Take me out to the Lake

The Hudsons graciously opened their lake home to John’s work crew for a beautiful Saturday in July. All the kids ran amuck, up and down the slide and in and out of the lake, and the grown ups enjoyed getting to visit. (HG even discovered a leak inside the house due to her super strength ears hearing the water dripping.) We ended the day with a boat ride around the lake and a quick visit with the Keeps. Cressey’s first lake day was a success!

HG told a coworker that she wasn’t going to do the slide and then immediately turned around and marched up there! She did it two or three times and then was done.

Trouble!

She’s discovered “Mama’s bed” (but only wants to watch tv there, not sleep) and still carries Mia around at bedtime.

Sometimes a seven year age gap is quite the blessing.

Horses and Hippos and Camels- Oh My!

July 3rd started out like any other summer day with Cressey and I kicking around the barn while HG had a lesson (although Cress was making a fashion statement wearing socks and sandals because her mama forgot her boots). After naptime, we went for ice cream, and while we were eating and discussing our boredom, we came up with the idea of running over to the zoo. Why not?

Since it was such a random excursion, I didn’t have our stroller and normal gear, but HG smartly suggested we rent a stroller. Cress obediently rode around in the stroller, and they both loved HG pushing her around like she were on a rollercoaster.

HG suggested that we ride the camel, and I agreed but was cautious because I wasn’t sure how Cressey would respond when we got close to it. But of course, just like her sister, that little bit walked right up to it and hiked her leg up, trying to climb on. The zoo guy told me to have my camera ready so that he could take a pic of us when we got to the picture spot, so I was holding my phone with a death grip while also trying to hold onto Cressey to keep her from bouncing/ falling off. We all laughed like hyenas the whole ride- it was hilarious and so fun!

We also spent some time at the hippo exhibit, and the mama hippo was being especially friendly. She swam laps by the window over and over, and Cress just squealed with glee each time, slapping her knees and saying, “You see dat?!!”

Cress requested this pic but quickly had a toddler change of mind and wanted DOWN.

John met HG and I at the nail place and took Cress home so that we could get a quick manicure to end our girls’ day.

July 4th

What else to do on July 4th but hang out at the Browns’ pool with our family (and LOTS of pina coladas) and then shoot fireworks with our school friends?

Hen & Chick Party

On July 7th, we headed down to Jackson for the day to play with my college roomie crew and to meet our newest chick (technically, I guess, a rooster), Russ. Spiffer and GD came along for the ride to keep us running smoothly.

With a car piled full of loveys and DVDs (and ‘jamas for the ride home), we took off. Just as Cressey was about to lose it, we were approaching Jackson. The girls and I stopped to pick up lunch for everyone while my parents went to hang out with my family.

We enjoyed a glorious but way-too-short afternoon of watching the kiddos run wild, make slime, perform concerts, and most importantly, laugh together. We missed Whitney and her family, but we had a great visit. Russ seemed especially taken with Cressey, and she loved the attention. TBD on that budding friendship/ romance…

(Sorry, Em, that this post was so waaaayyyy overdue!)

Just like her mama, Adickes is the little mama of the group.

As usual, Cressey didn’t want to participate in the group pic.

We managed to keep Cressey awake until we met my family for a quick dinner, and she mostly behaved.

As soon as we got in the car, she was OUT. She probably slept 2/3 of the way home.