T-Ball at the Y

Have I mentioned how much I love the YMCA in our area?  We joined almost a year ago and I’ve loved every minute of it!  Well every minute except the one minute a month it takes to balance the bank accounts and I see where they debited our accounts yet again for membership (see previous post of me gaining an addiction to being thrifty).  All kidding aside, it really is a great place.  They have so much to offer…..great exercise classes, wonderful childcare staff (read here: two hours a day mom gets a break from kids), brand new equipment, wonderful childcare facilities (another mom break), rockwall, splashpad, video game room (yet another mom break), sports activities, dance classes, family night activities, parent’s night out and so much more.  Oh and did I mention they offer two hours of free childcare per day with your membership? 

This spring they offered T-Ball for the kids.  It was more of a non-competitive sports clinic with a few scrimmages mixed in rather than an actual league, but it was a fun family outing none the less. 

The Green Team being silly!

Dalton up at bat and then playing first.

Addie learning to “bat” and running to first base.

Dinosaur George

The local library near us always has a great summer reading program.  This year, they organized several different events the kids and I were able to enjoy.  They kicked off the summer with a very cool magician named Spikey Mikey.  He kept the kids entertained and made a few plugs during his routine about how important reading is for everyone.  Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me, so we will just have to make the most of memories.  The library also brought in Dinosaur George for the mid-point program this summer.  I have to admit, for one guy and an assistant to just stand up there and talk to a large group of kids for over an hour and not lose anyone’s attention….well he has a gift.  The show was great.  Very informative and entertaining!  If you ever get a chance to go see Dinosaur George in your area and your kids are the least bit interested in dinosaurs (and let’s admit what kid isn’t?!?), don’t pass it up!

Waiting for the show to start!

Sitting on the edge of his seat wearing the biggest smile ever!

Inside a prehistoric skull of some kind or another.

Addie enjoyed the show from afar.  She wasn’t too sure of all the fossils up close.

Better late than never…

My beautiful niece and handsome little nephew turned one last month.  We were fortunate enough to get to celebrate this milestone with them. 

Happy 1st Birthday Asher and Sophie!

Hello, my name is Crystal….and I have a problem!

I’ve always considered myself a thrifty person but being a stay-at-home mom for the past four years and learning to live comfortably enough on one income has turned me into something I don’t think I would have recognized a few years back.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.  In fact, I love it!  However, I do need to confess I do have an addiction that is growing by the month.  As a disclaimer though, I blame Blake 100%.  Okay, so maybe not 100%, but he is on the one that first introduced me to the blog that started it all, http://moneysavingmom.com/.  Her blog is a bit extreme and I do not endorse all of her ideas, but she offers great tips and has taught me how to positively use the “Buy Ahead” principal. 

That being said, I now must show you what I “bought ahead” today…..

 

In my defense, each row of shoes represents a different size that Addie will grow into over the next year or two.  And most were under $5, which is a steal for decent little girl shoes. 

I’m so glad that God only decided to bless us with one little girl….because if we had more, I’m pretty sure we would be in debt!

Cow Appreciation Day

Mooooo!  It’s good to be a cow….especially when it means free breakfast at Chick-fil-a.

I may be biased, but these are the cutest little cows I’ve seen.

Addie trying to negotiate a trade with Dalton. 

“I’ll give you my chicken for your bread.”

It didn’t work out for her.

Happy Cow Appreciation Day!

Brownie Bowl

For the record Mom asked, “Who wants to lick the bowl?”

Florida Vacation

For vacation this year we headed off to Crestview, Florida (near Destin) to visit some great friends and old neighbors of ours, Brad & Jeri.  It was a 13 hour drive each way.  We left on Thursday night and made it to College Station where we stayed the night with our friend Jessica.  (Thanks Jess for letting us leave Belle with you!)

We left at 3am the next day to get as many miles underway as we could. 

On the way…

Sunrise over Lake Charles, LA.

Tunnel in Mobile, AL

At the Beach

We made it to Florida by early afternoon on Friday.  We went and saw Brad & Jeri’s new house and then headed for the beach.

Dalton swimming with Brad & Jeri.

 

Nightlife…

Brad & Jeri took us down to the harbor and shared some excellent seafood with us. 

On Saturday they took us out on a dolphin cruise.

I asked the kids to wave at the boat coming in next to us.  This is what she started doing…

We spent a lot of time everyday at the beach.  Because we were in the water so much, we didn’t get as many pictures as we normally take.  We had a great time staying with our friends.  We can’t wait to go back and see them again! 

New Orleans

We left Florida on Monday morning and drove the four hours to New Orleans.  We toured some of the historic area around Tulane University and downtown.  That night we got a nice hotel in the French Quarter. 

We walked around the French Quarter for the rest of the afternoon.  We stopped at ate at a cool little blues restaurant and then went back to the hotel and let the kids enjoy the evening by the pool.

St. Louis Cathedral

The Mississippi River

Then on Tuesday we picked up Belle and made the drive home.

Another great vacation with the Lacy Family!

Dog Days of Summer