Busy Birthday Weekend

Boy, I feel like I have not stopped since last Thursday!!!! Thursday, Memaw delivered Bentley's first tricycle to her. Bentley loves her "mink & puple" tricycle. On Friday, we had Ryan and Terie over for some dinner and they started the birthday weekend off with gifts for both Riley and Bentley. Bentley got a baby doll that has clothes and a stroller and she loved it. Riley got a DS game and he loves it. Once the kiddos were in bed, we all 4 assembled Bentley's birthday gift from mom and dad - a Surfer Girl Jeep!!!! Thanks for your help Ryan and T. Saturday morning, we had plans to head to Crystal Beach to see Nonna and Uncle Kenny and the girls. Bentley awoke to her jeep and, well, she really was not that impressed with it. It kinda scares her right now, but I am sure she will warm up to it. Here are some videos of Bentley and Riley sportin the Jeep.

Click to Watch Bentley get Jeep


Click Here to Watch Riley and Bentley Driving Jeep

As we were heading to the beach, we thought we were making good time, but what should have taken a couple of hours took over 4 hours :( We waited over an hour for the ferry and it was SMOKIN' hot. Needless to say the kids and Casey were pretty gripey!! We finally get to the beach around 1 and decided to just spend the night since it took such an effort to get there. Me, Casey and Shawnda took the kiddos to the beach and they had a ball!!!! Riley and Bentley both played in the water and sand and had the best time. Bentley decided halfway through that she needed to sunbathe in her actual birthday suit and I obliged. After playing and splashing around, we went back to the cabin and made some fried shrimp! It was a good time.

We got up and headed home and got right on the ferry. We made it home in just enough time to eat lunch and get ready for Bentley's party. Her party was at The Little Gym where she has been going to gymnastics. Everyone had a really good time and she participated...somewhat. When we went to have cake, she got very serious as everyone was singing Happy Birthday, but when it came down to blowing out the candles and everyone staring at her, she lost it and started crying. Once she ate some cake though, she realized it was ok. She went home and crashed after her party. Ryan and Lindi and Presley came over to deliver gifts and did Nana. Nana brought over tons of fun stuff for her Diva grandchild and she brought pizza too :) We had a really good visit with them and Bentley opened all of her gifts. She had to put on her Dora nightgown and wear her high heels for everyone. All in all, it was a great but busy birthday weekend! Mommie sure is glad that these only come once a year!!!!

Bentley ready for her party

Riley ready to party  too

Princess

Riley and Anna and Cole

Not so sure about the attention

Nope....don't like it

Nana's goodies!

My new tricycle from Memaw!

Happy Birthday Bentley

Bentley, you are such a precious little angel.  You have blessed my life so much in the last 2 years.  Since your last birthday, you have been to Mexico, you learned to walk, you have had a surgery and gotten tubes, you have grown like a weed and so has your hair, you have added about 50 plus words to your vocabulary, you have really gotten more social, you love cartoons, especially Dora and Boots and Yo Gabba and your heart has grown so much.  You are the sweetest baby girl and you love and idolize your big brother.  He is a bit rough on you, but that will change.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives.  You think your Mommy hung the moon and stars.  Your Daddy calls you his little Diva.  I love you more than words can express and I cannot wait to see what this year brings!  Happy 2nd birthday Princess!

Father's Day & Current Happenings

Casey had a great Fathers Day this year (I am of course saying this because I planned it ;). He has breakfast on Saturday morning with me and the kiddos and then he ate with his dad on Sunday afternoon. I unfortunately got a stomach bug, so I won't be dining at the Outback for quite a while. I tried my hardest to get a good picture of Bentley and Daddy since it was his day, but between me (I got a new lens and haven't played with it enough) and Bentley, the pics are marginal. Bentley now makes the growling or snarling face when she says "cheese." I have attached some. They were great of Riley - he is now getting back into taking picutres and now Bentley is not enjoying having her picture made. Maybe in 2020 we will all be on the same page.

I have also attached 2 videos. First is Bentley walking around in her Diva shoes. She loves her dress up shoes and is just mastering walking in them. When I uploaded that video, I found one of she and Riley from March. It is so cute....Riley is singing his heart out and Bentley is just copying everything he does. Very sweet.

Bentley in her "Daddy's Diva" shirt

How handsome is that kid????

Dozer is ALWAYS a willing participant

There is that growling cheese

Again....grrrr cheese

Very Sweet

Click here to see Diva in her Heels

Click here to see Riley & Bentley Perform

DSi

Riley got an early birthday present before vaction.  We got him a DSi hoping it would help to keep him occupied on the car ride.  Boy does it!!!  It's not as if he listened good before, but now, I am just talking to the wind as long as that darn game is open.  He LOVES it.  I LOATHE it.  The good thing is, it is what I use now for discipline.  I just ground him from it and it does the trick these days!!!!!

Bentley likes to watch him play!

Horseshoe Bay

We have really had a crappy time trying to plan a vacation this year.  At the beginning of the year, we said we were going to skip a vacation altogether this year to try and save some money and also, it is kinda hard with Riley and Bentley being so young (taking naps and going to bed early, etc).  Then my good friend Casey Canizaro talks us into going to Florida and sharing a condo with them.  I knew Riley would have a blast with her boys, so we agreed to go.  Well, with the mess in the Gulf, it was just best that the Canizaro's not go, so that plan was nipped in the bud about 3 weeks before we were set to leave.  We were already in vaction mode (especially Riley), so we decided to make other plans.  I researched Orange Beach Alabama and booked us a condo there.  The oil was not there yet and I bumped up the date to the beginning of June hoping we could beat the oil.   Well, the Saturday before we left, the oil beat us there, so we cancelled that trip.  We were all really bummed, so Casey came up with the idea of Horseshoe Bay in Marble Falls.  We checked it out and booked our trip on Sunday and left the next day.  We were there from Monday through Friday.  It was a really nice resort and we all had a good time.  Casey said that is the nicest golf courses that he has ever played.  Me and the kiddos spent some time at the pool while he played.  The weather was overcast all week, but we still managed to get some sun.
Being the Griswalds that we are, we ran into a couple of small issues.  First, as me and the kiddos are coming in from the pool, I noticed Bentley was lagging behind. Since I had 2 screaming kiddos and a bag full of pool toys and such, I didn't see why she was lagging behind and was politely yelling at her to come on.  I then notice that her hand is lodged in the doorway and she cannot get it loose.....sorry B.  Then, I get the same darn sinus infection that constantly haunts me and didn't feel good for the last 3 days.  Riley almost gave me a heart attack and got into the pool without his floaties on.  Casey started hollering at me from across the pool and I had to jump in and save him.  When I looked up, he was bobbing up and down, but by the time I got in the pool, he was starting to sink.  It took him a few seconds of not breathing and then he started to cough and breathe.  It was horrible and I never want to go through that again.  Finally, at 3:00 am, the fire alarm starts to sound and the hotel starts to evacuate.  Casey reached the front desk and they said to disregard the alarm, but it still kept going off for a few minutes.  Amazingly, the kiddos never woke up!!! 
All in all, it was a nice getaway and the kiddos loved swimming.

Click here for Pictures