July 12

JULY 12…SUNDAY…THE GIRLS AND I GOT READY FOR CHURCH BY 8:15….CAITLIN ASKED ME TO USE THE CURLING IRON ON HER HAIR AND ALAINA WANTED ME TO USE THE FLAT IRON ON HERS.  I ENJOYED HELPING THEM WITH THEIR HAIR…BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF HOURS AND HOURS  OF TIME I SPENT WITH LARA AND HER HAIR…(AND SOME TIME WITH BECKY, WHEN HERS WAS LONG ENOUGH TO BE STYLED)…BOTH GIRLS LOOKED SO PRETTY FOR CHURCH.  THEY WERE THE ONLY YOUTH AT CHURCH TODAY, WHICH WAS DISAPPOINTING; BUT THEY DID FINE.  EVERYONE REMEMBERED THEM AND TOLD THEM HOW PRETTY THEY ARE…SURE MADE ME FEEL PROUD OF THEM.  BY THE TIME WE GOT HOME WE WERE VERY TIRED.  WE HAD PIZZA FOR SUPPER, THEIR REQUEST, COOKIES AND ICE CREAM SUNDAES.  CAITLIN AND RONNIE WATCHED TV AND DIDCUSSSED FACTS ABOUT THE ANIMALS THEY WERE WATCHING ON NATGEO FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING.  ALAINA AND I PLAYED WITH ELSA AND ANNA AND READ BOOKS UNTIL BED TIME…SUNDAYS ARE ALWAYS SO TIRING TO ME; I THINK THE GIRLS ARE TIRED, TOO. 

July 11

JULY 11…

FROM EARLY MORNING TIL NOON THE GIRLS WANTED TO WATCH PROGRAMS ON TV..SO THEY ALTERNATED EACH HOUR…ALAINA WATCHED JESSIE, MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, AUSTIN AND ALLY, SOFIA, ETC…CAITLIN WATCHED DR. WHO(?), ANIMAL PLANET, NATGEO, ETC…WHILE ALAINA WATCHED HER PROGRAMS, I HAD ONE ON ONE TIME WITH CAITLIN; THEN WHEN CAITLIN WAS WATCHING TV, ALAINA AND I SHARED ONE ON ONE TIME…THEY PREFERRED THAT TO THE IDEA OF ALL 3 OF US PLAYING TOGETHER.   THIS AFTERNOON, RONNIE WASHED THE CAR AND THE GIRLS HELPED; I THINK THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE MOTIVE FOR HELPING; BECAUSE THEY DECIDED IT WAS FUN TO GET WET WITH THE WATER HOSE.  WE DIDN’T CARE BECAUSE THAT WATER FELT GOOD TO US, TOO,AS WE ALL GOT SPRAYED .  WHILE WE WERE STILL WET, WE TOOK RIDES ON THE 4-WHEELER AND RIDES IN THE SWING.   WE ENJOYED EATING A WATERMELON OUTSIDE SINCE WE WERE ALREADY WET AND MESSY.  BATH TIME AND PREP FOR BED TIME CAME A BIT EARLY TONIGHT SINCE WE HAVE TO GET UP SO EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNINGS; BUT THE GIRLS WERE READY.  AFTER BATHS, WE ENJOYED ICE CREAM CONES AND A STORY.  TEETH BRUSHED, PRAYERS AND BED TIME…NO PROBLEM…

