We Grew a Watermelon!

So you all know of our "famous" 4th of July watermelon seed spitting contest. It's so much fun every year. If you haven't heard about it...check it out here or here. We've had it now for 3 years and each year it's a total blast. So about two weeks ago, Shane was mowing the grass in the front yard and asked if I had planted anything in the front yard. I did...I planted a peoni bush so I told him that it wasn't a weed and don't pull it out. A week later my dad is here and he says....why do you have a watermelon plant in your front yard?? A WATERMELON PLANT??? I didn't plant a watermelon in my front yard! Seriously people...this is the coolest thing ever! Some random seed from one of our seed spitting contests planted itself in my front yard and it's growing! I'm not pulling it up either. I can't grow anything ever and now there is an actual watermelon growing in our front yard! I'm so excited!! :)

Happy Birthday Julie!

Happy Birthday Julie! I know it's a day late but yesterday I was in Atlanta all day so today I want to wish you a happy birthday! This is from the girls. :)

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Yesterday was Gracie's birthday and we had such a fun day! Colie and Joe worked all day so they were going to have a party last night but it was too late for us because it was past the girls' bedtime. Anyway...instead of her being home by herself all day I planned a few surprises. I made up an instagram challenge of things she had to take pictures of all day. I told her to be ready by 10:30 but didn't tell her anything we were doing. When I picked her up I gave her the paper with all the pictures she had to take and then we drove around taking pictures for an hour. She found the G on a mailbox, the R at Babiesrus, A from Barbie, C from Chick-fil-a, I from dish network and E from some kids clothes line at Target.  We moved the prices around at Target to get the 1997...the year she was born. The blonde hair is from her dog Daisy, the blue eyes are her moms, braces on Steve Urkel, her own cute shoes, sparkles on her purse, a BLT for dinner was her something yummy, the 15 was the gas price and then her own self portrait. Such a fun idea...I will have to do this again! So after driving around for a while I told her I was hungry and we stopped at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. When we walked in my parents, Nan, Dane and Nokie were all there waiting for us as a surprise. We had a great lunch and then without any of us saying anything, the waiter came out with dessert to sing her happy birthday. They made her wear a sombrero and a poncho. So funny!

Then we said goodbye to everyone and got in the car and left. We stopped on the other side of the parking lot at the frozen yogurt place and got out of the car and everyone was there too. :) Everyone got a bowl full of yogurt, I put a candle in Gracie's and we all sang her happy birthday in the middle of the store. Thankfully it was empty! :) Then she opened all her gifts from us. 

  

 Daddy's first time at the yogurt place...so yummy!!

 These two are from Mom...super cute!

From me :)

 She was super excited about the box! More excited about the earrings inside. :)

 Yay!! Gracie is 15!

After lunch we came  back to my house so my girls could nap. When they woke up we dropped them off with my Mom so we could go shopping!!! We went to the mall and got a coffee and window shopped. Then we met up with Dane at the MAC counter so she could get her make up done. Colie surprised her by getting off work early and just showing up at the mall. Gracie was so happy! After her make up was done we all took a picture and Colie took over the festivities from there. It was so much fun getting to be a part of Gracie's birthday! 

   

Birthday Laughs

We celebrated Shane's birthday this weekend. It was so fun! We had the family over and had make your own hoagies...so good! Then a yummy cheesecake for dessert. It was a fun night. The best part of the whole evening was when Shane opened his gifts. This year we all went in together to get him an iPad. He really really wanted one but as you know...they are massively expensive! But I knew that if there was just one gift sitting on the table he would know what it was and that would spoil the surprise. So Sabrina had a brilliant idea. She said that everyone should get him a gift from the dollar store and wrap it so he would still have a bunch of gifts to open. He started out with gifts from the girls. They had so much fun picking out gifts for their daddy! Heidi picked out a bow and arrow and Natalie picked out a squishy ball thingy.  

Gracie got Shane this headband of hair. The girls loved it!!  He also got a crossword puzzle book, redvines, practice golf balls, and then a box of half eaten candy from Matthew. So funny! We were all in on the joke but Shane didn't get it till he opened Matthew's gift and then noticed the box on my lap. Seriously the best idea ever!

 Colie got me a mega box of candles for Shane so I put a ton on! It was like a bonfire. 

My face was glowing from all the candles and it was actually too hot to hold close! 

 Natalie thought it was too hot too :)

 Lucky birthday boy!

Perfect end to a really fun birthday!

Myrtle Beach

We  had the best vacation this week! We rented a condo at Myrtle Beach with my parents and Gracie and we had a blast! If you ever go out there I highly recommend Kingston Plantation. It's a group of hotels and condos with a few pools, a lazy river and a water park right on the beach. It's a perfect place for kids...tons of stuff to do, great food and lots of free entertainment. The only problem was we didn't stay long enough! I think I said that last year too. Next time we go it will be for three nights...I think that would be perfect. It's just a long drive for only two nights. 

Anyway...the kids were awesome on the drive. We got to Myrtle Beach just in time for lunch and decided to hit up Johnny Rockets. The girls love when the waiters dance to the music! :) The rest of the day we spent on the beach or at the water park. That's kinda what we did the next day too. It was awesome! 

