Why Not?

Ian would be so proud...

You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 90% Wonder Woman 70% Robin 67% Green Lantern 60% Superman 55% Supergirl 50% The Flash 45% Iron Man 45% Hulk 35% Batman 35% Catwoman 30%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Kids!

So Ian & I are just getting ready to go outside to paint our rocking chairs. I told him I needed to go put on my old paint clothes like I'd had him do. He looked at me and said, "Are those your new clothes that you got for Easter?" I told him the shorts I'd gotten for Mother's Day and the shirts weren't exactly new, but they were still good. He paused, looked me over and said, "Well, they all kind of look old anyway."

That comes after Elise's pregnancy comments this weekend. She looked at me and said, "You're getting really big!" Then she turned to Ian and said, "Mama is getting really fat because her baby is growing and growing!" Then she said literally 8 more times in one form or another, "Mama is getting soooooo big!", "I can't believe how big Mama is getting!", "Her baby must bet getting really big, because she is so big!" Obviously she doesn't know how that sounds to my pregnant (i.e. hormonal) ears. I told her to remember this conversation for when she was expecting her first child. I told her I wanted to see if by that time her perspective had changed at all. Besides, unless you're telling me how radiant and lovely I look, I really am not interested in hearing it. :)

Sometimes its just a good thing they're so cute!

Cinderella

I feel like I've cleaned up all day and haven't made a dent. Some days are like that, I guess. This morning I let Ian & Merry Grace play with some of our games. They had a blast with Twister (albeit with a healthy dose of making up their own rules) and the fishing game (where the fish spin around and they try to catch them with little plastic rods). Then Ian said he really wanted to play "the car game" (i.e. Life). I knew better than to get it out, but sometimes I'm a sucker, so I got it out anyway. What ensued was 45 minutes worth of fun for the kids and then 30 minutes of clean up that consisted of the three of us throwing the entire game away. (Life comes with a lot of pieces.) I will not be cleaning that game up again and I got quite a bit of clarity on why I should never have gotten it out in the first place. In the midst of that clean up, Merry Grace had to poopy, so that took its own time and clean up. Then we had lunch followed by the unloading and re-loading of dishes in the dishwasher. In the meantime, Ian pooped and in the process forgot to aim down and peed all over the floor surrounding the toilet. And since Ian was on the toilet, Merry Grace didn't bother to ask for help getting to the other one, she just peed in her clothes, down into her shoes and all over the floor. So after getting Ian straightened out, Merry Grace cleaned up and a few minutes scrubbing the floor around the toilet, here we are, ready to tackle the laundry. :) Just thinking about it all reminded me of something Ian said to me the other day. He had dumped out his rubbermaid container of cars in the bedroom floor and he and Merry Grace played with them while I folded and put away laundry. I was in the midst of my third load when they lost interest and started to move on to something else without cleaning up the toys. I called them back and put them to work. There are quite a few cars (maybe 30-40), but nothing excessive. While continuing to fold clothes, I noticed Ian slacking off in the clean up, so I reminded him he needed to finish the job. He looked up at me and said, "Why do you want me to do all the work?" I just laughed and told him to keep at it, all the while thinking, "Don't I wish!!!!"

Let's get this party started

I think I've mentioned before how we trade off baby-sitting with Cory's brother and sister each weekend. So one night we baby-sit and two nights we have a free baby-sitter. It's awesome and the kids love it so much that even the baby-sitting isn't too bad. Last night was our turn to baby-sit and since the weather is finally getting warmer we decided to roast hot dogs and marshmallows outside. We spent a little while getting things ready and Cory was hard at work getting a nice fire going. Just as the little ones started arriving, the heavens opened and we got a good soaking rain. Luckily there was no thunder, so while we worked on plan B, the kids ran around out in the rain and had a ball. Even though they're sweet, no one melted. :)

Gotta love those big sisters! :)

So after a quick change of clothes, we ate our hot dogs, burgers and chips inside. By that time the rain had stopped, so we went back out to roast marshmallows and play outside for a while.

Here are the kids standing around the fire pit. (And Kyleigh and Merry Grace driving around in the car. This looks like a pretty safe arrangement, but I saw some crazy driving going on!!!)

Looks like Charles Allen got his just riiiiiiight. :)

Ian was showing me how his marshmallow "fell" off into the fire. I'm sure it was an accident. ;)

Emmy got one toasted, too.

Yummmmmmy!

