First Baseball Game

Carter had his first baseball game tonight.

I just love to watch him play.  The big huge smiles he flashes, full of pride at scoring a run or throwing the ball to get a runner out.

What a fun evening!

Big Hitter

The jack o'lantern smile is back after you lost another tooth this week.  I love this seven year old smile.

Carter and Coach Dad

You had one hit from the coach and two hits off the tee

I let these two monkeys run over to use the restroom and they ran back across two baseball fields holding hands.  Thanks for making me smile, you two!

Latest and Greatest in Pictures

Ava is in the sweet little stage where I find love notes from her at random times.  She loves to leave them for me on my night stand.  Nothing leaves a bigger smile on my face than finding one of these notes.

Recently Dawson told me "Mom I always want to sleep RIGHT HERE."  Recently we had two nights where we caught him wandering around downstairs.  He woke up and went downstairs and took the dog out of the crate.  Poor Mike woke up to a face full of doggie kisses.  Then another night I heard footsteps on the stairs and I went and got him.  Thankfully after a little discussion he has stayed in his bed at night.

Ava my little artist

At their school they do an ABC countdown to the end of the year and D day was "Dress like what you want to be when you grow up."  She looked so adorable in her beret!  These special days have made it exciting for her to go to school and have really helped with the crying in the morning.  There are still tears and crying about her belly aching, but overall we have had many better days.

On Saturday Mike and I ran a 5K at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  It was a lot of fun and I loved running past the McKinley Monument.

Thank you so much to Grandma for taking care of the kids so we could go and spend the morning together!!

I swear this boy is going through a growth spurt.  For the longest time he basically lived off bananas and milk and all of a sudden his appetite is going crazy!  This morning his breakfast of half a cup of oats, a granola bar and a cup of milk only filled him up for an hour before he was asking for a snack.  He is also in a really into hot dogs.  It is kinda adorable when he asks for a "ot dog."  It's not unusual for him to put away two hot dogs, an apple and carrots for lunch.  And by the way, the hot dog has to have no ketchup or bun!

Look at those freckles popping in the sun!  

I spent about two hours this weekend in Carter's room cleaning it out.  He was a little emotional that day and he was crying to me that none of his pajamas are warm enough.  I was feeling pretty bad that he was cold at night so I was talking about finding warmer pajamas.  But after cleaning I realized his heating vent was closed!  That's the problem!  But he refused to let me open it because the zombies would climb in through the heating vent.  ZOMBIES ARE NOT REAL!!!!!!!!  Your imagination really does get the best of you!

Mommy I made you a cross to remember Jesus.  

What a talented little master builder!

Recently we visited Aunt Pam's radio station with boy scouts.  How much fun is that!!  

I'm so thankful for this little blog to help me remember all these little memories! 

Boy Scout Camping Fun

This past weekend the boys went on a Boy Scout camping trip.  Ava and I stayed home and enjoyed a quiet weekend with two softball practices.  We love spending time together as a family and this was one of the first times we ever we spent a weekend apart.  But Ava didn't want to miss her practices and Carter didn't want to miss a minute either.

The boys had a ball fishing. 

I think Dawson really had a great time, even though he was the youngest.

Ok.  Can you see what is happening in this picture?  If not, click on it and take a closer look at Dawson on the picnic table.  Yup, he's crazy.

Mike said that he even went higher than this, to about a 15 degree angle.  I'm glad I wasn't there to see it.

Lots of hiking and tree climbing.

And of course the Raingutter Regatta!  

The boy's assembled their boats.

Then it was racing time!

Carter boy won all his races, until it came time to race his little brother.  He watched his brother out of the corner of his eye and stayed right behind him.  He let his little brother win!  What a sweet big brother!

Carter did great!  He came in first place!

Dawson the fact checker very insistently pointed out that the rain gutter regatta used pvc pipes cut in half.  Not rain gutters.

As you can see the boys were muddy little messes when they got home.  Mike said it was one of the wettest campsites he had ever seen.

It looked like they had a great time!  Ava and I really loved the alone time.  We visited a preschool friend she hadn't seen in awhile, went to softball practice and church and planted some flowers.  It was a quiet weekend, but I enjoyed all the time with her listening to all her little stories.  She had me laughing this weekend when she told me "I just love pepperoni so much when I see it on my plate I just have to charge the pepperoni."  Funny Girl!

Mary Poppins Family Book Club

Our latest book we read was Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers.  This story was set in England in the early 1900's so a tea party was a must!

We used Gram Shadle's fancy plates (as the kids called them) with fresh flowers.  Carter helped me so much to get this ready.  While I was making the mini quiche, he mixed up the sugar cookies and scooped them onto baking trays.  BY HIMSELF.  He also put crackers and cheese out, and made sandwiches and I showed him how to cut them into fancy triangles and squares.

Daddy showed us all how to drink tea "properly."

We had hibiscus tea (I double checked that it was caffeine free.)  I think the kids really got a kick out of drinking from real tea cups.

I have to say that this is one of the rare instances where I like the movie Mary Poppins better than the book.  Mary Poppins in the book was rather snappish and rude.  The kids had recently watched the movie so we were able to compare and contrast the two.

Tea with Mommy Poppins!!

