What happens when a baby doesn't get her nap?

this...



All three of my little ones have done this at one time or another...fallen asleep at the table. It's always the result of them trying to skip a nap..proof that they still need one! Have your kids done this?

Just a photo

During bath time yesterday Halle looked up at me and her eyes just sparkled even under the horrible bathroom lighting. I had to snap a photo to capture that sweet innocence. I could get lost in her big brown puppy-dog eyes. She's growing up so quickly and I know one day the day will come when she will no longer allow me to come into the room to help wash her. As much as I sometimes wish she could do it herself I know I will miss these sweet days when bath time was a family event. I'm trying to appreciate the little mundane everyday things like this!

Happy Father's Day!!

I hope you all have had a wonderful day celebrating dads!! We went to church and then spent a relaxing day at home. I had a few quick seconds to snap a photo so Todd could have one to place in the frame that Hayden made him at church today. I don't know about you but taking photos of my own family is an impossible task. I have to be extremely quick to get them all together and smiling. I wish I had told my husband to take his socks off, that I had repositioned Hayden so he didn't look like a floating head, and that I had time to get the image properly exposed...oh well...what are ya gonna do? At least they are all in focus! Happy Father's Day!!

If My Kids Were Cartoons...

...they'd look like this...



Today we went to the grocery store as a family and our local Harris Teeter had hired an artist to do free caricatures for customers!! How fun! They also had Boars Head brand in the store giving away free food samples and they had large beef hotdogs and a can of soda for $1! Can't beat that for a lunch out. It worked out great b/c Todd and the kids could eat while I shopped for a few items. I think I'm going to get a poster frame and hang the caricature in Hayden's room! It came out pretty cute don't ya think?! Hope you all are enjoying your weekend. The kids are outside helping daddy wash my car. Gotta run and take a few photos! Happy Saturday!

Busch Gardens: Weekend in Review

We had a blast visiting Busch Gardens this past weekend! We spent 3 fun-filled days touring the park, eating yummy food, and spending time with great friends. It was so nice to get away and be childless for a few days. I wish we could do this more often! Since the summer season was just beginning the crowds were small and we didn't have to wait in lines except for Saturday (and even those were short). The food was very good and we especially loved the chicken at the Trappers Smokehouse! YUM! We spent our days in the park and evenings touring and shopping in downtown Williamsburg and in Newport News. We had a fabulous time!


Todd and I sitting down to eat lunch outside the Ristorante della Piazza in Busch Gardens!


The whole group taking a boat ride and enjoying the breeze coming off the water. Saturday was a HOT HOT day and the boat ride provided a nice break from the sun.


The girls posing in front of a swiss clock before heading to ride the Alpengeist roller coaster!


Just being silly! Todd kept saying that it felt like we were dating all over again! It was so nice to not have to worry about chasing little ones around and to just be ourselves.


Flying high on the swings! Kim rode this one with me but I don't think she had quite as much fun as I did. She was a little green afterwards!


The great thing about this trip was that we were able to ride everything as much as we wanted since there were no lines. The Griffon roller coaster was one of the best roller coasters I have ever been on even though I was absolutely TERRIFIED of that first drop each time I went on it! The adrenaline rush was incredible! I stayed behind one time to get a few photos of the others as they fell down that first drop!


Here is a close-up of that same shot!! It really is an awesome ride!


Mike with his prize he won after playing the sledgehammer game! I think he's planning to snuggle with it at night! LOL!


The girls having a good time chillin' in the grape buckets!

i ♥ faces: All About Babies

This weeks photo challenge at i ♥ faces is "all about babies." I love photographing babies, especially those that are fresh from the womb. I haven't had a newborn to photograph in a while so I went to the archives to choose an image to enter. I have quite a few favorites but I just love how this little guy looks like he curled himself up by the window to enjoy a nap and soak in the warmth from the sun. How sweet! I hope you'll head over to i ♥ faces to check out the amazing entries or to enter a "baby" photo of your own. Baby animals are allowed as well!! Happy Tuesday all!

Busch Gardens or Bust

It's getting late and I've been finishing up the to-do list preparing for our morning departure. At around 7am we will be dropping the kids off at the grandparents and Todd and I will be heading to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va!! We are going along with a few friends and we are thrilled to have a little time away without children. I'm not sure we'll know what to do with ourselves at first but I'm pretty sure we'll catch on quickly! We're looking forward to a fun weekend having adult conversation, eating food without sharing (except for with each other), and riding some amazing rides without having to make constant potty breaks! I'm bringing my camera along and I'll share our fun adventures as soon as we return. Have a wonderful weekend all!!

House Party

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to try something I've never done before. I canned my own salsa for the first time! It was actually the first time that I have canned anything. I've seen my mom do it a few times as a kid but was never really interested in the process. And my grandmother canned everything! Her apple butter was the absolute best! I miss eating it. It was soooo delicious and sweet! Well, Saturday I got together with a few friends, one of which was selected to host a "Fresh Taste of Summer" House Party. They provided all the tools necessary for successful canning and we provided the fresh ingredients! It was a lot of work but so much fun and now we have yummy homemade salsa to last us quite a while! Thanks Kara, Leslie, and Heather for the fun experience and thanks to all the husbands for entertaining the kids while we worked! Can't wait to do it again!

Slip N Slide

Summer may not be official but we didn't let that keep us from from enjoying the hot sunny weather today! I took the girls to visit my friend Melissa and her youngest daughter Lillian. Halle and Ella had a blast playing tea set and dolls and I enjoyed having lunch with a friend but the best part of the afternoon was when we set up the slip n slide and let them have at it! It was so much fun watching them slip, slide, and splash all over the place. I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to do it again soon!