Alice, the birthday girl

Alice turned THREE on Thursday! We had a party Sunday with friends from church, Mimi, and the Ely girls. The tire swing, wagon, chalk and bubbles proved to be a lot of fun. It was good of God to hold the rain back that afternoon to enjoy the yard, pink cupcakes and chocolate ones too. 

At her 3-year check up Alice grew about 3 inches and gained 6 pounds since age 2. The doctor said that with a will and intelligence like hers to not worry about potty training because as soon as she's ready she will decide and do it effectively. Hope it's soon!! Alice loves books, songs, playing outside, Sunday School, friends, baking with Mama, baby dolls, dressing up, meal time and snacks, Super Why tv show and avoiding bedtime by reading with any light available :). We love our blond curly-headed girl!

The Ely girls visit

 My sister, Mary Beth, and her three girls drove here with my mom from Augusta, GA to visit this week. We were thrilled to meet baby Anna, have them see our house, play together and celebrate Alice's birthday. Mimi and Mary Beth were troopers to spend so many hours in a car with the little ladies! By the time they left today the kids were 4, 3, 2, 1 years old and 5 months old.

early summer yard pictures

hydrangea & lavender bushes

yellow daisy bush, purple flowering shrubs, dogwood & others we don't recognize

carrots, lettuce, sugar snaps, tomatoes

Billy & Bella Blueberry bushes

sprouting sunflowers, lilac in background

Father's Day 2013

herding cats on Father's Day

 The real fun of Father's Day at our house isn't a formal picture in the front yard (note picture above), it's playing in the back yard with each of us there, doing the things we love. Mark hit golf balls, Sawyer threw balls, Alice swung, I took it all in. Mark's a father who knows and loves his children. They love him too and it shows every time they see him when they wake up, he gets home from work, during Lego time in the playroom and any other time they're together. It's been a fun journey to see him progress from the extreme hesitation in holding his niece to being exceeding capable and caring towards Alice and Sawyer. 

Alice Photo Book, age two

Alice's 3rd birthday is just weeks away. Her age two photo book looks back at all the fun:

Click here to view this photo book larger

Coming and Going

Dr. Mac Macdonald's newest book releases this summer and today was a book signing at church. Please, check his book out on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble: A Pediatrician's Blueprint, Raising Happy, Healthy, Moral, and Successful Children

We love Mac and Bobbie and so enjoyed being a part of their family in their house the last months of 2012.

The Holmes family love of car washing continues:

Our friends the Krieses moved away today and each of us will miss them in different ways. It's a great feeling to be loved just as you are by an entire family.

Savage Fest Saturday

Alice, Sawyer and I joined some neighbor friends for Savage Fest. My kids have little fear and approached the petting zoo with gusto. Alice loved the bouncy castle, slide and had a little hesitation on her first pony ride with "Brownie". We came home hot and tired!