Memorial Day Weekend...

My Aunt Alice and her niece, Linda, came from Colorado to visit so we packed up and headed to Brookhaven for the weekend so we could spend some time with them and of course, the rest of the family too. We had a busy, fun-filled 4 days with all of my family!

Saturday ~ Global Wildlife
The entire family packed up early Saturday morning and headed to Folsom, LA to Global Wildlife. We had been wanting to go so we figured we should do it while we had guests to provide them with a little entertainment...you know, there is NOTHING to do in Brookhaven, MS!

Ashton...getting some food so he could feed the catfish and goldfish...they were HUGE!

Uncle Brad and Anna Lauren looking at the animals while we were waiting to get on the wagon...

Cousins...Reid, Jake, Ashton, Anna Lauren, and Bently...

Sweetest picture of the day...Anna Lauren and Ashton...

Anna Lauren and Daddy...all loaded in the wagon and ready to go!

Anna Lauren with her cup of food for the animals...

Feeding the animals from the wagon...

Check out the tongue...it was so GROSS!

Barbie and Bently...

Joey and Ashton...

Anna Lauren, Joey, and Ashton...Anna Lauren LOVES both of my brothers (most days)...

Petting the animals...

Sunday ~ Swimming at Carrie's...

Sunday afternoon we went to Carrie's house, my cousin, and went swimming. Matt and Anna Lauren decided to have a jumping contest off the diving board.

Matt ~ backwards dive...

Matt ~ dive...

Anna Lauren ~ jumping into a ring (her only trick)...

Matt ~ canon ball...

Matt ~ can opener (Anna Lauren's favorite)...

Matt ~ preacher's seat...

Memorial Day ~ Joey and Barbie's House
On Memorial Day, we headed to Joey and Barbie's house for a day of swimming, cooking out, fishing, riding the 4-wheeler, and just relaxing!

Anna Lauren floating on a noodle...she has become quite the little swimmer and is LOVING the water this summer! Good thing because she has another week of swim lessons and then we are headed to the beach...

Jake jumping in...you just had to jump in because the water was freezing...

Nanna and Bently...

Anna Lauren fishing for the first time...she and her Daddy decided they would find another way to spend their time...after about 10 minutes, neither of them were interested anymore...

However, she was not scared to get a cricket for her hook...her Daddy will not even touch a cricket so he was blown away by her just sticking her hand in and getting a cricket...

Swim Video...

Regina, Holli Grace's mom, took a video of Anna Lauren swimming...enjoy...all 3 seconds of it!

1st Parent's Day at Swim...

Anna Lauren has been taking swim lessons everyday this week and will take them again everyday next week. They went completely under water and got a ring off the bottom and then swam – kicking feet, stroking arms, and face in water while the teacher counted to 3 slowly.

From the second she saw us, her bottom lip started quivering and she pouted / cried throughout the entire lesson. However, she did everything she was supposed to do except get her treat and medal at the end…she was not interested. We finally got her to tell us what was wrong, and she said she just wanted to eat lunch and go to sleep…I guess she had hit the “tired” button.

After the lesson, her teacher said she had done GREAT all week…she was completely surprised by her “crying” today. Again, she did everything she was instructed to do and did it well so we were proud of her. Maybe next week we can get her to smile and act like she is having fun because according to her, “swimming is great”!

Anna Lauren (second from right) sitting on the side of the pool waiting for her turn to go under and get a ring...

Holli Grace (blue and white polka dots)...Anna Lauren's sidekick!

Whit coming up from getting his ring...I just LOVE the look on his face!

Uh oh...we almost got a smile from Anna Lauren!

Where is Anna Lauren...oh...that is her "under" the water getting her ring...

Anna Lauren coming up from getting her ring...

Anna Lauren swimming...she did so good!

Coming up from her "swim"...

All her "friends" sitting on the wall at the pool...it was so impressive...not one of them cried...they all did exactly what they were instructed to do...to me, that is impressive with that many 2 and 3 year olds!

Getting their treats at the end of the lesson...of course, Anna Lauren did not want one...we had to get hers for her...

Didn't want the medal either...and the nerve of that lady to think that she was going to wear the medal...

I mean...look at that "attitude"...I'm embarrassed!

Sara Kate, Holli Grace, and Drew...Anna Lauren's sweet friends that she refused to be in a picture with after they were done swimming. Maybe next week she will be better!

Cute Holli Grace proud of her treat and medal...

I mean even Daddy could not make her smile...she was done!

Sneak Peak...

This past Saturday, one of my best friends (Jennifer Hobson) took "3" year pictures of Anna Lauren...below are just a few she let me see as a "sneak peak"...I cannot wait to see all of them! Jennifer is such a neat person and so talented in so many ways...I am so thankful she will share her talents with me but most importantly, her friendship!

1st Swim of the Summer...

We are so excited to have a pool in our new subdivision! However, we had been waiting for the water to warm up so that it would not be freezing when we went and let me tell you, Sunday was perfect! It was really too hot to not be in the water and the water was the perfect temperature. Anna Lauren jumped right in and a smile stayed on her face the entire two hours we were there. Needless to say, I think we will enjoy the pool this summer!

She jumped and jumped and jumped...

And I think Daddy was as happy as Anna Lauren to be swimming...

Soak Up The Sun Triathlon...

We were a little concerned about Matt getting in from a week of playing...I mean working...in San Francisco late Friday night and racing Saturday morning...BUT...he had a great race and improved his time from last year, which is always what you would like to do.

Soak Up The Sun is always our 1st triathlon of the season so it just sets the mood for a fun summer of racing. It is one the shortest races he will do, but he still enjoys it just the same ~ 250 yard swim, 8 mile bike, and 2 mile run.

The Buddies (Jennifer and Eugene) ~ our FAVORITE triathlon friends! Jennifer and Matt raced while Eugene and I spectated...

Matt running into the water to start the swim...no idea what is up with the tongue sticking out...I've never seen him do this before!

Trying to get deep enough to start swimming...

Off the bike...now to transition for the run...

Headed out on the run...

You know we always get at least one of these...here is our wave as he is approaching the finish line...

For some reason, I didn't get any good pictures of the sweet darling...here she is cleaning off her feet after running around in the wet grass / mud all morning...she is such a trooper at these races...guess she doesn't know any different...she has done it her entire life!