Britt comes home

Britt spent a week in Texas this summer. I know that she had so much fun with everyone. She

was spoiled, I am sure! A week doesn't seem like it would be too long, but this was the longest week ever for me. I thought that I would get so much done, but was actually less productive. I did enjoy sleeping in more and napping with Ellie. Britten told me that next summer when she goes she wants to stay three weeks....one week with Pop Pop, one with Gammy and PapPaw, and one with Sherri and Papoo. I know she could do it......but KNOW I couldn't! Such a big girl. We were glad to have her back.

Forth of July

We had a great 4th of July this year. We missed Britt a lot....but knew that she was having fun in Texas with all her cousins. We loved Ellie's reaction to the fireworks. She really enjoyed them. I think that she was too young to be scared. We went to the celebration on base and also watched the fireworks show at the mall. I know that Britt enjoyed playing with all her cousins and doing fireworks with them!

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park

Pop Pop putting on Britts floaties
Britt ready to swim

The hardest floaties to blow up

Snacks!!

The swimming area

Britt and Pop Pop swimming

Pop Pop and his girls

hiking...sorta

Pop Pop and Ells Bells

Britts silly face

The Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is about ten minutes from our house. We had to take Pop Pop swimming and hiking here while he was visiting. It was hot....so the swimming part was good. The hiking didn't last too long with the girls. We had a lot of fun.

Chuck E Cheese's with Pop Pop

One of the places that PopPop took us to when he was in town was Chuck E Cheese. The girls really have a good time here. I do too....who can resist skee ball. Plus I get to relive my basketball days....haha. Anyway we had a good time here with PopPop. Ellie likes the little ride with Chuck and the Barney ride. Britten likes everything else....and the playground. She made friends with these two boys that day on the playground. They were really funny and kept us entertained. Pop Pop enjoyed being with the girls here and spoiling them. That's what grandparents do best right?

Mouse cookies

Our inspiration
Britten the baker

taste test

posing with mommy

Hard at work (isn't her apron adorable?)

So everyone knows the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". We love this book and the others like it (Cat a Cupcake, Moose a Muffin, Pig a Pancake, etc.). We found a neat cookbook that went along with the story that has recipes for cookies. Britten had the idea that we had to bake them all in one week. Me, loving to bake, thought that it sounded fun. So after many sticks of butter and eggs, we completed all 10 recipes. it was a lot of fun. (We didn't do them all in one day.)

Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party

NanaBelle...she does storytime every week. The girls LOVE her...See her BEAR feet? Ha
So happy

Listening to the songs

Dancing to the songs (My child)

Causing trouble

Britten participated in the Summer Reading Program at the library on base this summer. They read a lot of fun books and made some really neat crafts. The kickoff party was fun....the part I heard. Ellie decided to be all over the place. The man up front told some neat stories and sang songs....all about summer of coarse. We love story time.....you can find us there every week! Britten just finished reading the mouse and the motorcycle. Next up Ramona and Beezus. We love to read!

Happy Birthday Sophie

Brittens friend Sophie turned 4 and had her birthday party at the bowling alley yesterday. They had a lot of fun....I am not sure that they were to into the bowling itself, but they enjoyed running around and dancing. When we were on our way to the party, Britt asked if she had to wear those ugly shoes because they wouldnt match her outfit! Haha. Just like her Mom. We all had a good time....Happy 4th Sophie!!

Eat Pray Love

Today the movie starring Julia Roberts comes out called Eat Pray Love. I read this book and adored it. It is one of my new favorites. I can't wait to see the movie. Justin knows how much I like to read books before watching the movie and laughs when I see the movie because I get so upset when things aren't the same. Either way....I am super excited about this one. It is about a lady in her thirties (true story by the way) who went through a bad divorce, and a bad breakup shortly after. She decided that she is going to travel to three countries (Italy, India, and Indonesia) for a year to better herself and find out her true self again. I found myself laughing, crying, and not wanting the book to be over. It was such a good read. I went to the book club on base Wednesday because this book was the topic. It was a lot of fun to be able to get other people who have read this books views and what they got from it. I think what I learned from it was to take time to do the things that you love...and to not take yourself so seriously. I will let you all know how the movie is...YEA.

Ellie

These pictures are recent, but I HAD to post them because I love them so much. What a doll! It is hard to believe how big she is. She is so much fun and makes us so happy! She loves to make us all laugh. She is always doing something funny. She loves feeding Kyle...She likes reading, climbing, signing, and singing. She is such a happy baby!!

VBS 2010

Ellie and Britten posing on the saddle
Cowgirl Britt

Doing all the hand motions

The whole group

Teaching our class

Karen and I learning the songs

Saddle Ridge Ranch

Singing praises

She loved all the songs and learned the really fast

Singing

Britten getting her certificate with Payton and Bailey

Ellie getting her certificate from Dawn and Keith






Vacation Bible School this summer was so much fun. We had such a great time dressing up like cowgirls and cowboys all week. Surprisingly Justin has a lot of cowboy looking shirts. Who would have known?! Britten had been looking forward to this week for a long time and was so excited when it finally came. She was in a class with a lot of kids...I think that her age group had the most kids. She made a lot of neat crafts and learned a lot. Her favorite part was the songs and the motions that went with them. Trust me, these songs really get in your head and stay. We listened to them all week and were sick of them by the end. Ellie was the only one in the nursery, so she got spoiled. She enjoyed being there every night and liked all the attention. Justin and I taught the 5th and 6th graders. They were a lot of fun. We enjoyed getting to know them and teaching them more about God and how to accept him as their saviour. They taught us a lot too....It was such a great week.