Remembering, smiling and loving this moment in time...

I'm staring, smiling and remembering...it was a beautiful summer day! It's so hard to believe he is 7 and starting 2nd grade Monday...If I could I'd go back to this day in our lives but instead I hold it in my heart forever!

He's 7, Wow!

Our little M.A.N. turned 7 today!

It was his day and he got spoiled rotten...and I mean rotten!

After spending the day in town going here and there and doing this and that we had a low key celebration at home.

(He doesn't know but tomorrow we are throwing him a surprise birthday party with his family and friends :o)

Here he is with his gift from us...

He's pretty excited as he found this wrapped package under our bed a few days ago and was told at that time it wasn't his but his cousins b-day gift, lol...

WooHoo he knew it was a gun case but hadn't a clue as to what was in it...Love that smile!

Oh My! Oh My! Oh My!...His first 22 rifle, AWESOME!

A real gun!!

His he happy or what?

Just his size too!

Getting instruction from Daddy!

And of course we had to go outside and try it out!

He's pretty darn tickled and it made our day just to see the sparkle in his eye...

Digi Layout ~ Grandpa with Aubreigh & JJ

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The one thing Children

wear out faster than shoes is

Grandparents!!

(My favorite photo from our weekend with Aubreigh and J.J.)

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Credits:

Word art “Shoesgrands” designed by MMDC
Template (heart templates kit 4) designed by Scrapping with Liz
Gemstones (2) sincerely me kit designed by Fruit Loop Sally
Paper designed by Laitha playful reverie kit @ PickleBerryPop
Paper designed by Mia from love kit
Paper designed by Fruit Loop Sally from Lizzy kit

Aubreigh just a moment ~ digi layout

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I was a wee bit bored tonight and wanted to play with a photo...I chose Aubreigh and attempted an extraction of her and then adding her to a digi layout...Not sure if this is what I was looking for but I had fun. I may try her photo on a more feminine and softer layout...But the photo was a great one for extracting...

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Credits:

WordArt “Just a moment” designed by Choukette
WordArt “EiEiOh” from kit called “farm yard fun” designed by Dawn Inskip
Sun from kit called “Vacation Bible School” designed by dje
Fence from kit called “Home Sweet Home” designed by Dawn Inskip
Flowers and butterfly from a kit called “endearing meadow” designed by Dawn Inskip
Paper, grass tufts, chick, cracked egg, sheep from a kit called “Little Farm” designed by High four

Storm rolling in...

As we were putting the chickens in tonight there were some awesome clouds coming our way loaded with rain. It actually wasn't much rain, but better than what we've had the last 3 weeks, which has been nothing! With temps near or at 100 degrees F. things were getting a bit crispy!

Gorgeous South Texas Sunset...

And here comes the clouds rolling in...

I managed to catch one bolt of lightening and Michael even caught some on video before I decided it was time to head to the house...

Regarding Michael's video, he caught the lightening but it was after he decided to un-fog his lens with his finger, lol...Another word for filthy dirty lens and a very unclear video, sigh! I've always told him do NOT touch your lens and I think tonight he actually saw why. It was a neat video but absolutely ruined due to the dirty lens, grrr...Hopefully he learned his lesson and next time we will get to see some great video footage :o)

Bordered Patch Butterflies

In a previous post I had told you that Michael and I had found some caterpillars. At the time we weren't sure what they were. We now know they are Bordered Patch Butterflies.

Our Cow Pen Daisy's out in the pasture were just covered with caterpillars.

We brought a few in the house to raise. I found a butterfly habitat thingy at target on sale and it was sweet. We fed the caterpillars, watched them grow.

Then they curled up and began their transformation into Chrysalis's.

Why the different colored chrysalis's I don't have a clue. It was interesting waiting to see what type of butterflies they were going to become.

And then the other Morning we noticed a butterfly and then again this morning we had two more make their appearance. It takes them awhile before they start fluttering around as their wings need to stretch out and dry.

After their wings are dry we turn them loose outside.

Michael has so much fun watching and waiting. When the first butterfly came out he was so excited! He doesn't like turning them loose but knows it has to be done. They need to be free.

And that was our Butterfly experience this year!!

Guess where we went today????

