Around the House

Since noticing how busy we had gotten and how few photos had been taken, I have made a concerted effort to try to get out the camera more. That, and Anna has been doing some pretty cute stuff. But, I'm her mom and everything is cute, right? Ha!

First up, Anna and her new Sesame Street play house and characters. We found this at a consignment sale my church in Greensboro throws every year, and almost thought she would be too little for it... but she LOVES it. We gave it to her Friday evening, and she has been playing with it non-stop! It is adorable, and a breath of fresh air, since she will play with it on her own for a while- every day! Best $5 spent, ever. But I say that a lot.

Pushing the characters through the door.

"Go inside, Elmo!"

Pretty pleased with her new toy!

Loved this- she lined up the double Ernie and Berts talking to each other! (We bought another baggie of characters to go with the box since we didn't know what was inside!)

Loves it!

Next, this basket. Great-Grandma Marshall made this basket, and graciously gave it to me. I have had it on display in the living room ever since I received it, and Anna adores baskets just as much as mommy! She loves to take it from the end table, and just walk around with it. Sometimes she will put her lovey or a book or toy inside, but then she will just walk circles around the house with it. It's pretty precious.

Anna and her basket. With Sesame Street characters inside. And some sweet bedhead.

Gardenin' Girl

I have no idea where this little one's love of the garden came from. Mark and I have always had a garden, but we have always been mediocre gardeners. We start out really pumped to plant, grow, and harvest our own veggies, and then by the time we get to August... well, things are lookin' a little rough. And really, if Gigi didn't have such a love for pulling weeds and pruning, we might not make it to August. I like to blame it on the location of our garden (on the far side of the house, where you can't see it... but that is just a lovely excuse. Someday we will be excellent gardeners. Or at least okay ones.

That was a long story. Anyways, Anna likes to lead you to different places around and outside of the house. On this particular day, she led me over to the garden. She has always had a fascination with cherry tomatoes. No, she doesn't actually like to eat them... she just wants them? Doesn't matter if they are on the vine or in a bowl- she wants one. Sometimes she tastes them, which results in an awesome "yuck" face, but mostly she just holds them.

"Just pickin' me some 'maters!"

"See?"

Tomato picking requires serious introspection. And inspection.

"Here, Mom! I got you one!"

You know, just wandering the yard, tomato in each hand.

Tasting the juices.

And this. Oh my. Pure joy! I wish her clothes weren't dirty and matched... but hey, I'll take a cute messy photo instead!

First baby, first house.

This and That

Sorry I have been absent... again. I guess at this point I should probably stop apologizing, but I can't help it. Just in case you haven't caught onto the trend, we are pretty busy these days! And not so much in a take lots of pictures so there are lots of updates way, but more in a go-go-go, weddings, babies, and house selling kinda way. So, hopefully I can resume to cute, sweet blogging about my little girl baby in October... well, let's say November just to be safe. So, until then, sporadic, possibly random posts it will be! Like this one..

(Also, you'll notice a lot of these photos are blurry. Excuse #1- they are all photos from my phone. Excuse #2- Anna moves a lot more now. A lot.)

Happy Girl! Eating, climbing, and drinking her water... a few of her favorite things!

Watching Great-Grandma Marshall's birds! She kept coming to the kitchen to see the birds (and because she wanted to play in Grandma's big yard, but it was raining!)

Great-Nanny always gives me my favorite- "cookies" (animal crackers). 

And how cute is that baby in a bucket?!

For a while, Anna quit eating blueberries. Turns out, she is a blueberry snob and prefers them fresh from the bush. You just have to show her which one to get and she will pick it and pop it in her mouth!

Helping Gigi cook!

I don't know if I have shared this one before, but it was on my phone and too cute not to share (again). My girls waiting on Daddy!

Avery's Buddy Charger

The past week we have had the joy of having three dogs in our house. No really, it's fun... But seriously, it hasn't been all that different than two (no, we will not be getting a third dog!), and Charger has provided some pretty awesome entertainment for Anna since he is much different than his beagle cousins.

