The past 5 days in the Hollis family

This post reminds me why I originally named my blog "It's a Sweet Crazy Life" because wow, sometimes it really, really, REALLY is!
Last Thursday was Maddie Kate's 8th birthday. Now how she got that old I don't know, but it's true, she is 8. We started off the day with the one gift she had asked for:

(why Ava can't look at the camera, I don't know, it's photographer's child syndrome)

MK opens her new Nintendo DS:


And it just so happens that the 2nd grade field trip to the St. Louis Zoo was on her birthday, so we had decided to go all as a family. Johnny took off work and we packed up the little guys and drove over there:



For some reason I LOVE this photo. I think I'm wearing my mommy goggles, but Cohen just looks so sweet in Daddy's arms!


Here are some yucky pictures of snakes:


Cuddly snakes are still yucky:




This is MK with her little crew of buddies:


My favorite animal at the zoo, the Okapi:




The face of a little boy who has had no nap:


Does anyone not take this picture when they go to the zoo? We always do! :)


Johnny made the mommies get a pic too!


This is Dora using her map to see which way to go!







You get to cool off in the Penguin house, but boy, it STINKS!


When we left the zoo we drove straight to Maddie Kate's ballgame. This is a pic of her NOT riding in her booster seat for the first time:



Then we went home and had DQ cake, gave everyone a bath, and dumped them into bed! We were SO tired!

The next day was a regular Friday, work and school...no pics to show...but then on Saturday, I had a wedding in Columbia, MO on Mizzou campus. I don't have any of those shots ready to share yet, but here are a few my assistant took of me working (and I guess a tiny sneak peek for Danielle & Steve!):







We drove there, shot the wedding, and drove back all in one day. Needless to say, that was a really long day, we left at 9:30am and I didn't get home until 12:30am the next day!

Then it was Sunday, which of course, we had church, I spent the entire afternoon cleaning for the party the next day, and that evening we went to a get-together with my been-buddies-since-we-were-born-friends. Here are some pics of the kids:
This is Cohen with Ellie and Morgan. He is one month younger than Ellie and 1 week older than Morgan.


This is all the kids in a pile:



And this is me with my oldest best friend ever, Sheila!


Then on Monday, we had Maddie Kate's family birthday party:

Cohen wants his hat back!


Me with the birthday girl! Her face is as big as mine!


Opening gifts:


Family pic that I love:


Photo credit goes to Sweed, she always thinks of shots like this:


Is that a monster or Cohen eating chocolate cake? ;)




Johnny's side of the family pic (my dad had to farm so we don't have one of my side)


Sorry for the pic overload, I just like to use my blog as a journal sometimes to remember what we have done. I am so blessed to have this wonderful family, and great times to remember with them!