National Lampoon's Vacation...Young Edition, and the Toothfairy, too!

We just returned from visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Iowa and what a great time we had! We drove up there, with Nana and all...Mom even got to drive the Yukon with trailer in tow while Brian and I attempted to sleep. This was our first time to Iowa and I can really see why they like living there...I was not ready to come home! And I have to say Ali is too cute being preggers...She is about 19 weeks along now (and tiny as can be), so almost halfway there! Not only did we celebrate Ali's birthday while we were there (can't believe she is 30, and pregnant!), but they also had us time the trip so we could go to the Iowa state fair. We were there on opening day, when over 130,000 people gathered to break the record for eating corny dogs simultaneously...that same day, we witnessed the live delivery of a baby goat in the birthing center. The best part of it all, though, was the food! Brian and I both gained 3 lbs each in like 5 days! Lauren & Meghan loved petting the different animals and riding a couple of the rides in the midway. They were most excited just to be there with their Aunt Ali & Uncle Jason! The fair was not all we did...we shopped, the guys golfed and we just got some good rest & relaxation. Ali & Jason's new house is very cozy! Lauren also came back with a very memorable moment...We spent our last day in Iowa with one more outing to the fair, where Lauren lost her first tooth (one of her front bottom teeth)! It's been loose for awhile now, and that day she was really wiggling it...As we sat down to eat, she bit into her chicken tender and out it came! She was so excited about it, but wanted me to make sure to let the toothfairy to know that we were in Iowa and to wait until we got home before she came. She is such a big girl! On our way home, we stopped at a stand to get some yummy Iowa sweet corn to bring home with us...That stuff is so good!!! Ali & Jas, thanks for a great time!

Ga-Ga for Za Za!

I got to spend some fun time with my baby sis this past weekend before she heads off to college in 2 weeks! We went to Dallas and literally shopped 'til we dropped! We stayed at Hotel Za Za and, let me just tell you, it was awesome! After much needed naps, we got ready and went down to Dragonfly...The food was good and the atmosphere was very groovy! After 10pm, it turns into more of a lounge, and then there is an outdoor area with pool and DJ, who just happened to put on some JT as soon as we walked outside! And, for entertainment purposes only, we decided to have card readings done...what an interesting experience for the both of us! The next morning, we ended our Za Za experience with a trip to ZaSpa (wish I could do that everyday!), and then over to Chuy's for some yummy mexican food! All in all, it was a great time and I'm so happy Em and I got to have some fun girly-time together!!!

Blue Skies and Rainbows

"...and sunbeams from heaven..." (can't get that song out of my head:))

The girls were so excited to see a rainbow this evening...After bathtime, we noticed that while the sun had come back out, it was also still sprinkling, so the girls wanted to go outside to feel the raindrops. While in the backyard, we turned to see this beautiful rainbow and Lauren immediately said "Can we please go in the front to see where it ends?" So, we headed for the front yard where we seemed to end up under this wonderous arch. As we stared up into the sky, I couldn't help but think with all of the day-to-day "buzz", what a sweet way to end the day in seeing this gentle reminder of God's promise.

The Family Who Cried Wolf

...Ok, so we didn't exactly cry wolf, but we played really hard at the Great Wolf Lodge! We had a great time taking the girls there...I think there were only 2 or 3 slides they couldn't go down because of their height. I was pleasantly surprised on how much the girls were just go-getters... the taller the slide, the more they liked it! And there is more to do there than just the waterpark...an arcade, spa, the "magical wands" that every kid staying at the resort HAS to have, and, of course, shopping! The food was pretty good, too! This was definitely a family adventure worth repeating!

Lauren, Mommy and THE "magical wand".
Wheeeeeee!

I may be smiling here, but I'm thinking "oh snap"...the raft just happened to turn so that I ended up going backwards!

Brian making his own fun!

Extreme Makeover...Sassy Edition!

Lauren has been asking to cut her hair (just like her little friend Macey's) for over a month now, sooooo I finally gave in...I took her to my hair guy, who just ROCKS, and because I don't trust anyone else with my hair, I wanted to make sure she was in good hands with such a drastic cut (well, drastic for me)! She got over 7 inches cut off...and I have to say she looks absolutely precious! We're off to a little family getaway...Enjoy the pics:)

Before:

Meghan is full of sassy, too!Sweet and sassier!!!

Alley Cats

Yesterday, we met Leah and her girls at Alley Cats...and it was really alot of fun! I say it that way because I am not huge on bowling, even though, according to Leah, I was named the "pro-bowler" of the group (got a strike my first time up!)!!! The girls were especially excited about the cool little ball ramp they got to use for their game...

And while the girls danced to the music videos on the big screen tv's in-between turns, Leah and I lounged on the comfy leather couches they had there (instead of those hard seats you usually find at bowling allies)...I think I speak for the both of us in saying that was our favorite part!

What a day!

Happy Birthday to ME...and Happy 4th, too!

Cantina Laredo has recently become my favorite restaurant and so we celebrated my birthday there last weekend...Surrounded by family and friends, we all had a great time! Lauren even got to help make the guacamole, which was very yummy!!! After dinner, we all walked over to get ice cream at MarbleSlab, which was also very yummy!!! Brian and I also had our own date night the next evening...we went to the Movie Tavern to see Love Guru!!! It was so funny, and anyone who knows me knows that I won't pass up an opportunity to see Justin Timberlake in whatever it may be!!! Brian and the girls took very good care of me all weekend...Yes, I know, I am very spoiled!

Our 4th of July weekend has been fun, too! We started the morning of July 4th with our neighborhood parade...When we lived in Burleson, we always went to the city parade where they would throw candy out to all of the kids. Of course, that was Lauren's favorite part, so she asked if she could throw candy out since she was in the parade...So we ended up decorating the wagon for both girls to ride along and throw out candy...There were even a couple of comments from onlookers about how Lauren had the wave down, too! After swimming that afternoon, we headed down to Granbury to meet up with Brian's cousins where we went out on the boat to watch fireworks. This was the girls' first time out on a ski boat and they had a blast! It called for a long day and late night, but what great memories we're making!!!