These pickles will change yo' life.

While checking out at Wal-Mart a few months ago, Luke and couldn't help but laugh when our friendly checker said, "Oh my! These will change yo' life! Have you ever had these?". We both immediately looked down to see a jar of dill pickles in her hand. Again she said, "These pickles will change yo' life! I got them on my lunch break one day and they are so good. Just wait. They will surely change yo' life!".

Honestly, I'm not sure if I even tried one of those pickles (I'm not a huge fan). The enthusiasm of the checker has definitely provided quite a few laughs over the last few months though!

While the pickles didn't change my life, I clearly heard the girl's voice saying that when my mom showed me this awesome pineapple slicer she bought all the girls in the family. All I can say is, it will change yo' life! Haha. Seriously...I am in love.

The pictures say it all. It makes cutting up a fresh pineapple easy peasy!

You just twist the little gadget until you get to the bottom (it's super easy to do).

And then pull it out.

You should get one. It will change yo' life. Ha! Not really, but it is awesome!

P.S. I wrote this post because I want to. No one paid me or told me to. Thanks for buying me one Mom!

Sunday: Instagram Style

 Hanging out in the youth room after church waiting on Daddy.

 Grabbing lunch to-go from Fresh.

 PONYTAILS!

 Ladybug basketball.

Date night numero dos of the weekend. Awesome.

flipping queen

A couple of months ago Madelyn started doing flips randomly while she was playing. They were usually pretty crooked and awkward but just a few weeks ago she really got them down!

Now she has at least one tumbling session a day where she flips and flips and flips until she can't flip any more!

Daddy sometimes gets in on the action. After this little tumbling session he was trying to teach Madelyn how to jump over something. After four or five failed attempts it just turned in to a tickle war.

MK loves Aunt Rach

My sister has been a bit of a world traveler the last few years. She hasn't had a "home" for a while (although she always has at least 3 homes that are her "home away from home") but all that is about to change. She's been with us for one of the last two weeks and will be here all this week before she starts her teaching job in Houston! I am so excited for this next chapter in her life and I know she's excited to have a "home".

MK adores Rachel. Sometimes she even calls her Mommy-Rachel (which can get awkward in public when she calls me mommy and her mommy-Rachel...yikes!). We can't wait to come visit her and have loved having her hang out with us!

Cousin Sleepover and Date Night

Madelyn had her first sleepover at her cousins' house last night! She was having so much fun that she didn't feel the need to go to sleep until after 11pm (Sorry Marlo and Jarrod).

They had fun playing doctor, singing, dancing, and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was MK's first time to watch Mickey and she has been talking about it non stop. I need to check to see if they have it on Netflix or else I will have to buy her a DVD. It was one of my favorite shows when I was little so I am glad she likes it!

When Luke and I went to pick her up just before lunch time all the girls were bandaged up. I love the strips over their noses!

Thanks for taking pictures, Marlo!

Luke and I went to BJ's Brewhouse for dinner, grabbed some free TCBY (thanks to a gift certificate I had) and some free Redbox movie rentals (thanks to the guy in line behind us who gave us a coupon code). It was such a fun (and cheap) date night!

MK can't wait for more cousin sleepovers!

Open Jump

Dear Madelyn Kate,

Considering it has been over 100 degrees every single day for the last 25 days in a row (and probably will stay that way for the entire month of July), you and I have been hitting up just about every indoor play place in town lately. We get lots of play time in outside at the house in the mornings in our usual shaded spots, but the afternoons are simply too hot for you (and me!). Today we went to Jumpin' Jacks for an open jump session. I have been a little hesitant to take you since you are still one of the smallest at places like these, but I am so glad we went.

After about 15 minutes of "warming up" and watching Logan conquer anything and everything you decided to give it a try!

There were so many people. I asked my friends why we didn't come up with this idea first!? Talk about gold mine! Anyway, it was fun to watch you jump and laugh and interact with kids of all ages.

You slowed up the line a few times, but held your own when bigger kids knocked you around.

You loved the big slide and went down it about six or seven times!

You were bounced right out the side of one of the play areas and it completely freaked you (and me) out! From then on, you weren't much for jumping anymore and we left a little after. Other than that, you had a blast! I am not sure exactly how many kids were there, but at one point I counted 32 on just two of the inflatables! I am thinking we will wait until there is a five and under open jump to go again.

I do know that it wore you out though...you slept for three hours once we made it home. That's twice as long as normal!

Love you baby girl,
Mommy