Summer Ocala Trip

Hooray!  It's storming outside right now and I'm praying that brings us some cooler weather.  I am so over this heat.  Yes, I know we live in Florida, but I'm OVER THE HEAT!  We need a break!  We got a little break last weekend, but that was just a big fat tease.  Come on, Autumn!

Anyway, we are making another Ocala trip soon so I thought I should probably finally share the pictures from our last trip back in July.  We went down for Jackson's birthday and had a great time, as usual.  

On Jackson's birthday we actually went to Jacksonville for the day for my cousin's baby's first birthday party.  It was at my aunt's community pool which was huge and had a big slide that Jackson must have gone down 50 times.  It was wonderful to see my aunts and uncles and cousins and get to spend the day with them and celebrate baby Oliver's special day. And J had a great time swimming and sliding.

Cousin conversations and hugs before we left...

When we got to Jax my aunts and uncles had bought J some presents since it was his birthday, too.  He was SO excited!

Emmett kept saying, "OH!  You're so LUCKY, Jackson!"

Little buddies at the pool...

 Happy Birthday to sweet Oliver!

 Post-party present opening for little Oliver...

It was so great to see everyone!  Then when we got home J got to open the rest of his presents and have cake.  Presents were mostly Legos and books about Legos.  Lol.  

Can't believe my firstborn baby is 7 years old!!  He is the sweetest, kindest, most loving little boy.  So good to his little brothers... God sure knew what he was doing making Jackson the oldest.  We are all so blessed to have him in our lives.  Ohhhh, I love him so!

Reid wanted to show me how old he is... This is "three".  Lol.

My parents had some trees removed in their front yard and my dad had the stumps ground down into sawdust.  Reid had a grand old time helping Popeye move the piles of sawdust over to the barn.

I know these are all basically the same but he just looks so cute I can't help it!

Popeye is so patient and always willing to include the boys and let them help in their own way.

Hi, Ben! How 'bout some fresh new sawdust for your pad?

Reid was pretty tuckered out after all that work... He never does this...

Davis had some crazy snaggle teeth going on for a while!  It was so cute and funny!

My sweet baby boy...

Watching a truck dumping some other new sawdust onto Popeye's pile in the woods...

Reid and his buddy...

Intently watching "Gator Boys" or something... Some show about people catching alligators.

Reid and I went out for lunch at Firehouse one day... He only ate Cheetos and that cookie.  Lol.

Davis got sick right before we went home... He was so fussy that last day and would only sleep for a few minutes on me like this...

A Patio Picnic with Popeye before we started our drive home...

Davis passed out right as we went down the driveway and we thought, "Oh awesome!  Hopefully he'll sleep until at least Tallahassee!" But so not the case... He woke up after 30 minutes and basically screamed the entire rest of the way.  It was so awful!  Hoping and praying this next car ride is better for him!  But we love the farm and our family so much that the drive is always worth it.  :)

Photo Dump

Favorite thing... pizza lunch at Sam's...

Date night!  Another favorite thing...

We were looking around to see what was going on that all these people were taking pictures of and then I was like... "Duh... the sunset." Lol.

Picking out treats after the dentist...

Self-made bead necklace...

Dueling sippy cups...

Venturing out to the activity pool one day before it closed for the season (WHY does it close on Labor Day when it is HOT AS HADES here until at least Halloween????)...

Reid's first time off the diving board.  LOVED IT!!!

Reid's whole year was made when we stopped to visit this digger that was parked near the pool before we left...

Davis had a diaper blowout (post-swimming, thankfully!) and then promptly fell asleep...

This random activity kept Reid busy for a while!

 

"Mom... I have to go to work."

We got a nice show the other evening when a group of skimboarders (is that what that's called?) decided to board right in front of where we were sitting....

I caught one in mid-wipeout...

The boys LOVED watching them and I think the guys enjoyed having an audience and hearing all the cheers and oohing and aahing.

Beautiful sunset...

Worn out from playing outside (and digging in the dirt from the looks of it)...

My sweet, handsome big boy...

Reid yelled from upstairs... "Mom!! I'm home and I bought some new popsicles from the commissary!"  And then came down like this telling me all about the flavors of popsicles he bought.

This is mister "I'm not tired!  I don't need to nap!"  30 seconds later...

Such a stinker, yet so lovable and wonderful...

Two little sickies snuggled up watching a movie...

Too cool for school...

Little sickies painting on the porch (I feel like we will never all be well again)...

Instructing me to do something...

Boys found some old Halloween costumes.  Made me laugh out loud!!

Remember???

 

Two more because I think they're funny.  Although it makes me so sad how fast time has gone!  :(

I went out with a girlfriend the other night and apparently I don't get dressed up and do my hair much because I walked downstairs with some gold wedges on and Emmett walks by me, stops, looks me up and down and says, "Nice shoes" and walks out.  Lol!  Then when I went outside Jackson stops what he's doing and says, "Wow!  Mom! What are YOU up to??"  Haha!  Just funny their reactions to me looking normal... I guess it was a big change from sweaty hair pulled up in a bun and yoga pants.  :)  J even told me the next morning how pretty I looked when I went out with Miss Kelly.  Maybe I should get fixed up more often!  :)