Today we were invited to Julia and Mason's house to play outside. It was a fun playtime :) Macy was also there. Vivian was so excited.
Erin was smart to get a picture of the kids when we first got there, before everyone got dirty and wet.

They are all growing! And so sweet together.

They had a lot of fun in the pool.

Kate sat with the moms so that she could watch the big girls play. She was pretty content with that. I couldn't let her get down to play because she would go straight to baby Mason's bouncy seat to bother him :)

The girls played Ring around the Rosie.

Here's Vivian "falling down"...she was surprised at how cold the water was!

They took turns swinging after we ate lunch.

Mason was happy to sit in his bouncy seat and play by himself. He was so quiet.

After a good game of chase (which I have on video but need to figure out how to post it), they played with the seesaw.

It was a busy, fun playdate. Thanks for havin us, Carrolls!

Kate: how you doinnn
Vinny: how you doinnn
Kate: you got the sauce?
Vinny: what sauce?
Kate: *gun shot* i told you to get the sauce!

On Saturday night we went to the wedding of our friend Lisa and her new husband Joey. Lisa and I went to high school together but have seen each other some since we've moved back to Salem. She was a beautiful bride! I was planning to get a picture of her in the dress (it was gorgeous), but she and Joey changed into more comfortable clothes for the reception and I missed my chance.This is the only picture I got of her dress, when Kari was bustling it. Here is the happy couple for their first dance. The ceremony and reception were romantically simple and classy.

We enjoyed our night out. Thanks to Mattie for keeping the girls!

There was a bluegrass band! We loved it!

Yesterday evening we went over to my mom and dad's for swimming and a spaghetti dinner. After all that, Papa took Vivian for a ride on his tractor. He drove her all the way to the Glenvar Minute Mart for some ice cream. She came back an hour or more later with chocolate all over her face and shirt. What a dream come true for a 2 year old!

Last week, we needed to postpone our small group meeting until this week because so many families wouldn't be able to make it. So instead of our normal living room conversation, we moved outside and let the kids run around. Aaron grilled chicken wings, Ashely brought mac n'cheese, and John and Dawn brought the drinks, chips, and cookies. One of our neighbors stopped by with his two little girls Hannah and Emma. V loved following them around.

Cohen and Vivian saw each other a lot last week! Can you see Ashely's baby bump? She's due in November with another little boy, Caleb.

This is why I haven't been taking many pictures lately...

When we got home from Pinehurst last Sunday, the girls and Aaron took a nap while I stopped by the annual church picnic. We've missed the last several years from being out of town or having a newborn, so it was fun for me to see what all the talk has been about. It was at the Cannon's house, which is one road over from us, and they had a baptism after everyone ate.

Chandler is one of Vivian's friends. She has gorgeous hair!!

You might have noticed from the other pictures, but V got a haircut last week. It was a last-minute decision, we didn't have much to do that day so we pulled in to the place where Aaron gets his hair cut, there was someone available to do it, and we were done in 10 minutes. I like it long, but I also like it short and bouncy like this!

She did well...very serious and still because it was a new experience and she was probably confused.

This weekend we have been in Pinehurst, NC, visiting my grandparents. Aaron was invited to go on a golf trip, and he played two rounds each day (Friday and Saturday), so we didn't see him much. But we got to spend a lot of time with Granddaddy and Grandma Carolyn! We stayed busy the whole time. Kate wasn't completely herself...she struggled with a bad cold, but everyone slept well and rode well in the car both ways and loved on their great-grandparents a lot.

Thanks for having us!

At breakfast this morning Vivian was staring out the window, so I asked her what she was seeing.

V: I see birds in the window.
Me: What else?
V: I see squirrels in the window.
Me: What else?
V: I see Bambi in the window.

Ha!!

Another funny thing from Vivian: the other night when Aaron was putting her to bed, he asked her what she was going to dream about. She said, "Strawberry ice cream (with) Papa." Sweet dreams, baby!

Vivian has always loved to look at books and be read to, but it seems lately it has intensified. She gets her hands on a book whenever possible when we're at home. She would do it for hours in her room at home if I let her. !!! On Sunday I peeked in on her in the nursery, and she was in the corner reading all the books one by one by herself.

And now it looks like we have one following in her footsteps:

In the last couple of weeks, Kate has become interested in playing with books. Right now it's just because she likes turning the pages. It keeps her entertained for a long time! We'll see if she will be as enamored as her sister in the future.

Here is Vivian pretending to get ready for a nap: she found this blanket to put over her and she's got her book...she's good to go!

There have been a couple of times when V has tried to get me to leave her alone so she could read more. The two I can remember: "Mommy give Kate milk, Vivian read books." and "Mommy go take shower, Vivian read books." :) Maybe this is just a phase!?

We had so much fun at our pool party on Saturday! We invited lots of friends to come celebrate Kate'e birthday with a fun swim day. There are so many pictures...it might take a few minutes to look at them all, and I will understand if only those whose kids were being photographed look at them all!
There are only a few pictures with captions. All other pictures are self-explanatory!
Kate is such a gift to us. It was a pleasure and privilege to celebrate her first year together. She is a joy to love!



There are some awesome pictures of the kids...if they are your kids, you have Carissa to thank! She used my camera and her lens to capture the party fun and sweet baby faces.