Family + Memorial Day = FuN

We celebrated our Memorial Day weekend with the Perkins and Mihills families (Daniel's two sisters, husbands and kids). We had so much fun! Everyone came over to our house (which used to be their house) to swim and have fun! I love family!

See Jamie get ready to dive....

Dive, Jamie dive....

SwEeT cOuSiNs!!!!!

The Ranch

Okay, here's the last of 'em.

The Ranch is always fun.... riding in the jeep, the 4 wheeler, the Gramsmobile, etc. The kids love it and I do too.... it's our home away from home.

Grams and Paw Paw took the kids for a ride in the Gramsmobile (picture below) while mommy had some much-needed quite time to shower and get ready. Well, they saw 3 turtles... Patti became obsessed (imagine that). We spent the rest of the day driving around so that she could find one and hold it... and "knock knock" on it's shell (thanks Bible class :) We searched and searched (while Patti said over and over... Mommy, I wanna see a turtle, I wanna hold it - Mommy, I wanna see a turtle, I wanna knock knock. Mommy, I wanna see a turtle...)... enough to drive anyone insane! I was ready to give up, but Paw Paw was determined. He finally said a little prayer.... Pleeeeeaaaaase Lord, let us see a turtle. I don't know if his plea was in order to make her happy or get her to stop asking. Well, the bouncy jeep ride put both kids to sleep. Within about a minute of Patti falling asleep, here comes a turtle. Paw Paw asked me, What should we do? I replied, Wake the girl up!! As soon as I told her there was a turtle, up she popped. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the turtle.

Thanks Grams and Paw Paw for a wonderful time!!!

(notice the highway behind us and the fact that the picture was taken from the driver's seat.... man, I'm good... didn't even take my eyes off the road ahead of me... Grams had a panic attack though)

Side note: I know that some of you who read this blog see my kids often (be it church, Bible class, LBC nursery, etc). Who is teaching them "Pee -pie"? We always say "Peek-a-boo"... but they both are constantly saying "Pee-pie" instead. I just think it's funny.

There's more....

From Padre, we headed to The Ranch with a stop at Minnie's house. Minnie bought two bunnies ... Patti was in love. We had to drag her to the car kicking and screaming when it was time to go.

South Padre Island

Home Sweet Home

It's so good to be home! There is truly no place like home. A couple of weeks ago, my mom flew up to College Station just to go straight back where she came from.... she, the twins and I drove down to South Padre Island (with a short lay over at The Ranch)... and then back to The Ranch again. Mom flew up just to drive down and back with us.... isn't she the best? We just got back a couple of days ago. We had SO much fun. The kids were beyond great... they hardly made a peep the whole way down (370 miles). They really were wonderful the whole trip... I didn't want the vacation to end, but we really started to miss Daniel (who had to stay behind and work). Cal started to get a little home-sick after a week and kept saying, "I want to go home... I miss Daddy... I want to play with Chloe and Phoebe."

We went to visit the Sea Turtles....




Cal had so much fun playing at the beach in the water.... he was worn out! Patti wanted nothing to do with the "big big water" because it was "scary." Instead, she had fun building castles in the sand. Sorry I don't have pictures of this (maybe Nat will email me some :)



Patti LOVES animals... no matter what kind. This parrot was outside a restaurant that we frequented... we couldn't walk by without her wanting to hold it.





Even at the Beach, Patti loved to parade her animals around. I love her detail and patience... where in the world did she get that from?

Cutie...

More soon to come....

My Patti

I've been posting a lot about Cal lately (he's such a mess...

it's easy to blog about all his craziness).

So, it's Patti's turn to have some of the spotlight.

***

She is precious. She is sweetness. She is a shy smile. She is full of questions. She is beautiful inside and out. She is her daddy's little girl. She is a sweet sister. She is sensitive. She is an animal lover. She is a great sleeper. She is a tip-toe walker. She is a big helper. She is obedient. She is calm. She is polite. She is adorable. She is a child of God.

She is my little Angel.

The difference between Daddy and Mommy

(if you haven't already, read my previous post before reading this one)


So, last night Daniel calls to me from the living room (laughing and sounding excited).... "Hey Jen, do you have your camera ready? You need to get a picture of this!! This kid's balance is amazing!" So, I grab my camera and run into the living room. There's Cal on that stinkin' swing with a huge smile on his face. Daniel was so proud of him for climbing to the top. What do you do?

Cal, sweet Cal

Cal has been a pill the last week or so. I think it has a little to do with being stuck inside a lot lately (the rest is due just to the fact that he's "Cal"). So, just a few minutes ago, he was trying to climb to the top of this big baby swing I have out. It's tall.... say 4 feet. The top is narrow, but big enough for him to stand on. I've gotten on to him several times, but evidently I'm not getting through because he keeps on climbing on it. I finally had enough and just stood there and gave him a scowl look... the look that my mom used to give me that made me cry... I must not be scary enough, because Cal just shook his finger at me and pointed to the kitchen and said, "Go PLAY Momma - GO! Go PLAY!" (He wanted me out of the room so that I couldn't see what he was doing)

Little feet

I just pulled the card out of my camera to go through the pictures I've taken over the last couple of days. There were several pictures on there that I didn't take... those aren't my feet, but I think I know who's feet they are.