You Know Your Family is From Mississippi....

My Dad's side of the family had it's annual family reunion in Mississippi this past weekend.


Here is a pic with my sweet girl and Mama Brown.


However, HERE is the photo that epitomizes the weekend. My sister-in-law, Jill, is very pregnant (as you can see). At the end of the day, she was DONE. Well, she wouldn't get to enjoy an adult beverage - but,
Mama needed to shoot!

2nd Annual!

Well - Mom has done it! We have an official tradition.
This is the second year we have gotten together at her house with the family.

Look! There are like 47 of us!

AND, here are the brother and sisters - all there this year!

My American Girl!

Our girl's first American Girl....

Meet Lanie. They are both wearing Mommy Originals.

After Grandmother treated her to her first doll - there was a fabulous carousel ride....

followed by a lovely dessert at the Bistro!

Even Lanie got her own little treat!

What a sweet trip for this American Girl!
Thank you, Grandmother!

Monday Musings....

We haven't had a one in a while, here goes.....

Dad: "Campbell, if you had a chance to meet anybody you wanted to, who would it be?"

Girl Child: "President Obama."

Dad: "What would you ask him?"
(I know you are assuming a MAJOR question here!)

Girl Child: "Do you like peas?"

Dad: "What would be the second thing you would ask him?"

Girl Child: "Do you like pretzel sticks?"

Sometimes, it's the simple questions that matter most. I wonder, at what age, does that change and things get so complicated?

Notice Anything Different?

If you look, ever so closely.....

you MIGHT notice something missing. Miss Campbell bit into a potato chip at a neighborhood 4th of July get together, and 'snap'! It was hanging by a 'thread' and she just moved it back and forth until it was freed from it's attachments.

As Daddy has been away all week at Camp Viola, we convinced her that waiting a day to stash for the Tooth Fairy would be a good idea.

ALL of the newly 5 and nearly 5 year old girls there wondered why they hadn't lost a tooth yet. With the help of blunt force trauma several months ago (from a fall onto our back steps), she lost one a little early.

Just one more way she is growing up so fast!!

Bigger...

Well, I have to say that my heart broke, just a little, today.
My sweet baby girl is getting older - I know this.

As I was making lunch yesterday, she asked if it was OK to watch something on TV while I prepared. Sure.

So, I scan the Public TV channels, Nick and Disney to see which choices I will offer (as this is a luxury that will soon disappear when reading skills improve to an even higher level). Let's see...Dora, Imagination Movers, Sesame Street, Dinosaur Train, etc.

I choose that old favorite, Sesame Street.

She looks as me and breaks my heart with one word, "bigger."

She has summed up what she wanted and made the last few years flash before me, all at once. It isn't that I am SO in love with watching Sesame Street - it is just that she is not anymore.

My little girl is growing up so fast.

Spring Recital

These sweet girls have been working so hard this week with recitals every night (except Wednesday). We are so proud of our girl and all her little friends.
Not to mention how much we love her teachers!

RenFest 2010!

We met the Kulps at RenFest today, which is our annual tradition. We catch up and see how much the kids have grown, etc.

And, we usually laugh, a lot!

Drew and Campbell gave the flying ships a try.

As long as rides were available, even when powered by strangely clad (some barely) men, this girl was a happy camper...

SEE!

When it came time to enjoy the jousting, she was a little pooped. Good think Daddy was feeling generous!

Did I mention that you can buy weapons at RenFest?
(just in case you need to mutilate something!)

No, we didn't chase them with the weapons - they just left the haunted house. YES, this 4 year old willfully went through the haunted house. Of course, she would have followed Drew ANYWHERE (as long as Daddy was holding her hand!)

So, we are wrapping up the day, and we have a happy girl (cute little faerie). THEN...

The 'Mayor' comes along and discusses his Faerie catch and release program. We ended up with...

CONTRARY FAERIE!!!
She did NOT appreciate being the center of attention at the end of a long day!

The moral of the story...
You never know who or WHAT you will see at RenFest!

p.s. Lisa and I WERE there, we just didn't make the photo reel - go figure!

We Interrupt This Drive....

....well, maybe the title should be...
THANK YOU PSAs!

While our family is known for being ULTRA safety conscious - this girl is picking up on things very (too) quickly!

As we drive down the road, I am CONSTANTLY hearing...
Mom, you know that it isn't very safe to talk on the phone while you are driving OR
Mom, it isn't a very good idea to put on makeup while you are in the car.

However, she STILL wants me to read things to her from the front seat (which, I inform her isn't a good idea).

I guess this can be filed under rules of convenience!

Mom - We Have a Problem....

I had the pleasure of spending the entire day today with my favorite girl. We decided to shop till we dropped, and afford Daddy a rare day at home to do what he would.

We started by doing some American Girl activities at our local mall's Bookland. She is excited about the new Girl of the Year, Laney (who happens to be blond and like animals and nature, etc.). We then proceeded to several stores, including Target to purchase (with her own money) a Baby Alive that has been on the wish list since Santa forgot to include it in the Christmas haul.

As we looked up from shopping to realize that it was 7pm, and we had to venture to just one more store prior to having a yummy dinner - the conversation went a little like this....

Mom: "Before going to dinner, we have to stop - very quickly - into Party City.

I promise to just grab napkins and then get in the car."

My Girl: "Mom, we have a problem."

Mom: "What type of problem?"

My Girl: "There are so many great things to see in there and I don't want to hurry,
but, I am so hungry!"

At the ripe old age of 4,

my girl has discovered the dilemma with which we women must constantly struggle!

We Had a DREAM!

OK, it isn't the dream of everyone. BUT, it has been our dream for a very long time!

In our daughter's lifetime, we have NEVER parked both vehicles in our garage. Well, yesterday, the dream became a reality!

You know, it really is the little things............... Right?

So Many Choices, So Little Time!

We enjoyed the afternoon (and evening) at an Anti-Super Bowl Party.
(do I have to use the term 'Big Game' on my blog? I don't need an attorney bill!)

This party was ALL women and kids. The kids enjoyed dress-up GALORE! As you can see, my girl was having a hard time making a choice!

Great idea, Casey! Thanks for the fun and FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! Oh, and the Peach beer - YUM!

Miss Molly Mack, Mack, Mack...

Miss Mckenzie has been a huge part of my new job. How you might ask? She has been an amazing babysitter and playmate for our girl. Because she is home-schooled, she is able to help us during the day while I am working at Church. Seriously, Campbell stands at the window waiting for her to arrive each Wednesday afternoon.
It's enough to give a Mommy a complex!

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. She has a calling to work in her Church, and will intern with them in the future. So...we will only get the opportunity to see her in the evenings (hopefully, in the near future!).

Lucky for us, she referred one of her friends, whom we love too.

Good luck Mckenzie!

First Spend the Night Party

On a whim, we asked Campbell if she would like to have a sleepover. DUH!

So, we enjoyed an evening with little Miss A.G.
There was the super fun bath, the pizza, the movie (UP!), the stories and the sleeping bags.

They were so excited and so sweet. Lots of giggles to look forward to in the future.

A Day in the Sun

On a beautiful day in January, we joined some friends and enjoyed the perfectly lovely day by the water at Callaway Gardens.

The sheer joy of being outside during the midst of a, generally, dreary month.

A motley crew!

Playing under a huge Magnolia tree topped off the afternoon.