Happy Birthday Gabe!

The things you love:

Saying "NO!"

Saying "MINE!"

just kidding...the things you really love:

Ella

Bude - as in Jude

Elmo (probably #1 but I will give Ella and Bude some credit)

dogs - as in Woof (which you call all dogs)

trucks - all trucks - it sounds like duck when you say it but I know what you are talking about!

The things you do:

give kisses

give hugs

carry your own "backpack" - or lunchbox - to school (and you LOVE school)

your sister has taught you several dog tricks - sit, stay, lay down, roll over, shake - and you are very good at them

you can destroy the playroom in 2 seconds flat - just like a tazmanian devil!

you love RICE and love to say rice

You have grown up too fast! It does not seem like 2 years have gone by. What joy, and pure chaos you have brought us - in a good way, of course! We love you Gabey Manatee, Happy Birthday!

Happy (belated) Birthday, Jude!

He was actually really embarrassed about all the attention with the cake in the face...

Jude had over a month of birthday celebrations! It started in May with a trip to Pops and Mimi's house where he had a Spiderman birthday. We moved on to celebrate with Nana and Pepaw with another Spiderman cake and a trip to eat Mexican food. Jude's "real" birthday was at the beach. Puh made pancakes then later we had some cupcakes. The celebration ended on July 3rd when we celebrated the 4th - and had cake for Jude! It got to be funny in that Jude was given special "privileges" because - Hey, he's the Birthday Boy!

On Jude's "real" birthday we hid had a scavenger hunt in the house for gifts and later rode go carts....I think he had a wonderful birthday month!

We all need a good supervisor!

He did get Pepaw to pull him around.

And Gabe was the man for the job! He consumed around 20 Popsicles that day!

I don't know where the Summer went?!

Gabe ate popsicles
and dressed up - or is that down?

We celebrated Puh's birthday

but didn't get the "cake" out fast enough for the little hungry ones...

We ATE

LOADS

and LOADS of ice cream!

We also did some swimming

and sliding!

I think Ella held the VBS record with attending 4 this summer. Jude hit 3.

Gabe enjoyed the watermelon/Oreo combo.

and apparently Reagan drank something red.

It started with my computer being fried and has ended with me not being able to catch up on my blog! We did have some fun between those two things.

Crawfish Boil

SO, what seems like years ago - but was really only May - we had a crawfish boil. It was weird to see dinner escaping and running down the driveway. The truth is, I never actually ate any and I am pretty sure I stuck to only non-meat items that day all together. I am sure the food was fabulous but the company was pretty good too.

It was the last day of 1st grade!

Ella did great until she ate then she promptly threw up her pizza and juice box - in the floor - on the last day of school! She ended up eating a popsicle that came back up - in the car - on the way to Mimi and Pop's house. Oh well, we will remember the last day of FIRST GRADE! Her teacher, Ms. Sherrod, was gracious enough to stand next to her for a picture - even after the vomiting! She had a great year. I hope 2nd grade is just as successful!

Jude's graduation

big buddies that have been in class together since they were 2

One of Jude's teachers

brother/sisterly love

buddies since birth

Nana and Pepaw made it!

Jude rock and rolled through his graduation program. I know he didn't miss a beat and I am pretty sure he didn't miss a word either. They sang a song of the 50 states as well as the Old and New Testaments. We will do it all over again next year since he's not going to Kindergarten. I am sure it will be just as good the second time around!!

Soccer Star

Her buddy on the other team...that beat them - twice!
The gang is all here!

maybe he was getting bored?

He can kick and eat at the same time.

or just a girl that liked to play soccer. I feel so far removed from when soccer even was that details are hard for me to remember! I do know she was a hard worker but also that she never scored. As usual, the snacks made the game worth while and the boys liked going to cheer her on.

I have not abandoned my blog!

My computer has crashed and so I can't get any pictures off of my card to put on here...and what fun are posts with no pictures. So, stay tuned for Ella's soccer (no good reason I hadn't posted about that but I was just being lazy and now can't get to the pics), crawfish boil, beach trip, Jude's birthday, beach trip, Gabe's supervision techniques and just the lazy hazy crazy days of Summer! This was more of a list for myself than for anyone interested in reading.

Graduation update....

After graduation (while going to bed), Jude said "I want to be a daddy when I grow up...I know I will have to get a job...I will probably play football for money." Does he remember just a few months ago when he didn't want to play soccer because it was 'too much work'? Sweet boy, I guess it beats sitting in an office or working on teeth?!