Once it got dark we came in and did a craft. The kids had fun and did a great job with it and turned out some beautiful artwork. After all the parents came back, we grown-ups visited a little while before everyone went back to their own homes. It was lots of fun!!! We enjoyed every minute of it, but Cory and I sure are looking forward to our date next week. :)

I had a birthday, shout "Hooray!!!"

So, yesterday was my birthday and it was lots of fun--as all birthdays should be. It started off with breakfast in bed. The sweetest part about it was that Elise woke up early and the first thing she thought of was fixing me a special birthday breakfast. She's so sweet and thoughtful. So she got Cory up and they headed off to the kitchen to cook eggs, grits, smoked sausage, and toast. Yum, yum! I received lots of nice electronic and phone call birthday wishes from friends and family throughout the day and then we celebrated with a party last night. We had chicken enchiladas (a family favorite--and luckily there were leftovers, so I can hardly wait for lunch!!!) and Cory made a moist chocolate bundt cake with triple chocolate fudge chip frosting. Can you really go wrong with that? It really was just as delicious as it sounds. Cory always remembers that I like to blow out the exact number of candles of the age I'm turning. I don't like to skimp or cheat. So I blew out 28 this year, and would have had them all in one breath were there not 6 trick candles mixed in with the others. :) We opened some presents, my visiting teachers stopped by with a message and treats, and the family blew up balloons and then ran into the room throwing them at me yelling "happy birthday" at the top of their lungs over and over. :) Cory and the kids were so sweet and thoughtful and did little things throughout the day to make me feel special. So "yay" for my family and "yay" for birthdays--why don't we party again today? :)

My kids look like...

I tried the my heritage look-a-like meter for the final proof on who my kids look like. According to this expert resource, Elise looks 25% more like me, Ian looks more like me by 8%, and Merry Grace looks equally like both Cory and I. I used the same picture of Cory and I for each test, however, I think the picture you use can make a difference. I think its funny, though, because most everyone thinks the kids look more like Cory, especially Ian. And, I've had more comments about Merry Grace looking like me than the other two. :) Who know?! But I think my kids are the cutest things ever, no matter who they look like!!!

A couple of Kid Funnies

About a week ago Elise had a t-ball game and the kids played at the park afterwards. Apparently she got some sand in her eye near the end of the evening and had been trying to get it out for some time. When they were almost home Cory suggested that she pull down her eyelid and look around. She tried it and immediately said, "Wow! That really worked." Pause... "You really should have told me that a long time ago!"

Ian carried in something heavy from the car and I was quite impressed. I told him how strong and amazing he was. He replied, "Yeah I know. I really couldn't have done that without myself!"

The Good Stuff

Lest you think the weekend only held craziness, let me tell you about the good stuff. Obviously, it was Mother's Day weekend and my family did not disappoint. We went out Saturday afternoon and I got to pick out some desperately needed maternity clothes with some money I'd been saving and some birthday money from my folks. I've had a much more difficult time with clothes this go-round, but found several cute things that I think will be nice. The kids each bought me one of these cute shirts I love for Mother's day and the fixin's for a bacon, eggs and grits breakfast. Then we went to Lowe's and picked out the hanging baskets I've been wanting for forever for our front porch and plants to go in them. They are great and I'm so excited about them. They also got me the (as seen on TV) "Ped-Egg". I've seen these, but were in not for the recommendation of a trusted sister-in-law, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. Even with the plug for it, I was a little taken aback when I opened the package to see what looked like a cheese grater for my feet. I was hesitant and nervous before using it, but went for it anyway. And I'm a convert!!! It worked great and I have the smoothest feet after only a couple of uses. I can see why it came so highly recommended and I'm glad I didn't chicken out. Cory and the kids were so cute after getting in the car at each stop they would chorus, "Happy Mother's Day!!!" We ended the trip with Papa John's Pizza (my favorite pizza) and I would totally consider it a success. Since we had a rough night with Max's allergic reaction and Cory's swollen appendage, we postponed the yummy breakfast until Monday morning. Elise made me several cute things at school, a poem, a note she typed in computers, "You are so speishle because your blessed with many things. I love you so much. I love when you tuck me into my bed. I love when you plane me a birthday party for me and my friends. Love, Elise Barnett", and a booklet she made complete with illustrations. "My favorite thing about my mom is when she takes me to the beach on Saturdays. I like it when my mom takes me to the musem. I really love it when my mom says: I love you Elise. This is what I really want to say to my mom on Mother's Day: I hope you have a good day. When my mom is all dressed up she looks like an angel. I love her most when she give me a hug." I mean, seriously, how sweet is that?! I got lots of love, lots of hugs and lots of kisses. I'm not the best mom in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but I love my kids to pieces and I know they love me. Thank goodness we've learned to put up with one another. :) It sure makes things a lot more fun.

