Tire Swing Reincarnated....

When we moved we had to say goodbye to our beloved tire swing and the swingset we had just installed about 9 months prior.  Oops.  While we have no plans on adding another swingset here, Grant did find this fun little number on Amazon and hung it last weekend.  No complaints from the ladies of the house.  

 This is the face Ryan made when I asked her if she had a boyfriend....

she doesn't, for the record....

Em was sad because I asked them to cease spinning for a second to take a photo.  The nerve.

The best view of all:)

Yesterday

I'm trying to bust out the "good" camera more.  Yesterday was a half day and Reese's friend came over for the afternoon so I sent them outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and took a few pics.  A few notes:
1.  Two sisters + one friend = a catfight of some sort will eventually occur.
2.  Emerson has big girl underwear on!  It was a big struggle to get any clothes on her as she's been naked the last 3 days potty training, pajamas were all she would wear.
3.  Grant needs to hang the big, black circle swing thingy - until then it proved a great rolling toy.
4.  Ryan likes to apply blue eyeshadow to friends who enter our  house:)  you are forewarned.

Emerson

I tell ya, this girl is a gem.  I keep reminding myself that this is the best it will probably get in life, but not in a depressing way, just in a 'take it all in' kind of way.  Two kids happily at school.  My 'baby' still at home with me and if there isn't a more fun buddy to hang out with all day....  The worst of our problems are 7 and 5 year old dramas.   This I can take, teenagers, I can not:/

Speaking of teenagers, this happened last night:

 She went with her sweet friends and I shed a little tear.  They rolled up in the driveway to pick her up, 3 giddy girls with a hint of makeup on, heading out to Taylor Swift.  She didn't get home until 11:45pm - on a school night;)  I can't even wrap my brain around her doing this without a parent; just when you get to the stage in your life where sleep returns because all your kids want to sleep in, it'll be the endless nights of staying up late until you know everyone is safe and sound in their own beds. Excuse me while I start looking into some prescription meds for me.....

Apple Picking

We did our annual Apple Picking at Eckerts in Illinois over the weekend.  Always fun, always a hit and this year we went with friends.

 Emerson had fallen asleep on the car ride over and apparently didn't appreciate being awoken for this...she was quite the pistol for awhile.

 I took one for the team.....rode this damn ride that might look innocent enough and apparently if you're under 8 you're immune to nausea.  The only other mom on it and I were about to heave...

 The child below was a stinkpot.

 Until she found a pile of sand, then the switch flipped and voila....happy again.

Oh how I love apple picking....that time of the year when we spend a mortgage payment buying 243 pounds of bruised apples because the girls swear they will eat them all.  Ha.