7.30.2011

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Another busy day around here. We had a birthday party this morning at the Fun Zone. The kids just love playing there. Mckenzie doesn't care for the jungle gym, but she loves the inflatable slides. The last time she was there, she wouldn't even try the inflatables but this time, Abby led the way and she followed :) Abby was such a good sister to her today. She tried to get her to play in the jungle gym and kept checking back to see if Mckenzie changed her mind and wanted to play instead of sitting on my lap. Then when they played on the inflatable slides, Abby made sure Mckenzie went in front of her and they could slide down together that way. It really melted my heart to see them being so sweet and caring to one another :) S friend was super kind to watch the girls so I could run to the grocery store by myself. I am not sure why I put it off until today, but a weekend shopping trip with the girls is not my idea of a good time. The girls had fun playing and didn't even pitch a fit when I arrived to take them home. We had friends over to play and grill out this evening. It was a really nice time and the girls all had fun splashing around in the pool. When I was tucking Abby into bed tonight I told her how proud I was of her behavior today (I told Mckenzie the same) and that Daddy would be so proud of both of them too. She asked if I could call Daddy to let him know and I told her I wouldn't be able to call him, but that I would write it on the blog so he could read about it. It must have sounded like a good idea because she started to tell me exactly what to write. " I was really good at the party and I was good at Natalie's and I didn't get upset when it was time to go...."  Then she asked if I needed to write that down. Guess she has already learned I have a pretty short memory :)

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7.29.2011

Friday, July 29, 2011

What a long day! Mckenzie woke up at 4:41 this morning and decided she was hungry. Thankfully she went back to sleep around 6. We went to a squadron picnic on base for lunch today. The girls had a blast playing on a slip n slide and in the bounce house. I didn't have quite as much fun as it was super warm/humid out there today and I wasn't about to play on the slip n slide with the girls to cool off :) The Phillies mascot showed up and Abby had fun chasing him around. Mckenzie was scared to death of him and buried herself in my arms whenever the mascot got close :) Both girls enjoyed watching people get dunked in the dunk tank and a guy take a pie to the face. I enjoyed the cool air conditioning of the car on the way home :) And Scott, if you read this, this doesn't mean I want to live anywhere cold just because I am complaining about the heat, it just means I was away from the comfort of my air conditioning too long ;-) ! We went swimming at our friend's house to cool off after the picnic. Makes me wish we had a pool! Mckenzie just about fell asleep after we got back home. So, I broke the rules a little and gave the girls dessert before dinner so she would stay awake! She is fast asleep in bed now, but Abby is still wide awake. We had quite the rain storm roll through about an hour ago and she is worried about the lights going out. I am surprised we didn't lose power as the wind was so strong it looked like it was raining sideways! Abby keeps telling me Lambie is giving her troubles about going to sleep because Lambie is hogging the bed and wants Abby to sleep on the floor. Abby is coming out of her room every 5 minutes to tattle on Lambie. I may just end up sleeping in there if she keeps this up!

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7.28.2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

So, Scott didn't end up leaving last night on his trip as they had a problem with the plane. He ended up back at home around 4 this morning. Glad he called me before he arrived or I might have been a little freaked out to see someone else in the house! The girls were both so happy to see him! We had friends over this morning to play. Our house seriously looked like a tornado blew through. I didn't know four girls could make such a mess in such a short amount of time! We went to the library this afternoon to check out some new books. I had heard the book called "One" was a good read for the kids and both girls really enjoyed it. I think it may be one to add to our library :) The girls and I headed to Target after Scott left this afternoon. I only went in for Tide and a birthday gift and ended up leaving with an entire cart! In my defense, I haven't been there in a long time and Scott is gone on his first trip since returning from his deployment. Those are reasons enough to spend money right??!! I tried to get some photos for my workshop that I am taking but none of them turned out. I need better light or a better camera (granted I am sure some of the problem is my skill level, but trying to take pictures of moving children is difficult (for me) and it would be helpful to have a larger range of settings).   Hope it is sunny tomorrow :)

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7.27.2011

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

We got up early this morning and went to the beach. We checked out a different beach than before. This one is for military only and is free :) Gotta love a free beach and free parking :) The water was warm enough to let the girls play in, although I miss living on the Gulf Coast with the gentle waves.  I took Abby out a little ways, not too far from shore at all. It was fun, but on the way back in, we got hit by a couple of huge waves and we both went under twice (not for long). Thankfully, I never let go of Abby and I played it off as something fun and wild :) (I think she bought it) When we were back on the beach, I realized how lucky we were. I am so thankful that God was there to protect us. I did lose my sunglasses though and Scott was teasing me saying that was part of my plan so I could get a new pair.  Overall, we had a blast playing in the sand and water. We built sandcastles and buried Abby up to her neck in sand :) She loves doing that and Mckenzie loves to bury her. We left in the early afternoon so Scott could get a nap before his trip tonight. Mckenzie fell asleep too, but Abby was a bundle of energy. I think she played with every toy in the playroom this afternoon!

