Family and Friends - Round 2 of vacation

This past week we took the second round of our vacation and went up to DC to visit both sets of grandparents and our friends the Lewis Family. 
While at Granny and BertBurt's we went to Port Discovery, the Maryland Zoo, lots of playgrounds and the blow up pool in the backyard.  Let me just tell you a air mattress pump is much faster than a hand pump which is faster than trying to blow up a pool.  After that experience I know why we have a hard sided pool!!  Each day was filled with adventure and playing and the girls loved having 2 extra people to love of them.
Next we went to our friends the Lewis family and while there we visited Georgetown Cupcake and the National Harbor.  I highly recommend the PB Cupcake it was amazing - Jon might not agree with the price being the same as a box mix which makes 12 but he was out helping clear out feed plots for deer stands so he didn't have much say and really enjoyed eating them that night! After the girls went to sleep we had a duct tape challenge for every one where a purse, wallet, firehand, trivet, boat and pig were made.  The wallet won but I am pretty sure if they had inspected my purse longer they would have realized how awesome it was and then I would have won!
We finished off our trip visiting Nene and Papa at the cabin in WV.  Jon had a project I had seen on pintrest to work on - a growth chart ruler.  Papa showed Jon how to make pens and Jon made me my very own stylus and papa made Molly one after she kept trying to steal mine.  The girls loved going on tractor rides and Nene found a park near by so we went and played there after Jon and Papa finished their projects.

Last day she crashed at Nene and Papa's

Jon loving his Pintrest project he got to do in his dad's shop

Loving the Ruler Growth Chart

Visiting the BEE'S

Lots of tractor rides - on this ride Nene has Molly, Riley and Lucky

Waiting for CUPCAKES!!

Super excited

Chocolate squared at Georgetown Cupcake - featured in DC Cupcake on TLC

3 rolls of duct tape for a night of fun with the Lewis Family
Kelly was the model since she was the only little girl up

Port Discovery with Granny and BertBurt

Our life in 13 years!!

The Maryland Zoo

Molly and Granny

Mommy and Riley

Feeding the giraffe's

Family Vacation

This past week we took a family vacation to Stone Mountain GA and I highly recommend going if you are ever in the area.  We stopped by my Aunt Julie and Uncle Jim's for the night and had dinner with my cousins and their families.  They gave us some great intel on vacationing at there since they have gone many times.  We had 2 day passes to do all the rides and the girls had so much fun.  We stopped by our friends at Fort Jackson on the way home to finish off a nice leisurely vacation.  Pictures were taken by phone on this trip and we forgot to take it out at a few spots and here are what we got!

Playing with our Fort Bragg friends

First time in a cloth diaper

Cousins!



First time in a go cart

Golfing as a family - not doing that again for awhile

Riley got a lot of hole in 1's
Could be since she walked up and placed her ball in the hole!

Family vacation!!

Candy - courtesy of Uncle Jim and Aunt Julie! 
Molly picked out the longest piece of candy she could find and got one for Riley too.

Going up Geyser tower

Only a dad would take his girls to this view

Duck mobile!!  Riley passed out while we quacked away

The park had a ton of family friendly things.  We enjoyed most everything it had to offer!  We rode the sky tram up to the top and then had a nice ride around the mountain in the train.  The girls spent hours playing on all equipment and crashed every night. 

Going across the ropes course

Dancing on the lawn while we waited for the laser show

Riley and a friend talking about what was about to happen.
Tears soon came as the water got her



Visiting the Long's on our way back from Stone Mountain

Lots happened in a month!

Ok so it has been a month and for some reason I don't have too many pictures but I do have some stories so here goes.
1. Kelly got to meet her Nene and Papa when then came for a visit with Aunt Jenn and Lucky.  It was great because every girl grabbed a person and didn't let go all weekend.  Riley loved sitting in Papa's lap and would only jump off occasionally when she noticed Molly who loved talking to Aunt Jenn and chasing cousin Lucky the dog. Kelly found her rightful spot in Nene's arms and would scream when you tried to pry her out.  It was a crazy weekend since Jon was on call chaplain, on funeral duty and got to preach but we are so thankful that the grandparents got to visit and the girls got loved on!! 
2. VBS - Molly got to go to the preschool class in Vacation Bible School this year and loved telling me what she learned everyday.  The second day was a little hard at drop off but by the end of the week it was like see ya mom I want to go to class.  We learned to TRUST GOD this year and she would sing to me her trust God song and it was so fun to see her learn things.  I got to be in the theatre with Karlyn, my friend who I asked to help me, and we got to see all 200 kids each day and talk about God sightings before showing our video.  It was so fun to be able to hear kids seeing God in their life.  Also I loved getting to work with Karlyn because she is so fun, loved  on Kelly and is really an awesome lady to learn from since she is one stage ahead of me in life.
3. Single Soldiers Retreat - we went with 49 of Jon's single soldiers to Charleston, SC and that was quite the experience.  We stayed for part of the night Friday to watch the soldiers play minute to win it games and then well a room full of 49 18-20 year old guys on a Friday night is not the place for 3 young girls since the vocab was not exactly what I wanted them to pick up.  The girls loved talking to the guys Saturday morning and afternoon at meals and giggling at their antics.
4. WILD Training for PWOC - I got to go to a training with some leaders in my women's bible study (Protestant Women of the Chapel) in the mountains of GA.  WILD stands for Women Intent on Leadership Development so we were taught some leadership skills and mostly that we need Jesus to be the center of everything!!  Our theme this year is generation 2 generation and we will be focusing on the goodness of the Lord and how he is faithful from generation to generation - Psalm 145:4.
5. Jon had a weekend alone with the big girls and I got a few texts of funny things: Molly found the marker and drew all over Riley, he had to keep them busy so in 1 day he took them to the park then Monkey Joe's bounce house then Taco Bell then Walmart and then home to sleep, the girls are eating machines, Sunday morning a girl in chapel gave her live to Jesus
6.  Jon left for Pre-Ranger School Monday at 2am, if he makes it through the next 16 days then he gets to leave for Ranger school 3 days after he gets back.
7.  We got family photos taken by our friend Erica who is a photographer and I am glad we had someone to take them all since with 3 small kids you have to take 20 crazy ones to get 1 good photo!  Below are a few of the outtakes and a good one of the girls
8. We have awesome neighbors who have been taking Molly around dinner for an hour or two to play so that I could cook when Jon was here.  Both of our neighbors have a girl close to Molly's age and it seems like they alternated who would take her and it was so great!!  So one day I braved having 4 kids and took Mikayla with us to Fascinate-U to play with the girls.
9. The girls and I are adjusting to life without Jon and will soon be traveling up to DC to see friends to make the time fly.