Craziness and Clean-up Kids

Yesterday was a hectic day, following a hectic weekend. Over the weekend we'd had Cory and Ian's Father/Son Camp out. Elise had a T-ball game and afterwards a party/sleepover at a friend from church's house on Friday night. Not surprisingly, she and her cousin Emmy decided around midnight that they weren't quite up to the sleepover. So I woke up Merry Grace, loaded her in the car and went to rescue Elise. :) It was later than late when we got home, only to have a bad storm blow in with lots of lightning and hail. (It really turned out to be a good thing that I got Elise, no matter how inconvenient it was, as the home she'd been staying at was hit even worse by the storm and several people in that area felt like a tornado had started to form but never touched down, as they heard the "train" noise one makes and felt like the windows might blow out.) Anyway, while we were quite safe from the storm, we woke up to find a tree in our front yard split in two, most likely from lightning. Add to that mix of weekend mischief our dog Max having some sort of allergic reaction to the flea and tick medicine I gave him, Elise developing what seemed to be an ear infection, Cory having his hand and arm swell up from a bee sting, our new kitty running away, and a couple of sleepless nights due to all the aforementioned situations. So yesterday started off with a trip to the doctor to check on Elise's ear--definitely an ear infection. Then I came home to clean up the house. I was a little less than thrilled by the mess that awaited me, which was bigger than usual due to the craziness of the weekend. Elise couldn't really go to school at this point, so she was there to help with things. She was so sweet to make sure that her room and Ian's room got cleaned up, without my even asking them. She knew we had a big job before us and just pitched in and helped. They also completely unloaded the dishwasher, and put away everything within their reach, with even a little help from Merry Grace. It was very cute and I was quite impressed with how well they did. Thank goodness for the clean-up kids. :) They're such a big help.

Father/Son Campout

Ian went with Cory to the Father/Son camp out on Friday night. He's been looking forward to it all week, with really no concept of time or days or when it was going to happen. He spent Friday deciding what to pack in his Superman backpack, with clothes and flashlights being at the top of the list. I'm not really sure what all they did on the camp out, since I've had to rely only on the reports from Cory and Ian. Basically, the highlight for Ian was sleeping in the tent. He had fun playing with Avery, his constant companion while there. Cory said it was easy to keep track of him when he was playing around the campsite that night because he had a flashlight that could be either white or red light and he liked the red. So Cory could just watch out for the red light. I think its so neat that Cory's willing to tackle the camp out with rambunctious little Ian, and I think its adorable that Ian thinks camping with his dad is the greatest thing ever. Believe it or not, I even got the boys to take a few pictures while they were there. :) Here's the proof they had an awesome time!!!
Here are the official campers, loading up the car and getting ready to head off for lots of fun. They are so cute I just want to scoop them both up and hug them to pieces. :) (Sorry, Cory, but you really are adorable. :))

Here is Ian eating a campfire-roasted hot dog. Thank goodness for hot dogs, without them he would be one step away from starvation. :)


If there is a stick around anywhere, Ian will find it. A campsite is heaven for him, then. I love his Spiderman jammies, too. Cute, cute, cute. :)

One other cute story from the camp out was after Ian came home. Cory had already showered and freshened up, when Ian noticed he wasn't wearing the same shorts from earlier. Ian said, "I put something in your pocket for Mommy, but you already took those shorts off." He was very distraught over possibly losing this thing he had brought home for me. Cory took him by the hand and they found the shorts Cory had worn, looked in the pocket, and found Ian's surprise. Ian was so excited to bring me one cherry starburst. He was very cute telling how someone had given him one and it was so good that he got another one for me because he thought I would like it. I was touched to be remembered, even on the fun Father/Son camp out. :)