059 Abby beach

053 Mckenzie beach

044 Scott beach

041 Abby & Mckenzie on the beach

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7.26.2011

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ahhh, I love a clean house and clean sheets :) Gotta love Tuesdays for that reason, well at least every other Tuesday anyway ;-) The girls and I hung out at the house while Scott was at work. We played a lot of games and did some "homework" as we call it around here. I have heard that summer break allows for a 2.5 month backwards slide in education and I am trying to avoid that with the girls if I can. Mckenzie must have been really tired today because she went to her room for a rest (at her request) and didn't emerge until 2 hours later! At dinner tonight, Scott told Abby she needed to take 4 more bites of her dinner before she was done. She thought about it for a bit and then asked if she could take 3 bites of her dinner and save the last bite for a piece of candy because that would be 4 bites total. Good math and I love the way she thinks :)

008 Mckenzie b&w

010 copy Abby dh

017 Scott reading to Abby & Mckenzie

7.25.2011

Monday, July 25, 2011

We met some friends for lunch at Chick fil A today. Abby hasn't seen her friend much this summer so she was very happy to spend a little time with her today. We stopped by Borders bookstore on the way home. It is going out of business so I thought I could score some goodies. No real bargains yet (only 10% discount on children's books) but I did pick up some books as rewards for the girls. I like having bribes readily available :) I made some super yummy chicken tortilla cheese soup for dinner (minus the cockroach that made it's way into the crock pot when I made it a couple of years ago in Oklahoma)!

001 Mckenzie wb

7.24.2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad :)  We wish you guys many more years together!!! Mckenzie slept in until 10AM this morning! Crazy, but it has been late to bed for the girls the last few nights, so it is understandable! Scott took the girls bowling today. Both girls got two strikes each! Scott helped Mckenzie a bit, but Abby did hers all on her own!! They all had a great time:) Scott and the girls stopped by the store on the way home to get a new printer as the other one decided to call it quits as well as a new router since it got fried from a power outage earlier this week. I had a nice afternoon at home, catching up some shows that were bogging down the DVR.  We went to Olive Garden for dinner and it was HORRIBLE!!!!! First off, it was so cold in there I had to use the napkins to cover the girls to keep them from shivering. Our waiter was slow and the food was not good. Mine and Mckenzie's looked like it had been sitting forever. Disappointing to say the least. I have to say it is the first time I have ever left that restaurant hungry. Mckenzie fell asleep on the way home and Abby almost did. Poor girls are so tired from such a long weekend.

One of the photos I submitted for my photography workshop this week. I think the girls are seriously tired of smiling at the camera!

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7.23.2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011

We did a little window shopping for an RV today. Scott would love to have one, but they are so expensive :( It was fun to look at them even though it was ridiculously hot out today! I think the heat index was around 120 degrees! I can't wait for this heat wave to be over. We stopped for lunch before heading back home and I have to say it was the first time I heard someone in Jersey actually say "yous guys". Interesting :) We met some friends at a local winery for a Jazz and Blues festival. Have I mentioned yet that it was so hot out today????? The kids were drenched from playing. Seriously, they looked like someone poured a bottle of water over their heads!  So, instead of having a picnic dinner listening to some music, we decided to grill dinner at our friend's house. A much better idea (and much cooler)! We had a lot of fun and the girls played nicely even though it got to be a late evening. I should say they played nicely until the moment that they both turned on us. One minute they were running around and the next, the tears and tantrums started. I can't blame them. It was really late! I felt bad putting them to bed without a bath after running around outside today, but they both fell asleep on the way home and didn't even flinch when we put them to bed!

