Monkeys, munchkins and movies!

Look at me - 3rd time blogging this week! On a roll - hopefully I can keep this up!

When I think about what we have been up to this summer, it seems like playdates galore and lots of time at the pool! I have finally gotten to a point (about 2 weeks ago) where I am finally comfortable taking both of the girls completely by myself to swim. Ali has been taking swim lessons since March (I think) and all of a sudden two weeks ago it just clicked and she took off swimming by herself and LOVES it! :) (and I love this new found independence/freedom too!) After many different tries, we finally found a contraption that worked to keep Rhodes afloat- a vest or swim ring and floaties - although this past week she has made it clear she does not want/need the vest and has gone straight to floaties - she is everywhere in them! She is so independent and all over the pool - such a big girl! Everytime I say to her "Are you Mama's baby?" she says "NO BABY!" - it's too cute - she thinks she is such a big girl, just like her sister.

Anyway, it seems like the past 3 Wednesdays have been our extra fun playdates. (Just somewhere other than our house, a friends house or a pool, I mean!) 2 weeks ago, we went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with my cousin Brooks and her two daughters, Virginia and Gibby. We absolutely loved it! I wasn't sure what it would be like but it had a great children's area complete with a water play area (you have to bring swim diapers/bathing suits to play!) and we all had such a great time. Then, last week we went with a fun group to the Children's Museum in Atlanta - which was so much fun. There are a lot of fun things for both of the girls to do and they loved it. We will definitely be heading back up there again! Unfortunately, I did not have my camera for both of these - trying to be better about this!

Yesterday (Wednesday), we went up to the square for their Movies for Munchkins concert series at the Strand. They are only doing 2 this year and I think it is such a fun thing to do. We made it for about an hour at the movie and realized when we got out that Rhodes only had one shoe on (Crocs, her favorite! The girl LOVES shoes!) - but other than that, it was a success. I love living in a community where you can go up to the square and see a movie like Curious George with friends and see lots of friends you know - and even when you come out shoeless, get home and find a friend who just happened to run into you on your way out hasreturned your shoe! I love this town! :)

Here are just a few pictures from our past few days..

This is one of my favorite outfits of the summer.... (Ali had watched Alvin and the Chipmunks; The Squeakquel that day and wanted her hair in pigtails "like Eleanor" - I was so happy she let me do something with her hair!) :)
My little monkey Rhodesy posing....love these girls! (and yes, her clothes always look like this after eating!) :)


Miss Independent is so ready to buckle herself into everything - including the car seat and baby swing....here she is practicing...

Ready for the Munchkin movie and the Strand!
Can you tell how sleepy Rhodes was - I don't usually let her have her papi unless she is in bed so I hate that she has it in in this picture - she was a tired princess!
Our little group - I love have the Lowerys are picture perfect and the Patrick girls are in the middle of eating popcorn! :)

More 4th of July photos!

Here are just some more pictures from our 4th of July weekend! After a fun morning on the square, we headed to Whit, Emilie & Lee's house for dinner and fun with friends! Everything was delicious and we all had a great time! The girls were so tired by the time we left but it was not completely dark so the fireworks hadn't started....Ali literally ran in terrified when we got home, so scared of them. She does NOT like the noise - not even from the little ones that were put off at Whit & Emilie's. It was so sad! :) We got in just in time and Ryan and I put the girls to bed and went out to see if we could see the fireworks from our house - and we could!! It was great!! From our view outside, I ran in just to check and see if the noise was bothering the girls and saw Ali standing in her window staring at us - not liking the noise even from that far away - and inside our house! :) She came out for the rest of the show with us and once she realized the fireworks were not going to hurt her - I think she finally started to like them! :) We lit our own the next night (on the actual 4th) and she helped Ryan set them up and loved watching and playing with the sparklers that night - such a change! :) Hopefully by next year and after our trip to Disney World this summer - she will start to like them more! :) Rhodes was so tired, she slept through it all - but I think she would have loved them!

Ali and Maggie Beth eating dinner and telling jokes!


Ali and her daddy!

The kids took lots of turns pulling and riding the wagon...