Mother's Day

With tomorrow being Mother's Day, I didn't think I could let the day pass without making
mention of the occasion. At my bridal shower, the grandmother of one of my friends offered her congratulations and said, "You know, you come from a long line of elect ladies." That thought struck me as I thought about my wonderful mother, my sweet little grandmother, and on back for many generations that I either knew personally or had heard stories of from those who knew them. I realized how fortunate I was to have been born into a family of strong, good, women who loved the Lord. I'm so grateful for the legacy they have left me. A little closer to home, however, is my own mother. I've always loved my mom and we've always been close--kindred spirits, perhaps. She's such a good person, patient, creative, thoughtful, fun and loving. When I was younger I really thought I knew my mom and who she was and how she lived. And then I had Elise. Suddenly, as I began to take care of her, I realized how many quiet acts of love my mom performed for me and my siblings. If anything, that is her distinguishing characteristic. I would remember things she'd said, something she'd done, and suddenly, as a mother myself, I saw her through new eyes. I wished I could go back and be a little more grateful, a little more kind, a little more understanding. Unfortunately, that isn't how it works. :) All I can say is that, little bylittle, I am infinitely more grateful for the mother she was to me as I was growing up and the mother she is to me now. If I can even do half as well as she did, I feel sure I can be pleased with my efforts. I found this poem by Edgar Guest (who I love), called "It takes heap o' livin'". I thought of my mom when I read this, because more than anything, my mom helped create a home where we could do a heap o' livin' and a heap o' lovin'. Happy Mother's Day, Mama. I love you--and not just on mother's day! :)

It Takes a Heap o' Livin'

It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
It don't make any differunce how rich ye get t' be,
How much yer chairs an' tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped round everything.

Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it's home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it;
Within the walls there's got t' be some babies born, and then
Right there ye've got t' bring 'em up t' women good, an' men;
And gradjerly, as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn't part
With anything they ever used -- they've grown into yer heart:
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; an' if ye could ye'd keep the thumb marks on the door.

Ye've got t' sing an' dance fer years, ye've got t' romp an' play,
An' learn t' love the things ye have by usin' 'em each day;
Even the roses 'round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they 'come a part o' ye, suggestin' someone dear
Who used t' love 'em long ago, an' trained 'em jes' t' run
The way they do, so's they would get the early mornin' sun;
Ye've got t' love each brick an' stone from cellar up t' dome:
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home.

It's a boy thing...

Usually, when Elise has her piano lessons, the kids and I just play around Ms. Robyn's yard with a ball we brought during her 30 minute lesson. The other day, Merry Grace had fallen asleep and so Ian decided to take his tennis ball outside and throw it and chase after it. He played for a while, then came back to the car and climbed in the front seat beside me. He began looking through the glove compartment and pulled out the manufacturer's booklet. I was supposedly reading a magazine, but watching him was quickly becoming more entertaining, so I pretended to keep reading, all the while just watching his super cuteness. He opened the book and began looking at some diagrams of the seats. His little forehead was furrowed and it was obvious he was deeply fascinated by what he was seeing. Then he turned around and counted the seats in the back, looked back at the booklet to count the seats in the diagram, and then with a firm nod of his head and a confident "Yes!", the booklet was proven correct. For several more minutes, he turned pages, looked at pictures, muttered comments under his breath and examined little things around him in the car. After a few minutes, he looked over at me and asked, "Is this book yours?" I explained what the book was for, knowing that he really wanted the book for his own. (side note: He has a serious habit of wanting to keep certain things he sees that someone else has. So far he's never taken something that didn't belong to him, but he isn't shy about requesting household objects--pine cones, tree ornaments, flashlights, etc.--to have. He always says he'll let you borrow it, though. :)) I told him he couldn't have the book, but that he could look at it anytime he'd like. He took the book out in the sunshine and looked at it for a good 10 or so minutes longer before Elise's lesson ended. It was such an adorable, manly thing to do. I think I would rather be strung up by my toes and beat with a wet noodle, rather than have to read the car's owner's manual. BORING!!!! But Ian loved it. That's a boy for you...
Do you not just want to smooch this little guy? :)

The Birthday Girl

Yesterday was Elise's 7th Birthday. Lucky seven. Each year I say, "I can't believe she's (fill in the blank with whichever age she is turning)!" This year was no exception. What really strikes me about this birthday, is that my youngest brother had just turned 7 when Cory & I got married. He was down last weekend and he's now almost 16, creeping in on 6 feet tall and not at all the little boy with the buzz cut who couldn't keep his shirt tucked in. And our wedding day seems like it was just yesterday. So I'm afraid I'm going to blink and Elise will be 16. So leading up to yesterday, I reminisced about the day Elise was born and how she's already seven years old.

