Waccatee Zoo

Well I guess the Lancasters love the zoo, since this is the second zoo that we have been to this summer. This is a fun little zoo where you can feed the animals and get quite close to many of them. 2 Peacocks actually tried to get into the minivan before we had even had a chance to purchase our tickets!

Here is Gregg in his Safari shirt, ready to protect his girls!

Mary Kathryn was very brave and fed a lot of the animals

Thanks Grammy and Ant Helen for a fun week!

Garden City

We spent the week of the 4th of July at Carden City Beach with Gregg's family. We had a blast! There are not many beach photos as I am afraid of getting sand in the lense, but a great time was had by all!

A success story

Here is the before picture. All greased up and cute as she could be in her duck suit, but would she, could she enjoy the beach after our previous failed attempts . . .
















YES!!! The answer is a resounding yes! Anne having fun in the sand and water, a miracle some may say! Now is this a Garden City phenomenon or can it happen again? . . . Only time will tell.

More Summer Fun

Summer Fun

If

If I had not left my camera at the Ark after Reeves' super fun pool birthday party, you would be able to enjoy some cute photos of that as well as a picture that I would have taken Sunday evening of my fully clothed husband holding my fully clothed younger daughter in an empty inflatable pool in the middle of our den. It was a very funny sight, you will have to take my word for it. It is all part of Gregg's plan to overcome Anne's fear of pools (baby or otherwise). He has quite a road ahead of him I fear. We will see!

The Zoo

We decided to start memorial day weekend off on Friday with a special family trip to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. We had a great time. The weather was nice and warm, but it wasn't unbearably hot, yet. The plan was for Anne to nap on the way there, but apparently she was too excited. So we feared that our visit might not be enjoyable but she was a trooper and didn't fuss at all. She did spend half the day sort of asleep with her eyes open in the stroller, but she never closed her eyes, guess she didn't want to miss anything!

Mary Kathryn had a ball! She loved the animals, the carousel, the snacks and the flowers. She loves flowers so much that we knew we had to trek across the bridge to the botanical gardens. She said "this garden sure is nice!" Her favorite animal was the penguin, which we got to see at feeding time - very interesting. But her other favorite animals the pig and the panda bear were not there. I don't think she minded. It was a great day!

Boat Day

We took Mary Kathryn out in the boat for the first time this year and she loved it! Last year, not so much, so this was a great improvement. We went with some friends to Sandy Point and the children had a blast! (the adults did too!)

Mills wouldn't look at the camera, but he is still just plain adorable!

This pasty white couple (their description, not mine) claimed to be from Minnesota, but they sure do seem pretty familiar!

Anne, the boo

I feel Like Mary Katrhyn gets more posts, but Anne is certainly a fun girl too!

Field trips

I signed up to drive for 2 field trips at the end of MK's school year, had to put the new minivan to use, I suppose. It was lots of fun. The first was to the Strawberry patch and I forg ot my camera. The funniest part of this trip was that I drove Mk and another little girl and a little boy. This little girl made Mary Kathryn seem like a mute. I was shocked at the amount this child talked and the volume of her voice. Wow. She and MK talked the whole time. Poor little boy in the back couldn't a word in!

The second trip was to the farm at Middletone Place. It was fun. The kids loved the animals and they even got to see a cow get milked. Moments before the cow was milked it headbutted a little boy to the ground. I couldn't believe it! He was fine but he LITERALLY flew through the air and then landed on his back. Crazy Cow!

No matter where, Mary Kathryn always enjoys snack time!

Catching up, again

They love to play on the stairs!

Double trouble down the slide!

Making a glad basket with Oma, what a special treat!

MK with her bud, Nola at the Littles School end of the year picnic.

These 2 cousins are too cute!

Mary Kat LOVES an art project!

Mary Kathryn and Bess in the pool on a cool day in May.

