Of course, as usual, I really messed up the sequence of all of these things....but just hang in there. First, last weekend we got to go to Jackson Lake with Jason's family. We had so much fun. The kids (especially Ella- she was surprisingly daring) LOVED this tube/float. She would love it as we would all get flopped around while Lincoln would cry and say he wanted to get back on the boat. Ella couldn't go fast enough on the wave runner either. Her favorite riding companion (besides Jason) was her cousin Megan because she always (and I have about ten pics to prove this) had her thumb up indicating that she wanted to go faster.

I had to put this picture on because it was just another one of those funny daddy moments. I was sleeping in (hey...it was my turn) and I got up just in time to bolt out the door to the lake. Jason let Ella dress herself (which I let her do with some guidance and discussion). She decided that proper lake attire would be her etnies with socks and long capris and a t-shirt. No Ella. Try a sun dress. Cute girl. She was so happy with herself. Jason claimed that he didn't see anything wrong with it. I am a nag, I know.

The other night we went upstairs just to check on the kids before we went to sleep and I immediately smelled something rank. Of course Jason didn't....my powerful nose doesn't let things go by. It was Quincy, stinky as ever and just sleeping through all his nastiness. So I got him up and this is how he was. Sleeping hard as a rock on my shoulder. This never happens. So precious. Wide mouthed and everything.

Then we saw lincoln asleep in his bed just.like.this. We have found him in some very weird sleeping positions. This one takes the cake.

The kids took swimming lessons this past week. A success.

Can't resist taking a million pictures of Quincy. He changes everyday. He is officially crawling. I have to say he was the slowest. He started trying at 6 months and now finally at 8.5 months he finally did it. I was saying for 2.5 months straight , "He's almost there." These pics are all of his attempts. Taken about two weeks ago I was quite entertained one afternoon just observing him. I tried to capture one moment in particular where he kept on putting his bum high up in the air and trying to lurch forward. He tried several times and then in defeat he laid flat on the floor, face to the ground. I barely missed the discouraging moment with the camera but was glad I took a moment to watch him. It was darling.

You know this position...they all do it.

Here we go way back to July 4th. We spent a really fun day at the Allred's riding four wheelers, swimming, riding horses, eating, and then Ben's friend, Danny, lit off a slew of fireworks that would have rivaled any city show. He lit them right over the Allred's lake.

The Peachtree City fourth of July parade with Hayden and Izzy- cousins.

This was our pre-fourth firework show taken mid June. These are Ella's pj's only- promise. And if anyone cares, I bought this little outfit in St. Thomas. There really wasn't a lot in this one market place. I thought they would be ok pj's. Little did I know it was a little belly shirt. Oh well. The girl can pull it off. :)

The cutest roundest bum ever. Even he has cellulite. Thank you Quincy for making me feel good about myself today.

Now we are really going back. All the way back to the week of June 11. It was the first of four weeks that I totally took advantage of the kind-hearted Christains around here and sent my kids off to the free Vacation Bible schools. My mom did the same thing- to all ELEVEN of us. Poor Dunwoody Baptist church. Anyway, we were on the VBS circuit. We hit everyone within a 20 mile radius. There were a few other familiar faces at all of them too, besides Cooper. Some other mothers look to VBS as an escape. I have to say we were all thrilled. They learned all about Bible things and sang cute outrageous songs about weird things while I got a break from 9-1 everyday for four weeks. Emily and I would switch off taking/picking up. It was perfect. This week's theme was "Saddle Ridge". Ella wore her cowgirl boots everyday. And at every VBS, at the end of the week they would have a performance on Friday night for the parents where the kids would sing all the songs they learned. That's what the above picture is. I think it's funny because Ella is of course doing exactly what she is supposed to be doing and singing with exuberance while Lincoln is looking bored and mischevious as ever and practically pushing his neighbor off the stage and then our friend Maggie from our ward (on his right) is giving him the "pay attention look". So funny and totally characteristic of these three buddies.