This is what we have been doing every afternoon when the kids wake up from their naps. We spend about 45 minutes playing, slipping and sliding in the water because it has been so unbareably hot here! I took these pictures yesterday, so enjoy! I know Ethan's not in any of them but he was kinda hard to photograph yesterday.
Our house, lately, has become a construction zone. Long pieces of molding and trim lie in the hallways while big sheets of sheetrock are propped up against our walls as our "fixer-upper" home is having to be quickly "fixed up". The kids are taking it in stride and even using it to their advantage. I found Logan outside the other day playing in a pile of sawdust left behind by Brian's table saw (table saw not turned on or plugged in at the time, for those concerned). He had no idea that I was sitting by him and taking his pictures, but instead caught up in a world where Thomas the Train was splashing through the "dirt".
As I looked through these pictures, I couldn't help but think of the movie Toy Story. Logan playing so sweetly, in his own little world, and everything in his imagination seeming to be so real! And then I look down at Thomas and see the smile on his face. The smile that is always on Thomas's face and it just seems to come full circle. Does that make sense?
Here's Thomas sitting patiently, buried in a pile of "dirt" waiting for Logan to push him through it to make it all fly up in the air!
It just looks like Thomas the Train is having just as much fun playing in the sawdust on a hot day, as Logan is. These two friends go on lots of adventures together and I so desparately wish I was privy to every detail! What fun it is to be a child!
This past weekend was a holiday weekend with Memorial day being yesterday and we did what most people down in the south do on Memorial Day weekend....swim. For those of us that are fortunate to live in the south, Memorial day is the official kick off to summer and from that day on it will only get hotter and hotter. And fortunately for us, my parents live on a lake that is perfect for jumping, splashing or floating in. I am determined to get Mackenlee to swim this year, if it kills me. Last year she didn't want to jump into the lake, and if she did it wasn't really "jumping". As you can see, this year she wasn't afraid after I showed her how. Logan, however, has never had a problem jumping into the lake.
We spent a lot of time floating on the rafts. No chance of laying on and working on my tan when my kiddos were wanting "boat" rides. Oh well, maybe next time.
We also spent a lot of the weekend looking at what seems like thousands of campers. Not that we are really big camping people but Brian recently got a new job in which he is going to have to live in Birmingham for a few months and then we will all be moving back to our home town so he can build the new power plant that they are building in Kemper county, Mississippi. Since the long stay hotels are quite expensive, we have opted to go the camper route. But we do actually want it to be nice enough to go camping in after he is finished living in it. We would also like it to be nice enough for me and the kids to come up and visit him while he is in Birmingham. I am already looking forward to trips to the zoo and to Alabama Adventure!
After spending the night with my parents Saturday night, we drove home Sunday morning so Brian could work on the house. We went on another short trip to look at yet another camper.
A little side story here.... We get in the car and head towards Thomasville, AL which is about 45 minutes away from where we are at. We found this camper on craigslist, I believe and it sounds great! 1999 Coachman 30' camper with the bed layout the way we wanted and everything. "Great Condition" the guy said so we loaded up with directions to the guys house in hand. His house is right across from Dirt Cheap, so I had a feeling that this was it since Dirt Cheap is my favorite store. We see the camper from the highway and pull into the driveway. We look up and a huge sign hangs above the garage "Have your Palm Read". I look at Brian with this "really?!?" look on my face. I was not impressed. We look at the camper, it reaks of cigerette smoke and sewage. The carpet needs replacing immediately and it seemed that the toilet needed replacing as well. So apparently the guy was in mid sentance when he said it was in "great condition". As in "It's in great condition for something that needs a lot of work!". Also, shouldn't this guy have known that we weren't going buy the camper?? I mean, they were psychics! ha!
After our adventure to Thomasville we went to our church for some singing fun and then a "Pounding" for our new music minister where we had hamburgers and hotdogs and where the kids played on the playground until they could hardly move. We had a great time officially welcoming Bro. Don and Kim to the church.
Monday was spent with friends as well. We had a big cookout at Foscue Park and the kids played football, chase, or just played in the dirt. Either way it was H-O-T, hence all the bright red faces on these sweet children! Also, looking at this picture makes me realize how blessed I am! I have known most of these kids' mamas since we have moved to Demopolis and I am so glad that I can call them my friends. It has also been so much fun watching these girls grow up! They are so much fun to be around and are such amazing young ladies!
After the cookout, we went home and grabbed our swimsuits (and I had to pick up Brian and Ethan since they couldn't go to the cookout) to go swimming. I have an awesome friend who loves to share their pool and we are so glad that she likes to share! My kids have loved going swimming over there and they have always had a great time playing with her children.
Logan apparently didn't want to go when it was time, so he came after me with a water gun.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and I hope that you actually took the time to thank a soldier or remembered a fallen soldier. For if it wasn't for them, we would not have this great country that we live in with all the freedom that we have! Thank you to all of those that have served in our military, past or present. I am so greatful for your service!
I just had to stop by and show you all what my little girl did today! She decided that she wanted to start swimming! Mackenlee hasn't had any swimming lessons because she has been afraid to go under water. She would scream and yell and protest and most definitely did not want to go under water. Today, she borrowed her friend's mask and started swimming! I am so proud of my girl! In this video, she is swimming to her friend! Thank you, Alyssa, for being such a supportive friend and helping her learn. You are such a sweet friend to Mackenlee!
As everyone I am sure knows, on April 27th a massive amount of damage was done in the state of Alabama by several tornados that ripped through the state. Tuscaloosa was one of those cities that had a lot of severe damage.
One of the teachers at Mackenlee and Logan's WEE School thought up of this wonderful idea to raise money for relief efforts for Tuscaloosa. She planned and brought to life a bass tournament that had lots of fun for the kids as well. She got a big slide, cotton candy machine, sno cone truck, hamburgers and hotdogs, hay ride, and lots of door prizes.
After the kids' doctors appointments yesterday, we came back home and picked up Brian and headed down to the city landing. The kids spent most of the time playing on the giant slide. When they finally got a little thirsty, we got them sno cones and then Logan went to admire the firetruck. He was in awe of it. The number one thing that he wants to be is a "firetruck man". Seriously. He has been praying for that every day for the past year. "God help me be a piretruck man". I really think that was the highlight of his time at the river last night!
