Vacation in the Lone Star State

**Warning - Long post ahead...**

My dad turned 50 this weekend, so we all headed to Rusk, TX to celebrate! After a wonderful weekend, Ted and I left Madigan with my parents and her cool cousins and went to Arlington for a Texas Rangers game. It was fantastic (there will probably be a separate post coming about the game later - too many pictures to sort through right now!). Then, Ted flew home on Monday, I visited with some great friends in the metroplex and then I went back to my parents and spent a couple of days there. Amazingly, Madigan made it just fine without me... and I actually did very well too :)

Happy Birthday Pa!!

We got to Rusk on Friday, but didn't start the birthday celebrations until Saturday. That evening, we took him out to Shogun's Restaurant in Tyler. Matt, Susie, Avery and Ella and Mema and Papa drove in and met us there. It was REALLY good! Plus Madigan learned a new skill... eating with chopsticks!

Next, we headed back to Jacksonville for a SURPRISE party for Dad (and was he ever surprised). Gotcha Pa!He handled it well though and even got some nice presents to take home (a package of Depends, some Tylenol Arthritis, etc) from his thoughtful friends.The girls had a good time playing with all of the other kiddos at the party. But, Madigan's favorite part was chewing on the "balloons" off of Pa's cake. Her LEAST favorite part was getting kisses from a really big dog... :)All in all, it was a great party and happy birthday celebration. The next morning, we all got ready for church. Here are a few pictures of the girls all "prettied up".

Camp Pa and Gee Gee

After church on Sunday, Ted and I headed out to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, Matt and Susie drove to San Antonio, and "Camp Pa and Gee Gee" began in Rusk. That meant that Madigan not only got to spend time ALONE with Pa and Gee Gee, but that she got to hang out with her cool cousins

Avery (almost 7 years old)and Ella (almost 5 years old)

And this was no ordinary camp! There was a tent...but it was inside the house.
There was also swimming... a LOT of swimming!

Madigan's favorite part of swimming at Pa and Gee Gee's was that if you didn't have a swimsuit to wear, you just didn't wear one!I know this picture is blurry, but see if you can see her face - every time she went down the slide, she closed her eyes tight and opened her mouth wide!Nothing like relaxing in the pool...I had to post this picture - this is what Madigan's diaper looked like after swimming. At one point, Ella said, "why is her butt so big?"!!There was also a lot of eating at this camp. The menu consisted of a very nutritious helping of popsicles, popcorn, cookies, candy and icing off of Pa's cake. But unlike "normal" camps, this camp also had some additional features to offer. Such as...

An awesome sandbox

swings in a hammockrides in Gee Gee's "yard bug"art/craft timeand bubble baths!

I still can't figure out why she didn't miss me?!?! Needless to say, Madigan had a wonderful time and is already looking forward to visiting Camp Pa and Gee Gee next summer!

Trip to the Zoo

After I returned from the metroplex, Mom and I took the girls to the Tyler zoo. It was really nice! We saw penguins, elephants, giraffes, snakes, and tigers. And yet, the girls got the most excited when they saw turtles and squirrels! Go figure! Here's a picture of Ella and Madigan checking out the exotic box turtle.

They also really liked the snow cone exhibit...However, their favorite part was the petting zoo where they got to brush the goats. "Let me at 'em"
Can you see Madigan's face in this picture? She's not sure about Ella's driving!They all had a wonderful time with Gee Gee at the zoo!

As you can see, it was a wonderful trip and we all enjoyed getting to kick off our summer this way. Thanks to Pa and Gee Gee for a great time and for taking such good care of Madigan. This is a picture I captured of her on the ride home. Anyone else tired?!