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7.22.2011

Friday, July 22, 2011

The girls had a pajama playdate this morning at a friend's house. Both Abby and Mckenzie thought I was a little silly when I told them they didn't have to get dressed to leave the house! This evening, we took the girls to the county fair. It was really hot out, but once it got dark, it wasn't that bad. The girls had so much fun petting the cows and newly hatched chickens. The girls had a blast on the rides. Scott took Abby on a ride that Mckenzie was too little to go on. She was so excited to do it and when it was over, she told Scott how scary of a ride it was and said she didn't want to go again. (That was short lived though because she asked to ride it again before we left) Mckenzie and I got to ride the carousel. Mckenzie told me how bumpy her zebra ride was. I'm guessing the carousel was in need of a little oil or something. We got a little ice cream to cool off before calling it a night. It was after 11 by the time we got home, but we still had to give the girls a bath because they were so dirty!!!!!!!

040 ferris wheel

I know this isn't a great photo, but the girls are both so happy :)

050 Abby Mckenzie at fair

7.21.2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

A whole lot of nothing going on here :) Just hanging out together. Abby is working on sight words. She was having trouble prounouncing "As". She kept saying *ass* so I tried to help her out by saying "ass" has two s's and "as" only has one. Well, when Scott came home, she let him know that ass is spelled A-S-S and as is spelled A-S. Poor guy has to be wondering what is going on around here !

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7.20.2011

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

We spent the day in the house. When Scott got home, we headed to Pei Wei for dinner. YUMMY ! We just love that place. After we got the girls into bed, I went grocery shopping. I have to say it wasn't the best day to go. Apparently our store doesn't get any produce on Wednesdays so there wasn't much left to choose from. I did like shopping at night though since the store wasn't busy at all.

7.18.2011

Monday, July 18, 2011

The girls and I hung out in the house this morning and then went swimming at a friend's house this afternoon. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon and as usual, the girls had fun in the pool and with their friends. Mckenzie was brave enough jump into the pool without anyone catching her. This was a first for her! I am so proud :) Scott had to work later tonight, so it was another late night to bed for the girls. It seems like that happens so often in the summer.  I didn't take any pics of the girls today. I think I am getting bored of taking the same pictures over and over and I think the girls are getting tired of smiling for me :)

7.17.2011

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The girls slept in a bit this morning which was nice :) I made breakfast for the family and then ran to Target by myself!!!! Love going to Target by myself every once in awhile. This afternoon we went to a pool party for Mckenzie's friend. The girls enjoyed swimming and playing with their friends. It was a really great day :) I wish I would have taken my camera, but I forgot it :(

7.16.2011

Saturday, July 16, 2011

We were going to go to the beach today, but we decided it wouldn't be a very good idea with Abby's toe the way it is. Instead, Scott took the girls with him while I cleaned the house. He had to run into work for a bit and then he took the girls to a playground when he was done. They had a blast hanging out with Daddy and even got to have a donut for breakfast :) We ran errands together this afternoon and stopped by the grocery store on the way home so we could grill for dinner. We let the girls stay up late for a fire and s'mores :) They love doing it and so do we :)

001 Mckenzie b&w

018 Abby

These photos were taken just before dark and they are sooooo grainy. I don't have any other pics from the day though, so they will have to suffice ;)

7.15.2011

Friday, July 15, 2011

Scott had an early flight this morning so he was gone before we all got up. Mckenzie woke up early too. I guess she is getting back to her normal schedule. I am happy for that :) Not that I like getting up early, but I feel like the day is wasted if we sleep in too late. The girls and I met some friends at an open air theater to see a performance of The Jungle Book.  It was a performed mainly by children and was well done. The girls enjoyed it and giggled throughout the show. We brought lunch with for a picnic and then played at the park. Abby played with the older kids in our group and Mckenzie only wanted to swing. Typical :) I am glad they had so much fun today. Mckenzie fell asleep on the ride home and ended up taking a looooong nap when we got home. We played outside while we waited for Scott to get home and then headed out to dinner. We ate at a restaurant/bar and they had the music cranked up so the girls decided to dance by the table. It was hilarious! Those little girls always seem to make me smile :)

017 Abby b&w


018 copy Dakota dh

7.14.2011

Thursday, July 14, 2011

We had a super lazy morning around here. I had great intentions of doing laundry, but that never seemed to happen. I did rewash the load of laundry I started on Tuesday and forgot about until today but that is all the further I got. Writing this reminds me I need to go throw that in the dryer or else I will be rewashing it again! We went over to a friend's house this afternoon. The kids had fun playing and I had a nice visit with a good friend :) My friend is very pregnant and she was gracious enough to let me take a few belly photos. We headed to the library after our play date. The girls were excited to pick out new movies. After dinner, the girls ate ice cream bars outside and had a water fight with the hose :) I love summer nights!

