These Are the Days.....

I don't think its healthy to put the hose in your mouth to drink water.

Julia thought is was just fine.

Our first ever garden! I had some good influences this year and decided that now was the time to give it a try. Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, may have been life changing read. I highly recommend it. Better yet, listen to it on tape read by the author and her daughter.

A close up of the tomatoes and bell peppers. The cucumbers, squash and carrots were planted by seed. I can't wait to see the first one! Julia and I check on it every day.

Julia, Sol and Katie Beth at Becca and Neall's while they were in Chicago. We hung out at their house and had a fish sticks party while the others went to the play. Baby girl Rose was fast asleep at 7:30, while these little ones were up and partying WAY past 10!

The next night, Tara and Emmy came to our house and we had a true buncan party. Tara, Emmy, Sol, Baby Rose, Julia and I all spent the night at our house. I think I only took two pictures because that was the only time that I had to pick up the camera. Baby Rose is the first baby EVER (I am not exaggerating!) to sleep with me. She was so sweet and cuddled all night. I am really thinking that I missed out on Julia sleeping in our bed....at least some of the time! Tara and I had big plans to get in the hot tub with a nice glass of wine after the kids had all gone to bed. I am cracking up.....so didn't happen. We were too whipped!

Loving the bubbles!

Emmy is so sweet and is such the little momma. She took such good care of Baby Rose.

Here we are at the Memphis zoo. It was a perfect day to be outside and we had so much fun. Julia like the elephant best and was more interested in climbing the rocks and walking around than seeing the animals.

She cried when this ride was over.

Tired Julia, winding down.

A very happy girl on the way home after sushi and Baskin Robbins pink bubblegum ice cream. She ate 6 pieces of California roll and wanted more. She loves Miso soup! She picked the pink ice cream with real bubble gum pieces in it. I kept trying to pick them out, but everytime she got one in her mouth, she would say,
"Those cherries are good!"

This might be one of my favorite pictures ever! Here's Julia having a dance party to John's music. This little girl can flat DANCE.

And the whole time, she's screaming, "FASTER, Daddy, FASTER!"

One afternoon, we decided to have a weenie roast. The hot dogs were fine and all, but really, the marshmallows are where its at. Julia could not keep her eyes off of them. She preferred the white ones over the brown (roasted) ones.


Running and playing in the rain.

Julia's first fingerpainting!

We are talking a lot about the potty lately. I brought in the living room so she wouldn't have to miss out on anything to use it. So far, it has served as a comfortable bench to watch Dora.

Another night, another dance party. John likes really loud music and so does Julia. Here they are dancing to Slash's new album.

After lots of screaming, laughing, and sweating, this dance party ended with a slow dance.

These really are the days!

The Meaning of Life....

Busy making a craft, one of her favorite things to do. She is stringing some beads on a pipe cleaner to make a bracelet. Thanks, Jee Jee, for the art kit!

Muddy boots by the sink.....

The remains of the supper that I burnt because we were having too much fun playing outside!

Happy Easter!

The finished Easter eggs turned out to be some incredible works of art.

The Easter party at Miss Melinda's! Julia wasn't sure if she could eat the little egg cake that Julia Ann's mom made. It was too pretty to eat so she had to ask me first if it was ok to eat it! We stayed for a little while after the party so that Julia could play with her friends. It was interesting to stand back and watch her interact. She really preferred playing by herself, but would occasionally boss on of the other kids around...lol.

Here we are getting the house ready for Easter. We always write the holiday on the chalkboard. This is the first holiday that Julia has been big enough to get in the chair and draw her own version of the Easter bunny.

Boiling the three dozen eggs to be died. Thank you Keeli, for the FAR superior country eggs!

Dying eggs and playing with friends on Good Friday.

Here's why they put those little wire Easter egg dippers in the dye kits! It took a couple of days for this little hand to turn back to its original flesh color.

When everybody else was long gone from the Easter egg dying table, Miss Julia had to stick around for the grand finale......pouring the remaining dye from one cup to another. Over and over and over again!

The finished lot.

Trying one....she only liked the yolk.

Sol and Julia enjoying a picnic

Easter brunch at Jee Jee and Paw Paws. Julia loved this "flag" that they gave her for Easter. The only problem was that she insisted on rolling the car window down and letting it fly in the air while we drove. I took the back roads home so that we wouldn't cause too much distraction for other drivers.

Then, were headed to Caroline's house to help celebrate her 3rd birthday. Don't even make me get sappy again about our our babies are growing up. Sometimes I wish I could just freeze Julia right where she is. She is so sweet and funny.

The cutest egg hunt ever.... Julia was beside herself when she figured out that there was candy in these plastic eggs. She was much more impressed with these than the ones with the yolk in the middle.

Then, it was all over when the Easter bunny came out. It was love at first sight for Julia. Here she is running to me smiling and telling me that the Easter bunny was HERE! Keep in mind, this is the same child who HATED Santa and likes to hide behind my leg when we walk into a room full of strangers.

Somewhere, somehow, she found a special place in her heart for this guy. See her peeking around and grinning at him?

And, the hugs.....she couldn't stop!

Hanging out in the wagon...having some cake.

Sweet Caroline...that sweet grin on her face when everybody was singing Happy Birthday to her was priceless!

Then the Easter Bunny visited our house. When I asked Julia later what the Easter Bunny brought her, she said marshmallows. Her more immediate favorite was this American the Beautiful pop up book. We must have read it 100 times. She kept getting the title of the book confused with the song that her Dad often sings to her, "There she is, Miss America."

Here she is with a mouth full of candy.

Pretty Julia on Easter morning. Becca organized a meeting for us at the Southern Independent Living center. The people that were there loved seeing the kids. I think they liked seeing each other best of all.

Nothing like a padded hallway to run down!

Giving Tara a hug

Emmy's turn

Dying eggs with Daddy, take 7...

Dying eggs with Daddy, take 12.....

I have to admit, I will be a little sad to get rid of these guys. Julia has had a great time changing their hats and outfits over and over again. And as always, this little girl has made her Momma and Daddy the two happiest people on the planet this Easter holiday.