Summer Fun!

Chad, Kade, Payton, Eric & Jess

Eric, Payton and Amy

We had a GREAT weekend with Eric, Amy and Kade.  They arrived late Thursday night.  As usual, the fun started right away!  After being around "old friends" you quickly remember why they continue to be your best friends!  Conversation comes easy and the laughter never stops!  If you have spent much time around our combined group of friends, you know how we are.  We share our love for each other by joking and making fun...of each other!  So, of course, that started immediately and continued until they pulled away after lunch today! 

Friday we enjoyed a full day at our neighborhood pool.  We hit the pool before lunch, took a lunch break and then headed back out.  Payton has grown to love the water more and more with each trip.  I have gotten more and more comfortable with him in the water each time as well.  He was dunked over and over on Friday and he did great!  He now knows to hold his breath on the count of 3!

The water slide had been broken since last week.  Luckily, after lunch it was fixed.  

Eric was more excited than any one else...including all the small children at the pool.  Payton got to ride on the slide for the first time too.  

He LOVED it!  As soon as they would get down to the bottom, he would turn, point and say "slide" to indicate that he wanted to go again!  We stayed at the pool as long as we could before returning home to get ready for dinner.

We had a babysitter, Katie, come over Friday night.  We had a wonderful "adult" night and made lots of new memories!  We started our night at Coast - a downtown restaurant that we had not tried yet.  The food and atmosphere were great. We will definitely be returning to Coast!  We had dinner with Kade, Eric, Amy, Andrew (Laura was out of town :( ) and the Aaron and Natalie Dunham.  

After dinner we continued the evening at another new restaurant - Halls Chophouse.  We enjoyed chatting and catching up with old friends.  I can't wait to go to Halls to eat - the place looked fabulous and the service was excellent!   The evening turned into a pretty late night.  We rarely get a sitter.  It was definitely worth it!!  I often forget what life is like without a toddler on one hip and a diaper bag on my shoulder.  Dinner seemed way too relaxed without chicken tenders, fruit, goldfish and a "boggle."  The adult evening was too much fun - lots of laughter and too many memories to count - great stories to remember for years to come!!  I would love to share a few photos but my camera battery died early in the evening!!  Sorry, I wish I had a few to share!!

Saturday was filled with a trip to the beach.  After lunch at Seel's on Sullivan's we headed out to the beach at Sullivan's.  It was a perfect day!  Payton enjoyed all the attention.  Eric is just a big kid and Kade always knows how to win Payton over as well.  He sat on Eric's lap for about 30 minutes - I've never seen him so still!!  He stole Kade's chair and filled it with sand!  Payton played in the water and ball with the big "kids" as well!  We made it until around 5:00 at the beach and headed home for dinner.  Again - pictures??? No such luck!  My other camera died as soon as I took it out of my bag at the beach!  So unlike me!

We tried another new place for dinner - Liberty Steakhouse.  Liberty is owned by the same group as T-Bonz and Pearlz.  I'm happy that we finally tried it.  We are finding all kinds of new restaurants!  

We enjoyed Ye Ole' Fashioned after dinner and then called it a night. 

Sunday arrived to quickly - as usual - and they had to leave!  

We probably won't see them again until football season.  Payton blew them kisses and waved bye-bye as they left.  He will probably miss them but he will not have much time to know they are gone .  He is currently napping.  When he wakes up, his Aunt Chandra and his cousins Calyn and Carson are likely to be here!  They will be here with us until Friday.  We have a fun-filled week ahead!  It feels like an extended vacation - except we'll have to go to work!!