the verdict is in

Unfortunately the time has come to have my tonsils out.

After never in my life having strep throat-- and now battling it for over two months straight-- I have an abscess in my right tonsil.  That means I have a hole, or as Dr. Whatley calls it a crater.  I've had seven rounds of antibiotics and this infection isn't budging. 

Surgery it is... TUESDAY morning.  Yep, that's right.  

In less than a week my summer will be over.

toes in the sand...

Paradise has been vacated! We've returned from a vacation with Lofton's family and been hit by loads of laundry, the prospect of a tonsillectomy in a few weeks, and company arriving in a few short days.  Yikes!  Luckily the company is my family and they are well aware of my housekeeping shortcomings.

Back to our trip--

We had a delightful time in Sandestin with Sally and Lee, the Hurst crew, and John Lee.  

Lofton couldn't join us til Friday {silly work} and flying solo had me in tears a couple of times, but moments like those remind me of how much I love and NEED my husband.  I treasure our partnership. 

Reese was not so much a fan of the beach.  Luckily we had an amazing pool so he didn't have to suffer through the sand.  The beach was relatively oil free and unfortunately the restaurants were pretty free and clear also.  We never waited in line.  Not once.  And there were ten of us.  

This was the first time the kiddos have had extended play time together.  At the ages of four {Analee}, twenty eight months {Brenan}, and almost twenty one months {Reese} they had a blast.  The pitter patter of little feet and squealing voices could be heard all the way down the hallway.  I'm sure our neighbors were not as amused by them.

Reese renamed Luke {Lofton's brother} "Bull."  We aren't sure why-- he came up with it on his own-- but it's downright appropriate.  He also picked up on some of Brenan's tricks.  Pinching, saying no, and climbing-- JUST KIDDING TIFFANY!!!! 

Brenan is the most loving of the three but also the wildest.  He is wide open from sun-up to way past sun down.  

I adore him.

We splashed and played and swam and ate to our hearts content.  Analee is a mermaid in the water {not a fish, I've been corrected multiple times}.  The boys were pretty impressive too. Tiffany and I also enjoyed some uninterrupted pool time while the little tykes napped each day.  Books, drinks, and sisterly chats = perfection.

The sun was hidden by clouds this morning and a storm was rolling in.  It was the first sign of rain we'd seen in our five days. Reese said bye-bye to everything -- the elevators, the condo, the gate man and parking garage.  Everything except the sand.  He said "Please don't ever make me touch that yucky stuff again.  Ever."

Lofton and I had to make a pit stop for some exciting treasures before we headed home, but I'll tell you about that later...  

Thanks Mimi and Big Daddy for a fun and fabulous trip.  We love you both!  Can we do it again next year?

accident with injury

Sooner or later it was bound to happen.  We'd safely navigated playgrounds, crawling, walking and co-existing with two beastly dogs-- until now.

I was on the phone earlier, chatting it up with a dear friend, when Reese streaked down the hallway-- glancing back at me for a slight second-- before turning and running straight into one of our hallway doors.  
"SPLAT" "BAM" .... AND then dead silence as he sucked in air for the first of his many wails.

My sweet baby hit his head.  Hard.  

It's a nasty boo-boo.  The camera phone picture definitely doesn't do it justice.

Reese cried, I cried, Lofton ran to get ice.

We are officially traumatized. 

best job ever

As exhausting as this whole parenting full-time summer job thing is--

Kissing this sweet face all day - and listening to his joyful laugh - make it ALL worthwhile.   

clarification

Possibly you read the blog last night {or this morning} and noticed my slight mention of rancid bacon.  While it's highly unlikely you're now left with the impression that my mom is--A} trying to kill my dad or B} a horrible cook who serves us spoiled food, she would like me to clarify a few points.

• The bacon was not technically rancid.  I might have stretched the truth a little, but hey sometimes I need to spice up a story.  Call it artistic liberty.  The bacon was, however, grey once cooked and it did have a slightly odd odor.  Not something I thought we should consume.
• My mom ate a piece of the aforementioned bacon and is still living.  Granted anyone who grew up in my grandmother's house has a Teflon tummy...
• The culinary abilities of my mother are superior.  I learned to cook by sitting on our kitchen counter and watching her.  She has never {to my knowledge} made anyone sick with her food.  

good friends and other stuff

There is something to be said for friends that have known you since bangs were cool.  

Cassie is one of those friends.  And together, these two rock.  They make me laugh so hard I cry.  And they stayed with us Thursday night to spend some qt time with little man.  He thinks "hoo" is amazing.  And I guess he likes Cassie too.  Except he called her "ass" a few times.  

This weekend was a time to gather and celebrate one of our treasured friends.  Brittany and Dave are tying the knot in October, and her bridal shower was held Saturday in Pensacola.  She was positively beaming.  A beautiful, relaxed and blissfully happy bride-to-be.

It was so fun to watch her open her gifts.  It reminded me of my showers five years ago.  Have we really been married almost five years????

Reese spent lots of time with his favorite peeps while I was out partying.  He is rotten.  And adorable.  Which makes punishing him for being rotten oh so difficult.   

He said almond yesterday.  ALMOND!  What?!?!  The more he talks, the more I laugh at myself.  How was I ever worried he'd grow up to be a mime?

Today is father's day.  We showered my dad with gifts this morning.  Then Mama made him breakfast.  She almost served us rancid bacon-- but I stopped her.  She can go back to trying to kill Daddy tomorrow.

Lofton, Reese and I gave Buck an Auburn coaches belt.  We also gave him one for Christmas three years ago and he lost it-- or left it-- in a Birmingham hotel room.  He's whined about it ever since.  I thought three years was punishment enough, so I replaced it with strict orders to NOT lose this one.  

The road warriors {that would be Reese and I} were hungry about Montgomery, so we had a delicious lunch celebrating our favorite daddy.  Reese stuffed his face with french fries and I ate a calorie inducing double cheeseburger.  Mmmm, Mmmm, good!

Happy Father's Day to all our favorite men!  

Buck, Big Daddy, and Paw Paw-- Reese loves you so, so much.  

Thanks for loving him back! Goofy faces and all.

the superhero

With Father's Day just around the bend, it's time for our yearly post exclaiming all Lofton's virtues.

He is quite the wonderful husband.  And Reese would agree he is quite the wonderful daddy as well.  

And he's handsome, oh so handsome.  I try to remember that when he annoys me.  It's hard to be angry with someone whose smile is so perfect.

He unclogs the sinks, mops the floors, reads the stinky feet book ad nauseum, and always gets up during the night when we have bad dreams.  He never complains when I don't cook-- or do laundry-- or dust.  For the most part he lets me choose what we listen to on the radio and watch on television.

The hubs bathes Reese every night so I can have twenty minutes of peace and solitude.  It's a gift that I don't thank him for nearly enough.

He may not wear a cape, but Lofton is our superhero.  No x-ray vision needed.