When Cory & decided it was time to start our family, we couldn't have been more thrilled, excited, nervous and unprepared for the adventure before us. After what seemed to be a never-ending nine months and an even longer delivery, the doctor handed a sweet little swaddled bundled to me that changed my life forever.
We spent that first year taking care of the house together, walking around outside, having picnics with Daddy and letting her discovering everything she could about this world around her and me trying to figure out how to be a mother. Before I knew it, she had turned 1. And she was the cutest thing I had ever seen.
By the time her second birthday rolled around, we had moved, I had had to begin disciplining her from time to time (that was very hard the first go round. I just wanted to love her all the time, not put her in time out!!!!), we were preparing for a little brother to join the family, and she was growing and developing into this sweet, helpful, grown-up little girl.
By her third birthday, we had moved yet again. We had adjusted to aforementioned little brother. Elise became a little mother to him. She was sweet, sassy, totally a little girl and spent her days playing with cousin Emmy. Her main activity consisted of filling up every purse she could find with complete nonsense and walk around like she was queen of the castle. I will never forget her and Emmy going into the playroom with toy shopping carts and stuffing them full of 50 random things they could pull out and walk around the house pushing those carts like they were 25. It was adorable and hilarious and endearing.

With her fourth birthday, had come yet another move (is there a trend here?) and I suddenly began to realize what a big girl she really was becoming. I was looking at her last year at home before school started!!!! We always had so much fun and it was fun watching her and Ian play together. One of my favorite memories was of them playing Barbies together (being the big sister means having your way a lot!!!). Elise had hers all dressed, hair brushed and the dolls lined up on the edge of a blanket, ready for some grand imaginary activity. Ian had a doll in his hand, zooming it around the room like an airplane, complete with sound effects!!! What a difference, but how fun it was. Elise also showed even more her talent for cleaning up. It truly is a gift!!!
For once, her fifth birthday was held in the same house as her fourth!!! I could see Elise's sweet, sensitive nature even more. She was very aware of others feelings, and began to emerge as a peacemaker in our home. She also developed a healthy sassy streak (from where is a mystery;)). Her own sense of fashion really began to become apparent as she would decide what to wear what looked good and no amount of talking could convince her otherwise. We had also welcomed another little girl into our family a mere three months before and Elise was most definitely in LOVE with that baby!!!
Last year was her sixth birthday. In the last year she's developed more talents and has really begun to shine in our family. She loves music, she's somewhat double jointed and quite pleased with the fact that she can "creep people out". She's more and more independent, a great little chef, still a peacemaker, a loving, caring, wonderful big sister with a heart of gold and a joy to have in our home. Now, with another little sister on the way, I have no doubt that Elise is ready for the challenge. Here was our little snaggle-tooth yesterday on birthday number seven. The time has flown by. Like with anything in life, there are ups and downs. But this little girl is the light of our life. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed by the love I feel for her. I wish I could adequately express the feeling I have, but there are just no words. I heard a quote one time that said, "There are two lasting gifts you can give your children. One is roots, the other is wings." The more and more I watch Elise grow, I think the roots are the easy part. The wings are too, I guess. It's just the part where I watch her fly that tugs at my heartstrings a little more. I think I also understand why my parents wanted me to build a house in their backyard. :)


Happy Birthday, Elise!!!

A little funny...

Cory was showing Ian a picture of his family when they were all young. He pointed to himself and said, "Ian, do you know who this is?" Ian looked for a minute and finally guessed, "Joseph Smith?"

So the Verdict is...

In case the new look of the blog didn't give it away, here's the news...we're having a GIRL!!!!

A short tag

My beautiful, smart & fun cousin Lisa tagged me!

The rules state that I must use the letters of my middle name and describe myself with words using the corresponding first letter...
(the pressure's on!)

Generous
Responsible
Amicable
Creative
Engaging

Now, I tag three people: Susan, Kristin (if she isn't too busy having a baby :)), and Lynetta. And just for good measure, let's see if Katie and Elise want to tackle it!!!

Our new Kitten

My friend Susan's cat had kittens not long ago and after reading about it on her blog, I talked it over with Cory and we decided to get one of them. Over the weekend the kittens were finally old enough to leave their mom, so we went to their house and chose one for our very own. So meet Sugar, also known as "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch":

Elise was really the one who decided on which kitten to get. She is in love with this little kitty and I think the feeling is mutual.

