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Monday, August 29, 2011

fun with friends...

....at the alabama state fair!
i can honestly say it has been FOREVER since i've gone to the fair....and i was excited about the chance to go again!....my childhood memories of the fair are overall great ~ except this one time....and saturday all those feelings came rushing back at once...

the first ride was the swings....now, this wasn't even the "big" swings...but it was big enough....all the kids met the height requirements...they were good to go, right?!?!....wrong....within moments of the chairs being lifted in the air and twirling around grant became terrified....and audrey wasn't doing too great either...i didn't explain to grant that he needed to lean back, so once he leaned forward a little he was stuck that way for the eternity of the ride....and can i just say that was THE longest two minutes of my life....i could hear him crying and see his sad face and that was all it took....my momma bear instincts took over and i rushed over to the young man that had flung my child into the air and demanded he stop the ride....oh yeah, i did...i freaked...i couldn't handle it...visions of my child falling out of that swing inhabited my brain for that excruciating long 2 minute ride...he nicely told me it was coming back down...see, i am pretty sure they are used to psycho moms...
needless to say within thirty seconds of the ride stopping and me snatching him off that swing he was fine....of course he was....me?? ha!! that took awhile....i kept having little flashbacks all day....travel back with me, circa 1987, i was at the fair with a sweet friend....she wanted to ride the pirate ship....ya know the one that sways REALLY far back and forth...to the point you think it is either going to 1.) flip over 2.) dump you out 3.) cause you to have irrational fears of certain rides for the rest of your existence on this earth and several years later will turn you into crazy psycho mom....yup, i'll take all three for a hundred!....but see, i had my own momma bear who ever so politely screamed & hollered asked the nice fair worker to stop the ride....thanks mom, i owe ya one :)
and of course, the rest of the day went off without a hitch....the boys enjoyed the calmer, more tame rides....or rode the bigger rides with an adult....and audrey continued to try new rides but always keeping a wee bit of hesitation....and the funny thing was....those swings were not that bad....i honestly think, in ten years or so, they may try them again :)

i did have to remind audrey of all the really big rides she has conquered at disney AND the fact that this summer we flung ourselves 800 feet in the air with only the hopes of a small rope keeping us in the sky....but there's something to be said about having a parent with you!

the kids had an absolute blast!!....we bought them a wrist band for unlimited rides and they took full advantage of it...



we arrived at a great time too....it was hotter than hades but the lines were minimal and we were able to hit everything we wanted to and more! by the time we left it was getting packed....it would be absolutely perfect if they would do this in october instead of august!
i found the girls cute shirts at target....i mean, could they be more adorable?!?!....tiffany grabbed the boys shirts at old navy....we loved having them match and honestly it was a safety thing for us, we could easily find them and do a head count!
all the kids, including the daddies, took a turn on the log ride....i think the water was quite tempting for a small chance to cool off!




and THE best thing there....according to the boys at least...was the super slide....those kids must have gone up and down the steps of that slide fifty times....and lucky for us there were tables right there at the end to sit & watch!

precious!!!

winner winner, chicken dinner!!
and the fair would not be complete without a little livestock...
Elsie
how could you pass up a picture with a cow, at the fair, while wearing these shirts?!?!...

oh my, what a fun day!!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

it's that time again....

....time for the boys of fall!!
now, if it would just feel like fall we'd be all set....whew, 95 degree football games are ROUGH!




and i have to say....even after 10 years, i still LOVE watching my husband coach football...i wish the outcomes were better sometimes....but watching him do something that he honestly loves is so, so good for my soul!



and my children absolutely LOVE being there....seeing their daddy on the field, yelling their hellos to him and of course that run on the field & hug at the end makes it all worth it!

brett & i think that next year, when grant starts kindergarten, he will be able to be a water/ball boy for the team....that child will be in heaven!

bless this little team....they have a whopping 18 players.....but they are mighty and give it their all for sure!
and football games are always more fun with friends!
the future offensive line....
we are looking forward to many more games....and much cooler temps!

Friday, August 26, 2011

sunday...

...fun-day!
a few weeks ago our community group (a.k.a. sunday school class) at church hosted a lemonade stand to raise money for the NeverThirst ministry...
audrey & i had the honor of helping out...along with some other fabulous kids & parents...
getting the lemonade ready!
beautiful little ladies ready to serve!
the diesel fuel can in this pic below is what the people would use to go get water from dirty streams for their villages & families.....did you know that just $20 will get someone cleaning drinking water for 20 years?!?!.....so, maybe cut back 4 starbucks this month or pack your lunch a day or two and donate to NeverThirst.....
hard at work!
after the lemonade stand was over our class had a family fun day in the grassy knoll....waterplay, pizza & of course lemonde!!....it made for quite the fun day :)