Happy Memorial Day!

I thought I'd add a few pictures of this weekend's festivities . . .  :) We've been having so much fun. On Sunday my parents came over for an early-Memorial-Day cookout. It was the PERFECT summer evening. So hot. So happy! Annie played with bubbles for the first time as we waited for my parents to arrive!

I love their matching father-daughter focused faces here.

Annie breaks out in song occasionally.  ;-)

oh, the food was so yummy! so was the company!

Annie took Grandma on a walk to show her the town . . . barefoot.

These are the yellow flowers that are now blooming on our side porch. I love them!

My garden is doing great!! Here is proof :)

swiss chard

my army of green bean plants

spinach--SO MUCH lovely, delicious spinach!

straight up onions, yo!

squash plant in front of my marigolds

tomato plant, the only thing I didn't grow from seed

These bushes in the back of our yard are blossoming finally. My dad told me yesterday that they are really old-fashioned, so now I like them even more!

And we finished taking up all the carpet on the first floor! Brant worked so hard to clear that shaggy old mess out of there, and then I spent every precious moment of Annie's naptimes for two days straight scrubbing on my hands and knees to get decades of grime out of wood that was NEVER VARNISHED. But the floors are  so wonderful. Makes me love the house even more, if that were possible. Now we just need to varnish them, and they'll be done!

\

Today the three of us went to a nearby state park and went swimming in the lake and played on lots of grass with many other Memorial Day picnic-ers. It was a splendid summer day. I didn't take my camera, though, but you all can imagine what it looked like! :)

when my daughter dumps a whole box of Kix on the kitchen floor

. . . I'm so glad I have a dog!

So, what else have we been up to?
Well . . .

looking at gorgeous spring-evening sunsets

enjoying seeing more pretty flowers bloom in our backyard . . .

visiting Great Gram in Lancaster and getting an awesome balloon, 

and having a yummy Greek-themed cookout!

here's Annie heading toward her wiffle ball bat (she's been doing this hands-clasped-behind-the-back-while-walking thing a lot lately), and Nancy and Anne coming back from playing in the peonies

Brant did another amazing job at the grill!

this picture cracks me up

grilling homemade pita bread . . . mmmmmm

Baby Miles made an appearance!!! Yay! And we were happy Clint and Katie came too. :)

Anne and Annie literally put their heads together to figure out this bike thing. Anne did such a good job pedaling. She was teaching Annie a thing or two.

Another thing we've been doing . . . . taking up the awesome shag carpet in our living room and dining room!! We're ordering area rugs, but last night I just got so excited to see the beautiful hardwood floors . . . 110 years old . . . I just couldn't wait. We'll still need to do a lot of work on them, but it's going to be so fun! See Annie at her perch on the radiator watching Daddy work?

Also, yesterday Brant and I celebrated four years of being blissfully wed. It's so fun to remember May 24, 2006, and here's to a splendid forever together. :)

Happy Tuesday!

a lesson in digestion and Annie's red hat

Last Wednesday Grandma stopped by.

This is what Annie thinks of a Grandma visit . . . 

During lunch Annie became very interested in what was happening to the food Grandma was eating. Check this out . . .

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So right after Annie was born, my aunt Trish and cousin Emily sent us this fantastic package of some of the best randomly fun girl things. One of them was a red hat, which has always been among Annie's dolls and toys and books, but she hasn't discovered it until today. This morning she came downstairs wearing it.

Lady Annie promptly took Baby Baby out for a stroll in her pram.
(normally it would be Baby Dot, but she's "on vacation"--aka Brant and I can't find her anywhere. Annie is expecting her to get back from her trip anytime now.)

Hey everybody!! Annie here.

I've been getting some fun stuff lately!

first: a Spurs shirt from Grandpa Ellsworth to celebrate NBA playoffs!

And then this morning we went out in the pouring rain to hit the first big yard sale of the season!

I came home with this . . .

my first bike! 

(as you can see, I prefer letting Baby Dot sit in it while I ride behind--but I'm getting the hang of it!)

it's picnictime!

We have been enjoying the warm, sunny days with friends and good food. :) We've had a few picnics/cookouts in the last little while, and what FUN they've been!

We got this table and chairs from a yard sale a few weeks ago. Heather and Nancy's mom was so kind to model with it for us. We've started eating all our meals outside on pretty days. :)

Sometimes the best part is being in a packed kitchen and whipping up all sorts of yummies. . . .

On one of the HOT and HUMID days last week, we all went and played tennis at the park down the road from our house. Afterwards we tried out our brick grill for the first time. Look at the roaring fire! Brant did a great job.

Here's to an early start to summer, everyone! :)