Summer

Revised with even MORE pictures!
Summer is just galloping away from us!

Kolby leaves for church camp tomorrow. We have much to do to get her ready! Rhett has
his third coach pitch game tonight. I missed the first two and can't wait to get to see him play! From what I hear he has been doing really well. Ella Kate is learning several new words a week and keeping us in stitches, as always. She keeps getting hurt though!

Her latest boo-boo was all my fault. She was sitting in my lap Sunday morning as we rushed to get ready for church. I picked up the curling iron as EK turned her face and the two collided! We both cried. In the end I was still very upset with tears streaming down my cheeks and EK was telling me "It's OK Mommy!" I still get sad when I see her little burned face. I pray she won't have a scar! I feel like the worst Mommy ever some days!

You can see her burn in this failed video attempt to capture Ek singing "Happy Birthday"

You can't even see the burn from this angle!

Despite the burn, we have had some a fun days. First it's been fun because JIM is here! Jim is Sari's favorite guy and he is pretty popular in my house too! He came last week for Sari's b-day and has been here for 6 days. My kids loved having Jim just across the street! We are all a little sad to see him go back to Atlanta today. Something tells me we will see him again very soon though. :)

Rhett loves hanging around Jim! Wonder why?

Lately we have also been able to see/meet some friends coming and going from various Texas vacation spots. We live about three turns off of I-35 mid-way between DFW and Austin. Therefore, we are the perfect "pit-stop" for cross Texas travelers. We have been blessed by many little pit stop visits over the years.

Yesterday one of my favorite friends from high school (who was also my date to my Sr. Prom) stopped by with his family. Over the years I have kept up with Bill's family through birth announcements and Christmas cards. However, in the last few years Bill and Rob actually crossed paths through L-3. (What are the odds?) My family got to eat dinner with Bill when he was in town last year to pick up a plane. Yesterday we were so glad to finally meet Bill's entire family face to face and we enjoyed a good visit. Images added with permission and a small licensing fee! :)

The girls put on "a show" for us while the boys bonded playing Wii.

Bill and Melinda with the kids. Bill and yours truly 20 years ago. ((GULP)) My, that was some big hair!
So how many of you got to have lunch with your family, your Prom date, and his family yesterday? :) I am continually amazed at how God blesses my life with friendships formed "back in the day." God is just so good like that!

Speaking of friends from back in the day... My friend Kristi is blogging now. Or at least she has a blog. (Send me that link Kristi!) I LOVE it when my friends start blogging! They are so much easier to keep up with!!! If you have a blog and you stop by this blog often, please leave me you address in comments if you are not in my blog roll. I love to read up on those who read up on me!:) (PS I updated my links lists and am afraid I lost some blogs I frequent. If you see one missing let me know!)


Today before Mother's Day Out!

Lastly, it's almost the 4th of July! I always love 4th of July celebrations! I love celebrating America with family, fireworks, swimming and cooking out! Of course now we also have a big celebration on the 5th of July... Ella Kate's Big 2 year old Birthday! WOO HOO! Because Kolby will be at camp on the 4th & 5th, we are going to have EK's official party on Monday the 7th. However, I'm sure we will celebrate on her real birthday too. It's just one big week of celebrations around here!

OH, and just in case you are keeping up with the progress of my many re-decoration projects... I finished the entertainment cabinet and am almost finished the book cases. I just have to paint all the doors, add pulls, add a light to the center console, and fill'er up! I am loving all my new storage space! In case you missed the blow by blow process, here is a recap...

This is how it started.

I separated it into two pieces and attached a new plain cabinet to the book shelves because they could not stand alone. Then I changed out and added molding to make all the pieces go together, built and added doors to the bookcases and painted everything white to match the trim in our house. I wanted to give these pieces a clean, more "built in" feel.


We still need to get the new couch, rugs, drapes, and fine tune the accessories in the living room.... BUT, we finally have it in a presentable, livable state! Yeah!

I still plan to start on Rhett's room ASAP. (BTW Anyone know where to buy team pennants?) However, I'm not sure my redecorating will mix well with all our celebrating. I think we are ready for a short redecorating break. We'll see.

Hope you are all having a great week and that you all have a fun, safe and happy Fourth of July!