Love Love Love

These Girls!

Yesterday after church, we went home took naps, and after we woke up we headed outside! It was so beautiful out! Becca and Raywho were still in Sunday clothes, but that did not stop Becca from running out in the sprinklers! Cute girl! So she is soaking wet in these pictures, but they were being so cute with Pumpkin that I just could not stop taking pictures. Yesterday was just one of those really good laid back summer days. After we laid the girls down to bed that night Nathan, Pumpkin, and I took a picnic blanket and laid outside on the grass until the sun went down! It was a good day:).

Becca

- Loves Blueberries, and will ask everyday for "bluesberries"
- Calls her self Angelina (from Angelina Ballerina) And talks about herself in the 3rd person lately.
- We usually wait to go anywhere for the day until the girls have had naps. So when Becca wants to speed up the process of getting out the door, she will go pretend to sleep in her room, come out a minute later and pretend to look sleepy, and says "mom I sleep well". :)

Rachel

- Will not eat blueberries, or anything healthy for that matter if she is being asked too! So the other day Nathan was eating some ice cream, and she was screaming for some! Nathan pretended to be scooping some ice cream into the spoon, and instead he filled the spoon full of blueberries! She took the bait, and walked around with a smirk on her face thinking she had gotten her way:).
- Has learned the art of the fake cry, and pout face! Ah I wish you could see this face does, it still makes me putty in her hands, and she knows it! Even if it is a fake cry:).
- We have learned that she gets car sick. We always knew she was a horrible car traveler and now we know why! The other day we went with Nana and Grandpa Lord up to Park City for the 24th of July. Rachel was sitting in the back back with no window, and so up came her whole lunch! Mac & Cheese everywhere! And apparently she had swallowed it whole because it had not even been chewed! YUCK! She was smiling, and one happy camper after she was all done:).

I would like to think I have come a long way..........

The other day I was down in our storage area when the girls were down for a nap, and I saw a box that holds all of my old journals.....hours later I was half sorry I started down that road! My heavens! I could not stop reading! I could not wait to find out what happened next in my life! It was like a real life soap opera! I was laughing out loud, and crying at times. I had butterflies in my stomach all over again reading about people I had forgotten about, that at one point I had HUGE crushes on! I experienced heart braking moments all over again......when at the time these moments seemed like the end of the world. I found myself wanting to go back in time and apologize to people. Most of the time I kept reading thinking about how big of a dork I was! Ah the things I would say or do?! It was interesting though to read about myself, and to remember the person I use to be or so I thought! I found that as I was reading I still had a lot of those same feelings inside of me. The same wants, the same desires, the same dorky ways of expressing myself. Becoming a mother has changed me in a lot of good ways, but I find that it has not buried the other person I was. Maybe in someways, but not many. As I approached the end of my journal reading I defiantly came to the conclusion that I have to set these on fire! If my daughters got hold of these they would defiantly have some leverage against me! I would like to think that If I was sent back in time, I would do better! That I would listen to my parents more! If I am being honest though I would probably do the same things I did all over again...... if I were put back in that setting.

Virginia Family Reunion!!!

I have so so much to tell about this trip! I will try to spare you too many details. It was so much fun! We flew into D.C. on Tuesday the 30th of June, and returned home the following Tuesday. We were so sad to leave, honestly we could have stayed another week, and been happy campers! I guess that thing called work, and reality had to get in the way :(. Anywho we (all of Nathans family) stayed at Kristen and Deans home in Gainesville about 40 minutes out of D.C. We got in REALLY late Tuesday night, but the girls did awesome:). However when we arrived to their house, Becca crashed on her bed, and Rachel was in hysterics and was totally wired because she had fallen asleep on the car ride over, and we had to wake her up to bring her in the house! YIKES! Eventually she fell asleep, and after that it was smooth sailing as far as sleep went for the rest of the trip. The next day Ken, and Angie with their 5 kids arrived, party time! YEA! We went to Museums, went through a really cool cave, did swimming, and an incredibly cool water park. We went to the battle field of Bull Run, which was so humbling. We had an incredible fireworks show thanks to Dean and Ken :).We had Grandpa Lord's birthday party! A lot of fabulous food, and the kids played played played! Becca and Rachel were in heaven with so many cool new toys, and cousins to hang out with from sun up to sun down. At night when the kiddos went to bed, we played lots of games, and had a lot of great laughs! Nathan had us wetting our pants just about every night! This was probably the best family reunion yet! Thanks again Kristen and Dean for hosting, we love you guys, and are missing you like crazy! I know I said it a million times, but I could not get over how green everything was it was beautiful, It was so GREEN:). Here are a lot of pictures for your viewing pleasure :).

All of the kids gravitate towards Nathan :)
Licking her fingers after lunch!
This was a cool train ride the kids (and Dean:) took after exploring the cave.
Becca with her cousin Hannah, these two had a lot of fun together.
Ray Ray in her "take up my whole arm floaties", with Chloe, these girls are so CUTE! I just want to take a bite out of those thighs:)
Kristen with Chloe
at the kiddy pool, pool of choice for Becca
I miss these kids, they were so fun to be around.
I love that grin!
Making 4th of July artwork!
waiting for the fireworks to start!
Becca was in heaven with these babies! After she got over the fact that they were not "scary".
This was at Bull Run, so cool to see!
Becca contemplating the meaning of life:) This was not a posed picture.
Raywho and I going down the water slide, by the look on her face I'm not sure she enjoyed it.
Kid size Lazy riverWatching all the kids go down the lazy river, wishing they could go down it too:).
The sun setting on our last fun filled day in Virginia...I feel like crying about now! I think we could live in that place:).