Just a TINY IPhone Dump....

I have been a big 'ole slacker when it comes to having my camera with me lately. Well, not lately... pretty much for four months.  It is just too easy to use my phone.  But then that results in never taking the pictures off the phone which results in no blog.  And since I haven't ordered an actual picture for a photo album in over 2 years I have got to keep this blog up to prove to my children that I did, in fact, raise them... or attempt too anyway.

So here goes a big 'ole iphone dump of our summer!

A trip to the country to see my parents and cousins

Poor kid has no hope

Oldest grandchild and the youngest.

Then we headed to Orange Beach.  There wasn't room for another thing in our car.... literally.

When I apply sunscreen I get ADD

I think my middle child went on this trip; but I have no pictures to prove it:)

Ford's hat his grandparents brought him from Spain.  Doesn't everyone do this to their one year old?

Carley got this tshirt for Frank for a Fathers Day happy.  There has never been one shirt that screamed Frank like this one.

Then we came home for a week.  Did laundry.  Then headed to Rosemary with my crazy side of the family

My mom took the kids for bike rides at night.  Great pic here!

This picture sums Mary Elliott up.  Enough said.

I'm not exactly sure why Staten is out in public in 100 degree heat in flannel pajama pants.  But chances  are there was too much chaos to even notice.

Laundry has to carry on.... Even at the beach.  Thankfully it was cute laundry!

This is all we saw of Allie and Lexie the whole week.  They were little fish and collected over 200 sea shells.  There were no fights at all over who got to keep what shell.

Someone has to melt down during picture time

Amanda trying to get a Christmas card picture.  I wish this were a video to show what Frank was doing to try and get her kiddos to smile.  No actually I don't, then someone might call DHS and tell them we have a crazy man living with us

Then we came home again.  We have some sweet snuggle time on the front porch.... me and these sweet little feet

Mary Elliott fell down the stairs and came away with a shiner.  I tried to tell her to make up a good story to go with it but she wasn't interested in my jokes

Then baby boy said he has had enough of these girls

And a mosquito feasted on him

We celebrated Olympics in style.  The girls put Ford's baby powder on their hands to resemble the gymnasts chalk, wrapped their wrists and arms in paper towels and pulled out Franks old running medals.  We had a medal ceremony every night complete with tears for whomever got the silver

We had to bury a pet.  Lots and lots of tears while this picture was taken.  

Then this girl left for college and alot more tears were shed.

We LOVE Lizzy and will miss her afternoon visits everyday.

Then school started:(  

Why does school start basically 5 minutes after summer starts? I don't get it, I mean didn't we get three months growing up?

Ford and I talk to ourselves and the kitty cat because our house is so lonely.

So therefore I picked up a new hobby...

Canning.

If you come to my house this winter I will most likely serve you spaghetti or chili or soup!

I'm embarrassed that the pickles are already gone.  They are SO good.

I am super sad summer is over.  I have had some sweet girls in and out of my house this summer.  And when they saw Lizzy's car here they flocked here.  All. Day. Long:)

So that is our summer summed up.

We are thankful for some sweet classes and look forward to a good school year; but it sure has been a good summer!

She's A Sneaky One...

That little Mary Elliott... Doesn't she look so sweet and childlike here?

She definitely brings a smile to our face every morning.  And can say some pretty hilarious things... but I really wander what goes on in her little head.

We went to some friends house on Sunday, there were 6 girls at the house.... they have a pool, live on a pond and when you're there your very relaxed.

Until you lose your child.

We walked around... checked the pool... checked the pond.... checked the house some more.... kept checking....

repeat all of that with two completely frantic mothers and make it last 20 minutes.

Then I had to call Frank.... and Misty called 911.

It is surreal to hear your child's description being made to a 911 operator.

Panic Attacks in full force.....

And then Jim found her.  She was hiding in a closet that I never even saw in the 900 times I ran through the house screaming.  She had gone inside to change clothes and when she couldn't get her shirt on she hid so no one would see her naked.

I grabbed her and we cried....

and cried some more....

And then when I could breath we got in the car and left.

And in case your wandering... yes she heard me calling and screaming for her.

And then the anger came.

Did you know that the police department is open to the public on a Sunday afternoon at 6 pm?  I do now.  We drove straight there to apologize to the policeman for "making someone bother the busy 911 operators" since they are busy looking for kids who really ARE LOST.  

I'm not sure who thought I was craziest, the policeman or Mary Elliott.  He looked at me like I was insane for making a child do this.  Has he never met a stubborn child that just really needs to learn a lesson? If not.... Hi Officer, Here's Mary Elliott.

Although I'm not sure it worked....

When we left she said 'Where to next Mama?'

Two days later I get this from Laura.....

She's the only person who could have gotten away with sending this that soon because it took about 4 days before I could really even talk about it.

Remember Oreo?

Remember Allie's birthday present? The cat she has begged three years for?

Well Allie definitely has enjoyed her... Poor little kitty cat.

Here she is being dressed up and paraded around like a Beverly Hills Feline.

When we went on vacation a few weeks ago the Waterers kindly agreed to watch her for us.  They are cat lovers so I knew she would be in good hands.

Only Oreo had other plans.

She ran away....

But Candace, she is resourceful that one......

She went and found another Oreo look alike.  Almost identical to be exact.

And then Oreo came back two days later.

So.......

Meet Oreo, and her half brother Double Stuff.

Allie says good things come to those who wait and she now has two kitty cats.

Double Stuff settled in nicely if I have to say so myself.....

My theory was that Oreo needed someone to help her out when the 9 girls on the street all want to dress her up and this was her plan to get some.

It didn't work though.... She is snuggled in tightly in her American Girl doll bed.

There is just one more problem though.....

the vet today told us that Oreo is a boy:) oops!!!!