Sweet Summer Time, Splash Pad, Fun Sheets, & Library Love

Our sweet summer time began at the Splash Pad with the family. It was a perfect Saturday filled with a quick shopping trip to Target for a few water play essentials including the dollar bin sunglasses and hat for Auby and new bathing suit. While our morning was pretty warm, the water sure did keep us cool.

After time in the hot, hot sun, we decided to make our way over to the ice cream truck for a sweet treat before heading home for family rest time. It was a Zellner family first and Auby LOVED it!

We did have several cold options to chose from. Aubrey chose a Hello Kitty, daddy a batman pop, and mommy's was a questionable tweety bird. They were delicious and a perfect ending to a fantastic early afternoon at the splash pad.

While I know our days will only get hotter, our sweet summer time will be filled with cool, wet and wild days outside with family and friends.

That next week on Monday I was able to meet a few friends back at the pad for a great morning of water play. While we surely love our Fantlet friends, I don't think little miss was too impressed by the water on this very morning. We did; however, enjoy eating lots of delicious snacks, and hanging out with our good friends. I always love seeing these adorable cuties together.

Our Fantlet-Zellner kiddo collection is now serving a party of 5. I cannot believe how quickly these kiddos have grown. We are so excited to enjoy another sweet summer with such great friends.

We also enjoyed seeing the Cooks and Goodings from church at the Splash Pad as well. What a great outing even if we were more about the food than water. A little fun in the sun  and play time with sweet friends was a great start to our summer bucket list of 2016.

Tuesday would be our full lazy day at home. I decided to make a Tuesday To Do Fun Sheet for Aubrey. This way she would have different activities to chose from so that she would not want to sit and attempt to watch tv all day. My girl sure loves her movies. This was such a fun chart and super successful. She loved "making our mark" on the activities we completed. The perfect part was... by strategically giving these choices, I was able to pump, join in on the fun, love on my littlest munchkin, and complete necessary house to dos. We were all smiles for sure!

 Aubrey and her Good Dinosaur, Arlo, showing us her Fun Sheet

 Reading Bible Stories in her tent

 Tummy Time Talking with Liam (as he takes a quick rest) 

{From Left to Right and Top to Bottom: Aubrey reading bible stories, pretty in pink princess polish, smiles from Liam, tummy time talking, Princess Aubrey, sticker toes, bowling fun, story time with baby brother}

 {Bowling Fun}

 Dr. Seuss Sticker Toes

 My beautiful princess

On Wednesday, a second fun sheet was created. Activities included breakfast with the family, a walk, shopping trip, splash pad play date with mommy, crafts, bible reads, and a special movie with popcorn at home. I'm really loving our busy to dos and lazy days at home.

The Good Dinosaur has been our movie of choice as of late. Her good little Arlo has been keeping her company this summer and joining in on all the play time fun while we are at home.

Splash Pad with Mommy & Liam

This was my first attempt at the Splash Pad with just the kids and myself. From having an upset and fussy little mister, a potty training 2 year old, and a little lady that didn't want to get wet, it surely made for an interesting morning.

On Thursday after the kiddos and I dropped off daddy at work (still a one car family), we made our way to Target where we found some pretty exciting characters. Aubrey of course loved hugging all over her sweet friend, Minnie.

 After a small play time we were on our way back to the library for some Music and Movement.

Here's to our two year old tantrum at Music and Movement today at the library. I am so thankful that we quickly (after a bit of convincing) found our happiness in the last song which included bubbles, two bunny stamps, and her shouting (almost the entire time) "Yay! I all done! I happy mommy!" It's all about the little things!

And this is absolutely true. It's all about the little things. I've learned that raising two little humans is tough work. And while our days are filled with both smiles and toddler tantrums, I'm thankful for the memories made, the moments spent together, and for a good glass of wine when all has gone south for the day.

 Happy Summer time friends!

My life in Moments & the Closing of a Chapter

 

Life is the collection of moments. Moments that define us, challenge us, grow us, become us. I do it all for this. It's for the ups, downs, and all the moments in between. It is for the cheers, the tears, and all the years given. God has an amazing plan for each of us. We are but one part of this amazing story and while I am not sure what will happen in my final chapter, I definitely want to live each day like it is a page turner, filled with excitement and with wonder. So here's to my life in moments. Here's to my final two weeks as a first grade teacher as I will stay home with my two favorite little students. Again, I'm not sure where my story is taking me, but I do know I want to make it a good one!

 Our rainy day after church lunch date with my littles.

 Dinner equals music and dancing, rock'n my little, Ray cooking with the help of his adorable sous chef.

