All Summer Long

We have been having a fun summer at home with our 2 little ones.  Here is a conglomeration of phone pictures from throughout the summer.

While talking on the phone to GramPam and Pa-Pa, Jack decided it was time for a little snooze.

The choir had a big party at the beginning of the summer.  It was a western theme so Barrett got to wear his cowboy boots & big belt buckle.  No western clothes in this girls closet though.  But it was a fun time anyway.

Love this cutie!

We took a trip to starbucks with some of the cousins and sat outside on the patio then went to play at the playground across the street.

We enjoyed going to the weekly summer kid movies at the movie theater each week.  Ledger went with us many weeks.

A view into the back seat of the car....Jack and Amelia holding hands.

While in Houston, GramPam took Jack for a ride on the carousel.  He LOVED it...until it was time to get off.  

There is that waving cat going for a ride on the fire truck.  He is playing with it like its some sort of action figure!

We grew tomatoes this summer in a topsy turvy in the backyard.  So far we have grown 5 tomatoes! They make a yummy topping for pizza, which we used them for.  We also have a zucchini plant.  Some of them have started to grow but haven't made it to the picking stage.

7/11 was free slurpee day at 7-11.  Yum!

We dressed up as cows for 'Dress Like a Cow Day' at chick-fil-a and got free meals!  Jack loves this hat.  He looked at himself in the mirror and said, "Cowboy!"

The 2 cowboys!

We had one trip to the doctor this summer for a sick boy.  Jack ended up needing breathing treatments.  Here he is having a breathing treatment while eating a lollipop while in the doctors office while Amelia is working on eating her sewing card.

Saturday morning donuts!!!

Mom-mom has the magic touch.  She can always get Amelia to fall asleep while she is holding her.

Swinging time for Amelia

Say cheese! Love that cheesy smile!

Daddy and the kiddos

He wants to be just like Daddy.

Bowling with Dad

Our whole family was actually together all at one time this summer for one evening - my parents and all 6 siblings.  We went out for dinner at Cristinas.

All 6 kids in age order - Tara, Jeremy, Tanya (Me), Aaron, Alex, Hannah.

Our little family of 4.  How did I end up with such cuties?!?!

Barrett and I had a night away all by ourselves with no kids.  Doesn't this look like a picture of peace and quiet? We went all the way to a destination about 20 minutes away from home - Frisco! But it was perfect!

We went and had a one hour couples massage done (fabulous!), went shopping (without little people determining how long we were in a store), had a delicious dinner at Cheesecake Factory, and stayed the night at the Westin Stonebriar where we slept in until 9am! What a treat!

Our slice of Oreo cheesecake

Jack and Zach playing on the seesaw at the playground during a neighborhood picnic.

We took a trip to the Addison Airport and sat in the back of our car to watch the airplanes land and take off.  Don't you know Jack loved this!  He had a very serious look on his face most of the time.  He really studied those planes and enjoyed every moment...in a serious sort of way.

Watching the airplanes

Daddy and Amelia

Amelia's first night sleeping in her crib upstairs (a view from the video monitor)

Mom-mom went with us many weeks to the kid movies at the movie theater. If you go to a movie with Mom-mom you can always count on getting a big bucket of popcorn too!  Jack sure loved having her with us each week...and I did too.  Sure makes going to a movie with 2 kids a lot easier!

Naptime for Amelia on a wagon ride with Daddy.

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Playtime with Amelia & Eliana

Fishing - Jack has really gotten into fishing with Daddy this season.  He likes to 'cast' and he is actually very good at reeling in the hook.  As he reels in the line he says, "I got one!"

Jack picked out this shirt from his drawer to wear.  When he saw it he said, "Daddy's shirt" because Daddy has one that looks just like this.

Yes, its summer and I am preparing Amelia's thanksgiving wardrobe.  On our last Tuesday night sewing night Tara and I made these turkey bows for the girls. Love!

I took Jack to the Bluebell warehouse in Lewisville last week.  KLTY was having a remote there.  We got free ice cream and we got to walk into the GIANT freezer (20 degrees below zero. Brrr!) full of bluebell ice cream. 

