A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

As I was sitting down to catch up on some blogging I found some random pictures I set aside to include in a post. They are mostly random, but they are things I want to remember. A few were taken at the end of last year, but they are pretty recent. 

This girl loves her pink Build-a-Bear glasses. She also loves to wear them and look over the top of them with this face. She is too funny.

She loves this bear more than the glasses.  This was one of her last nights to sleep on the bear.  Once she got her new bed I told her it would raise her up too high over the bar so she couldn't have Strawberry in bed with her. 

My mom generously gave Kayla Nana's old bed.  It is one that raises up at the head and feet and it also vibrates. She wasn't sure if she would like having a new bed, but she is definitely enjoying the extra room now!

Playing hide and seek.

"Bat Girl to the rescue!"

We have a needy dog.  She can't be happy just to be out of the laundry room on home days.  She can't be happy to be in the same room with us. No, she has to be ON the girls' desk getting attention. 

 

One morning Kayla just gave up and moved to a different table to do her work.

 

Sometimes if you make her a soft bed next to you she will quit being so bothersome. Sometimes...

And finally, Kayla enjoyed being silly with a full moon.

Snow-cation

The girls were excited to hear that snow was coming.  And of course in Georgia that usually means ice as well.  This time, however, it was mostly ice and we were trapped at home for several days.

The girls got some fun sledding time in.

Since the roads were completely iced over they were able to sled down the street as well. 

It was so slick!

They did manage to find enough snow to make their snowman again. 

This was the top of our driveway a few days after the ice came through. Since we don't get much sun at this part of our driveway it was not  melting.  Marc finally had to get to work, so he broke up a bunch of ice and dumped some hot water on a few spots.  He cleared it enough to get down and to work for a few hours. 

Kayla and I worked for on the ice while he was on his way home.  We knew he could slide down the driveway a little to get out, but there was no way the wheels would spin on the ice right outside of his garage.  It was pretty fun breaking it apart.

This was about day 4 of being iced in and the ice was still about 1/2" in some places.

So what exactly do you do when you are stuck inside? Well since we are at The King's Academy there was still work to be done.  Thankfully every day it was enough to give us something to fill the morning with, but shortened enough that we could enjoy this time together. 

We also worked for HOURS on their lego town.  Last summer we had a large gathering at our house and a couple of girls decided to stand on their tables and kick everything apart. We finally had some time to sit down and work on putting it all back together.  It was a labor of love... or at least it was a labor of something. Lesson learned for us: lock the bedroom doors because you never know how some people may choose to behave. :)

And then it was back to life as usual.  The fire was going all day, each day that we were home. We enjoyed lots of time in our pajamas and time together as a family. I kind of like these crazy weather days as long as we are safe and healthy.

Celebrating Brooke!

Having a birthday during the school year means business as usual.  You really worked hard earlier in the week to not have any school work to do on your birthday.  Your sisters still had work to do, so I let you do one of your favorite things a good part of the morning - play on your tablet. I kept checking on you because I felt guilty that we weren't celebrating or doing anything fun, but you were perfectly happy to be curled up with your massive bear and a tablet.

You had a big birthday present from Daddy this year, but he insisted you needed some small things too.  Unfortunately you didn't care for the cheese balls.  No one did, except for your mother. I finally gave in a threw them away so I wouldn't eat them all. Cheese balls remind me of beach trips going up.  It was a special snack that I don't remember having except on vacation.

 After dance we met Daddy and the rest of the family at Your Pie for dinner. You love pizza and playing with the dough. You also got some pretty awesome gifts. A mermaid tail blanket...

Roller skates...

And some Star Wars toys, but the picture didn't turn out too well.

Your big gift was a new loft bed that Daddy made for you.  I don't know where you got the idea for this, but you talked about a loft bed for a long time. I didn't love the idea, but it turned out cute and you love it. It does free up a lot of space in your room too. 

Six year old bed.

Seven year old bed.

And then a little late due to shipping delays came one more surprise.

You were so excited to get your own gymnastics mat and you have been flipping ever since.

Happy Birthday Brooke! We had a great day celebrating YOU!

Happy SEVENTH Birthday Brooke!

My baby is seven. Seven. How is that even possible? We are moving further and further away from young child to young lady, and sometimes it is so hard for me to believe. You are so excited about turning seven, so at least someone in the house is. :)

You are such a ball of energy.  You go non-stop from the moment you wake up until you crash in your bed at night.  You are always talking, tumbling, and asking for food. Well, just snacks and candy really.  You have quite the sweet tooth!

Some of your favorites from your 6th year include:

Star Wars

chips, candy, yogurt, pasta, and anything breakfast

Star Wars

doing gymnastics, reading, playing with your sisters, talking

Star Wars

You are doing amazing in 1st grade.  You love to read and are reading almost a year ahead of where most kids your age are. Math is also easy for you and you just LOVE having Mrs. Nellie as your math teacher. You have a great attitude both about going to school and our home days.

