Beach Time...

Summer is in full swing...and that means trips to the beach! Both the kids get very excited when we tell them to put their suits on so we can go the beach! The beach is just a couple blocks from our house...and we have made several trips there already this summer. We keep a bag of sand toys hanging on the hook in the entryway...and we always have a bottle of sunscreen in the beach bag...just waiting for another quick trip to the beach...
Both the kids love the beach...and going with the aunties makes the beach even better! The kids are so busy running around that it is a bit tricky getting a good picture...but notice the happy faces in all the pictures!

On this trip to the beach we were the only ones there...it may have had something to do with the chilly wind and not a very warm sunny day! But it is summer, darn it...so we will be at the beach! We sprayed ourselves down with sunscreen...not because we are overly cautious about UV rays...simply because we thought the smell of sunscreen might help us imagine that it was a hot day!

Auntie and niece...hand in hand in matching bikinis! Emma was trying to teach Elsie how to climb down the ladder into the deep water...in all reality it was only about 3 feet of water...but to them it was super deep and they were so brave! Before we left Elsie went down the ladder several times...having a brave auntie helps!

Going to the beach is about the only place we can go and I can really sit down and simply enjoy watching the kids...Elsie is happy to play in the water with the aunties...and James is in his glory playing with all the sand! Sometimes he will venture down to the edge of the water...but for the most part he is contented to play in the sand.

Love those little bikinis clad girls...

Happy faces...

Now that school is winding down for Ceara she was able to be home for a few extra days...and it was fun having her to pal around with! Elsie loves Ceara...so it was a fun little treat that she was able to join us for the afternoon...even if her legs are terribly white! (had to add that for her!)

Sand castle building...

Looks like someone ate a bit of sand! Someday this little man will figure out good things to eat versus bad things to eat...until then I will photograph all the funny things we find around his mouth...

Not sure what they were building...but judging by Elsie's face it must have been something cool!

James had sand everywhere...I tried to photograph our snack but the pictures didn't turn out very well. I packed with a bag of potato chips for a snack...and James lugged the chip bag all around the beach and reached in to get a chip whenever he got hungry. As a result the chips were covered in sand! We decided to call them "lake sand" flavor chips instead of sea salt flavour! yum?The two little girls must have been imagining they were at a lovely day spa for the afternoon...getting a mud and seaweed wrap...sounds better than it looks!

Shockingly enough James is quite happy to stand at the edge of the water and watch...I am sure that will not last for long! I think for now James is just a bit of a baby when it come to his feet touching the cold water!I love these last two pictures...Emma taking a little sip of Ceara's soda...when the kids see a someones soda they all line up for a quick sip...kinda funny!

A fun day at the beach...every time we go the beach I drag the camera with me and snap at least 50 pictures...so soon you will tired of looking at beach pictures!

Embrace the Camera~ Fancy Ears...

I am finally get back to Embrace the Camera this week...summer just gets so crazy and busy sometime! Last week Elsie got brave and got her ears pierced! Elsie told me she wanted it done before the 4th of July...so I called up town and made an appointment!
Elsie wanted her Auntie Emma and Auntie Marissa to go with her...for moral support! Emma held Elsie's hand...and Marissa snapped these pictures.

Elsie was very brave and sat up strait while the lady got the ear piercing gun all ready...

As soon as the gun pushed the earring in...I could see the pain in her eyes and I felt so bad for her! She did good to be brave...but the pain was a bit much!

In the end we left the salon with just one lovely red earring! Elsie was determined that one earring was all she wanted...she changed her mind though and we back 2 days later and got the other ear done! She was even more brave with the second one...she knew what kind of pain was coming but she still sat perfectly still!

My baby girl is growing up far to fast!

*I have to say a special thank you to Marissa for taking such great pictures...she did a great job and she is only 10!

Mud Fun...

These pictures are several weeks ago...I just found them on my old camera...a fun surprise! One afternoon Jon, the kids and I were at my parents house...and Elsie and Emma talked me into bringing them on a 4-wheeler ride on the little 4-wheeler!
It didn't take long for us to find the mud puddle in the driveway! I have never gone mudding before...but I can see why everyone finds it so thrilling...and with a bigger wheeler with far more speed I can only imagine the fun! Don't be alarmed if you find me all full of mud after the next big rain storm!!

Papa Wayne took the big wheeler out mudding with James and auntie Marissa...it looks like they have a little more speed going! Next time papa Wayne can have the little wheeler and I will take the big one!

We had mud dripping off our toes! I brought extra clothes with for Elsie...but nothing for me! I went downstairs and dug around in a bag of my sisters old clothes for Goodwill and found some clean jeans! Thank goodness for sisters (and bags of Goodwill clothes that never make it to the drop off!)

