Just Keep Swimming....

::carefully::

::goofily::

::curiously::

::sweetly::

::fearlessly::

::maniacally::

::hysterically::

::silly::

::adventurously::

::confidently::

New Face Lift coming soon...

I'm updating my blog look.

In between naps & play time (code for @ midnight) I'll be updating photos, bios and what we've been doing so far this summer.

It'll be worth the wait.

Beach Vacation Pre-Oil

The Gulf Coast.

I've been coming here every year for practically my whole life.

Since I was a little girl, my feet have dug into the powdery white sand.
Since I was a teenager, I have know that I would bring my own children here.

Let them grow up with the same memories I grew up with.

When we were little, we would come in my parents travel trailer.
On good years, our cousins would come from Arizona and we'd caravan to our spot at the end of the strip in Gulf Shores.
We knew we were getting older when our Moms would let us walk down the beach without the Dads.
We definitely knew we had arrived when they'd let us go walking in the evening by ourselves.

The Gulf Coast is our Home Away from Home.

We got married on the beaches of Destin.

Now our Children's future memories are at stake.

They may not ever know what it is like to build sand castles and sand sculptures with their cousins.

Izzy & Sophie may not ever know the hilarity of watching Alexander bound down the beach, jumping into the water only to get stung instantly by a sting ray, run out screaming with blood running down his leg, only to have the whole trip ruined by a loooooonnng wait in the local emergency room. (smile, Josh, you're on the internet:-)

They may never know the right of passage of getting that releasing nod by their parents allowing them to walk down the beach un-chaperoned.

We aren't sure what next summer holds in regards to our family vacation to the beach, but I must share the photos from our lovely vacation this past week.

By the time we left, we still had not seen any traces of oil, but the news said it was coming. It will be there soon.

Regardless of how long it takes us to get back to our beloved Gulf Coast, I will forever have this picture in my head. Izzy & Sophie walked hand-in-hand every morning down to play at the beach together.

Our condo had a lazy river and a twirly slide that the kids L.O.V.E.D.

The kids had a BLAST playing in the sand & building castles with their new sand toys.

(Thank You, Mrs. Sharon!! )

I didn't get many shots of Alexander, he was so busy running with the cousins. I did manage these of him in the water.

We had such a lovely week. Mrs. Kay & Mr. Jimmy, thank you for such a wonderful week of memories that our children will forever treasure.

We love you so much!

Birthday on the Beach

How awesome to turn 5 whole years old on the beach in Gulf Shores?!?!?

This boy got to do that all day!!

Ann makes a Pancake Stacker for each of the boy's birthday breakfast!!

Complete with a candle!!

Happy Birthday DD!!

I'm so glad we were on the beach with you for your birthday!!

Sophie Walking Like a Diva take 5

You lika my glathes? Deys as big lika Momma's

(Translation: Do you like my glasses? They are as big as Mom's)

Are the paparazzi waiting for us?

Suck it in Izzy.
The Camera gets you at all angles.


Where are they, Guys?!?! I wore my best suit today? Really.


I got all snazzed up & they aren't even here.


I have my big Liza Minelli glasses on and everything!


Whatever.

Just, Whatever.

One Year Ago Today

Birthday Girl

One Year Ago we were welcoming gorgeous baby girl Mary Elizabeth.

Number 4 Kleinpeter.

Number 1 Girl Kleinpeter.

We were so excited to insert PINK in the middle of all of those boys in our family.

Plus it was an added bonus to have another girl cousin for our girls!!

Happy Birthday Baby GIRL!

No More Days with out Daddy

Ohh, will we have some happy babies when Daddy comes down the escalator today!!

Izzy will squeal the loudest,

Bubb will run the fastest

and Sophie will hug the tightest.

Daddy won't be able to get out of their sight for days.

Good thing he's taking the rest of the week off.

Day 5 Down

Sophie coughed all night.

I woke up to Izzy running 101.5 temp.

That was it!

I made an appointment with the Dr.

Out of Four Ears

we have

Four Ear Infections.

Two for each girl.

Yep. It happens all together.

Bubb was great. He played his DS the whole visit.

I owe him movie night, tonight.

Movie of his choice.

God help me.

While waiting in Wal-Mart for the pharmacy to fill TWO prescriptions, Bubb begged me for an Iron Man toy & a pineapple.

The pineapple won.

Today at snack time, I cut up the pineapple & he yelled, "ewww, what's that smell?"

I said, "pineapple."

He said, "ughh, I'm not eatin' that!!"

I said, "oh yes you are."

Today at snack time, they all had pineapple.

Then, Sophie ate more pineapple,

Izzy had Doritos (or in her language, "reeeetooos")

Bubb had BBQ Pringles.

Izzy pitched a fit because Bubb wouldn't have Reeetoooos with her.

SERIOUSLY???

We went to church this evening for a VBS training meeting. Think we had around 50 people there.

Izzy squealed the whole time. Making it difficult for everyone to divert there attention back to the podium instead of watching the cute 2 year old attention hog....

