March Madness

Mike is lovingly calling me "Frankenstein" this week...I will spare you the real pic of my hand...sent it to my sisters yesterday and they were non too pleased....Our weekend ended up a bit exciting at the end...and it wasn't all to do with the basketball games (although this is the first yr I've actually made picks! It's been so fun!) I was making chili to eat for dinner during the UNC Game and you know how when your can opener doesn't work all the way?? and you jab down on the half opened lid with your finger to finish the job (even though you know that is a big NO-NO!?!?)....well I have a trip to the ER and 3 stitches to prove it's not the best idea... :)

So I am a "one hand wonder" this week...it is crazy how much you use both hands to do things...simple things...washing your hair, diaper changes, opening lids to things, etc...It has been a tricky week so far...and really makes me think of this passage...

We are grateful that MiMi and PaPa could come over on Sunday so Mike could come over to meet me at the ER...I'm such a baby! (I was calm...just felt silly bc I know better than to do that with a lid!...and I'd never had stitches before...so it was a nice surprise to see him show up!) MiMi and PaPa watched the kids, finished making the chili, and switched out our leaky kitchen faucet for one that's cute and doesn't drip...oh the water we will save! and our sanity....drip, drip, D-R-I-P...thanks again! We enjoyed watching the end of the game and eating chili with you all...March Madness got a whole lot crazier with my kitchen mishap! :)

God Makes All Things NEW

Flowers coming back in our flower boxes....this time of year shouts "God makes all things new!" If you look past the swing set you will see something new hiding in our yard...a compost bin...Being with K and Co last weekend and thinking of Earth Day approaching inspired me to look into having a compost bin at our house...wanted to recycle more of our waste, but didn't want to be the "smelly neighbor" with a rickety self-made bin...and then Mike's co-worker was looking to pass along his nice compost bin...so we lucked into a nice one! We are grateful to have this tangible way to try to show our kids how God really does "make all things new"...our old fruit peelings, coffee grinds, etc will be turned into rich soil...which we hope to use to grow a little tomato plant in a pot on our back deck...our kids love tomatoes!

Mike poking fun at me during my photo shoot...I read the little booklet cover to cover and I'm excited to get started with this process...snowing and the cold temps are putting a hold on it though...hopefully it will feel more "springy" again soon!

How often do Good Friday and Earth Day happen on the same day? Jesus came because God so loved the world and God shows us each Spring that He is a God of redemption...through what He shows us in His creation and as we celebrate Easter...He can and does make all things new...in His creation and with His people...

Our "Porch"

Since being in NJ last weekend with a porch our kids have enjoyed using our back deck more...I love that they can entertain themselves out there as we look on...kinda makes them feel "grown up"...and we can get stuff done inside w/o being right in the mix...benefits of them growing up...

Beach Buds!

Some of our Beach Buds came down for a playdate on Fri! Such fun! Can't believe at the beach this summer there will be kids ages 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and brand new!

We played around our house and and watched A walk when they arrived! Can't believe he is walking before his 1st BDay! Watch out world! Then after M got out of school we headed over to a fav...Chickfila!

The kids had a blast playing and we had a blast watching them! We were going to go to a park as well, but ran out of time..it was a little cold and windy anyway...crazy that last Fri. it was 80 and then a week later ***snow*** is on tap for tom! CRAY-ZAY!

Little A is a cutie! We also had fun playing in our back yard when we got back before the B&As arrived and while A took a little snooze in Carter's room...Carter got to skip naptime to hang out with his buddies!

Can't wait to meet Baby O when he arrives this spring and see all 6 of the kids together at the beach this summer! Thanks for making the trip to see us! Next time I will have to be sure to take pics of the adults too...just get so excited to see "the next generation of the beach kids" playing!

McD's with MiMi!

Got to have lunch and play on the McD's playground with MiMi this week...then M got to skip rest time and work on the flower boxes with MiMi...some of our flowers are coming back! Spring is finally here! YAY!!! :)

That's a Wrap....

The kids had a big time with the drum set in the basement...And M discovered the piano on Sunday morning...she and Mike got a little band together for our entertainment...

Silly Daddy!

E taught me all she knows about Magical Creatures...not pictured A told us everything we needed to know about rocks and minerals...I was back in Freshman Geology and wish I had known my nephew back then...he could have been my tutor! The lab for that class was hard!

Star Wars fun...always a good time with the cousins...

Carter was a "grump-a-lump-a-cus" when we tried to take a cousin pic before we left...this is the best we could manage...at least E was excited about it! :)

What a great weekend! We all had so much fun! Thanks for having us! Let's do it again soon!

