A first trip to the ER

Almost a month ago, we had our first time visiting the ER with a kid.
Selah was running full force down the hallway and hit the doorframe at the end of the hallway, which prompted a fall into our bed. Her head ended up needing 2 staples.

All is better now, the staples are removed, and she is still running full force down the hallway.

Audie says...::black and white edition::

A couple summers ago I was given a bag of my Grandpa's photographs. And, by bag, I mean a plastic grocery sack, with random pictures, most of the bent and stuck together from being wet at some point.
I have intentions of going through them, straightening them up, and putting the prints in a mini album of some sort. I have heard rumors that there are more pictures somewhere...and more slides somewhere...It would be cool to get a hold of those and get those in a book as well.

Today while I was putting some things way on a closet shelf, the bag of pics fell on my head. I thought I'd take a look through them. Looking through the pictures caused my creative endorphins to get going! This is why I love photography! And, why I have come to love black and white images-- It inspires me to get out my camera and take pictures-- but also get them printed on paper- so it actually becomes a photograph! There are so many pictures that tell a story, and put history in your hands. I will have to share some of the other photographs with you in another post, but for now, share something that Audie said.

Audie came into where I was going through the pictures and was looking through them. I was explaining to her that most of the pictures were of her Great-Grandpa Gordon while he was a missionary in Africa. Upon looking at the picture above,(I'm guessing the pic is of my aunts, Beth and Marcia) Audie said, "I bet these are Africans! Because they don't have any shoes on."

I love that she doesn't see skin color yet- (Granted, this is a black and white picture). But I don't love the quickness to a stereotype (Even though it was a funny thought)!

SEVEN!

Seven.
Corinne is still the sweet and tenderhearted girl she has always been.
I'm thankful for her!

Corinne's day was lunch with friends, a piano recital, and dinner with family. She claimed this the best birthday yet.

5 Years old!

 Audie turned 5 a week ago. Her birthday festivities drew out quite a long while. And, she took advantage of her birthday too... She may have used it a tad to get what she wanted. I have no idea who she would take after by doing that!...

The weekend before her birthday, we had a "Messy Party". We haven't had birthday parties for the girls other than family and close friends. This was the first time besides their one year old parties that we had an actual "party". We invited all of her friends and they were all gracious to come a be a part!

Our Messy Party theme included everything about getting messy! We filled pools with water beads, mud, flour, slime, had LOTS of Silly String, whipped cream, shaving cream, finger painting, and a slip and slide. The kids LOVED it...especially the boys. Not so sure the boys' moms loved me for hosting this kind of party, but it definitely was a hit, and the kids had fun.

mud fights....

I think Selah got caught in the crossfire of a flour fight.

Some of the participants...

 It was a really great time.
THANK YOU to my friend Lauren who took all of these pictures at the party. THANK YOU!

The end of the week consisted of a trip to Kansas City. We visited with Matt's family for a couple of days, and then spent two days as a family on the Plaza. We intended for the last half to be a family vacation since we never did one earlier this summer. While it was nice to have down time, it didn't really feel like a vacation. Kansas City is just too familiar to the both of us to feel like we were "away". Still, the girls has lots of fun, and we made some new family memories.

While we were there I took both of the girls' birthday pictures.
Below are pictures of one of the most spunkiest girls you will ever meet! Audie continually has the gift to make us laugh, and the gift to laugh at herself. She is fiery and feisty, and I love this girl to death!