Gatlinburg

We visited Gatlinburg last weekend with Kevin's family. It was a great trip that included my favorite activity (shopping), and the kids' favorite activities (swimming, rides, playing with cousins, staying up late, and eating junk food). I'm pretty sure Kevin's favorite activities were not included in the weekend, but he was a good sport nonetheless.We had an absolute blast at the amusement park Saturday morning. Warner was just tall enough to drive the go-carts but unfortunately not coordinated enough to really get the hang of it. He tried so hard and really did well for a three year old little man.Maren loved each ride she went on. I am confident she will be our daredevil. There was a small roller-coaster that both kids rode with Kevin and me. Honestly I'm not sure Maren was tall enough to ride but they let her on. She screamed with the other kids and giggled the rest of the time. Warner wanted to ride it over and over again, and after his first trip announced: "I've been wanting to ride a roller-coaster forever!". Sunday morning before we left we played putt-putt with the kids. It was the first time they had played with putters of their own. Warner sort of chased his ball across the course and wanted to play each hole about three times. Thankfully there was no one playing behind us.Maren swung the putter a few times but then learned that she could just walk to the hole and drop the ball in. Once the ball was in the hole she'd turn around and announce "I did it!". Whatever. She was happy. Thanks for a great weekend, Nanny and Grandaddy!

Haircut

I'm not sure why we waited so long to cut Maren's hair. I think I was scared that her curls would go away, and also enjoyed the ease of pulling her hair into a ponytail when she wasn't in the mood for me to mess with her hair. In any case, Maren was beginning to sport a mullet so to the Kiddie Kastle we went for her first haircut.I sell bows at the Kiddie Kastle so the kids have been there a hundred times, but never for Maren's hair to be cut. This did not phase her. She marched right up to her chair of choice - the "back orse" (read: black horse) and was ready to go.The only thing that bothered her was the hair that got stuck to her hands.The finished product. Doesn't she look old? And in case you were wondering, her curls are still there. Yay!

Boone County Fair

I love the fair. Really. My heart is happy and suddenly I'm a kid again when we're walking through the fairgrounds, smelling fried food, watching rides spin around, and listening to the tractor pull in the distance. This might make me a redneck, but I really don't care. In my opinion, the fair is good, old-fashioned family fun.Of course the best part of the fair now is watching the kids enjoy the festivities. For a two and almost four year-old, the rides are just as fun as any amusement park.And what's better than funnel cake for dessert on a hot August night?
We stayed out until well past dark, the kids were exhausted, and filthy, and full of sugar by the time we left. And I can't think of a better way to spend a summer evening.

Photo Shoot

My friend Katie started a photography business (visit her site here) so we hired her for a photo shoot at a local park. She did a wonderful job and we got some amazing shots from the day. The only downside was we chose quite possibly the hottest, most humid day of the year for this photo session. So don't look too closely or you might see our skin glistening in a picture or two.
With so many great shots, how exactly are we supposed to narrow these down for printing?