Did I mention that you like Star Wars? The movies... the books...the toys.  If it is Star Wars then you love it. You remember so many characters and plot lines it is crazy.  I can't keep it all straight so I usually go to you if I have a question.

Brooke, 

I am so proud of you and thankful that God gave you to our family.  You keep your daddy and I busy and on our toes. Your sense of humor often has us rolling with laughter. You are witty and smart, both of which will serve you well in the future. You are definitely all that a last child is known to be.  You fit the mold perfectly, and we are blessed by it. Keep smiling, keep learning, and show Jesus to all you meet.  He has great plans in store for you my daughter. 

Love you always and forever, 

Momma

Things I Learned (or Re-learned) in 2016 - by Marc

1. My wife is so smart. 

 

2. I had no idea that Disney World had so many fun rides for adults. Taking “older” kids is totally worth it (well, maybe not worth it, but still fun).

 

3. It’s best if my wife is only allowed on Pinterest in moderation and only during the spring/fall - when my garage workshop is much more comfortable.

 

4. Testifying in court becomes almost enjoyable when the person asking the questions is not a lawyer but instead is someone representing themselves.

 

5. When in doubt, just go ahead and force the dog to vomit. Most likely she’s just ingested yet another dog toxin.

 

6. Every day is a blessing.

 

7. My kids may say that they want stuff, but really I think they just want shared experiences to make memories.

 

8. Deciding where to spend 40+ hours of my life every week is tough. People make the difference - good and bad.

 

9. Don’t believe everything you are told, even in a professional setting. Trust is everything.

 

10. My kids remember 100% of the silly stuff I tell them and 10% of the real life stuff I tell them. I’ve now learned to weave real life lessons into those stories of unicorns on the side of Sugar Pike Rd or my truck windows being voice activated. 

 

11. My oldest daughter wants to have conversations, my middle daughter wants to be held, and my youngest daughter just wants to eat and be heard. 

 

12. Teaching young ones what to say (or not say) when exiting a restroom is almost the most important thing to teach them.

 

13. A drive-through safari sounds good until you realize that the animals drool and stink.

 

14. Now that the girls are getting through fundamental school things like reading and math, I actually enjoy helping them with critical life skills in their school projects - like building a contraption to safely land a falling egg. 

 

15. It has now been 20 years since I graduated from high school, 15 years since I was joined with my bride, and 5 years since I finally stopped going to college. Enjoying each day with family and friends is the only way I know to make the years slow down. 

 

16. Reading the bible daily requires discipline but is always worth it. I’ve found that my attitude as I respond to life happenings is a direct reflection of my time spent with our God.

 

17. Always believe the instructions/warnings on a seed packet - especially for watermelons!

 

18. After walking two miles in 3-degree cold to see Christmas lights in New York, it may not be in your best interests to compare those lights to anything you’ve ever seen before.

Christmas 2016

We have truly enjoyed our Christmas season this year, and it was a good mix of Christmas activities and rest. We went to the Atlanta Christmas Musical at our church this year and we enjoyed it.  Sweet Brooke fell asleep towards the end because the program didn't start until 8:00PM. Every time she falls asleep on me (which is very rare) I cherish it because it is very well the last time she will.  Each Christmas she gives me this little gift reminding me she is still my baby.  She slept soundly through all the noise until the bagpipe player started.  She jumped so high, and I had to try and keep my laughter under control. She of course has no memory of that.

Macy sang in KidzPlace for a couple of Sundays and the whole family came to watch her the last weekend. 

And we surprised them with a trip to New York City.

Christmas morning was a relaxing time with the family.  Because Christmas fell on a Sunday we opted to watch church service from home in our pajamas. There was no rush to get out the door. And because their big gift was the trip, our morning was low-key.

A gift from her dad...

We thought it would be fun to get a new family game about New York this year.  

The dog did not like her electric toothbrush.

 

A new sleeping bag she wanted.  I guess at 9 years old you outgrow the child princess sleeping bags.

Two years in a row I have managed to surprise him with an electronic.

Ugh. Purchased by Daddy in a weak moment when Momma was out of town.

We headed to my mom's house after service.  We enjoyed the afternoon with her and my sister's family.  Brooke was thrilled with her Star Wars gift.

And this girl added a bunch of Tsum Tsums to her small collection.

Pearl earrings for the big kids. 

Matching dresses for the cousins!

There is a funny story behind this gift.  When we were in Pensacola with my family my mom wanted to visit Chet's restaurant for dinner.  The first time they tried to go the restaurant was closed.  We tried again, and we were the last ones to show up.  Apparently there had been a discussion about how much my mom needed this "got mullet?" shirt. Marc decided, without knowing about this conversation, that we needed to get this for mom for Christmas.  Only after the purchase did we find out about everyone agreeing the needed this shirt. Her family knows her so well. :)

The rest of Marc's family came in town after Christmas.

It was a joyous, family filled Christmas season this year.  I am thankful to have family close by so that we can spend time together throughout the year.