July Fun

First, let me say "Happy Birthday Brent!" to the sweetest and most supportive husband and wonderful dad. We love you!!!

My Aunt Cathy sent me this over facebook "It's been too long since a post. I know it's hot, your fat, your busy, your tired but..... what about me?!?!?!"
Ha ha ha! Truer words have never been spoken!
Last weekend we went to Fayetteville for my cousin Britton and Holly's wedding weekend (congrats guys!!! Such a beautiful couple!!!!) We stayed Thursday night at the Double Tree and celebrated Brent's birthday with room service, swimming in the indoor pool and a yummy red velvet Razorback cake. Is it just me or do you guys like to stay in a hotel too???

Dang- Keri emailed me these 3 pics and they are uploading tiny. HUGE thank you to Keri and Jeff Boyd for keeping Miss Sydney for us Friday night while we went to the rehearsal dinner. She loved being in "Boyd Land" which is what I call their very fun house!

Here is a sneak peek at Miss Kate's room!!!!!!!!!

Somer Clark Day- you ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SO SO SO much for your talent and your friendship! She helped create exactly what I wanted for Kate's room.

This is the tree after day one- we have since added leaves and I am very happy with the way it turned out. Stay tuned for more pics...

D... D... Dora... D... D... Dora... Dora Dora Dora the Explorer...

We had tickets for Nick Jr. Live last week, which was Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, Dora and one other show we have never seen. Dora went last and during the first 3 Sydney kept saying "Where is Dora??" but we had fun and enjoyed the show. We actually went with several of our friends, including Emma and Elli, and I didn't get pics with all the dance girls and my work crew and their kids!

Karoline Carozza and MacKenzie

Dayle and Karoline

Sydney and I after the show with her Dora doll. One funny thing, right when Dora came on stage I looked over and Sydney was holding her Dora doll over her head to show Dora I guess-? Funny girl!!

This shirt is for you Aunt Cathy! I saw it at Walmart and KNEW Gran Jan would have loved it!
Little Miss Arkansas

4th of July heading to see fireworks at night on the lake

Sydney assisting Gigi and Grandaddy while making homemade ice cream- YUM!!!

Natalie from next door was so fun to play with all weekend

Brave girl jumping off the dock to Grandaddy

Uncle John came over one afternoon to play soccer with his biggest fan

And finally, John Austin and Corbin came over and played while they were in town. Whew- we still have more work on sharing toys. For some reason that morning, Sydney was really struggling with sharing but we loved getting to visit and John Austin really is the sweetest little man. Come back over soon and we'll share the Dora guitar AND microphone. Maybe :).

Summer Fun!

So, I have been waiting per my dentist's recommendation to take Miss Priss to the dentist until 3 1/2 because they feel like they are less afraid. Overall, she really did fine but there was a little drama! Basically the only way she would lay in the seat was if I was laying down holding her, and my 26+ week pregnant belly was in the way! She did get most of her teeth polished and let the Dr "count her teeth". No thanks on the floss though. They said everything looked good and to try and keep up the good work at home. Whew. 6 months til the next appointment and Daddy may take her :)

Last weekend my aunts and uncles from California and Wyoming were in central Arkansas for a cousins wedding and we got to see them for a dinner at the flying fish. Below are my 2 sweet aunts that I loved getting to catch up with.

Sydney and Uncle Bill

My dad and brother

The Eagle clan downtown

The OBU girls got together for lunch because Jennifer and her TINY baby bump were in town, and we got a take an amazing tour of Katie's new house. WOW. She has done some amazing things already! I will wait for pictures until the house is complete, but it is going to be so beautiful!!!

After lunch and a quick nap, Brent and I took Sydney to her first real movie in the theater!!!
Toy Story 3! We decided to go all out and saw it in IMAX/3D. Hum. Rookie mistake #1.
After spending $33 on tickets, we realized that 3D movies look a little blurry if you don't wear your glasses, and since her glasses were GIGANTIC she didn't keep them on well. Rookie mistake #2, we didn't at first grab her a child's seat to keep the big seat from closing up. Rookie mistake #3, save the snacks until the movie actually starts because she was a little bored 15 minutes in the movie, which leads me to one smart thing Brent did. He spent $16 on 2 drinks and a refillable popcorn bucket, and it was a good thing cause the whole thing dumped about 35 minutes in. Whew- Dad got fresh popcorn and that got us through most of the rest of the movie, with her climbing in and out of my lap and her chair. It was a very sweet movie (I teared up and I'll admit it!) and we were able to stay for the whole thing!

3 tickets to IMAX/3D movie= $33
Popcorn and 2 drinks= $16.50
Having your daughter say in the car afterwards "Next time, can we go see Dora?"= Priceless!

Let's see, Sunday afternoon was Emma's 6th birthday party at a skating rink! I was very nervous and picturing Sydney breaking at least one bone, but when we got there they had these GENIUS inventions!!!

Haha, it did sort of look like "seniors night out" with all these tiny walkers rolling around, but it really helped Sydney skate! She, of course, fell a couple of times, but laughed it off and loved skating with her Daddy!

My camera died before I got a picture of the Birthday Girl, but here is her little sister Elli showing her skating skills!

And this morning Ashley and I took the 3 girls to the pool to enjoy the break in heat and humidity (Thank you Lord!!!!)

Sydney was so brave and decided to slide and jump off the board for the first time! I was floating with a noodle in the deep end, but she kept telling me "Don't catch me Mom!" so I let her do all the swimming!

Sweet friends- Elli and Sydney- age 3

So that is most of what we have been doing. And every available minute I am working on Kate's room, or rather trying to attack what Brent has named "Lauren's Room of Shame". It is our extra bedroom upstairs, that for the last 5 years has been my sewing, scrapbook, extra clothing closet, storage for yearbooks, photo albums, and OK I will admit it, everything else I didn't know where to put. After 1 huge load donated to Arc of Arkansas, 1 huge load of trash, and literally re-organizing 4 closets in the rest of the house, I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My Mom commented that the carpet looks brand new in there! I will admit, it has been awesome to have a "Room of Shame" in the house, but it was like a black hole that sucked stuff in and never looked organized in any way. In my dream house, I will defiantly have another one, and Brent agreed as long as he can have a "Man Cave" too :).
Have a blessed Fourth of July weekend y'all!!!!!