Movers & Shakers

Last week I tried taking some household items and letting the kids create their own fun shakers.  Sierra and Chase were here playing, so everyone got to get in on the fun!

First step, take an empty water bottle and put some beads in the bottom.

 The nearly finished products ~ after filling the bottles with water there's just one step left.

 Once you add a few drops of food coloring, these shakers go from pretty good to fantastic!

Chase had a great time working on this project.

Miller kept filling up his bottle and then dumping the beads back out.  Guess he wasn't thrilled with his selections.  Eventually he created a shaker he was satisfied with.

Best buddies.

Some Duos and Handsome Dan

My guys.  

 Lorelai and Sierra taking the plunge.

This picture reminds me of how Dan and I typically end up looking in pictures:  Me smiling like a maniac and him looking at me like I'm an idiot.

Dan and Lisa's nephew, Andrew, getting ready to make a splash.

Adoring this picture of my handsome husband.

Usually I'm behind the camera, but I promised Dan that if he posed for a picture with me I would post it.

Bubble Painting

I'm trying to keep the kids busy over the summer doing some crafty things inside, particularly since the heat can be sweltering at times.  I search a lot of crafty-type blogs and have gotten some pretty cute ideas that luckily are fairly inexpensive, too.  This idea came from housingaforest.com.

The materials were pretty much regular household stuff: cups/bowls, straws, dish soap, water, paper, spoons, and food coloring.

Just mix up the soap, water, and food coloring, (I just eye-balled the amounts) give them a little stir, and you're ready to roll!  Just be sure to tell the kiddos to not accidentally breathe in while blowing the bubbles.  Miller made that mistake twice (What can I say, he just turned 3!) and ended up with a mouthful of soap~yuck!

Even though he's not looking at the camera, I like this picture because you can tell he was having fun.

Next, remove the straw and place a piece of paper on top of the cup or bowl.

 I love how he's just gazing at her.  How sweet!

The end result: some colorful artwork with no two exactly alike.

Our Sweet, Sassy Lady

Earlier this week Lorelai was making videos of herself on the iPad singing Justin Bieber songs.  She would watch the playback and just laugh hysterically.  I was able to capture lots of her giggles, as well as some other sweet, sassy, and funny faces.

A True Honor

One of the main reasons we went down to Destin during the week of the 4th was to serve as godparents for my cousin's daughters, Caroline and Bella.  As Catholics, being a godparent is one of the biggest honors someone can ask of you and we were more than happy to oblige.  

Our goddaughters ~ Caroline on the left and Bella on the right.

I know several of these pictures of Lorelai and Miller have already been used in the header, but I couldn't resist posting them again.

Just a few outdoor pictures.

 A few funny photos are always a welcomed addition.