Organized Chaos...: Summer Array

Okay - I am ready to get back to blogging. It's not like I am clockwork with it anyway, but I figured I am just going to dive back in. I don't want to look back over this summer in blogs and see nothing! We have had such a fun summer - lots of trips and playing outside. I tried to think of a creative way to tie together all these random thoughts and pictures...

Because this is a random smorgasborg blog, I need to share this picture first. My uncle sent it to me - he and his wife live in Los Angeles and gathered from past blogs that I am obsessed with albinos. They saw this on a trip to England last month and sent it to me. Now, that is love!

Regular British peacock :)

Amazingly awesome albino peacock - tell me that's not just a little fascinating!!

Turner went to a Braves game for the second time a couple of weeks ago (we went once last summer). We traveled up to Atlanta and stayed with Jay and Kate.

Hanging with MeMe and Pap in ATL

Jay let Turner ride his tractor with him...Turner is a tiny bit obsessed with the tractor

MeMe and Pap took everyone to the game, but Kate and I stayed back with John Burke and Ellie. While it would have been fun, we thought they might not be able to handle the game quite yet! Side note - we took Burke Burke and Ellie to Target and some other errands. While he was standing in the buggy, Mom of the Year here watched him flipped head first out of the back. He landed on his head, and amazingly was fine - just a little shaken up. It assured me that I was glad he wasn't at the game. He is TOO WILD!!

Turner had a BALL!! He took his glove, though he didn't catch any balls. He got to ride in "Uncle Jay's car", which he was as excited about as the game. Yesterday Heath took the boys to Chick-fil-A (surprise, surprise). I asked Turner this morning where he went with Daddy last night and he said "The BRAVES game!!" Um, no. But at least it is still fresh on his mind! He is loving baseball this summer - any chance to watch it on t.v. or play catch in the yard. He tries to play catch in the house, but yeah right!

Brooks and Turner

John Burke and Read - they are partners in crime...short, but quick and dangerous

The next week we went to the beach with Jami and Brooks and Read. Some of our favorite babysitters, Sarah and Layton, went with us. It was fabulous!! They were wonderful helpers and we were able to tackle the kids 4 on 4! It wasn't the most relaxing trip (due to the 5, 2, and 2 1-yr olds), but we were able to laugh a LOT and read and chill out during nap time! We had so much fun playing in the ocean and the pool every day. The weather was gorgeous! I didn't take many pictures, because we were too busy packing everything else in the house for the beach/pool. I just knew the camera would break.

I wish you could have seen the amount of sand on his face...when we walked in the ice cream shop in Seaside, everyone in there did a double take

That weekend, Jami and crew left and we stayed with the Hendersons through the weekend. The whole family came down, and we took some fun pictures as the WHOLE family on the beach and at a local state park. It was sad to leave the beach, but we were blessed to stay a while, so we were ready to get back to normal life.

Hanging with Ellie between shots

Henderson men

Blowing MeMe a kiss - he is a sweet boy

Family picture - stolen from the photographer's tags on facebook. Her name was Amy Nichols and she knows the Hendersons in Andalusia. She did a great job and was very patient:)

Turner walking on the beach

Turner has been cracking me up in the car lately. I like to call him "Nurner-kins" (there is no telling where I come up with these - to be a fly on the wall in our car. Wow.) and I have started to call John Burke "Bur-burkins". This drives Turner insane. He will laugh and say "I not Nurner-kins. I TURNER!! Thomas Turnerson." Close.

On the way to the beach to take pictures - the park ranger took us in the back of his truck. I wouldn't say he had the best attitude about it, but it was an adventure

P.S. - Rollie Starr anyone?? Just sayin'.

I also like to call this guy "Fatterson" or "Fat-tastic." It is all in good fun. But, I don't realize how often I say it until Brooks' grandmother told him that might be hurtful. Yikes, she is right. I need to be more careful. Fatty knows I love him, but others may not say it in jest! I'll have to work on another name for this cat.

He is obsessed with his white blanket. About a month ago, he found it in a drawer. It is a minky blanket that someone gave Turner before he was born. I never used it with Turner, but John Burke will not let it out of his sight. I tried to buy a smaller version at an overpriced local children's store, but he is not having it. He is too smart for me! He just gets it so disgusting!!

And he (in combination with the growing baby inside of me) is wearing me out!!

And, he is starting to say "Ma-Ma" all the time. He will say "teek-yu" (thank you) every once in a while, and "Da Da" when he sees Heath. Otherwise, he mostly says "Bah-bah" for bye bye. And he still loves peek-a-boo. If you say, "Where's John Burke?" he puts his hands over his face, waits a second and pulls them away. Then he laughs and laughs! And Turner cracks him up. Well, when he is not standing up for himself and sometimes even initiating fights like this one, captured on my phone. Good job, Burke Burke - you have to defend yourself!!

Lastly, I need to give a shout out to my new niece, Morgan. She is adorable!! I called her "Baldy-cat" last night - she is growing some hair though. She is so sweet, and John Burke is obsessed with trying to touch and be close to her.