Playing Catch Up

Just a heads up, since I haven't posted in a while, you're going to get a lot thrown at you all at once.

Last Saturday we took Anna Kate and her friend Aubrie, to see Toy Story 3. They were so cute sitting in those big movie seats with drinks and a big bucket of popcorn to share. I suddenly had a 'flash forward' moment and saw them sitting in those same seats 10 years from now drooling over some silly boy on the big screen ;c) YIKES!!!


Of course Sara and Ruthie had to make the trip too. Aubrie's boots cracked me up. She INSISTED on wearing them. LOL



After the movie we went to Pizza Kastle (a glorified Chucky Cheese) for pizza and token games. Why must these establishments keep it so darned hot in there?!?!?! I was dripping sweat after 10 minutes of helping Anna Kate play the games that would give her the most prize tickets (of which she 'purchased' 3 jelly bracelets and 1 jelly ring. Seriously? All that work I did and she came home with jelly jewelry that I'm positive she can't locate.) They had a great time, which is all that counts! Right?....


My new Auburn Stick Family car sticker! Don't you love it?!


Today, Anna Kate's sitter took her to 'Upstreet Kids' at her church. They played games, sang Bible songs, ate popsicles and had a little Bible study. I think AK had a great time!

*NOTE: I know ya'll are sick and tired of seeing camera phone pictures, but it's just so hot and sticky out, that I can't make myself lug around my big camera. Sorry, but it'll have to do.

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Summer Family Fun

My brother and his family were vacationing at the beach last week and decided to stop for a visit on their way home over the weekend. It was SO good to see them and spend some time together. The girls played together surprisingly well...it was like they have been around one another since birth :c) It was exciting to see them bonding!

While they were here, Jeff and a friend fished a benefit tournament on Saturday. I don't know how they did it. It was insanely hot. Their flight came in at 2:30 to weigh in, so we all loaded up in Angee's van and drove out to Lakepoint. They didn't win, but did come in 11th (or 10th, that's still being debated) and Jeff had the 2nd largest fish weighing 7lb 7 oz. CONGRATS GUYS!

The Girls - (L to R: Lauren (6), Kristin (5) & Anna Kate (6) )

Enduring the heat with a smile :c)

Kristin and infectious smile!

"It's hot...can we go, please ?"

Jeff cooling off while waiting to weigh in

Weighing the loot

Jeff's big fish :c)

I didn't get any pictures of Jay or Angee, so I swiped one from their stash just to show you how cute their family is. LOL!

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Proud Parent Brag

I received this message from Anna Kate's swim instructor this morning.

"I do think she would benefit from more lessons. She can swim 1/2 the width of the pool in one breath. I had her swim in deeper water yesterday, but she is not comfortable on her back yet, and she does not want to jump completely unassisted. She is way ahead of most kids' progress after just two lessons. She listens very well and is able to process instruction quickly. If you would like more lessons, I would work toward teaching her to get a breath on her own, jumping and beginning diving and independent back floating and adding a simple stroke on the back since the next level would be rolling on the back for a breath....making long distances possible in the water. I typically teach 1) quick lift of the head for breath 2) rolling from front to back for breath 3) side breathing when rolling is mastered. Call me and let me know if and when you would like for me to work with her again."

Just look at my master swimmer :c)




(Thanks to my brother Jay for the underwater pics)

I have another post to put up from when my brother and his family visited over the weekend, but it will have to wait until tonight when I can edit the pictures. Ya'll come back now, ya hear!!

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Amazing Progress

After ONE private swim lesson (yesterday), Anna Kate went from wearing swimmies and holding her nose to this.....



Can you believe that?!! It's amazing to me. She is so proud of herself and I can finally clean the pool without her either clinging to me all the time or whining for me to play with her. Everybody's happy now :c)

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Swimming Like a Mermaid

Today was Anna Kate's first private swim lesson. Everyone that knows Anna Kate knows how much she loves the water (like her momma) and after more than three years of having tubes in her ears, which finally fell out a few months ago, she was ready for lessons. Well, I guess I shouldn't say she was ready, but Jeff and I certainly were. It's exhausting holding up a 50 lbs kid who is constantly clinging to you in the pool!

This is how the lesson started

See that head tilted to the side and finger in her mouth? That's the tell tale sign that she's afraid.

A few minutes later...

she was floating face down :)

By the end she was doing it all by herself!!!

(I know the picture stinks, but all I had with me was my BlackBerry)

The instructor was super impressed and said Anna Kate should be swimming like a pro in four lessons. WOW! She did so good :) Mrs. Sandra (swim instructor) even said this was the first time she had ever had a student learn to float independently, face down in the water at the first lesson!!! That's my waterbug girl :)

While we were there I uploaded these same pictures to Facebook and her Kindergarten teacher commented, "Tell her I said she's swimming like a mermaid." That made AK's day! :c)

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And Finally....

I give you the much awaited 'Daddy Dance' :c)

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Ballet Performance

Up next, Jeff & Anna Kate's dance together :)

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Tap Performance

Ballet next :)

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Dance Recital 2010

Check back tomorrow for the actual video and more photos :)

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Memorial Day Weekend

Friday afternoon we drove down to Panama City Beach, FL for the holiday weekend. I honestly don't remember a time when the water was prettier. It was crystal clear and the perfect temperature. We had such a good time. Jeff and I found ourselves talking about how we really hope and pray the oil doesn't make it's way onto the Florida panhandle shores because the beaches are simply gorgeous. What a devastating disaster. We were very blessed to have such beautiful water and weather :)


On the way to the pool


Ready for a swim!


FINALLY, my toes were in the sand




(Video below - Anna Kate loved the waves this time.)






Water break




SO much like her daddy....takes 2.5 seconds to make a new friend






Dinner at Capt Anderson's - YUM!




Then to the beach for pictures, which didn't turn out like I had hoped. Oh well, there's always July...hopefully.




We take this same picture every year and some day, maybe when she's 10, we will make a storyboard using all of them.

None of us wanted to come home. I truly believe all three of us could become official beach bums, easily.

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