{Those Pearly Whites}

Yesterday the girls experienced a milestone moment: their first teeth cleaning. Yes, Sasha should have had her teeth cleaned already since she's about to turn six in September and has already lost two teeth, but she was too afraid the first time I tried to have it done. So I made appointments for both the girls and myself and off we went to the dentist.

We waited for a bit in the back room until it was our turn, and I tried to get Sasha to agree to going first. Of course she wouldn't. She wanted to see someone else go first. Clara didn't want to, so that left me. It would have been fine, but Dixon got hungry minutes before the hygenist was ready for us, so he was eating when it was time to head to "the chair".

The hygenist, Mallory, is really nice; I believe this was the first time I've met her. She offered to take the girls to see the chair and the brushes, but they said no. Then Pap said he would go, too, and they happily went away to see what was in store for them.

So I finished feeding Dixon and walked down the hall to see what the girls were doing. This is what I saw:
Yep, that's Pap lying on the chair with Clara on top of him! There are definitely perks to having your grandfather for a dentist! Clara would have gladly stayed there for the entire cleaning, but Pap had others folks to take care of. I never in a million years would have imagined my dad doing this, but I suppose the grandkids have brought out a different side of him. I found the whole thing quite endearing.

Here they are counting Clara's teeth. Twenty!

Clara was soon nice and comfy in the chair and had no hesitations about having her teeth cleaned. She chose bubblegum flavored toothpaste and Mallory started polishing.

The light was bright for Clara so she tried to cover her eyes. Her teeth are perfect!

Pap came back to check Clara's bite and see if there were any problem spots and then it was Sasha's turn. She and Pap had a bit of a talk first. They counted her teeth, too.

Sasha got to wear these ultra-cool orange glasses to help block the light from her eyes.

She chose cookie dough flavored toothpaste, but halfway through the cleaning she said she didn't like it. Mallory offered her a new flavor, but I guess Sasha just wanted to get the job done because she declined. I was just thrilled that she opened wide and didn't fight the cleaning!

Mallory confirmed what we suspected: Sasha's top two teeth are wiggling and jiggling! By the time Kindergarten starts I bet she'll have a big gap up there! Otherwise, her teeth are perfect, too.

Now for the embarrassing part of the story. When Mallory got my chart she noticed that it had been some time since my last cleaning. I knew it had been awhile, but I'm still a bit shocked at just how long it had been. THREE YEARS! Yikes! That's just awful, especially since my dad is my dentist. I'm now committed to going every six months with the girls. OK, I'll be real. I'll make sure no more than a year goes by between cleanings.

We're all smiling white and bright tonight!

{Just Beachy}

Our annual trip to Virginia Beach has now come and gone. As usual, we had a wonderful week with our family! The weather didn't cooperate, but we did have two days of sunshine and warm air to enjoy, and the other days were spent doing fun indoor activities. Here's some of the highlights of the week:

Cory spent a lot of time in the water - the pool, hot tub, and ocean - with the girls. I think he loves the water as much as they do! And he rarely gets to swim since he works so much. Last year he didn't even come to the beach with us because he had to work, so it's been two years since he has been in a pool. Wow! One of my family's favorite games is called "May I". It's a card game that can get both brutal and hilarious all at the same time. It's especially fun to play after the guys get back from golfing and a trip to Hooters late at night. You never know what they will say or do!

I had to throw this picture of Dixon into the mix because he is smiling! He's doing that more and more lately.

My nephew Ryan is seriously in love with Dixon. He talked and talked to him, held him, and even got Dixon to track him for several minutes. So darn cute.

The kids love to play in the hot tub!

While the guys played golf one day, the rest of us went to the movies. We saw "Up" and it was fabulous! It wasn't at all what I expected. The storyline is geared more towards adults, but the kids liked it, too.

When all the kids were younger (not that they are old, ha!) they used to take baths together all the time. But Aidan is now seven and rarely takes baths anymore. He is a shower guy. So when all the kids hopped into the tub together I had to snap some pics. I have a feeling this is the last time it will happen! Kari was ready to get out at this point, so this is the best shot I got.

Cory took the girls to the aquarium for a Daddy & Daughter Day, leaving me at the beach house with Dixon all alone for a few hours. I scrapped a page, and they saw all kinds of cool animals like this big sea turtle. Look how close to the glass he swam!

