4th of July festivities

For the Fourth of July this year, Mark and I decided to have some family and friends over for a small gathering.  We even bought a   fancy kiddie pool (like the kind with a filter but only about 2 feet deep) for the little ones.  It ended up being kind of nice weather and we had a great time.

My patriotic cupcakes:

Yummy oreo truffles:

Katie and Emma with the Williams girls, Avery and Morgan:

Katie with Paw paw and Juju:

Emma with the grands too:

Katie and I's non cellular selfie:

Nannie Kim and Katie:

Nannie Kim, Katie and Mr. Richard:

The Weimer girls love their Ultra:

Emma in the fancy resort style pool:

Jovi sits amongst the coaches' discussion:

Aunt Denise even drove down from North La:

Late night swim to watch all the neighbors' fireworks:

I was trying to get a picture of the girls in the pool with some fireworks in the background, but it didn't quite work, oh well!

Trip to Plano to visit Nannie Jane

After Emma's Girl Scout Camp, the girls and I headed to Plano for the long weekend to see Nannie Jane and the Amersons.  It was a great trip.  The drive was long but uneventful and the girls did great.  We had a little rain on the way home, but not too much.  We can't wait to go back sometime soon.

At the Texas state line:

Most of the pictures I took were from our trip to the Perot Science Museum.  For this biology teacher it was an amazing place.  We literally spent an entire day there, including our lunch break!  Here are our photos:

Waiting to board the train to Dallas:

Acting like big city girls:

And... not so much!  (Nice Jazz hands Nannie Jane:

Arriving at the Museum playing with the cool instruments outdoors:

My girls and I outside the museum:

Nannie Jane, Katie, Emma and Emily:

Posing with the giant frogs:

One of the cool sections in the museum was the dinosaur section where Emma and Emily got to "dig for fossils:

The cool sports section where Nannie Jane and Emily tried out their tennis expertise:

And Katie also tested her reflexes:

A view of the city as we went up the escalator:

Lots and lots of amazing dinosaur displays:

We stopped for a lunch break in the cafe' there and Emma got a giant rice krispie treat:

My favorite section was the life science section that including information on cells, anatomy and evolution - AMAZING!

Emma and Emily play around with all of the discovery type exhibits:

Best section of the entire museum (in my opinion) was the biology lab part.  We actually got to do some real microscope experiment.  Katie and I made slides of her cheek cells and Emma and Emily tested cleaners and their effectiveness on germs.  Super cool!

My little scientists:

Katie swabbing for her cheek cells:

testing their variables:

Katie's cells:

Thugging science:

How cute are we?

Two more cuties!

Water cycle display in the weather section:

Emily and Emma do the weather:

So the next morning, Nannie Jane had to play tennis so the girls and I had to make the required trip to the American Girl store.  I think we are slowly outgrowing the American Girls, but the place is too cool.  Even Katie and I still enjoy it.  We just made a quick trip, got Emily's hair done (one of Emma's many dolls), and then we had a quick drink at the cafe there.  Lots of fun here too.

Posing outside the store with "Emily"

Emma waits for Emily to get her hair done:

Having a coffee and some drinks while we wait for Emily to finish her "spa treatment":

Girl Scout camp

Emma had her first sleep away camp this year  at Camp Marydale - Girl Scout camp in St. Francisville.  She decided to do one on horses.  Overall I think she had mixed emotions about it.  She was excited about it, but a little nervous.  It was only for 3 days, and we did get  call the 2nd night with a little homesickness, but she stayed and toughed it out and had a good time.  I don't think she got to ride horses as much as originally planned, but the good thing is she is talking about going back again next year.  I think if she had a friend go with her next time, she might be a little tougher.

Here are a few pictures, I don't have many b/c of course they don't let you tag along at Girl Scout camp!  (Ha-ha)

Her packed things:

Arriving at Marydale:

Mom saying goodbye:

Emma's cabin would be "Bunkhouse" right by the horse barn:

Emma and one of her counselors:

And this is where I left her, at the singing tree:

Last softball game

Emma had her last softball game a few weeks ago, and I forgot to take my camera, but I snapped a few pictures with my phone.  She had a good time this year.  One of her coaches was Brett Laxton who played baseball for LSU, so now she wants to get a Brett Laxton card to go with her Ben McDonald card!  She is such a daddy's girl - likes to shop at baseball card shops - ha ha!  Geaux Tigers!