my man b

this is my guy.

and this weekend he has been sick.

but between the loads of vomit laundry, cold rags for fever, sippies of "gatormade", and medicine...there have been some of the best moments in recent memory.

after 36 hours of mommy cuddles, a little help from our favorite caped crusaders (movie, circa 1966), a few of our favorite books, quilts, and the handy iphone...

b went from a very sick little man to our sweet smiling boy.

yep....our sweet silly smiling boy.

and i know that in a mere 24 hours he won't remember NEEDING me, and wanting me to not leave his sight for a second.

but i can guarantee you this...momma will remember.

sleepy friday

my littles are a bit under the weather....but with cute smiles like that, who would have guessed?!

fall soccer starts (again)

yep, it's that time of year...to dust off all the gear and head to the soccer fields. but wait....

this year the team has a new player...BAUER!!! this child has practically been raised on the sidelines, and god bless him, has been dying to play. this year his wish came true.

not only will he play alongside his sister, who apparently is too fast for her old photog mother, but also with our other new team member...

cousin SETLER!

i can't wait for another great year of friends, fun, and of course snacks. ;) the first game actually went pretty smoothly, v made two goals and b made two, also. (in micro it counts even if they are in the wrong goal, right?!)

can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds for this soccer crew! :)
(please excuse my hair, it was SO humid and hot AND it drizzled on us...not the best look, but a family portrait is so rare it had to be published!)

best birthday brunch ever

let the birthday celebrations continue...

this morning vivian and half dozen of her sweet little friends met for brunch at our local bistro. miss presley was first to arrive and very excited.

and of course, bff ruby was there, too.

first course was potato soup with rice crackers.

vivian said it was AWESOME!

next they had mini croissants with chicken salad and fresh arkansas fruit, yummy!

but the group really got pumped when the third course showed up...

key lime pie with whipped cream and special handmade white chocolate hearts!!

it was a great time filled with lots of friends.

when we got home there was one final surprise. brother had made a special treat for miss v....strawberries (her favorite fruit) and birthday candles. he made these all by himself and even sang her a special birthday song.

:) what a perfect day!

fiesta & siesta

when we asked v where she would like to eat for her birthday she immediately said, "mexican!" so that's what we did. and i do believe in honor of her birthday...a miracle occurred....everyone looked AND smiled at the camera!!!!

we decided to invite just family and a few friends (both new and old), but somehow that turned into over thirty people. oh my...

these are just SOME of the kiddos. (yes, two miracles, they're looking, too.)

after their tummies were full we headed home where these three sweet friends got ready for some sleepover fun. aawwwww...aren't they cute? but wait...let's zoom out a bit...

SOMEBODY was lurking, wanting to be one of the gang.

and you know what? these sweet girls welcomed him with open arms....that's why i love this crew!! :)
and just for the record: when we asked bauer to come upstairs to take his bath his response was, "excuse me ladies. don't worry, i'll be back in a minute." heheeee....

september 9th

we woke up extra early today, because our sweet big girl, sleeping in her new jammies with her friend julie, is finally six!

here she is before school. where has that tiny baby gone?

and with her family presents. bauer got her catwoman (so she could play batman with him), and frances picked out a fancy new outfit for julie. daddy and i supplied the donuts and the new razorback shirt.

i think frances' favorite things were the donuts.

maybe the birthday girl's too! we love you sweet v. you are growing into such a kind hearted little girl. it is a joy to watch you everyday. your giggle is infectious, your wisdom beyond your years and your smile a reminder of the blessing god has given us the privilege to raise...happy happy birthday to our big girl!

air hockey mania

because v and b have birthdays that are so close together, sometimes they get a really cool shared gift. this year gege and pawpaw went all out and got them an air hockey table!!

it has been a HUGE hit. even miss frances loves it.

and of course our big athlete...he LOVES all sports! in fact, it has been SO popular around here that the other night as the bigs were winding down and watching their 15minute before bedtime show, this is what i found.

i'd call that a VERY successful gift!

all aboard

on the 30th (big man's actual birthday) we took him to a very special new place.

all aboard. a new restaurant that delivers food by train right to your table! and even though i am a horrible mother who took no pictures...

our sweet aunt su did...and even managed to capture this beauty.

and this one.

and these three crazy hooligans! ;)