Summer days are gone too soon!

Its soooo crazy that this summer is almost over...we've done a lot, but not nearly everything that I had planned! We recently went hiking in Tunica Hills. I know!... after it was all said and done, I asked myself...why did you bring a 2 year old and a 3 month old on a 3 hour hike! It was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Avie did great...she just sat in the baby sling on my chest while I toted her around. Jack was a tough boy...I have to brag and say that no two year old could have hiked up and down hills like he did! He occupied himself with sticks and rocks and the sounds of the locusts in the trees...which kept him going because he thought that they were snakes coming to get him. We finally made it to one of the larger water falls and somehow ended up at the top of it, thanks to my husbands wonderful since of navigation. It would have been perfect if Jack wasn't so curious about trying to see the bottom....made me so nervous. Luckily its so dry this time of year that the streams were shallow and Jack was able to play in the water. We decided to hang out and play for a while since we had a long hike back. Avie enjoyed putting her feet in the water as well. The hike back was somewhat dreadful...we were all so tired. Jack was very irritable and was moving at a snails pace. We finally made it back with tears, sweat, headaches, and very sore legs.

Sunday we went to church...a Sunday morning that I actually dreaded. Jack has started throwing a fit when we leave him in the nursery...it started shortly after Avie was born. He has been at my moms the past few weekends, so we haven't had to deal with it....up until last Sunday. Brandon decided that he was going to bring him because "its just me" that is making him cry. Well after I dropped Avie off in her classroom I was headed to our class, and I see Brandon coming out of Jacks class (FYI he left a good 15 minutes before I did to bring Jack, so he has been in Jacks classroom for a good while) and Jack screaming is soon to follow... And I am happy to know that "its not just me". It's a horrible feeling as a parent...knowing that your child is screaming in agony for you! We both stood in the hallway waiting/hoping his screams would subside. They eventually did. But guess who leaves in the middle of Sunday school and before church to check on jack...daddy does:) I knew it would get to him!

Did I mention my wonderful sister came too!

Couldn't have done it without her.

...And this is when the tears started

"Mommy I lu you!"

I made it up at 7:15 this morning. Eventually I will make it to 6:00 a.m. This is my new goal, to wake up at 6:00. I figure I can get so much more done while the kiddos are still asleep and by the time they get up at 9:00, I can spend the morning with them instead of cleaning up the house; besides, I enjoy watching cartoons too! I am an awful morning person though, which is why I couldn't live without coffee. I turned into an obsessed coffee drinker after I had Jackson!

Avie has all of the sudden discovered that she has a voice...she has been babbling like crazy, mostly to offset her brother, I'm sure she feels she can never get a word in. Jackson spent the weekend with Nana and PeePaw and when we were on our way home Sunday from picking him up, Avie was so happy to see him back in the backseat next to her. She would look at him and grin....well he fell asleep 2 minutes out the driveway...so she would show him. She must have tried talking to him for 20 minutes trying to get him to notice her...it was too cute! She really loves her brother.

Jackson has just started at random, telling me..."I lu you mommy!" Its the sweetest thing ever and makes my heart just melt. I remember the first time he told me...it was about 3 weeks ago and I was putting on my makeup, and he came up to me, wrapped his arms around my leg and said, I lu you! I actually got happy tears in my eyes=..) Another time...just yesterday, I was getting so frustrated with him because he wouldn't take a nap. Finally I decided that I would just lay down with him, so I snuggled up beside him on the couch and he turned over to face me and put his hand on my face and said, "Mommy I lu you!"

avie.3.months

4th of July Weekend

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend, spent with family and friends. Friday my accident prone son took his second trip to the ER for an out of socket elbow. It is mostly my fault if not all my fault, but no parent likes to admit that they pulled their childs' arm out of socket. Jack was sitting in Avie's swing and we were listening to the radio and I wanted him to come dance with me so I pulled him out of the swing by both of his hands and at the same time he pulled back...which lead to the elbow coming out of socket. He cried in my arms for a while and made sure to tell me that I hurt his arm...made me feel terrible! I really didn't think it was going to become of anything until he cried every time I touched his arm and when he wouldn't get down to play when his friend Sammy came to see him. So long story short I did end up taking him to the ER and the x ray revealed an elbow out of socket. The doctor came in and rolled it back into socket and after many tears and some Motrin we were sent home. He was sleeping before we pulled out of the parking lot...

Our friends from Shreveport arrived earlier and I felt terrible for having to leave Avie with them. It was now dinner time and we decided to get pizza in St.Fransisville and let the boys ride the ferry across the Mississippi...they absolutely loved it! Jackson woke up like nothing had happened. There was a game room at the pizza place we ate at with Guitar Hero...Jack picked up the guitar and started playing like he was a rock star...I knew he was going to be just fine!

Saturday Sandra and I went to get pedicures while Brandon and Jeff went hiking at Port Hudson with the boys. Avie slept on my lap most of the time....I think the massage chair put her to sleep. It was good to catch up on girl talk that I so desperately needed. After lunch we went out to my moms and went swimming and then grilled burgers and dogs. It was a wonderful time. On the way home the guys bought fireworks that we would later find out was a waste of 60 bucks! They had good intentions for us to sit in our lawn chairs in the back yard on a 4th of July night and give us a fireworks show. Little did they know that Sammy was going to be deathly afraid of the fireworks and Jack was more than bothered by the smoke and flames that the sparklers let off! So...inside we go...I hope the guys enjoyed popping the fireworks by themselves.

Sunday I spent the day cleaning the house...it looked like a tornado hit it. Jack even made the comment that his room was a mess and he needed to clean it up. I think he found toys that he didn't even know he had!

Despite the mess we did have a great 4th of July weekend and were glad our friends came down to spend it with us!

The bunch at my moms swimming

Sandra and Sammy doing sparklers and Jack in

back ground throwing a fit.

This face is unexplainable!

This is after he said smoke and fire was on him

from the sparklers!