closing out another month

The next part of our vacation month of July was spent in East Texas in a town on Lake Palestine. The piney woods were nice and quiet. I enjoyed the week long stay, partially with my parents and nephew BT. Emmaline & BT played together great and he is so sweet to let her act silly and climb all over him! The other part with my good friend Amy and her adorable daughters Avery & Ansley. There was a great kiddie pool that the girls loved and lots of other things to do, but for sanity sake we just swam multiple times a day, played in the room and roamed Tyler. We didn't even mess with the lake with is kindof sad, but the girls didn't have a clue, so we stuck close to the room and pool. I wish I had a pool like that in my backyard!! We did take the girls to the Tyler zoo on a hot day, but it was great. They have lots of shade and places for the girls to play..their Africa area with the elephants and such is awesome and they have penguins who have air conditioning!! It was a great day and a lot of fun!
It was great to see Avery and Emmaline, who are 6 months apart, play together. They did fairly well, but are funny because they fight like sisters. It happens over nit picky things and then they are back to hugging on each other and smiling! And Ansley is almost 7 months old...she is so sweet and so quiet and calm! Love her!! It was fun seeing how G reacted to her..(she was fine unless I held her)!
This past weekend I had a MOPS steering retreat. It was definitely a learning experience and a fun time of fellowship with some old and new friends! I really am excited to be a part of the committee this year and feel more into the group and have a hand in what is going on. It is new to me as I do not like to speak in front of people but I think it will be good for me as a wife, mother and friend! Everyone can use a gentle nudge out of their comfort zone now and then..We stayed up too late and ate too much yummy goodness (thank God I don't have gestational diabetes) but now I feel like I really need to get moving a bit. The next day (it was a Mommy minus kids sleepover!!) I had my best friend Carrie's shower for her 1st boy, Jackson Jay. She got some cute stuff..I am jealous, I will admit..and it was fun to finally get a pic together..will post it soon! She is due just shy of 3 weeks after me! It is fun to see her in the 1st time Mommy role and me in my 3rd..things sure do change fast!! Daniel and her husband Craig have been hanging out more and Daniel tells me about him getting nervous about not knowing what to do and what is going to happen! It is cute!
Goodnight, I am exhausted and ready to get some sleep! And I am having some major contractions..(my 1st real-feeling ones this pregnancy). I have had lots of Braxton Hicks but these feel more real..I hope they slow down so I can sleep tonight!