4th of July

So, we didn't have many plans for the 4th of July this year. We had Joni and Larry over for dinner the night before. Our neighbors surprised us when they started shooting fireworks in their backyard. They were actually pretty good ones too. The girls got really excited and were yelling and screaming. At one point they asked if the girls were OK because they couldn't tell if they were having fun or were scared. It was nice to just sit outside and enjoy the nice weather and hang out. No pressure. Then the next day we didn't really do anything in particular. I think I went to the grocery store. I can't even remember at this point. But we wanted to do something so we decided to go to downtown Franklin and get ice cream at Baskin Robbins and then take it to the Rec. Center. The girls could play on the playground and we would be able to see the Franklin fireworks from there. Well, when we got to Baskin Robbins our plans changed. They were having "Franklin on the 4th" in downtown. They have venders on the main street downtown and other attractions going on too. The petting zoo, pony rides and bungee jumping were all right in front of Baskin Robbins. That is not where they were last year. So, as soon as the girls saw that they started begging. We let them feed the petting zoo animals and then they each did the bungee jumping thing. I actually would have liked to do the bungee. It looked really fun. It was a little expensive though. By the time we got into Baskin Robins it was 8:20pm. We thought fireworks would start at 9pm. I'm positive that is when they were last year. But this year the rain was coming. At 8:25pm the fireworks started. We couldn't really see them from where we were so we hopped in the car and headed for the Rec. Center. Grace started realizing that we weren't going to play on the playground and then see the fireworks and she started crying. We pulled into a bank parking lot to see about the last 3 minutes of the fireworks and to get rained on. Grace cried the whole time! What a lovely way for finish the evening. At least the ice cream was good!

Father's Day Gifts

For Father's Day this year I bought a kit to make stepping stones. The girls love crafts and I couldn't think of anything else that didn't cost a lot of money but would be worth keeping. It was a little tricky though. The stuff sets really fast. I ruined the first one but figured it out after that. I gave them all kinds of little beads and things to decorate with and then they also put their handprint in the stone. They are pretty small and I don't think they would actually hold up to being stepped on but they are sweet. They show their creativity and their sweet little hands. We also made one for Papaw Gardner and Papoo Wade. They also made homemade cards for them too.

Still working...

The playhouse is coming along. It's been a bigger project than I anticipated. We're in the painting phase now. For some reason, I was thinking I would paint the house in a an afteroon. I guess I didn't think it through very well. We started painting last week and we're still not done. I let the girls start first. We started with the white trim. I let them paint until they got tired of it and then I took over. They made a huge mess but I wanted them to be a part of "building" it. They also painted some of the interior. I finished the interior and I've also painted the outside and the ceiling on the inside. We still need to finish the floors but it's almost done!

They love the diving board!

Last Sunday the boys in Eric's Wednesday night church class had a swim party at someone's house. He let Grace and Lyla go too though. They had a diving board and the girls loved it! Lyla is working on her swimming. She started out with a life jacket on. Then she took it off and practiced jumping from the board and swimming to the ladder. Eric was right there in the water, of course. They had a great time.

"Jenny's Pizza Place"

Last Saturday morning Grace and Lyla worked hard to make a restaurant for us in Lyla's bedroom. It was called "Jenny's Pizza Place." They made a sign for the door, two different places to sit and eat, and a "cabinet" for the food. They took Eric and me in for lunch and fed us whatever we chose. They were the waitresses. Very Creative!

A Girl's Night

Last Friday night Eric went to play cards with some friends and Grace decided we were going to have a girls night. They decided exactly what we were going to do. First, they wanted to take a bath, then we made pancakes for dinner, then they wanted their fingernails and toenails painted, then it was movie time, or as they call it, a "special night". So, there are the pictures of the crazy girls. They had chocolate chips to put in their pancakes. They ate too many chocolate chips before the pancakes were done! They had fun and enjoyed our girls only night. They wanted their nails painted like a zebra. I did the best I could with the polish I had. They were fine with it, thank goodness. They ended up turning the radio on in the bathroom and having their own little dance party. They're funny. After that, it was movie time. It was a good night with just the girls!

A Flashback

When I was a kid with Julie and Joni we used to dress up in Mom and Dad's clothes. I remember wearing one of Mom's long slips as a dress with something underneath that was supposed to make me look pregnant. I know Mom has the pictures somewhere. Anyway, that is what I thought of when Grace and Lyla came downstairs dressed in our clothes.