Blog Hop

Yesterday Kelly's Korner talked about a new Blog Hop that has started. It is a feature to advertise MckLinky that was started by Brent Riggs and MckMamma. Each week the Blog Hop will feature a diffent theme, and they are giving away $100 to one lucky participant. I am hooked on different blogs so this looks like a lot of fun to be able see even more!

This weaks theme: Favorite Photo. Hope you enjoy!

This is actually a picture taken this past weekend. We were at the park in Collierville, TN and I just happened to snap this picture at the right time. I really did not think that it would be very good but with a little bit of editing I think it has become my new favorite. I just feel it shows so much. My husband's father is retired from the Army National Guard so loving our country and are soldiers just comes so naturally in our household. To me this picture just captures love all around. Love of our country and love of a father and a child. I really don't have a lot to say about the photo. I think it really speaks more for itself.

4th of July Weekend in Pictures

Well because we did so much and I have so many great photos I thought I would just tell about our weekend in pictures. It's a little different but I think it will be fun.

Driving to Memphis: Jay, Jayci, Me, & Brenda (Jay's Mom)

The Memphis Zoo: Jayci w/ Giraffe, Jayci waiting on the Sea Lions, Jay & I waiting, The Sea Lion show, Cori & Jayci with the panda bear, My fam in some exhibit.

Sparklers: Jayci, Kirsten, & Elijah watching Cori open the sparklers, Jay with his tiny sparkler, Jayci, Elijah, & Kirsten

Red, White, & Blue Photo Shoot

Swimming (both Friday & Saturday): Elijah helping Jayci down the Slip-N-Slide, Jayci surfing down, Jayci & Kirsten rinsing off before getting into the pool, Elijah jumping off the diving board, Kirsten jumping off the diving board

Saturday night & Sunday on the way Home: Jayci amazed by the fireworks, Cori & Jayci, Jayci at the hotel Saturday night, Watching a movie on the iPod, Staring out the window trying to figure out a way to avoid taking a nap a little longer.

OK I hope you enjoyed my little photo post. As you can see we did a lot and had a good time. It would have been a really really long post to try and write everything out! Hope everyone had a very safe and fun 4th of July!!! We sure did!

Summer Lovin'...

If every day could be like today I would never want Summer to end. OK well not all of today because I lost my keys this morning so I ended up running like 30 minutes late and we missed the puppet show we were supposed to be seeing. Oh well it was a fun day anyway. We still went to the library downtown (and caught the last song of the puppet show) and met up with my friend Mary and her two boys for lunch and some fun in the park. Her boys are like 7 and 9 so they are quite a bit older than Jayci but it was still fun.

After the library we went over to the park across the street in the Rivermarket to eat lunch and play. Oh also Jay surprised us by getting off work early and meeting up with us! I have to say this may be one of our weekly trips. I know it is a little far to drive for a picnic and play but it was really fun. The park has little fountains of water coming out of the ground and tunnels in the ground for the kids to play in. I forgot my camera today but did get a few pictures with my phone.



After the park we came home and rested for a bit then went out to my in-laws house to swim. Let me just say Jayci is becoming such a little fish. She can actually touch in the shallow end of the pool. This means she doesn't have to wear here floaties or life jacket if she doesn't want to. Which she LOVES! She can jump off the side and she tries to swim back to the wall. She more less hops back but we are really working on swimming. Tonight she actually swam underwater for a few seconds. I think she is still unsure about the water she doesn't like to get her feet out from under her for too long. But it is still so much fun watching her learn. She is just growing so fast. Here are a few pictures from swimming. She also loves going down the slide now.




By the way did you notice my black nail polish in the first photo? It's really a black with just a hint of red in it. I wasn't sure at first but I did my toes and then like 2 days later I did my nails in the same color. I am really LOVING it. What do you think about black nail polish? Is it too goth or just up to the person and how they wear it?

Finally all caught up

As you can see from the post below we obviously had a blast at the lake. However, our weekend was just getting started when we got back. We rested up for about and hour and then had to go to Jay's brother's, Christian, birthday party. He had a small family swimming party. I can't believe he is actually 13 now. It doesn't seem like he was only 9 when Jay and I got married. I know 4 years is not that long but it just seems like I have and continue to watch him go from this obnoxious little kid to this big obnoxious teenager! Ha. Just kidding. He is really turning into a great young man. I just can't help but love him a little. Anyway, here are some pictures from that night. Of course they are all of Jayci but never the less here they are...

This is Jayci jumping off the steps. Later in the evening she actually tried this without a life vest on. Needless to say I didn't get a picture of that because I was too busy jumping in the pool after her!


Here she is going down the slide. She would go up it and get to the top and just start crying. It was kind of funny. I had to tell her somebody was going to come push her down it if she didn't hurry up and go. She finally went. This same routine went on like 3 times. Every time she would climb up there willingly. I just don't get it?!?


Some fun with Daddy...




Then on Sunday we celebrated Jay and all the other great dad's out there with a wonderful Father's Day. I love you so much, Jay. Thank you for being a wonderful Dad to our daughter and a loving husband to me!

OK I just decided to add a few more pictures from today to this blog. Jayci and I went to magic springs with my aunt Kim and her daughters Kimmie and McKenna. And even though we got rained on (more like poured on) we had a lot of fun.

Jayci and McKenna waiting to swim because it started thundering and lightening as soon as we got there. Luckily it stopped after like 15 minutes. For a few hours anyway...


Jayci, Kim, and McKenna sliding


Kimmie and McKenna riding Diamond Mine Run. You can kind of see Jayci and I in front of them if you look really close.


Kim & Jayci riding Diamond Mine Run. Kim couldn't really use my camera so to get pics I had to be off of the ride. This is blurry but you can still see she is enjoying, more like getting used to, the ride.


Jayci, Kimmie, and McKenna riding the apples. You can see it is really raining by this time. We left as soon as they got off of this ride.


All in all we had a good day. Oh yeah forgot to mention we also rode Plummet (sp?) Summit and Jayci was really excited about riding it until it actually started moving. Then she freaked out a bit. Oh well, hopefully she will get used to them. Jay nor I have ever been afraid of roller coasters so I'm not sure how to react to a child that may have that fear. Guess we will just do what most parents do and Love her anyway!!!

OK two blog posts in one day that is just crazy. Oh well, I'm at least all caught up. Hope you enjoyed it because I probably won't post for another 6 months. Just kidding...hopefully. I really am going to try and get better.