New pics of the Girls....



Bailey

 Lori is amazingly diligent about having the girls photographed on a regular basis to capture their milestones before they pass.  I look back on my own children and there are many gaps from year to year as they grew.  The pictures are precious to me and I know these will be to Lori & Mike too.
Lori found an extraordinary photographer to mark these milestones...Linda Ford of Linda's Lenses.  She was gracious enough to allow me to post these photos even before I receive them in the mail!  Thanks, Linda!


Emma makes me giggle because she is a casual child compared to Bailey's serious, thoughtful personality.  Here relaxing in her chair..."Ahhhh!  Life is good!"



Miss Bailey...looking so grown up!!

Three going on thirty...so smart!

Sisters looking ready for a tea party!

...or just some Summer fun!!

Just thank that candyman! mmm!

Thanks for another giggle,  Emma!!! (what a look...wonder what she's thinking?)

More Cupcakes!!

Tomorrow we are having a "carry-in" for lunch at work.  Everyone makes their favorite dishes and it is all so good that we go rolling home when the day is done.  It's a bit of a stress reliever and something fun for a change in routine.  Tomorrow's is because all the persons from Kansas City that have been helping us with the new computer system are leaving.  This is our way of saying "thanks" and "good-bye". 

Here is my contribution...cupcakes!! I found a neat webite on ESTY ( kidscakes.esty.com -for those that asked ) that makes these cake toppers and think they are perfect for the occasion.  They are made from fondant and some clever person has made lots of different variety of them....amazing!  Hope the computer conquest continues as well as all the cooks who will make this lunch delicious!!

Fire-flies and Fireworks

This weekend was a fun Fouth of July at our house. It's always a good time whenever any of our kids come home...the Columbus bunch came and it was a great-good time!  Our little town has a hot air balloon festival each year and the balloons come from all over. 

Tim & Joni brought Cooper  for the Ballonfest race, a 5k that they both ran in.  They did well and I realized watching them just how fit they are!!



   

Chelsea and Bryden also ran in the 1 mile fun run before the "real" race began.

The patriotic group that led the race...

Son, Tim, (middle-in grey) getting ready to start.

After the race, Cooper and I went back to the house.  I need a dose of Cooper every now and then to make me smile and this does it!

He has discovered the wonders of the creek...a great "boy-toy"!

At noon, we had a birthday picnic/celebration for Tim whose birthday is Thursday.  As I walked out the door with the cake,  it slid off the plate into a plant.  Would we miss an opportunity to celebrate (or eat cake! )??  Absolutely NOT!  We ate the "good" side up! Lol!

Then, as it got blisteringly hot, we headed to the hot air field where they have food concessions and games.  Bryden is starting to wilt...

~but not Cooper!  Never does this child lose energy! Joni took these pics of his many faces.  I think she did a wonderful job!

Coming down one of the rides.



In the evening, my cousin's daughter, Deidre and new husband Jake stopped on their way back to Washington, DC.  They are both in the military (Airforce and Marines) and this kind of holiday makes us stop to think why we are grateful to those who serve. They just got married last week too and had very little time together before resuming work.   



Bryden took a huge shine to Jake!

Cooper & Bryden had so much fun playing together before Tim came in from the dark and took Cooper back out to show him the fireflies!  I tried to get a pic but it was too dark.  It was like a magical show....thousands of them, it looked like Christmas against the pine trees!  I wonder if there are an extraordinary lot of them this year?  I've never seen it like that!  Had it not been for the skeeters, I'd have stayed out for a longer time! Last night, we went to see the fireworks and it was even more entertaining  than that.

In the morning Cooper was the first one up.  I heard him and found him looking at my blog book.  He loved looking at pictures of himself when he was younger, so I told him stories about those times.  It made me glad for saving the memories like this. 

Then we toasted  (he said "Cheers!") over breakfast to a good day.  I hope all of you had one too!!!!