June Fun

We spent my birthday weekend at Daytona Beach. This is the storm that blew in Saturday afternoon. I've never seen them clear the beach for weather but they did this time!
Birthday Self Photo :)
Lounging Lauren. She LOVES this rocking chair and gets angry if anyone else sits in it. If she sees N sitting in it, she runs over and tries her best to pull her out.

N showing me some love...crayola style.

Father's Day breakfast.

Daisy is back in our family!! Tom has graciously been keeping Daisy Dog since Jan. He's showered her with walks, treats and tons of attention. We're very glad to have her back in our lives. Lauren just loves her.
Lauren has completed her ISR swimming lessons. Here's she's taking her 'final test' where she has to swim and prove her skills while dressed and in a real diaper. I say it a lot, but can't say enough about the phenomenal survival program.

It has been insanely hot and humid this week. We cooled off on Tuesday with the super slide at Mary's house. Girls had lots of fun!

L loving on her new rocking elephant.
Jason is such an awesome dad...he even throws dance parties...

Funny toddler....

We've found Cheyanne's hiding place...

Natalieisms-
"My bangs are almost hair again." (They're growing out!)

L was daydreaming and just starting into space. N exclaims, "She's freezed!"

Just One Year

It's come and gone. Our baby has had her first birthday!

A few years ago the children's clothing line, Carter's had a line of baby clothes with a tagline of "just one year." I remember thinking that was kinda dumb because kids are kids for so long. But as with most things I thought at one point were dumb...I now 'get it'.

It's just one year that you can cuddle her. Just one year for her to be the little baby. From here on out she'll continue to reach milestones and grow into a little girl and young lady, but I will always cherish her just one year of being the best baby girl she could have possibly been. Thank you Lauren... for an amazing year.

In her first year she's lived in Lake Mary, Gainesville, LONDON!, and back to Lake Mary, traveled across the Atlantic (twice!), taken the Chunnel, walked across the Prime Meridian, & visited Holland. The poor thing has slept in her pack-n-play for more of her life than her crib!

Little L is doing great! She's growing as she should, loves facing forward in her car seat and is glad she can more easily keep up with her big sisters. Jason and I were trying to decide how to celebrate her birthday and I asked him what does she REALLY like and that would be our theme. He responded, "She really likes you, her mom, should we have a Jeni themed party?!" We settled for the zoo since she also loves animals. Of course it poured all over our zoo plans so we have a raincheck to actually see the animals.

N helping with the cake...

The birthday girl!Not too interested in opening gifts.
But thought they were cool once she saw them in action.
Loved the balloons.



Valla
Natalie
Will


A monkey cake for our little monkey.



"No hat please."

"Wow...really...all mine?!"

"Ok...this is pretty good."

"Yeah, I like this!"

Really digging in now.

"This was so good and so fun!"
Cleaning up :)
The next day she still enjoyed the balloons...

Here are her 1st year photos...

Thank you family for celebrating Lauren Grace's first birthday with us.

She is so loved.

PS- The Click Clack Mafia Blog is one year old today! Thanks for hanging with me, I so enjoy it.

A Swimming Summer

All 3 girls have been taking swimming lessons! Lauren is taking Infant Swimming Resource, the amazing survival skill lessons that both V & N took when they were younger. She's doing great, learning to get to the side of the pool, hold on, and working on floating. She's not particularly fond of being told what to do, but absolutely loves the pool and being in the water.

Valla & Natalie have been taking lessons to learn all the different strokes...freestyle, breast-stroke, backstroke, butterfly & some others. Val has also been working on an underwater turn off the wall.
Nat...
Val...


This is a special picture for me. My Grandpa made this rocking chair for me (and one for each of his other grandchildren) back when I was little. It has always been a favorite and now Lauren is really enjoying it. She crawls up onto it and rocks away a few times a day. I have pictures of me, V & N in it too! Thanks Grandpa for the wonderful chair....we all love it!


A few weeks back it rained for 5 or 6 days straight. It became arts and crafts time in our little apartment. N made this lifesize paper doll of herself!
The girls have loved discovering all the hidden toys and possessions that have been in storage since Jan. But after a day or so, what do they really want to play with?? They made a hideout behind the couch. :)

Our 13 year old fat cat, Fate.
N finishing off some cold Publix fried chix. (This was both her and my plate, she didn't eat all that herself!)
The whole picture...Fate waiting and hoping for her to drop a bite!

We've really been enjoying our driveway and neighbordhood. The girls really missed their bikes and scooters. Natalie is starting to learn how to ride her bike with no training wheels.


Girls playing in our new living room.

Apartment Photos-
"What isn't this where I'm supposed to sit?!"
Lauren discovered the cat door, surprisingly she didn't try to escape through it.

Lauren enjoyed her first powdered donut...a lot!



"Mom, are you going to use that Goose tape?" (duct tape)

There was a maintenance worker digging a hole along the sidewalk and N asked why he was digging. I told her maybe there was a broken pipe he needed to fix. She responded with, "Ooorrrr maybe he's looking for dinosaur bones!"