Lately...

I guess I took a week off from blogging, so I'm going to try to catch up:

Last weekend Alexee was invited to two birthday parties.  She loves a birthday party, that's for sure.  I think Lane was working nights--it seems like his schedule has been extra busy for the second half of July.  The boys and I dropped A off at party #1 (Addison's 5th B-day at the pottery studio), then we ran a few errands and ate an early lunch at Panera before picking her up.

She had a wonderful time partying with Addison and came home with rainbow candy and a balloon.

Saturday night I was super excited to get to see Mary Katherine and Becca.  MK was in town for her son's baseball tournament, and as always, it was GREAT to catch up with her.  She is hilarious and makes me laugh nonstop.  Why did she have to move away?  :(

Alexee and two friends trying out the birthday seat at JumpZone on Sunday.

The JumpZone party was in honor of Becca's twins, Ann Katherine and William.  They're so cute!  Alexee had fun celebrating with them, too!

Monday morning we took Alexee to Safety Town camp in Conway with my nephew, Jeryn.  She stayed with my sister Monday-Friday!  She would have stayed longer if I would have let her.  She told me at the beginning of the week that she thought she'd just go ahead and stay until Sunday and go to church with Jeryn.  :)  I was missing her way too much for that though!

Right before they went into their Bluebirds class

Jaiden came back home with us to spend the night.  I took them swimming Monday morning, and then we went to eat at Purple Cow Monday evening.  Jaiden is so sweet and quiet and polite--I barely knew she was here!  I wish she could have stayed with us longer, but she had ball practice Tuesday night so I took her back to meet Micaela at noon on Tues.

Tuesday morning we got out early and went to the park before it got too hot.

snack break

Tuesday Rhett had another friend over to play/spend the night.  Here they are having brownies and ice cream.  They had fun playing games on the iPad and watching a movie.  Wednesday around 1:00 my sister came to pick Rhett up to take him to her house for a couple of nights.  He and Jaiden had two practices for the Kids' Triathlon that Mic took them to.

So then that just left me, Lane and Crosby, but L was on night shifts again so we didn't really even see him.  It was strangely calm and quiet around here.  I didn't even know what to do.  Crosby doesn't talk much when R & A aren't around.  He just wanted to watch Super Hero Squad, play Legos and be left alone.  Wednesday evening we had a Community Group pool party, so the two of us went to that.  C had fun splashing around by himself and playing with Cole and Reid.  The pool was closed, so that was great.  You can barely see him in the red life jacket under the red mushroom waterfall.  It was good to visit with the girls in our CG--we've barely seen each other this summer.

Crosby finally decided to try the slide...and loved it!

Bath time/bed time was unusually simple.  We took time to do funny hair-dos, read extra books and sing extra songs.

Thursday we ran several errands and stopped for a snack at Old Mill Bread (they have great oatmeal pecan chocolate chip cookies).

Meanwhile, Alexee and Jeryn were enjoying Safetey Town and learning a lot of valuable information.  Don't they look cute in their t-shirts!

School Bus Safety Day

This picture was on the front page of the local newspaper one day last week!  :)

Friday morning Crosby and I went to Conway for the closing graduation program.  I think they learned a lot.  Alexee asked me if she could go back next year, but it's just for Kindergarteners.  I was glad to have R & A home and everything back to "normal" (loud/crazy/everyone talking at once).  Thank you, Micaela, for letting them stay with you last week--I'm sure it was wild, but they loved it!!

Summertime

The kids and I made another trip to Flippin last week.  Sadly, school will start back in just four weeks which means we won't have the flexibility to go as often.  It's always fun there--we always enjoy being with my parents and grandparents, BUT it was so hot and dry that playing outside was a little rough this time.  Arkansas needs rain in a big way.

summer sky and hay bales

Thursday evening we went to the cabin with the hopes of letting the kids go fishing, but just as we got there we realized the water level was rising so it wasn't safe.  Maybe next time.

Dad showing Rhett how to tie the sinker on

We did enjoy our picnic dinner though!

Yum!

There are train tracks right across the river.  When we heard the train coming, the kids all went out to watch it.  I love the view from the porch.

Alexee took one of the kittens with her to play with.

This picture doesn't begin to capture it, but the sky was amazing that night.

One of the (many many) things I love about Alexee is how she sees beauty in little, everyday things.  She's such a collector of shells, feathers, sparkly rocks, pine cones, etc.  We were driving along the dirt road when she said, "Oh--Stop!  I want to pick some of those beautiful flowers."  She hopped out and quickly gathered a bouquet (of tall grass) from the ditch.  I hope she always sees the world this way.

They like to feed Banner and brush him and sit on him while he eats.  I think he enjoys the attention.

