Splishin' and a Splashin' and a Spittin'

I guess it's okay since we are in Arkansas and all. ;-)

Lego Time!

Yep, we pulled them out today... The Leggos that M.A. and I played with for who knows how many countless hours when we were kids. Grace had a wonderful time. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if Aunt Mary Allison had been here to share in the fun!

Plaid, Check, Polka-Dot, Stripe... Which Is The Pattern That You Like?

This afternoon mom treated me to a manicure and pedicure! I have only ever had this done once before when I was a junior in high school (nearly 12 years ago... Yikes! I'm old!). It was fabulous, and I can definitely see how it could become habit forming!

There is a bit of a funny side note to this story. I had no idea what the lady who was doing my nails was saying to me... Like, I could not understand one word she said... And somehow I ended up with sparkly, polka-dot toes! I kind of like them... And Grace was more than impressed. She has already decided that when she gets bigger and can get her nails painted, she would like rainbow colored nails. That will be something I surely don't want to miss out on!

Thanks, Mama! I feel like a new woman! :-)

Picture Post

Max is 11!

Playing with the cousins...



Brother and sister play time at Nana and Paw Paws...



We finally took Grace to Wilson Park in Fayetteville. When I was a kid we lived a couple of blocks over and I would play here all the time. I remember falling down in this little 'creek' and being totally wet...






If you are at the A.C. Steere park between 9 and 10 am you just might see the Nidas! We have been loving this place lately...





We went to Lake Charles for an interview and also got to eat a ton of good food and best of all got to see Great Paw Paw and Ma'maw... And hear plenty of alligator stories!





Jack started pulling up on the air conditioner in the hotel. Can you blame him?!?








Precious brother and sister. I love these kiddos and they love each other! I love love love how they are starting to play together now...


Grace and Papa...


Sweet sleeping boy...


The very first (for Grace and Jack) Nida cousin sleep over... Complete with sprinkler fun!


Thanks Samuel!!!


And Veggie Tales before bed...


This boy is crawling and pulling up...


And still cute as can be...


Hide and seek in the car...



The only way to stay cool outside...

So...

So... since the last post we have been to Shreveport, Arkansas, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and Alma again. I am pretty sure we haven't been in one place for a week in over 3 months (except the bit of time we had in ga to pack our entire house before moving... That doesn't count as rest). So how are we doing? Well, let me paint you a picture...

The picture of my family at dinner tonight was what prompted this post. It just had to be recorded because it was such a good picture of life right now.

Grace had a bowl of macaroni and sang 'She'll Be Comin' Around The Mountain' at the top of her lungs about 1000 times. She even added her own verses. Jack played with a knife and ate almost an entire kids plate of food (did I mention we were at a restaurant... In public). The boy has discovered real food and he is a FAN. I thought boys ate you out of house and home during the teenage years, not at 10 months! I was wearing a t shirt and jeans and had never dried my hair or put on makeup all day... Actually I'm pretty sure it's been close to a week since I have done any of those things. I looked around and realized that everyone else was like half way through their meals and I had not even found my silverware yet. It was during all of this hoopla that I had the overwhelming urge to put my head down on the table and just go to sleep. Could I please just close my eyes and let someone else deal with it...

We are all SO insanely tired. I mean totally exhausted. It's not the same kind of tired that comes with having a newborn. That is sleep deprivation exhaustion. This is something else. It is like stress exhaustion. My body feels pretty rested but my mind is totally in need of a vacation... And I'm not talking a Disney trip. I mean I need to check in to the Embassy Suites and lay in a cold dark silent room for at least a week and do absolute nothing and think about absolutely nothing and take care of absolutely no one... Please. But I don't see anything like that coming in the near (or let's be honest, distant) future, so I guess we I'll just have to get on with things... and start documenting again!

I realize what i just wrote sounds pretty awful... It really has not been that bad of a season. (I have been known to be a bit melodramatic in the past)... Just SO stressful and tiresome... And never ending....

SO...Here we go again... What everyone has been waiting for... Drumroll please...

A new picture... And many more to come. :-)