If These Pictures Had Sound!

Let me just say it has been a long week! Make that couple of weeks. Shane has been working crazy hours so it has been just me and the girls.  It's been over 100 degrees all week unless of course we are having thunder and lightning storms. Either way...we haven't been playing outside much.  All that equals to...my girls are driving me CRAZY!!! They are so silly and have SO much energy. Neither one took a nap today so they were running all over the house, chasing each other and tackling each other. The house was filled with screaming and giggles and "mommy, mommy, mommy" whenever one got pushed too hard. Not really a moment of peace for me but since there is an end in sight...Shane's long days should be over soon...I decided to go with it. I just took pictures and tried to get them to act goofy for the camera.  

This is Natalie's new thing. She'll be sitting on the floor and just throw her legs up to her forehead. How cool is that? I totally wish I could do that!

She likes to just hang out like this and watch tv. I don't know where she got it from...I'm not flexible in the slightest!

Natalie and Heidi chasing each other around the house. Or racing...I'm not exactly sure. :)

 Natalie is only 3. It looks like she is trying to do a handstand or something. Actually I taught the girls some yoga poses that are supposed to help them sleep or stay calm. This is what came from Down Dog/Donkey. It seems to have the opposite effect. :)

 

Heidi does Down Dog too but she just rolls onto her back when she's done...she doesn't try the whole kicking both feet in the air yet. I'm sure it's coming soon!

 I love this girl so much! How can that smile not melt your heart?

Ring around the Rosie turned chasing each other in circles. Do you hear the laughing and screaming??

Did I mention they like to jump? Natalie will jump off of anything. The couch, stairs, playsets...she just loves jumping!

Park Day

Dana and I took the girls to the park today. We went early because it has been so hot and still we were sweating as soon as we walked outside! The girls didn't really care. They got to swing and play on the play set. We walked over to the pond and saw the turtles. They have so many turtles and they are huge. Compared to pet turtles at least. :) 

Natalie and Heidi playing on the swings

 Natalie and Nokie climbing the rock wall. Nat got scared about a foot off the ground but Nokie went all the way up!

 Heidi loved having the freedom to run around! The picture on the right is of her on the teeter totter. I'm on the other half making her go up and down. :)

 So funny! The girls were too scared to go down the big slide by themselves so for a while I was going down with each kid, one at a time. Dane decided to take Nokie and Heidi down at the same time...it was so funny to watch!!

My girls playing together on the teeter totter.

The park here is really neat. They have this water feature that the kids love! So we let the girls play and get soaked. I was happy getting splashed with the nice cold water too! It was a great morning. 

 

Natalie was jumping in the puddles...Heidi liked to stand in the spray of water :)

 Heidi was totally soaked! She had so much fun playing in the water!

 Natalie getting splashed by DeDe

 Happy Girls

The only shot of all three girls. Nokie is in the background with a little boy. 

When we went back to my parents house to drop of Dane and Nokie we saw this... 

This butterfly was on my dad's shoe. We was hosing down something, spraying water everywhere and this butterfly was just hanging out on his shoe. He said that it had been on his arm and shoulder and foot for a while. Just hangin out. :) I thought it was pretty cool.

Who Knew??

 

My girls like eggs. Actually they LOVE eggs. I'm not a real fan of eggs myself,  unless they are mixed with ketchup, eaten with toast or mixed with lots of other kinds of food.  Shane and I started the South Beach diet again just to loose a few more pounds, and I've been eating eggs for breakfast every morning. I just don't like eggs.  I have to make myself eat them. If anyone has a recipe for eggs that actually tastes good without all the extra stuff I'm not supposed to eat, I would love to hear it! Anyway...yesterday the girls kept asking for bites of my eggs so this morning I made them their own. Heidi is a pretty picky eater. She likes macaroni and cheese, bananas and graham crackers. This morning she ate all her eggs and then half of mine. She was even doing the happy dance in her chair. Very cute!

Happy Birthday Shaners!!

Shane got to celebrate his birthday all week! His brother and wife were scheduled for a c-section on his actual birthday so we celebrated with his family on Monday. They came over for tacos and a brownie tower cake.  Sabrina got Shane a wii game called Punch Out and everyone had fun playing after dinner.  I've realized that it is very hard to host a party and take pictures!

 On Shane's actual birthday he went golfing with my Dad in the morning. They played 24 holes of golf and loved it! Then we heard that Justin had his baby. They had a boy but they still don't have a name picked out yet. Hopefully we will hear soon! For dinner we went to my parents house and had their famous hamburgers. I made a lemon dream cake for dessert...very light and summery! I used sparkler candles too...pretty funny. :) Shane got some pretty cool gifts...an iPhone4 from his AMAZING wife. :) I have to say...it is really awesome. I'm just glad he doesn't have to use his old phone anymore...the thing was ancient!

 Happy to be opening gifts

 A gift card to Academy sports from Colie and Joe

  

Nokie was passing out the gifts to Shane

 Heidi cuddling with Nan

 Dana trying to keep Heidi entertained. It takes a lot of work, let me tell you!

 Poor Natalie didn't feel very well. She was happy to just stay in my mom's bed and watch cartoons all night.

 So Heidi disappears very easily. We actually have an acronym for when we can't find her. We say Hotel Hotel...Heidi On The Loose...I know...missing an E. Anyway...she always sneaks away and this time when we found her she was at my mom's desk writing. Mostly on herself but she did get some on the paper. :)

The cake, the candles, the fire :)

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

 I made the BEST cookies today! I got the recipe from my friend Charla and the cookies are amazing!! Everyone who has tried it has said it is their new favorite cookie. :)

They are light and fluffy and I couldn't even wait till they had cooled to eat one! Come to think of it...I think I'll go have another!

Last night we babysat Ava and Jacob so that Justin and Christi could have a night out before the new baby comes. My girls had so much fun playing with their cousins! First we played with finger paints in the driveway. My girls had never done that before and now I will know better for next time! There was paint everywhere!! These are the girls paintings...

Artwork by Heidi :)

Artwork by Natalie :)

Then we moved from the driveway to the back yard to use the slip and slide. I think that was the biggest hit! They all loved it. We stripped Heidi of her clothes and she wiped her painted hands all over herself. She ended up going upstairs for a bath while the other kids played. 

 

 And then we played games....well, Shane played games. I took pictures. It was too cute to pass up! They played Duck Duck Goose, Red Light Green Light and Simon Says.

Seriously..how cute is this?

 Natalie tackled Shane before he sat down

 Red Light Green Light...Shane's ready to go

 Trying to keep Jacob from reaching Ava. Maybe he might be a little competitive with the little kids. :)

Natalie trying to keep Shane from reaching Ava. She learns from her Daddy!

 Ava was calling out Simon Says and then Shane got a turn.