I love my facebook friends!

While I hate the thought of getting old, I LOVE birthdays!  And this year's was especially wonderful!  Maybe because I 've been having fun all week!  I got to enjoy two nights out with friends, spent all day today with my family, enjoyed all of my favorite foods, drank my favorite wine, went shopping and bought myself new shoes, got homemade cards from my kids and opened fabulous gifts from loved ones!

In addition to all of that, I think that one of my other favorite things this year was all of the birthday wishes from my facebook friends! 

Starting bright and early this morning, my phone started chiming and each time I looked at it, another person from my life was wishing me a happy birthday!  It made me realize what an incredibly lucky person I am to have so many wonderful people that have touched my life in ways both big and small!

I loved reliving the memories that came with each message!  And was amazed by the wide variety of people that took a few seconds out of their day to brighten mine!  I got messages from childhood friends that I haven't seen in 20+ years, from friends I am just getting to know, from former co-workers, from my first boyfriend, from the classmate that helped me survive some high school math class I should have never signed up for, from Bunco friends and bookclub friends,  from PTO mom friends, from some of my best friends, and from my family!!!

So thank you facebook friends...you certainly made my day! (Well, you and the good looking bartender that gave me a free glass of wine after carding me and realizing today was my birthday!)

a yummy summer treat

The kids are constantly wanting to build a fire in the firepit at night and make smores.  However, when it is super hot, that is the last thing I want to do.  So the other day when I was reading facebook and came across this recipe on one of my friend's pages, I had to try it! 

Frozen Smores!

cool whip

mini marshmallows

mini chocolate chips

graham crackers

I made homemade whipped cream and then just dumped as many marshmallows and chocolate chips as I thought looked good.  Loaded it onto 1/2 a graham cracker and topped with the other one.  Put them in the freezer and then ENJOYED!  They are so good and so easy to make!!!  Perfect for the little ones to help!

splish splash

One of our favorite summer activities is spending time at the pool!  We go so much that Katy has become quite the little swimmer without taking lessons!  She can swim half the length of the pool and can back float for minutes at a time!!!  This has made going to the pool a new experience for me as I can now sit on the edge watching as they all play!

Where as Katy just loves to swim and float, Abby and Ben enjoy the diving board and slide. 

Here is a video of Abby and Ben showing off their diving board skills on the low dive! (I finally remembered to bring the camera with me!!!)

He likes the high dive too!

Abby will do the high dive too, but prefers the low one!

Everybody's favorite thing to do is ride on daddy's back as he swims deep under the water!

This slide is Katy's speed!

We also got to spend a day last week swimming with our friends at their grandma's pool!

Clay watering Colton

GI Joe going for a float

Can you say trouble!!!

What you get when you ask Clay to say "Cheese!"

so serious!!!

my attempt at a group shot

playing catch up

Unfortunately, it would seem that blogging hasn't been on the top of my summer "to do" list!  I have a few excuses for this...

#1 - Since we've returned from vacation, we have been enjoying quite the lazy summer.  Everyday is pretty much the same...pool, friends, ice cream, and playing!

#2 - The camera battery died and I keep forgetting to charge it...who wants to read a pictureless blog!!! 

#3 - Our desk is a MESS and I'd rather avoid it and the computer, than actually sit down and go through all these papers.

#4 and probably the main reason I've been slacking on blogging -I have spent almost ALL of my free time reading...it has become an obsession this summer. 




This spring, I was asked to join a book club.  I was a little hesitant to join (I can be a little picky on books and wasn't sure I would want to read what others chose for me!!!), but I did join as I love an excuse to go out.  I should also tell you that I have some major issues when it comes to books and I wasn't sure how well this was going to work out. 

For one, I hate paper...yes paper.  I hate the smell and the feel of it, especially newspaper (I am cringing at the mere thought of it!!!)  This makes choosing a book a bit of a challenge.  I prefer pages that are as white and crisp as possible.  I won't even consider reading the small paperbacks that you can usually buy for around $5 at wal-mart or the grocery store.  The paper is just too textured, dry and smelly!  This is a major internal battle for me because I do love a bargain and my reading addiction has turned into a costly habit.   I know what you are thinking...the library, right? 

