Y'all Better Enter

I love A Year of Slow Cooking, and as of today, I love Stephanie O'Dea even more! Through her blog I learned about this giveaway of a $200 Best Buy giftcard. I have to say, those Samsung appliances look phenomenal too! That is one pretty refrigerator!

It's Like We Live on an Island

The kids and I were at the beach again this weekend. Jer is in the field. And I have realized we have all gone soft. Just having him gone for the past few days has been really weird. The kids complain about missing him, Garrett keeps thinking it's daddy every time the door opens. Yeah, we've gone soft, and it's a nice place to be.

Garrett at the sprayground,
moving in...

getting closer....

and too close!

Garrett discovered dinosaur's teeth. Unfortunately, he's giving you a side view. My little anthropologist.

The tide was out, but not super low like last time we were at this beach. Too bad last time I had forgotten the camera. But we did see starfish and sea cucumbers.

There are 3 starfish in this picture, one is just flipped over in the moving water.

And we found the cutest hermit crab. We did not bring home any hermit crabs this time. We have proven ourselves to be hermit crab killers. :( Well, except the big one, he's still alive, guess he's extra hearty. :)

Happy 9th Birthday Seth!

Geez, where does the time go?? I can't believe how big all the boys are. Seth just turned 9, unbelievable. Since his birthday was on a Wednesday, we had a little schedule conflict with cross country. So, much to Seth's dismay, he opened presents and had cake a day early. Poor kid. He was just heartbroken.

Vaughn made this picture for Seth. Awww, so sweet, I know somewhere deep down he does love his brother. It will just be years before we see it again.

See? I told you, heartbroken to open presents the day before his actual birthday!

What kid doesn't love money??

Feeling a little misty and missing Aunt Pam after reading her poem......

The Ben 10 birthday cake he really wanted.
Hey, Yee, I thought about you. Commissary cake will always remind me of you. Wish you had been here to have some.

Not yet Seth.....

Okay now!

Getting a little help....

and loving every minute of it!

One of the presents he picked out for himself. This side has Seth in English and Kanji, the other side has a dragon on it.

After cross country, we headed to Chili's for dinner,
and a little birthday serenade. I think he likes it.

And just because I am sure you are all wondering.........






YES, Seth's hair can be put into a ponytail. We are so proud.
He really would have been a cute girl.