happy birthday, america!

   On the morning of July 4th, we had a true taste of small town America with our first visit to the Peach Festival in Gilbert, South Carolina.  We enjoyed the parade under a small tree that provided us much-needed shade.  Emma Jane devoured the cotton candy we purchased from a street vendor.  We had to try something "peachy" so we got peach slushies.  Emma Jane wasn't too sure about it at first, but she seemed to like it after a sip or two.  After walking around for a short while, the heat proved to be a little too much for us, so we headed home for the pool!

As always, this happy girl was along for the ride...

 Looking for the perfect parade watching spot...

This shady spot was perfect! 

 

Yes, that is a camel walking down the street!

Cotton candy consuming

 

Just happy to be there...

Leaf collecting became more interesting than parade watching.

Not sure about this strange concoction...

Gave it a try...

Loved it!

Finger chewing occupied Vivi.

Emma Jane did a little dancing.

A quick hello hug for Lily.



two for the red, white, and blue

   Of course, this was our first Fourth of July with two kiddos.  The girls were precious in their red, white, and blue.  The Sadlers invited us to their neighborhood celebration on Sunday night.  Paul and Emma Jane swam in the pool while Vivi and I hung out by the river.  We knew the fireworks would be too late and too loud for little Viv, so Paul took her home and Emma Jane and I stayed for the show.  The fireworks were pretty spectacular and, yes, they were LOUD!  At first, Emma Jane was a little overwhelmed by it all, but she finally decided it was pretty cool.  It was the perfect ending to a fun-filled night.

I had to add this last photo as a reminder that we celebrated Emma Jane's 1st birthday on our first July 4th in Columbia.  My how she has changed!



fridge fotos

   Most of us put pictures up on the fridge to jazz it up a little.  If you are like me, you also have a magnetic pad of paper front and center on your refrigerator.  It's the perfect go-to place to jot down grocery lists and  to-do thoughts.  After using my last sheet of paper on a magnetic pad, I realized that it seemed wasteful to throw away a perfectly good piece of cardboard with magnet attached!  I cut it into a 4x6, attached a picture of Emma Jane, hot-glued some coordinating ribbon around it, and added a felt flower in the corner.  This was months ago, and I have just recently finished off my next magnetic pad, so I had to make one to show off a picture of Vivi, too.  It's a quick, easy, cheap (free if you have ribbon, felt, and a hot glue gun) project to give your fridge a little personality.

sittin' pretty

   Vivian has outgrown her infant car seat and was definitely ready for the big girl seat.  Although she is still rear-facing (and will be for quite some time), she seems happy to be in a bigger, more comfortable seat.  We purchased matching car seat covers for both girls.  I like the pretty blue and brown print...feminine, but not too girly.  It's a soft cotton cover, so it's not as hot as the original covers that come with the Britax seats.  Now we are ready for some road trips!

lions and tigers and ponies...oh my!

   Although we have been to the Riverbanks Zoo too many times to count, each visit holds something new and exciting.  Our latest zoo trip with the Sadler girls was no exception.  Emma Jane and Lily did the usual running, jumping, and climbing, but they are both becoming more interested in the animals.  Emma Jane even had a short chat with a goose!  For me, the most exciting part of this visit was watching my big girl calmly and patiently wait for her first pony ride.  When it was time to hop in the saddle, she did just that as if she'd done it many times before.  I was so proud of our little equestrian!  Vivian was happy to watch her big sis having all the fun, but she also had some fun of her own with sweet Charlotte.  We can't wait to see what's in store for us on our next trip to the zoo.

staying cool

The only way to stay cool on these hot summer days is to take a daily dip in the pool!  Sorry about the overabundance of pool photos, but that is just about all we do for fun these days.  Vivi is pretty happy to just be in the water and Emma Jane is learning all kinds of new tricks!  On some days we go to the pool as a family and on other days we join our friends.  There is nothing better than a good splash to beat the heat!

 

little mermaid

Here is a short video of Emma Jane swimming.  She has a very interesting way of getting from point A to point B!  Every day her skills improve and she is able to hold her breath underwater for longer periods of time.  We are very proud of our little mermaid!