Camp NanaPawPaw 2015

Camp NanaPawPaw began with Nana in Texas to retrieve her campers.  She came to help with the LONG drive to Alabama.  It was actually pretty uneventful.

  

The campers were greeted with this big surprise!   A blow up waterslide for their backyard pleasure!  It was a big hit with the boys and it drew a crowd every morning, sometimes even before 8am!

This year we had an additional camper staying the night.  Allie Gray came of age to stay at Camp NanaPawPaw and the cousins really enjoyed the company of one another for a few weeks!

These two littles fought for the attention of whichever "Mommy" was the closest.  Swimsuits are optional when you're in the under 2 sector.  

Only the finest and most nutritious foods were served to the campers.  I won't say that this photo wasn't also take at 8am.  This is the kinds of things that go down at Camp NanaPawPaw!

Science 'spirments were performed on the daily.  You're never too young to learn about safety in Science with your goggles on!

We also held a homestead 101 class where the campers were taught bean shelling.  Not pictured is the farming/harvesting that was done.  We picked squash, watermelon, and LOTS of tomatoes!  You never know when these skills are going to come in handy!  

A box provides endless opportunities to pretend it's a house/cave/rocketship/jail.  And you'd think Lillian didn't have any clothes from these photos.  Trust me, that is NOT the case!!

One of the "mommy's" of the week. It didn't matter which one picked up the babies but someone had to hold them! 

We took a family trip to the Rattlesnake Saloon.  It's an underground restaurant in a cave.  Super cool place and the kiddos LOVED the live music to dance to!  

Sister, Sister

Cousin, cousin

Oatmeal cream pies were consumed on the same porch I'm certain that I ate my fair share of oatmeal cream pies.  Nostalgia at it's finest!

Miss Marie came to visit us!  We love spending time with her!  We were glad she made a guest appearance at camp!

We took Aunt Janie's boat out on the lake for the closing camp ceremonies!  We even got her on the tube which was pretty epic!  

Camp NanaPawPaw was a smashing success and we can't wait until next year to do it all again!  

Little Pieces of (vintage) Perfection

This little girl.

She's pretty perfect.

She's adored and she knows it.

She knows what she wants and how to get it.

She never misses a chance to say "sess shu" (bless you) when you sneeze.

To her, all dogs are "Lucy".

She wakes up asking for the brothers.

She loves babies more than anything else.

She thinks it's "PawPaw" every time the phone rings.

She's picky.

She's predictable.

She's super girly.

She says "Mommie" no less than 200 times every day.

She completes us.

This outfit was made by my mom this summer.  It's a collaboration of several vintage pieces, elements and patterns.  

It came together to make up the perfectly sweetest heirloom for Lillian.

The middle fabric was a shirt from the 1940's my mom salvaged from her Aunt's garage about 10 years ago.  The bodice and bloomers are swiss batiste.  The arm trim is from an old scarf collected from an antique store.  The bottom lace is from a very vintage (likely 1920's) slip mom got at the Catholic thrift store.The pattern was one of my grandmothers from the 70's.   It was a project that came together with such perfection. I love how it touches nearly every decade for 4 generations!   It's a piece I hope to one day see placed on little granddaughters of my own!  

 She gives the greatest kisses.

She sings "Let it Go" and I melt in a puddle.  Every time.

Lady Lillian, we love you to the moon and back.  Till time stands still.  

Forever and Always.

Deep in the HOT of Tomball, TX

I wish I could convey to you the amount of humidity that was involved in taking these photos.  Imagine running a half marathon...in a sauna.  That was something like what it felt like this July day just after an epic thunderstorm turned into blazing sun.  I didn't know I could sweat so much.  

Remember that scene in The Wizard of Oz, the one where the witch was "MMmmmmmeelting".  That was us.  Mom and I.  We were the wicked witches, melting into a puddle.  

 

Tomball is a quaint little town near us with antique shops and a little courtyard between the shops.  I knew it would be picture perfect, I didn't know it would put us on the brink of heat stroke.

At least all the kids were perfect.  Well most of them.  Ok, ONE of them, and I'll just let you guess on that one.  Lincoln did his best robot imitation most of the time and was devastated when we asked him to just act natural.  Then they found some snails and refused to put them down much to Lillian's amusement and dismay at the same time.  

So the snails made the portraits as well.  Several in each of their hands.  Hey, at least it kept them from putting their hands on each other.  

Brothers!

Fine!  We will just make your pictures while looking at the slimy bugs and call it a day!  

They really weren't that bad for the amount of heat and sweat we forced them to endure. 

So....

We walked across the street and had ice cream and took a dip in the splash pad.  It was refreshing and delicious.  

And well deserved by all!