Can you feel the love?

Sisters

Candid shot of Jon spitting out his gum and me talking while the girls look oh so happy to be getting pictures taken!

Molly and Mikayla

Happy 36th Anniversary

Just found out the McPherson's anniversary is also today and they are celebrating 36 years.  So thankful for in-laws who are committed to one another and are always up for a fun adventure.  Above is when we convinced them to indoor skydive while visiting!! 

Happy 41st Anniversary

Happy 41st Anniversary to my parents! 

Glad to have parents who are committed to God, each other, and their family. 

Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend we had a lot of family hang out time and Jon and I even had a date!  On Thursday we celebrated 9 years of being married so I arranged for a babysitter and surprised him with a date.  We went to dinner and Jon had a list of 9 things he had to complete by the end of the date.  Some things were selfish on my part like requiring he order and appetizer and then later take us to Barnes and Noble for cheesecake (because I had a coupon for both).  And others were just silly things like finding a book that described the last nine years and then finding a magazine that had something we would like to do as a couple before our 18th.  Jon, ever the romantic, found a book titled We Can All Do Better so I decided I would go with You Have No Idea.  He later explained he meant it was about him not the way I took the title of his book meaning he thought I could do better.  For our magazines Jon found an awesome place to camp in CO while I just found one that said travel South America since I need to get to go to that Continent in order to be one step closer to visiting 6 of the 7 by the time I am 35.    Friday we hit the road and traveled to Marbles a really fun children's museum and learned the different speed we will be traveling as a bigger family of small children.  The pictures below are from that fun trip.  Saturday Jon got to work on his sermon while I took 2 girls and did small trips around town and then invited neighbors over to our personal beach in the backyard.  Sunday after chapel we were going to picnic at the pool instead we ate at the PX and then went to the pool.  It took us 30 minutes to get everyone dressed and ready to get in the pool and after 1 hour they were all ready to eat snacks and go home - it was a good thing too since our sunscreen ran out after only getting one of Molly's arm.  Most of us have spent some time out in the sun so we were ok, Jon however is pretty burned. 

Sisterly Love

Group shots are a little more difficult now

Riley loves the food

Molly loves the shopping

Jon just plays around like a good dad and buys what he is told

Someone had to rest with Kelly and Jon was willing to sacrifice and do that

Kelly and I working on her touch quota

The Dancers

SLAM DUNK



An artist is born

Life with 3

They have matching outfits - their shirts say big and little sister

 We had Granny and Jon here until Monday and then reality set in!  My mom stayed an extra day so I didn't have to drag all 3 girls to an 8 am dr. appointment for Kelly.  I don't know what time I would have actually made it if I had to get them all up and out that first day!!  Last week Riley was dealing with and ear infection that didn't heal from the last round of antibiotics and was super fussy but since get a second round she is much nicer.  Molly is still dealing with the adjustment and we are having a few attitude problems every day but here's to hoping with some prayer we will get over that fast.  She also got invited to her first manicure/pedicure birthday party with her friend next door.  3 seems pretty young to start with getting a mani/pedi I know I didn't get one until college but that is what she and Chloe love to do!  They went to an actual place and got real ones not the free ones in the driveway and Molly loved it - she picked out some interesting designs!  Kelly is growing - she lost her belly button extension so she got her first bath and at her appointment we found out she is up to 7lb 5 oz.
We have kept busy playing with friends in the afternoon after trying to hash out our new morning routine.  Monday my friend came over and while the kids played she cooked our dinner for us so that night all I had to do was reheat the meat.  Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Monkey Joe's jumping with another friend and I "cooked" a frozen pizza for the family.  Tonight I might just break the streak and cook something real for the first time since the 5th or I might just let us eat leftovers and shoot for this weekend:)

Being a big sister is very hard

First bath!!

Ladybug nails

Lighting stripe toes

Kelly's first picnic

Feasting with the flies

It only took 10 tries to get 1 or 2 good ones.