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7.13.2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Abby came over sometime in the middle of the night. I was so tired I didn't even realize she had gotten into bed with us even though Scott say I am the one who told her she could sleep with us. We had a play date today at a children's museum. The kids love playing in all the exhibits and had a good time. They really enjoyed a performance of Beauty & The Beast. The cast invited the children to be a part of the wedding by coming down front and both Abby and Mckenzie went down and danced away. I knew Abby would go and enjoy it, but I was very surprised that Mckenzie went down. She always wants to do things like that (think children's sermon at church), but she never stays. Today though, she did! And she smiled the entire time. Both girls looked up for me and gave me a smile and a wave. Things like that melt my heart :) I have been pretty cranky today between the post office that somehow lost all our mail from while we were on vacation and certain people who will remain nameless that can't seem to reimburse us in a timely fashion for work that we shouldn't have to pay for in the first place! GRRRRR!!! Hopefully I will be less cranky about it tomorrow :)

7.12.2011

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Abby was so excited to get to play with one of her friends this afternoon. Mckenzie was a little upset that she didn't get to stay, but she didn't throw a fit. She and I ran to the store to find a birthday present for a party this weekend. It took Mckenzie forever to pick out the perfect present for her friend. She would pick up a toy and say "Ava will like this". So, I would ask if that is what she wanted to buy and she would say yes at first and then change her mind. I can't tell you the number of toys I put in the cart and then had to put back on the shelves. It was worth all the time it took though because she was so proud of what she did finally buy. Abby was trying to read her book to me at bedtime tonight. I can't wait for the day she can read an entire book to me :)


7.11.2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Today was one of those nonstop days. The girls got to play with a friend this morning while I ran errands. They had lots of fun and got to do a couple of art projects while they were there. Better they dribble paint on someone elses' floor than mine ;-) Our good friends from Mississippi stopped by for a visit this afternoon. It was so great to see them. A little playing/visiting, swimming, and dinner and it was time for them to go back home. As always, it was too short. I sure miss the days of living just a couple of houses apart :(

043 SchmidtRiley kids

7.10.2011

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Today was a lot of fun even though we didn't go anywhere special. We spent the day playing inside and out and the girls had so much fun playing baseball and Frisbee. Scott was really productive and got a lot of little projects done today that have been needing attention. I can't say the same for myself. Maybe tomorrow I will be productive :) We finally bought a fridge for the garage. It will be nice to have a place to store water and pop as the fridge in the house is ridiculously small.

042 Abby b&w

Why wouldn't she play with an umbrella? It was only sunny and in the 90's today :)

053 copy Mckenzie

7.09.2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

We are back from vacation (a few days ago) so I guess it is time to get back to blogging. I started editing the photos we took on our vacation, but something else always needs to get done first.  I am undecided as to whether the unpacking/laundry is worse or catching up on the blog... So be patient as I do a little back blogging. It is going to take a little time :) I think the girls are getting back on track with their sleep schedule. They both went to bed on time last night and didn't wake up until after 9 this morning!!! I love when they sleep in :) We had a late breakfast at Perkins this morning. Abby was in love with her chocolate chip pancake, although she only ate a few bites and declared she was full. I ran to the grocery store while Scott stayed home with the girls (I love going by myself!!!). He finally got Abby's new curtains hung (the curtain rods that came with the house were so crappy they couldn't hold the curtains up). I just love the way they look and so does she :) Scott took the girls to play at the playground across the street but they didn't stay too long because the girls were both hot and thirsty. We planned on eating at home tonight, but unfortunately, the propane tank ran out halfway through grilling the chicken so we headed out to eat. We really need to be better about eating out...

7.08.2011

Friday, July 8, 2011

Today was our 11th anniversary! I am such a lucky woman to have found such a wonderful/amazing/funny/handsome/kind man to love the rest of my life. I could probably go on and on about how fantastic he is, but I think you get the point. We took the girls out to dinner to celebrate. Our friends offered to watch the girls so we could go out alone, but it was nice to spend the time as a family :0)

Abby took a photo of us :)
030 Scott and Barb

7.07.2011

Thursday, July 7, 2011

It was so nice to wake up in our own bed this morning. I love vacation and visiting our families, but there is nothing like your own bed after a long trip :)  Both girls slept in this morning! They really needed to catch up on some sleep. We didn't do much today. I really needed to do some laundry, but that never got done. Oops!

