Best Friends

The girls had a bit of a love fest this morning...just nonstop kisses and hugs for each other. So sweet!!! I hope that they always, always love each other this much!!!!
(And....as you can see from their clothes, it's going to be about 20 degrees cooler here today than it has been the past few days so we can finally break out the winter clothes!!!).
We're also so excited. My cousin Ben and his wife Michele and their sweet daughter, Taylor are on their way from Denver to Jacksonville to visit us!!! Taylor is just a couple of months older than R and R so we are expecting some serious fun over the next few days!!! I wish that it was still going to be in the 80's for them....but I guess the 60's are still a lot warmer than Denver is going to see anytime soon! We'll try and take lots of pictures!

Just another Tuesday in Florida

The girls and I spent the morning playing at the beach!!! It's going to be nice again tomorrow and then get cold for a bit. Hopefully not for too long though, because these two are having so much fun with this amazing weather. Their new thing this morning was to hunt for shells. They dig around in the sand and give me Every! Single! Shell! that they find. I must have had 50 at one point (yes, I left them at the beach). They also liked walking around in the sand. It's funny how timid they are every time we go to the beach the first time their feet hit the sand. It must be a strange feeling for them. They also thought it was hilarious to chase a seagull that kept landing near us (because they kept dropping their Goldfish snack). They would scream and shriek and laugh and yell "Go Away Birdie!!!". I tried to get that on video but I was laughing too hard. Here are a couple of videos from our morning....my favorite is the two of them walking like big girls up the ramp from the beach holding their shoes. They are getting so darn big....need them to just freeze right where they are because it's just too much fun!

This is why I feel like I never get anything done

I was attempting to make dinner and had to stop because this is what was happening. I'm glad I got it on video but I swear, they do this all the time now.  If you're having a bad day just come hang out with Reagan and Riley for 5 minutes and I'll bet they'll turn your day right around!

Cooper and Laurlee

Cooper and Laurie came to visit us yesterday and spent the night! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! The weather was pretty nice yesterday so we went for a long walk, played at the playground and at our house and then went out to dinner. The kids had such a great time together...and Cooper is so good and patient with Reagan and Riley. The girls school was closed today so we took them down to show them around and the kids had a ball on the playground...they were the only ones there as it was MUCH cooler today!  Cooper was so sweet to them and always wanted to hold their hands and hug and kiss them. He takes very good care of them. He is also very good at sharing! He let them play with his special toy at dinner when they started to get fussy and even showed them how to use it! What a great cousin and such a sweet boy! I just wish we'd gotten more pictures...here are the few that we did take! We miss them already and can't WAIT to see them again soon!!!!

Gigi and Grandpa come to town (Nana too!)

Gigi and Grandpa (Great Grandpa, but the girls just call him Grandpa!) came to visit us yesterday and today! Nana brought them down from Hilton Head and we had so much fun!!!! They loved showing them all around the house and Gigi and Grandpa just played with them nonstop. They read them books, played legos and blocks together and just had a great time! We can't wait for their next visit but it's our turn now and we'll head their way again soon!
Here is a couple of cute pictures and even a video of the girls reading with them...we're so lucky to have them so close!

Is it bad to say I like global warming?

We just got back from an afternoon at the pool and the beach. It's January 13th. If any of you catch me complaining about anything anytime in the near future you have my permission to punch me.
The girls had a blast playing in the sand and they LOVED swimming just as much as they did a couple of months ago. Matt and I realized yesterday that we haven't gotten them new swimsuits or coverups since the summer (the coverups were from Aunt Liza last April!!!)  and they have grown A LOT since the last time they went to the pool. Regardless, we squeezed them in like sausages and had a ball. We had just a fantastic weekend and feel beyond blessed!!!!

Playground FUN

If I didn't know that it was January, I'd think we were in the middle of May. The past few days have been 75-80 and bright sunshine. I'm in heaven. It's been perfect and we've been living outside.  The girls and I took a walk up to our neighborhood pool yesterday (no, we didn't swim!). They have a playground up there that is gated in, so I figured that going there by myself with these two I might actually be able to handle them if they were contained!!! We had a blast...they spent over an hour there just running around like crazy. I told Matt that it almost made me cry at one point because it was just another example of how much their growing up. They walk up AND DOWN the stairs holding the railings. They didn't do that just a few weeks ago. They're getting braver and braver and wanting my help less and less with things.  I have a feeling this playground is going to be a daily fixture in our schedule now. We're going to take Matt up there this afternoon so he can see it too! We may also head to the beach if you can believe it...the water will be too cold to swim in, but the girls will love running around on the beach and digging in the sand!
Here are some videos of the girls having fun at the playground!

Your weekly dose of cute

I got the girls each a pair of sunglasses from the dollar bin at Target. Reagan is obsessed with hers. She wears them upside down because she puts them on herself...but how cute is this kid?!? She wanted to wear them while she took a nap today. I had to put my foot down on that one.  It was 80 and sunny here today and supposed to be that way for the next 7 days. WOOHOO!!!!!! I love living in the south!
The girls have been busy bees and started back at school on Monday. They love school so much and had so much fun.  They are getting bigger and smarter every single day and are amazing me at the things they are saying and doing.

BopBop had a big knee surgery this week (he's doing AMAZING!) and I told the girls to shout "Get Well Soon, BopBop!" and this is the picture that I snapped while Riley was in the middle of yelling. Too cute. Love these two with all of my heart!