Sweaty weekend full of animals & munchkins!

On the hottest day of the summer, Brandon's family came in town and we hit the ground running full speed!  First activity on the weekend agenda...

The Nashville Zoo's Ice Day

We were able to get an awesome deal on all of our tickets and lunch thanks to the Lipscomb Alumni Association!  It was such a fun time...extremely HOT but the animals were getting frozen salad and meelworm ice pops to stay cool and we got free ice cream...vanilla flavored...meelworm is just for animals silly!  

Yes, Copelan is wearing a Monkey leash.  I know I know...He's not a dog...But if you knew this kid you would know how needed the leash is.  He is fast.  He can fit in tight spaces.  He is not afraid of anything (except the giant blowup predators character that tried to hug him).  The leash is important...Trust me.

The boys spent the night with B and Neet Ney!  They were so cute!

Copelan helped me make homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast.  "I help" "I help" was all we heard all weekend.  He is so cute!

The boys love to play in our dryer.  Don't worry they have been educated not to shut one another in and they don't know how to turn it on...so its safe.  It all started the last time they were in town about a year ago and played in the dryer.  When they arrived on Saturday morning, they were in the dryer within the first 20 minutes of their arrival without any verbal cuing from adults...just found it themselves and hopped right in.  (I know when was the last time you heard "verbal cuing"...I use that word way too much with my patients...Sorry.)  

Another fascination at B and Neet Ney's = the microwave (Not a lot of toys here...only dangerous adult things...oops.)

Caden is a hilarious creative kid!  My favorite Caden quote of the weekend was "Daddy's Home!" which he said when he first walked into a room multiple times.  He has great comedic timing!

We loved having B's family in town!  Can't wait til they come back again!

To do list:

There are so many things I want to do!  So many things on my to do list in my phone (right beside my baby name list...I'm not ashamed).  Dreams. Aspirations. Chores.  Soooooooo... Why on EARTH am I just sittin' on the coach right now in sweats and a stained shirt with my hair an old-fashioned mess, watching Oprah and playing on the internet?  I don't know.  I mean I have excuses oozing out of every pore on this body.  Only the creepy old men I work with think that's sexy.... so I am going to make a list of things I want to do.  Maybe that will get my every increasing rear into gear!

1.  Learn to sew!
I want fabulous light, colorful awe-inducing curtains made by me.  My gorgeous friend, Heather, made some simply beautiful curtains for her lounge room & lets be honest I want to be just like her...Friend crush revealed!
And:  I want to make adorable bubbles for my babies...okay I don't know that I will learn to sew that well but if I do, think of the money I could save.  Ohhh...and how I could make our whole family match!!!!!
1. b.  Who wants to learn to applique?  ME! ME! ME!  How cute are the onsies with little ties on them?  I'll tell you...A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!

2.  Organize my entire house!
It makes me Stop. Close my eyes. And take in a big delicious breath. just thinking about every closet being organized with labeled boxes with skinny little hangers hung by color  and shelves everywhere....Oh my!  I love when things are organized.  One day when I win a big gift card/giveaway (total dreamland if you know me...the last thing I won was a free six-pack of Snapple at Kroger...whooohooo...Not.  Who drinks that)....Anyway, when I win my big giveaway, I going to spend hours at the Container Store and buy tons of rainbow colored pens to label things with!  Yay!  So since my closet space is so limited as are my resources for such frivolous things, I will dream of having my home one day be organized in such a peaceful way... I'm not kidding.  I keep closing my eyes and breathing in the thought of it, every time I type a sentence.

Love Love Love Love!

I have always loved drawers & bins! 

And for a little extra zing....see the chandelier in the left corner!

If I had a craft room, I would love these bins.

3.  Paint something for our house!
So everyone I know is going to those paint along places and creating beautiful things for their homes...of course I'm exaggerating, its not EVERYONE, but it still makes me want to do it.  However, 1. Sometimes those paintings aren't my taste.  2. I don't really know what my taste is.  3. I question my talent level; even though I did go to art camp when I was 7.  So I almost just bought stuff the other day to do it but it would take LOTS and LOTS of canvases before I got one that was good.  So for now, I will dream.

Easy enough right?  My fabulously artistic friend, Rachel, would probably think so, but I bet I could mes s it up.

4.  Get my butt in shape!
Let me tell you, I have millions of excuses for this one.  I have am what you call "skinny-fat".  Google it.  Its real.  I need to get back in shape.  I am working on it but its not as fun to fantasize about as the others on the list.  Even though I would love to be that smiling gorgeous in-shape sexy momma that pushes her beautiful baby through the park chatting with her cute friends...but Cherry and Syd already have that role locked up.
****No photos here...Its embarrassing enough to be out of shape without showing you people you are.*****

So while I was looking up photos for my post...I FOUND THIS GEM!

I L-O-V-E love the brick wall and chandelier!  

I'm madly in love with chandeliers!  Maybe not the bed but the rest of it!  Brandon loves it too! 

Meet my sister: Installment #3

Candace Jacquelyn Cross Smith

Born:  July 17, 1986

Candace's Favorite Things:  Board games, Cooking, Running, Being a nurse, Over-achieving (In college, Candace was a nursing major with great grades, naia nationals cross country runner, and a softball player...unbelievable I know!), Small town life, Canning, Traveling, Being one of the nicest people in the world.

Candace is the bestest!  She was my roomie for 16 years.  My best friend.

I love you Candace!

So excited for Baby Smith to make its debut December 28 (Actually I'm hoping for the 1st week of January...sorry Candace.)  I can't wait for those roll-y hamhock legs!!

We went to visit Candace & Eric in little Curve, Tennessee over 4th of July.  We went to Reel Foot Lake that Saturday.  Crazy looking place.  Like a place that fairies would live with those odd trees.  It was awesome.  Here are some pictures from our adventures.

Turtles were everywhere!  Our nephews, Caden & Copelan would have been in heaven.