Summer Time...

These two play so great together... This is Layla splashing water on Hudson so he doesn't pass out from the heat. What a good sister! ;)
Someone is on a mission... Love the frown of concentration.
Man I love havin' a pool! This is so awesome!
Check me out. I look good in this suit don't I?

Thank you for my bouncy house Cindy and Hallie!!

This is my bouncy house! I am so awesome!
Check me out! This thing even has a climbing wall!!
Do I look cool in here or what??
My coworker and friend, Cindy, recently asked her daughter, Hallie, if she thought she was "over" her bouncy house yet. Hallie told her that she was too old for it (she's 9, I believe) and that she would like to give away. So, Cindy gave it to us for Layla girl. Layla has been asking for a bouncy house for quite some time, and we told her that if she continued to get good reports from her teachers at school, maybe she would get one. Well, after several weeks of good reports, Cindy rolled up with a giant bouncy house in her Ford for us. The thing is HUGE and Layla LOVES it!!! It came at the perfect time too, as both of our neighbors who had play sets just moved and took their sets with them. So, there's really nothing for Layla to play with in the back yard anymore. Now we can blow this bad cat up whenever it's nice and she can go to town!

Thank you so very much, Cindy and Hallie!!!

Nonnie and Layla make cookies

Voila! My masterpieces! Glorious sugar cookies with frosting and heaps and heaps of sprinkles!!!

Do I have something on my face?

Seriously. It seems like I have something on my face. Could you guys help a sister out here or what?

Screw it. I'm down with being messy. I'm just gonna eat this. It's good.

One of Layla's favorite things to do with Nonnie when she comes to visit is make cookies. She gets to sit on the island in the kitchen and go to town (meaning, pull the pre-made cookie dough out of the package and plop the nice balls of dough onto the pan). Gotta love Pillsbury! Nonnie lets Layla frost the cookies herself, and, decorate them. This always ends with a gigantic mess, but who cares. It's totally worth it and soooo much fun.

Thanks for visiting Nonnie!!!

Betty Brinn Children's Museum with Nonnie!

Two weekends ago, Nonnie (my mom) visited and we went to Betty Brinn for some fun. I have taken Layla there once before, when she was much younger. She had fun the first time, but she was just over a year old then. This time, she had so much fun we all but had to drag her out of there. By the time we were in the car, Jake, my mom and I were taking bets on how fast Layla would fall asleep (she was out like a light at the 10 minute mark, which meant Jake won the pot).

By far, Layla's favorite part of the museum was the grocery store. It's a child size store (obviously) where the kids can just go crazy and shop their little hearts out. The cutest part is that the kids take on the rolls of clerk, deli counter person, etc., all themselves. You'll see in the shot below of Layla girl at the deli counter that another little one was behind the counter, "taking her order". Jake and I really got into it and were playing along with all of the kids too. We were making the parents laugh quite a bit, but were surprised that we were the only parents that were really getting into it. I guess we can chalk that up to not giving a hoot what other people think of us. We were really hamming it up... using the phone in the deli to call the clerk and ask her if she needed a bagger or backup. Hilarious.

Lookin' forward to the next trip! Anyone want to bring your little ones and come with us??!

This little push cart thing was awesome. It was for carrying the golf balls around that the kids used to put in all the fancy contraptions (funnels, tracks, etc). Bean loved it!


I am having so much fun right now!! This is Layla sitting inside the "choo choo train".

Uh, yes? Can I help you? I'm sort of busy right now... I'm driving a train.

Look how happy she is!!!! Makes me smile!!

Carrying as many golf balls as she possibly could. She was kind of hogging them, because she wanted to fill up her "golf ball kart". I thought it was adorable.

At the "check out". So hilarious. She was in her own little world, just putting all the food from her kart onto the counter for the little girl who was "checking her out".

Getting herself some fresh ground coffee, of course. :)

Yes, I'll take a fresh deli sandwich, three steaks, some sushi for my mom and some potato salad.

Man, I'm so busy I'm working up a sweat (look at her pink cheeks).

Let's do this!
Nonnie and Layla milking a cow! Mooooo!!
Nonnie and Layla gathering corn. :)

The girls.
The family.