This picture cracks me up of Anna.  She is in the bathtub doing her surprised face.  You wouldn't know it, but I had picked her up early from daycare with a 104 fever.  I came home and put her in the bathtub to cool her off.  She was playing and making silly faces at me.  If I was the one who had fever, I'd be in bed complaining!

Here she is stuffing a banana in her mouth.  Notice the bandaid.  The night before, she walked over to me as I was sitting in a bar stool.  She tripped as Anna often does.  I guess she landed just right and hit the corner of the wooden leg with the brow bone.  She didn't even hit it that hard, but it split open and bled alot.  Travis and I debated on whether we should take her in for stitches.  The bleeding stopped, but there is still a scar today.  I hope it's not too noticeable as she gets older. 

"Look Mom!  I fought a purple marker."  Hmmm, who won?  You can't tell by this picture, but she looked like an Indian with war paint on.  All over her...and a baby doll and stuffed animal.  Thank goodness for washable markers.  It all came out. 

Travis and Eston went down the the Norfork Fish Hatchery and Eston caught this fish.  Travis was helping him to reel it in.  He said when Eston saw the size of it, he freaked and ran off.  It's a catch and release area, so Travis finally got Eston to come back close enough to him to snap this picture with his cell phone before Eston ran away again. 

We went to the rodeo this summer here in Mountain Home.  Donald, who has an office near ours, met us there.  His nephew is a prize roper, Hadley DeShazo.  He has won numerous awards, belt buckles, money and saddles.  He's roped in rodeos all over the US, and has even won a new pickup truck to pull his horse trailer in!  He's that good!    Hadley let Eston climb up on his famous horse. 

Summer is over, and I have a lot of catching up to do!  We started out with Eston's 5th birthday party in May.  We had some of his friends and their families over to our house to celebrate.  Then, we bought a camper trailer.  Our first outing was to Cranfield Park at Norfork Lake here in Mountain Home.  We then met Bret, Angie, and Cooper Ellington (Whitney's brother and fam) at Silver Dollar City campground for a weekend.  We had a great time going to SDC even though the temps were in the 100's.  We've used it twice since and plan to go out again camping in Branson this weekend with our old neighbors from Cave Springs.  We celebrated Mom and Anna's birthdays also. It's been a busy summer!

Anna graduated to a real bed a month or so after her 2nd birthday.  That first night was fun for her, not so much for me.  She was a prisoner let out of jail!  Freedom!  I think the girl slept maybe 3 hours that night?  She kept waking me up all night either on purpose or I'd hear her getting into something.  At one point of the night, I woke to find her sitting in the floor in my room playing with her diapers.  Five were scattered on my floor.  She'd wake me up bringing me my cell phone through out the night.  She went into Eston's room and pulled out every book from his bookcase and scattered them on the floor.  She took every pair of pajamas and underwear out of his drawers.  You could not see his floor for all of the mess!  And somehow he slept through it all!  I kept putting her back in her bed.  This went on all night!  When I woke up to get dressed the next morning, I found her in Eston's bed wide awake sitting right next to a sleeping Eston.  She had Travis's wallet and was going through it tossing out all the credit cards and driver's license.  She looked at me, put her finger to her mouth and went, "Shhhhh."  At least she knew to be quiet while she destroyed the house!

Anna quickly adjusted to sleeping in a big bed, but wants to sleep with her brother.  So, they are mostly sleeping in Anna's bed together.  Eston likes it because from her room he can see down the hall and keep an eye on us in the kitchen or living room after he goes to bed.   In this picture, they are in Eston's bed.  I don't know how he does it!

 

 Here are some pictures from a trip to the lake with my mom, brother and family.

I love summer!  I could do without the 100+ temps we are having right now, but I do love warm weather.  You wouldn't know it by how white I am!  Anyway, here is a picture of my girlie girl daughter in playing in the sand at the lake.  I guess the sand bothered her by sticking to her hands and feet.  She didn't like it at all.  So, she propped her little feet up on her bucket, cause she still wanted to play in the sand and fill that bucket up with her shovel. We met the Reaves who were camping, and Eston was busy swimming with Hunter and Morgan.  He took swimming lessons for two week this month.  It really made a difference.  I am very proud of how far he has come.  Last weekend we were swimming at a pool and he was jumping off the diving board and swimming all around. (with a life jacket)  

We have Silver Dollar City season passes this year.  It is a lot of fun.  I forget to take pictures while we are there.  Here is one of Anna and her cousin Elle playing in the water spouts.