Sparklers!
The next morning, we had another big day! We were so proud of Ryan for getting up at the crack of down to head down to Atlanta for the Peachtree Road Race. He made it back before 10 and we had plenty of time to get ready for church! It was a very special day for us at church b/c my dad actually gave the sermon. I was so proud of him!! It was a 4th of July I will always remember!


Ali loved posing for the camera...

Rhodes was not in the mood! :)


I had to put this picture up - after a very late night with the fireworks (WAAY past this kids bedtime!) and an early morning of playing, church and then the pool - these kids were cashed! Ali got her face painted like a cat (seen here) and Rhodeso got her hand painted like a flag (which she immediately started smearing! :)) - we got to the car and both of the girls passed out immediately. I can not tell you the last time Ali has taken a nap - but, as you can see from this picture, she needed one! :) Fireworks, pool, and fun can wear little girls out!
And just some more posing pictures of the girls - trying to be better about taking pictures! :)




We were so excited b/c while daddy was playing golf - one of my closest friends Kelly (I call her Corn) stopped in from Nashville with her husband Robert and their baby Caroline. It was my first time (FINALLY!) meeting Caroline and she was precious. Honestly, she was the best behaved baby out of our 3 combined children that morning! :) She just smiled and looked around and took everything in. We were in love with her! :) The girls loved just looking at her - after she left, Ali kept telling me she thinks she is ready for another baby or maybe even 2 or 3 (she said) - I told her she may have to hold her horses on that one!!! She is the only one ready around here! :)


That afternoon we went for a hike up Kennesaw Mountain and it was beautiful - tiring, but beautiful. I love that something so beautiful and historic is right in our backyard - I hope we make more of an effort to climb it more often!! :)


Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July!!!

3rd of July parade

We had so much fun this morning at the 4th of July parade (on the 3rd of July!). The funny thing about having a grandfather in politics is that you think that being in a parade is just a regular thing! Ali got the pleasure of riding in my dad's 2010 Corvette and Ryan was also thrilled to get to drive it (literally - I don't really get it - it must be something with boys and Corvettes!). Dad wanted Rhodes to get to ride too but I thought it would be better (safer!) for her to stay on the sidelines this year!! Dad brought over the Corvette last night and we took it for a few test spins and the girls practiced waving and it was hilarious! Anyway - here are some pictures from our morning - the girls were so excited when Dad pulled up in the car for the parade! Ali had so much fun again getting to be in the parade and Rhodes, my mom and I loved getting to watch from the sidelines.

Papa is here with his "new" ride!

So excited to be in the parade!
Running around and playing while we waited for the parade to make it's way to Cherokee Street!

2nd lollipop of the morning....over an hour of waiting on a parade to begin can be tough on a little munchkin!
The parade has started and there they are!!!
Can you see little Ali? The seats are low...hard to spot a little princess!
Ryan reaching out to take Rhodes the rest of the way (about .2 of a mile!) - luckily they were probably going .5 mph.
Rhodes joined the parade and knew what to do right from the start! She was waving at everyone - and Ali pepped up more once Rhodes joined the party!
Trying to get a good picture of the whole crew...
After their float went by, Mom and I went to join them at NW Bank to watch the rest of the parade. (Since their float was the first - I think it went on for another hour and a half - we only made it through about 10 more minutes b/c we were hungry for the hot dogs!). Ali was excited to be with our fun friend, little Mimi!
Three little munchkins eating their sno-cones at the bank!
Love these little friends!

After the sno-cones came hot dog time at the bank! Sno-cones before hot dogs, of course!Sweet friends! Look how they have grown since last year (at this exact spot!) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQgOYmthlfYoB4KR8vVEYDptqzGdiFqDP9ZcLlLumqBJRg1q8hPR-3_cAzwD2j-QVV1AQbdteheoT5oPL27-iPdgDvwqs5lBBYazYGdXM5VtFHhcqK5p9YTzWPUeK-rq1w_q5xjSBng/s1600-h/June+133.jpg

The girls loved the flags!
Our 4th of July weekend has officially begun and I finally have found my memory card so hope to have more pictures!! Happy 3rd of July!