Later that evening we met my mother and Jim and Becky and Barry at a Mongolian Barbeque. The food was awesome, and my mother and Becky enjoyed a volcano drink. That thing was huge!

A quick shot of me and my girls outside the restaraunt.

On Thursday we drove up to the boardwalk for Arts Fest. This event is always running the week we vacation, but usually it is the weekend we arrive, not the weekend we leave. And it's also always scorching hot, but this year there was a breeze and overcast skies. I must say that the cooler weather was a plus for us! And yet I still managed to get a sunburn.

Please ignore my messy hair. This is the price I pay for enjoying a windy day at the beach!

Back at the pool, Clara cheesed it up for us. Dang, she's cute!

Our last day there was, of course, absolutely gorgeous. We hit the beach nice and early and stayed until noon. We would have stayed all day if we could have! The kids all LOVE the ocean and they play for hours and hours. It's one of those rare opportunities for us parents to sit back and read a book, but I spent more time snapping pictures.

There was an enormous storm the night before, complete with tornados and flash floods. Somehow the storm must have washed this little froggie onto the beach. He seemed so out of place in the sand! I hope he made it back to his home!

Our final goodbye photo shortly before we packed up and headed home. We'll miss you, beach house!

It was a fantastic week, and I thank my mother and Jim SO much for once again putting it all together for us. Until next year . . .

{Vacation}

Vacation. Ahhh . . . the sound of the ocean waves breaking on the shore, the smell of the salt water, the feel of the sun kissing my skin and sand slipping between my toes, the feeling of total relaxation and carefree days.

Or, in my world, this:

Vacation. Ewww . . . Clara develops a bad case of the skitters an hour into our drive to the beach (how many pairs of undies and shorts did I pack?), our beds at the hotel we stopped at on the way here have broken box springs - ouch! - , Cory catches Clara's affliction but decides to add a fever and chills to the mix, my throat starts to feel like there are knives in it, the weather forecast is less than stellar, and all six children think it's fun to wake up at SIX o'freakin' clock every single morning thus far.

Ahhh . . . vacation.

It's a good thing we're having a great time despite the negatives that have been thrown our way. And hey, at least I'm not at home doing the same old routine.

My computer doesn't want to accept the wireless internet here (go figure), so pics will be coming later. Because we really are having fun, and I have the pictures to prove it! :)

Prayers for healing for Cory and Clara would be greatly appreciated. The poor things.

{Batter Up!}

This past Sunday we headed to Cory's sister Megan's house for a cookout after church. It was such a gorgeous day! We spent the entire afternoon outside enjoying the warm air and sunny skies. Sasha, Clara and their cousin Jude even had the pleasure of eating their lunch under a shady tree while Jude's sheep bleated behind them in their pasture. It was so picturesque; there's just something so wonderful about a country setting! Getting Jude to smile for the camera is sometimes a challenge, though. He just wants to get on with lunch. Go away, Aunt Annisa, he seems to be saying.

After the kids ate - CORRECTION: After MeMe ate bits of the kids' food and threw the rest to the dog so their parents would think that they ate, they flew into play mode. The Gator was a big hit. Jude drove Sasha around the big backyard while Clara tried to decide if she wanted on or not. She refused to ride until later in the day when she decided she would drive herself.

But the girl did make some serious bubbles. All the kids did. Who doesn't love bubbles?

But the highlight of the day was definitely Better Batter Baseball. It started with the kids taking turns hitting the ball, but soon Cory got in the game, too. I could tell he was just itching to hit! I think we need to get a bigger helmet, though.

To be fair, here's an equally embarrassing photo of me taking a swing.

What a cutie! She could hit, too!

And since I figured out how to use my camera's video function, here's two videos from the day. Enjoy!

{Layouts}

I thought I'd share some of the layouts I've done over the past couple of months. I wish I had more time to scrap, but someday that time will come!

The first two layouts are for Sasha's preschool album.

Last summer I took the girls to visit their cousins for a weekend. I wish we all lived closer to one another! These photos were taken just before we left for home.

I saw a fabulous digi kit yesterday that is themed around all things from the 80's. As soon as I saw it I knew I had the perfect pictures to use with it.

And finally, some of the layouts for Dixon's first year album. I wish I could post a few more layouts of him, but some of them show Dixon in the buff and that would be an internet "no-no". :)

That's it for now! I'm hoping to scrap some more tonight after the girls go to bed. Dixon has been sleeping all day, so say a prayer that he sleeps as well tonight!