Happy 1st Birthday Itty Bitty Bit!

We celebrated Julia's 1st birthday with friends on Saturday. She sure has grown from her 4 pound start! Crawling, pulling up, some teeth, real food. We wished we were celebrating with 2 cakes, but feel blessed to have at least one. God is good. I am glad that I can honestly say that the worse year of my life was also the best - I know God better now. Julia loved the doll Hughes gave her, her scramble bug, the blocks from Aunt Lissa and the icing on the cake!

Grass!!!

One unexpected event in the USA was that Julia discovered grass. And she loves it! Yes, the green stuff! We don't really have any real grass at our home in Dubai - more like weeds that get watered. And it has been too warm (115F plus) to look for any at the park. So, I took more pictures of Julia in the grass than I realized! Isn't she cute??!!

Hixson, TN

 Plunkett's in a bumble bee swim suit Meme gave her

 Indiana in one of the many dresses Mema bought her

Something was really funny!

Not grass but a quilt Grandma made her. She looks so much like my baby pictures! Do you see the 4 top teeth that poked through last week? It was one rough week for both of us.

How Do You Do It???

15 - 17 hours (depending on whether you are coming or going) on the airplane! Everyone asks me, "How do you do it?"

"Easy!" I answer.  It's the jet lag that is hard!

Here's how. I couldn't resist taking pictures!

 Julia enjoys a baby smoothie.

 Movies and Food!

More movies and more food!

Summertime in the Good Ol' USA

Visiting Grandma Bouton

 Jolee, Bryson and Julia at Fredrick's

Mamie came to visit June and Norman while we were there waiting for the rafting trip to return.

 Visiting att Aunt Rosalie's

Meme in the swing of things!

Enjoying BBQ at Sticky Fingers. Julia was cuttung 4 top teeth and cried the whole time. She wanted only Katie to hold her. Katie had friends, cousins, and BBQ to attend to!

 Swimming at the Plunkett's

Bella and Matthew up to some mischievous activities! Always!

 Hannah holding Julia

 Happy Birthday to Us! We celebrated all the kids' birthdays because it has been so difficult to send gifts.

 Shelby's Farm (park) - boy, was it warm!

 Cousins!!!

PaJoe and Jolee

 Julia thought the floor air vents were great! We don't have them in Dubai.

 Jolee had Uncle Danny wrapped around her finger

 Happy 60th Anniversary!

PaJoee and Julia on the back porch

 Mema and Jolee at convention

 Katie and PaJoe at Shoals

Jolee using her buttoning-fettish on Larry

The kids and I flew 16 hours to Houston, TX, from Dubai. My parents picked us up and drove us to their home in Georgetown for a few days. Then we flew to my sister Angela and John's in Memphis, TN for a week. There we went on a rafting trip and saw all kinds of family! My parents and sister Melissa came up for the last weekend - a nice family reunion. Mom, the kids, and I drove up to my grandparent's in Indiana. Mom and Uncle Dan and Aunt Kim threw a surprise 60th anniversary party for my grandparents. We went to Shoals convention where I saw childhood friends and long-lost cousins. We went to Target at least 3 times, twice to Barnes 'n Noble, twice to Cracker Barrel, I never stepped foot in Walmart but a couple of my kids did, I think. We ate BBQ and Mexican food as often as possible. Believe it or not, we were ready to come home to Dubai and have some Thai food!