Kindermusik

Yesterday was our last Kindermusik class for the summer.  Addy loves the CD of Kindermusik songs that we got this time... it is called Zoo Train and she has her favorites that she requests in the car (rocking chair, Alley-O, tweet tweet, and Monkeys are her top four!).  Whenever we exit off of McFarland to get on University Boulevard, Addy claps and says "DAY!" (she says "d" instead of "y"??)  She still gets quiet sometimes during class and just seems to be in a daze although not as much as she used to, but I know she loves it because when I ask her "where are we going today?" she always wants to go to "music class" and see "Mrs. Ern" (Erin).  Riley was in our same class for the summer session so that was an added bonus! 

Riley & Rachel

Addy & Riley... they were a little preoccupied with the sucker they got at the end of class to look at the camera!

Giving a bye hug!

Play Date

Last Friday, we met Marian & Mary-Virginia at C.H.O.M. for a little playtime.  It was Marian's first time to visit CHOM and we had a great time!  The girls had fun in the farm and the hospital and they drove the truck and Marian was brave enough to drive the riverboat (it scares Addy because it makes a loud noise sometimes!).  Addy and I took our shoes off and went in the little Japan house and pretended to eat some sushi (but Addy insisted that it was cake!)  We had a great time and even went back this morning for Movin & Groovin, the little music time that they have throughout the week!

Marian loved this little pony!

Addy found a book to read next to the "beaver house"...

Marian & Addy were looking at turtles

The girls went "camping" in the gazebo and Addy wanted to take these binoculars with us!

Driving the truck... Marian operated the radio while Addy drove!

Mary-Virginia & Marian

Father's Day

Last Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day with both sides of the family at the LeCroy's house.  We have done this for the past few holidays (Easter, Mother's Day) and it is nice to have all of our immediate family (except Kyle, we missed you!) in one place!  We had just gotten back from our trip to the beach so it was especially nice to see everyone!  We ate outside at Mia & Pop's house and had lots of yummy food (shrimp, pasta salad, squash, fruit, strawberry pie and tons of other stuff that I won't list!). 

Courtney and I talk a lot about how blessed we are by our families. Our dads are no exception! We both look to our dads as men of strong faith and character. I have enjoyed watching them in their newest role as grandfathers! And I am SO thankful for a husband who is such a great father to Addy. I can see how much he loves her and it just makes me smile thinking about it...


All Smiles!

 For Father's Day, we made Courtney a book on Shutterfly for he and Addy to read together before bed... it is similar to one of our favorite books but instead has pictures of Addy (and different words!)... it is one of the new standards before bed at night. 

Giving Courtney his Father's Day gift...

Looking at their book together

Phone and Instagram pictures

I had taken a few pictures on my phone while we were at the beach - one of my favorites was the one below of Courtney and Addy.  I had been seeing something about Instagram on another blog or two and had to investigate!  I downloaded a (free!) app for my phone and it is so neat!  You can add lots of neat affects to your pictures... here are a few that I did!

My favorite...

Footloose and Fancy Free!

Addy was enjoying her view of the beach!

Addy & Riley after Kindermusik on Tuesday.  They are so cute and sweet to each other - giving hugs, holding hands... I love it!

Beach Trip!

We enjoyed a trip to the beach last week!  Thanks to Lynne & Bob (my aunt & uncle) we got to stay in Panama City Beach and enjoy some wonderful weather and lots of family time, just the three of us!  It was the first trip to the beach since Addy that we have gone without friends or family so it was a little different but we really enjoyed it.  I tried to keep up with some of the highlights from our trip while we were away so I wouldn't forget them.  Here are several pictures to help me remember what we did!

The first night we ate dinner at the Back Porch.  Addy was highly entertained because we sat next to the door to the kitchen and the waitresses walking by all night kept her attention.  That was our best dinner out as far as getting to enjoy our food!

After we ate, we walked through Pier Park and found the carousel (or "Carrot Self" as Addy calls it).  We all three got to ride!

Addy & Courtney waiting on the carrot-self



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Addy had SO much fun playing on the beach!

Uh -oh!  Where are Addy's legs?!

Having fun in the sand

She had fun watching all the airplanes, helicopters, and birds that flew over and the "parrot self" (parasail) that we saw every day in the ocean.  One time we saw several birds flying and Addy noticed "lot of birds" and said they were going to the "airport!"  

Playing chase with her Daddy

Waiting on the waves to get her...



So much fun!



This girl is on a mission!

Trying to wiggle away from her Daddy!

We went to the playground one day to change it up a little!