 Mom and Gracie enjoying the lazy river. We didn't spend too much time there because the girls just didn't understand the concept of relaxing! :)

 Heidi was so cute at the beach! She loved the sand and the waves. Last year they were so scared of the ocean but this year they loved it. We did have one scare with Heidi though. I was playing with the girls and my Dad called me to help him with the umbrella. Literally less than 2 min and when I turned around Heidi was gone. Daddy went one way and I went the other searching the beach for Heidi. I was okay, figuring I would just see her and bring her back but then I started to panic when I couldn't find her and I looked back to Mom who was with Natalie and saw that she was still searching for her and I looked at my Dad and he was still searching for her. Thats when I stopped looking on the sand and started searching the ocean. Seriously the worst feeling ever! I finally looked back at my dad and saw that he found her and I took of running toward her. Two men were walking on each side of her, not touching her just keeping her safe really. When my dad got to her they still didn't leave her side till I got there. I have no idea how she got so far so fast. She said she was looking for her daddy who was in the ocean with Gracie in the opposite direction. Anyway...we had a talk with both girls after that about how they can't leave the grownups for anything without asking first. Needless to say...I was done with the beach after that! The next day was much better...the girls asked every time they wanted to go anywhere! I think I scared them a little bit with my sobbing and overall freaked out look. :)
So here is my tip for taking kids to the beach...1.) Dress them in VERY bright bathing suits. Anything pale just blends into the sand and you can't see it. 2.) Make sure you have a talk with them about not going ANYWHERE without asking first. The girls just figured it was like a playground where they could run where ever they wanted but the beach is WAY too big for that. If they left the beach towels they had to ask me first! 

  

 Natalie was so cute this time at the beach! Last year she seriously wouldn't go near the ocean. This year she went into the waves and didn't care when they knocked her over or splashed her in the face. She was very brave!

 The water park was so great! They wouldn't let Heidi go down the slide by herself because she was 3 so the next day we told them she was 4. She was fearless and loved the whole waterpark. Natalie liked getting splashed this time. There are all sorts of levers to pull, making the water splash in different ways. Natalie couldn't reach a rope so she asked me to pull it for her. I did and it sent a waterfall of water down on her head. Very funny. :) 

 Loving the water park!

 Natalie trying to catch Heidi on the water slide

 I wanted to go down too but the girls were so independent I had to tell Heidi to go with me so I wouldn't be too scared. :)

 Natalie and my Dad

 So these are super funny! Shane didn't hold on to Nat and she flew off his lap going around the turn.

 No more fear! I totally laughed when this wave hit her! I know...bad Mom. :)

 Love these of the girls

 Heidi "heard" a wave coming and went running. Her face is priceless!

 It was so nice having some down time with the hubby! 

 Trying to take "artistic" pictures with Gracie. :)

The best dinner ever! If you are in Myrtle Beach...you have to try this place!

Happy 4th of July!

What a fun night! Shane and I had our 3rd annual 4th of July party again this year. Let me just say...we have awesome parties! and...I am soo tired right now! I was cooking all day long even though I really didn't have that much to do. I have no idea how it happened! We invited a ton of people and had a ton of food. My dad made pulled pork, I made baked beans, Colie made cole slaw, Dane made a corn salad and my friend Sarah made macaroni and cheese. Seriously...tons of food! And that's not counting all the dessert! There were a million kids running around, jumping on the trampoline in the crazy heat/humidity. We did our annual watermelon seed spitting contest. If you don't do this every year for the 4th, you should make a note to start. It is so much fun! It's fun to spit and it's fun to watch everyone else too. They have a huge firework show at the park by our house and you can see the fireworks from our back yard. You can see them MUCH better from our neighbors backyard (they are up the hill) so we...and all the people we invite to our party...head over to their backyard every year. It really is so so nice of them to let us take over their yard! This year they weren't even there so we just took our train of people through their gate and made ourselves at home. :) The fireworks were awesome as usual. I don't know what was with the girls but they weren't really into it this year. I'm guessing they were both just tired but they really didn't care. It took every mommy trick I know to get them to sit and watch the fireworks!

 So now we just cleaned up all the food that was left over and put our house back together...and I'm ready for bed! I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and that you take the time to remember just how lucky we are that people we don't even know, died so that we can be free! 

 Thank you pinterest. :) 

 My version of patriotic cupcakes. I tried a yummy marshmallow frosting that turned out really good. The marshmallow kind of mellows out the sweetness of the cupcake. I'll have to post the recipe! 

The table of treats. Chocolate covered pretzels, cupcakes, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and redvines. :)

 Dane and Gracie

 Shane trying to show the kids how to spit the watermelon seeds

 The spectators

 Last years winner

 Colie and Gracie

 Daddy did pretty well too

 This years winner

 Very impressive!

  My sweet girl. Seriously...she needs to stop growing!!

 Me and Heidi Bear

 She literally went around the room to take a picture with everyone. :) Here she is with Grandma...

 And Colie...

 And Dane :)

 Me and Shane

Natalie and Shane