7.06.2011

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Today was our last day on vacation. We spent the morning packing and then met Scott's Dad for lunch. A quick, but nice visit. We headed to the airport and got to spend a little time with Grandma Eisenberg as she drove out to the airport to see us off :) The girls were excited to get to see her one last time. Our first flight was a quick one and the girls were so good. We had a pretty long layover in Minneapolis, so we ate dinner and let the girls play for awhile. The last flight was good too. Mckenzie fell asleep and Abby talked and played games the entire time. She is an endless source of energy!!! It was a late night, but it felt so good to be home:)

7.05.2011

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Today was our last full day in SD. We spent the day visiting with the family. Great Grandma and Grandpa Eisenberg met us for lunch, but we never actually got to eat out. When we got to the restaurant, Abby opened the door and ended up catching her toe, pulling the toenail back. OUCH!!! My poor baby was so upset :( I can't imagine how bad that felt. Needless to say, she wanted nothing to do with the restaurant and asked to go home. So, we picked up some takeout. The girls ended up having shakes for lunch because that is the only thing Abby said she would eat and if Abby was getting one, that meant Mckenzie was getting one too;) We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with Grandma and Grandpa and then headed over to Scott's cousin's place for dinner. Great food and great company :)


So hard to get a photo where all three kiddos were looking :)
631 Abby Mckenzie Murphy

7.04.2011

Monday, July 4, 2011

Scott got up very early and went fishing with Uncle Ike and Troy. Scott really enjoyed himself. I wish he had more time to hunt and fish here, but I don't think it would be the same for him anyway since he wouldn't be doing it with his family :). The girls spent the morning playing with Kadence and then we all headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's place.  Jenny, Jason, and I went to buy fireworks while the girls got to spend some quality time with their Grandmas and Grandpa.  Our evening was filled with family, food, and a fireworks show that we didn't even have to leave the yard for. Abby is starting to get the photography bug and used my camera to take photos of the family. She even made me ask everyone to get together for a group picture :) I love how she is taking an interest in something that interests me :) We had a wonderful day!

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543 Scott Barb taken by Abby

The family photo taken by Abby. She also took the pic of Scott and I :)
541family photo taken by Abby

499 copy Mckenzie dh

462 Abby Kadence Jenny

Another one taken by Abby
452 Scott Mckenzie taken by Abby

7.03.2011

Sunday, July 3, 2011

I spent the day with my three best friends! We haven't all been together in 10 years! That is way too long if ya ask me! It was a fantastic day~ we got matching tattoos, manis/pedis, and did a little shopping. I was worried about getting the tattoo since last time I got one, I had a hard time with it (nearly passed out). But, I expected the worst and it turned out to be OK. The time flew by way too fast and I was headed to Sioux Falls to meet back up with Scott and the girls.

Scott took the girls fishing for the very first time and they had a BLAST!!!! Abby caught at least 10 fish (bass, blue gill, and pumpkin seed) and Mckenzie caught 4 or 5. Abby couldn't get enough and Mckenzie tuckered out a little early. Scott had so much fun, or in his words "it was awesome. It was so cool to see them have so much fun." Scott also took the girls to get some family photos taken with their cousins. I will have to mail them to everyone sometime soon. Scott took Abby and Kadence to the car races in the evening while Mckenzie stayed with Auntie Jenny. Abby had a great time, but it was midnight before they got home and she was tired and cranky. Can't blame her, it was a busy day.


398 Crystal Barb Sheri Lisa on step

410 Barb after tattoo

7.02.2011

Saturday, July 2, 2011

We said our goodbyes to Grandma and Grandpa Hietala today and headed on out of ND. We will miss you :) Well, Scott and the girls drove to SD. I picked up my rental car and headed to a weekend girls getaway. My three besties and I haven't all been together in 10 years so it was great to spend time with them :) Scott and the girls spent the afternoon/evening at a birthday celebration for Kadence. They had a fantastic time playing on the trampoline and visiting with the family.

7.01.2011

Friday, July 1, 2011

Today was the last full day of our vacation with the Hietala clan. We had a relaxing day topped off with a home cooked meal and fireworks. The girls had a blast watching Scott and Dad light the fireworks. The giggled and squealed and laughed and clapped. I think it was more fun to watch them watching the fireworks than watching the fireworks myself.

327 Mckenzie Grandma Hietala

I know this isn't in focus, but I like it anyway :)

329 Abby Grandpa Hietala b&w

Anxiously awaiting the start of the Hietala fireworks show!!
340 copy Abby Mckenzie

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