This one is actually a different trip with the Masottos.  Here are Angela and Eston. 

And finally Travis had someone to ride the big roller coasters with him.  Here are Angela and Travis braving Wildfire.  Eston rode Thunderation with me.  That's about as big as I want to get. Mr. Frank, Ms. Lilly, Diana, and the Reaves family went with us. We had a great time. 

Anna loves her milk!  She wanted the cartons to sit right next to her in the cart.  And when we left the case, she said, "Bye bye milk." 

She is wanting to be so independent. She says (wait, she exclaims), "My help!"  That means step away and let me do it.  She will even point her finger at me and say "no, mama, no" sometimes if I try to get near her or help her with the task at hand. 

Little People Attack!!!

Anna loves to get into a cabinet in the kitchen where I keep canned goods.  She pulls them all out, makes towers, and rearranges them quite often.  The door behind her is to the laundry area.  The other day she had opened the door and stacked all the cans on the window sill and was quite proud of herself. 

 Here are some pictures from Easter.  Here we are dying eggs.

 Anna getting tired and pushing the egg aside.  She's quite fiesty.  She's got a little attitude. 

 Here's my soccer team from this spring.  I coached Eston's team again this season.  I managed to somewhat control these little boys!  We had some tears, mind you!  They did great!

 Bath time! 

 Playing at the park

Happy Birthday Eston!!!

5 years ago, today, I became a mom.  And what a wonderful 5 years it has been.  He is such a sweet little boy.  He is very intelligent, and sensitive to others. I know he is going to grow up to be such a great young man.  His memory and observations of the world are very mature, and I know he will do great things when he grows up.  I see him in a math or science field.  Eston loves superheros, Star Wars, and still is into trucks, trains and anything with an engine.  He is great with his sister.  He helps her and plays with her.  They are becoming good friends. 

Here is the day Eston was born.

He was such a skinny little boy.  Here is is at 2 weeks old.  He sure did pack on the pounds once the doctors fixed his tummy. 

 My little Charlie Brown! 

My how he's changed!

Eston is now giving Anna rides in his jeep!  She loves it.  He is so sweet with her.  He will put his arm around her when he hits bumps and rocks to hold her in.  She has a seat belt on and most of the time she wears a bicycle helmet. 

These kids really love each other.  I hope it lasts.  Diana took this picture for me at their school.  Anna's playground is fenced off from Eston's to keep the bigger kids separate.  She said they went up to the fence and hugged each other and gave each other a kiss.  Isn't that the sweetest!  Eston is always looking out for her and very concerned if she is ever crying. 

 My birthday has came and went too.  Here we are at mom's about to enjoy an ice cream cake!!

I forgot to put this picture in with the Christmas ones.  We went to Silver Dollar City last December to see the lights.  It was the kids first time to go.  Eston loved it.  It was so cold!  But that didn't stop him.  He wanted to ride the rides over and over.  Here is Travis riding some elephants that go around in circles and also go up high in the air.  He even rode Fire in the Hole 3 times!  Anna was content staying in her stroller all bundled up and doing her share of people watching.  We have since gotten season passes for this year and took Mom with us a few weeks ago.  Eston begged and begged my mom to ride Fire in the Hole with him.  She did.  And got a little wet.  She loved it... ;-) 

  Reading a book to Eston before bedtime. 

I will try to catch up on what all we've been doing lately! Travis had a birthday!  A big birthday!  The big 40!!  He and I went to Branson and spent the night.  Our first time to both be away from both kids at the same time.  We stayed at the Landing, and ate dinner at the floating restaurant. 

 Saturday, we went to the Titanic museum.  It was really neat and interesting.  Here are our boarding passes.

 Needless to say, Travis's character perished.  Mine survived. 

Then we went to Mom's for another celebration.  Mom made a homemade chocolate cake on Eston's request. 

 Corey, Whitney, and Elle came over for the party.  Here is Anna and Elle eating cake too!

 Mom and I decorated Travis's office.