summer update

Well just an update for the books. I just finished a very stressful long weekend with good ole Carilion. New computer system went live, some chaos made it interesting for the work enviornment but at least there were lots of Fritos and cookies to make it better. At least the overtime will pay good for our vacation soon. I have had a much better week being home ever since, napping a lot but never the less enjoying myself w/ my sweet girl and sweet hubby. We showed our house 5 times in the past week. Ugg! Talk about keeping the toys up and counters clean. Even had to sleep at a friends house Sunday so Brian could show it during the day (thank you Downey's!!). The most interested family came through last night but their house isn't even on the market yet so we'll see if it actually pans out. Rough market these days. At least in the meantime there's nothing we want anyway so we'll just wait and see when and where God wants us next. It's kind of exciting not knowing. The Bit's had a great week. She's mastered just a life vest and loads of independance in the pool. Swimming like a champ w/ just a little help to stay up. She has peed in the potty today once ....on the floor/deck like 5 times. We're getting there. She's taken to constant croch holding I suppose because she doesn't quite know when she'll blow either. It's pitiful but cute too. She gets all serious and holds her baby doll over the potty helping baby "poo poo paayee". She LOVES wearing big girl panties. Mama's determined to do this soon! "Mickey's boat" is coming soon to take us away to paradise! It's so fun to be filled w/ so many happy thoughts. To name a few I might forget someday....A hubby who turns off the radio on a 30 min commute and asks his daughter to sing to him instead (she loves to belt out to her own musical whims), a kid who can count all the way to 10 this week (!!!!) and a me.....who just likes living it all w/ a big smile on my face and a cat in my lap. Mmmmm summer '08 is good so far!

Abigail's TWO!!!!

She loved her seronade from her Aunt Honey so much she asked for it "Gain!! Gain!!" and her sweet aunti obliged!
Can you tell this girl was hyper on her big day w/ those big eyes!?!? A little sugar much?!

Early morning fun, daddy woke her up early and she wasn't quite sure what hit her.
Poor kid, this looks like child abuse doesn't it?! I think if she knew how to ask for coffee first, she would have. :)

Gearing up for the party and trying on the hats before the crowd arrived

Ok, I love this, my big helper w/ the mac and cheese dish was SUPPOSED to just unwrap the cheese slices, yeah, caught her hand in the cheese jar big time!
Proof positive for taste testing. :)

Grammie Wescott brought the biggest hit of the night, a life size Mickey Mouse balloon.

The hat didn't last long but boy did she look cute in it
Grammie Adam gave her a REAL dish set, fancy!!!! She loved it
Her mommy picked out the perfect gear for the new generation of Wescotts, she is so my little chef already!

Don't worry I promised I'd do embarrasing things at his kids parties one day, Welcome to the family Greg!!!
Her very first tea set , served us all some tasty air on Disney princess plates
We broke into her new music collection and watched her boogy the night away!

Whew this girl loves to dance
And she especially loves to dance w/ her aunti D!
She still isn't much for a sweet tooth, a couple bites and she was done

I tried hard to do a cake she might like, she loves lemon cookies and lemonade so I took a chance w/ lemon cake.....she wasn't thrilled. Oh well, everyone else liked it. :)

Her sweet Pa-Pa made her this beautiful table because she loves outside sooo much now she has her own place to sit.
birthday night, she was still ready to party in her clown shoes.

We had such a special night last week celebrating Abigail's big 02 birthday!!! We woke her up early (it's been 1000 before we see her face these lazy summer days!) because Brian couldn't stand not seeing the birthday princess before he left for work. She looked all kinds of star struck as we plopped a party hat on her and pinned her illuminated "I'm 2" button on her pj's before she even got her first cup of juice in her! It didn't take her long to warm up to the idea that the day was all about her. :) We kissed daddy off to work then the girls hit the mall for some fun shopping and a lunch at Chick Fillet then a ride on the train. The evenings festivities were started early w/ a visit from her little friend Katie Coles who hooked her up w/ her very first Mr. Potato head kit. Wow! so much spud fun. The fam arrived at 6 and the party got officially started. We did a Jo Jo Circus theme w/ clown noses all around for our poor guests. Abigail knew the presents were her's this year and tore through them, like a lady. We had to encourage her to rip at times! Sometimes I wonder where this kid gets this stuff!!! She got lots of great gifts and modeled and played with everything right on que for the camera, such a good sport! I can't believe my princess is 2 yrs old that's for sure. Now I understand when my dad used to say he'd try bricks on our heads to keep us from growing up too fast. I'm loving her toddler years, yeah she's a little sassier. We're working on that, but oh she's sweet these days. She prefers her "cuyying" at bedtime [cuddling] when you try to take her upstairs. She's all about hugs and kisses and good lap sitting w/ us. She's the perfect combination of lazy and snuggly and wildly energetic. Brian and I are eating up every minute of these fun days w/ her. When to her life is just full of toys, mickey mouse and mommy and daddy. We had a ball spoiling her on her birthday. It's fun to have an excuse to really spoil them. Man they're worth every penny and ounce of effort, Happy Birthday Boogers!!!

All American Memories...

Lazy lake days found here

Little Sam and the Bit were quite the pair

hanging out waiting on the family to get there Friday evening.

