“Mommy why are we still in Arkansauce?” And no that’s not a typo 😂 Timmy talk on the road. 

When I was kid we spent Thanksgiving with my Dads family in Kansas and when I got older I would go for a couple weeks in the summers. Now that my cousins and me all have kids I really want them to be close like we were. So I packed up the car and made the loooooong trip. Tim couldn’t take that much time off work so I took my Dad with me. We had an amazing time.

We stayed at my Grandmas. She’s 85 but you wouldn’t know it. Her house looks and smells exactly the same way it did when I was a kid. Definitely has that possible haunted feeling. It’s a little bit too much one with the bugs, as in a spider crawled out of my bed! But none the less being able to bring my kids back to the exact same place where I made my own memories as a kid was all worth it.

Going to Kansas is like stepping back in time. The kids have free range. They run wild. It’s a very nice change. This was my view from my grandmas bedroom. 

 Thats my kind of beautiful. I could sit and stare for hours. 

The kids were AMAZING in the car. They trashed it but they didn’t cry at all. They were even surprisingly behaved at the hotel. I’ll admit I was terrified driving those 19 hours without Tim but I must have the best kids because it was a piece of cake. We listened to Frozen on tape 3467895 times so I’m fluent in all things Elsa. They read books and ate a good amount of Shark gummies.  
   
 This is a classic Kansas pucture. Grandma has had this windmill forrrrrver.  
This is my Dad in his old bedroom. Did I mention she’s lived her forever, forever.

 
Grace fell in love with this doll that belonged to My great grandma.  
    
  

We went on our first four wheeler ride and got a little muddy. I love these tiny muddy toes.  
    

Wind in their faces 😍
    

Timmy was definitely in his element here.
  

SOO many memories at this piano.  

Me and my sisters loved this merry go round when we were kids. It’s still there lol
    

This is grandma “rocking” Grace but really patting her but and telling her to hush lol it worked.
  

These girls were my little mommies for the week.  
  

These two are definitely related.
Timmy always with the dogs just like his father.  
  

First lightening bugs.
They love Aunt Corrie.  
  

Boat Trip!  
    
    
  
Grace really loved Aunt Kylie.  
  

Visiting Great Grandpa Leslie’s memorial.  

Our old stomping ground 😂
 

First tropical sno
Fourth of July  
    
  
    

Kiddie Land!
    
    
    

Early birthday present from Aunt Corrie!
    

Serious Fishing! These catfish were insane. 

    
  
So peaceful  
 
Timmy thought for sure they were sharks.

   
 
Gracie’s very first fish!

   

Timmy caught 4! 

Big Brutus. A very big coal steam engine. My Dad was set on seeing this and it was actually pretty cool. Timmy of course loved it.

    
    

Corn as far as the can see. 
I am so happy I got to meet all these little ones. My kids were so happy. Still talking about there cousins and I hope we get to make this a yearly tradition.  
    
    
Love this photo.    

These three kids looooooove each other so much. 

This is what we’ve been doing all summer: 

P-pa is 75! We threw him a pool party and Daddy and Uncle Tim are taking him to a Dolphins game as his present. 

Kim hosted and I did all the cooking. That is the way to do parties. One person has to clean their house and one person has to cook. Makes it so easy and stress free.

I say it all the time but I really do love watching all the cousins play. That’s my new fun. 

  
I think Halle & Grace are twins.  
    
    
    
 

Mothers Day was awesome that I had to do something great for a Fathers Day. On Mothers Day I got a shopping spree with a friend. It was so relaxing. 

So we have Daddy a shopping spree too but it wasn’t kid free luckily they slept the whole time. 

Timmy took Daddy go carting for the first time and we got them matching shirts. 

    
   
Then we threw a party for all our Daddy friends. Bbq, smores & water balloons. 

My mom has started coming up to our house about once a week and planning something special with the kids. The kids are loving it and so am I! My kids are so lucky.

Timmy says, “Join us mom, relax and feel the breeze.” He cracks me up.

We got an invitation in the mail for a Teddy Bear Clinic to celebrate the grand opening of a new hospital. I thought it was a great chance to help Timmy get over his fear of hospitals so we went.

Seriously best thing ever. All hospitals do it so definitely check it out. First the whole thing is free so right off the bat awesome in my book. But they went over and beyond. Each kid got a new teddy bear and a teddy bear back pack. Then they toured the hospital and in each room they would doctor on the teddy bear showing them things like how to use a breathing mask, give shots, take an X-ray and put on a cast. It was so neat.

Outside they had fire truck and ambulance tours, a bounce house and dancing. Free water, face painting an snacks! 

One of the nurses got a little surprised because Timmy went to kiss him and said kiss was on the nurse butt 🙈 Everyone laughed. 

My good friend Dawn invited us to visit her parents Georgia house and I of course said yes! Who doesn’t love a semi free vacation. Tim couldn’t come so I brought Sam to help with the kids. And that she did! She was so much help probably more help then Tim would have been 🙊

The drive was great except for when I turned around and Timmy was out of his car seat!! Apparently he can unbuckle himself now. He won’t be doing that again tho. I pulled that car right over and had a little chat with him. Other than that it was a very smooth 6 hour drive.

The kids were in heaven there. They had complete free range of the house and the outdoors. Dawns parents are the best. Treated me like their daughter and totally loved on my kids.

We spent most days just exploring nature, fishing, and swimming. Timmy and Cade are for sure best friends.  

You already know Grace is obsessed with bunnies. Timmy’s latest NEED is a snorkel and goggle mask. He doesn’t know how to say it so he says “I need” and then points to each eye and sticks his finger in his mouth. It is hilarious. 

Daddy came home with a bunny that hops and a real snorkel so now he’s their hero. 

    
   
Wore this mask for daysss.

Gracie’s hair has grown soooo much in the past 3 months. We have real actual legit pig tails! And yes Gracie’s hair gets its own post. It’s that BIG of a deal people.

   
April 28th VS July 21

Our Botanical Gardens does a free kids fishing tournament every year and a Timmy is finally old enough this year. And perfect because G-da bought him a fishing pole for his birthday. 

They did such an awesome job; free worms, free water, free tshirts and trophies for the biggest and most fish. We didn’t win but we had so much fun.