Exhibit A: Okay, this one doesn't really lend to the "awesome entertainment" category, but here is the story... Anna and Charger were laughing together over Charger's love for food and Anna's love for crazy dogs. He was jumping around her high chair trying to get some yummies. Anna has a tendency to casually drape her arm over the side of the high chair with a handful of food. The beagles may sniff or lick (I know, gross) the food, but would never take it out of her hand. Charger.. not so much. So on this particular day, Anna had a Gigi roll in her hand, draped over the side of the high chair and charger took the WHOLE roll out of her hand. Needless to say, a girl who loves food was NOT happy...

He looks mighty guilty...

Exhibit B: Redneck pool time. Whenever we have the pool on the back deck, the beagles are very unwilling participants in the gated area. Mainly because Anna insists that they need to drink water from bowls she brings to them, and when they don't drink it she tries to pour it on them. Emma and Bailey do not enjoy this activity. Charger, on the other hand, doesn't mind. In fact, he jumped in the pool, kicked around for a bit, and even laid down. Until he got tired of a toddler harassing him, that is.

Happy Charger, Happy Toddler!

"Hey! My dogs run and hide when I do this to them..."

"Yeah, kinda like that.."

Exhibit C: Anyone who follows my brother's blog, or knows Charger on a first name basis (wait, that doesn't make sense) knows he loves to chase bubbles. Anna did not know this, but she too, loves to chase bubbles. And she also thinks it is hilarious when Charger chases the bubbles and bites them. Good times for everyone.

Water Fun!

One last lake post! This time, at least. Can't wait to get back up there to be spoiled some more by Gigi and Ru (and Anna and Avery get spoiled by Uncle David! Night-Night Elmo is still a hit around here!).

Unfortunately, our chosen weekend was a little rainy and overcast. Fortunately, the clouds broke some on Sunday and Monday and we were able to have some fun out on the water (that didn't require pants and a hoodie... in August!) Here are some of our water-loving pics.

Just your normal paddle board ride... with a toddler and a beagle. Don't worry, it got crazier...

See? Too bad Emma wasn't part of this fun!

If only you could see the fifty outtakes it took to get a photo this good...

It would be cuter if they would smile at each other, but we will take what we can get...

Juice boxes make me HAPPY! (Side note, all juice boxes in our house now have to be kept in the garage fridge... someone is really good at dragging them out and throwing a fit.)

Family jet-ski ride! She LOVED it! Well, most of it.

Mommy and babe post jet ski ride!

One of Gigi and Ru's awesome yard sale finds! Floats are much more fun with a wheel and horn!

These other people that were at the lake with us. They're alright.

Gone Fishing!

Last summer, Ru bought his two girls fishing poles. One was purple, the other green. Bet you can guess which one Avery picked! According to Robert and Laura, she was hyped to go fishing with Ru and Uncle David with her purple pole. Turns out, Anna was pretty excited about fishing... as were Grady and Bailey. Charger would have loved it, but he is too lazy to walk to the lake, and Emma is too scared of anything and everything.

Ru fishing with his oldest grandbaby.

Lookin' good, fishing away!

Anna's choice of activity while Avery fished... Castle destroying!

We caught a fish! We caught a fish!

Uncle David helping Avery with her pole! (We put the hook on Anna's since she obviously wouldn't be doing any heavy fishing)

Oh, you know, just fishing with my Uncle David!

Lake Love

Every year, we make an effort to get together and spend a long weekend at Gigi and Ru's lake house. We Marshall kids spent many weeks of our summers up on Kerr Lake, and now it is so much fun to get together and spend time there as grown ups. Some things have changed, mostly adding little ones to the group, but others have not- eating too much of Gigi's food, Ru & David fishing all the time, and lots and lots of being lazy. Here are some pictures that don't have much of a story, but all together show what our lake trips are all about!

Bestest Cousins

One little monkey jumping on the (spongebob) bed!

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed!

Gigi's helper, buttering the bread before it goes in the oven!

Somehow Anna gets a cookie when it is her turn to be Gigi's helper... hmm.

Juicebox snuggles with Daddy on a cloudy day.

Playing in the tent with Uncle Rob and Charger!

This girl is good... she got Ru into the tent. Just took his finger and pulled him right in!

Aunt Laura reading a book to her two blonde girls!

Ru took a turn at reading too!

Doggie glamour shots. Obviously.