Ian actually wanted a different kitten, and it was quite a horrific parting for him and the other kitten that he wanted. But once all was said and done, he's become quite attached to this little darling. She loves following him around and he loves the attention.

At first, Merry Grace wasn't sure she was up for touching the kittens. She thought maybe she'd just pass on the fun. Once she'd tried it, she was hooked and cried unless it was her turn to hold the kitty. We've had to teach her about being gentle because sometimes she looks like she might love her to pieces...literally.

Here's a close up of her beautiful face.

And more snoozing. She's a cutie and we're so glad to have her as a part of the family!

My favorite things

I'm in a grumpy mood today with several things on the agenda that need to be done, none of which I'm particularly excited about doing. So I'm listing a few of my favorite things, hoping it makes me feel a little happier about the day. :) I don't know how well reverse psychology works on yourself, but here goes...

• Tomatoes
• Kittens sleeping on my lap
• Expensive fabric softener
• Hot showers
• Flowers
• Bargains
• Hot chocolate add ins
• Ice cream cones
• Sitting on the porch
• Picnics
• iTunes
• Blogging
• Taking pictures
• Selling stuff on Craigslist
• The smell of pine sol when I mop or clean (I'm using orange scent right now)
• Windy/breezy days
• Flip flops
• Homemade freezer meals
• A clean house (when someone else does it. :))
• Sitting on the beach from sun-up to sun-down

I could keep going, but duty calls. Its time for Ramen noodles, hot dogs, and tomato sandwiches. Better get crackin'. :)

Sweet Sisters...Then & Now

Sometimes, as a parent, there are just beautiful moments that you treasure. Seeing how my kids love and protect one another are some of those times. Here is a picture of a newborn Merry Grace, snuggled up sleeping with her (also sleeping) big sister, Elise.

And here, a few years down the road, are the sleepyheads again. They just look so sweet and peaceful snuggled up together. I'm so glad they love each other.

Planting Flowers and More Trouble with Super Glue

This past week the kids and I spent some time out in the yard planting some flowers around the house. We planted petunias in front of the porch as our first task. It is truly a miracle they they are still surviving a few days later. Between Ian getting them out of the container minus much of their roots and Merry Grace's fascination with trampling them, picking the blooms, and watering them with hot chocolate, if they make it, it will not be because of all the tender loving care we gave them. But we had fun, so I think that counts for something. Elise helped me quite a bit the next day and we planted another bed of flowers. She was a super help. I reminisced about how she's been planting flowers with me since she was less than a year old. She's been my faithful planting companion since all she could do was eat the dirt we planted in. :) But each year she's helped me, regardless of what age she was or what house we lived in. We've had lots of good memories working in the flower beds.

I had early meetings at church this morning, so Cory was in charge of bringing the kids. He does such a good job of getting them fed, dressed and out the door to church on time. This morning everything seemed to be on target to be ready early. The last thing he had to do was get Merry Grace dressed. While he was dressing her he heard the water running quite a bit. He told Elise and Ian to stop running the water. When he finished with MG her came into the kitchen and was tipped off to mischief. He found the kids with super glue on their hands, mainly Ian. Through some discussion it was discovered that they had hid a tube under our bed and that was how they had been able to get into it. In conjunction with that, there was a spot of super glue on the carpet and some on our pillowcases. *Sigh.* Cory spent a while cleaning off Ian's hands and inspecting other damages. But fortunately they still made it to church, just not at that early time they'd hoped for. :) Super glue is fast becoming the bane of my existence.

Ian plays T-ball

Ian is also playing T-ball this season, so for the next month we are practically living at the ball park. But we don't do a lot else during the year, so we figure the sacrifce for the next couple of months is worth it. Ian was a little tired at his last game. He played great, however and was the cutest thing out there. This was my favorite picture of the night. (I was using Cory's camera which doesn't have as great a zoom, nor does it take as good a pictures as mine, but hopefully if you click on it you'll see how cute he is anyway! :))

Home again, home again, jiggity jog...

This past weekend, since Cory was going to be gone most of the weekend on a Scout trip, the kids and I packed up and went home to visit my family. We hadn't been up there since Easter, so we'd really missed being up there with them. We had a nice, relaxing time--going to the walking/biking trail, playing Rock Band, and just hanging out together. My parents were so good to take the kids out in the yard to play, especially pushing Merry Grace on the swing (she literally would never get tired of doing it!), showing them the chickens and my brothers were great to jump on the trampoline with them. One of our favorite parts was definitely the walking/biking trail. The trail follows a river most of the way, but at one point a creek runs under a bridge to meet the river. The kids love stopping there to play. Even though we did much more than this over the weekend, the only pictures I have are of our time in the creek. :)

Here the kids started wading in the most shallow part of the creek.


