Random Pictures

This week might have been the most we have ever stayed at home. We were lazy quite a few mornings which led to some good quality time with my girl! 

Helping decorate the sign for the countdown to her birthday party - we also made a paper chain for her to tear off each day

One evening while waiting on Daddy to get home, we played in the rain. I really couldn't believe she liked it, but she did! She even ventured out enough to take her rainboots off and go barefoot! This was huge!!

And on Friday, we did nails. She painted mine, I painted hers, and then repainted mine. =)))

And anyone that knows her Daddy very well will find his comment very typical of him. HAHA

She was so proud of herself that she insisted I take her picture. Ha!

The weather was perfect Friday night that we just enjoyed playing outside that evening and enjoyed sandwiches on the back porch. It's just the little things. Love this girl to pieces!!

Fireworks

Caroline loved the fireworks this year! I really thought she would be scared of them, but she loved watching all the pretty colors! She was even really good at sleeping through them when the neighbors were shooting them off right outside her window!!! It didn't bother us since she was sleeping. It would have been a different story if we were up with a screaming kid! We went and bought some fireworks. Stephen and I were joking about the last time we actually bought fireworks, and we couldn't even remember!! She loved the typical kid fireworks like the snake, pop rocks, and sparklers. Her Daddy even vacuumed the grass because of the pop rock wrappers. HAHA! And then at the last minute, our church was having the annual "Fireworks at the Crosses", so at 9:00pm we decided to go watch them from the hospital parking lot! Such a fun evening making sweet memories!

Our Little Cowgirl

Last week was "rodeo" week at Caroline's school. We had absolutely nothing "cowgirlish" for her to wear, so I had a little shirt made with her name on it. I had also bought her a jean skirt to wear, but she wanted to wear her red skirt. {I pick my battles, and atleast it matched!!} They also asked them to bring their favorite stuffed animal. I'm not sure Caroline really has a favorite, but she chose to take her puppy both days. Thanks to a party favor from a year ago, we had a cowgirl hat to take. Ha!

And a little after school fun, helping mommy make a four layer delight. She might have been in heaven licking that whisk! 

Cousins and Cookies - with Andrew John

Andrew John insisted that we have a cookie date with him while Ella was in Fort Smith since we had one with her while he was in Fort Smith the week before. So we did. It doesn't take much to talk Caroline and I into an afternoon snack at a bakery! Sweet cousins!

Brownies

We had grilled kabobs and vegetables for dinner. That afternoon, I decided we needed some brownies for dessert. Well I didn't have a box, so I just looked up Hershey's recipes and whipped them up! They were oh-so-chocolaty but oh-so-good!

HERSHEY'S Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup HERSHEY's Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat over to 350. Grease a 13x9 pan. 

Stir together cocoa and baking soda in large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 or so minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Jet-Skiing

After nap time on Sunday, we had a little afternoon fun on the lake. Caroline rode the jet-ski for the first time this year. She didn't want to ride, but after I made her, she of course loved it! She also had fun driving Papa's boat!

Wordless Wednesday

Oma and Opa's 40th Anniversary

On Saturday, we had a family lunch to celebrate Stephen's parents 40th wedding anniversary! His mom cooked a wonderful German meal - it was delicious, and afterwards we had cake and ice cream. Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe made the cake, and it was absolutely beautiful! Not to mention, it tasted as good as it looked!

Sleepover - Part 2

After nap time, we decided to take a boat ride to dinner. They were excited!

Digging into the apple pie

Before we headed to Fort Smith, we stopped for donuts. Pink donut with sprinkles and chocolate milk made these girls happy. 

Sleepover - Part 1

We have been talking about having Rebekah come spend the night with us forever now. Well it finally happened last week. We picked her up on Thursday night after her t-ball game, and she stayed two nights with us! The girls had so much fun! I have so many pictures that I decided to break this up into two parts...

Eating a little pizza at Geno's before we headed home

As soon as we got home, they immediately began with dress-up and make-up. It is so funny to watch them put eye-shadow on. It goes anywhere from the eyelid to the forehead =))

Bubble Bath fun before bedtime - I'm pretty sure it was about 9:30pm!

They had me pulling them in the bike cart at 8:30am to go see Henry. In their pajamas and my flipflops. Ha!

Sweet girls coloring on Friday morning

The princesses eating their breakfast after going to see Henry

They were being silly and pretending to be asleep. We have a couple years before they will be sleeping like this! Ha!

Big girl Ariel and baby doll Ariel =)

And of course we had to go swimming. It was getting close to nap time, but they still had fun!

Wet-headed girls ready for naptime!

And this is how I started off naptime-- our playroom rarely gets this messy. With two girls, there was a lot of dress-up, playing with baby dolls, cooking, and to top it off Henry stopped by! 

to be continued...