Summer Activities

We have been having a fabulous summer!!

As we do every summer, we have spent a lot of time at The Family Y. With several pools, 2 baby pools, a slide, and a water park area, there is plenty to do, and it is relatively easy for me to take the girls by myself. Brad has been able to join us a couple of times, so that is when I have been able to take some pictures. As far as Alli Lane is concerned, this is "the best summer ever!" at the Y, because she is finally allowed to go down the slide. She LOVES it!! Boots, of course, just runs around busily and very happily does her thing.

We have been busy doing other things, too. Alli Lane took swimming lessons, and she is doing great! We did Vacation Bible School earlier this summer, and Alli has had two week-long day camps at EDS: Shake Rattle and Roll, and The Deep Blue Sea. She had a blast at both of them! We have made several trips to the park, including the one down by the river, which we often forget about but love when we think about it. We have enjoyed dates to get ice cream, early morning walks, building forts in the living room, dancing in the rain, and playing with friends. I have several great pictures of some of those activities, as well, but will have to add them later.

Here is a picture of Boots and Stanley in the den, just hanging out early one morning. For those of you who don't know, Stanley went blind about a month or so ago ~ literally overnight. It is a disease called SARDS, which apparently can attack the retina of any breed of dog without so much as a warning, and there is nothing you can do about it. The good thing is that it is not painful for him. We are all adjusting to life with a blind dog right now, and it is going pretty well. He is figuring everything out, which is pretty amazing. I guess once you run into things a couple of times with your face, you try your best not to make the same mistakes again! :)

Alli Lane has enjoyed playing with her "older friends," April and James, who live across the street. One afternoon after her nap, she snuck off to her room to dress herself to go out and play ~ and this is what she came up with: Her daddy's Masters tshirt from when he was a little boy, pink play pants that are entirely too short, Christmas socks that blink red lights, and her white sandals.

Great job, baby girl!!

As I have done for a few seasons now, I hosted a children's clothing trunk show: Brinkley's Berries, which is now owned by Hannah Kate. There were some darling clothes in the trunk, and as always, it was a lot of fun. Clothes, fabric boards, swatches, and friends covered the living room and dining room for nearly a week.

Brad and I agree that one of the best additions we made to our house was building a new deck last spring (2008) and covering part of it. We have lots of "at home date nights" out there after the girls have gone to bed, and we also have been eating supper with the girls out there a lot. One night, while enjoying margaritas outside, we became obsessed with watching a spider weave her web. It was incredible and lovely. These pictures do not do it justice, but it was truly nature at its best!

We have been having a great summer and will enjoy the last couple of weeks before the girls begin school. I can't believe Alli Lane will be in Pre-K this year, going 5 days a week!! How quickly the time has flown.... It was 5 years ago today (well, just before midnight tonight) that I found out I was pregnant with her in the Flowers Hospital E.R. in Dothan, AL after having shattered my wrist. I was headed back to surgery when the nurse announced, "By the way, congratulations! Pink means you're pregnant! We'll be back to get you in about 10 minutes to head to the O.R." My goodness, how the time has flown....

I will post more pictures at a later date. We have been in Nashville for Elizabeth's wedding and had an amazing time with good friends! And we have had such fun with the girls all summer long. Hope you all are having a great one, too!