beach trip 2011

warning: picture overload!

we had a great time at the beach. here is a picture storybook of what took place while we were there.

fists always full of sand

babies sleeping under tents

naked baby pool swimming

lots of cooking

and spoiling little babies

eli's new best friend, parker

big trucks filled with sand

low country boil tutorial

boo's students

eli wanting in the action

beautiful

chris's favorite meal of the year

group photos
whole bluster group

sweet grandparents

nursing on the beach to make a happy baby

don bluster crew

great-grands

proud grandma

sand everywhere

june 2nd birthday club

women's arm wrestling tourny

hot dog day

"big water"

eli fell asleep just about anywhere

nana holding ty

corn hole tourny

corn hole commentators...watch out espn!

corn hole!!

champs

post championship game interview

crying because we didn't want to leave

can't wait for next year! so glad my grandparents started this tradition over 40 years ago. i love this trip so much.

nicknames...

over the past week, this has been my view. well...maybe not all week. maybe just friday afternoon. but the beach looks a lot different with a newborn. thats for sure! but i am not complaining at all because it was a great week with my husband, boys, and family and i wasn't sitting at home.

being with my family is always lots of fun. there were 35 of us in all staying in 3 houses. there were many laughs and lots of relaxing. eli did get a serious "Boo" addiction while we were there. we are now onto a 12 step detox for him. :)

now my family is a little weird in that we love being together and no one is called by their formal name. for example, aunt beth= b; parker= parker-do, p, or little p; aunt deb= deedee, debra; uncle don=boo; april=apes; meredith=mere, becca, mary becca; eli=little e and so on. now that ty has entered the family, my aunts took it upon themselves to give ty a few nicknames.
here are a few:
tyree (his middle name is tyre, pronounced "tire" but everyone thinks its ty-ree), mr. t, nugget, country ham, and little e (since everyone says he looks like eli).

so ty shouldn't feel left out. he now has plenty of his own nicknames.
*beach pictures coming soon

ballparks and big brothers...

the boys and i ventured out on wednesday. we traveled to wally world, ate mexican with nene and boo (ty isn't too fond of the hot salsa), and to the ballpark to pick up daddy after his double-header. we made it just in time for the final out of the second game. :)

big brother has had mixed emotions concerning his little brother. he thoroughly enjoys holding ty and is very interested in all he does. he wants to watch him laying down, give him his pacifier, and check out how he eats. but he definitely having a hard time when mommy is preoccupied with ty's needs. he has figured out while i'm nursing, i can't just go and check out what he is doing. i have to make sure all doors are shut...esp the pantry door. :) he has also had a really hard time with the word "no". he pitches a lot of fits right now when chris or me have to tell him no. hopefully this little phase will pass.

i did check a sweet moment on my camera the other day. i had laid ty down for a minute on the couch while i tried to load a few dishes. the next thing i knew, eli was trying to crawl up and catch a glimpse of ty. he laid his head down beside ty and just stared at him. it was so adorable!

here is eli helping give ty his first bath.
ty did not like his bath at all!!!!!
these two kids are NOTHING alike so far.

here are a few of their differences:
e: no hair
t: head full of black hair

e: looks like mommy
t: couldn't look more like his daddy

e: would never sleep on his back
t: loves to be on his back

e: paci sucker with the best of them
t: will take a paci but won't keep it long

e: very alert
t: loves to sleep (not complaining about this one!!)

i do have to say, i love these boys so much and can't wait for them to be old enough to play together and become the best of friends.