've had some great fun in it with just us, company and sharing it with friends.

As Alayna would say....girl time, girl time

Flying high, oh what fun!!!

Daddy and his baby girl

My little tomboy/fairytale princess

Alayna has really grown to love baseball hats. All on her own......she knows just where they are and will pull her little plastic chair over to the coat rack where I keep them hanging and comes out with it on backwards. I'm like how does she know to put it on backwards almost everytime she puts it on. Usually if it's not, it will end up that way after awhile. She looks like such a tuffy. I wondered how she had gotten it until I seen her in action. So she puts the hat on, but will still prance around on her tip toes like a princess and finds her beads to wear around her neck and still loves to get into mommy's lipgloss and high heel sandles. Last night she just had to take the hat to bed with her and about went into orbit when I tried to take it away so I thought, no harm in it so she slept with her hat. Another story......Go figure.....she's my little tomboy/fairytale princess.

Her latest "new trick" is she has learned how to open the fridge. I was dreading this day as did I when Bradley learned how to as well. Time to firm up on her. She knows where to get the goodstuff. It is kind of funny watching her wrestle it open, but a battle I need to face.

She is continuing to talk nonstop and blows us away everyday with her vocabulary. We just look at each other in amazement and say "just how does she know how to say that?" Her fits are minimizing which is a good thing. They are much less and more short lived. Her new thing when I ask her not to do something or to do something is "ok, mommy"....in her raspy little voice. That is quite shocking too as I still brace for the "NO, DON'T WANT TO MOMMY!" Which still comes out at times, but she is learning slow but sure how to obey. How much to expect from a 1 year old I'll never know, but I leap for joy when I see the progress. Her latest phrase is "guess what mommy?" Too funny....and then she jibber jabber a story I can half understand. Just like a girl though. If she is in trouble she'll get right in my face and say "HI MOMMY!!!! and start talking really fast as if to explain herself. Again, how does she know........

What a mess......

I love my hat!!!

Just hangin with brother

Blueberry Picking

Friday we headed out to Pungo once again, only this time for blueberry picking. I hadn't been in probably 10 years and thought the kids would enjoy it and they did. Alayna had fun playing peekaboo in the bushes or sitting contentedly right next to me picking and eating nonstop. At times she'd dump what Bradley and I had already picked...Oh boy, we quickly put a stop to that. With strawberries you can pick a bunch in a short amount of time, but with blueberries it takes alot longer and little tiny hands can't pick that fast. Bradley asked me a million times "momma, do we have enough for a pie yet?" I wanted much more than for just a pie so we picked until we just couldn't pick anymore. Bradley was still concerned about not having enough. We got enough for a pie, muffins, pancakes ( all very yummy !) froze some and ate all the rest within days. Even though it was the end of the season they had alot left so we may have to get more. Well the end result were two very dirty, sweaty, tired, but content kids. The bottoms of Alayna's feet were pure blue from stepping in the ones that were on the ground because she's like her momma and loves to be barefoot all the time.

One proud berry picker

Shhhh...don't tell anyone!

You can't see how dirty Alayna really is, but here are my tired sweaty kids....

My Funny sweet Girl....

Just a quick one for the books.....Bradley slept in extra late this morning and Alayna and I kept waiting for him to wake up. She kept saying "where Braddy mommy?" and I kept saying "He's still sleeping." When he came down she jumped on him and started rubbing his head and said "hi, braddy, oh wha a priyy (pretty) boy. It was so darn cute!!! Bradley quickly corrected her and said "no, I'm a handsome boy" I guess she's so used to hearing "oh what a pretty girl" that she just thought boys were pretty too. A little later she got on him again and got right in his face and said "Oh, wuvy wuvy Braddy" meaning...lovey lovey Bradley I think she felt a little lost without him for longer than normal this morning......Oh those moments.....love em!

