Summa, Summa, Summa time!!! I'd just like to sit back and unwind.

This week has been UNBEATABLE.  This is the kind of weather that just makes my heart happy.  I wake up, and there's sunshine.  I can throw the french doors open and enjoy my cup of coffee on the back porch while the girls eat breakfast outside.  It's amazing.  Heaven, I'm sure, will always have sunny mornings.  And it just gets better.  The sun STAYS.  All day.  We were out with friends in the yard until nine one night!  It's true!  On Saturday, our usual Papa and Nana day, we pulled out the sprinkler and the kiddie pool.  I plugged in the bubble machine.  And, I'd like to say that I relaxed.  I guess in my own way, I did.  I sat on a beach towel pulling weeds while my parents entertained the children.  There's nothing like soaking in some vitamin D and getting something accomplished to make me feel complete.

MEEEOW!

I heard Annabelle meowing from outside, so I had to go check on her.  It's not like her to just sit in the middle of the yard making noise.  It's certainly not like her to catch an animal, either.  But that's exactly what she did.  She sat in front of this tiny, itsy bitsy baby... thing.... just meowing to get my attention.  I don't think she caught it to hurt it.  No way.  I'm pretty sure my amazing cat found this lost little baby animal and was trying to bring it to the only momma she knows.  She wants me to save it!!!  I'm nearly certain.  I called Nick and he didn't know what it was either.  A newborn gopher, perhaps?  It's not a mouse.  Anyway, I had to go inside to wipe away my tears, but Nick assured me that Annabelle was going to go sniff a trail back to the nest where it came from so this baby could be back with it's family.
Nick wouldn't lie.

Can't get enough of this baby girl.

You won't believe this!!!

Ok, so maybe you will.  I was finally putting on the much needed 3rd coat to this cute chalkboard table that I've had in our living room for the past coupled months.  It was just a stunning day, so I took to painting the table on the front porch while the girls ran wild in the yard.  Annette stopped by for awhile.  She's been out of town for a couple weeks, and we were thrilled to get some special Grammy time since she just got home. She was hopping on her bike to head home, so I walked out to the driveway to say goodbye.  Wait.  Where's Berlyn?!?!?!
She was 'helping' mom again.  Honestly, I kind of blame myself for this one.  She'd asked to help me multiple times while I worked on the project.  I kindly declined her offer several times, when obviously I should have just given her a paint brush with a bowl of water.  Then she could have 'helped' me paint the porch and maybe she wouldn't have been compelled to turn my fifteen minute paint job into a thirty minute project.

Such a poser!

Where's  Havanna?  Oh, she's just kickin' it in the garage while her daddy's doing some work out there.  She's happy as a clam, climbing up.  Climbing down.  Climbing up.   Climbing down.  She's learned how to get in and out of chairs by herself, and boy what fun!

Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down...

There was no medicine involved here, though.  I'd taken out all of the ingredients to make a pie, but the girls woke from their nap before I'd actually started to bake.  I was doing whatever it is that I do, when I noticed that the house was quiet.  That makes a momma's heart stop.  I started wandering from room to room, and what did I find?  Berlyn.  Quiet as a mouse, squatting in the corner of the kitchen with my bag of sugar.  "Mom.  I LIIIIIIKE SUGAR!!!"

Such an honor

Stephanie Twaddell is one of my very bestest of friends, going all the way back to 7th grade.  Oh the stories we could tell about each other.  We will never because we've sworn each other to secrecy, of course.
I was so honored to be present for part of the laboring and the delivery on 6/12 when Stephanie delivered her sweet little boy Dallas Robert just before 10am.  He was nearly 3 weeks early and still weighed 6.10 lbs.  Stephanie was pretty much a super mom delivering him with a few grunts and one curse word, but the baby's shoulders got stuck and that doctor had to yank and pull with all her might to help get him out.  His poor little face was bruised for several hours, which is why his face is a bit blue in the photo.  He is so incredibly adorable.  It's utterly amazing that a momma can survive childbirth.  Ever.
My heart melted when I held this precious baby in my arms.  A boy?!?!  How did they do it???  I have a difficult time not just driving to Ferndale on a daily basis to go hold him again.  His big brothers and dad are absolutely in love with him, as well.  Welcome to the world little Dallas.