July 10

JULY 10…

LOTS AND LOTS OF 4-WHEELER RIDES TODAY…RONNIE TOOK THEM FOR SEVERAL TRIPS IN THE 300 ACRE FOREST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM OUR HOUSE BECAUSE IT WAS COOLER THAN RIDING IN OUR PASTURE.  CAITLIN PROVED THAT SHE COULD DRIVE CAREFULLY SO SHE WAS ALLOWED TO RIDE SOME BY HERSELF. (OF COURSE LILO RODE WITH HER ON EVERY TRIP)  ALAINA LIKED TO RIDE IN THE BASKET AND THAT WORKED OUT WELL.   SHE DISCOVERED THE SWING THAT RONNIE HAD BUILT AND SPENT LOTS OF TIME IN IT TODAY.  I LOVED PUSHING HER AND WATCHING THE GLEAM IN HER EYE AS SHE WANTED TO GO HIGHER AND HIGHER.  THIS EVENING BOTH GIRLS HELPED ME PICK PURPLE HULL PEAS FROM THE GARDEN.  CAITLIN HELPED ME SHELL THEM.  BEFORE BED WE PLAYED WITH ELSA, ANNA, AND OLAF.  I AM SO GLAD THAT I HAD SEEN THE MOVIE, “FROZEN” SO THAT I COULD PLAY AND NOT BE IGNORANT TO THE CHARACTERS, ETC…..BATH TIME, SNACKS, TEETH BRUSHED, A FEW MINUTES OF TV, PRAYER AND BEDTIME FOR ALAINA…I AM AMAZED THAT SHE JUST ANNOUNCES THAT IT IS HER BEDTIME AND THERE IS NO COAXING OR FUSSING OR PERSUASION….CAITLIN DOES NOT LIKE TO GO TO BED EARLY, SO SHE STAYED UP WITH RONNIE AND ME AND WATCHED TV.  GOOD DAY….

Girls visit to Texas - journaling by Nanny Glo

JULY 9 

JULY PROVED TO BE ONE OF THE HOTTEST, MOST HUMID, AND SULTRY MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN TEXAS. BEING OUTSIDE WAS NOT WHERE ONE WISHED TO BE; HOWEVER, WE MANAGED TO FIND FUN THINGS TO DO WHILE TWO OF OUR “COOLEST” GRANDDAUGHTERS WERE VISITING US. CAITLIN AND ALAINA ARRIVED IN TEXAS ON JULY 9^TH.  UPON ARRIVING AT OUR HOUSE AND DISREGARDING THE BLISTERING HEAT, THEIR FIRST DESIRE WAS TO RIDE THE 4-WHEELER.  BEFORE UNPACKING THE CAR, GOING TO THE BATHROOM, OR ENTERING THE HOUSE, THEY BOTH POSITIONED THEMSELVES ON THE 4-WHEELER AND TOOK A SPIN AROUND OUR PROPERTY.   ONE TRIP WAS ENOUGH INITIALLY BECAUSE OF THE HEAT.

ONCE INSIDE THE HOUSE AND ESTABLISHING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR ROOMS, I PRESENTED THEM WITH A BOX OF “THINGS” THAT I HAD BOUGHT FOR THEM TO ENJOY WHILE THEY WERE VISITING.  BOTH GIRLS WERE PLEASED TO GET THINGS THAT WERE OF INTEREST TO THEM….AND EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THEIR GIFTS.  ALAINA OPENED ALL OF HER “SURPRISES” AND ORGANIZED THEM IN HER ROOM.   LILO REINTRODUCED HERSELF TO THE GIRLS….CAITLIN WAS ACCEPTED AS A LONG LOST FRIEND; BUT ALAINA WAS A LITTLE WARY ABOUT APPROACHING HER,( WHICH WAS A GOOD CHOICE ON HER PART)….A SNACK, A BATH, TEETH BRUSHED, A STORY, A SCRIPTURE AND A PRAYER…THE GIRLS ARE TIRED AND READY FOR BED….SO GLAD THEY ARE HERE.

More Percy

It is agreed in our house that Percy is the coolest pet for us!!

This was his favorite spot to sleep until I got him some greenery.

He stayed upside down like this for a long time.

Rusty found him late one night climbing on the top of his cage!

Once I got him some greenery, though, he really got active.  He loves climbing and jumping around on this stuff.  He loves sleeping on the leaves.  They are his own hammock.

Allergies

Yes, she's allergic to cats but loves playing with them anyway!

Percy Jackson

Thanks to birthday gifts, Caitlin finally had enough money to get her gecko.  After a couple of pet store trips, we got everything we needed and were ready to get him.  This is the one she picked out, pretty sure he's a boy.  She named him Percy Jackson.

He is super cute and the whole family is enjoying him.

Movie Day

Later, we went to see Inside Out finally.  We all really liked it.

 

Twins

My friend Jeni just had twins, Karli and Cooper.  Caitlin and Alaina LOVED getting to love on them.  And they didn't even have to fight over them since there were plenty of babies to go around!

Bowling

Last night, we went bowling with Noah and Eli, who were visiting for a few days.  The girls loved spending time with them.  They all really enjoyed bowling, especially after we put up the bumpers.