Saturday, June 30, 2012

Where I Come From- Oh What do You Do in the Summertime?


How about use a tarp as a slip-n-slide?
Yes please.

This is my Dad and I back in the good ole' days! I miss that old truck. Some of my earliest memories are of my Dad picking me up from preschool in that truck. 
1961 Chevrolet Apache- Fire Engine Red
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Air time!
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What else do we do in the summertime?
We ride roller coasters.
MY FAVORITE!!!! I love roller coasters!
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This picture makes me laugh so hard! My brother  as always hated roller coasters- scared spitless as a matter of fact (sorry Mike). We finished the ride and he was still upset! Of course big sister didn't make it any easier...
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Summertime is was favorite time of year even though it's hotter than hell! Summer means sun-kissed cheeks, popsicles, vacations,cook outs, watermelons, bike rides, roller coasters, pool days, slip-n-slides, and...
MY BIRTHDAY!
 yes yes yes yes yes

Friday, June 29, 2012

Grandma Barrow's Party

I always look forward to big family get-togethers! My family is spread out all over Houston, so it doesn't always happen every time we come to visit. This time it was Grandma's birthday party!
 74 big ones.
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Happy Birthday Grandma! I love the candle reflection in her glasses...
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The Barrow family is known for it's obnoxious cards. My favorite part of the party is watching Grandma read them. Her face is always so animated! She cracks me up!
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Another thing about the Barrow family- We're cake snobs. Yep, only Dessert Gallery cake will do.  It is delicious! If you live in Houston, look them up- it's worth the drive.
Maggie sure enjoyed it! 
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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

I Feel the Need...

...The Need For SPEED!!!

   It was bound to happen one day. Road Biking!
Cyclists have a name for newbie riders and that name is Fred. My aunt Susan (aka- IRONWOMAN) agreed to show this Fred the ropes. 
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This amazing woman has so much triathlon knowledge- it's sick! And the best part? She loves me enough to share that knowledge. As a matter of fact she took me swimming tonight. Holy Smokes! It was fun!!! Golly, there's so much more to swimming than I thought! I joked with her that a wrestler in a pool is like a cat in water. And that's exactly how I felt before tonight. This cat turned into a FISH! Well, sorta. However, I'm certain I'll do better in my next race.
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New spiffy shoes!!! 
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Thanks for everything Susan! Love YOU! Can't wait for the next ride!
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The Carousel


All this blazing Texas heat means a trip to the carousel! We met Nana-Nana and our cousins for a little lunch date at the food court followed by a few carousel rides.
 Maggie got finished eating really fast. 
Come on guys, lets ride!!!
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Seriously ya'll! I'm ready!
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Mommy and Maggie went and checked out the candy machines while we were waiting. 
Maggie completely forgot about the carousel...Photobucket
She still has chubby baby fingers, I love that...
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My kids must be fast eaters. Rachel's ready too!
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I love this picture.
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Finally we're off! 
"Hi Mommy!"
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She's got twinkles in her eyes. Who doesn't love the carousel? 
So charming, so pretty, so fun! 
We'll be back.
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Monday, June 25, 2012

Sunday Morning Curls

Getting your hair curled just makes you feel special, don't ya think? 
It has become a new Sunday tradition.  
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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Little Girl in Big Overalls

After a trip to the potty, Rachel decided to ditch her overalls. This happens a lot.
But that was just fine by Miss Maggie. She loves the butterfly patch...
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I think I'll start putting Maggie in Rachel's overalls more often. 
The saggy look works for her...   
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I could just eat her up.
And I do. ;) 
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Little girl, you look so good in big overalls.

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Cookies for Dad

The girls and I had cookies for breakfast.
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Wait, I mean we "made" cookies for breakfast.
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I mean they've got eggs, flour, sugar, butter... Sounds like breakfast to me!
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We've got a good reason though... We made them for Daddy. 
We love you Dad! You should eat them for breakfast. ;)
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Mommy Treasure Hunt

As soon as I handed her that powdered donut I thought to myself, "Holy Smokes Jess! Do you need to see a doctor? You just handed your baby a powdered donut in the car." Talk about crumbly, mushy, powdery mess! Maybe I should get my head checked.
Why you ask?
Because it's Friday morning and that means- garage sales
 It's like going on a Mommy treasure hunt.
 I just can't help myself sometimes.
And the mess- totally worth it.
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

A Splashin' Good Time!


"And she just doesn't know, should she stay should she go?" 
"But YES the Maggie!" 
(sound familiar? Sandra Boynton books are favorites in our house)
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Rachel on the other hand squeals at the sight of water! She'd wear her bathing suit all day if I let her. 
Joy, complete JOY...
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I love this face! I've found that the only thing Maggie is cautious of is water. 
"Woe, look at those kids playing in that water..."
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A-ha! There she goes! 
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As you can see, once she's warmed up to the idea there's no stopping her. Who wants a sippy cup when you can have a fountain? 
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And one of the Mom's from the playgroup brought chocolate milk boxes in a cooler! Talk about cool Mom award. 
Rachel was in heaven...
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Sunday, June 17, 2012

A Messy Fathers Day!


Trying to buy a gift for Tyler has always been tricky. The boy doesn't want anything except guns! Doing something special for father's day is even harder when he's half a world away. I wanted to get the girls excited about doing something special for their Daddy. So, I went out and bought finger paint. 

ooey gooey messes are always a hit!  
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Maggie especially loved dumping the colors out. Of course...
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She also loved mixing all the colors...
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Busy painting girls...
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Finger painting is best done without clothes on... I love those little bums!
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Rachel was so focused on making something nice for Daddy...
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She even used the blue and green paints because those are Daddies favorite colors...
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Before hosing them off, I decided to throw them on the trampoline and give them a popsicle. They did work hard after all! haha
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We love popsicles!!!
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She's a mess. I think I say that every day! She is a mess!!! Inside, outside- an all over mess!
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Sister Love...
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I can only imagine the amount of kisses Daddy will get when he comes home...
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Every day Rachel will say something about her Daddy. 
When she's sad she says, "I miss Daddy."
When she's happy she says, "Daddy's in my heart!"
When she's in trouble she says, "I want Daddy!"
And when I'm feeling blue she'll cup her little hands around my face and say, "Oh sweetie, it's okay- Daddy is in your heart and he'll be home soon."  
It's true.
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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Tell Me Something

When Tyler and I get the chance to talk we hit the "musts" topics first. You know, things like bills, tithing, how much I spent on car repairs, our next trip plans, insurance questions, why I can't get some darn contraption to work... blah blah blah. Then there's the mushy stuff... I'll spare ya'll those examples, haha. After that time is usually up, but sometimes it's not. Then there's a silence that comes. 
What do we talk about now?
It's funny how you can miss someone so much and then not know what to talk about. A few hours ago I could have come up with a million things I want to say. Now, I haven't a clue. 
That's when Tyler says, "Tell me something funny the girls did today." 
I can do that.

Here's a little something... Maggie loved the slide at the park yesterday. It's a very tall slide, especially for a little rascal like Maggie. But she's always up for the challenge. After about ten times of going up and down the slide she decided she needed more thrill. She must be my daughter. She'll be skydiving in no time. Anyway, that's when she started poking her head over the edge of the slide. The girl was about to give me a heart attack. I just knew she'd lean in far enough to flip over. Instead she decided to try and run down the slide instead of sit on her bottom. Again with the heart attack thing. What has happened to me? Having children has made me soft. You've gotta believe me though, it was a tall slide.

Don't be fooled by this sweet face, she's a wild one...Photobucket