state of sunshine

the boys and i went to my home state of florida at the beginning of july.  

we had such a nice time...
 we stayed a month
and 

 did some of this stuff...

swam like fish everyday and night in the pool that my parents recently had switched to a salt water system. (my skin felt great but, oh, how i missed the smell of chlorine.)

played with family and old friends.

worked a little on my parents house.

enjoyed some florida thunderstorms.

celebrated a few birthdays, just 6.

ate some great food.

had disney days.

took a stroll through bok tower garden.

 and more.

 [mad would like to keep himself in the "pale force", hence the slathering of sunblock he has applied to himself. smart boy.]

 [that big pool and this is where they congregate. blame it on dad, he's the one that got rid of the slide. actually, blame it on jenny b., she's the one who jumped off of the top of it and landed on the concrete. (kidding, jen.;))]

 [they should be brothers. wes should have been mine.]

[sisters- minus tim (who refused to extend her stay.), tay & comfort.

 [mad and i fell in love with dan and tay's new puppy. we have our hearts set on getting a dog now.  i said hearts set! she was adorable. in the words of rosie "she's such a quootie. nothin but a big sweet-hot!"]

 [jenn (in all her pregnancy cuteness) and i trying to recreate an old photo of us at age 3.]

[my barbara and her darling girls.]

 [elly jo turned 4 and wanted a pink cake, shaped like the #4, with 5 candles and lightning mcqueen on it. her mama did a good job fulfilling that wish.]

 [max helping elly with her "p.s.".=)]

 [keke turned 1!]

 [every morning elle ate this entire big bowl of chocolate oatmeal.]

[chili rellanos: cafe rio salad to satisfy jo's craving. it was even better than the real thing. i would know bc i've had cafe rio the last two days in a row.;): mom's chocolate chip cookies, those and a rainy day are my heaven.]

 [he's been banished from disney until he's 10 yrs old for the pouting that was done on this day.]

 [rapunzel and her tower.]

 ["rapunzel!! let down your hai-ir!" -elly yelling at the tower.=)]

thanks for your hospitality, florida. we're sure to be back soon.