the wilkins' weekly: vacation

(****WARNING**** this is a pretty long post with a lot of pics…..you’ve been warned)

I know, I know….it’s been like FOREVER since I posted anything……did you miss me???

Well, I’m hoping to get back in the groove of things and start posting more….I don’t know how some people post things everyday (I can’t even read posts everyday)…..I just don’t have enough time….with work, mom duties, wife duties…..HA I said doodie (childish I know….but I can’t help it)…..hehehe.

Wow…it’s been since May 15^th since I posted something…..i didn’t think that it was that long ago…..time flies!!!

Anyway

So, what have the Wilkins’ been doing for the past 3 months…..

1. Ellie had her first experience in a “school” setting. Being an only child I wanted to make sure that she was getting plenty of interaction with other kids. We signed her up for a 6 weeks Children’s Day Out (CDO) program. It was twice a week from 10-1:30….and she loved every minute of it. She is always asking when she goes back to school…..she’ll start Pre-School this Fall 3 days a week.

2. We added a new addition to our family. Ellie named him Sweet Heart (don’t be fooled by the name….cuz he is NOT that sweet)!! A lady at work had a few litters of kittens that she was giving away so we decided to get one for Ellie….cuz she is FINALLY POTTY TRAINED…..WHOOT WHOOT!!!

3. I finally organized my craft room (although you wouldn’t know that now). I still want to paint it and I want to cover one of the walls in cork and peg board…..I’ll just have to add that to my HUGE to do list.

4. I had my 32nd Birthday. I didn’t do much, had a family dinner with a little lemon cake.

5. Ellie’s cousins from Tulsa (Hubby’s Brother’s Kids) came up to Wichita for a few weeks and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. A is 14 and J is 10 and Ellie was attached to A at all times and she was so patient and took the time the play with Ellie. Thanks A!!

6. 4^TH of July was a lot of fun!!! As a family we celebrated on the 2^nd. Tons and tons for fireworks. Ellie liked to watch all of them….but felt a little safer watching them from inside the house or inside a car. On the 4^th, the Rouse’s and Joseph’s came over and we had more fireworks. It was kinda a crazy night for me; Ellie burnt her hand on a hot grill while playing outside with all the kids…..so her hands were stuck in ice water most of the night….but everything is fine now…you can’t even tell she burnt her hand.

7. A couple weeks after the 4^th, Ellie went and stayed at my Mom’s for a long weekend. So Russell and I lived it up for a few nights…..yeah…not really!!! We did enjoy a really nice meal at Newport Grill and we went to two movies that weekend. It was nice just to relax for a few days!!

8. At the end of July, the Wilkins’ Family took a vacation together (13 people). This is the first time we did this and to be completely honest…..I was a little nervous…..but it all turned out great. No fighting, no arguing (well the kids still argued but no adults did) it was truly a great vacation. First we traveled up and saw Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, and Custer National park and then we ended up on Glacier National Park. While we were there the hottest it got was about 77 and the lowest it got I think was 39 or close to that. It was HEAVEN….cuz back in KS….we’re on our 40 something day of 100 degrees….I’ve stopped counting. We saw beautiful scenery, saw some wild life and even hiked a little.

9. The last day of our vacation happened to be Ellie’s 3^rd Birthday (July 31^st). We drove from Denver to Wichita that day and got home around 4….we took Ellie to Build A Bear and out for Chinese food (one of her favs) and stopped at Dillons and got her a cupcake so she could blow out some candles. She loved it!!