Weekend with Finley

After two years of begging, I finally got to keep Finley overnight at our house.  Forrest and Ed, along with Yaya and Coste, were going to a wedding in Seaside, so Aunt Rach and the Gilmer boys swooped in to keep my favorite youngest niece! 

I had a baby shower to go to Saturday morning so Finley tagged along.  She was a perfect angel at the party.  Quite different from taking two loud, messy, talkative boys somewhere.  On our way home from the shower we stopped by to see Papou and Gigi and then we picked up Mac and Coe from the Country Club.  In the car the kids sang and danced to Sweet Home Alabama in preparation for the big game against LSU that evening.  On the way Mac got invited to a friends house, so we dropped him off and then headed home for Finley and Coe to nap.  I actually had about 1.5 hours of total silence and alone time.  I NEVER get that.  I decided I had the three kid thing down pat!  Then we had a minor issue with Finley taking off her own dirty diaper when she was supposed to be sleeping, but it was nothing duct tape didn’t fix!   

Later we went to a friends to watch the AL game, home for bed {a little late!}, and then up for church the next morning with time to spare to snap a few pics.  Finley ate more sugar in 36 hours with me than she has probably eaten in 2 years with her mom and dad, but an aunt has to do what an aunt has to do to ensure her status as the favorite.  Plus who says 3 petit fours in one day is too many?!?!

I’d say our weekend with Fin was a HUGE success and we can’t wait to do it again.  Three kids is fun, but I was ok giving one back by Sunday afternoon.  I tried to give Forrest and Ed one of the boys in hopes of creating a little more balance at my house, but they declined.  Can’t imagine why!  Love you sweet Fin Fin.

  

Halloween

Another Halloween has come and gone and this one was even better than the last.  Both boys were really into it and their costumes confirm exactly what they currently love – Sports and Power Rangers!  Even though Coe wasn’t allowed to wear his costume to school I let him put it on Halloween morning so I could take a few pictures.  I have learned that by Halloween afternoon everyone is way to excited and hyped up on sugar from the school party to stop for a picture.  Forrest smartly listened to my advice and did the same thing!  Have you ever seen a cuter Madeline?  

  

Next up was the school party – which was crazy, wild and lots of fun {we need to pay our teacher A LOT more!} And then one to the Halloween party at our house.  We had a few families from the school over for food and drinks before trick or treating.  It was a great night with lots of treats and very few tricks.  I can’t believe we are already halfway through November and the holidays are around the corner.  Yikes!

   

Fall 2014 Beach Trip

After scarecrow day at EDS, the boys and I piled in the car with all our beach gear and heading to Orange Beach to meet the rest of the family for a weekend at Turquoise.  The condo was great, the weather perfect (cool at night but warm enough to swim during the day – for the kids at least!), and the company even better.  I’m so glad Nana and Granddaddy are still able to travel with us.  The kids LOVE having their grandparents and great grandparents around.  It may have a little bit to do with the fact that they rarely hear the word “no” and that a breakfast of brownie bites and lemon squares is somehow acceptable, but that’s what grandparents are for, right?!?!

Somehow Albi and I got the master bedroom.  I’m still not sure how that happened seeing as we were the last to arrive, but I wasn’t going to complain!  The bathtub was big enough for the boys to swim in, so between that and the hot tub on our balcony the boys were in heaven.  Down on the beach, they played a lot of football, dug for crabs and eventually swam in the ocean with Uncle Ed.  This is our 2nd mini fall beach trip of 2014, and I have to say it far surpasses sweating to death on the beach in July.  Grateful for my family and the memories we are making!