We celebrated Mom's birthday a few days late:

And they cooled off by splashing in the edge of the river one evening.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Look Whooo's Ready for School

Alexee's owl backpack and lunch box arrived this week!  She's super excited...and says she's ready to use them!  Now we just have to do our supplies shopping.  She's also anxious to get the card in the mail that tells who her teacher will be, but that usually doesn't arrive until at least the first week of August.  I'm really hoping for (at least) one of her friends to be in the same class...I think that would help her out a lot.  

School Supplies

Today was Alexee's very last day ever at the preschool/MDO...soon she'll be at Rhett's big school!  They had water day today, so they had on their swimsuits.  They got to go outside and play in the sprinklers for recess, so they were happy about that.  Alexee has had fun at this school and made a lot of friends.  She's had wonderful teachers, and it has been a blessing!  Crosby keeps saying that he's going to Rhett's school soon, too.  He's going to be disappointed when he realizes he can't do that yet!

Since today was the last day that A & C would be at MDO, Rhett went with me to my dentist appointment, then we went to Target to do his school supplies shopping.  I'd promised him and Alexee that they could each have their own shopping trip.  We met Lane for lunch at Señor Tequila afterward.

Holding the supplies list  

Soon-to-be THIRD grader

(Look how much he's grown since our Kindergarten shopping trip!)

Crib Chronicles

Sometime back in the fall of 2003, Lane and I chose this crib and got it all set up and ready for our first baby boy's arrival in March 2004.  We had so much fun planning his nursery--it was such an exciting time.  I had crib bedding made, and after our baby showers I arranged the sweet gifts in the crib just so I could stare at them until Rhett was born!

It took way too long for us to realize that Rhett would sleep a LOT better in this crib than he would in the Pack-n-Play or bouncy seat beside our bed...but we finally figured it out, and he started sleeping through the night at 12 weeks old.  And life returned to normal...or at least our new "normal".

Cute baby Rhett!
(and baby Bogart asleep in the floor) :)

When Rhett was three, he moved to a "big boy bed", and the crib got a make-over...in PINK!  This time I made a bumper and bedskirt.  I loved choosing the fabric for a girl's room.  In Februray 2007, we welcomed Alexee to our family.  She slept in the crib the first night home from the hospital.  (Poor thing--that was mean of me to take her picture while she was there screaming.)

Then...in March 2009 we needed a crib for baby Crosby, but we weren't quite ready to move Alexee to a big bed yet so Lane's parents let us borrow the crib they'd bought when their first grandchild was born.  Crosby slept in it until December of 2009 when Alexee got her new bed and we moved our original crib to C's room.

Below:  Crosby's new outfits, etc. in the borrowed crib before he was born, him reaching his little hand through the side of the crib to get his football blankie after he could pull up, and his pillow, teddy bear and blankets...right before Lane took the bed apart.  :(

So July 9, 2012...the end of the baby crib era at the Garner house.  I'd been dreading it--I knew I'd cry.  I just blinked and 8.5 years were gone!  It was really sad to watch Lane take it all apart.

So the long-awaited room switch finally took place between the boys.  Rhett has been wanting to move since before Christmas.  Crosby now has Rhett's old room/twin bed and Rhett moved into the room with the bigger bed and his desk is now where the crib was.  They both seem happy about the change.

Lane tucking Crosby (all smiles) in on his first night in the twin bed.

Rhett wants to add some things on the walls in his new space, so I'll post pictures once we get that done.

I'm sure it will feel like I blink again and the kids will all be moving away to college.  (Just eight more years and Rhett can get a driver's license...then I'll really be crying!) But I'm going to try not to think about that.

Boys in Branson (Yr 2)

I'm late in posting this, but like last summer, Lane and Rhett took an overnight, boys-only trip to Branson July 10-11th.  They wanted to use their Silver Dollar City passes one more time before school starts back. They both love rides, especially roller coasters.  I'm so glad Rhett has the stomach to ride all those things with Lane because I sure don't!  (I like riding things like the carousel with Alexee, although even that makes me a little dizzy.)

They also saw the "Fabulous Wallenda Family" perform!

After the day at the park, they went to Branson Landing:  Bass Pro Shop, Joe's Crab Shack, the fountains show and Orange Leaf Yogurt:

The following morning they had the hotel breakfast, and Rhett got to swim for a while.

The timing of their trip worked out great because my Dad was also in Branson for the Ranger Boats National Dealer Conference so they went by to see him and take a look at the new models, including the 45th Anniversary boat, which they said was very very nice!  I wish I could have been there too!

Dad & Rhett 

With his Great-Grandparents:

I love this picture because these guys are all SO special to me.

A great trip!