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Friday, April 27, 2012

Birthdays, field trips and travel ball

How do you working moms do it? I mean, the ones who work outside the home. EVERY mom is a working mom. I resent when someone says, "So you don't work?" Really???

Being a SAHM comes with its own set of challenges. I guess if you've never done it that's hard to understand. If you do work outside the home I know time management is tough so... mucho respect.

In yet another attempt to catch up I decided I better combine a few things. Otherwise I will never get caught up.

Grant and Mac both had field trips within a week of each other. I love field trips. The actual field trip itself is usually overrated, but the one-on-one time it provides is worth the chaos that comes with it. I also love that my boys still want me to go on their field trips although Grant is over the whole holding momma's hand thing. He told me the other day as he pulled his hand back that it "felt weird" when I tried to hold his hand. [gulp]

May we pause for a moment of silence while I mourn that loss.

Grant's field trip was to Lanark. They went last year as well which made him all the more excited to go back this year. It's the perfect field trip for Professor. I thoroughly enjoy going myself although this year it rained. The whole time. Not a drenching rain but an annoying, steady, misting rain. Walks through the nature trail were made even more "exciting" by the fact that little boys shook the wet trees as the moms walked under them. ;) We left there with wet clothes and feet and some of us had hair that resembled either the untamed mane of a lion or a chia pet. But we had fun! :)
Lunch break
A lesson in camouflage - this was really neat. I wish I could remember
just how many children are in this picture - it would surprise you
Sweet Professor
One of the highlights of the day was getting to see these teeny babies close up
Mac's field trip was to the zoo. It had to be rescheduled two different times because of weather so by the time we were able to go, not many chaperones could make it. We were able to sweet talk Paige's teacher into letting her go with us.
Since she helps Mrs. Schweers every day the kids know her well, and she knows how to handle them. And Mrs. Schweers sweet talked me into riding the bus. Parents are usually asked to meet there since there isn't a lot of extra room on the bus. It was a very loud ride there and a very quiet ride back. :)
Mac has a weak stomach, especially with smells. The zoo first
thing in the morning was a bit much. haha
Checking things out with Caden
Bueller's group consisted of all ladies... naturally
I have no doubt Mackey was happy I was there.
But I think he would have been just fine without me had he known Paige was going.
She came by our house the other night to sell candles as a fundraiser for cheer leading, and you would have thought the boys were being visited by a celebrity. Needless to say we're quite fond of this sweet girl. I have my eye on her for some summer babysitting.

The month of April is filled with birthdays in our family. Dawnie's is the 18th, mine the 20th, my mom's the 21st, and Maggie's the 22nd.

My parent's friends, The Deavors, were kind enough to let us use their beautiful pond (which is more like a small lake) for Snuggie's big day (she bid adieu to her 20's). We thought we would wear the fish out then head back to The Colleys for a fish fry. Well, weather in Alabama as we well know (especially today being the anniversary of the 4/27 tornadoes) is quite unpredictable. A cold front came in making it a bit cool for the fish to bite. So while the weather and fishing could have been better, the company and time spent together were fantastic!

We did manage to catch a few...
And boy were they monsters!
We also managed to jack up Granddaddy's rods and reels :)
In true Martha fashion, Rachel was in charge of lunch.
And it was grand - thanks, KK!
Of course, Mrs. Amy made the cake - perfect for Snuggs
The two who made it happen - they baited hooks (because I do not
touch crickets) and untangled lines all.day.long.
The sisters
My favorite of the day
With Friday being my birthday, Saturday being mom's, and Sunday being Claire's we decided to celebrate all of ours at mom and dad's Saturday after Grant and Mac's games. We had hamburgers and hotdogs and the best cookie cake you'll ever have. If you've never had a double-layer cookie cake from Sam's you're missing out. I have absolutely no pictures but everyone was there (including my aunt, uncle and Nana). Great day.

The next day Grant and Mac played ball in Auburn. It was a last-minute tournament and was only our second ever. Chris very recently put together a travel ball team. Because we can't interfere with league ball - all our players are currently in league - we have had very few practices as a team. It shows. We're very new to travel ball. No pun intended but it's a whole different ballgame. We've been told it will take some time to get our feet wet. We believe it. It's been ugly getting annihilated our feet wet.
Turbo with cousin Grey
We were excited Uncle Donnie & Aunt Rae could come
Sissy and Meems braved gale force winds (only a slight exaggeration)
 to help cheer on the Wetumpka Rays
The boys have fun, but it does make for a long day.
Those pictures are from our first tournament in Montgomery. :) Once league ball is over we look forward to pressing on with travel ball in hopes of putting league in our rear view mirror. And maybe even start winning some games. We'll get there.

One more thing...
I just have to say I'm so proud of my baby girl. Bethany started her very first job this week working at a local miniature golf place in Decatur - Funland Putt-Putt. A job she sought and secured all on her own. Her first day she worked 11-7 with no break. That's okay. She says her paycheck was totally worth it. :) Welcome to the working world, Boo. We're very proud of you!


