School Days

So, I'm a little behind with my blogging! The girls started Preschool about a month ago. I posted these pics on FB but I had to get them on my BLOG! I usually print out my blog into a book once a year, so I for sure I had to add the first day of "School"! :)

Yep, I had everything all set out! I guess I'm a little OCD, even when I was in school I would have my outfit, shoes, jewelry, and backpack all set out. I slept better that way. Am I a dork or what?

The girls and their backpacks! I was going to monogram their names on it, but I decided to be practical. I am gonna get Nora a bigger one next year and then pass that one down to baby girl #3! Smarth, huh?! :)

Strike a pose!! I know I'm biased, but they are some CUTE little girls! :)

Bookin' it to school! They really couldn't move fast enough. Some kids cry when their parents drop them off...my girls can't get into the class room fast enough. Kind of makes me sad! :(

Nora with her teachers. Audrey doesn't have a pic with her teachers, well, b/c she doesn't like to cooperate. Bottom line! I've pretty much given up on any type of cooperation from that stubborn little girl (but she is awfully cute though).

32...It ain't so bad!

I must admit, for turning 32, it wasn't a bad b-day at ALL! I felt like it was going to be a bummer, b/c let's face it, there's just nothing interesting of fun about 32. I'm just getting older! But, I have the BEST family so I guess that makes up for getting older. Might as well grow older with a great hubby and some pretty cool kiddos, right?

I actually celebrated my B-day over the WHOLE weekend. It started Friday morning. Wade and the girls woke me up with breakfast in bed (he had work off). It was really cute seeing those little girls walk in with heart shaped pancakes and OJ. THen they brought me a homemade card.

Isn't is cute? I guess it's a card that only a mother could love, LOL!

(Front)

Inside was a SPA day!! 3.5 hours PLUS lunch...THAT day! They are the greatest! I enjoyed every minute of it. Heck, I just enjoyed waiting in the lobby all by myself. ;)

That evening after dinner the girls and Wade made me a strawberry cake. Wade is so good at letting the girls help in the kitchen. I'm a bit of a control freak, but I am learning!

Their final product...well, with a piece or two missing!

I was pretty spoiled the whole weekend after that. Wade pretty much kept the girls and did all the cooking, cleaning, EVEN laundry. Sweet guy, he was trying to give me a bit of a break since this pregnancy has been so HARD this time around (I know, cry me a river, right?)

Monday was Labor Day and we ALL woke up really early and headed for "Run for a Child". It's a 1 mile/5k/10k in which all the proceeds go to the NW Arkansas children's shelter. This is my third year in it and I usually run with a group of women, "The SOLE Sisters" with our pink t-shirts and all. This year I played it low key (for obvious reasons) and Wade and the girls joined me for the family 1 mile run/walk. We had tons of fun!!

The whole fam before the race(s) started. Don't you just love that Wade wore that shirt?? It says, "Sole sister LOVER" haha! There was only one other guy that ran and his shirt said, "Sole sister supporter". My man is SUCH a good sport...LOVE HIM!! :)

Me and my "lil' Sole Sisters"! Seriously, that is what their shirts said. SO CUTE!!

Nora and Wade stretching. I was actually shocked at how excited about the race Nora was. She ran and ran! They stopped a little here and there, but once she rested she always started running again!

Nora crossing the finish line.

Audrey was in our running stroller for most of the mile, but at the end she wanted to get out and run with her sister. Her and her dad crossing the finish line!

Lil' sole sisters and their awards!

After the races and a little rest we went to a pool party. There a friend of mine surprised me with a little cake she bought! I didn't even know she knew it was a B-day!! Such a fun surprise!

Then we went home and relaxed and had a pizza/movie night! It was REALLY a GREAT b-day! I guess I've reached that stage in my life where just being with my family is party enough for me! :)

Viva Las Vegas

On our way home from California we made some tourist stops to help make the trip "more manageable". Basically, we needed reasons to get the kids out of the car! :) One of our stops was in Las Vegas. It was perfect timing b/c we pulled into Vegas right at lunch time. So what do you do at lunchtime in Vegas?? Eat at one of their infamous buffets of course. From a recommendation, we chose to eat a PARIS. Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint! It was really good food. I think we ate our $$$$ worth from just the dessert bar. SOOOOOO yummy! :) Can I just say, I think Creme Brulee might me one of my FAVORITE desserts!!

Anyway, of course we ate TOOOOOO much! So we decided to take a little walk around the strip. Little...yeah, right! It takes forever just to walk a block...The Casinos are HUGE! We did make it interesting however. We waited to watch one of the water fountain shows in front of the Bellagio! As cheesy as it may sound, it was really beautiful to watch. They know how to work that water show! :)

After that we found our car and went on our way. It was well worth the stop!!

Great pic, huh?! Can't help it, I HAD to take a picture to remember the buffet!!

The girls and I on "The Strip"

Dad and us in front of the Bellagio

A picture from the water show!!

Teaching them young! We thought this picture would be funny. The girls really didn't want to leave the coin slots b/c they thought they were little kid games b/c they were so shinny!! :)

And we HAD to make a quick stop to see Hoover Dam on the way out of town!

Tahoe

Another one of our day trips, while we were in Cali, was to Lake Tahoe! We had a BLAST! It is really sooooooo beautiful there. Even the Drive was beautiful! I'm trying to convince Wade we should sell a rental or two of ours here and get a rental in Tahoe...oh, and eventually move to Cali! LOL! Fat chance! :)

Anyway, as soon as we got there we stopped off at a little mini-golf course. Uhm, the girls didn't really grasp the idea of the game, but they sure loved to run around! So it served it's purpose anyway. AFter a 2 hour drive we just had to get them out of the car ASAP!!! :) Then we ate a lunch on a patio of a bar/grill and then headed to the beach...of the Lake that it!

I have to say it again, It's GORGEOUS there! The sand was a little rough on the feet (I'm used to the silky white beaches of the GULF) but the water was SOOOOO beautiful and crystal clear. I swear I could have just drank it! It was FREEZING cold though, but you did get used to it. Dad and I didn't pack our swimsuits b/c we thought it would be too cold and the girls would just get in and out. But the weather was PERFECT!! I didn't even get hot on the beach fully clothed. I just sat there and relaxed. We were there for about 3 hours just sitting on the beach watching the girls play... and it was PERFECT!!

Audrey was very interested in the sticks in the sand.

Nora became very interested with her footprints in the sand and ran up and down the beach over and over.

The cold water didn't seem to phase them at all!

Grandpas just chillin'!

Seriously, they had so much fun! SO glad we brought some buckets and shovels. It kept them entertained for hours.

The girls and I on the beach

Slumber PARTY!!

While we were in California Nora had her first over night with another little girl. The other little girl, Claudia, is older, but she just loved playing with Nora..who wouldn't?! :) Tami, claudia's mother, has known my sister since I was a teenager and they have been neighbors for YEARS. They might as well be family, so I felt perfectly fine with Nora going away for the night.

Nora was SOOOOOO excited. Her Aunt Shelley gave her a little suitcase and she packed her favorite stuffed animals and her blanky! ANd then she was off...like a big girl. I don't even think she gave me a second thought! LOL!

Of course I had to take a picture with me to document the evening!

Her and her little suitcase!

On her way...so grown up!!

Claudia and Nora