Library puppets & story time with our dragon

 My beautiful butterfly princess! 

 Aubrey surely loves her role as big sister. 

Outdoor play and chalk dates with the littles

 Hope Park fun

 This face!

 Auby has eyes for her daddy.
Jason's deli & dessert dates after church

 My girl style'n up in daddy's sun glasses

 Sunday Family Portrait & Liam's first day in the nursery

 The many faces of my 10 week old.
Liam Love

 Tomorrow a chapter will close and a new journey will begin. Teaching has been a work of heart! I am so thankful for the opportunity to grow the hearts and minds of over 100 children over the past 6 years. But now I have the chance to do the same for my own little loves as a stay at home mommy. I am so thankful for the amazing staff and parents I have come to know and love! I'm both excited and anxious about my new job but know it is where God is calling me to be! Sending love and best wishes to all my teacher friends on your final days of school. And while we don't just color all day we truly are changing lives of our little kiddos each and ever day! Here's to new adventures!!!

So you know that day that your team dressed like dinosaurs for a co worker's birthday. Yeah this happened! Love you Keri!

Celebrating my last watermelon feast on field day with my first graders and firsty team. I'm so thankful for these fabulous ladies and for being able to love on these babies for the next few days until summer!

First Grade Selfie fun with Keri

 

 First Grade Team rock'n our final assembly! We're ready for summer!

I loved working with this girl! She understood my love for sweets, watched my class during my billion pregnancy bathroom trips, and could literally read my face! She always put a smile on mine.

 Last day of school smooches for my munchkin!

 Last night's end of the year celebration with the family looked a little different than last years! Mamahood is all about balance! #winning!

It is absolutely true no matter how cliche the saying is... Life's not about the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away! Here's to the closing of a chapter as a new journey begins! Happy summer!

Dat's Aggieland Mommy!

The whole trip to College Station, I heard my big girl saying, "Dat's Aggieland Mommy!" My heart skipped a beat as she repeated these very precious words, but of course my head knew that she really didn't understand what "Aggieland" was. For all we knew she could be thinking we were going to see my parent's dog, Aggie. But regardless we were all very excited about our family of four's first trip to sweet home College Station. It surely was an adventure!

Our 3.5 hour trip to Aggieland was perfection. Little man slept (praise) and our big girl talked, looked at books, and watched a few of her travel favorites on the ipad (I'll come back to this later). This gave Ray and I a chance to have a few hours of couples conversation, which to be honest has mainly been filled with newborn and princess talk these past 2 months. Upon arrival, it was lunch time. We knew both littles were very ready to be out of the car and Liam was definitely overdue on his next feeding. So of course our first stop was Fazolis. It is our travel favorite. You can't beat fast food italian (that doesn't taste it) with the most delicious breasticks. Yum!

 Liam's face tells it all in this picture! Delicious!

My little girl who was a bit on the grumpy side was not wanting pasta and refused her meatballs. Anyone who knows my child would be shocked as meatballs are her "chicken nuggets." She LOVES pasta and meatballs (insert a funny way of saying meatballs) With a hungry and tired toddler a sudden downpour of rain and loud thunder made our dining experience a bit more interesting. My mind of course already realizing the cute, memorable family portrait under the century tree was not exactly going to happen as planned. While we waited out the rain, we ordered cheesecake, cuddled in the booth while Aubrey then told us that God made the "funder," and chatted about our college days. When we were down to a slight sprinkle, we decided it was time to go to the car and at least drive around campus. We visited some of our old favorites but of course had to make it out to Aggieland Outfitters for some adorable Aggie gear for the babes.

 

If Auby had her way, I'm sure she would have bought out the store. "Dats Aggieland mommy!" I'm so in love with this cute little Aggie LOVE shirt that we found. When did my baby get so big?

 I couldn't resist this adorable piece of A&M monogrammed baby boy gingham. 

Gig 'Em Aggies

Once driving around campus we realized that parking would be tricky as this weekend an Aggie baseball game was being played. We then parked closer to Northside as we made our way past the old dorms, cafeteria and Underground (shout out to my place of work), and then to the campus to my absolute favorite spot, the Century Tree. It was of course soaked with water and mud was caked on the side walk all around, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I did; however, feel pretty guilty bringing my 8 week old out in the rain. He was covered by the stroller. Aubrey on the other hand LOVED the rain. She jumped in every puddle and was all smiles.

 Century Tree with Daddy

I am so thankful to have captured these special moments with my two loves. It will be so fun to make these special memories with Liam as he too gets older. It was a wet and wild adventure of a trip but taking it all in as our littles won't be this little forever.