Well, this would be my second issue.  I have a library card.  My kids read books from the library, but I just can't do it!  The thought of curling up in bed with a book that has been held by who knows how many strangers, read in unknown places and has germs and stains and crinkles and crusties makes me ill.  One day this summer, I decided that I was being ridiculous. I had purchased 3 books in one week during our vacation, I couldn't continue at that rate for financial reasons and space constraints. I decided that surely I could read a library book!  So while the kids were looking at books at the library, I decided to give it a try.  I started out hopeful, especially when I noticed the special section in the library called "new books!"  The perfect solution right!!!  Yea, not so much.  The first one that I picked up had crusties on it.  GROSS!

My solution was ebooks.  I don't have an e-reader (however, my birthday is next week...hint, hint!!!), but I do have an iPhone that I can download books from the library to, so the last 2 weeks of reading (4 books) has been FREE!!!    The only problem is that the library's ebook collection is depressingly limited!!!

My third issue is that I agonize over what book to read!  Chris and the kids can vouch for me on this.  On vacation, they were forced to spend an entire evening at Barnes and Noble while I tried to find a book to read.  It was so bad that Chris actually found an employee to come help me!  I finally picked a book and didn't like it, so it is on the shelf partially read.  I went to Target the next day by myself and picked one (Skipping a Beat!)  that I really enjoyed!  I have searched book club websites, best seller lists, etc. to find books I will like, but have found that friend suggestions are usually the best (depending on the friend!!!)

So, I thought I would share the books I have read this summer for any of you looking for a good book to read!
Keep in mind that I don't do mystery, historical fiction, fantasy or vampires, so you won't find Harry or Edward appearing on this list.


The Island - it was a great vacation book!

Skipping a Beat - another vacation read.  It was unpredictable and different.  I really enjoyed it even though it made me cry : (

Summer's End: a novel - bought, read and finished this during the car ride home from vacation!  a sweet story!

The Glass Castle - A lady at B&N said it was the best book she ever read!  After reading the back, it sounded a little heavy to read at the beach, so I didn't get it until I got home.  I enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend that everyone read it! 

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt - This one might be my favorite so far this summer!!!  You should read it!  One of the reviews claimed it was Steel Magnolias meets the Help (another recent favorite!!!)

44 Charles Street - the first Danielle Steel book I've read.  I always thought her stuff was a little more "trashy" romance, so I stayed away.  However, as I said the selection of ebooks at the library is quite limited and the available titles are almost nill, so you take what you can get!!!  : )  I was actually pleasantly surprised by the book!  It wasn't trashy at all!  I really, really liked it!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - I found this book to be overly descriptive and painfully slow, yet it has an intriguing story.  I debated on whether to keep reading it or not several times, but I finally did finish it and was happy that I did! 

The Castaways - the storyline was a little bit scandalous, (but not in an obsene way).  I couldn't put it down.  I really wanted to find out what happened on the boat!!!  I finished it feeling unsatisfied :(

Tonight when I finish blogging I will start Kiss Me If You Can...I am a little worried but a friend recommend it as a quick, fun read and it was available at the library!!!

If you have read something really good lately...let me know!  I would love some suggestions!!!

one of my favorite little readers!!! 

Katy the baker

Today, Katy was my little kitchen helper!  We needed to make some treats for Chris's family reunion this weekend.

 She is an expert cupcake sprinkler!

And super cookie smasher!

Our festive fourth of July treats!!!

waterslide

On hot days like today, we usuallly head to the pool!  However, there was too much to do today, so Ben found his own way to keep cool!!!

Make your own WATERSLIDE!!!!

Not only a great way to stay cool, but lots of fun!!!

Vacation

After 22.5 hours of driving, we made it! This year Chris did almost all of the driving.  However, there wasn't much sleep going on for the rest of us!  Normally, the kids sleep through the night, but they were awake with the exception of a few naps!

Thankfully, our trip was uneventful.  No crazy Cadilliacs "stalking" us or semis swerving through 4 lanes of traffic as the driver was falling asleep as we've had in the past!  In fact, this is really the only highlight from the road! 

a mouse car!!!

It is a pest control car complete with ears on top and a tail in the back!  Chris was super embarrassed that I was taking pictures of it, but he decided that my photo taking was much less embarrassment than what the poor man driving it must be experiencing!

After unpacking, we went to the pool where we were the only ones there and the water was the perfect temperature to enjoy! Ahhh....finally time to relax! 

Luckily, no one was in the pool, and we were able to break a few rules while we were there!
 (no large floats, no jumping, no balls/toys, etc!)

our new friends from PA

Most of our 2 week trip was the same: relaxing, swimming at the pool and enjoying the beach!  So, I will just include the highlight!

