Monday, July 7, 2008

fourth of july in athens

We spent the holiday this year with Brad's parents in Athens.  It was a lot of fun to just kick back and relax.  The girls really got into driving the golf carts themselves ( 'it's just a grown up barbie jeep' we told them when they started to freak out!).  They also liked fishing.  Emma Kate didn't get to do so much of that.  She ran into a really nasty plant on her first trip to the lake to fish.  It stung her knee, leg and both feet... very deceiving to see a cute little green fuzzy sprig of plant in the middle of pine needles, but holy cow, she was very uncomfortable!  It looked like fire ant bites.  She perked up for sparklers and smoke bombs, though (no pics of that).

I had a ball riding around on the golf cart taking pictures.  I've had the bug to do so but don't get to venture out much to take pics of anything other than the girls (not complaining- they're cute subjects!!).  

Hope you all had a fun holiday, too!




Getting ready to go- I snapped this one of Julia, unusually still and calm.  She's usually a girl on the go!!




Can't fish without the chairs!



A little help from the old pro... 



Julia even got into driving the cart!  I think she's gotten spoiled to those grocery store carts and thought she had it down.  She would push our hands off pretty forcefully.



Exploring the campground...




The community in which my in-laws live hosted a parade and hot dog roast.  Golf carts, tractors, bikes, four wheelers were all decorated and prizes were given for most original and most creative.  Seeing that half of our decorations blew off on the way to the meeting place to start, we didn't exactly win.  




We're not exactly sure what Tilly's face is all about here, but are thinking that she's a little ticked to have to be sporting the little visor.  Awww- it was cute- the girls got a kick out of her.




Addie's takes the wheel...




Amazing how chasing a red balloon can provide so much entertainment for little ones...




Grandpa leads the way to the good fishing spot...




give it a little slack...  don't reel it in too fast... watch your bobber to see if it's gone under....  it's the little things that the little ones will keep with them...







random mushrooms in their front yard- I was just on a picture taking roll- what can I say?




we took a family stroll on Sunday looking for animals... but they were all tucked away in the woods out of the heat!




Happy 4th!!



I love this picture.  We have so many pictures of Addie when she was little- exploring things around her, picking up sweet gum balls to check out, eating dirt, peering into something... just being curious!  She's 7 now, but some things never change... still the same curious little girl.




The view from the bank where we fished.  So pretty!



Just playing around... if you can imagine a tiny green plant in the middle of all these pine needles- that's what EK ran into.  Very random.




You can't see it well, but this dock is closed now.  It's where we fished last year.  



Another view across from our fishing bank.




Our fishing spot...
 




Same pic but in B/W... I told you I loved it.




Another lake we drove across on our Sunday morning golf cart ride.




I've never been able to figure out how to take silhouette pics so was playing here.  Aside from not getting all of Brad's face in view, I like it.  A nice moment of he and the girls.




Garrett's hill!  I'm not exactly sure of the origin of naming it this, but that's the name and girls yell it out every time we drive by it, or up it, or down it... whatever the case may be.  Since we will see Garrett later this month, maybe I can get the story behind the name...


megan's birthday

The leather cleaner gives it away- but she really knew because a saddle was all she asked for...



Pure delight.




She just looks so happy!





Happy 9th Birthday!




For a few weeks there it was all about the braids- everyday all three lined up for their style.  At least EK's was long enough to do- which is often not the case!  




Julia joins in on the fun.




All Megan wanted this year was a saddle.  She pretty much knew it was coming because we had to take her to the feed store and have her fitted on a correct size.  Still, it's that little bit of unknown that still makes it a surprise when you actually open it.  She was ecstatic!!  She's very diligent with it, too- cleaning it, polishing it... more than I can say for the way she keeps up her room!  

forgot the cake...











I can't believe I forgot the cake photos from Addie's birthday- that's her favorite part!!  She couldn't wait to help make it and would not let her sisters do one thing to help- they were hardly allowed in the kitchen to watch!  (And I intended to upload in the sequence they went so just work with me...)



addie's birthday

Yeah!  Just what I wanted...





A little help from dad...




We wrapped the box but had the scooter waiting on the porch for her...



Julia watching from the door...



Pretty girl.







Addie's birthday was the last day of school.  As you saw before, my parents were still here and were able to celebrate with us.  You'd never guess the just a couple of hours before she opened her presents she started running a fever and was not feeling well.  But, she perked up for her new scooter and gave it a whirl.