Sunfun, Memorial Day, Get-Togethers, and A New Grandbaby

We are still down here in Texas, and I thought I would post some of our pictures. Mostly, we have been taking care of business: doctor's appointment, Ryan working, apartment / house hunting, etc. However, we have squeezed in some fun. We have spent a lot of time together as a family, and actually, we had a game night with EVERYONE in Texas. Anyway, for what it's worth.
So far, Memorial Day has been really nice. We have spent time together with Shea & Jessica, and D'Lonna & her boys. Unfortunately, Wayne worked an all-nighter and it sounds like they literally kept him busy ALL NIGHT (He's a resident surgeon at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and people tend to party really hard on holiday weekends.). So . . . he's sleeping at home right now. Dallin, Stephanie, & Baby Corbin left on their vacation, so they missed out too. But we still had a wonderful lunch of ribs and brisket, fresh fruit,veggies, and potato salad. We always eat so well!!! The weather has also been really sunny, not too hot, and perfect for water games. Carter and all of the boys loved this "Slip & Slide". Thanks Mama & Papa Allred!
David kept getting in the way. He didn't understand the line idea and preferred to block the path to the little pool at the end. I guess he's big enough to hold his own, but we were worried one of the other boys was going to get hurt.

None of the boys had any fear. They just took off and sometimes all the way from the patio for a long run to the slide. They were CRAZY!!! We're hoping for long naps / early bedtime tonight!

Barbara also found this really cool water spout that sprayed water out of these random tentacles. The boys had a great time with it!!!
This is the garden I started. One of the coolest things about Texas is that you can have a winter / spring / summer garden and a fall garden. And this one is actually really healthy. Wayne & Ryan tilled it. And then I planned it with Wayne. Then I planted the onions, garlic, broccoli, and cauliflower. Wayne planted the rest when we left. If all goes well, we will have corn, radishes galore, tomatoes, more green beans, garlic, onions, okra, pumpkins, cucumbers, and watermelons. Today, we ate green beans from the garden. I love this!!! It's addicting and therapeutic!
Here is a close-up of our succulent plants. They're gorgeous!
On Sunday, prior to Dallin & Stephanie's departure, we had a game night / get-together at D'Lonna's house. I'm so sad that we never took Ben & Melanie or Jeff & Anneli up on playing Killer Bunnies, because after two years of owning the game, we finally learned how to play. And . . . it's really FUN! One of the activities was a water balloon war at the park. Of course, the sprinklers happened to be going at the same time. So . . . Matthew & David parked themselves right in front of the sprinklers and soaked themselves. [*Note, they were in their church clothes and sandals. I know, just material things, but frustrating. And I think Jamesy was a little bothered since he was the only dry one in the wagon on the walk home.]
These are the sling shots Ryan's mom made for the kids growing up. The Allred family really gets into their summer activities / ideas. She sewed this little jean pouch around this tubing and it works amazingly! Welcome to the family Jessica!

One target was hit the entire night: Carter. Poor kid!! Everyone was cheering and he cried!
I guess I would have been hit too if I hadn't moved. I was watching David by the swingset and moved just in time.

So here it is Julie, Stacey, & everyone else who has been bugging for a picture. Are you sorry you asked??!! In this picture, if you enlarge it, you will see my hair is like one big knot / frizz ball. Texas humidity does wonders for your skin, but it doesn't matter how long you curl or how much you spray. If your hair is perfect before you leave the house, then you better take a picture. Because as soon as you walk outside, your make-up is going to melt off your face, and your hair is going to go flat or flare up and twist. I was about 12 hours late on the picture!
Dallin & Stephanie

Baby James has grown up so much. He talks, laughs, and runs. We don't know exactly what he says yet, but some things are pretty close!
Aunt Jessica had the chance to see all of the chaos and experience it first hand. We had seven boys together all under the age of 8. CRAZY!!!!!!
Of course, the cousins thought it was so cool to sit at their mini table. Matthew thinks his cousins are the coolest!! Watch out Tyler, you have a fan!
Shea was lifting David upside down, Dallin shot nerf arrows at his son, and seriously, it was nuts!
This is a black mail shot from Ryan. Lets be nice, okay?? I was deep in thought and BOOM--he takes my picture.

The siblings together, minus Travis.
Baby Corbin has grown up too. And he's filled out a lot! I can't believe how big he is. His little legs and thighs now contain mini rolls. It's so cute! And the socks cut off his circulation. What a ham!

And he smiles so much! It's a lot of fun to have this many babies around, and boys at that! What would we do with a girl??
Corbin was fine, as long as he knew where his Mommy was. He melted each time he saw her and would make noises and smile. It was really sweet!

These are our little monkies!

Cotta has so many curls and stars in his eyes! He's such a doll!

And Tyler is so old. He's going to be baptized this year. I just can't believe it. I remember him stumbling around because he had just learned to walk when we were in Arlington at Six Flags. He was so tiny. Now he's this super smart, second or third grader and just growing up way too fast!
Here she is, the new grandbaby . . . Brownie, the chocolate lab. Shea & Jessica decided to learn about training a puppy before a baby. They picked a really beautiful one. The kids love her!!
David wins the award for being the most excited about the puppy. He was always picking Brownie up and giving her "love". Sometimes it was a litlte harder than she needed, but his heart was in the right place. It was really sweet. David is the teddy bear of the bunch.
She has a really rich, creamy / silky brown coat with a hint of black tones around her tail and some of her skin. She's absolutely beautiful!!
David didn't mind the humidity one bit, because it still = outside. He loves feeling the grass, the dirt, the wind, the cement, whatever. He is an outdoor's man!

These two shots were taken in Denver before we left. The kids were just being cute and goofy. I couldn't resist! The thing that startled me was that I am looking at two BIG boys, no babies anymore.
And this is another blackmail shot. I took it for Ryan. Unfortunately, I looked a lot better in person than on camera. Oh well. So it goes.
We found this turtle on the way to D'Lonna's on Sunday. We were getting off of the Sandy Lake exit ramp of George Bush when we saw something really big in the road and moving. We looked down and saw that it was this HUGE turtle! Ryan turned on our flashers and jumped out, had me open the dog cage door (the dog was in the other car with Shea & Jessica), and placed it in there until we got to D'Lonna's. Unfortunately, the turtle got really scared when all of the kids came to look at it, so you can't see . . . but the turtle had these long, sharp claws and actually moved really fast! Ryan and Shea took it to a nearby creek to keep it safe. I was worried about separating it from it's family, but this is what we did. So hopefully, it was on its own.
This is just another shot from game night.