(Sorry ladies that studly fella is already spoken for)

Of all the 1st birthdays I have been to,

Lawton gets the gold medal for diving right into his cake!

funny phrases

MK is making pictures to take to my parents house on Sunday night to celebrate Bubby's birthday (His actual bday is today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE BUBBY!) she makes the first one and says it is for the birthday boy. Then she gets ready to start making the second and she is deciding whether it should be for my mom or dad and she says "This one will be for Oma because Oma tells Papa and Uncle Bubby what to do."

And on the way to Mom and Dad's Anne was say papa papa over and over and over again and Mary Kat says "Annie is really into Papa". I thought that such a funny phrase for a 3 year old to use. They keep us laughing that is for sure!

Oh, what a night!

I forgot my camera, so I have no photos to share but I had to post about the fun night we had on Saturday. We went to Daniel Island for a special Symphony Concert and opening of Smythe Park. The weather was perfect and our Friends had set up this amazing spread for our picnic (there was contest for best picnic - $500 to a charity of your choice being the prize). Our theme was Casual Seaside Symphony Soiree the Loves planned everything and the rest of our group brought some food items to share. Everything looked perfect! (Look to Beth and Amanda's blogs for picts, they had their cameras!) Bails of hay for seating, burlap tablecloths, china and real wine glasses, beautiful shells on the table and an arrangement of Gerber daisies. Not to mention BBQ, Shrimp, veggies, dips and chocolate pie just to name a few of the food items! To top it off we were treated to complimentary tickets to see the 4 or 5 new multi million dollar homes that line the park. We not only got to view these gorgeous homes but each home represented a different artist's gallery and caterer, so art and more food! What a treat! But of course the best part was being with good friends. We did this with our small group from St. Philip's and our time of fellowship with them was so special. Truly a great night! Oh and our picnic won best Lowcountry picnic and we won several bottles of wine!

God is good.

Well, I haven't posted in awhile, and I have things I have been meaning to write about. 2 chaperoning experiences, an end of the year picnic an a boat trip to the beach just to name a few. But I haven't had a chance to download the photos, so they will keep another few days (or weeks). I am just overwhelmed by the way God has worked in my life. From creating Gregg and I to be marired to one another to the family and friends we have been blessed with, and I could just go on and on. Wow. I just had a great hour long conversation with a special friend that I made in Germany, and it got me thinking to how blessed I have been. I remember being terrified at thought of moving to Germany when all my loved ones and all that I knew was is in SC. But Gregg and I prayed about it and we knew Germany was where we were suppose to go, so we went. And it was great. Obviously the traveling was great, but the people we met really blessed us and continue to do so. I never thought I would be so lucky to have so many great people in my life. Thanks, Liz for the phone call! I hope to be half as good a mother as you are!!

My girls: I can't believe that I am the mother of 2 such wonderful daughters. Amazing. They are just so cute! And fun, and sweet. Annie Boo you are so much fun now. Really walking and starting to talk. It is great. I love that we can communicate a little - take this to Mary Kathryn or let's go upstairs. Truly amazing. You love your sister so much; I know you two are going to be such great friends and take care of one another always. And Mary Kathryn you are so much fun. Your love of flowers is adorable and the way you interact with people and dance when you don't that I am watching is great, I love it. The way you care for Anne and me and your dad and Annabelle and Allie and Lily and the gang is so sweet. The scenarios you come up with for your little people or imaginary friends are hysterical. Your imagiantion is always working overtime and I love that!

And Gregg - we are so proud of you! You are doing such a great job in your MBA program and still doing a great job at work and always finding time for us. We are so lucky. As are you, it is not every guy that has 3 adorable girls who love him so much!

Thank you God for all the blessings of this life! There are so many more to name, but I will save them for another blog.

What to do

Some days Mary Kathryn can be quite a handful. Today when I was disciplining her, MK told me that she was "tired of me acting this way". Ergh. Then Gregg put her to bed and she had just used the potty right before the bedtime routine so he left out the trip to the potty after her books before her prayers. Well 20 minutes later we hear her calling out from upstairs and Gregg went up to see what she needed. Well she had to go to the potty. Gregg said that was fine , but why didn't she just go without calling for him (which she normally does). She said " I wanted you to know that you had forgotten to take me." Are you kidding me? This kid is something else!