Happy Fourth of July!

Over the Fourth this year, we had a little staycation. We spent time at the beach and with friends. We worked on no major projects and even turned off the television from time to time. (Don't worry--we still watched plenty of "George, Mama?" And "Puppies, Mama?")

Shirley: all decked out to go to the "Beach, Mama?"

My cousin sent her this hat, scarf and mitten set, surely for this winter. Yes, she is wearing the whole set with her bathing suit. Shirley is nothing if not prepared.

The Bairn, enjoying the shade. Clearly.
The Sand Princess.

All she needs is a bucket and a shovel.
See?
On the Fourth, we went to a pool party at some friends' house.

Shirley loved the water so much, she stayed in until she literally turned blue.
Enjoying some "sming" with Daddy and "Uncle" Nate.

Here's a little gem for ya:

6/22/10

Father's Day

For Father's Day this year, we kept things pretty low key (besides the family reunion, that is!). We had a nice dinner and went to church together.

Here is Shirley, coloring her card for Daddy.

And Baby Richard got to sit up and look around in honor of his Daddy.

6/20/10

Family Reunion

At the end of June, Richard's grandparents came to visit from California. It was so much fun to introduce them to Baby Richard and show off how much Shirley Jean has grown since we last saw them in January.

6/19/10

The Playground Duo

Venturing out to the park is no small feat for us. I am getting more brave, though, and less afraid that something terrible will happen, so I try to take Shirley Jean and Richard to the park near our house a couple times a week.

Shirley cheers for the other kids who come down the slide. It brings tears to my eyes when I see her little encouraging self developing. I often wonder if I'm getting a glimpse of her spiritual gifts at this young age. Ok, it does more than bring tears to my eyes. It makes me want to WEEP.

I think it's really cool that I have pictures of SJ in this same swing from the last three summers.

I like this picture because you can see Baby Richard in the background. :)

Baby Richard loves the park, too. There are so many new noises and smells and things to see. The trees, the other children, the breezes, the kids playing and screaming down at the beach. Both children sleep for hours after a trip to the park!

6/16/10

Painting

Shirley Jean LOVES painting ("painking").

Here are some cute pictures from earlier this month.

6/9/10

Bubble Blowin' Fool

Shirley Jean really thinks she's living when she goes to the other side of the yard.

She must feel like she's on a safari.

No, she is not wearing pants (in the traditional sense). Any mother who has potty-trained will understand.

I literally have 25 pictures of her sitting on fence like this. It takes a lot of concentration to blow bubbles.

5/26/10

Awful Dress!

Shirley Jean LOVES dresses. Most days, I ask her which beautiful dress she wants to wear. Usually she ends up changing her mind a couple times a day.

One day I was getting her ready to go to Richard's softball game and she said, "Awful dress, Mama. Awful dress. Mama! Awful dress! Yook! Awful dress!"

I said, "No! Your dress is BEAUTIFUL!"

She said, "Yeah! Awful!"

Here she is, modeling one of her current favorite "awful dresses," with a shirt as a headdress--of course. This photo just takes my breath away.

5/24/10

Snuggle Time

Shirley LOVES to snuggle on "a-couch," with her brother. This photo is from May 4.

Sigh...

According to a quick blog search, Shirley Jean has demolished paper products on:

March 10, 2009

March 18, 2009

July 11, 2009

I guess I get what I deserve when I set her up to read a bed time story in my bed and then get distracted in the kitchen. At least Post-It flags are cheap. (Sense the TONE.)

Accessorize!

It's important to accessorize with every outfit.