this +that

well….this week flew by faster than any week this summer.  almost every day this week felt like it was a different day.  like all day wednesday i thought it was thursday, etc.

anyways…another good and full week in the books.  the weekend will be filled with cleaning, playing, packing, and grocery shopping.

+this guy is a mess.  and after his bath it is so hard to track him down to get his diaper and clothes on.  well on this particular night…his new pair of shoes came in the mail….and he saw them and wanted me to put them on.  then he was off!

 +Sunday morning cinnamon rolls.  in the waffle maker.  yum!  my stepsister, Aubrey, made these and gave me the idea to make them.  i've also seen them floating around Pinterest.  i don't think i'll make them in the oven again…as the waffle maker made just an all-around softer roll…and i loved how the icing filled perfectly into the grooves of the waffles…with hardly any being lost to the plate.

+slowly, but surely i'm doing more with the 3 by myself.  Monday night….frozen yogurt.  we had a really good time.

+and on the way to get the frozen yogurt…there was a 'terrible accident' and Grace's doll, Dolly, got a rip on her back.  and so she needed surgery.  and stitches.  just like Grace had needed.

+on tuesday night…girls' night mini staycation.   we started the afternoon at the hotel pool.  it was so nice!

+our view.

+love these ladies!  we met 10 years ago while teaching together at the same elementary school.  9 years ago we started a dinner club where we'd get together once a month at someone's house for dinner.  at the time…there was 1 kid between us.  and now there are 10.  over the years it dwindled from a monthly gathering…to a few times a year….and it'd be at a restaurant instead of a house.  ;)  this summer we decided to make a night of it.

+thursday, my best friend from college, Jamie, and her husband were in town, and stopped by for a visit.  she only had her biggest 2 kids…and so we decided we'd take the kids to the pool.

nolan didn't quite know what to think about his life jacket.

+and what's better for dessert after lunch in the summer... than a sno-cone?

and this selfie is kinda a joke.  we hardly have any pictures together and so we decided to take a selfie.  it was jamie's first selfie.  and i'm honored.  ;)

abby and grace played so well together in the kitchen.

+the girls really do get along and play together so nicely.  most of the time.  but then….i guess a lot of the time they bicker.  like sisters.

and so i made them give each other a hug to make-up one day last week.  grace was loving it.  and truth be told…i think parker did, too. haha!

+we visited my granny today….and, turns out, they have a stray dog that is basically their dog now.  the girls are terrified….but nolan really liked him.  a boy and a dog.

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linking up to Insta-Friday at Life Rearranged

visitors!

About a week ago, my roommate and best friend from college, Jamie (and her family) came into town for a visit.  She brought me some Triscuits and Easy Cheese (so so gross, but so good....and staple in our home during the college years) along with an Us Magazine.  :)

Times.  They have changed since our  college days (for many obvious reasons).....and they've really changed over the past 5 or so years when Parker and I visited them. (Abby @ 9 mo and Parker @ 3 mo)

Always fun to look back.

Anyway....they came up on Thursday and we just hung around the house.  The kids always take a day to get re-aquainted....so while they did get along....they didn't play very much together.  All of our toys/stuff are 'new' to them...and my kids are over their 'stuff'.   Just the way it goes, I suppose. 

We had lunch and they played a little more....then settled in (somewhat) for a little 'quiet time' and Barbie movie.   They always come together for Barbie!  :)

Parker, Grace, Garner, and Abby

The next day....we met up with them at the Dallas World Aquarium.  I went back and forth several times on whether or not I should go.  I knew I'd have Jamie and Angelo's help, but still....we had 6 kids all together so we were still gravely outnumbered.  :)  

Parker and Grace (and Nolan, too, for the most part) did SO good at the aquarium (Jamie's kids did well, too!).  There weren't really any fits/meltdowns and they all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Jamie and Grace

I wish I would have gotten a better picture here....but they were all looking at the sea otters and they'd swim right up beside the kids and they'd go crazy giggly and just loved it.

Henry and Grace

Nolan woke up about half way through.

We got through with the aquarium around 11:00 and since we were so close....we walked just down the street to Spaghetti Warehouse.  Nolan fell asleep and I thought he would stay asleep since he'd been up quite a while at the museum, but no.  He had other plans and was pretty fussy nearly the whole lunch.  We all took turns with him (and it was no such luck!)...until I finally put him back in carseat and stroller and took him for a little walk outside to get him back to sleep.

We had so much fun with these guys and can't wait to go visit them later this summer!

So yes...A lot has changed in the past 5 years when we just had the 2 girls (1 each).  

(Abby @ 18 mo, Parker @ 1 yr)

  

We've since added 4 more kiddos to the mix! (all kids pictured here minus Nolan ....who was finally sleeping in the stroller).

Amy's Baby Shower

We didn't stop our shower fun this past Saturday after Aubrey's bridal shower.  Later that afternoon- we threw a baby shower for my friend, Amy, whom I've been friends with since junior high (if you do the math...which I reluctantly do...that was 20 years ago!).  Amy's sister, Lauren, and I threw the shower with lots of help from my mom and sister, too!  ;)

Amy's nursery theme for her sweet baby boy, Gibson, is the skip hop tree top friends....and so we kind of ran with that.  It's so cute and I love all of the bright colors!

These bottles turned out SO cute.  Lauren made the owl cutouts and they are just adorable.

My mom made all of these bibs and burp cloths and the tie/suspender onesie for this clothesline.  

This is just too cute.  Complete with a paci holder.  ;)

Lauren made some really cute decorations!  I love this little bird cage that she put up little pieces of paper on with clothespins so that people could share words of wisdom with Amy.

The party favors...

Lauren also made these adorable signs.  

Along with my girls, and Payton (my niece)...2 other little girls attended the shower.  And our girls just thought this was the neatest thing.  I think Parker was 'in charge'.  Ha!  Anyway- at one point, Parker ran into where I was and told me to grab my camera so I could take a picture.  They were all sitting in this plastic container together.  So silly.  But I love it!

Lauren also came up with some great shower games that I will definitely be using for any future showers I may be throwing!

Lauren and Amy

It was so fun to see these girls.  Jill, Amy, Me, Melissa.  We've also all known each other since junior high, but I had not seen them in years.  It was so good to see them.

Me and Amy: 37 and 31 weeks, respectively.  So fun to be pregnant together and having BOYS!

So so so happy for Amy and her first baby!  Love that we've been friends for so many years and looking forward to experiencing motherhood together, too!