Botanical Gardens

I am still behind on blogging, but I guess that is just a sign that we are having too much fun around here ;) Two weeks ago, I went with Very Virginia to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. We had been planning for months to practice our photography skills on Blair and Katherine. I had been wanting to have Blair's 2 year portraits made, but my husband convinced me otherwise since I have all of this expensive camera gear! So, this was the perfect opportunity for me to take some pictures of her, AND for Gigi and I to get in some good practice. Of course, AK came as our assistant. We weren't getting anywhere without a backpack full of treats and a portable potty! Here are some of my favorite shots...

We are by no means excellent, but we sure did have a good time! The girls got to pick out treats at Smith's since they were so good, and we even treated ourselves to a big breakfast since we worked up such a huge appetite. Girls, we had such a GREAT time and we are ready for our next adventure to Auburn!

Atlanta Smiles

If you know Blair, then you know she is a huge fan of the zoo. The Atlanta zoo is like her home. She knows where all the animals are located, and especially knows how to find the playground. We are members of Zoo Atlanta, and we were so excited for our friend, Angie Patnode, to have her book signing there on Member's Only night.

Angie and her sister, Mary, wrote a children's book about all the fun things to see and do in Atlanta. One of the topics happens to be about Zoo Atlanta, so it was the perfect place for her promote the book. We knew people would be all about purchasing a book since Angie is so "Gorgeous".

Of course, we scoped out a few animals while we were there.

And what's not to love about this guy? There is always a ton of smiles on Blair's face when he is around. We've come a looooong way since her infant days ;)

So, visit this website www.bareader.com if you would like to purchase an Atlanta Smiles book of your own. Blair has one, and we plan on hitting up all the spots mentioned in the book this summer while we are on break! We would love some good company to help us with our Atlanta Smiles checklist that is included in the book! Happy Summer!!

The Rattlesnake and the Virus

Okay, I am behind. Here goes...

I tried to come up with a creative title for this blogpost, but I just couldn't really come up with anything other than the truth. Those two things pretty much sum up our 2nd beach trip of the summer. If you plan on vacationing anywhere near me or with me this summer, you better take out a vacation insurance policy beforehand.

This trip was planned with 2 of my best friends from college and their children. This would have been the first time we had ever done this, and we knew we were brave going into it. I met Anna Kate and her daughter Katherine, along with Claire and her two boys, Reid and Davis, down at Seacrest Beach two weeks ago. Claire brought a sweet girl named Mary Tom along for the ride to help us with the kiddos. Little did we know that we needed a small army to get through the week.

We woke up bright and early Monday morning. We were ready to take on the day. We did our breakfast and exercise routine. During clean-up time I hear Anna Kate say "Could someone please tell me what this is?". It was in her "I sense drama" voice; not in her casual voice. Much to our surprise it was a tail to a rattlesnake. See for yourself.

This is the tail to an Eastern Diamondback. This baby was resting itself underneath the kitchen table (yes, where all the children had their breakfast). Based on the "wildlife specialist" that came to the house, it was a new tail, and had probably not been there long. Some traps were set up around the house and we were told to just be on the lookout. Comforting, huh?

So, being the brave vacationers that we were, we just kept on like we were supposed to. We got in some great beach time, and the kids were having a blast.

The mommies were even able to find some fun for ourselves after the children all went to bed. There is nothing a good meal won't cure ;)

Tuesday was another fantastic day on the beach. The kids were getting the hang of our sand routine by then, and were playing so well together. We would go out and play, have our snack, go swim and then have lunch. Life was good.

Tuesday night, we went to a fun kid's dinner at Louie Louie and then went to Seaside for ice cream. We bribed the kids just long enough to get some pictures of them in their lobsters and crabs. It was the calm before the storm; we just didn't know it ;)

The pictures stop here because the vacation stopped here. Or at least it did for some of us. Anna Kate woke up Wednesday morning with a terrible stomach bug. Then a few hours later, Mary Tom advised us she was not feeling well. The next to fall was Katherine around lunch time. Then last was Blair. It was like a nightmare had come true. Virginia came to the rescue to help out only to take the stomach bug back to her house in Birmingham! Whether this thing came from the tomato on the floor, the chewed up gum, or from another child, we will never know. I do know that we were just so lucky to have nurse Claire with us and to keep her well! Girls, I am so sorry this happened, but we did make some great memories during our few fun days. We know that Davis likes Mermaids, Katherine was "going to Auburn, Ms. Tara", Blair can't share, Reid has parties in his crib, and the mommies all love fancy dinners! Whooo hooo!! And I KNOW we will laugh about this on our 40th birthday trip!!! Only 8 years to go!