The Georgia Aquarium

The largest aquarium in the world! And we got to go!

This fish was hilarious. It seemed like it was trying to tell the girls something. haha

Love this picture.

The only manta rays you can see in the US.

There's a cool picture of me with a nice scuba diver on my FB page too.

Georgia 7.10

My Grandpa lives in Northern GA so we treked down there for a visit.

The Fransons have this thing with the Appalachian Trail. We love it. Adam, with his dad and some brothers, maintained part of it (in Maine) when he was growing up. Because of this fondness, I drug my family on quite the adventure to find it in Georgia. We drove up a very bumpy mountain on forest service roads to intersect it, mainly because the kids couldn't hike the distance to an actual AT trail head (their hiking max is approx. 1 mile.) After 2 1/2 hours and only 40 miles traveled we finally found it. We only almost turned around 2 or 3 times! Perseverance paid off. And I got my picture.

We got lost and ran into this sign. Must have been meant to be. Best funny sign yet?

Gramps.

Mary, Grandpa's new wife, doing what she does best. Baking! (She's a pastry chef.)

Girls in Grandpa's tub.

We had a little family birthday party for my mom. She's over the hill now BTW.

Les-a-lie! My good friend from HS who lived an hour from my Grandpa. It was great to see her. Some people, and friendships, never change!

Hydrangeas

I saw a similar arrangement in Pottery Barn {of course} a while back and always loved it. It just so happened that there is a beautiful Hydrangea {and about the only} plant growing in my front yard and it just so happens that I was alone running errands one Saturday {miraculous} when I stopped by a consignment shop {that I had been eyeing for a while} and found this vase. For $9. I think its about the best <$10 centerpiece I could have asked for.

And the best part: these lovely flowers, dried, last until you cut more next summer.

Johnny Jumper

Adam's Aunt Rosemary gave us this contraption when Adalin was a little baby. It was Sean's, Adam's cousin who is 20-ish. Yea, I should know how old Sean is. Anyway, I tell you that because we all now know that this johnny jumper is a bit old. But it's fun and pretty much awesome. All 3 of my babies have loved the thing. I love it too. It brings out the best in their chubby little legs and cutest little giggles.

The above picture is Adalin, Ava below. Perhaps Kira was too chubby to fit in it? Kidding! Sadly, I don't have a picture of her as a baby in it. :)

Ain't they purdy?

Adam took the {older two} girls for a walk and they brought back multiple bouquets of wild flowers. It's the simple, little things like that that make this life so sweet. And happy. And beautiful.

The Weims

No, we did not get another dog. But occasionally we babysit this guy for our good friends.

{Otto, on the left.}

I really love seeing multiple dogs of one breed side by side. Don't know why, just do!

Broken rules

We actually went and saw fireworks this year. "What?!" you say? Yes, it's true, we don't do it every year. 10pm is not only a late hour for my kids, it somehow draws out the worst in my kids when they go to bed 4 hours past their bedtime. They get it from their mother.

But this year, their mother ignored the fact that the ride home and the act of getting them in their beds {with their teeth brushed} was going to be more of an undertaking than both their parents might be able to handle on that particular, hot day. She put her foot down and told their father that they were all going. Meltdowns or not.

The girls actually paid attention to the fireworks, for the first 10 minutes. Then they were distracted by their newly found privilege of playing on top of the car. So, their mom and dad left early and, as chance would have it, still got to see the grand finale just before they pulled out of the very crowded parking lot where they would have been stuck in traffic for another 15 minutes with a baby screaming bloody murder. So it all worked out fine.

Previously that day the girls and I drove to Gregory, MI to my great uncle's house for an Allen family reunion. Now, Adam and I have a thing for funny signs and I just had to snap a pic of this one.

Yes, there is a Hell, MI.

And, what 4th of July weekend would be complete without fattening, junk food? Smores cookies were my newly found, very American, sweet treat that I couldn't help but bake.

Wait a minute...

... Is she too cute?

Another Graduation Pic

Sacked

No, Adam didn't get fired. Kira sacked out on the bench on our front porch one hot afternoon. This is what her summer was like. Poor girl. The heat was too much for her some days and she would voluntarily lie down in random places, but most of the time in her bed, for a nap.