Merry Grace soon caught up with us and came down to the creek to join in the fun.


Then they started wading in the deeper water. Even though it was a nice day outside, the water was still pretty cold.

Soon just wading wasn't enough, and they geared up to "swim". Even Merry Grace couldn't be left out.

And off they went, ready for the big chill. They had so much fun, though!!! They played, splashed, jumped, and generally just enjoyed doing something different. We are definitely not cut out for the city life. :)


It was such a fun time. I loved doing stuff like this when I was a kid and even that day I couldn't resist getting the water a little bit too. I wasn't up for a "swim", but did have fun wading and getting a little wet. Good memories...

T-Ball Time!!!

T-ball games started last week and Elise has already had her first game. We were all thrilled that her team just happens to have their shirt in her favorite color--Carolina Blue. She looks totally official out there. She is much more "into" it this year, understanding the concepts and enjoying the game for the sport of it, not just the sociality. And she is just too adorable!!!

Here she is, waiting for a ball to come her way.



I wasn't in a great place to get a good shot of her batting. But she hit the ball off the pitching machine and made it to first base. Yay!!!!

A day at the Zoo

Last week we made the trek to the Zoo. Neal & Amanda (Cory's brother & his wife) and their family went with us. The weather was cool, but not too cold and perfect for walking heaven-only-knows -how-many miles. We got there a little before lunch and stayed until the zoo closed. We had two six-year olds, a four-year old, a three-year old, a 2-year old, and an infant, so we sort of felt like we brought the zoo with us, but the kids were amazing. Not a whine, fuss or complaint the whole day. They were troopers and we all had a fun time together. There were just too many neat things to see, but we got to as much as we could and enjoyed every minute we were there. Here are some of the highlights...

Here was Merry Grace looking at the elephants. We took Elise when she was this age and we just happened to be lucky enough to catch the elephants peeing. For months, her only comment when we talked about the zoo was that the elephants peed. :) No such luck this time--just elephants being elephants. Merry Grace still thought they were pretty cool.



The kids enjoyed the "extras" almost as much as the actual animals. This was a gigantic rhinoceros statue that they climbed on for a while. It's back also made for a pretty cool slide.



One of our favorite things was getting to see the polar bear playing with a ball. He would take this 75lb. ball, throw it up against the rocks and let it bounce into the water, then dive in to retrieve it. He did this the entire time we watched and was still doing it when we left. It was pretty cool to watch.


Boys will be boys. The whole zoo to explore and they find a trashcan to play with. They took turns peeking through the holes at one another and then running to switch sides. It really is the simplest things.... Gross!!!



Elise, Emmy and Charles-Allen. They are just as cute as buttons and as sweet as sugar. We stopped to take a rest and get some cotton candy, icees, and popcorn before trekking off again.


Like I said, the extras were just as much fun as the zoo. They spent a little while climbing on this big rock. Uncle Neal was a good sport and let them jump off for him to catch.


These are boys who will actually stop and ask for directions. They spent a good deal of time examining the map and took very seriously their task to find out where we were and where we needed to go.



I don't have too many pictures of Ally. She was just a little too small to really enjoy the experience of the animals, but she was so dang good we hardly heard a peep out of her. Here she and Merry Grace are chillin' in the stroller.



Silly girls!!! They were so sweet the whole day. Neither one would take a turn in either stroller unless there was a spot for both of them. They'd rather walk a little longer than be split up. Most of the time they had their heads together, holding hands or linking arms. They are a matched set and wouldn't have it any other way...unless, maybe, there was a way they could be actual twins. :)



This was us at the beginning of the day. There's also a picture with Amanda & I, so there is proof we were there. But here are the Daddies and their kids. What a great group this is!!!!



I had to post this picture of the "Tarheel Duck" as we called him. The kids thought it was so cool to find a duck who was a Tarheel fan. :)


This goose was not where he was supposed to be, I believe. He came up and over to where we were walking. He followed us a little longer than he might have, had Ian not been feeding him bites of chips. Silly kid!!! It was cool to be that close to a goose, but he sounded quite ferocious. The kids were a little hesitant about what his intentions were. :)



There was a cool playground near the place where we stopped to eat. The mulch was actually chunks of rubber cut to look like mulch. It was so soft and squishy. There were all kinds of cool things for the kids to play on. They were having so much fun we could hardly get them to eat! Here Elise and Charles-Allen were playing on a giant spider web. They were really high.



