July Sprinkler Park Fun

We are fortunate to have a sprinkler park in Collierville that is within 2 miles of our house.  Here are some pictures from July when we took the boys.  Carter loves it, and Cole had fun trying to drink the water out of all the little "spouts" it comes out.  Carter could stay literally all day, but Cole has usually had all the fun he wants within a few minutes.  Luckily, there is a playground within walking distance, so we can keep him entertained with that.  The last picture is of sweet Ella, our newest niece!

July 4, 2011

This year for the 4th of July, we went out to Derrick's aunt's house in Henning, TN.  Carter and I decorated star shaped cookies to take with us, and he had a great time helping.  After that, we went to Red Lobster to celebrate Lindsey's birthday (the 5th) - and for having to ride in the car almost 2 hours, the kids did pretty well.  The final pictures are in our driveway after shooting off a few fireworks and doing sparklers. :)

July Pink Palace Visit

The first weekend in July, I took the boys to the Pink Palace to see the train run and look at the other exhibits.  We had a free three month summer trial, so I tried to make the most of it by taking them three times.  We caught the train once, just by luck, the second time we missed it, and this time, we planned our visit around it.  Carter and Cole both had a good time, and on a hot summer day, it was a nice, cool way to spend some time before naps!

Cole looks confused / unhappy in this picture, but I must have caught the only moment that he wasn't smiling, pointing, and clapping - he loved this train!!!

Sesame Street Live - June 25

The day after Ella was born, Carter and I hit the road to pick up Karen and Julia in Camden and head up to Nashville to see Sesame Street Live!  The kids did well in the car with the DVD players and a few toys and were shy at first, but then warmed up and began sharing and "talking" to one another.  Julia is 9 months younger than Carter and exactly 9 months older than Cole - she and the boys would probably have a great time playing together - they are little stairsteps, each perfectly spaced.

The first picture was by the car b/c we weren't sure if you were allowed to bring in cameras.  The next couple are from our seats, and the last one is after the show, playing at Bridgestone Arena.  Carter and I drove there and back in a matter of about 10 hours, a little over 6 of that in the car - he was a trooper, and I had a great time just having a playdate with my little man!

Baby Ella!!!

Our 7th niece was born on June 24, 2011!  Ella Marie Saldo is Garrett's little girl, and we were so excited to get to go to the hospital on Friday night (her birthday) to hold and see her, Garrett, and Samantha.  To both Derrick and I, she looks just like Garrett. :)  She was 9 pounds 6 ounces of beautiful baby girl - and a long 22 inches!  We met Lindsey and Katlin up there as well - and with the 3 of them there acting crazy, we only stayed about an hour.  She is such a blessing already and I know will add tons more joy as the 11th grandchild on Pete & Kelley's side.  We can't wait to watch her grow!

June Miscellaneous

Below are our June miscellaneous pictures.  It looks like it was all Cole in pictures this month - I'll have to be more diligent about getting pictures of them together in July.  I love the first picture - both of my boys happy together - this makes my heart smile! 

Silly cracker head

 Cole with Uncle Jim

 Lori, Derrick, and Melissa - UgaPalooza 2011

 Oreos are yummy!

 Hiding in the fireplace is fun!

I love apples :)

June - Kentucky Trip

The first weekend in June, we headed to Aunt Debbie's to see family and meet up with the Hinton's to celebrate Gage's 3rd birthday.  He and Carter are 3 months apart and big buddies!  He is a big Thomas the Train fan, so we met up with them in New Haven, KY and rode Thomas, played with the trains on train tables, blew bubbles, had lunch, and dealt with crying children.  It was a very hot day, and I think they were all exhausted come lunch time! 

Lucky for us, Aunt Debbie's house was just about 15 minutes down the road in Boston.  Carter loved the rabbits, dogs, and playing with his cousins Sophia and Ashlyn.  Cole was just an angel, as always - and had fun eating popcorn and wathcing Toy Story with the girls as well.

Mother's Day - 2011

For Mother's Day this year, we celebrated by having breakfast with Derrick's mom.  We got her a Nana shirt - with all 11 grandbabies names circling her name.  I ordered from a high school classmate who has her own design firm - the shirt was a big hit!  For lunch, we had mom, Lindsey, and family over.  We did homemade (Pioneer Woman) lasagna again this year - everyone loved it so much last year, we did it again!  I also made a homemade strawberry cake with cool whip icing - it was delish!  The candle was Carter's suggestion...he thinks you can't have cake without a candle.  My Mother's Day surprise was a new Kindle!  I have been wanting one for about 6 months or so and am enjoying it so much.  Thank you to Derrick and the boys for making this day so special for me and our moms!

Zoo Day - May 29

As Zoo Members, we get invited to special events, and May 29 was our first time to go to the zoo on Member's Night.  They have live music, kids and adults can play in the riverwalk, and all the rides are free.  This meant one thing to our kids - get to the rides and get there quickly!  We rode the carousel, the airplanes, the boats, and then decided to let Cole try something.  I figured the boats were safer than the airplane, though they would have let him ride them, and he had a great time.  He and Carter sat in the front together and took turns ringing the bell.  Katlin was less enthusiastic about it all, but still had fun. :)