The girls knew they were going to have special visitors when they got home Thursday so they were ready to get there when mommy picked them up. As we turned onto our street they saw Grandpa and Deedee’s car in the driveway. There were two excited girls as Deedee and Grandpa greeted us in the garage. The kids took them in to start playing chase, hid-n-seek, dance party, and more immediantly. Luckily Ivy’s swim lesson was cancelled so she did not have to leave a few minutes after seeing them and everyone got to enjoy the night. The girls liked the dresses Deedee made them; thank you Deedee! They even wore one after dinner to go get a special treat since we had special visitors, ice cream. The only bummer was that we found out our ice cream place is going to be closing the 28^th.  I suppose we will have to find somewhere else to go to celebrate special occasions and get treats when friends come in town. After we got back home the girls headed straight outside to play with Stella and Drake in an attempt to run off the sugar they just consumed and tire them out. It did not work as planned. Ivy took a longer than normally to settle down and go to sleep and Leia played in her bed way after night-night time came. I wonder if it was the ice-cream or the excitement of Grandpa and Deedee being here.

Friday FUNday! The girls woke up ready to play. Leia and Ivy chose to go to McWane that morning. It was a great choice! We had not been there in a while so everything was ‘new’ to the girls. It was fabulous having a 3 to 2 ration of adults to kids. The girls each got to do their own thing and explore the different areas and exhibits at their pace rather than mommy hurrying one up since the other is bored or trying to make sure we are together at all times for safety reasons in a crowded museum. Leia seemed to really enjoy the spinning sand table and making designs in it. Ivy liked running across the piano and jumping off. Both girls liked the toddler area playing market, with the pulley systems, and peg things to put your hand or face into. We only made it through half the floors when the girls seemed to be getting hungry and Ivy acted like she needed a nap. We told Leia that she could go back to the first floor to play a little after lunch so Deedee took her there while Grandpa and Ivy hung out at the ball drops that is a wonderful mechanical engineering project and played chase. Ivy caught her second wind playing with Grandpa and managed to stay awake on the way home. The girls lay down for rest time while mommy and Deedee went to Hancock Fabric Store and Lowes for a little shopping. When the girls got up they got to help Grandpa and Deedee bath Sierra while mommy pruned the flower beds in the yard. Daddy got home to take mommy their anniversary date (he is traveling next week so we went early) and the girls got ready for their date with Grandpa and Deedee. We were told everyone ate well on the date so they got to go to get another special treat after dinner – the girls were pumped to get ice-cream two days in a row. Thank you Grandpa and Deedee for taking our princesses on a date while mommy and daddy went out too!

The girls made our single stroller a double

Fun on the top floor
   

Looking at each others braclets
 

Fun in toddler land

 Leia did not last long at this art station

Deedee made a face with Leia

Yummy yum time
 

Last few minutes before heading home
 

Saturday, the boys got up early to head to the golf course while the girls headed to Mimi’s for some relaxation in the pool and lunch on the patio. The girls did great in the pool showing Deedee some of their water skills. Although, they did not play as long as normal in the pool we all enjoyed it. Lunch was yummy as normal at Mimi’s house; thank you Mimi, you always are a great hostess! Mommy’s hope was that Leia would sleep on the way home and Ivy would stay up since Leia had a birthday party to go to on Saturday during rest time. Both the girls stayed awake on the way home so mommy rushed Ivy to bed when we got home so she would not catch her second wind and prayed Leia would be in a good mood at the party. As soon as Ivy went down, Leia threw on some pajamas to head to her Journey’s PJ dance party. There was not as much dancing going on as I thought there would be but Leia said she enjoyed it. She liked playing with the pink balloons and mastered holding four at a time, without cheating by holding the two mommy had tied together. Leia did shake her booty a little to the music, observed the apple bobbing others were doing, and enjoyed getting candy from the Hello Kitty piñata. It was fun watching how kind the kids were to each other as they were collecting candy. The all shared the candy to ensure everyone got what they wanted and Leia said she would share with sissy too 9proud mommy hearing that). Of course, the cake and ice-cream was a hit for all the kids (that is three days in a row Leia had ice-cream we are going to have to do a sweet detox after this weekend). When daddy texted a picture of Ivy awake Leia decided she was ready to go home to see sissy, daddy and grandpa. The girls entertained us at the house until Leia decided she wanted a hamburger so we headed out to eat. Since Leia had so much sugar the last few days we opted out of ice-cream outing and decided to go home to shoot fireworks as a treat. The girls loved the snappers! When they did not go off immediately it was fun to stomp on them, sometimes it was fun to just stomp on them to make sure they wouldn’t make any more noise. Leia enjoyed the firecrackers daddy shot while Ivy requested to go inside. Soon after fireworks both girls headed to bed after long eventful days.

Party time

Fireworks at home

Sunday morning, Deedee prepped the ground for a tree they bought in honor of our Papa while Grandpa went to get donuts. We all enjoyed breakfast together before heading outside to plant the tree together. We planted it in the middle of the yard so no matter where we are in the back we can see ‘Papa’s tree’. Everyone put a little dirt around the tree and Lisa privately  reflected on the legacy my Papa left behind. Thank you Deedee and Grandpa for the memorial tree! It is a physical reminder Papa is here with us in our hearts. He so would love watching Ivy run around; he was more excited than anyone when she finally walked (especially since she was a little later then the rest of the girls walking). He was so proud of each of his grand-girls accomplishments. I love you papa!

As if we had not had a busy weekend full of excitement the girls had another birthday party to head too that afternoon for one of Leia’s best friends, Stella. Daddy took them since mommy went to go to a funeral with Mimi for Aunt Charlotte’s mother-in-law. Mommy was only about 15 minutes late and got to watch most of the fun. Leia enjoyed the party! Her gymnastic coach she really likes helped lead it. It cracked me up on the obstacle course when Stella said Leia needed to do it first which pumped Leia up to show everyone how to do it. Something new for Leia was the zip-line. She loved that! After doing that Leia decided that she wanted to have her party there this year instead of at home. Ivy thought she was a big girl getting to jump on the trampoline, into the foam pit, and crawl on the obstacle course she normally has to watch sister do. We need to get her into a mommy and me gymnastic class soon! Of course there was yummy cake again for everyone to enjoy after the kids worked up an appetite (again we need a sugar detox). Leia wanted to play with Stella  so bad when we got home but everyone in the household was exhausted. We all called it a early night! Ivy went to bed at 6:15. When Lisa came down from rocking sweet Ivy, Chris had turned off the lights and fallen asleep himself. Once Leia finished her show she went to bed at 7 and she actually went to sleep. Lisa was following suite at 8 when Chris woke up so we talked for a few minutes before our sleepiness won out and everyone in the house was resting up for the week ahead.

Leia liked the tent mommy built before heading out for Mimi’s

Fun at Stella’s party