cuteness overload

Too much cuteness going on in this post...buckle up.

First of all, look at this...I mean, come on.  Our friend's daughter Rebecca is spending the night tonight because our friend Joe is having surgery tomorrow.  Love Bug was so excited Rebecca was coming over and that she was going to sleep in her room.  I was a little concerned if sleeping would actually occur but the girls did amazing.  D actually read to them and put them down and after 15 minutes Love Bug got up and Rebecca was upset.  But tears literally lasted a minute and a half, we read one more book, said another round of prayers and I left them in the room.  After another few minutes I heard a few giggles and "conversations" and then they were out.  I went upstairs to check on them and found them snuggled in and sleeping soundly.  Couldn't be cuter.

This weekend was a weekend of greatness.  Friday I took Love Bug over to Mamie and PopPop's house so she could get a sneak peek at Nugget the new puppy.  My little peanut adored spending time with the new little peanut.  We couldn't stay long because I had to run a few errands and get home to finish getting the house ready for my cousins to arrive.  Some of my favorite cousins were coming into town and we hadn't seen each other in 5 years.  We always have a great time when we are together and the best part about family is it doesn't matter how much time elapses, when we are together it is as if no time has passed at all.  D and I had such a great time hanging with them Friday night and my cousin Annie and I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning catching up.

Saturday morning D and I took Annie, her husband and 3 kids, and our family, out for doughnuts and then we came home to relax.  We were all going to my dad's house for dinner and since they had been traveling all day Friday and Annie and I stayed up until 1:30, a relaxing afternoon is exactly what we needed.

Karli, Olivia, Love Bug and The Mayor enjoying their doughnuts

When we arrived at PopPop and Mamie's house, we had a fun surprise.  Aunt Amy, Sydney and Knox were there!  They were in town visiting Uncle Wes's family so we weren't expecting to see them but because of a power outage at Uncle Wes's parent's house, they came over.  It was the first time we had met Knox and Love Bug and Sydney had the best time playing together.  They followed each other around and had tea parties until it was time for them to leave.  It was great having 6 of the 7 grandkids together.  Love Bug and Sydney made plans for future play dates and Love Bug has been talking about it ever since.  She was seriously sad when they loaded up in the car because she wanted to go back to Nashville with them.  Mamie promised Love Bug a girl's trip where they will go to Nashville and spend the weekend with Sydney.  Too fun!

Love Bug and Sydney

The Mayor and Nugget

Love Bug and Nugget

do you know how hard it is to get 6 kids to look at the camera at the same time?  

another attempt

love these boys

PopPop had the kids cracking up...tickling and wrestling with the boys

It was amazing having our big, loud, Italian family all together last night.  PopPop and Mamie ordered pizzas for everyone and we just enjoyed the evening of everyone catching up and the kids all playing together.  I wish we all lived closer together so we could do this more often.

After dinner, we came home to put The Mayor and Love Bug down and then we had movie night.  Me and the girls all watched a movie while D and my cousin's husband Jimmy hung the basement cabinets.  Jimmy is a phenomenal woodworker and loves doing home projects.  He jumped at the chance to help D and because of his help the cabinets are all hung!  It would have taken me and D several weeks and it took Jimmy and D a day.

This morning we had a late breakfast together and then my cousins loaded up for the drive home.  We miss them so much already but I am looking forward to the next visit.

This afternoon was another cold and rainy day here (seriously, it has been in the 60s the past couple of days...it is August...in Georgia...it is so weird) so we watched movies and ran errands.

Tomorrow will be a fun girl's day.  Love Bug has her first ballet class and then Love Bug, Rebecca and I will come back home to play.  I am sure all the princess dresses, baby dolls and kitchen toys will be pulled out.  Love Bug will surely jump at the chance to play with every girl toy in the house with another little girl.  It doesn't happen often when it is just girls in the house so I know she won't let this opportunity pass her by.