Consigning

I'll be totally honest and say when I had friends who started shopping consignment sales I kinda turned my nose up like a big fat snob...but after visiting the Monkey Hunt consignment sale in Columbia a few years ago I completely changed my mind...and after I started buying clothes on the regular of my children...and realizing how often clothes have to be purchased...suddenly gently used clothing didn't seem like such a bad thing. The Monkey Hut sale is also in a more affluent part of Columbia so the quality is fantastic.

Since I now know we will not be having any more children and I don't have to pass Ruth Ann's clothes down to a younger baby sister...it was time for me to try my hand at selling in a consignment sale...

I started bagging and tagging and drove my stash across town a week ago...



There were 2 more totes behind the 2 you can see...and that's a bouncy seat on top...I threw it in at the last minute.

I would say my first attempt was a success...I sold just over $800 worth of clothes...after the cut from the person who organizes the whole thing my take home was $525...not bad for my first try and it was all clothing with the exception of the bouncy seat...and I had it priced cheap just to get it out of my living room. I'm going to put some more clothes and the left-overs from this sale into a sale coming up a little closer to home. I have to say my favorite part of the whole experience was checking my total sales each night and seeing that number climb, climb, climb...my least favorite part...realizing how much money I've spent on my children's clothing!

Fun Friends at the Beach

A few weeks before we were to leave for the beach Arch & Justin realized we would be at the beach the same week. The Browns were not going to be there the full week, but several of the days they would be seaside would be the same week as our vacation. We made plans to meet up because what is more fun than hanging out with good friends at the beach?? Honestly, the only thing that would have made it even better were if the Clarks announced they would be there the same week...which almost happened since they got to the beach on Friday of the same week...but unfortunately the Clarks, Browns and McCarty's were not all together at once...we'll have to plan that trip for another year!

Anyway, the Browns came down to our beach house and we hit the beach hard...





I never get tired of picture of these two sweet girls together!

We played on the beach until about 3:30 and then we headed to the house for a little pool time to clean up and relax just a little bit more before they had to head back home...



Arch found massive quantities of water balloons in our garage before we left for the beach...apparently I went a little crazy buying them a few years ago...after this trip, we're officially out of water balloons...

I guess since their aim isn't the greatest the kids thought it more fun to squeeze each water balloon until it burst...











Then the boys did a little throwing...





And Betsy and Justin showed off some cheerleader moves...









But like all good fun...it came to an end and the Browns headed home...but it only confirmed what I already believed...we should be taking beach trips with our friends on the regular!

Pool Days

Summer is coming to a end...tear...so I thought I'd relive some of our summer days and announce something I've been holding in for a few weeks...



Do you want to know what's better than having a pool in your own back yard??? Having parent's with a pool in their back yard! We get full access without the maintenance...we love going to swim and I know Grammy loves having us. As our kids get older, my friends and I find it easier to pack up and head to my parents for the day. This past summer we managed a few more days than we did last year...and I think it will become even more frequent next summer.



I'm not sure where Ruth Ann picked up this pose...I promise it wasn't from me or Arch!



Tripp-man continues to be happy to float the afternoon away...unless it's close to feeding time...he'll let you know when it's time to feed the beast!

The Brown's joined us for some sliding & diving board fun...









Betsy easily jumped off the diving board more than any other child at the pool...and each time she wanted you to watch her perform what she felt would be a different jumping trick...however, each look the same...but we let her know how much we enjoyed each of her unique tricks!

And don't think for one minute that the momma's didn't join in on the fun...



Sally showed off moves I haven't attempted since my teen years...and here's Brantley holding her MIDDLE child on the sliding board...



And if you know Brantley then you've also realized this is the BIG NEWS! When I loaded these pictures a few weeks ago I knew this would be how I would announce on the blog that the Clark's had allowed the children to out number them with the addition of #3! Did you think I was crazy enough to have another??? 3 McCarty kids will be all our household can handle! I'm about as excited to hear the gender of Clark #3 as I was to find out the gender of my own babies...I take that back, I may be more excited! Brantley and Graem do have cute baby boys...but I'm curious to see what a girl would look like and to see Graem with a baby girl in his life! Congrats to the Clarks!!

Waiting Out the Storm

August 27th was Arch's birthday...and also the day Hurricane Irene was scheduled to make land fall on SC. Arch really wanted a family lake day on his birthday so all week we watched Irene's progress. We were thankfully she started to turn north and practically miss our state all together. Although the coast got some rain and strong winds...we just got a cloudy, breezy day out of the whole thing.

Once we saw the coast was clear for us we began planning our day. We headed out early Saturday morning...Arch took Ruth Ann to the lake house with him, I had a few stops to make on my way so I had just Tripp-man. We got to the lake just before lunch, met the Brown family and we ate lunch together. Then we hit the lake and headed to Hurricane Hole...the most appropriate place on the lake to wait out the storm...right??? We got there and found some friends of the Browns who had rented slide boat...imagine a 2 story pontoon boat with a slide from the upper decking shooting you straight into the lake...fun times were had by all! I wish I could have taken a picture...and though I am known to get in the water with my camera...I just wasn't brave enough to do it in water I couldn't touch the bottom in.

Eventually the Clarks joined the fun and shortly after the slide boat left. We floated and chatted a little while longer and then Graem...with his super stealth maneuvering...inflated the tube for us to enjoy. Jay and Justin went first and I was on the other boat, so I don't have any pictures of them...but after the Brown family left we loaded up on the Clark's boat and I got a few pictures of some of our tubers...





Do you think she has fun playing with her big brother??  And is there any doubt these two are related...Ruth Ann is what Spencer would have looked like if he had been a girl!



Then Mason joined in and Roper rode later with Graem...but I was holding babies while Arch drove the boat so I didn't get a picture of Roper riding...but he had fun, you'll just have to take my word for it!

Tripp just sat and enjoyed the ride...



Which must be hard when the life vest looks so uncomfortable!



And the wind really did a number on his hair...



Oh, I love those sweet cheeks and lips!

Then we headed in for hotdogs...which took a few more minutes to prepare than we had originally planned...but that just made them taste better when it was time to eat. After our bellies were full we loaded up tired babies...and tired mommas...and headed home. Ruth Ann was exhausted...she slept until almost 10am this morning...Tripp, not so much. He was up and looking for his breakfast bottle at 7:30am...so that means a Sunday nap is in my future!

Beach-Part 2

So this is the first summer we have waited until August to hit the beach...and this wasn't by our own choice. The week we were there was the only week available for the beach house we love so much. It was hard reading on Facebook week in and week out about everyone elses beach vacations...but our time was coming so we patiently waited...and waited...and waited.

Finally, our week arrived and we loaded up and headed out!



Each morning Tripp would take his morning nap on the beach...



Then he would play a little...these were his first moments playing on the beach...









My dad didn't come to the beach with us this year...but on more than one occasion Tripp's facial expressions were very much like my dad's. The picture above is a perfect example.







I attempted to get a picture of Ruth Ann and Tripp together on the beach...but these two beach bums are a little bit difficult to photograph together!









After a little play time, Tripp usually headed in for a bottle and an afternoon nap. The rest of us stayed on the beach to play until about 3pm...then we headed back to the house to relax in the pool...





Floaties are a MUST if you have Ruth Ann in the vicinity of a body of water. To date she has jumped in the pool without a life jacket on 4 times...swimming lessons will be a must for this girl next summer...my heart can't take another summer of this!