Monday, April 23, 2012

In an attempt to catch up...

School. Baseball. School. Baseball. Baseball. Baseball. School. Baseball. Dentist appointments. Field trip. Check-ups for Mac's ears. Doctor's appointment to make sure Grant doesn't have mono (thank goodness he was negative). Another field trip. Birthdays. And somewhere in there is housework, laundry (which is still mountainous) and general duties of being a wife and momma.

There. That catches you up. :)

We have had a fun week and weekend celebrating our many April birthdays. I hope to be back soon with full details. For now I'll leave you with a few snapshots.
That's Grant. Love sleeping babies.
Sweet Reid, hanging tough at the ball field. He's a trooper.
Listening intently to Coach David. If you knew David, you'd be
listening intently too. :) Outlaws are having a great season so far.
Love that Sissy could watch her brothers play lots of baseball this weekend.
B wanted to take the boys to school this morning (her Spring Break is this week) so I was able to enjoy a full cup of coffee (in my new coffee cup - thanks Snuggs!) while posting a little update. She will be back soon and then we're off to enjoy the day together. Not bad for a Monday. :)

Friday, April 6, 2012

Holy Friday

I really thought yesterday's post would be my last for the week. With the boys being out of school today I didn't anticipate I would have time to even sit down much less blog. However, they decided they wanted to play school. Yes, boys play school too. I, however, am not allowed to play school with them. Apparently I'm too much like a real teacher. A killjoy. If they want to write on Sissy's dry-erase board that 2+2=5 or that "kej" is a real word (in Bueller's defense, it IS a nonsense word) they can. Plus, as Grant said, "You know why we like to play school, momma? Because we always get along when we play school."

Cue the Hallelujah chorus.

So I just enjoyed a full cup of coffee while I read my daily devotional.

Repeat chorus.

Pinch me.

Plus I may have said something about dyeing Easter eggs after lunch so long as I didn't have to play referee before then. ;)

I'm always a mix of emotions Easter week. I've had the hymn He Lives stuck in my head all week with the verse that says "the hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find..." really speaking to me.

I've never really understood why Good Friday is called "good." It's the day of Jesus' crucifixion. I personally think Holy Friday would be a better term. I read ahead a day in my devotional (Journey) this morning since I had time. It spoke of Jesus' prayer at the crucifixion saying,
Prior to being nailed to the cross, Jesus was brutally flogged so He was already physically compromised due to the loss of blood and dehydration. Isaiah 52:14 says, "His appearance was so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being."

After the nails were driven into His wrists and feet, the weight of His body hanging on the cross caused severe muscle spasms. His outstretched arms made it impossible for Jesus to breathe. As he was suffocating Jesus used His limited breath to pray, "Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Jesus, the perfect, sinless Lamb of God paid our debt of sin on the cross. His last words were of forgiveness - for your sins and my sins, past, present and future.
I hope that hit you like it did me. He suffered. For you and me. He died. For you and me. I'm thankful, grateful, humbled.

I wish I kept the mindset all of my days that I have in the days leading up to Easter. I should be ashamed that I don't.

Christ's death, as awful and horrible and cruel as it was, led to His resurrection on Easter Sunday which brought new life to those who believe. When you think about it that way, "good" is quite fitting to say the least.

My children know and understand why we celebrate Easter. However, I think the boys are a bit too young to hear the gory details of the crucifixion. It's hard for me to hear. So to retell the Easter story, tomorrow evening we will be making Easter Story Cookies (I found this link through Google- you can find many recipes for these if you search; however, this one also contains the scripture that goes along with making these. I printed it all out so I can have everything handy when we're making them). We have done them the past couple of years, and I hope we continue making it a tradition. If you've never made them I encourage you to this year - whether or not you have children. It's one thing to hear the story. It's another to be able to, in a sense, show the story.

I do have a few pictures from Mac's Easter Egg Hunt at school yesterday:
Patiently waiting for Ready.Set.Go
I don't know why but pictures like this crack me up
Mr. Competitive - hunting eggs is serious business :)
With his lady friends :)
Decisions, decisions. They could choose one piece of candy to eat at school
Reid helped me hide the eggs for Mac's class. On the way back to let everyone know we were ready he saw Grant headed to lunch. He tagged along with Grant to lunch then Ms. T was so sweet to let him spend the rest of the afternoon with them. Reid loves Ms. T's centers. Grant loves having Reid in his classroom. It gives me one-on-one time with Mac. It's a win all the way around.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Outlaws

Grant's team, the Outlaws, had their first game this week.
I have to remember it's not all about the win...