Cory was chauffeur extraordinaire for the day. He pushed the stroller, carried kids on his shoulder and just generally toted kids around where and when they needed it. sometimes carrying one and pushing a stroller at the same time. It was exhausting enough just walking around, so I don't know how he managed it. He's just an awesome Dad!!

So there you have it...our day at the zoo in a nutshell. We had such a fun time together and are all looking forward to our next adventure!!!

My Newest Nephew

I'm an aunt, again. Cory's sister had a baby last week, Jacob Ethan (to be called Ethan) and he is a cutie. He was only 6lbs. 5oz. which is over a pound smaller than my smallest. When I held him the first time it was like picking up a blanket, he was so light and little and tiny. But he is so handsome and has this tiny, little, perfect body. Every time I see a new baby I'm amazed by what a miracle it is. He joins his two big sisters who I suspect will spoil him rotten and torment him to pieces all at the same time. (I should know, I'm a big sister to three brothers myself. It's part of the job description.) He comes into a family that has a lot of love, both in his immediate family and his extended one as well. My kids are all enraptured by him. Elise, as expected thinks he's cute and wonderful. She can't wait for her new sibling to arrive even more after seeing Ethan. Ian, who is surprisingly tenderhearted towards babies thinks he's the greatest thing ever. He loves holding him and is very careful and gives him gentle kisses on his little head. He also calls him "Baby Uncle Ethan" which I think is hilarious because I have a brother named Ethan, so the the two have just gotten meshed together. Merry Grace loves him too and whenever we ask if she wants to see Aunt Melissa's baby she very seriously looks at us and says, "My baby". (Thankfully she's not possessive. :)) Anyway, we're just thrilled to death with the new little member of the family and just wanted to show off how truly adorable he is. :)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my dad! He's a little bit like an M&M...a little crusty on the outside, but an ol' softy on the inside. :) He's a man of many talents--he raises chickens, makes the best sourdough bread known to humankind, a jack of all trades meaning he can literally fix anything in your life that breaks or needs repair, he's a terrific gardener, he's the friendliest person you'll ever meet and has never met a stranger, he has served diligently in almost every calling the church has to offer except Relief Society President and I feel sure he could have done that one well too :), he's raised three great sons and one really, really, really super daughter, and keeps doing all those wonderful things day in and day out. I can always count on Daddy to call me on the phone, if I ever have an emergency I know he will be here at the drop of a hat to help out (he's already proved that in the past), and I know if I'm ever in need of someone to be stubborn with, he will come through. :) He's just a great man and a great dad. When I began dating and looking for qualities that I wanted in a husband, most guys had a really hard time fitting the bill because I set such high standards after watching my dad all those years. Fortunately, I found someone who would be as great a dad to my kids as my dad was to me. So "Happy Birthday", Daddy. Here's to at least 51 more. I love you!

Where are the Cleaning Fairies

I've been waiting for the Cleaning Fairies all day, but to no avail. I'm beginning to think they don't exsist. I really need to sweep, mop, vacuum, do laundry, clean the bathrooms, generally straighten things up, organize a few things, wipe down the kitchen, do a load of dishes, and that's just the short list. Oh my. It has been a fun day, though. Obviously no cleaning has been done, but it was productive nonetheless. I had several Relief Society things to do this morning, including running out for a little while. It was a little hectic, but we got "everything" done. We came home, ate lunch, and then got started on our "project of the day". Elise is out for Spring Break, so we've been trying to have a little "extra" fun each day. Today we painted flower pots. We painted six in total and it was a lot of fun, if not a little exhausting and messy. But that just comes with the territory. I'll take a picture of them and post soon. They are really cute and we had a good time. We also gave Max (our dog) a bath for the first time in longer than I'm willing to admit. Either way, he's clean but I'm wet and smell like a dog. So now its late afternoon and I need to start dinner and the house is still in need of some serious attention and I need to take a shower. :) I also think the kids may have spent a little too much "quality" time together today. I can tell they need a break from each other. So they're spending a little time apart right now. And still no sign of the cleaning fairy. Darn it! If they make it to your house, please, please send them my way. Otherwise, it looks like I'd better get started....