Playdate At Our House

We had friends over for brunch and a playdate this morning, and Makenzie and Presley were so excited! They played so good together and were having so much fun that the adults could barely have a conversation!

Ella and Makenzie dancing...the girls grabbed dress-up clothes and purses and Carter called them princesses..lol.
Makenzie, Ella, and Emma

The whole gang...Presley, Emma, Camille, Carter, Makenzie, and Ella.
We had a great time everybody! Hope we can do it again soon!

Cooking With Mommy

My girls love cooking with Mommy! They beg to help me with every little thing so we've spent a lot of time together in the kitchen lately. They wanted pancakes this time and of course they wanted to do everything by themselves!

They each took turns measuring out the ingredients and stirring. Then they took turns flipping the pancakes and putting the butter on them.

I have to tell this because Wayne and I find it so ironic. Wayne and I like different types of syrup on our pancakes. I guess we both like the syrup we grew up eating so we've bought two different kinds of syrup since we got married. When the girls were old enough to have opinions, we asked each of them which kind of syrup they wanted. Both bottles were side by side on the counter, and Makenzie picked the syrup I eat (Blackburn's) and Presley picked the syrup Wayne eats (Log Cabin). They've eaten their pancakes this way ever since.

I also noticed later on that for some reason Presley started refusing to eat salad. Makenzie has always eaten ranch dressing on hers (like me) so I'd always put ranch on Presley's as well. After we found out they liked different syrup on their pancakes, I decided to try putting Thousand Island on Presley's salad (like Wayne) just to see if she would eat it. Wouldn't you know, she ate every bite of it! How crazy is that? Presley also loves squash, ocra, and fried green tomatoes (like Wayne) and Makenzie doesn't care much for them (like me).

I am really beginning to enjoy my time at home. I NEVER thought I would say that, but after being home for a couple of months now I'm loving it. It's still hard some days especially when it seems like all I ever do is clean up mess after mess, Makenzie refuses to take a nap and acts terrible for the rest of the day, or when they've just been fussing and fighting all day and I feel like I've been run over by a truck! But then there are days where we play tea party, have picnics, read books together, go to the library, have playdates, the list goes on and on, and I think to myself how lucky I am that I have a wonderful husband who provides for us in such a way that allows me to stay at home. Knowing that I can stay at home with my girls if I choose to has to be one of the greatest blessings God has given me. I am ashamed to say that I have stubbornly rejected the very thought of being at home, but God has shown me lately that I can make a difference in my own home just as well as I can in a classroom. I do hope to teach one day, but for now, I am right where I'm supposed to be, and I couldn't be happier.

New Pictures

This is the first chance I've had to get these pictures up, but a friend of mine took them a few months ago with her new camera. Thanks Julie for the cute pics! Enjoy!

The Living Room Renovation Continues....

We decided it was time to put that old wood-burning heater to rest (thank God), and give our living room a more updated look. This is the before picture after the heater was removed.

AND....this is the after! Wayne and his Dad built the tv cabinet and mantle, and Wayne and Brad did the tile work. I couldn't be happier with it! They did an amazing job. Wayne also painted the living room, and we got new furniture. Now, all we have left is putting up the crown mold and base, finding new curtains, getting new outside doors and a flat-screen tv. Phew! That's still a lot of work, but it's coming together. I can't wait to see the finished product!

We decided the easiest ( and most cost-effective) way to remodel our house is to take one room at a time. Therefore, our house may remain a mess for the next few years...lol.

4th of July Fun With Our Cousins

After lunch on the 4th, Makenzie and Presley got to show off their new puppies. The girls love spending time with their cousins!

All four girls in a picture, and nobody's crying! This is a MAJOR accomplishment!

Fun with Puppies

Apparently, Makenzie asked Wayne if she could have a puppy so Wayne took matters into his own hands (without talking to Mommy), and bred Lexie so the girls would have puppies to play with. Needless to say, we now have nine puppies to find homes for. However, the girls have really enjoyed playing with them!

I love the pictures below. Presley's puppy had fallen asleep on her lap, and she was afraid someone would wake it up. Everytime one of us would say something, she'd put her finger up to her lips and say, "Shhhh!!! He's sweeping!" It was sooo cute!

You can tell by the look on her face in this one that we were in trouble for being too loud!

Makenzie and Presley are both afraid of dogs for some reason so I was surprised to hear that they had asked for puppies. Anyway, it was a huge step for Makenzie to even hold a puppy. She was terrified until she realized it was just going to lay on her lap and sleep. She's been all smiles since!

Swimming at Memaw and Pappy's House

Hillary, Makenzie, and Presley in the hammock at Memaw and Pappy's house...

They were just a singing while they were swinging.
Playing in the swimming pool... Presley decided to take her swimsuit off for some reason.

Laying out after swimming...they were so cute. This lasted all of two minutes..lol.

There's nothing like enjoying your summer, and that's exactly what we've been doing! Good times and good friends are the best!