But it sure feels great when you do. We won 10-2. OH YEAH!!!! :) I guarantee you we won't win them all but I think it's going to be a fun season. Nail-biters are the best. ;)

While the game was going on Mac was hanging with the ladies, naturally.
That's Paige. She is a 6th grader who helps Mac's teacher every day. Mac is quite fond of her.
He also was able to meet her little sister, and I think you can tell they hit it off. Paige was so sweet to let Mac hang out with them.
He was thrilled about the picture.
Reid has gotten to know Paige from being at the school with me, so of course he had his time too. But he spent most of the night by my side with too many visits to the concession stand to count. That's what watching your brothers play ball is all about when you're five, right!?!

These are the days...

We're looking forward to a no-school Good Friday as well as celebrating the resurrection of our Savior this weekend.

Happy Easter!

He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said.
Come see the place where He lay.
Matthew 28:6

Monday, April 2, 2012

Spring Break 2012

How has spring break come and gone? Today is business as usual, back to the grind. Grrrr. This momma is ready for summer!

We made a last-minute decision to head to Emerald Coast RV Resort for the boys' spring break. We debated going until the very last minute. At first we said yes, absolutely. Then not only were we not able to stay as long as we would like, but we heard PCB was crazy busy with spring breakers. Both made us question whether or not we should go. Ultimately we decided going even for a few days was better than not going at all and that if it was too crazy we would leave.

I am so very happy we decided to go. The crowd was slim. We couldn't believe it. We never had a wait anywhere we went. We talked to a local who said the last two weeks of March and April are the best - that the first two of each are chaos. So we picked a perfect time to go.

Chris and I were both awake at the crack of dawn the morning we were leaving.
We decided to get on up and head on down. We were pulling out of the driveway by 7:30. I think it's safe to say we were all ready to get there. :)

With very little traffic and only a couple of stops, we made it. We are storing the camper at Emerald Coast. It had been five months since we saw Big Country, so we didn't know what we would find. They had it all set up for us when we got there, and much to our surprise it was in great shape. After a trip to Wal-Mart, a little clean-up and unpacking we were good to go.

We knew we would make it to our favorite restaurants but other than that had nothing on the agenda. So we did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. The weather was perfect - warm enough to swim during the day with cooler nights. It was a fun, relaxing weekend enjoying time with my guys. I don't have any pictures with my camera, just my phone.

Since we made it in time for lunch, our first stop of course was Dusty's for oysters where we talked Grant into trying his first (and quite possibly his last) oyster. It was baked, not raw, but it may as well have been. Chris told the boys he would give them $20 to eat one. The other two declined. But money was on the line. Professor was all in.
Questioning himself - is it really worth $20?
Heck yeah it is.
Well, maybe. I really, really wish I had a picture of what happened next but I was too busy trying not to fall out of my chair and/or pee myself. Let's just say there was a lot of gagging and some spitting. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
This is the after. Chris joked that he only got half the money since
he spit it out. You can tell he was none too thrilled about it.
Don't worry, he got the full $20. Heck it was worth that just for
the laugh. He was a good sport. Even if his picture says otherwise ;)
Race City is always a given
They were the only two on the track
They aren't supposed to "swap paint" but the guy working that night
let them go at it. It was a race let me tell you. Yet more laughs...
especially when Mac got Grant on the inside and spun him around.
We played our first ever family game of putt-putt
*cough*I won*cough*
Panama Mac haha
Brotherly love
We got plenty of exercise too, walking back and forth to the pool and
walking Lucy around the park. I think Lucy loves it as much as we do.
I'm not ashamed to admit a couple of our mornings started at Waffle House :)
There was plenty of down time too, just hanging out at the camper
And of course more eating. This one cracks me up.
I can only imagine what trips to Hooters will be like when the boys are older. Because heavens to Betsy this one was bad enough.

These two schemed to tell the Hooters girls it was Reid's birthday. I could have stopped it. But I didn't. We said our next trip to the beach would be to celebrate his birthday since we couldn't go in February so it kinda was like we were celebrating his birthday. So over walk about six Hooters girls with their big... smiles (what did you think I was going to say?) and started clapping to sing to Reid. In the meantime this is what's going on under the table:

Y'all. He was pissed. Kicking and screaming mad. Our poor server felt so bad. She stopped the singing but asked him to please come out for a picture.

Um, no.

Needless to say, check please! They all tried to make him feel better but he crawled in my lap and buried his head in my shoulder. She got a good tip anyway. One day he'll probably want to kick himself for this. ha!
All the drama wore him slap out. Later that day while his brothers
swam he crawled in my lap for a snooze. Sweet, sweet lovin'.
Of course there was more eating.
And yet some more...
This one is hands-down my favorite. The trip is not complete without a BLT from Boatyard.

It was refreshing to get away. It did us all good. We weren't ready to leave and are counting down the days until we can go back. The only thing missing was B - her spring break isn't for another few weeks.

Spring baseball's opening ceremonies to officially begin the season are tonight with Grant's first game to follow. It will be a late night but we can't wait! Many ballpark nights are in our future.