Happy Birthday, Addison & Ava

It's hard to believe that my nieces, Addison and Ava, are turning four and two.  Times flies so quickly!  Tiffany brought the girls to Mama and Daddy's house for a joint birthday party celebrating both girl's sweet little lives.  Their birthdays are turning in to a fun family tradition, since their party is held on Memorial Day weekend, and is the kick-off to summer.  That's certainly what we did that night.

When Nana and Grandaddy Hughes arrived, the grandkids attacked Grandaddy.  Growing up, this is exactly how my siblings and I always reacted when we saw him, so it sets him over the top when his 'greats' do the same thing.

We kid that Canaan is fascinated by Great-Nan's white hair.  He just stares at it and pats it.  Nana thinks it's hysterical. 

Even though this is supposed to be a double stroller for dolls, Ava insists on riding in it.  Hadley's gingerbread baby is comfortably riding along in the carrier and Addison has Bradley's childhood doll, My Buddy (aka "Chucky"), in the back of her vehicle.  These kiddos love their toys with wheels.

 My mom really wanted a picture of all her grandbabies, in her flowers.  I was waiting for Canaan to abandon ship at any point and land face-first in the mulch.  Oh me...pics with this crew...whew! 

 My mom got help watering her flowers from all the kids.  Funny how Hadley never thinks about helping me water flowers at home, but at Nana and Poppy's house, everything is different ;)

 Although a firepit isn't necessarily an authentic way to make smores, it's still awfully fun.  I get impatient and tend to scorch my marshmallows.  I've actually acquired a taste for burnt ones, believe it or not.  However, Grandaddy Hughes showed me how to really roast a marshmallow.  Granted, it takes forever....but it was much better.  You have to let the marshmallow get really hot first, which is a long process, and then it melts from the inside, which tastes so much better.  The wisdom of seniors...

 

 Tiffany's boyfriend, Jamey, played the guitar and sang for us.  Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is always a hit.  He was great and we were so impressed with his skills!  Now we just need to go hear his band sometime. 

 My mom has recently introduced Levi to sticks and they pretend to be ninja warriors, fighting each other with them.  I suppose she thinks this is what boys are supposed to do, therefore introducing baby Canaan to sticks.  As you can imagine, every "stick" adage went through my mind as I watched him holding it, and I kept imagining his eyeballs getting gouged out.  But I tried to not overreact...I really really tried. 

 Both of my grandfathers, Grandaddy White ("Jewell", hence Hadley's middle name) and Grandaddy Hughes eat breakfast together every morning at Auburn's local pool hall, with a big group of men.  So it's natural for them to shoot the breeze over food ;)  Love, love, love, having my grandparents together like this.

What a sweet night celebrating two very sweet little girls.  Happy Birthday, Addison and Ava!!  We love you bunches!