A Breath of Fresh Air

So ya see, there's this place......

Heaven

This place where I feel right at home. This place where I feel spoiled and well fed and loved tremendously. I think Hallie would agree with all of the above. Laughs are abundant and it's okay to run around naked. Oh wait, the naked part is just Hallie. ;) I say you're never too old to be spoiled rotten by your aunt and uncle. When Lisa texted to see if we would want to come join her for a girl's day I didn't hesitate. YES! The answer is always YES! This particular weekend I was in desperate need of a quick getaway to let my mind rest and just LAUGH and REST....and shop....and eat....and watch movies....and stay up late with the girls....and swim. It was the perfect time with some of my favorites. Here's a few....ok, maybe a lot....of pictures from our girl's sleepover....

Bailey and I partook in some much needed retail therapy once we arrived. Pearl Junkie never saw me comin'. Love that store! Hal stayed back at Lisa's while she prepped for dinner. Little Miss is big enough to play up in the fort this year so David and Lisa have been busy sprucing it up so that it would be safe for her to climb in and out of. She spent about 85% of her time in this very spot looking out over the yard hollering at everyone....

She called it "my tee house"....

Others could enter her "tee house" on an invite-only basis. She let Dara up to try out the fireman's pole....

It's going to be another year before we are completely comfortable with her climbing up and down all of the steps all by herself. She has no fear!

We ate out on the patio in the beautiful weather....

Until Hallie decided that eating in the fort was much more fun...

Popsicles for dessert!

After having to pass up on swimming during our last trip to Enid we were excited to hop in since the water was much warmer this time. Someone had a new bikini to try out....

She tried to use her charm to get Uncle David to swim but he was sporting quite the sunburn from a float in the pool earlier that day. No such luck on getting him to jump in so she settled for all of us girls...

Lisa was Hal's mode of transportation in the water and they did more than their fair share of squirting everyone with the water gun....

Hallie's expression in this picture sums up how she feels around us. Just one of the big girls....

Entertaining as always

I thought it'd be the perfect time to start practicing Hal's swimming. She however did not....

Look at this sweet girl so trusting and happy....

Pre-dunking

Aunt B helps console pretty well

The pictures might look pretty cruel but it was anything but. She acted like she was ready to be let go and then it was quite clear that ready wasn't quite what she was....

"For real?!?! Quit ganging up on me!"

Okay, maybe next year.

My little swimmer was much more content spending her evening "foting on da boat." She would sit on the raft and tell me which direction to steer. Then came the non-stop spraying of the water guns...or as Hal called them "water tanks." Ten thousand popsicles and lots of swimming later this fish was dunzo. She relaxed in the guest bedroom like a spoiled little princess watching some cartoons before bed.....

Pooped out!

David, Lisa, Dara, Bailey and I stayed up late watching a good movie and by the grace of God the entire house slept in peacefully until 9:00!!! Miracles really do happen! I attempted to sleep with Hallie but the rib jabs were a bit much and the heavy breathing in my face was enough to send me to the couch. She must've slept like a baby because she woke up bright and shiny begging for some breakfast Saturday morning....

Dara and I sucked it up and went for a hot, HOT run that morning knowing that we would have breakfast and some swimming awaiting us once we returned. I walked in to find Dave putting out a toast fire. Ha!

We suited up once more for some morning swimming which felt lovely after our run. Hal could be found up in her fort most of the morning....

Aunt Lisa was born to have grandbabies to spoil!!

Or relaxing on her "boat"....

We didn't want to pack up and leave but we needed to hit the road for home since we had dinner plans that evening. Gman and Meg welcomed us for a quick visit before we left town and Hal drug out as many toys as she could in that short period of time.

All because of a simple trip to visit family....in less than 24 hours I felt as though I'd regained quite a bit of my sanity and was reminded what matters most in life.....

"Other things may change us but we start and end with family."