One week hiatus

Tomorrow morning we leave headed to Atlanta. We will spend Friday night in Atlanta and Saturday am we will be on our way to Roatan - one of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras. We went last year and it was so amazing we decided to go again this year.

One week of sun, sleep, drink and more sleep and relaxation. All the while, the princesses will be in the care of their wonderful grandparents, mimi and cap! I miss them terribly but it is really good for us to go away and actually get to have an adult conversation and sleep through the night TOGETHER!

This year we need to really soak it in because we will skip going in 2008 to take Princess Mary Austin to the mecca land of princess - Disney World.

If you are looking for a fabulous va-cay, we HIGHLY recommend renting

Feugo Del Mar - www.fuegodelmar.com

The view from the infinity pool during the day

Afternoon entertainment provided by mother nature

Thank You

To all of our soldiers and their families for making the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free!

A special thank you to Uncle Thad, Mr. Jeff, and Grand-Granddaddy.

We love you!

Mary Austin and Jane Harris

July 4, 2005

Mary Austin's first 4th of July as an American citizen.

age 19 months and home 1 year

Neighborhood celebration at Mama Dot's house

Playgroup FUN!!!

Four friends!

(From left - Mary Austin, Hunter, Grace and Kyler)

Mary Austin and Hunter riding in the John Deer tractor!

Hunter and his women!

(From left - Grace, Hunter, Emma & Mary Austin)

It's not a true playgroup party until someone has to go inside for having a meltdown about sharing (or lack there of)!!

How do you know summer has arrived?

Summer starts when it is warm enough to swim at the lake! We spent this weekend at the lake having lots of fun! We swam, went on a boat ride and had fun with our friend, Baby Hayes!

Hmmm.. who should I pour this water on?

Jane Harris covered in SPF 50!


The girls with Hayes!

Jane showing Hayes how to kick your legs & swim!

Where does the time go???

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jane Harris. Taken when she was 6 months she was all bald head, blue eyes and cheeks! We called her "cheeks" and she would belly laugh over the smallest things! I remember taking this picture in our front yard. Mary Austin was dancing around me to make her laugh. Now at 20 months she has slimmed up and no longer has her cheeks! Her hair is coming in at a rapid rate and words are spewing from her at alarming speeds. Just this morning she hugged my neck and said "oh mommy, I love you". My baby is now a toddler and my toddler is now a pre-schooler! Why does time go so quickly when you really want it to slow down?

Mothers Day Weekend

Unfortunately, Mary Austin started running a fever on the Thursday before Mother's Day weekend. When she woke up Saturday, she seemed okay so she and I went to the Mother-Daughter Tea held at The Governor's Mansion in Montgomery. We were very excited because they made an exception to the age rule and allowed Mary Austin to attend even though she is 3 and attendees were supposed to be 5! Thanks Ms Patsy and Minda! We had lots of fun being together and Mary Austin really enjoyed her pink lemonade tea, fan and Princess Bubbles book!

We had so much fun that by the time we got back home she was again running a fever. Sunday was spent in our local after hours clinic. A mother really never gets a day off! Tripp did grill some very delicious fillets for dinner and my mom and his parents came to eat dinner with us. The girls and Tripp gave me 2 very sweet cards and a magnetic tin picture holder!

Pictures from Saturday -

Mary Austin listens to Alabama's First Lady - Patsy Riley

Ms. Patsy and Princess Bubbles go over manners for tea and the history of tea! Did you know tea was discovered in China!??!!

The tea party scene

Mary Austin on the steps inside the mansion

Outside on the front porch!

Anyone for the Olympics in 2020?

I signed Mary Austin up for gymnastics as a way to expend some energy. Previously, she had taken dance and liked it but was not very enthusiastic about it. Well, she LOVES gymnastics; this is the understatement of the year. She is constantly flipping off our couch into a beanbag and attempted to do the balance beam on our deck railing! Wednesday was our last class until summer session. In just 8 one hour classes she has learned how to pull up over the bar, walk the balance beam steadily, do a back walkover off the gym wedge and do a front roll over launching off the vault. It is really scary and I have promised her and myself that she will not become one of those anti-social children who only want to eat, live and breathe a sport. You do have to wonder with all the Chinese girls that have been and are being adopted not if but when will Team USA have one of them on the team!

Practicing on the bar!

Dismount!

Airplane arms for the beam!

Back walkover

Mary Austin and Kyler at the end of class!