I know LibLee would kill me but hey, she's my aunt and I like this picture!
Cody, being the cool 15 yr old, Rusty and Sammy enjoying the water
The man of the house and his baby! Elli was such a good puppy all day w/ all those kids.

This should so be on a Hallmark card I think. She absolutely adored little Sam. They just wondered off all over the place holding hands. So stupid cute!!!!!!!!!
The mad family gathering on floatation devices trying to get the babies to stay put on the raft together. They sat there forever content as could be to be out where it was warm. Then when my wonderful hubby swam in to get the camera they got shy, we couldn't believe it little boogers! Thanks anyway Brian, you're so good to your blogging wife.
Yeah, she stole his noodle little clepto! She was all about swimming against the waves

These two shots are fun. this one above is daddy before he shoots the firework toy off, see he explains it first.

.....this one he comforts my little scaredy cat after it goes off. :)
In her own chair taking it all in by the bonfire

Me and my gal playing on Pa-Pa's new swing he made.
My sweet buddy and Cousin Rebekah and the Bit strike a pose
"see Sammy, while they are distracted we can reach the smores stuff on the table here", poor Sam got fussed at very shortly after taking this shot. :( sorry buddy, should have warned you , she's trouble!

Holy Hot Couple Batman!

Yeah....she still marches every year. :)

Sammy wasn't quite sure what to do with Miss Dancing Diva literally trying to show him how to sing and shake his grove thing on 'stage'.

My cous and her Cody the rubix cube king, I've never seen anybody solve one of those things in 4 minutes, well really at all!
Dee and Greg sleepy but happy to ride out for the fireworks show, I'm so glad you came to play!
Da daddy and Da Bit..

starting out my poor baby was all about barely keeping her heavy eyes open, she perked up later
Sweet Dee and Rachael waiting on the show to start Kodak mommy killing time annoying everyone by taking endless pictures. Yeah, but look who's not going to forget all these great memories now huh!

Ok, I know she looks miserable, I promise she perked back up. Poor kid! Her selfish mommy didn't want to leave her at the house and let her miss out on the fun. I needed my snuggle bug.
I know this is all squigly but I love this picture. It was w/ the night setting so the shutter stayed open allowing the rocking boat to move my target. That's mom and dad's friend's in the pontoon boat there in front of us. All the other lines are the other boats awaiting the show in the distance.

I love this picture of my lake parents. They refused to straighten up to take a serious picture but I'm kind of glad, this turned out better anyway!

Well we had a wonderful 4th of July holiday this past weekend. A much missed good ole fashioned SML weekend like we used to have growing up so routinely I almost took them for granted at the time. Not anymore. I really had forgotten how special it was and how much I missed those days! We had my cousin Rebekah from Florida and her family up w/ my Aunt LibLee. We did the all American smores roast (where everyone enjoyed Bri's new twist of using Reece Cups instead of Hershey bars), sparklers, grilled burgers and dogs and lots of laughs. My crazy festive mother jet propelled the sounds of some choral tribute to the nation onto the water as she marched about the yard to John Phillip Sousa with Rachael, the only one (a 9 yr old) who would do it with her this year. :) We soaked in the sun and the Bit was crazy about splashing her way ALONE through the waves as the boats brought them by. She sure drank her fill of good ole Virginia fish water but didn't seem to mind too much through her toothy yet wet grins and giggles. She hit it off quite nicely (hello, how could you not) w/ little Sam and Rachael. Although I was a little embarrassed at what a bad influence the Bit was on their well behaved toddler. In her defense, she's been very much taught that anything goes at Mi-Mi's house. Sorry Rebekah and Rusty! My mother insists that what's learned and happens at Mi-Mi's house, stays at Mi-Mi's house! We just try not to take those habits home. And dear Cody and Brian had a blast shooting off Rusty's great....very legal... fireworks from SC. We set our chairs up along the bank Friday night and the panoramic view of all the surrounding docks put on the show of all shows. And of course we contributed as well enjoying Bri and Cody's fine display too. Amazingly Abigail slept soundly through the "stars" as she called them. I couldn't believe it, and there were plenty of those good Boones Mill whistlers screaming past our ears and exploding close enough to cast a glow on her sleeping baby face. So sweet!! Definitely her father's child on that one, my sleep through air raids man!

Saturday we got a later start d/t the rain but we made up for it and God gave us a good sunny afternoon. Deana and her fiance (yeah!) Greg joined us w/ her famous deviled eggs and potato salad in tow. I guess she does really love us both....sucker. :) And we did get a quick hug and squeeze from Chris, Natalie and little Katie who swung by on their boat for a visit. We poked some good fun at our invasion of real Red Britt's at our American celebration, we apologized for that whole Revolutionary thing... before they had to 'dart off' back to the mountains. :)

Saturday night we headed out bellies full to enjoy the fireworks show by boat at dusk. We loaded up with our skilled skipper to our floating after dinner theater. Even running into some of mom and dad's friends hosting their large family on their boat. SML is so great!! We enjoyed the show for the next hour or so and we couldn't believe this time Abigail, who acted positively drunk w/ fatigue at the start of the voyage, awoke w/ good old baby push vigor to watch the "stars" again. I only wish a 2 year old would be able to remember such a special night. Maybe she will. Maybe reading my saved blogs later will help. :) God bless the good memories on the Lake this year !!