Helping Daddy take apart and paint our patio table...

Before...

And after!

Oddly enough the cover makes our patio and backyard seem bigger and it is just so nice to sit out there and not bake in the sun! I have a big girl swing for Grace but she is obsessed with this style even though I'm sure she's pushing the weight limit on it! David's going to spray paint the patio table trim and legs black to match our chairs, we'll hang a patio fan/light and maybe some white Christmas lights and I'm sure once fall comes, I'll be out there alot with Grace and Thomas (now I just have to convince David to buy me one of those two seater swings so I can rock Thomas out there while Grace is playing... :)

Taken at a baseball game we went to on David's birthday

David's work had this great little patio reserved, right on the field so it was great space for the kids to run around and play (not sure Grace watched even a second of the game!)

A towel and a wand and voila, instant princess!

Hanging out at the pool on Memorial Day...Grace wanted to keep swimming, not take a silly picture!

Oh that Bunny...

I was looking through our good friend's blog site and found this picture of Bunny taken back on St. Patty's Day at a nearby pub...love it!
Speaking of Bunny, we've made a big step towards preserving this beloved member of our family...our new rule is Bunny doesn't leave the house except for the 2 days she goes to school and sleeps with him at naptime (and when she's sick, he'll get to go with her to the doc's office, things like that). We explained to her we don't want to lose him somewhere and the more she drags him around everywhere, the more wear and tear he undergoes and if she wants to keep him for the long run, we need to start letting him 'rest' at home without her. She took to it really well and kisses him before she leaves the house, runs straight to him when she gets back. He's one loved bunny that's for sure!

The Princess Ball

So I think the highlight of the weekend was a Daddy/daughter dance on Saturday at our local rec center. Grace got to pick out a new Snow White dress for getting her hair cut earlier that day and Tayla went as Cinderella...they were so ridiculously excited, it was just precious. The daddies got all dressed up and escorted them off for a fun evening of dinner and dancing! David's only complaint was that they played "booty" music the whole time, he kindly suggested to the organizer that next year they might choose more age appropriate music!

The princesses and their handsome dates

After the ball, taken outside the rec center...still as happy as can be!

Grace got a haircut!

So we've been working up to this for quite awhile...Grace was in love with her 'long' hair and not a fan of getting it cut but it soooo needed to be trimmed and tidied up...took her to one of those special kids places and no amount of bribing (lollipops, Barbie movie, firetruck to sit in) was going to get her in a chair by herself without a fight...so thankfully they let me sit in the chair and hold her and all was well. It's not a drastic change, just all one length in the back with a few layers on top to bring out her curl and finally, the girl has even bangs!!!

A shot of Grace's art sign that Jenny made her...thanks again Jenny, it's perfect!

Very proud of her newly decorated princess castle

I pulled out the bin labeled "Easter and Party Supplies" to decorate for David's birthday, and Grace found this cardboard castle leftover from her birthday party and proceeded to use almost everything in this bin to decorate it...easter eggs, streamers, baby shower clothes pins... :)

Watching a movie in one of her favorite rooms now...

Playing in the backyard

A few changes/additions to Grace's room...

Found these adorable corner shelves and toy box on Craig's List (same week I found the tables, jackpot!) and then since we got the new wooden table downstairs I moved our old white one up to her room, added a neat little art supply holder to her wall with some swanky new art supplies and voila, an art center! We added Jenny's art sign she made for Grace above and to the right on the wall and it's currently holding 3 of Grace's most recent creations, I'll have to post a picture of that, it's really cute and Grace loves that she can showcase her 'work'.

Mommy and Grace's best attempt at sock puppets...

I think they call this a Bottlebrush plant? It's so pretty and soft! In our backyard...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!

More pics to come since we haven't even seen the birthday boy, still at work...but here's Grace working hard at his favorite upside down pineapple cake! We're going to a Las Vegas 51's baseball game tonight with the Caspers (Happy Birthday tomorrow Matt!) and the Fullers and Dave Slack...should be a good time!

We also got this set along with the other one, for the backyard...

'Tidier' view of the table...

Our new kids table!

Very Imaginative play going on here...

Fine, here ya go...23 weeks along

I'm convinced there is some weird camera angle going on here because I can't possibly be this big, I mean I knew I was big, but really??? Not sure I like this picture all that much! :) At any rate, we got dressed up to head out on a double date with the Caspers so we snapped a shot...

One more courtesy of Grace the photographer

The Melting Pot

Friday night we went out to celebrate early for David and Matt's birthdays (they're a day and a couple of years apart) We'd never been to the Melting Pot and it was such a good time...the dessert tray, all to be dipped in warm chocolate....oh man.

Just a few more from our trip to VA in April...

Dad sent me a CD of pictures so I just had to include a few more...these were taken right as we arrived at my brother Joe's house...David was in one car and Grace and I in another and we tried to hide down in the seats so we could sneak up on him in the house later, but he went right up to the car David was in and opened the door...of course I nearly blew the surprise with a careless message on Facebook earlier in the week. Ah well, we had fun :) My oldest brother David had a party last weekend for his birthday and Mother's Day as well and if we were rich, we'd have flown home for that one too! Miss you guys...

Uncle David and Grace...

He always makes it a priority to spend some one on one time with her each time we visit, I'll find them reading in a room or playing...he's an awesome big brother and a great uncle! Paul, Jeff and Joe, you're not so bad either :)

The creepiest member of the family, my brother Joe's python...ick.

I think I was explaining to Grace here, how she was heading back to Mimi and Pop-pop's house while we stayed at my brother's house...

Hanging out at my brother Joe's house in Front Royal, VA

Sound asleep at Mimi and Pop-pop's...

While David and I were at my brother's house for his birthday party, my parents graciously watched Grace and her cousin Jessica at their house...they watched movies, had popcorn and M$M's, played in the kiddie pool...clearly they had a blast and she was one tired little girl!

This was taken after the swing hanging from the tree slipped out of the loop...Grace held on for dear life!

My gorgeous sisters-in-law! Jone is expecting! We're so excited for her and Paul, they're going to be great parents...

Thomas Vincent at 22 weeks

He's looking up, with his face on the right side of the picture...they say at 22 weeks most babies weigh a pound and he's already a pound and 6 oz's! He's growing just fine I'd say! :)

His little foot :) That's always kicking me :)

Camping trip at Boulder Lake Campground

So ironically enough it was this pregnant Mama who wanted to go camping this past weekend...this is what I envisioned...a nice campsite right next to the lake so while we sat and vegged we could watch Grace frolicking in the water's edge, there would be a nice breeze off the water...well the campsites were nowhere near the water and it was HOT. REALLY hot. Hardly any breeze, nice BRIGHT full moon overhead to light up the tent for optimal sleeping...and if I worried that it might be too quiet to sleep, well the campers next to us made sure that wasn't a problem. Drunk and partying until 3:30 in the morning, it was impossible to sleep. We actually packed up at 3:00 in the morning and went home to sleep in our cool house from 4:00 until 8:00. Hopefully Grace remembers the fun parts and not the escape in the middle of the night!