Last weekend I decided to pack up the car and take the boys home to Springfield.  Luke had to work all weekend (even Monday) so it was a good opportunity to go visit my step-dad.  Robert & Erica ("Uncle Wobewt & Aunt Etica") also drove up for the weekend from Birmingham, and my boys are.in.love with them...especially Erica!  

Before last weekend came around, the weather started getting H-O-T, hot!  So, I figured I would upgrade from our under-the-bed-storage-container (i.e. redneck swimmin') to an actual "pool" (a whopping $4.97 at Walmart).  The boys loved it, and Elijah asked hourly if he could go play in the "big bathtub." Oh, the simple joys in life.

Anyway, back to the weekend! We made it home without a single stop (amazing!) and just in time for Friday Night Catfish!  This is a bit of a ritual for my step-dad (PapaCoy) and my grandfather (PawPaw).  They live across the street from one another and are both widowed so they eat together quite often.  Their typical routine on Fridays is to drive out to the Bell Witch Cafe for supper, and they take turns paying (precious, right?).  We joined them this week, and it was so yummy!  It's recently under new ownership, and everyone in there (by everyone, I mean half the Senior Citizens of Robertson County) was talking about how the food was back to the quality it was when it first opened. Between the 3 adults we had catfish, okra, butter beans, white beans, watermelon, turnip greens, cornbread, hush puppies and the best fruit tea ever (EVEN better than the Cooker for those of you who remember that long forgotten restaurant chain!).

Where I grew up on Main Street is pretty awesome! I lived across the street from my mom's parents and next door to mom's sister and their family.  It is beautiful with lots of old houses and big trees.  Our grandparents also grew up on that street...pretty neat, huh?  Sort of Norman Rockwell-ish. All of that to say, when we travel home to Springfield we always get to see family. 

We decided that PapaCoy also needed a "big bathtub" to play in so we made the trip to Walmart and found this gem.  We left it there with my aunt and uncle so that our cousin Thomas can enjoy it, too!

I am just noticing that Miles most definitely has a farmer's tan...on his thigh

Who needs a bath when you can add bubbles to the pool??

Saturday afternoon/evening we had a fantastic dinner with family and friends! About 15 people got together on Papa Coy's back porch for a yummy meal...this is pretty typical for a weekend at home for us.  Coy is one of the best grillers ever, and his pork tenderloin came out just right!  Erica's parents came, too, and brought the boys some surprises! Marci is always so thoughtful when we see them...no wonder where Erica learned it from!  She brought them a bubble blower AND this crazy caterpillar sprinkler.  (ok, scratch that, it's not letting me upload videos at the moment! boo!)

Also, Coy found these misters at Home Depot...kinda like the ones at outdoor restaurants or in line at theme parks! They.were.awesome!  He and Robert rigged them up above the porch fans so they blew down on us while we ate and visited...it made the 90+ weather much more tolerable! In fact, we looked for some when we got back to Memphis and they were sold out!

Sunday morning before church, this little fella joined us for breakfast!

Elijah was fascinated with this squirrel! He would climb in to the tree, jump on the window screen, climb down, grab some food, eat, jump down to the ground and do it all over again!!

We had a great weekend filled with food, family and friends!  And, having all of that help with the boys made it somewhat relaxing!  I am so thankful for family and friends that love on these boys so very much! We had an early lunch on Monday and then hit the road back to Memphis.  

Adios Uncle Robert!  See you in a few weeks for our trip to the beach! 

We made it back to Memphis in time to play before supper.  Luke was home, and we were happy to see him!

I think I can fix this, Dad!

Practicing for their next trip to the pond

I couldn't resist...look at that dirty kiddo!  I confess, I LOVE that my boys are boys and get down in the dirt and play.  They want to be outside all of the time, and the dirtier the better! 

And, in case you are wondering, the boys do have clothes...even cute clothes...but they also run around in their diapers (or less!) a lot!  It's hot out there, and by the end of the day the clothes have usually come off!

It was a great weekend at home with family, but we were glad to be back in Memphis.  Now, we are looking forward to old friends coming to visit for the weekend!!  Can't wait for the Lankfords to get here tomorrow night for the Sacred Selections fundraiser!  They adopted their two kiddos with the financial help of this organization, and we are excited to finally be close enough to take part in one of their annual benefits here in Memphis!  Also, we are looking forward to our buddy, Cooper's, 2nd birthday on Saturday!  Fun weekend ahead!  

Enjoy!