Can you Guess? Can you say 44 yr old is HOT & TIRED from chasing a soon to be 7 yr old around...here's a hint...He went from Engine room to Bridge and then from Bow to Stern...got a good idea now?

How about the

U.S.S. Lexington aka: The Blue Ghost!

And because I chased him all over taking photos here and there I am going to make y'all suffer and look at all of them...( I also messed up with the ISO a few times, please excuse the grainy photos) P.S. Most of these photos were taken with the 10-22mm lens...Most but not all :o)

As always the VERY first place we head upon entering is one of several cockpits...and we stay there and we stay there...

He loves it....(Momma not so much :o()

Then we head for one of the other cockpits...and we stay there and stay there. I'm beginning to think maybe investing in our very own cockpit might be a good investment :o)

Ace Pilot shooting down the enemies...(at least that is what he thinks :o)

And he loves it!!

Uh Oh...The Lexington has acquired some air combat video games...Now we'll never leave, sigh!! He kills everything good and bad, lol...Instead of Run Forest Run...it's Shoot Michael Shoot!

A reprieve as we head to the flight deck...only to find out the gun turrets are open to explore, yikes!! And let me tell you it's really HOT on the flight deck, ekkk.

Ahh cool now he wants to tour the Bridge...sweet been awhile since I've been up there and I also know there is A/C in the bridge, yeah!

Here we come A/C :o) I am so happy!

But alas he ran right through the bridge tour...didn't even let me stop to feel the cool breeze, grr.

Back on the lower deck...above is a bit of history for y'all regarding the Action that the U.S.S. Lexington has seen. I actually took the photo while Michael was back in one of the cockpits playing, lol...He loves them what can I say...(if you want to see a bigger photo click on it)

A boat coming in with some catch...Not sure it's a shrimper as there are no arms...John what is it? LOL...John can tell us! It was called the Green light or something like that...I'm old and forgetful :o)

Now we are back at the Combat games again, sigh!! Not sure if you see that big FAN off to the left but I stood under it for a long time...the breeze felt really really good!

Trying out a little sub...it transported divers (I think), at least that is what the sign said...I was Hot and my brain was melting at this point :o)

sheesh back to the cockpit, again!

Some more History for y'all...Beautiful little plane. I had a lot of time to stop and look at it as the one cockpit was right next to it...

Here's a side view of the N3N Yellow Peril. And Michael is still in the cockpit, sigh!

A view of Corpus Christi Bay from one of the many side doors open to (possibly) let in a breeze (if there was a breeze)...The gulf breeze alluded us today :o(

You see those fish...Cool. I found something to photograph!! The big black and white striped thing (and it was HUGE) was a black drum. Not sure what all the other fish are but they were having fun eating whatever they were eating on the side of the U.S.S. Lexington....(oh by the way I took this with the telephoto lens)

My fish photography didn't last long...Someone found me and dragged me off to the other cockpit, Argh!

Then he decided he wanted to see the Engine room...Down into the bowels of the ship we go...and remember still no A/C...ugh!

Down, Down, Down we go...I got my exercise today!

Mom take my Photo!! Oh by the way he is posing with a mine, he loves them, yes he does. You know why? Because they Explode, yippee!!

We've been down down down to the engine room...Now we are headed back up up up to the deck...Did you know aircraft carriers are quiet LARGE!!!!

(A view of Corpus Christi with the bay)

Whew...after finishing up at the Lexington (I pretty much dragged him off of the ship, lol) We went to the Whataburger on the bay for lunch, Michael's favorite Corpus restaurant and then headed to the Mall but got side tracked by the Toys r Us sign, Yikes....Just don't ask but we had fun. Then we stopped to see Kathy and the grandbabies for a bit and headed home....oh so sweet home with Central A/C and ceiling fans...ha ha ha!

Momma is it a Tornado? No Michael just a little rain shower, wish it would follow us home! I think maybe Michael needs to stop watching storm stories with me!

Do you see it? It's Texas snow...otherwise known as Cotton!! It's always looked like a light dusting of snow to me...sweet!

Yeah!! The road home...love that view.

(Coastal Plains of Texas)

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I hope y'all enjoyed our day...We did, it was just a wee bit warm. But we survived. Not sure what our next before school adventure will be but stay tuned. I'm sure it will be interesting!