Going to the Lake

It has been very hot in Missouri these past few days. So hot, that with heat index it has been close to 100 degrees. YUCK!! Anyway, Jason had spent the night and we were all kind of stuck in the house when Chris said "Hey, let's take the kids to the lake"

I said "Okay" and we decided to go. We told the kids that they could walk along the shore of the lake, but to not get themselves or their clothes wet. Wishful thinking on our part.

Here they are completely content at the Lake. The Lake is a half mile from our house. If you go down our street, you will run into the lake.

This is Megan, she has "fallen" into the lake. Yeah, right!! You can't go to the lake unless you wear your pretty pink high heel sandals.

Okay...this is the three of them complying with our wishes by not getting into the water.

Patrick is trying to coax Megan into the water - like that was a hard sell.

A complete and total disregard for what we said. Oh well, they're kids, what can you do?

We had an unexpected visitor today...William came.

He played very hard with Patrick and Megan.

At one point he chased Patrick around the house with this hatchet!!
Okay, it isn't real...it's just plastic.

My favorite was watching him chase Patrick around with a Power Ranger gun. I hope you can see this, but I don't have a camcorder and the only thing I have is my stinky camera with no sound. It is grainy, but you can see William chasing Patrick and then Patrick dying. Gotta love it.

"Element"

Well, it has finally happened....Chris went to the grocery store and there was a box of kittens. He immediately called me and said "There is a box of kittens here at Country Mart, what should we do?" My sweet reply was "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

Let me go back. Megan has been begging us for a kitten. So much so that it had begun to get silly. Chris is highly allergic to cats, but I assured him if we ever picked out a cat it would be an outdoor cat. So...going back to the grocery store.

"There are two kittens in the box" Chris says.

"Okay." I said.

He hangs up.

He calls me 20 minutes later saying. "Okay, I got one. We are in the car port, have the kids meet me in the garage."

I grabbed the kids and brought them to the garage. I told them Daddy had a surprise and they had to wait. My kids are so cute, they stand still and hold each others hand in anticipation. Daddy brings the kitty inside and Megan almost swoons she is so excited.

Chris tells them we need to think of a name. Before he can get any farther with that line of thinking Megan pipes up and says "Element" the kitty is Element. She wasn't hearing any other name options I felt like I was in the movie the Ten Commandments with Charleton Heston. When Yul Brenner says "So let it be written, so let it be done."

So, now we have a 6 week old kitten named Element.

Megan took this picture while Element aka "Ellie" was sitting on her lap.

Here she is in her box in the garage. Megan doesn't know why Ellie can't just sleep with her.

Patrick is pretty excited. He goes into the garage and talks to Ellie during the day.

Another picture of Ellie on Megan's lap.

All Photos were taken by Megan Gaines age 6. She is turning into quite the photographer.

UP

We decided to take the kids this weekend to see "UP". We are huge PIXAR fans, and we just couldn't wait to see it. Of all of the movies that PIXAR has produced, this was their finest. I cried at the beginning and again at the end. It was moving, touching, beautiful...I just can't say enough about it. If you decide to take your kids to see a movie, I highly recommend "UP".

We decided to spend the extra money to see it in 3D, and it was worth it. The beauty of this movie is beyond compare. The story is heartwarming and special. The characters memorable and lovable. I can't say enough about it.