Carter took this picture for me, a little blurry but thanks for the thought, buddy!

This book took us a long time to read, I think we have been working on it since the very beginning of March.  Now that spring is in the air, I'm excited for summer reading to start!

Happy Sixth Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl!

I love your imagination, silliness, generosity, intelligence and kindness.

I love spending time with you coloring and reading and snuggling.  Nearly every day when you get off the bus you sit down at the kitchen table to color or do workbooks with me.  You fill me in on all the details of your day and I LOVE hearing all about it.

Boy, I think Riley has taught you a thing or two about posing for a picture.  You have it down!

You just started playing softball.  I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure if you would like it.  I have tried to practice in the yard with you by throwing a ball and practice batting but you really weren't into it.  Still you insisted on playing and so far the verdict has been:  you LOVE it!!

Your reading abilities have grown so much this year!  You have complained that school is too boring because they make you read easy books.  This is only one of the many complaints that you have about school:  it's too long, you miss me, you don't want to go, you hate it.  It's hard putting you on the bus day after day crying for me.  I think you still feel a little nervous about joining the other kids to play at recess or at lunch but I feel like these are good experiences for you to have.  So I'm just trying to spend a lot of time with you when you are home and being firm with you in the mornings that school is your job and you must go to your job.  You have a special kitty that you take to school to ease the transition and pictures of our family in your school folder to look at throughout the day.

We have only six more weeks of school left and I'm hoping by the time you go to first grade things will have changed.

Ava with her new baby doll, Gwen (you let me name her!)

Here is a little birthday interview that I have done before.  I would like to continue to ask you the same questions as you grow older to see how your answers change!

What is your

favorite color:  purple or pink, I can't decide

favorite toy:  Barbies and my Barbie house

favorite movie or TV show: Ella Cinderella (the new version we just saw)

favorite food:  sushi

favorite outfit:  matching clothes to my doll

favorite game:  trouble on the bubble (the trouble board game)

favorite art activity:  making snowmans at school

favorite animal:  Leopard

favorite song:  Let it Go by Demi Lovato

favorite thing to play outside:  soccer

favorite drink:  white milk

favorite holiday:  Valentines Day

favorite thing to sleep with:  pinky and Bloom (stuffed rabbit from Easter)

What do you want to be when you grow up:  an artist

What do you like about Carter:  he helps me build legos

What do you like about Dawson:  he guards me when I sleep

What do you like about yourself:  I like sports

What do you pray for:  my family and shadow

What do you like to do with Daddy:  wrestle
What do you like to do with Mommy:  cuddle

What is your favorite book:  Hop on Pop

You absolutely ADORE your cousin Riley.

Ava and Gwen waving good-bye!

Daddy and I love you for ever and for always!

Ava's Birthday Celebration

This past weekend we celebrated Ava's birthday.  Her actual birthday night (Tuesday) is a busy one with homework, two seperate dinners and baseball practice so the weekend just makes more sense.  Riley and Meme drove over to visit us, and it was so nice to see them!

For her birthday lunch we decided to visit a hibachi restaurant.  Ava really likes sushi so we let her get her very favorite california roll.  

It is so fun to watch new experiences through the eyes of your child.  I had forewarned all three of them that there would be a large fire on the grill but everyone would be safe.  (Aunt Margie had a pretty terrifying experience with fire in a Chinese restaurant when she was a child so I didn't want to repeat that.)  All three of them looked a little frightened at the fire.  But they all laughed and giggled about trying to catch rice in their mouths and getting lemonade squirted into their mouth.  It was a fun experience.  Dawson refused to try the food, but he wasn't feeling well. I bet he would have liked it.  Ava loved her sushi and noodles and Carter really liked the Miso soup (a HUGE suprise because it had large mushrooms in it) and the noodles. 

After dinner I took Ava to the restroom and I heard some loud "Happy Birthday" singing.  And sure enough, they came for her with ice cream and she wasn't there!  Whoops!  But here is a video of their second attempt!

We topped it off with a trip to see Cinderella.  What a beautiful message for a six year old girl, "Have courage and be kind."  The scenery and costumes were absolutely beautiful as well.  We had a great time!

Then it was home for some cake (thanks Daddy!) and her new doll.  

What a wonderful sixth birthday!

April Showers bring.......MUD!!

I'm sure everyone can relate, but our backyard has been a mucky muddy mess lately.  The boys asked me if they could dig and play John Deere's in the mud, and I said yes.  

This was the muddy aftermath!  They were covered and off to baths immediately!

Then I realized that Dawson had decided to cover Shadow in mud too!  Poor thing, I guess that means I have three baths to give tonight.

Gatlinburg Cell Phone Pictures

So sorry for the huge glut of Vacation Pictures!

Watching Taffy being made

WHAT!?!?! We get to have CEREAL for dinner??????

This is a sweet little boy exhausted from a long day of hiking.

Mike and I jokingly created a "Christmas in Gatlinburg" christmas card.  We took pictures with the christmas tree still up in our cabin and......

with the nutcracker still left on the strip?!?!

More big foot evidence

Our family in one big giant rocking chair!

Daddy/Dawson selfie on the skylift

Ok!  This is the last one, I promise!!