Fun memories...a goal for my life is never to get too old or too busy to take the time for the simple moments in life...those are the moments that make life fun! Embrace life...squeeze every drop of life out of each day...even if it is something as simple as a mud puddle of fun!

James and Papa Wayne...notice James has a little blob of mud on his forehead!

Mud...

A few weeks ago we got rain...lots and lots of rain! When the week long rain showers finally ended it left some perfect mud puddles in the yard!
Mud and children go together...children simply must play in mud!

Elsie began playing in the mud with her mud boots on...but soon the boots came off...to properly play in the mud one must feel the mud squish between the toes! And notice that both the kids feel a need to have a stick in their hand and all times! Elsie's stick is a walking stick and James's stick is his gun! Love their imagination...

The kids had so much in this puddle...they played in the puddle for a long time!

Love this picture...this little guy has quite a stride! He is starting to be a very fast walker...he almost runs!

Always a stick in hand...he puts the stick out in front of him and makes a "boom, boom, boom..." noise...a boy and his imaginary gun!

Lunch at the Park...

We love to have picnics in the summer...we never seem to have more than a few every year...but we enjoy them when we do! A few weeks ago we had a spontaneous little picnic in the park...we had gone to town to do a little shopping and decided to stop and get some tacos and eat them at the park...
Since we were not planning this picnic we didn't even have a table cloth...but the kids didn't seem to mind at all! It is simply fun to eat outside...who cares if a little bird poop is on the table, right!? We were careful to keep the food on the little papers the tacos were wrapped in! James ate on a little blanket on the ground...

So far Elsie really has no clue that McDonalds sells anything other french fries...and she is quite happy to call the water from a fast food place Soda! Someday she will know different...but for now you will not catch me complaining!

The park we went to has a fun fountain...and James and Daddy had to check it out while Elsie and I finished our lunch. James was happy just to roam around the park...exploring everything possible...

When Elsie was done eating she skipped off with Daddy and James to go see the fountain...

They had strict instructions not to get wet! I am happy to say no one got drenched...only a little wet...and everyone was dry by the time we got to the store!

Father's Day...

A couple weeks ago we celebrated Father's Day...my kids are so lucky to have such a great daddy!
I love the card we got for Jon...Super Man!

More than anything I love the way that Elsie signed her name and drew a picture of herself on the back of the card...so special! (I love the way that Elsie has the right letters...just not in the right order!)

Jon's Father's Day gift was a Fire Ring! We have wanted a fire ring since we first moved into our house...so we were all happy with the gift! It is more like a Family gift really...I can envision lots of fun family times ahead!

The campfire was anything but a relaxing campfire...James is a very busy little boy so we had to watch him every minute...I was certain he would fall in the fire if we turned our back for a second!

Earlier in the week Elsie talked to me into buying some giant marshmallows! After you eat a giant marshmallow the normal size ones are just not nearly as good!

One thing is for certain...giant marshmallows are messy! But gooey and messy things are the very best~especially if you are three-an-a-half!

The only thing that would make James sit still was if he could have the whole bag of giant marshmallows on his lap...but trust me he did NOT need all the marshmallows he felt he could have...so Elsie took the bag and hid it under the bush! She thought her brother would never find it...

...he found it! I think it took him about 3 minutes before he found it! Good thing he would take a bite of one marshmallow and toss it aside...then take another and do the same!

Elsie is a little particular on her roasted marshmallows...they have to be just right! No burnt spots or even brown...basically she just sticks the marshmallow on the roaster, holds it over the fire ring (not necessarily the fire!) for about 1 minute...and it is perfect for her!

See I told you...if there is any burnt pieces she not a very happy camper at all!

I think both the kids enjoyed the first campfire in Daddy's new campfire ring! A very fun evening...a perfect family evening...a perfect way to celebrate the amazing daddy Jon is!

Fireworks...

A couple weeks ago our town had a little festival...and in the evening we went to watch the fireworks in the park!
It seemed to take forever to get dark enough for the fireworks to begin...James kept Jon and I busy though...James enjoyed walking over to other people and trying to make friends...a very sociable little fellow...

Elsie did her very best to stay awake...but she fell asleep all cuddled into daddy's arms. She woke up as soon as the fireworks started...then fell back to sleep as soon as the fireworks were over!

James loved the fireworks...normally baby's don't like the loud noise...but for some crazy reason James loved it! He stood on my lap and never took his eyes off the sky!

In a couple days we will be heading up town again for the 4th of July fireworks...Fun family time!