Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Popsicles and a water hose.

Well, well, well, you will never believe who pulled into Gulf Shores, Alabama today! Hint: that's two of them!!

(and this was them last week at our house in West Monroe!)

Ellie Sue has decided she has much more fun with water when she is in CONTROL of it! In fact, she thinks it is downright hysterical! Oh, and this little precious was obviously with them too.
Believe it or not, I have decided she is going to be my little fish!
Today, when they got here, she would play in the "big" pool, on the stairs, and consistently inch herself down backwards to the last possible step where she could touch, even if with just one big toe! She would have her head in the water up to her ears. ANd sometimes her mouth, but would keep it closed, just as she should.
And our third kid there... that's Mary Allison, and once again this year, she is along for the ride!

Our kids definitely think she is one big playmate which makes our time together that much better.
I have NO idea where Ellie may have learned "this"!!
Wait. Wait. THERE IT IS!!
The pose!

And you KNOW we aren't going to be outside having fun without our favorite next door neighbor, Sarah! Or "Rara" as Gabbi calls her.
Across the yard, "Rara! Raaaa Raaaa!"

Just the cutest thing!
No, maybe THIS is the cutest thing!
My girls thing popsicles are the next best thing since sliced bread.

And who ever came up with that slogan anyway? Is sliced bread really THAT great? I think not. Maybe "the next best thing since a buttered hot roll" would be better!

I even texted Todd on the way down and advised him to stop and get some popsicles, as they are just about as powerful as the suckers when it comes to bribery!
Ellie now knows how to SMILE. I guess she calls this a smile.
Don't all kids go throught the weird smile phase?
She actually looks like she is in pain to me!
What is it, Ellie?

Does something hurt?

Is it your foot? Are you constipated?

Oh, wait. You are just smiling, aren't you!?
Gabbi Girl LOVES her some Rara.
Look at that belly. Have you ever seen Gabbi's little hemangioma (birthmark... just trying to edu-macate you!).

Ellie says, "Jesus gave that to Gabbi."
This was a Mary Allison day, and I am just trying to figure out here exactly how many popsicles each kid ate. I am thinking multiples!
Looking pretty happy overall, though, wouldn't you say?!
My kids are pretty happy kids. I am blessed.
And I am looking forward to all kinds of memories to be made this week at the beach.
In this tiny little yellow polka dot bikini.
I like the stage they are in, but I will tell you... I think (other than brand newborn which nearly kills me), this is the hardest I have lived through yet. They are both on the go, and typically in opposite directions!
And for whatever reason, neither kid responds to her name. It is like they are totally deaf to my calling them.
But I let it slide, because, DANGIT. They are just so dadgum cute!
Especially when they are playing together!


I could just eat these sweet babies up.
Don't you think for a minute that I take my life for granted. I totally realize how blessed I am. To have these girls. To get to take them on vacation. To get to have free time to do this. I recognize it all as blessings. GIFTS from God! And I recognize that so many of these little blessings came, for whatever reason, after Jake went to be with Jesus. I think he wanted to heal our family. I think Jesus wanted me to spread the word that you can CHOOSE JOY.
And boy, do I ever have a lot of joy in my life!!

MO


Thanks to all of you who commented on my Jake tribute. So touching that so many of you still have such fond memories of him. And Wendy, you better be emailing me for your prize, or I will get Todd the Bod to pick another number between 1-53. mgroves11@comcast.net
Waiting for you, Wendy!





24 comments:

jneman said...

This post reminded me of some pictures of me and my sister at that age growing up at the cabin and playing in the lake in our bikinis. Thanks for bringing back that memory:)

MLP said...

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?!? Hadlee has both of those bathing suits!!!!!!!!!! I am cracking up at how often this happens to us. Good taste, ya say?!?

LOVE how you choose joy, let things slide and LOVE life. I try to do all of the above myself. Blessed Blessed Blessed!

And I cannot even NOT mention your previous post! I read it late last night while nursing on my iPhone. I had to revisit it just now in full screen. One of my favorite posts. I still think back to following that sweet boy's site and wondering who this aunt named MO was that loved her nephews so very much (another way I felt a connection to you...I'm a doting aunt myself!). And now I feel like I really know all of you. I'm even friends with Tod the Bod AND Mary Allison on Facebook. Come on! Most of all, I think about how that precious boy moved me and made me look at things differently. Such a little fighter. A sweet, sweet fighter. I'll always have his amazing smile etched in my mind.

a_manda said...

If someone has baby swim lessons in WM, you should get Gabbi enrolled. My 3 year old has been taking them since she was 9 months and loves it (and always has loved the water, but we live in Ft. Worth so that kind of business may be more available here.)

And a funny story about those birthmarks...I teach at a daycare and when I first started I worked in a 3 year old room. There was the little girl who I had to help get dressed/undressed for dance lessons. To properly supervise the kids, I usually kept the class bathroom door opened. Anyway, she had 2 of those birthmarks-one on her neck & one on her chest. Another child came up asking about them, pointing to the one on her neck....the child answered "it's called a strawberry" and the other child replied (pointing to the one on her chest) "what's that---grapes?" I hope that made you laugh. It still makes me chuckle and it was 3 years ago!