Our Camping Trip at Bear Creek State Park

Here are a few pictures of our wonderful, family reconnection with no distractions and just pure quality time camping trip at Bear Creek State Park just us 4 (until next year that it). We always love camping with friends, but usually like to take at least 1 trip each year just us. We used to go to this campground before kids and it's the first time we've taken them here. It has a fresh water lake to swim in which is always the best and reminds us of back home. Alayna is quite the little camper girl. She fit right into the environment. I didn't get a picture of it, but one time she had the baseball hat on backwards, dirty face and sweaty little curls hanging out. It was quite the site. Her only issue was falling asleep in the tent which resulted in 20 minutes of screaming each night until she wore herself out until we could lay with her and she would be still and then fall asleep with one of us. But once she was out, she was out and both of them slept until 7:00-8:00 each day which was great! Of course there was fishing and hiking too. Alayna kept right up with out little hike, although we didn't push it and go very far, but loved the exploring none the less. Our favorite things were sitting around the campfire at night and relaxing by the lake during the day. It was so peaceful with all of the surroundings. It was a little on the warm side but nothing unbearable and are looking forward to going in the fall once the crisp cool weather sets in.

They had a fun little play set for the kids to play on

Impatiently waiting to go fishing
Just me and my dad (I love that book by Mercer Mayer)

"Momma, I'm gonna sling you!"
Our little boat ride in the old fashioned "johnny boat" We did get an electric motor though. Definitely no water skiing on the back of that thing.

Preparing to go
Alayna kept saying "want dis boat mommy, k"
Seeing if anything is biting
Playing with the fire is the best

One tired boy
One tired baby
Out on the peaceful lake
Trying to be quiet and wait for the fish....no bites though.
Here I come mommy

Turtle time
Bathing Beauty....she loved just hanging by the shore. It's less stressful for her than the beach....no waves to worry about.
Getting daddy time
Momma cookin breakfast

It's a a........

This is always my favorite view...the precious little profile. It just blows me away everytime.

Butt and leg shot.....I'm now thinking a peanut could be hiding somewhere.

This to me is the creepy view. Bradley says "oh momma, it looks like a skeleton"

.......well they couldn't be 100% sure because it is a bit early, but she was a tiny bit more sure it's a girl at this point than a boy. As I come into do some edits and look at the picture over and over I'm thinking to myself....hmmm I'm just not thinking one way or the other and truly I really don't care. I've got one of each. We had our first ultra sound yesterday and yes it's official "I am pregnant" HA! I say that with much humor and sarcasm because of course I knew I was pregnant, but it always seems more real once you see that precious little life inside you..... not to mention the slightest bit of movement that I have felt over the past week. It started the same way with the other 2. At first you're not sure and then you realize that's exactly what it is. For me it always starts out feeling like a little tapping feeling or little bitty poking sensation. This is where some of the fun part begins with pregnancy as the really yucky part has finally phased out as of 2 weeks ago Sunday when the nausia and drained feeling completely went away officially. Yes, I still get tired, but that's just flat part of motherhood right!? Praise the Lord we are now on the pregnant high emotionally, physically and mentally. You forget what it feels like to feel like yourself. Feeling icky becomes your normal so to speak and when you go back to your old self it's like.....ooooooh this is what it feels like to be me. HA!!

We are totally excited about this new little addition that will soon be a part of our family. We'll see how I transition into being a mommy of 3....as I think to myself....A GREAT BIG YIKES!!!! I'm sure I'll be knocking on the door or phoning all my other mommy friends of 3 asking "how in the world do you do it?" They will probably say..... "You just do it" HA!

Ok, so now I'm back finishing the up a few days later and I get hit with a dose of IBS which rears it's ugly head now and again and usually decides stays around for awhile.....although today is definitely better than yesterday. Just when I start to feel really good this comes along so to that I say a great big WHATEVER!!!!! GO AWAY!!!! It's still not as bad as the pregnancy symptoms to for that I am thankful. That's my theme lately.....just being thankful. There's always someone dealing with something alot more tragic than this and this too shall pass:)