So Much Family, So Little Time

 We had a very busy Labor Day weekend. Half of the weekend we spent celebrating birthdays and the other we spent with family. On Friday night, we celebrated with our friends, Greg and Sarah, for their daughter Caroline's 5th birthday. Then we got up Saturday and celebrated Reese and Riley's 3rd birthday. I can't believe how old on these kids are getting. Time really flies.

After the party on Saturday, we loaded up the car and headed to Oklahoma City to see family. Instead of staying with my mom like we normally do, we stayed the first night with Wes's grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Potter, and the second night with my sister. Both we very happy to have us and we were happy to stay.

We did have a little drama, we woke up at the Potters in the middle of the night to hear Gracie crying. Wes leaped out of bed to see what was wrong. He found her with a bloody nose. So we were up for about an hour dealing with that. Then later that next day, she had another bloody nose. It was so weird.

Sunday morning after breakfast, we headed to my mom and dad's house to get ready to have lunch with my sister's family and cousins' family. We had a great time. We ate, the kids all played, the men slept/watched TV and the women talked. 

Sweet Kassidy and Sydney. I am so thankful for the cousins that the girls have. They are all so sweet and patient with the girls even though they are all big kids.

Gracie playing with the Barbie that Kassidy gave them. She brought two of her Barbies to give to the girls. So sweet.

Lizzie busy sticking whatever she can find in her purse. Grandma has so many toys (even ones from when my sister and I were little).

For dinner that night, we all went over to my sister's where Paul, my brother-in-law, made Philly cheese steaks. They were really good.

Because we were staying with my sister, she asked if Kassidy could spend the night too. So, we had 5 little monkeys in jumping on the bed, literally. I think around 10:00 pm they all went to sleep. They girls had a blast and thought they were so cool because they got to stay with the big kids.

For lunch on Monday, It was back to my mom and dad's. Again, we ate, the kids played, the men slept/watched TV and the women talked.

Then, it was time for everyone to go home and get ready for Tuesday. We headed home. On the way home, we stopped for a bathroom break and at the gas station was an big cat rescue mission set up. They had two Bengal tigers out for people to see. We got out because the girls love the episode of the Wonder Pets where they save the Bengal Tiger.  We loaded back up and watched the episode the rest of the way home on the DVD player.

At the Library

The girls and I were suppose to meet up with Reese and Riley and Anna,
Isaac and EJ for story time. Through various missteps (and one sick
boy) we missed the earlier story time and had to go to a later one
with only Reese and Riley. All the girls loved it and they got to pet
a fake stuffed animal tiger.

Will That Be For Here Or To Go

We went to the mall earlier this week to play. After playing we went
to the food court for lunch. While we were waiting to get our order
taken, the girls climbed into the tray spot and sat down. I snapped
this with my phone.

Put on Your Big Girl Pants

Lizzie put on her big girl underwear this week. I decided I was really going to start working hard to get Lizzie to use the potty. Last Sunday, we had a big talk with her about how she was starting big girl Sunday School and big girls don't wear pull ups. So, Monday morning we started wearing underwear.

Monday and Tuesday had me rethinking this whole thing, but by Wednesday she got the hang of it! Something clicked (like it always does with her). On Friday, we went to the mall to play and she went in the potty there! We are so proud of both the girls and I am so relieved.

To get ready for potty training and big girl Sunday School, I went to the Dollar Store. I wanted to get stuff to put in a bag to play with during church. For fun, I found foam fairy wands that could be decorated. Lizzie is intently decorating hers.

Apparently, fairy wands can also double as swords as some of you saw on Facebook. Gracie is decorating her weapon, I mean wand.

As I mentioned before, this was "promotion Sunday" at church. Which means, the three year olds move from the nursery to Sunday School and big church. They also blessed the kids backpacks for the start of school. As you can see, Gracie did not want her picture taken.

Lizzie was all ready to have her picture taken. We had donuts for breakfast and then headed to church. She got a little nervous going in saying she wanted to go to the nursery not big girl Sunday School. Once we got in the classroom and one of their favorite VBS teacher showed up, they were done with us!

When I say they went to big church, it was really only for about 10 minutes. They stay for a little bit then after children's time they go to Wee Worship. They both got upset, not because they were leaving their parents, but because they were leaving Sarah. She's the sweet big girl in this pic with her cute little brother Kyle. They are the girls "Big Sister" and "Big Brother" at church. The girls love Sarah and Kyle a lot and we are so thankful for them (and their wonderful parents).

So today went well, no accidents at church and a momma that got a little emotional because her little babies are growing up!

Closing My Etsy Shop

I have decided to close my Etsy store. I still like to craft and make stuff, but the store was not successful because I didn't promote like I should. All that to say, I have all the inventory for the shop in my house and I want to get rid of it. If you want anything, just make me an offer.

Below is a link to the jewelry album, there are two pictures for everything. Just one item of each.

https://picasaweb.google.com/116239684975797877659/Jewelry#

Just leave a comment with what you want!

Fun Road Trip to Great-Grandma's

On Saturday, we made a quick trip to Oklahoma for the day to see my grandma. We got there right before lunch and we ate at our favorite Italian restaurant. It is really yummy and the girls ate so good. We then went back to grandma's and the girls played while we talked. My grandma really loved seeing the girls and they were really great with her. Gracie had lots of things to tell her.

The most expensive toy, the massage/chair lift. All the great-grandchildren love to play in this chair. They will get in it and push the buttons to go up and down.

Lizzie sitting and looking cute. Grandma has an ottoman that the lid lifts off of and the girls loved to put stuff in it.

The girls with great-grandma.

No trip to great-grandma's is complete with out a ride in the walker. Lizzie liked to push and Gracie likes to ride.

Museum of Nature and Science

Because its been so hot and we haven't really got to take the girls anywhere, we decided to go to the Museum of Nature and Science. The girls loved it. I told them we were going to see dinosaurs and they were thrilled! It was so fun to see them run from one display to another and loving it! The pure joy these girls have can't help but make you smile.

Wes or I would try to show them something and they would run off in another direction. It reminded me of going to science museums with my parents when I was a kid. Being the kid of a scientist, you get to see LOTS of science museums.

My sweet girls hugging.

"Digging" for dinosaurs

Lizzie going down the slide from the fire truck.

Gracie on the slide

Lizzie riding the "tractor"

Gracie riding the "tractor"