My girls

I always regret not having more pictures of myself with my precious ladies. I know they're growing up, and I'm going to miss not having these memories etched in pictures.

I love these three girls with all of my heart. They are my everything.

Valley Forge

Valley Forge day with sweet cousins. Besides each other, Guy and Beeba the First are the C. and 2 B.'s bestest friends.

A day of running, stick throwing, more berry picking, binocular toting, deer viewing, Revolutionary bunk investigating, watermelon eating, and all-around fun.

No better way to spend an afternoon!

Lake-y day with a monster headache

Dan has been off this week, and it's been heavenly. He is rarely off, and took off 3 days before his 4-day break (which he'll probably work 2 of those 4 days that he is "off") so it's been awesome having him here this week. We were supposed to go to Maine, and yet were too nervous to take Abrie on such an incredibly long car ride with me still feeding her fairly often. I would have LOVED to be in Maine enjoying the beach and lobsters! We've been wanting to show the girls where we were married those 8 years ago, and it's been so long since we've been up there. Hopefully we can get there sooner than later.

So, we've been trying to think of fun stuff around here to do this week. Fun and FREE! Dan decided last night that instead of going to Hershey today, that he wanted to try and take the girls to Blue Marsh Lake and have a picnic. They just loved that idea, as did I. He went out to Giant this morning and got all the food, and we packed everyone up after I fed Abrie this morning.

It was an awesome time at an awesome lake. The lake is just beautiful and we were so impressed with how clean it was. The sand. The bathrooms. The great stalls for feeding Abrie in private. The playground. The snack stand, etc etc. The only thing that could have made this day better would have been if I hadn't had the monster of all monster headaches for the first 2 hours that we were there. It was one of my very bad headaches-- the type that makes me hate sound, light, motion, everything. Poor Maddie and Faith. They were so worried, and I hated that I just sat there like a lump while Dan took all 3 girls down to the sand and to run around in the grass while he grilled. I didn't even get to enjoy lunch.

Luckily though, I started feeling better when Abrie took her nap and we all went down towards the water's edge. Dan went swimming with the C. and the big B. and I stayed with Abrie at our towel. I eventually did get rid of my monstrous headache, and was able to thoroughly enjoy the rest of our afternoon there. We all just loved it, and hope to get back soon now that we have found a new fun spot.

2 extra days

Baby girl was just now able to relax and go to sleep after a huge meltdown.

Poor baby. I've learned so much from Maddie and Faith that I recognize all of Abrie's cues when she feels that "get out of my face now, Momma!" with the too many toys and books, etc feeling. So, she hasn't had too many meltdowns in her short 10 weeks. But, she was totally over-stimulated the past 2 days, but in the best of ways: family! 

We spent yesterday at Guy and Ella's '5th of July' picnic, and our sweet cousins surprised us and came to play today as well. Faith and Maddie were beside themselves with excitement about yesterday. They've been super excited about the entire 4th of July holiday this year since we had so much planned. And, they just love every excuse to get to see all of their family. The picnic was awesome. They had a little peanut scramble too where they got "prizes" (lollipops and smarties) for their peanuts, and got to play in the little pool pretty much all afternoon. 

They had a blast today also: stick-throwing contest, lunch outside, picking berries, and of course the pool! Minus one small detail of Maddie nearly drowning in the big pool before I scooped her out of the water, and I'd call the past two days the most fun ever. Poor Maddie! I fell into the category of "THAT" mom (the one that turns her back for a split second when of course you know better than to do THAT!) and Maddie let go of the side of the big pool while I was with Faith just a foot away. Poor Cran later summed it up in the car and told me what she was thinking the whole time she was trying to get back to the edge of the pool: "I was thinking, 'Yep, I drowned!'" Needless to say, I've been more than slightly traumatized!

4th of July parade

Awesome 4th of July.

Definitely the best we have ever had as a family. 

We missed the Wyomissing parade last year because of the ugly weather, and I remember Maddie was so upset and crying that she wasn't able to see the floats. We made sure we were able to go this year, even though Dan had just gotten back from work this morning. He always sleeps when we get back until dinner time if there's something we want to do with them in the morning though, and this was definitely worth it. 

Maddie and Faith just loved the parade. Abrie is so funny too because she absolutely loves, loves, loves to just watch and observe while being held. She was awake the entire length of the parade and kept kicking her feet from the excitement. I didn't know that the people in the parade threw candy out to everyone like in the Mardi Gras floats in Shreveport, and so that was an extra bonus. They were in heaven collecting all their candy and tossing it into the diaper bag. 

Abrie had a "butt blast" (blow-out poop!) while we were there, and I changed her on the grass. Poor little woman with no bloomers to her dress for the rest of the time we were there! I had put her in a 3-6 month 4th of July dress this morning that I had gotten at Clothes Tree for $1.99 a long time ago (Carter's dress with the tags still on it!). She's so small that the dress was enormous on her, but I was determined to at least get a picture of her in it! Maddie and Faith chose their outfits and were excited to be red, white, and blue for "the U.S.A's birthday!" They got free balloons and free flags, and just had a blast.

******

I took all three little ladies up to the pool this afternoon while Dan slept, and it was a great time. Not crowded at all as I thought it would be. I love it because I spend my quality time with Abrielle while the big girls play together in the baby pool, and then once Breezie is down for a nap, I get to swim with my Cran and Flop. 

It was a wonderful day. Now, we are so excited about the '5th of July' picnic at Donovan and Ella's house tomorrow!

Excited for weekend

Dan was referred to as "birthday boy" ALL day today by his Crannie. I think it made his day. We made him a carrot cake yesterday, and he had three lovely ladies accompany him to the pool this afternoon. Dan is happy to be 28, and not 1,000 like Maddie told the little girls at the Constein picnic this past weekend (Faith just sat there with her hands over her mouth giggling at everything Maddie would say!).

Quite excited about the 4th of July weekend. Last year was a bust, as the girls had been looking forward to the Wyomissing parade and it had rained. So, they are quite looking forward to it tomorrow. And, then we have a picnic at Guy and Ella's house on Sunday which will be awesome. I think they will have a blast with the games and just being with everybody. And, it is always fun to see Abrie with all of her relatives. I can only imagine how much she'll look forward to stuff like this in just a short while, and how much she'll love any chance to get together with family and friends just like her big sisters love it!

Goal achieved

I did it.

I took the little women- all three of them- up to the pool this afternoon all by myself. I'd been scared to do it, figuring it would be a major disaster, but decided I could- and I would- since Dan was sleeping late after getting home from work late. 

Faith hadn't even had a nap, but the afternoon was wonderful. Of course, my big girls were limited to swimming and playing around the baby pool but they didn't mind and Faith didn't even question it. I was able to play with my Breezer for awhile during her awake time, and when she settled in to the car seat for a nap, I was able to play in the pool with my big girls. Faith even went under water more than a dozen times, and Maddie was making up her own birthday/beach/Florida/beach hotel songs which were quite unique!

This was a major accomplishment for me to get them all up to the pool without any help from Dan. It was great.