Blueberry Pickin'

We went blueberry pickin' today with our buds the Jacksons. Cody and Erin have quite a fun time picking together. Anna enjoyed eating the berries as we picked them. It was a little humid, but overcast and not too hot so it made for a perfect morning. We even snagged a few blackberries while there, and Anna liked those too! Now it's pie time!

One Great 4th of July

It was a fantastic, firework filled 4th of July with a party on Friday night at the park and then all day Saturday. We had a lunch cook out at the Nieter's pool and then after naps hit the beach with friends for the fireworks. It was a perfect day with lots of food, family, friends, and fireworks!

Anna wanted to keep Canon company
The crazy 4 singing the National Anthem

Erin wasn't so sure about the fireworks

Maw Maw and Bobble with the girls.

Erin got some good swim practice in.

Anna was quite the diva in the pool

Erin and her bud Harrison

Anna just about fell asleep before the fireworks

All the kiddos at the beach ready for the fireworks.

MawMaw's Original 6

Before Baby Eva and my next baby were born MawMaw wanted to have a portrait of the original 6 made. After many attempts in the studio room and one final attempt to get everyone looking and somewhat smiling - we are very pleased with the outcome. I was happy also to get a cute shot of the girls together. I wish I knew how to make them bigger for you, but I was lucky I figured this out! Caleb - 8, Noah - 6, Erin - 4, Samara - 4, Anna - 23 mos., Blake - 15 mos.

A Special Dinner with Friends

Joe co-leads a small group Bible Study on Friday mornings with a man we like to call "Mr. Jim." We got to hang out with him and his friend Ms. Kit during Christmas and we all really hit it off. Erin just adores both of them and they cater to her every desire! Mr. Jim invited us over to his condo on Sunday night to go swimming and have a cookout. We were in for quite a treat. We had a delicious dinner with cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, baked beans, watermelon and chips on the deck. The biggest treat was ice cream sundaes for dessert. We all had such a great time and felt like we had been on a mini vacation from so much pampering. We look forward to many more special times with them!

Mr. Jim, Erin and Ms. Kit

Anna liked Mr. Jim's fun toys.

Now that's a yummy looking sundae!

Erin got every last drop of her sundae.

They gave the girls both little jewelry boxes with special necklaces. Erin got a froggy necklace.

Anna in her ladybug necklace. Ms. Kit let Anna drink out of a special cup!

Baby Eva is Here!

Eva Christine Brown

Enjoying oven baked smores - pictured below!
Caleb enjoyed dressing Anna up!A rare moment - had to catch it!

On June 24th we welcomed Erin and Anna's newest cousin into the world. I had the other cousins for 1 night since mommy and daddy were in the hospital. The kids had a blast playing together and we made smores in the oven. I'm so thankful our list of cousins keeps growing and my kids will be surrounded by family as they grow up!

Hot Dog Night!

We love 25 cent hotdog, coke and popcorn night at the Tides Game. Last year we missed it because of heat so we were so excited to get to go this year, and actually went without the kids(their choice!) Yummy hotdogs, a cool breeze, and great friends made for a fun filled night. I did make Joe do his first "pregnant wife" task. By the 7th inning I was so thirsty and since drinks were only a quarter, I asked Joe to go ask someone at the front of the line to buy his pregnant wife an orange soda(with our quarter). As embarrassed as he was, he did it, and the person just laughed at him. Hey, in the end, he had a happy pregnant wife, isn't that what really matters!

Father's Day 2009

We spent Father's Day at the park with my family. It was a perfect evening and all the daddy's got great quality time with their kids. We saw Papa Joe the night before, but forgot to take a picture. Happy Father's Day to all my favorite dads!