And had lunch at Margaritaville to try and beat the crowd (Addy & Courtney were looking around at all the neat things to see inside the restaurant)

She loved the ocean!

I liked this picture of us!

We tried to take some beach pictures but this was the only one where Addy was looking at the camera and after two "photo shoots" I gave up!



After dinner at Schooners one night, we drove to the marina at Capt. Anderson's to see the boats and the fish!  I love how Addy and Courtney are looking at each other here! 



Addy rode around on Courtney's shoulders to look at all the boats.

This was the "pool" that Courtney made.

We drove to Destin one day after Courtney & I had gotten a little too much sun to shop at the outlets (mainly I looked while Courtney and Addy strolled around, ate snacks and people watched!) and had lunch at Panera Bread before we drove back to PC Beach.  Toward the middle of our trip, we discovered the joys of takeout at the beach.  Courtney picked up dinner for us and brought it back so we got to enjoy a nice dinner and Addy didn't get frustrated because of staying cooped up in a highchair the whole time!  We also were able to stay out on the beach a little later because we didn't have to go in and get ready to go out for dinner.  We watched a few sunsets, took a few naps, read books and just had an all around good time! 

20 Months!

With Addy, I think each age is my new "favorite" age!  I can't believe she's only 4 months away from turning two... that is scary to me!  I like to record what she's doing new each month because when I make her scrapbook for the year, it helps me to look back through the year to see what all we did and how she changed!

This month we went swimming at Mia & Pop's house twice and Addy is not too sure about the pool. She liked it last year but her cautious side is kicking in this summer. We will keep trying though! She does love the sprinkler ("Git WAY-YET" is what I hear the entire time I'm watering flowers!) and still loves bathtime so there's hope for the pool!



This was her favorite way to be in the pool... on a float, out of the water!



Walking down to the pool with Pop

We went to a birthday party at the Barnyard in May and Addy had SO much fun!  It was neat to see how much the animals had grown since we were there with our church friends in April.  Addy got to hold a chick and a bunny and bottle feed a pig.  She rode in the boat with her Daddy (and about 8 other kids and parents :) and got to ride the pony. 

This month, we visited all of Addy's great grandparents!  We were in Centreville around Mother's Day and took a trip to Gadsden last Friday to visit my grandparents.  My aunt Lynne & Bob were also there and it was so good to see them! 

Addy talks all the time... she has a bit of a southern drawl and some words that are one syllable somehow turn into three!  She does a lot of narrating (for instance, she labels everything when we are driving down the road... motorcycle, big truck, car, almost home, etc.) and she asks us simple questions (Mommy go?  Daddy go?)  Here lately, she is very concerned with where Mommy is.  I think we are going through the whole separation anxiety thing again.  Dropping her off at church is tough and even putting her down for bed has gotten to be a challenge.  I am hoping it is just a phase that will pass quickly!

She does more silly stuff and when we think something is funny she will ham it up a little bit... I think she gets that from her Daddy!

She tried on her hula outfit while everyone was over for Memorial Day

She tests us more when we tell her No.  She will look right at me after I get onto her to see if I'm going to stop her from doing the thing she just got in trouble for.  Sometimes, she will repeat whatever it is she's not supposed to do and then she usually doesn't do it (which is good!)

Her new thing is "singing" songs.  She doesn't really sing but she repeats the words of songs that she knows all the time and at random times.  We will say "I love you" and she will break into the Barney song and then sometimes she jumps over to Wheels on the Bus or Jesus Loves Me.  She doesn't know the whole song or anything, just a few familiar phrases.  But there is nothing sweeter than hearing that little voice say Jesus loves me this I know... Bible tells me so!

KK brought over a fun new toy last week... thanks KK!

She likes trying on my shoes!  She still loves books but I don't think she spends as much time looking at books as she used to.  Along the same lines as singing songs, she has a few lines of each of her favorite books that she has memorized... she will pick up The Cat in the Hat and say "Bump!  Bump made us jump!  Cat Hat!"

Do these match my pajamas?

Her very favorite thing is to be outside.  She always wants to go out, no matter how hot it is!  And her second favorite thing is playing with Julie (her baby doll).  She is such a good little mommy and pats Julie and tells her "it's okay" all the time.  Sometimes I will hear her telling Julie to "be still!"

She still loves the vacuum... she gets ill if I don't let her do it all by herself

She is going to her very first Vacation Bible School this week.  Our church has Bible school for preschoolers and Courtney and I are helping out so Addy gets to come hang out with the other kids.  BUT with the whole separation thing, I ended up in her room for half the time tonight! 

First night of VBS!