Harper's 2nd Birthday

Harper turned two this past Sunday.  He ended up having two parties -- one when we were in Kansas and then one on the day of.   In Kansas, we had just family (& Tracee!) over to a park building for cake and hot dogs.  Then this past weekend we celebrated with a trip to the pool on Saturday and some fun backyard times and cupcakes on Sunday. 

Harper requested a 'fishy cake' from grandma Teresa.  So cute!

Cute & egg-less. ;)

Harper & Papa Larry

He wasn't so sure about all of the attention.

Opening presents with lots of 'help'.

Cool tractor from Ellie & Kane.

Tracee (one of my college roomates) and her sons Theo (here) & Anderson made the trek from Lawrence to stop by!

Birthday party kids: Helena, Kane, Theo, Anderson, Harper & Ellie

Somehow this birthday turned into Christmas up in here present-wise. Harper made out with a new workshop toy, car racer and a train table & train set that mom & dad scored for super cheap (used). ;)

Train table & track that Ash is more stoked about than the kids. :)

 I asked him what he wanted on his cupcakes and he said "sprinkles!" And then I asked him what he wanted for birthday breakfast and he said "sprinkles!" (We had bacon & pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes.)

He waited patiently for the cupcakes until about 4:00 when I caught him sneaking some fingers of frosting.... (Oh, and is sporting a new buzz cut).

Attempting to lick off the remnants.

Happy Birthday little buddy!  We love you!

- Emily :)

P.S. - Here's a fun look at Helena's 2nd birthday party.  She's so little!!!

P.P.S - I found a cake mix that is egg/nut/gluten free (you didn't even have to mix in any eggs or egg substitute) to use for the birthday cupcakes and it tasted great!  Yay, Cherrybrook Kitchen products!

Twister with a Toddler

Really, what goes with Christmas morning better than a good old game of Twister.  Thanks Santa!  What a great idea.

The first family match was between Meemaw, Helena and Evan with a Harper 'challenge' thrown in.  Although from the pictures it looks like he was mainly picking on my brother.  Lots of activity considering we hadn't even had Christmas morning breakfast yet!

"I'm all fours red!"

Wrestling Evan for position....

OK, that's better.

Meemaw is still in good spirits.

"Let's see here...."

"Yes, that's the ticket!"

"Now who can I 'help'?!"

"All of this monitoring and I'm tired!"

Whoops! Game over!  Hope Meemaw's OK!

Ash and I engaging in what I termed an 'antagonistic' Twister game.

This was the beginning of the end for me.  You'd think all that yoga would pay off!

Much calmer game with just Ash and Helena.  I love this pic....so cute!

- Emily :)

Christmas Morning -- In Pictures

In case you aren't intimately familiar with the Cars movies, this is what "Holley Shiftwell and 2 bad guys" looks like.

Harper got a 'Mater.

Santa also brought a Cars carrying case for Helena (and so Mom can hopefully quit answering the ongoing "where are my cars?" questions).

Santa brought Harper a Little People farm.

We always wake my brother Evan up while he's sleeping on the couch to open presents.  :)  He's always thrilled.

- Emily :)

Christmas Eve 2011

Our first of many Christmas events is always Christmas Eve at my Grandma Millie's.  We eat shrimp and pie and open presents.  This year it was so warm we even got in a walk around the lake!

Great Grandma Millie and Great Grandpa Bill with Harper, Kane, Helena & Ellie.

A family gathering isn't complete until Uncle Justin gives horsey rides.

The girls showing off their purses.

Ash & Jess snacking and drinking before dinner.

My dad's main job: fry shrimp.

My grandma ruining a perfectly good pan of jello. ;)

And then there was this:

It started when Jess decided it would be funny to have the kids 'smell' the pies and pushed their faces in it a little bit.  But then Ellie got really upset when it was her 'turn' and Jess felt bad and said, "look, I'll do it too."  And that's when Justin and I went in for the kill -- he pushing her face full force into the pie and me giving her a wet willy of whipped cream.  It was an opportunity we just couldn't pass up.

Jess took it in good humor, but then after Ash & Justin made a liquor store run, Jessica got her revenge on Justin.  And Evan got it all on 'tape'.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=749939728072&set=vb.46103297&type=2&theater

She got him good.  It was hilarious.  I'm still not sure how I escaped.

-Emily :)

Also in Kansas we....

...Had sundaes with sprinkles and M&M's

 ...Spent time with mom's cousin Ally (& Aunt Diane!)

...Discovered we really like Kansas peaches (thanks Sparkle!)

...Ate pie and fried chicken at Carriage Crossing (and evidently were there too long if Harper is standing on the table).  Teresa's face is hilarious in this picture...

...Started walking...everywhere...all the time...

 ...Ate pancakes at MeeMaw's house

...Had a pose-off for the camera...

Tried to get Jess to take a picture with us...

Played with buckets on our heads...(worked pretty well for keeping them still!) Ha!

Thanks for the good times, Kansas.  :)  See you at Christmas!

-Emily :)

Paradise Isle Time

Helena & I post jet-ski.

I made a list of blogs to write today...so....provided I can remember details of the last 35 days or so (with only 5 of them where I was actually home)...the writing should be plentiful around here very soon!

First off -- Kansas trip recaps... First category: Lake time!  We had plenty of it and I was even able to particiapte in the annual picnic/lake party while I was in town.  Live country cover band was awesome, and I two-stepped with people I hadn't seen in years / didn't know.  That's what happens when your hubby doesn't come with you.  Wait, who am I kidding, Ash doesn't really two-step. :)  Anyway, it was fun...I stayed up later than I have in a really long time.

Brother-in-Law Justin - signature post with a Bud Light. :)

Kane enjoying the water.

My brother's new lake / commuter vehicle.  I drunk termed it the 'Junebuggy'.

Also, while I was in town a friend of my dad's sunk the family track hoe trying to do some beach/moss maintenance around the lake.  It was bad.  My dad and my grandpa about had heart attacks.  (No one was hurt, thank goodness.)

But, three days, two bulldozers, tons of sandbags, one water pump and one 250 ton crane later, and it was outta there!

We all gathered to watch across the way....  Shortly after this picture was taken, I had to leave with Harper beofre he REALLY freaked out and I missed the actual moment when the track hoe was jubilantly lifted out of the water.  (Also, in case you're wondering, this picture very accurately personifies what it's like to fly with Harper.)

Helena had a blast at the lake.  She asked me almost every day to go swimming.  The first day she went out, she lost her swim shoes "at sea"... ha!  Harper didn't get much lake time in because it was SO HOT.  He would get red cheeked in like 15 minutes.  I was really glad Helena had taken swim lessons before we went because it has made her way less scared of the water.  She had an awesome time trying to catch minnows, floating, practing her "scoops and kicks," and collecting shells to take home to her dad.

This is pure joy, not drowning.  Promise. 

- Emily :)

P.S. -- Sorry for the weird formatting in places...blogger formatting and I do not get along sometimes. Boo!