BackYard Fun!!

Our first back yard playdate... with cousins, of course!!  Thatcher, Tullen & EA kicked their soccer balls up and down our little hill.  I thought the hill would hinder their fun, but they seemed to enjoy the elevation change:)

The kids were big helpers in raking up all the maple leaves that had fallen in our front yard. How enticing those piles looked!  Brought back so many memories from my childhood, of jumping & playing in leaf piles!  "CONFETTIIIII!!"... as they tossed them in the sky!

Be Still My Heart...These are the Days to Remember!!

**Go past New,New,New for a few more new posts**

Sunset!

This time of night is always gorgeous at my parent's house!  Elsie Anne has discovered the SUNSET, and always wants to watch the sun fall behind the trees in the distance.  It's a pretty amazing thing to watch how quickly it sets, but then, to watch it through her eyes, blows us away:)  "Good Night Sunshine, See you in the Morning!!"

Her new squinty eye smile is hilarious!  I don't know if we'll ever see her pretty green eyes in a picture again?!

Cousins & Popsicles!

 Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lorri's Saturday Night Cook-Out!

ENOUGH SAID:) 

AirBoat-ing!!

One of our family's favorite and most unique evening outings is the AIRBOAT!!  Its been years since I've been on the thing, so I was equally excited as Elsie Anne.  She had been a little sceptical in the weeks prior, but seeing her boy cousins get off the boat with huge grins, made her eager to try it out!!  Thatcher, Tullen & EA loading up the boat!!

FLYYYY-ING across the water!!  It is such a freeing feeling!

The ONLY, but MAJOR, downer of Lake Iamonia is the abundance of ALLIGATORS!!  See this guys EYES and NOSE sticking out of the water?  You can tell how long the gator is by looking at the distance between the two.  How ever many INCHES apart the they are, is how many FEET long, from tip to tail, the gator is!!  This one is about 11 FEET LONG.... yes, in our back yard!!!  Don't worry, we have our own EXTERMINATORS... my Dad and Brothers!!!

We road across the Lake about 2mi to a Landing & Biker Bar, which is about 25mi away by car!  The kids got RootBeers and the grown-ups enjoyed our own Cold Ones! 

Elsie Anne, Tullen and Thatcher hanging on the beach of the Landing!  Somehow they ended up playing waste deep in the water, even after I had just seen the gator?!  The water is really clear, and my Dad assures me that gators are just as scared of us, as we are them!  Who knows, maybe he was just trying to ease my mind?!

The 'Fish Camp Bar' full of Harley's and their owners!!!  Great place for people-watching:)

Back at the house, the kids cool off in the hose... and splash each other with their cups!!

Elsie Anne enjoyed her first airboat adventure... so I'm sure there will be more in our near future:)

The Fraser's in the South!!

THURSDAY

Jane, Andy, Dana & Liam arrived early afternoon!  We enjoyed an afternoon and evening playing on the patio!  Shawn and Liam playing on the Plasma Car:)

Liam loved the 'Roller Coaster'!!

Thatcher showed Elsie Anne how to ride his 4wheeler, and soon enough...

...she was at it ALL ON HER OWN!!

Papa (Andy) caught this awesome shot of EA swinging with her new Clifford the Dog, the Fraser Dog Clan got her!  She is in love with it and sleeps with it every night now!!

FRIDAY 8/12

Foggy morning on Lake Iamonia.  All the Fraser's experienced my Dad's(BigDaddy) airboat - catching alligators and all:)

We went to Pebble Hill Plantation and enjoyed the walking tour in the unbearable heat!!  We were all drenched in sweat, but had fun to learning about the history of the Plantation and Thomasville, GA!  Liam and Elsie Anne taking a little break in the 'Kitchen Garden'!!

SATURDAY 8/13
We headed down to the Ochloknee River where my GrandParents live.  Their house is at the mouth of the River, which opens up into the Gulf of Mexico.  We took the Pontoon Boat out for a picnic ride and some fun on the beach:)  GeeGee, EA, Liam & Dana!

I love finding Horse Shoe Crabs - the are so prehistoric!  It was fun to tell EA that they are dinosaurs!!

Floating around in the tube! 

Nothing better than being on the water, under a bright blue sky... COMPLETE RELAXATION!!  Shawn and Dana having a little brother/sister bonding!!

GeeGee and Papa chillin' in the shade with the salty breeze blowing around, aaaahh!  Liam liked the boat ride, but we're not quite sure if the salt water or the heat gave him a rash from head to toe:(

Elsie Anne always takes a boat snooze!  Getting cozy with Memoo on the ride home:)

SUNDAY
We had a lovely chill day!  Went to the Trousdell Splash Pool and had a ball!  Wish I had better pics, but Andy & Dana were taking all of them!  Here's EA & Liam about to go down the slide:)

Elsie Anne enjoying her Daddy at the pool!

A relaxing night complete with a family cookout, made for a great ending to the first of many Strickland/Fraser gatherings!!  We're looking forward to Brad, Melissa, Brady, Logan & Adam to join us next time!

It was such a pleasure getting to show Shawn's family Tallahassee and our Southern traditions!!

River Walk Mother's Day:)

Such a gorgeous day to call 'mine'!!  We started the day off with a wonderful sermon at Church.  With a smile on our faces, and full & thankful hearts, we walked into town.  We stopped at Clint's Bakery to get coffee and banana bread, and continued our stroll to the River Walk! 

