My Super Sweet Family

I have to let everyone know what a super, great family I have, especially my husband! Friday was my 36th birthday and I thought I was just having a nice birthday lunch with my Mom and Dad Friday afternoon and then a nice birthday dinner with my husband Saturday night. Well, MUCH to my surprise we had weekend house guests! Julie, Matt and Mackenzie drove after work Friday all the way to Greenville to help me celebrate. All planned by my sneaky husband!

While Friday night, I thought Dustin was just being super sweet by offering to get me whatever I needed, he was really just trying to keep me out of the kitchen so I wouldn't see all of the food in the refrigerator. He planned (and prepared) a really awesome dinner for all of my family. It was very special because there is nothing I love more, or could want, then for all of my family to be together.

Babysitters were already planned for Saturday night and our celebration continued with all of us going to a fun new restaurant.

It was a really, really great weekend and a birthday I will never forget. Thank you Julie and Matt for making the effort to drive all the way here. Thank you Mom and Dad for being a part of the weekend (and having me, of course). And Thank you Dustin for being my sweet, thoughtful husband. I love you all very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Pics to probably be included on Julie's blog since I was too surprised to think about my camera. :))

Our Squirrel

Re-Decorating

Nobody told me that children are born with natural interior decorator tendencies. Since Sophie has been born, she has decided that my coffee table works better in another room so she has more room to dance, that corners of rooms look much better with baskets of toys or books, that my once nicely furnished office really looks much better with a rug of interlocking puzzle pieces and that apple juice stains on the floor are always in fashion. Now apparently she has decided to teach me that there is another meaning to "window treatments." Ahhh....such small prices to pay for such a sweet face. Thankfully, Big Bird never goes out of style. :)

Our Mackenzie Time

After much begging, Mom and I convinced Matt to bring Mackenzie to us for the weekend while Julie had a girls' weekend nearby. Here are a few pics so that Julie knows that we didn't keep Mackenzie in the closet. Note the ever present post-activity snack pic. No event would be complete without a Sophie and Mackenzie snack shot.

FINALLY...Beach Pics!

A Helpful Hint for Play Dates

Yesterday, Sophie and I hosted a play date/pool party complete with a "big pool," "alligator pool," Nemo sprinkler, 7 moms, 8 little boys, 4 little girls, and one baby. (Crazy, I know) With every play date, of course, are snacks for the kids and when you are outside, it's hard to keep the pesky flies away. I read about a helpful little trick that I decided to try out and it actually worked! Quarter a lemon and stick some cloves into the cut sides. Set out the lemons on your table to keep the flies away. Apparently, the flies don't like the citrus scent or the musky smell of the cloves. I had a garbage bag a few feet away and there were flies all over it, but not a single one on the table with things like goldfish and watermelon. I was really amazed that this worked so well, so I thought I would share.

PS. For the Grandmas (and special aunties) who could probably care less about my helpful hints and only want, as always, more pics of Sophie.....I will try to have some more soon. :)

Still Cute

Just because I don't post all the time, doesn't mean she isn't still cute! :)


Sophie and I had our first Mommy/Daughter lunch today. I know that seems weird but there has always been someone else with us when we have lunch out. Today is rainy, so we went to Barnes & Nobles, picked out some books, then had lunch at Mimi's Cafe like big girls. We had a lot of fun (which means Mommy's stress level was low the whole time) and only experienced one "outside voice" scream at the table. :)