Washin' Dishes at Gramma's...

Oh the Joys of Washing Dishes

Enjoy it

For it won't last for very long...

Maybe it's the great time they have at Gramma's house. Now, everytime Ady comes over, she thinks she needs to do my dishes... And maybe she does!!!

It took 5 towels just for the floor.

They think they are just playing in the water.

But this is how they learn.

Of course I bet Matthew had a few really great diapers after the dishsoap got done with him...

Dishsoap cleans...inside and out. Just about anything it touches!!!

Matthew can wash dishes anytime he wants...

Can you believe he even cried when they were done!!!

Well maybe they weren't done,

but Gramma was (hehe)!!!

Ady is such a good sister..."It's otay Mafu".

Trip to the Zoo with Tanner

HAVE A LOOK!!!

Tanner invited me to go to the zoo with him on his last week off track from school. We really had a great time and it didn't cost us more than just the Kettle Corn we bought for Poppie. Thanks for sharing your season pass to the zoo with me Tanner and Holly.

He was in such a hurry to get to all the fun things. Holly and I were able to get him to stop long enough to take a few pictures...

He was a very good guide, and was able to tell me about the animals and add interesting facts.

He tried to get me wet with the large stone elephant who blows water out of his trunk... (thank Holly for the warning!!)

I got tired of walking, but got great photos of the giraffes.

The zebras were playing and kicking and biting... the dust was horrid,

but it was a real treat to see them doing something more than just standing around.

You can hear Tanner and I in the background commentating. We had the help of a little 2 year old boy visiting the zoo with his daddy. He was a joy to share the table with.

The white alligator is leaving on Halloween. If you haven't had a chance to go see it, now would be a great time. The zoo was cool and smelled good at 9 a.m. The train starts moving around 10 and by then it's hot and time to go back to work... (hurrah for air conditioners)

Yes, this is a real white alligator... It even moved while we were in the Bayou (the old butterfly house)... with hanging moss and a humid feeling.

One of Tanner's favorite place is the reptile house. The atrium where the birds fly free was marvalous.

The parrots were having the best time. The sun was shining and it was a glorious morning.

Quiet wasn't high on the list, but they were all decked out in their finest of feathers.

We were ready to leave, but the tortise was almost moving... had to get a parting shot.

It was a fun time. Then we went to McDonald's and back to the office. Tanner had a job to do for me there. He stamped my mailing envelopes with our address and the red 'confidential' stamp... Great Job Tanner!!!

Cousins Sliding Together...

Matthew's first with Audree in line...

Yeah!!!





Adylin showing Audree how it's done...

The kids are just having fun and taking turns on the slide.

Matthew, Adylin, Audree and Tanner. It got a bit crazy

when a bit of pushing was happening..



Dinner is Ready... Time to Eat!!!




These kiddos got wild...
Then we wanted to shut things down.






But they finally listened.
And played well together.

During the whole moment, it started to rain outside and then...







Pretty soon it was time for Audree to get picked up by Mom and Erik.

They went over to Grandma and Buggahs house before going home.













Dinner was over. Time to go to bed. Goodnight Grandbabies!!!

House update...
*yes, we still need helpers* I run out of steam before I begin and that is sooooooo helpful... NOT!!!

We moved a load or two over to the Barn this weekend (thank goodness Margaret is willing to share her storage area in her back yard with me until we move)

Our place is looking better all around, inside and outside. Mike and John got some of the sprinklers replaced and the water is getting to all the spots now (no more brown spots the size of whales). We moved the swingset to the sandy area.

I am hoping to get the sign up in the next 2 weeks. The treadmill still needs to go, the master bedroom needs to have the headboard unit taken apart and moved out and we need to move the computer out of the upstairs bedroom and into the bedroom off the garage.

Then, we get the carpets cleaned and stage the house and the sign goes up...

The market has slowed down, but that is ok... we are not in a big hurry to move out.
Still don' have any idea of where we are going (hehe)...

Margaret has the pool up in her yard... it's been a hard fight to get it up and running (still has moments) but it seems to be doing better this week, FINALLY!!!

I can't believe that Tanner starts 1st grade in 16 days. Lexie will have her junior high introduction day the first of August, to find her classes and meet some teachers and learn how to open a locker. Seth is going to the same school, but for the first time without a sibling. He is going into 4th grade.

Everyone is getting older and moving on to bigger and better things. Isn't it exciting!!!

I can't believe how fast time is going right now. I seem to never have enough energy to meet the daylight hours of a day, but I don't have enough daylight hours to get things done... Oh well, this to shall pass... and then we get on with doing something else...

Went to the "New" Mayan and saw Hannah working...had a GREAT meal and the entainment was good also... try the pork balboca wrapped in a banana leaf served with pinapple salsa and sliced sweet potatoes... the house hamburger was good too... the divers were good, the drums were fun... Deidre, you need to go before you move... it was fun.

Enjoy YOUR kids and grandkids, for they grow up and move along to other things...have fun every day...

Audree's 4th Birthday Party with Daddy

It looks like I am ready to grab some gummy worms and pack a lunch of ham sandwiches and off we go to the closest fishin' hole.

I've got my chair, my pole and all I need is the sunscreen and the "OFF" with deet to keep those pesky mesquitos off my princess soft skin...

My Aunt Margaret came with her new friend, Joey. They got me sand toys to play with. I love them so much.

Can't we just go outside and play right now?? The sun is still up? Oh well, first light tomorrow... then.

Stephan, Ellie and Damion were all here to share the food, fun and cake with ice cream. Gramma and Poppie were great to share their home with all of us to have Audree's other party.

John made the cake... it was very moist and good. It was also very ...

RED AND PINK.

Good colors for a little girl, don't you think!!!

She had 2 of them... one with mommy and her family and friends and then one with daddy and his family and friends. That is pretty lucky to get TWO parties... just for Audree.

We wanted to invite Tanner, Ady and Matthew, but they were on vacation in Newport Beach, California with the Strong family. We wanted to invite Alexis and Seth, but they were in Tempe, AZ with their dad, Uncle Kirk.

So, we just invited those in town and not with other things to do...

it was fun and then we were done...

Kisses and Hugs all around

Last kiss goes to Daddy.
But she is a quick kisses, so we had to plant this one longer to get it on the camera... silly girl...

This was Audree's 4th Birthday at her Daddy's. We are now onto her # 5 Birthday, next year...