The Zoo with the Rowes!!!

My sister, Noelle, and her family made the LONG drive out here from SLC to visit us before they move to Australia. Aren't they amazing?! They spent the weekend at Cory's friend's place outside of Charlotte. By Monday, we were so excited to see them that we drove out to the Zoo to meet them.

The fam (Back to Front and Left to Right): Noelle, Cory, Baby Will, Lily and Ava. 

It's a bummer a lot of these are blurry. I discovered a smudge on the lens half-way through the day.

Cambers and Veena playing with cubs

This little stinker is always trying to stand up no matter what she is in, on or around.

Cambry learned a few new tricks from her cousins while they were here. Ava taught Cambry how to swing from a railing outside the Lion exhibit.

Oh my gosh. With this many cute kiddos around, there were too many cute pictures. In the interest of time and space. Here are few mashed into a collage.

See Lily on that monkey's back. This was just outside the monkey exhibit. She loved the animal sculptures. After she got off the monkey, she said to me: "I can't wait to see what's next." 

I said: "The monkeys are next, silly." 

She replied: "No, what statue is next." 

What a gem. 

A few pics from the Zebra/Giraffe/Ostrich exhibit. Will and Vienna are so cute together. Both Lily and Ava served as navigators for a little bit.

Ava was obsessed with tickling Vienna the whole time at the zoo, which is fine by us. We loved hearing their adorable giggles.

Oh, it was so good to be with these girls again. How I missed them.

At the flamingos (who apparently breed all summer, sickos!), Lily and Ava did there best flamingo impressions.

The girls had a great time in the aviary playing on these grates that blow air. Ava helped Cambry stay modest on the grates by holding down her skirt for her.

Lily getting blown away.

Cambry was cracking up because of Lily's antics on the grate.

Will's turn.

Ava at it again. Can you fit anymore happiness in a picture?

Riding the Rhino.

Playing in the eggs. Cambry spent most the time jumping off the shells.

Mr. Will and Veena were so cute in their little egg together. *Pinch*

That's our little Veena bug.

Lily tickling Joslyn with an ostrich feather.

Coming to get me.

Marching around the mist tree.

Wait, what's Ava doing? Oh just getting a drink.

Searching for lost elephants in a chopper. Seems like a Chinook would be more appropriate for the job

The zoo was so much better with Noelle and Cory and their kids. More to come soon from their visit.

Rock-a-bye Baby

I got this little rocking chair at a garage sale and wanted to turn it into a little project.  I forgot to take a picture before I started sanding, but you get the idea- white paint, alphabet seat.

Completed!  It was pretty fun to do and my girls love it

Vienna tries to stand and rock... Not the best/safest activity for her. Here she is poised and ready to get back in position.

And Cambry finally knows where to sit when she is in time out.  (It was in her room a couple months before I went to work on it, and she pronounced it as her time out chair). Thankfully she uses it other times too.

Random Phone Pics

You know in Tangled when Rapunzel tries the crown on in all the wrong places? Haha  Cute Cambry tried this on so many ways.  One day Cambers

Uncle Lindz and Veena snuggling. We miss these moments

Vienna Climbed her way up to be the captain of this ship

"One day Nana you'll be big like me.  There's a whole world out there just waiting for you."

Cambers visiting her pets.

Loving the park sand pit. She's almost at the point where she doesn't eat it.  Each time we get in there, she has to taste it, then she can move on.

After she spends about 20 minutes swinging, she is completely satisfied spending the rest of the morning up to her shins in the sand

Camera Clean-up

Vienna loves to play with the stereo. Whenever it is on, she'll come sit right by it and bounce and flap her arms. She especially loves the volume dial. She'll crank it up and be dancing her little heart out while Cambry hightails it out of there.

Cambry has this little hole in her blanket. It was made a year and half ago when it dragged on the stroller. Joslyn was going to sew it up until she discovered that Cambry loves to sticks her hand in there while she sucks her thumb. The Beck sewed that section off for us so that Cambry wouldn't pull all the stuffing out.

One day, Cambry pulled all her stuffed animals out and said "picutres." So, we did a little photo shoot of her stuffed animals.

Vienna loves to splash. It's always a wet experience bathing her.

Cambry loves her boots and her american flag onesie that miraculously still fits her from last year.

 The lighting one evening was so strange. It was really light, but at the same time it was dim. I don't how to explain it, so here some pictures, but they don't really do it justice, of course.

Cambry likes to line up her stuffed animals and doll to watch shows with her. She's very careful to make sure that they are all covered by the blanket.

Cambry moved this box over by the TV to watch in. Vienna climbed aboard and the two of them watched together in there for 5 minutes (that's a long time for our kids).

Jordan Lake

We went to this great lake that is 20 minutes away from our house.  It was perfect for our little water babies.  Close by, great beach, warm water (bath water almost), and no waves knocking them down.

Vienna is a PRO at motoring around in her little boat.  She can kick her floaty to swim circles around us. What a happy little girl!

Cambry's happy knee deep in water with a fist full of toys.

Veena Bug can EAT!  She's eating as frequently and as much as a teenage boy these days.  Here we are stopped for a snack.  She's annoyed I'm not giving her the snack in my hand fast enough.

Cambry Heaven: hours of sand and water.  Here she is trampling her tall tall tall towers

Veena kept trying to walk on water.  Sorry girlfriend, I'm sure you have enough faith, but the rest of us don't.

Gosh! Cambers was doing something really cute as I was about to snap this pic, then she tipped over and tried to drown by the time I clicked it. Thankfully Devin grabbed her a second later, and she came up with a big smile.  All in all it was a wonderful Rappleye day.