When we asked Emily what she wanted to do with her Grandparents she said she wanted to play putt-putt. Julia loved the idea too (she loves to say the word too). We had time after dinner to stop and try our hands at a little miniature golf. We played pretty fast. We worked to keep the game moving and the girls interested. I hope one day in the future we will be able to go slow and enjoy the competition, but for the time being this is best. The girls hung in for all of the holes and over the time Emily showed more interest in playing consistently and with a little technique.

Just a few fun highlights from the game:

• Both girls enjoyed getting their ball in the holes.
• Emily would move the ball to where she wanted to hit it from.
• Julia had a special high-five she shared with her Daddy when each hole was completed.
• Daddy’s feet made great bunkers to help guide little balls.
• On occasion we would have a ball leave the putting area, but none of the times was it the girl’s fault.
• If we had really kept score Grandpa would have won. He played the most consistent game.
• We had a great time together!

Emily was talking Grandma to the hole. She wasn’t giving instructions she was just being her usual magpie-self.

A great Pa-Pa grin.

Sweet Daddy giving his little girl some assistance. Julia insisted in holding her putter backwards like this the whole time.

Mama giving a little putting lesson to Emily. By this point in the game she was listening to instructions a little better.

The classic well earned high-five exchange!

A little post-golf ride at the barnyard.

We took a day trip up to the mountains together. It was a treat to all be together as we traveled. We are so privileged to have such a beautiful place to visit in our backyard. The weather was cool compared to the weather we have been having and even cooler in the mountains. We visited the visitor center, drove through the park, and drove the Roaring Fork loop. The girls loved playing in the cabins. While we had to duck our heads to enter each door, they found the two room home to be a perfect place to play. Julia was a little skittish to touch the water in the stream, but once she did she didn’t want to get out.

Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit. We spent a while out with our kids and the kiddie pool. They enjoyed pouring water out of the pool, pouring water on themselves, watering our feet, writing on the sidewalk with water, and jumping into the water. Emily figured out that she could jump into the pool and splash the water. Sure enough she did fall, but loved doing it. Everything is more fun with grandparents around!

Emily is fascinated with watching videos. She insists that Grandma video everything she does and then wants to watch it immediately. Too funny!

Julia was not interested in looking at the camera. She wasn’t feeling well this day and wanted to cuddle more than usual. Mama doesn’t like for her little girl to be sick, but the mama enjoyed the extra holding time and nap with her little girl.

Emily jumping into the pool and loved it. She did it over and over.

Granddaddy has a standing Father’s Day gift of being taken to the Smokies’ ballpark. We sit in the family section down low where he can feel the game as much as watch it. We all enjoy our hotdogs, popcorn, ice cream, and soda (all a dollar on buck night) and cheer for our favorite team. This is pretty close to heaven for him and it is a delight to be able to spend the evening with him doing it.

This year we went on the perfect evening. The day had been hot, but not humid. The evening brought warm and comfortable weather. A light breeze made it perfect. School was still in session so there were not many people out at the park. The girls enjoyed sitting and eating their snacks. They bounced between different laps, especially when someone still had a treat. We spent the later innings over at the playground with the girls. They enjoyed walking around the outfield, watching for the mascots, listening to the different music, actually watched the game some, learned some baseball terms, sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, and said cute things.

To our surprise Julia was not terrified of the mascots this year. She willingly had a photo taken near them. Maybe next year, she will want to give them hugs. We look forward to our next trip out the the ball game.

Don’t let the lack of grin fool you, Grandaddy was a happy man. We know you are grinning on the inside.

Emily wanted to join the team

Our hug with the mascot. He flirted with Julia and she was happy, but not going to touch him. Emily was so happy to be picked up!

Julia wanted to join the team even though she couldn’t hold still enough for a photo. She had to be just like her big sister.

Hot days make for fun backyard pool days. The girls were being sweet with each other. The thing they seemed to enjoy most this day in the pool was the freedom to splash and pour water outside of the pool. In the bathtub they get in trouble for making a big water mess, but it was actually encouraged this day. They loved it!

I know this is not your typical photo from a day at a water park, but it is the only photo I have. We spent most of a day last week at the local waterpark called Splash Country. We went last year and this year we got season tickets again. The day we went it was over 90 degrees and sunny. It was the perfect way to enjoy the hot day. We went with our friends Elena and Maeve.

It was fun to see the difference in the girls between the two years. Both are much more confident in themselves. Last year Julia wouldn’t go off by herself much at all and had to be held a lot of the time. This year she wore her lifevest without a complaint and didn’t need to be held unless she was tired or walked slower than Mama wanted. She still needs to work on the idea of standing in line for a slide. Emily loved being there with her friends. She loved sliding by herself and I found that I had to watch her more closely because she would just take off to go and slide. She didn’t have any trouble with standing in line and taking her turn at the slides. That was quite a relief for the Mama. Emily’s favorite play area is the same as it was last year, but she played a lot more at the firetower area than last year. Having water splash her in the face wasn’t her favorite thing, but the slides were enticing enough to get her up in it. They enjoyed the lazy river more this year. We are all looking forward to our next trip. We found that there are several rides the big girls can ride with an adult. It will be fun to explore these rides with them.

We stayed at the park until Julia had absolutely given out. Emily never slowed down with her playing and did very well playing by herself (with supervision, of course) while Julia rested in a chair. Julia fell asleep in Mama’s arms as we walked out of the park. Emily took a while to fall asleep in the car, but when she went out she was gone. After getting home Mama put them on the couch so they would be easier to wake up. They didn’t wake up until forced and when Emily did get up she wasn’t much fun. Maybe next time, I will put her in bed for the night when we get home.