Have a fun vacation!

Amy K said...

Absolutely precious! I bet it was a JOYous occasion for all when they arrived...I'm sure they missed their mama as much as mama missed them.
More wonderful memories made at the beach....enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Oh, your kids look like they are always having so much fun! I love the photos of them together, feeding each other popsicles. Having a sister is a great life long gift! When I saw Gabbi's strawberry hemangioma I smiled. My 4 yr. old daughter has an identical one in the exact same spot. It made me smile. Enjoy!

Amy said...

I love the pictures but that's pretty much a given! As I was reading the post about Jake, the tears were fallin! I can't imagine how much you miss you. I am so glad that you have chosen Joy!!
In the past couple years I have lost my grandma, my mom and my uncle. It's hard to find peace and joy but I know it's possible because you have done it, so thank you so much for that.
I really hope that we can meet some day.

randdmom said...

Sisters sure are special! I only get to see mine at Christmas for a couple of days and in the summer for a couple of weeks. Since we are 10 years apart, we don't have sweet photos like yours to look back on, but the love is strong all the same. Your girls are so fortunate to have a photo takin' mama! They are so precious and so obviously happy. God is good!

Anonymous said...

Mo -- I sent the email as soon as I read that I was the winner a few days ago. I am soooooo excited to receive one of your talented "creations" so please don't let Todd pull another number. Sent you another email this morning -- ooops just realized I forgot to post my address on it -- will be sending another one in a minute. Have fun at the beach and God Bless You and your family --stay safe!!!!

Renee said...

Have fun at the beach! BTW, my favorite age was when Brennan was 4 and Ross was 3. You are almost there. Hang on tight cuz those girls are gonna take you on a ride sista!

Shannon said...

Ahhh...too cute popsicles are big at our house too!!! Yum-O

Rhonda said...

I love every single one of these pictures!! Gabbi's belly is about the cutest thing ever! I wish **we** could get away with it being "cute" to stick our belly's out!!! And Ellie's posing - adorable! Have FUN this week at the beach! I love how you CHOOSE JOY and I think it is a wonderful message to spread!

Diana said...

Hi Mo ~ Does it get better than that???? I don't think so popsicles & a hose - what else can you possibly need? Let the fun begin!!
That Ellie - posing WHILE she is watering - what a girl!
Gabbi with that stomach & thighs so cute & chubby (as they should be) adorable!
Ellie feeding Gabbi the popsicle -precious big sister.
Fun, fun times and they are just starting - tons more to come & all fun!
Enjoy your time at the beach, Diana from Colorado

SaraG said...

very cute pictures of your baby girls. They are sure growing up fast!!

Beverly said...

Oh, yes, you are blessed! I love how you choose joy and you never forget how you got where you are. I love your two little girls and they put smiles on my face EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Vicki said...

So cute!!!

jmckemie said...

They are truly blessings! What cuties, and what an adventure they will take you on. Counting a couple of popsicles each, at least! Just a thought - you might want to get one of those hose "splitters" because real soon they are both going to want to be the one to control the water. I did that and it worked perfectly - each one of them got to have a hose so no one got left out, although I did get to be their target a lot! Seems like if the other sister has a hose, too, it is not nearly as funny to squirt her!

Theresa Shirley said...

Melanie---It is a wonderful thing that you DO know how blessed you are. Thank you so much for sharing your blessings and all that JOY with us!!!! Those last few pictures of the girls are just the sweetest thing in the world---what love!!!!

Melanie Christian said...

The girls are absolutely precious! I wish you guys would still be at the beach when I get there on the 25th. I'd love to meet all of you!

Debbie said...

Oh such cute kids!! I just love to see them. Enjoy your vacation and be careful. Those popsicles look yummy!! I love me a banana popsicle!!
I too shed tears when I read The Jake Day Blog. After I read it, I walked into my room, and it was 11:11pm. So weird, I got goose bumps!!!

God Bless~
Debbie Jean

MaryH said...

What simple summer fun - playing with the hose and eating popsicles. I can't wait to see the beach pictures. Every year they are so much fun to see. Can't wait to see the girls' outfits. Have a good time!

tricia said...

POPSICLES!! Such summertime fun!

Anonymous said...

Mel-these pictures you posted are PRECIOUS!!!! Gabbi and Ellie are definitely the cutest girls I know.

kate523 said...

I'm sooo jealous!!! A week at the beach. I would love to do that now. Instead I get to start PT on my sprained knee! enJOY!

Beth E. said...

I think of Jake every time I visit your blog. I've told you many times...he will always hold a special place in my heart!

You are truly blessed with your two precious baby girls, and I am doubly blessed with my two grown-up boys. Seems like I blinked and they turned into adults! (Well, one of them anyway...I'm not too sure about Bo! lol)The oldest is even practicing a coupla new words..."engagement ring". *Sniff, sniff*

The Popsicles looked yummy, but chocolate is what always works as a bribe for me! ;-)

Cute, cute post, Mo!