Porch Play

Love their porch! Wish we had one! The kids would go from playing in the basement, to the porch, to in the kitchen, and back outside over and over again!

So nice to have adult conversation as the cousins played throughout our visit...they would play together, sometimes in pairs, then do things alone...good little mix of interactions between the 4 cousins...Carter actually got in the mix a bit too which was exciting since in the summer he was all about "his party of one..." :)

Tatts!

E got some face/body paint for her bday...she decorated M's hands...while A entertained C at the other end of the table...

Then M took a turn a little later in the day on Momma...

And Daddy...

Cousin tattoos! :)

Light Saber Battles

The cousins got right to battling with light sabers in the morning...

Daddy even jumped in to do battle!

"Carter...I am your father!" :)

Road Trip!

We left Friday in the 80 degree weather (YAY!!!) for a sunny start to our road trip to NJ to see Mike's sis and her family! We missed you Uncle Neil! Mallory took these 2 pics as we waited on our dinner after we had been on the road for a bit...

Mike took this one of me and my littles all crammed on one side of the booth...

Cookies afterwards as we continued on our way...the kids were so excited for the trip and Carter wanted to be in his seat and buckled up 30 mins before we could leave home! They both were excited to go through "the tunnel" again in MD, but M fell asleep literally 5 mins before we got to it...we keep trying to wake her up with no luck...Carter kept saying, "tunnel fun! Fun tunnel!!!!"

Love our road trips with our little guys! Aunt K was up and ready to welcome us when we arrived at 1am...the kids woke up when we exited and were totally HYPED when we arrived! Good thing we had the basement and wouldn't wake up A and E as the kids checked everything out as we unloaded...Carter wanted nothing to do with the packnplay once he saw the 3 of us snuggled up in bed...so he joined in on the fun! Mommy and Carter and Daddy and Mal on the other bed...such fun to get snuggles with the kids on vacation! Loved sleeping beside my little guy! And our packing just got easier as we won't be bringing the PNP on any other trips! My big boy!!!! :)

St. Patty's Day Fun

We have been all about green, rainbows, gold, and leprechauns around here lately...While M was at school yesterday we had the neighborhood group over to play and we had a treasure hunt with maps to locate a box of Lucky Charms...Carter and his friends were very excited to chow down on their treasure for snack time...Then today it looked like leprachauns took over our Family Room, but it was just the B&As...I let them leave it up today though and we headed to MOPS...

Then we came home to have green eggs and ham omelets with MiMi and Hutch...M didn't want her eggs to be green bc she thought she would get hiccups...The kids had green milk as well...and MiMi brought rainbow cookies for dessert...the weather was awesome so we ate out on the deck again!

The kids made these St. Patrick's Day wreathes at MOPS this morning...M's...

And Carters...And M has "green day" at school tomorrow so the fun will continue!

2nd Movie on the BIG SCREEN

Our Sunday movie with Aunt Susie got postponed to a Tues. night movie and M was SOOOO EXCITED!!! We ate dinner at home and then left...that is exciting enough right there! M likes driving when the sun is setting...We met at a little diner first for sodas and milkshakes before the show...M could hardly contain her HYPERNESS to see her 2nd movie on the big screen...We went to see Tangled at the old $1.99 theater...
Loved showing the old theater to M...such a cool atmosphere...Here she is with her Aunt Susie after the show and before the 183833303038383 questions about the movie on the drive home... :) All 3 of us enjoyed the movie...Mike and I were hesitant to let her watch it when it first came out with a PG rating, but so many of our friends said it didn't seem any darker than most of the other Disney movies that get a G rating...so off we went and it was a great movie! :)

Back in the Day...

Mike went through all our downstairs closets and reshuffled everything on Sat. (Thanks Mike...you ROCK!) and unearthed our 1st pic together...I love it! :)

Weekend in Review

We had a very restful weekend...Mike went over to Matt's for bro night on Friday...M had a cold and a slight fever on Sat...so the rest of her weekend activities got canceled for her...(SAD! we were supposed to go to see Aladdin with friends and see a movie with Aunt SQ on Sun!) but I still got to take Carter to his first party he was invited to solo! One of his little MOPS friends turned 3! Such a fun party and so neat to share that milestone with my little man! Sunday M felt better and it was gorgeous with lots of time to play outside after I got home from church (Mike stayed home with the kiddos) and we even had dinner on the back deck and played in the yard afterwards! YAY for more LIGHT in the evenings and SPRINGY weather! :)

Fort Fun

After a VERY rainy Thurs., the kids enjoyed building and playing in a fort once M was home from school...

Too soggy to play outside...

So we had fun inside! :)