Forgive and Forget?

So, I know Griffin will forgive me for the traumatic events of today...but will he forget?  I'm not so sure.

We went to one of the fancy-schmancy haircut places to get Griffin lookin' good for his first week of "school."  {We've got a week before he starts.  Yay!}  I was hoping that he would love - or at least be distracted by - the toys, the snacks, the movie showing on the flat screen TV, and the totally awesome police car (complete with steering wheel) that he got to sit in.

He. Did. Not. Like. ANY OF IT!

This is before the scissors were even in sight!  He panicked the minute we put him in that chair.

After these first 2 pictures I had to put the camera away and try to offer any help possible to Griffin and/or the poor woman cutting his hair.  I thought he was crying pretty hard in the first place, but when the lady pulled out the electric razor this kid LOST IT!  (At least she was nice enough to warn me.)

After about 3 minutes of "torture" we were done and Griffin was back at the train table.  I went to pay (still think it's too expensive...especially since I felt the need to give a decent tip to the poor lady) and then came back to play with him for a while.  I thought it would be good for him to realize that this place is pretty cool.  Everything was great until he heard a loud BUZZ from a room in the back.  I think it may have been laundry, but Griffin must have associated it with the deadly razors cutting his hair.  The water works started again so we packed up and left (to the delight of everyone else in the store, no doubt).

So, Mama rewarded him (for his good behavior??) with a DumDum afterwards and life was good again.  His haircut DOES look fabulous, but I think we will do a few more home-grown haircuts until I can't keep up with it anymore.

From here, we headed to JoAnne fabrics for me to pick something up.  Unfortunately the woman in front of me was having a piece of foam cut...foam is cut with an electric knife...an electric knife sounds a lot like the deadly razor.  Needless to say Griffin lost it again.  Unfortunately for the other patrons in the store, this Mama drove a long way to get there and I wasn't leaving without my fabric!!  Turns out I'm good at giving mean looks right back to the ladies who like to cast annoyed glances at my screaming child.

{DON'T MESS WITH ME WHEN MY NERVES ARE ALREADY FRAZZLED!}

So, Griff...Sorry for the traumatic day.  I really do feel bad, but your hair looks fantastic!

Summer Travels

I didn't realize how much we've been on-the-go until I saw it all here, in this post.  We've had some great trips this summer and still have a few more planned as we creep into Fall.

We started our summer with a very cool {literally and figuratively}, much needed get-away for Chad and me...just the two of us!  This year marked our 5 year wedding anniversary so we decided to really celebrate with a trip to San Diego, CA.  Neither one of us had ever been and it was a spot we wanted to check off our list.  We spent 5 great days touring around the city, taking in the sights and ended the trip with a beautiful drive up the coast, stopping in a few awesome beach towns!

We were able to catch a Padres game.  Beautiful stadium!

We couldn't go to San Diego and not check out the zoo, right?  Turns out it was well worth the cost.  Very cool zoo!

Torrey Pines was high on Chad's list.  (Isn't our convertable sweet?  Made for a very fun ride up the coast.)

A picnic lunch on Laguna Beach.  A highlight of the trip for me!

Our next trip was also just for us "grown-ups!"  One of my BFF's, Bri, was getting married and I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid...an awesome excuse for a long weekend in Charelston!

Beautiful Bride!

Fun hanging out with Shannon!

The little man was in tow for our next adventure to Daytona Beach for July 4th.  We were dreading the long drive, but Griff did a pretty good job!  He didn't sleep much, but he was content to watch his Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder videos.  We arrived late Thursday night and stayed until Tuesday.  Ramsey and Jenna joined us on Friday...it was great to have everyone there for some fun in the sun!

1. 2. 3...weee!

Griffin was never too far away from his dump truck!  It took him a little time to warm up to the sand and water but once he got comfortable with everything, he loved being on the beach!

Heading to the water with Aunt Jenna and Uncle Ramsey.

Griffin learned to surf on dry land....

...while Dada gave surfing a go in the water!

2nd annual 4th of July family photo.

Next, we headed down to Mobile, AL for Haley and Cam's wedding {Haley is Chad's cousin}.  It was a great wedding and an even better weekend seeing the Purvis side of the family.  We don't get to see them a lot, so it's always good to catch up.  Thankfully the wedding was the perfect occasion to get everyone in one place!

Cousin love!

The perfect bench for these two rascals.

Chad, Griffin and the Parsons kids!

Sweet picture of Chad, Griffin and Grandma Purvis.

The boys in their matching outfits.

As moms we've got to caputre moments like this when we are showered, WITH make-up on, and cute outfits!  :)

Luckily Griffin slept a while on the ride home!  All that traveling wore him out :)

So, there are our summer travels in a nutshell.  It has been busy and great with much needed family, as well as much needed Chad and Rachel time.  We love being with our boy, but it's so nice to get away every now and then to rejuvinate ourselves...plus, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?!

Dog Days of Summer

This summer has been busy to say the least.  I feel like it has been looooong, but it has been fun too.  Griffin is at a fun (most of the time) age because he likes to play and get out and do stuff.  In fact, most of the summer has consisted of coming up with new and exciting ways to keep this munchkin entertained.  Here's a snap shot of some of the things we've done this summer!

We celebrated Father's Day.  We love our dads!!

Griffin has  learned tried to feed himself yogurt with a spoon.  We still need lots of practice, but Mama can't get over the mess it makes!

We have cooled off in the fountains at Centennial Olympic Park.  Griffin had SUCH a good time and even thought it was funny when the water shot straight up his nose.

Now THAT is a kid who is loving life!

We made a few trips to the Georgia Aquarium with friends.  This has turned out to be a great activity to kill a large part of the day and stay out of the heat.  Griffin has so much fun just running around the place.  I have to be on my toes to keep up with him!

With Molly!

Checking out the fish with his friend Leah!

 The whole family had fun at the Children's Museum, but I think Dada had the most fun out of anyone!

We've had fun playing with grandparents and great grandparents - they all do a good job of tiring each other out!  I think everyone takes good afternoon naps when we leave.
 

This is a "go-cart" that Gingi made when Ramsey was young.  I have many memories riding on this thing.  So neat that it's still around!  (This picture was from the very beginning of the summer...doesn't he look young?)



Gingi sure knows how to make Griffin happy. 

Griffin loves this car at Papa and Gigi's house.

 

Papa came up with a new, fun way for Griffin to get around!  Griffin likes making other people work hard for his enjoyment.

 

Gigi has entertained herself this summer by finding "new" toys for Griffin at Goodwill (on Tuesdays she gets a senior discount)!

  We have tried to find creative ways to stay cool.  This summer has been H. O. T!!

Many days have been spent at the pool!

Is there anything better than playing in the rain without a care in the world?

So excited to run around in the rain that we lost a shoe!

  

It's way cooler to play IN the water table!

And, thankfully, with so much going on this summer, we have also taken some really good naps.  Having so much fun is hard work!

I've heard someone say that "these are the longest days of the shortest years of your life."  That about sums it up and I wouldn't trade these memories for anything in the WORLD!