In case you are wondering...

...this is how American Girl Dolls smile (according to Walker). He busted out with this impression when we were in Colorado. It was so funny because it's SO true! They really don't smile very big! They have small smiles and very few teeth showing!

Week 29

Walker // I've said this before, and I'll say it again - despite your tough, all-boy exterior (or so you think) you're a softy at heart. You cry when you leave people that you love. It's not a loud, sobbing, over-the-top type of cry. It's a quiet, sweet, teary type of cry. You cried when leaving Emmy in Colorado. You cried when leaving Tuck at the airport. You cried when we left Galveston Beach. You cry when you know you're not going to see your friends because we're going on vacation. I don't even know you're crying till I look over at your face...and your eyes are teary and your mouth is sad and you can't talk because you're upset. :( It's so sad! But I love you for this. I think it shows that you have a very sensitive heart.

Shocking that this child has any interest in putting on a costume of any sort! He doesn't like costumes or dressing up! But Yiyia brought him this costume from Costco and he actually wanted to try it on...a day later. He has a large head, so getting the eyes in the correct spot was a challenge! He wore it for about five minutes and even said he might wear this costume for Halloween. I'm still in shock. :)

Lainey // You are becoming more self-aware of your actions when friends are over. For example, you still love to drink milk from a sippy cup. But not when friends are over. You demand to have it in a cup...but if friends aren't over, you will drink it out of a sippy cup. Same with your booster seat. You'll sit in your booster seat at the kitchen table for meals with your family but if friends are over, you absolutely won't sit it it! It's okay that you are becoming more cognizant of your actions and behavior, as kids do when they get older -- just don't change too much!

Sweet Reagan. I think she wants to run away.

The End of Our Vacation

Lainey had a fabulous time playing "Waitress" while we were in Colorado. She sat us down at tables, she wrote down our orders, she "made" us food out of rocks and leaves, and she took on many different "personas" like Sarah, Pam, Sky, Lain (short for Lainey, I'm sure...haha!), and Katie. 

one of her menus

 

The Caesar Salad was a popular special; it was offered at almost every single meal. The "salad" consisted of leaves (lettuce) and small rocks (croutons) being served on a large stone (the plate). And sometimes, if there wasn't Sprite, there would be "Sierra Mist." :) "Iced tea" was served in water-filled cups with some tiny leaves. Very special stuff. :)

her tickets

Lainey's special menu for Ben (who had a habit of ordering off the menu).

(She revised this menu after one of her shifts. Pizzas must have been brought back by popular request!)

***

And these next few pictures depict Lainey and Walker pretty perfectly. 

Fighting over who gets to sit on the rock...and Walker is about to hit Lainey in the bottom. And can we just take a minute to appreciate the fact that Lainey is wearing REAL SHORTS!? Only because a certain older dancer (Devyn) gave her some hand-me-downs. And Devyn's shorts are way better than any shorts I could have purchased for her! :) 

Walker, telling me what Lainey did.

And one minute later, they are laughing again. This sums up their relationship pretty well.

A picture of the house. :)

Walker was standing with me, and he spotted Tuck (and Ben, behind a tree) in the picture (along with our swim suits).

Walker, standing on the big rocks because the pebbles and pine needles hurt his feet.

Pretty, edited picture of the house (without Tuck or Ben).

Walker was so happy to have a water bottle like Kasen's!

Back in Plano, Texas...eagerly awaiting the arrival of Reagan. Poor Reagan. This dog is so, so loved by our kids. She just doesn't really love them back. ;)

And we sat and watched this wasp/ground hornet thing drag a cicada back to the spot where his hole had been in the ground (I had covered up the hole...I'm sure he was mad) and he re-dug the hole and buried his cicada. Yikes! But the funny thing is, we were just a few feet from this thing and he didn't care ONE single bit. He just kept on doing his thing. I've read that they won't attack you unless you threaten them; I guess he was too concerned about his cicada to notice (or care about) us!

Pagosa Peak, 2015

Ben and my dad (Tuck) climbed Pagosa Peak today (while we played in the river). 

Never ceases to amaze me.

perfect view

Tuck :)

Amazing.

Their attempt at a selfie. :)

Hats on...

Hats off...

Congratulations, Ben and Dad. Sort of worried that y'all won't be able to walk tomorrow!

Playing in the River

Just a little dancing. In her pajamas. In the driveway. By herself. :)

We met our sweet Pagosa friends to swim in the FREEZING COLD river. Lainey and Natalie had to 1) cross the river and 2) scale the rocks and then 3) jump off the rocks into the water.

This sweet girl, Sierra, was the person who caught the jumper and herded her over to the side. :)

Just scaling some rocks. No worries. The water is only about 50 degrees. Seriously. The girls would bury themselves in warm sand to warm up! :)

Family Hike

Walker was getting a bit tired. He told me, "I just can't take the walk up."

Tuck and the kids. Tuck has come along with us on lots of adventures. It's been fun!

That tiny "house" up there...it's part of the ski resort. This is our view of the ski 'resort' at Wolf Creek! :)

Just cute. I mean. A boy in undies, a pajama shirt, and flip flops. :)

Cuteness. :)