My summer vacation with Hayden and the girls

This year Chris and I are not taking the kids on a summer vacation trip. Therefore, I wanted to have my nephew Hayden over for a week. We were hoping to get Chris off from work too, but that wasn't possible due to needing to still hire another vet for the group. However, Chris did take Hayden and Addie frog giggin' one night, we caught lightning bugs in a Mason jar one night, and they "camped" out in a tent in the backyard one night. Sherri, Michael, and Hayden came down on Sunday before Memorial day to bring Hayden to us and they got to see the house for the first time and left on Monday. Mom, Natalie, Justin and Easton came too and we ate very well on Sunday afternoon. Monday we took it easy at home, Tuesday I took the kids to the Nashville zoo. Hayden said, "it is so hot I am going to die. When can we leave?" Of course I gave the Houston Naron answer, "I am older than you and I am not about to die and we paid to get in and we will see everything before we leave." Ha ha! I think they had a good time. Wednesday we went to the public pool in Clarksville and got a little red : )))). Thursday I took Hayden and Addie to the Hopkinsville water park while Nanny kept Claire for us. Addie fell asleep while we were there. It was a lot of fun. Hayden and I went down the slide together on the double float. Friday we met Nana and Nat and Easton at the Adventure Science Center in Nashville and H went to stay with Nana until Saturday. I really enjoyed having the little booger here and have missed him not being with us.

Adventure Science Center

The kids loved the ambulance the best!

Hayden and Addie got Chris to put up the tent. Hayden stayed in it for about an hour came in and said it was too hot and the ground was too hard to sleep on! He said that his mom gave him a brain to think with and be smart about things and that just wasn't smart. LOL! Chris was burning up and had to work the next day at 5am so when Addie fell asleep he took her to her bed at 11pm. She was not very happy the next morning when she woke up in her bed and not in the tent!

Hayden at the zoo

Claire had a big time in the kids playground area

Hayden exhausted!

The two girls wanted these safari hats to which I had to say yes because they looked so cute in them!

I think their favorite part was feeding the birds! Claire loved them too but they wouldn't come to her and she was getting mad!

Backyard, poolside at the Lewis fam: Aunt Nat

Easton with his watergun

The Good Stuff

I love weekends, sort of. I never thought about family time, Saturdays off, and Sundays with my family when I was going thru vet school. Why didn't I prepare myself for missing out on "normal" weekends, whatever that might be? I love my profession don't get me wrong, but sometimes it is so frustrating. When you work Saturdays and you feel like everyone else is getting to spend a whole 2 days off with their kids and spouses doing the "good stuff". I KNOW this is not the case with every family. A lot of families don't spend Saturdays together because they are working too. Sometimes it just feels like everyone is off when you hear about others weekend plans. Chris and I are "tired" a lot on the weekend after working a busy day on a Saturday and Chris being called in every so many hours when he is on call for a weekend.

This past Saturday we were outside on the back porch. I was inside getting a drink and I looked on the back patio and there was my weekend, my "good stuff." So I had to take these pictures. I love these 3, they are my world!! Praise the Lord for blessing me with my good stuff.

Claire Bear the comedian

My sweet baby girl. I took this picture at my friend Heather Polk's graduation party. My whole intent was to get a picture of Heather and I but it didn't happen. She was busy that day. Heather went back to college at the age of 37 and she has 3 little children. I am so proud of her!!

These are Claire's favorite glasses that open and close. She thinks she is too cool for school and actually wore them a whole day at Nanny's house.

My little bug!

Addie had dressed Claire in a swimsuit top and coverup that was Addie's. She had a blue blow pop that turned her tongue and lips blue and had Addie's toothbrush in her mouth!! This is what she looked like one day when Chris had to keep them because I was working and he was off. You really couldn't get in the back door for all the toys on the floor. Where was Chris? Watching a western on the couch!!!! I guess I should be thankful they were all in one piece.

Claire makes me laugh on a daily basis! Her little personality is really starting to come thru. She doesn't get much spot light due to her bigger sister Addie getting most of it, but she does rather well.

May Equals Strawberry Freezer Jam!!

I took the girls to the H&S Strawberry Jam festival at the strawberry patch on Seven Mile Ferry Road. Addie and I picked there 2 springs ago when I was pregnant with Claire. I love some strawberries and they remind me of my childhood when we owned a patch up in Nolensville. My dad was tilling up the dirt to plant the plants and I guess Trey and I were throwing out rocks and I was so hot!!!! I told my dad that I was so hot I needed to take off my shirt like my brother. He wouldn't let me because I was a girl you know, so I looked at him and my brother, both with their shirts off of course and I said, "I am so hot I am going to cut my head off with that ax over there if you don't let me take my shirt off!!" Of course my dad and brother got many years of laughter telling this story.

We got to ride a little train and the girls loved it. Addie got to jump on some blow ups and get her face painted, while Claire played in a bucket of corn!

The girls ready to pick!! We didn't get to pick long before another storm started! We are about over storms in middle TN!! The girls and I picked a few and then bought the rest.

We made strawberry freezer jam!! So yummy.

Trey and Theresa's Visit

Trey and Theresa came to TN for Sherri's 40th birthday gathering. It was also Easter Sunday so we had a nice visit with them that week. They came and stayed with us Tuesday night and left Wednesday afternoon for Corinth. Addie LOVED Theresa and Claire did too!! As you can see from this picture.

Chris and I looked out the back door on Wednesday and this is what we saw. Our two sweet little girls playing in the back yard. Something I never thought we would ever see come to be!! I went to get the camera for a picture moment and Chris realized Addie was pulling up his new grass!! So this sweet moment ended rather quickly.

Easter Joys

We had a very nice Easter. We spent it with my family in Franklin. Sherri, Michael, Hayden, Trey and Theresa were in town for Sherri's 40th birthday.

The Easter egg hunt at Nana's. Easton, Hayden, Addie, and Claire.

Hayden spent the night with us and went to church with us Easter Sunday morning. He was kneeling down to get down to Claire's level and then she started kneeling down too! It was so cute.