*Every day began by sleeping in...and on Saturday, we (Chris and I) stayed in bed until noon! Chris watched tv, I read and the kids entertained themselves without fighting!!!  I felt a little guilty for wasting the morning away, but it's vacation so I just enjoyed!

*Ben discovered he had a wiggly tooth and just a few hours later it was out! (If only he could use some of this persistence in other areas of life!!!). Apparently, if you lose your tooth while in Florida, the tooth fairy brings you a sand dollar!!! Ben thought that was way cool!  A few days later, as we sat down to enjoy dinner, Ben realized he had yet another loose tooth!  This one didn't even make it through dinner without being pulled out!  I still find it amazing that he can get them out so fast!  Abby's hang on for weeks before coming out!  This time tooth fairy left $3.  Ben has decided that this is a pretty efficient way of making money and now regularly checks for loose teeth!

Ben's new sMiLe!!!

Ben actually lost a third tooth while we were on our trip, and he has another wiggly one that Chris won't let him pull out!!!

*We made our first trip to the beach on Thursday! Ben was reluctant to go. He didn't want to get sandy! However, it didn't take him long to get into beach mode. Chris took them out into the gulf, past my comfort zone, and there they found our first unbroken sand dollar! Ben of course thought the tooth fairy had something to do with our good fortune! Unfortunately, the sand dollar was still alive. Katy was already to take him home and kill him to keep his shell, Ben thought we could get an aquarium and keep him for a pet, and Abby demanded we throw him back!!!

We found lots of living sea creatures inside of shells this year!!!

They were easy to find! As the tide went out, you could see the trails that they made. We would dig at the end of the trail and "capture" them!!!

a very creative mollusk!

If you look carefully, you can see his eye peeking out above the sand!






our collection of sea creatures on top of our castle!

The race to see who could leave the fastest!  The little white crab was the fastest and escaped quickly! The rest were all quite slow, so they put them in the bucket and tossed them back into the water with the sand dollar!

*Friday night, was movie night. Ben and Chris went to see Green Lantern, while the girls went to see Judy Moody! As we left the theater, we realized that there was a monsoon overhead! Chris offered to go get the car and pick us up, but instead we made it a family adventure and ran to the car together in the pouring rain! Everyone was drenched by the time we got to the car, but they were all laughing and thought it was fun to run in the rain!!!

*HaPpY FaThEr's DaY!!

 Pretty sure Chris enjoyed his nap in the pool!  We then had a delicious fish dinner with Tortilla crusted Tilapia and baked potatoes! 

 
 



We love you daddy!







* We have some favorite places that we always go when we are here!  Such as pizza night at CiCi's where the kids love the macaroni and cheese pizza and arcade room!!!  This year we added a new place!  YOGURT MOUNTAIN!!!  We went there for our father's day dessert!  It is a cute little shop where they give you a big bowl and then you fill it with whatever type of frozen yogurt you like and all the toppings you want!  You then take your bowl to the checkout where they weigh it and you pay 45cents per ounce!  I was a little worried that it could be a costly visit, but the kids kept dad from filling his bowl too full and it only ended up costing $14 for 5 yummy self made sundaes!  We will definitely be back next year!






*ALLIGATOR!!!  We found the Alligator that has been roaming around Lighthouse Bay!

*Mini golf...This was a huge hit!  Chris ended up having to take Katy and Ben twice after we won a free round of golf...there was no way Ben was going to waste that!

by the way...I won!!!

***my favorite thing to do....watch the sun set at the beach!  It is so peaceful and beautiful!

TO BE CONTINUED...




*Random Kid Quotes

Katy has picked up where she left off with swimming!  She was showing off to Chris in the pool, when she came up for air, Chris told her she was doing great and she said, " that is because I am half mermaid!"  Later after doing even better, she said, "that is because I am all mermaid now!"



She entered the room where Chris was and said, "Dad, I am PANICKING!!!"  Chris asked why.  and she yells, " I can't tell you!" and runs out of the room!



Katy was doing her hair in the mirror and he walks by and say to her, "You look cute!"  How sweet!



During dinner one night, Abby asked how old she had to be to date. (AHHHH!)  Chris told her 16!  However, Ben was listening and chimed in with, "Well, I am already dating!"



Evidently, Chris told Ben that he could have his own cell phone when he was taller than him.  Ben shared this with me and then said, "I am pretty sure I will be that big, but I am going to eat healthy because I am not going to take any chances!"