More fishing

Cousins Preston & Mackenzie moved to a new house last weekend. We delivered pizzas on moving day and had a picnic in the new house.

Who knew you could have so much fun with a diaper box?!

We got to get dressed up and go to a wedding of a childhood friend of Barrett's. It was a beautiful wedding!

Playtime in Daddy's Jeep!

Loving these memories!!!

Airplanes

Jack is obsessed with airplanes and helicopters right now!  Every airplane he sees in the sky he points out and says, "airplane! airplane!"  One weekend Lowes was having a time for kids to come and build wooden airplanes.  We didn't make it to the actual event but Jack's buddy Ledger picked up an airplane kit (and a cute lowes apron) for Jack. What a treat!  That afternoon Barrett & Jack got to work building the airplane.

 All done!

Here he is testing out the airplane and making 'airplane noises'.

Such a fun project these 2 could do together! It has been a favorite toy this week.  Looking forward to many more projects that these guys can build together.

Amelia is 8 Months Old

Amelia Joy turned 8 months old on July 26th.

Weight: about 18 lbs.

Hair: Still not very much hair on this baby girls head, but it is slowly coming in. Some parts are light brown. Other parts seem blonde.

 Eyes: blue

Teeth: still only has her 2 bottom teeth

Clothes: 9 month clothes fit best but can still fit into a few 6 month and beginning to wear some 12 month

Shoes: size 2

Diapers: size 3

Amelia is a busy girl these days.  She crawls ALL OVER THE PLACE!!! (And actually crawls forward now.) She is determined in her crawling. If she sees something, she goes for it.  If she can't have whatever it is she wants she is heartbroken and I guess you could say may actually be throwing  little fits :-( 

 She still keeps bows on her head.  I am looking forward to one day getting to clip a bow in her hair versus strapping it on her head with a headband.  But from what I hear from other moms, it is amazing that she doesn't pull off the bow!  Way to go sister! Proud of you!

 Just days after Amelia turned 8 months, I took the plunge and moved Amelia upstairs to sleep in her own crib in her own room for the night. This wasn't because she was sleeping well.  She still would wake up many times throughout the night but I just felt like maybe she wasn't as comfortable sleeping in our room, or maybe I wouldn't jump up quite as fast every time she would start fussing, so I figured I would give it a try.  The first 2 nights she ended up back in our room by about 3am.  I had had enough of running up and down the stairs for the night.  But by about night 3 she started doing great! Now she just wakes up maybe once if even at all each night!  Its amazing!!! I'm not really sure what made the difference for her...if her crib was more comfortable, if the temperature was better, if it was quieter for her...no idea really.  But she is doing great now! Hallelujah!!!

 Amelia started some finger foods this month. We started with puffs then on 7/18 she had her taste of real finger food...green beans.  She is loving her snacks that she can pick up all by herself! She eats baby food once or twice a day.  Loves meat and veggies. Still not a fan of fruits. She has around 4 bottles a day of pumped milk...about 6 ounces each. She rarely nurses anymore. She usually refuses and just would rather a bottle.

 Amelia loves being outdoors! Now it is summer and 105 degrees outside so we really don't go out until evening when it is cooler (in the 90s) but she sure loves it when we do.  If she is ever fussy, just take her outside and she is a happy girl! Pool time is a love of hers too!

 She started having bath time in her ducky tub.  Jack has been a helper in giving her baths and he now has decided that taking baths in the ducky tub is more fun than his normal showers!

 Amelia still is a very smiley girl!

 She is easy to take out and about with us. Amelia loves being around people and observing all that is going on around her. 

 On 8/2 (at 8 months and 1 week old) Amelia pulled up to standing on her own for the first time onto her saucer toy.  I ran and got the camera to take her picture of her new accomplishment!  I snapped a few pictures and ended up getting a picture of another big milestone....

 ...letting go and standing alone for the first time!!!! So pulling up and standing alone all accomplished within seconds of each other.  Now she only stood here for about 1.5 seconds, but still. Crazy!  She hasn't done much of the letting go since then but she is now all about pulling up!

We love this girl and are amazed by all that she is learning each day. She is growing so fast but we are loving every moment! So thankful that the Lord gave us such a precious little one. We are in love with her!