We went to Branson this week and it rained and rained so we did a lot of indoor stuff. The kids played some arcades and Carson won a couple of mini whoopie cushions with his tickets. He was just dying to get home and try them out. He kept saying "when we get home, can we try out our tooter cushions?" So that's what he calls them now. Anyways, I neglected to take pictures during our two day trip, but I did manage to capture this video showing off some of our redneck style.

Don't let these pictures fool you, Cal is not potty-trained! He has only once gotten in the bathtub and told us that he needed to potty and actually used his potty! On any regular day, which is everyday, when I ask him if he wants to go sit on his potty he will politely say to me "no tank you." He just isn't in any hurry yet, and I'm not really pushing it all that much. Carson was trained at 2 years and 10 months and Callahan is 2 yr. 9 ms. so I'm not worried about it. Once Carson made it up in his mind that he wanted to use the potty, he has been doing it ever since. I could push him all I wanted and he just wasn't ready. So, I'm just following Cal's lead at this point. I figure he will at least be potty trained once he heads off to kindergarten!




So instead of really potty training this summer like I intended to, we are doing a little of this....





and a little of this...




and TONS of this...



which often leads to this...



and that's that!

Callahan has become a little fish ever since we bought this new swimsuit a couple of weeks ago. He swims up and down the pool now and is totally independent. He loves it and asks to swim all the time. It has been fun watching him grow and have a good time in the water. Here is a short clip of him in his "speedo".

We had a great 4th this year with all my family here, except my sister and her husband. We wished she could've come and hope that maybe she can next time we get together. We had my parents, my nephew, Dylan, and my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, Kyan. The weather was nice, but had rained and cooled off a lot so it wasn't the best swim weather - go figure! We had a great time though, regardless. Here are the boys on the trampoline with Andrea.


Here's Kyan on the trampoline, he really liked it.

My parents hanging out on the porch watching us swim - the water had cooled off too much for them from the storm that came through so they chickened out.

We played Rock Band on Friday night and my mom even joined in the fun! She was pretty good actually. Matt, who is the musician in the family, had a difficult time getting into a rhythmn (sp?). He said it's different than the real thing for sure. Dylan, my 14 year old nephew, on the other hand can play even at the expert level. Granted he has had TONS of practice on his own system at home.

Mimi was having just too much fun!

Wade and I tag teaming on the mic...

Matt singing Journey's "Any Way You Want It." It was so funny, I wished I had videotaped it!


Callahan and Kyan in their new swimsuits! I will post a video of Callahan later swimming in his later, but let me just tell you - this is the greatest invention ever! Cal was crying b/c he hates putting on sunscreen, poor guy!

Kyan opening his Mr. Potato Head silly suitcase we got him. I can't believe he is 2!


My boys loved the silly parts for the potato head, they have the potato head family case, but not the silly parts so they had fun playing with Kyan's.

My parents taking the boys on a walk.

Wade, Cal, and Papa watching fireworks on the driveway. Fayetteville lets you shoot them off anywhere, even at home. So Dylan loved shooting them off - and we all watched because we're too chicken to help.


This was a pretty big step this year for Carson. Here he is doing poppers, which he loved, but he was scared at first. He and I both watch the fireworks with our ears covered!

Wade with the boys doing poppers.

Matt and Kyan

Here are all four grandchildren: Callahan (2), Carson (6), Dylan (14), and Kyan (just turned 2). Carson wanted to wear Uncle Matt's hat and he had to wear it like Matt and Dylan do, then Callahan had to follow suit because he wants to do everything Carson does. We couldn't talk them out of taking the hats off, so this is the best we got. Their still cute though!

Here is the best family picture we got after church on Sunday. The boys were pretty pictured out at this point and Callahan was even whining saying "no camera!"

This past weekend, we had Wade's family in town along with Bailey Pike, who is practically family. She lived across from the Ramer's from birth until they moved to Montana. She is 13 now and is in town for a few weeks. We loved seeing her and spending the day having fun in the pool. It was a great time. We even got Wade's dad to play some Wii bowling, which you'll see a pic of down below. This first one is of Cal being crazy silly at the table, which is what we get to enjoy most nights. Roll those pics....