Pontotoc Fair

July 24-25, 2007---The annual county fair is being held July 20-28 in Pontotoc. Anna Catherine and I went to the fair Tuesday night for the beauty pageant (see "Miss Teen Fairest of the Fair" blog below for details) and found out it was wristband night. If you purchase a wristband you can ride unlimited rides until closing. Leo, our kind and gracious sheriff, gave her a wristband for free and she rode as many rides as she could until 11 p.m. when I made her go home. On Wednesday morning, Chloe, Jackson, Anna Catherine, and I went back for "Kid's Day". Children ages 3-12 were allowed to ride unlimited rides 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. for only $10. It wasn't as crowded as I would have expected it to be...maybe because it was so hot. The kids rode lots of rides, ate cotton candy, and played some of those rigged carnival games. They had a blast!!!!! Anna Catherine rode all of the children's rides multiple times (carousel, cars/motorcycles, boats, train, slide, and teacups). She also rode the bumper cars four times, the Sizzler five times, and the Tilt-a-Whirl four times. She wanted to ride the Fireball, the Moby Dick, and the Gravitron but I refused to let her. I just can't allow her to ride things that spin, flip, and go upside down...especially when the rides are on a travelling carnival, being held together by a couple of rusty bolts, and are put together and taken down every few days by scary looking people. Just watching some of those rides made me nauseated. Jackson rode the bumper cars, train, carousel, teacups, and cars/motorcycles. He cried on the boats. He liked the cotton candy but didn't like it sticking to his fingers. Chloe was a trooper throughout the entire day. A group of us went to Pizza Hut afterwards. Jackson fell asleep on the way and slept in a booth while the rest of us ate a late lunch. Thank goodness we only do this once a year!!!!

Miss Teen Fairest of the Fair

Tuesday July 24, 2007---Nicole (my sweet baby who was my maid of honor) competed in the 12-14 year old age group of the "Fairest of the Fair" pageant. Of course, NICOLE WON!!!!!!! I know it's hard to believe from the pictures, but yes, she's only 14. Boy, do I feel old. Congratulatons baby!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of you and I love you so much!!!!!!!

Chloe is 5 months old

July 20, 2007---Chloe is five months old today. At her check-up this week she weighed 14 lb. 2 oz. and was 26 inches long. She had her first taste of rice cereal this week but wasn't impressed. She learned to hold her bottle at three months, rolled over the week she turned four months old, and is now trying as hard as she can to sit up. I'm sure she'll master it in a few weeks. Chloe is a very determined little girl. Once she sets her mind to do something, she doesn't stop until she's accomplished her goal. I guess that's a good characteristic to have.

Anna Catherine's New Haircut

July 18, 2007---Anna Catherine got a new, short haircut today. She's had it trimmed every two months since she was one year old. This is only the second "big cut" she's ever had. Her hair is extremely thick so Mrs. Leah put lots of layers in it too. Anna Catherine likes it a lot and I do too. Maybe it will help alleviate the number of fights we have about having her hair brushed/styled. The new cut makes her look so much older than four years old...and she doesn't need any help in that department. People already think she's six or seven years old because she's so tall ( 3' 9") and looks/acts so mature.

Family Vacation Summer 2007

June 29-July 6, 2007---Anna Catherine has been asking to go camping for a couple of months so we decided to honor her request and take an eight day family camping trip. However, we camped the only way I am willing to camp: cabin, electricity, running water, indoor restroom, full kitchen, television, etc. On Friday, June 29 we essentially packed up the entire house and left Pontotoc for the Crown Pointe Resort in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. Horseshoe Bend is located in the north central part of the state. It was a four and a half hour trip which drove both the kids and me nuts. We hate being stuck in a car for more than two hours. By then our DVD movie is over and we need to get out and stretch our legs. It was actually a very peaceful and relaxing vacation. Since Chloe can't be in the sun, she and I rarely left the cabin. I took my scrapbooking supplies and was able to get a lot of pages completed. We had packed Chloe's swing, play mat, bouncie seat, and lots of toys so she had things to occupy her time. She enjoys being outside so we would put her swing on the front porch and let her enjoy the outdoors in the shade for an hour or two every day. Rick took Anna Catherine and Jackson to the beach (yes, there was a beach area in BFE, Arkansas), the indoor pool, outdoor pool, and canoeing in the lake. The kids had SO much fun paddling the canoe. Rick's mom and brother came in late Monday night and stayed in the cabin next to us. The kids enjoyed being spoiled by Mimi and wrestling with Uncle Cliff. We spent the rest of the week just lounging, grilling out, and being bums. We did a pontoon boat tour of the lake one day and that was nice. It really makes you want to own a lake house. We spent the day of the Fourth of July in the Mountain View area of Arkansas (about an hour south of Horseshoe Bend). That morning we went to Blanchard Springs Caverns. Rick and Cliff went on the "Wild Cave Tour" in which they climbed over and through rocks, slid, and crawled through developed and undeveloped areas of the caves. It was a four hour event, and they were very tired, muddy, sweaty, and stinky afterwards. The rest of us went on the one hour "Dripstone Trail Tour" which was supposed to be handicap and stroller friendly. It wasn't easy getting the stroller up and down the extremely steep inclines and slopes, tight curves, and narrow passageways, so you would have to be very talented to maneuver a wheelchair through it. Mimi, the kids, and I went to the Ozark Folk Center to pass the time until the guys finished their adventure. The caves were amazing. We would like to go back when the kids are older so we can do one of the more advanced tours. That evening we went to the fireworks show at the Turkey Creek Golf Course in Horeshoe Bend. The fireworks were very loud but pretty. Jackson had me laughing so hard I was crying because with every explosion his eyes would get very big and he would say, "Oh my gosh, that was a big boom! A really, really, big boom! A blue one. A green one. On my gosh!". We left on Friday, July 6 and headed back home. After unloading the van, unpacking at least a dozen suitcases/bags, and doing a zillion loads of laundry, we have recouperated from our trip. It was a lot of fun and we are looking forward to our next vacation in November for a week long Thanksgiving ski trip to Pagosa Springs, Colorado (and Rick thinks he can keep us cooped up in the car for a 20 hour drive --straight through only stopping for gas, food, and restroom breaks--HAHA!!!).

Chloe Rolls Over

June 28, 2007---Chloe rolled over today. She was playing on her back on her playmat. I left the room and when I returned she was on her stomach. My sweet baby is growing up too fast! I want her to stay a baby forever!

Father's Day Fun

June 16, 2007---We celebrated Father's Day a day early when Rick competed in the DragonFly Triathlon at Sardis Lake. It was a 0.5 mile swim, 18 mile bike, and 4 mile run. He did well and finished the race in one hour and 55 minutes. J.R., Carla, and the Bergerons came out to show their support. The kids had given Rick a new race jersey for Father's Day (they gave him his race trunks for Christmas). The Bergerons and the Crawfords decided to make a day out of it and spent the rest of the day grilling out, swimming, and playing on the playground. I think everyone had a good time.

Olympic Gold---Here I Come

June 11-14, 2007---Anna Catherine took swimming lessons this week. She had a blast! She can jump off the diving board and swim to the side without any help. She no longer needs arm floaties and can hold her breath for quite a long period of time. She can swim both above and below the water. She is an awesome swimmer. We're hoping she can join the Tupelo Shock Wave swim team when she's five. They've won the state championship the past several years. Lookout...I'm sensing a few gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics!!