seaside 2011

we got back yesterday from a week long vacation to seaside, florida.  this has quickly become a family tradition in our house that we hope to make as many years as possible.  this year, we were able to go with my brother, jarrod's family and my parents as well.  it was so much fun having so many of us together under one roof for a full week (although of course, we missed josh's family oh-so-much!).

we played in the sun, enjoyed the cooler (yes, it was much cooler!) temps, and just enjoyed our time away from it all.  and by all, i mean ALL!  we didn't even get in a car after being dropped off by the car service from the airport until we left for the airport seven days later.  golf carts, bikes, and our own feet were our transport and i LOVE that.  i love not having my phone on me, a watch, worrying about schedules, oh-so-lovely!

we are so thankful for DFW play areas!

evening chat on the porch with the fam

link cooling off  :)

fried pickles + ranch dressing = genius.

i think jay is going to sell his car and get one of these big golf carts.  seriously.  so fun.

the boys playing games after dinner

at bud and alley's for our anniversary dinner - 4 years!

celebrating my sweet dad's 29th - err, 69th, birthday!

papa, or "boppa" if you are link :)

divine.

our little life guard

link's little beach house

blowing off steam during the professional photog shoot

link ADORED our photographer.  she could just smile at him and he would giggle.  (none of those pictures are here - these are iphone pics!)

link was full of kisses for the camera.  my adorable little show off.  :)

last day on the beach

jay and i hung out at the adult pool during link's naps while my mom babysat.  glorious.

link and his big cousin, kyle, who he calls "tra-tra" :)

fake smile?  this is so cheesy, we were cracking up.

movie night

concert night on the lawn

it was such a fun, fun trip!  i always say an actual goodbye to that beautiful stretch of beach when i leave with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat.  seaside, we will see you next year!!!  LOVE THAT PLACE!!!!

time flies

he was what, maybe 22, 23 inches long in that first pic?  now he is 37 inches tall, wearing a size 9 shoe, a 4T top, and is stronger than anyone i know.   oh, and nearing two...ever heard that term, "terrible two's?"  i always thought that was a joke.  uh-uh, nope, no, sure isn't.  the tantrums are here and my goodness, can he throw them.  jay and i can't seem to figure out why, i mean neither of us are opinionated or outspoken or anything (if you can't see the sarcasm, you don't know us too well), haha!  alas, have been refining our disciplinary tactics and trying to laugh instead of cry.  because some days, i don't know which one is more appropriate.  :)

we are still having a blast and with all the craziness, realizing that at some point we will miss all this, or at least laugh at it.  the weak knees and refusal to walk while throwing a tantrum in a public place, wanting me to hold him or hold his hand as he takes me to every individual water spout at the spray park, and even the crawling atop every piece of furniture in our house and attempting to dance (hoping this isn't a fast forward 18 years to college frat parties?!)...yes, we will miss all of it.  and sometimes i need to write it down, just to remember it.  :)

oh, did i mention he has been falling asleep again fairly often in the morning, like for two naps?  the above pic was taken after my morning jog, at like 9am!!!  maybe if he slept past 6am he wouldn't be sleepy at 9??  :)

the new water table, link's personal hot tub

dancing on the dining room table, then counting to three and jumping.  yes, this is one of the disciplinary things we have "reviewed" (ie put a stop to!)

  "talking" with his bear friend at lakeside park tonight.  a very sweet moment.  :)

HAPPY FOURTH!

we spent the fourth in tulsa again this year with my brother, josh's family and my parents.  it was so much fun!  

jay got in a lot of golf at their club with josh and our nephew, asher.  carter, my oldest nephew, got a lot of practice driving us around.  he has his permit and is turning 16 in less than a month.  so unreal.  my oldest nephew is almost as old as i was when he was born!  ohmygoodness!!  we also got in SEVEN trips to the pool, lots of cookouts, a night out for sushi with josh and joy, and link had a REALLY good time with his big cousins and all their friends at their annual fourth of july party.  

we had fun livin' on tulsa time.  :)

swimming with daddy and caroline

waiting for the parade down their street with mom

hangin' in the parade car with all the lovely ladies

link and care-bear

two sleepy pics, one at fireworks, one on the road trip  :)

adorable.

happy fourth!  

i hope you all had a great holiday and time with friends and family celebrating our great nation.  

cousin's camp, part II

oh.my.goodness.  i am tired.  what an incredible week!  if you read part one, you saw day one, after the water park.  well the kids just left and link went down for a much-needed nap, and now i am on my computer for the first time in days.  :)

we greeted soliders at DFW, went to legoland, rode a carousel, ate some bubba's, swam at SMU, ate some chuy's, watched a movie at jay's office theater, played hide and seek, played some xbox, slept a little at our house, swam at colonial, helped uncle jay caddy at colonial, ate burgers, saw cars 2, had time at hunny and papa's house, slept a teeny bit more, ate at mi cocina (with most of the older cousins, almost the whole fam at once!), and oh-so-much more!  jay and i also managed to squeeze in some work, taking link to his cousin jack's first birthday party, taking link to get a few more naps, church today, working out, keeping a friend's sick dog this week, and for jay, a LOT more caddy-ing at judd's club championship.  :)  that's all my brain can process and/or remember right now.  :)  there were warm fuzzy exchanges for good behavior, prayers, bible verses, and songs.  oh, and a lot of fun memories made.  thanks kids, for a wonderful week!

(p.s.  i also got a taste of what it would be like to have five kids.  HATS OFF to anyone that does, because i barely made it through one week!)

greeting solders - welcome home troops!

diving at SMU - even papa got into it (above)

precious boys!  so sweet.

lots of snuggles, above with hunny at movie night, below with caroline in his tent

below, link after camp, and showing EXACTLY how i feel! 

byebye for now, time for me to catch a quick nap while my crazy kiddo catches up on sleep, too.  :)

cousin's camp, day one

well i guess technically it's day two, but the first full day.  it's that time of year again, and the youngest link cousins (asher, caroline, carson, and nathan) are in town for camp!  it's so much fun, and today has been perfect thus far.  as the youngest participant, link has to take breaks from camp for naps and early bedtimes, but he sure gets a lot of special treatment from his older cousins, which he LOVES.

it's so amazing because we took the kids to this same park last year and link wasn't quite yet walking, but definitely not swimming or sliding.  this year he was running all over the park, swimming to us in the lazy river, and sliding down every slide he was allowed on.  crazy how that seems like it was just a couple of months ago!

with papa

with sweet caroline

splish, splash!  summer is so fun...and we still have three days of camp left!!  woohoo!  (i promise we got more pics of the other kids, just not on my iphone).  i'll get more tomorrow!

these pictures were taken almost exactly a year apart. this is going by so fast!!!!

8 months old

20 months old

we've already hit over 100 degrees here in dallas, had our first pool party of the summer today, and vacations are all booked, planned, and ready!  before we know it it will be september again and link will be two.  unreal.  i'm just trying to take time everyday to sit down and thank the Lord for each day, savoring the little moments, snuggles, and sweet smiles of our precious boy!  he keeps me on my toes and is the busiest little guy i've ever known, but i love him so and wouldn't have it any other way!