Sophie announced in front of everyone that she "POO-POO'd."

Bubb quietly played his DS the whole time.

He definitely gets movie night tonight.

I've kinda talked up one of the Indiana Jones' so at least I won't want to pull out my fingernails...

Yesterday at Nonny & Paw Paw's, he made friends with a little Roly Poly caterpillar that he found back on the right-of-way with Paw Paw.

I JUST HAD to get him something to put the new friend in so he could take him home.

Seriously??

I found a paper bowl to let him crawl around in for the last few hours we were there.

When it was time to go and leave his new friend, the attachment to the caterpillar had definitely become unhealthy and a total, complete, desperate meltdown occurred.

On the way home he told me, "Mom, I really miss my caterpillar friend."

It was sad and funny all at the same time. Mostly funny, but sad.

Tonight he asked, "Mom, do you think my caterpillar is okay?"

Then he said, "I miss my Daddy more than my caterpillar."

I just hugged him & reminded, "Only two more wake-ups."

Day 4 Down

Before we had the day truly started:

Sophie pulled five puzzles down from a VERY high shelf & dispersed the pieces around the house.

Izzy plugged the WII with a piece of cardboard. She was mad at me because I couldn't get it out. Pitched a big 'ole fit! I never could get it out & I was sweating to make that dreaded phone call to the Father of my Children. SWEATING, you hear?!

We headed to play with the cousins. Izzy is still under the weather & Sophie was coughing, so Bubb was the only one who could swim with the boys.

Then my Father-In-Law (and Josh, too!!) boiled some of the biggest & tastiest crawfish of the season.

I swear the claws were as big as crabs!!

Then Josh took a nap with Mary. Oh so sweet.

We went to my Parents in the afternoon & Uncle Brother called us to walk next door to his house.

He was counting his Purple Martin chicks & eggs.

Sophie & Izzy were fascinated! They were helping count the eggs.

Sophie would squeal every time she would see a new egg.

Izzy wanted to touch all of the baby chicks. All three kids fell asleep before we made it to 4-15.

Day 3 Down

After we all woke up and ate breakfast we rode out to spend the day with the Grandparents.

Dad decided to spray round-up everywhere while the kids were playing in the grass???

So then we decided to make them play on the concrete.
The girls & Lovee played for hours!

I swear, this is what I'll hear in my sleep for days:

"She HIT me!!"
"I had it first!!"
"Her pushed me!!"
"Her taked that from me!!"
"She HIT me!!"

But OHHH, do they love one another!!



Alexander helped water the fruit trees & the garden.
Pappy pulled up a potato for him.
He saved it to show MeMe.
He dropped it on the concrete for just a milli-second.
CoCo swooped in & gobbled it up.
One dissapointed little boy.



In the afternoon, we took him to spend the night with MeMe & Poppy.

He asked me over & over once we got there, "when are ya'll leaving?"

Tonight Izzy isn't feeling good so she got medicines, breathing treatments & extra special snuggly lovin'.

After she fell asleep in her bed, I put her with me so I could monitor her.

Then I felt bad about So-Girl being all by herself in her bed.

So I got her & put her in bed with us.

Now we're all snug as bugs in rugs!!

Day 2 Down

We had a fairly uneventful day today. Not much going on until after nap time.

Then we went to a Boy Scouts Parade for Caleb & Landry.

We watched it from Allison & Morty's front yard.

Lots of shade!!

The boys were so excited when they found out there was going to be candy.
There's Caleb, leading the little parade!!

Mary got so excited when she saw Caleb!

She tried walking towards him!!

There's Adam! His car had a spoiler!

Landry & Josh ended the parade.

He threw dumb-dumbs at us!

More like pelted us with them!

The Sisters ate like 10 of them!!

Landry was so proud to hold the flags!!

Caleb escorted one of the little Box Car Derby Pageant Girls.

Now the D's is here.

He & Bubb are playing a mad game of Star Wars LEGO on the Wii.

Love & Misses!

Day 1 Down

Yesterday was hot enough to know if we went to the pool, the water would be warm enough to swim in.

So I planned a trip to the pool after nap time.

In order to get a good nap for the kids, I let them play outside in the sprinkler. Watered the yard & ran the kids tired.

I heart multi-tasking....

Once we got to the pool, Izzy walked right to it
and
stepped
in.

In true 2 year old fashion,
with out reserve,
no fear,
stepped right in,

and

sank to the bottom.

Then, she did it again.

I couldn't get floaties on her quick enough.

She's like a spastic flopping fish out of water.

Kinda like Cheri Oteri dancing in SNL.

Except, she's in the water.

It's hilarious.

I couldn't get her to kick her feet for all the fruit snacks in the world.

Sophie, on the other hand, ain't no spastic fish.

She wasn't as funny, more true to form.

"Michael Phelps ain't got nuttin' on me."

They played good & definitely slept good.

I heart multi-tasking.

p.s. no pictures to document the day
...had my hands full w/ 2 year old twins who thought sitting on the steps of the pool wasn't cool.

What a Difference...

...a Year Makes