I've often thought Shawn needs a little boy for his outdoor excursions, but watching these two, and the delight they both got from throwing rocks in the river, I take that thought back!  Elsie Anne is the perfect mix of 'girly-girl' and 'tom-boy'...just thought of a new phrase...Elsie Anne is a 'TOM-GIRL'!!

On to the Rock Slide!!  A few rounds of this and we were off to...

...the Bridge over the River! 

I love this shot of us!  In so many ways, it reminds me of what I am so thankful for.  This little creature made me a MOTHER, something I've always dreamt of becoming!  Thank you my Sweet Angel for being ours, for changing mine and Daddy's worlds forever, for showing us all that we have to be thankful for... YOU absolutely make Daddy & I WHOLE!  We love you Princess:)

Celebrate:)

As we have for the last 6years, we went to A-Basin for Shawn's Birthday Celebration!  However, there were other plans in store for us!  As we got closer to the Basin we noticed people were parking on the curb, over a mile away - uuhhoohh!  We knew we couldn't carry all of our gear, plus Elsie Anne, if we had to park that far away, but we drove up to the front just to see if we might get lucky & land a good spot.  Nope, it wasn't in the cards today?!  Shawn came up with a better plan & we tried something different!

We drove to Keystone, which has already closed (along with Breckenridge), parked right up front & huffed-it up the hill - so that EA could have her first ski day, as we'd promised!!!

{Let me clarify...Shawn huffed-it up the hill!}  That is them, the little dot at the top.  EA made it about half way before Shawn had to scoop her up:)

After that first long run, Shawn got smart and 'groomed' a shorter run with his skis.  Here they are getting ready for the shorter run!!  Elsie Anne couldn't get enough!

Each time she got to the bottom, she was ready for more!  Shawn didn't complain, he picked her right up and trekked back up!  He was so happy that she loved it:)

We were both glowing as her abilities shined!  She's a natural!  She had to be just like Daddy, holding his skis, as we walked back to the car...

We'll be doing this a few more times before we're Florida bound!!

Happy 33!

As it dumped another few inches of SNOW, we were warm and cozy at Northside Pizza for Shawn's Birthday!  Elsie Anne has been so excited for Daddy! 

She's practiced the 'Bday Song' for him over and over!  And of course she got to blow the candle out for him!

Another fun, family evening!  We love you Shawn - thanks for being the man that you are, the most amazing Daddy & absolutely perfect husband I could ever dream of!

Hooters!

Shawn chose Hooters for his Ohio Birthday Dinner - he said it would be 'an event', since no one ever goes there with their family!  Leave it to my Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined {the Hooters shirts say this on the back} husband to choose this venue, out of all the restaraunts in Cincinnati, for our Family Dinner!

Shawn's best friend, Rodney & his girlfriend Annie, came to join us!!

This little Angel said, "she has a bootie Daddy!"  Yes, my two year old noticed the awful attire these women were wearing!!

And somehow they thought we were celebrating EA's birthday & brought her this balloon and cake!  It wasn't until they asked her name that we realized!!!  We all had a good laugh on that one & made sure they knew it was Shawn's!!! 

By the end of dinner, Shawn had acquired too much Hooters paraphernalia for my liking!  Somehow they talked me into letting my daughter wear this shirt??!  Don't miss the "boobies coozie" as EA calls it:)

Rain, Rain...

...Go Away, Come Again Another Day Stay as long as you want - we love you!!!  How refreshing this humid rain has been!  A little chill in the air, drizzle falling down... nothing more this Colorado Girl could want!  Elsie Anne had a ball wearing her cousin's Rain Coat & Boots!!

This picture doesn't even need a caption...Green Grass, Mud Puddle, Rain Clothes = Big Smile!!

Elsie Anne & Brady playing on Papa's tractors!

EA not too happy, at first... but she soon warmed up to the tractor's loud noises!!!

She loved this little 'skid-steer' - it was just her size, so she said! :)

We thoroughly enjoyed the rainy weather in Ohio!  EA learned about thunder & lightning, and got to wear her Crocs almost every day!!!  I'm not joking, we LOVED it!

Go Reds!

We flew into Cincinnati on Tuesday afternoon and had a chill evening with the Fam at Casa Fraser!  Wednesday, we were ready to party!!  The Dads (Shawn, Brad, Adam) took the kids to the Reds Game & the Moms (Me, Melissa, Dana) had a well needed primping day!!  We had mani/pedis and a fun Hibatchi lunch:)

Elsie Anne & Shawn at her first Home Reds Game!!!  Us Moms were terrified after finding out they were in prime 'Home-Run Zone'!!

Uncle Adam, groom to be, and Liam!

Uncle Brad, Logan (lft), and Brady all decked out in their Reds gear!!

Once home, they enjoyed the weather - flew kites, and played on the swing set & slide.

Elsie Anne and Liam enjoyed the new doll-house and all its little furniture & characters!

It was a sweet reunion when Dana & I got home - it was a long day without my Princess!! 

Check out my new nail polish & iPhone...yes, it was an expensive day!!  But to my defense, my phone broke & this was the best option!!!  Yay for iPhones, they rock:)