Fun on the Run

We've been going and doing a lot lately! Last week Beau took the youth to Abilene for Sing Song so the kids and I had to find something to do. We decided on Saturday to go on a picnic and to the zoo for the afternoon. We went with our friends, The Bruces and also invited the Shaws. Well since Beau was out of town and David had a study group it ended up being Brian, Erica (who's pregnant), Lori Anne (who's pregnant), Me an 4 kids under the age of 4. We laughed the whole time that we looked like a Polygamy family. The girls and I kept referring to each other as sister wives and Brian as Big Daddy! Ha! Brian was such a good sport! And the kids had a blast.

We wanted a pic of all of them together...not easy.


Then Elijah asked if we could take a silly face picture...

We kept getting asked all day if Maci and Sadie are twins. They do look just alike. I've even gone to pick Maci up thinking it was Sadie. They are so precious.

Wednesday Brooklyn came over for a few hours to play. Sadie is in love. They had so much fun. Sadie would just follow her around and be her little echo.

Oh, and no, I did not make Sadie wear that flower in her hair. She threw a fit until I put it in her hair for her! Yup.

Elijah is so proud of himself that he's finally mastered swinging by himself!

Anything Brooklyn did, Sadie would just laugh and laugh...

This past Friday we went and spend part of the day with Beau's grandmother, Mamaw...

Explaining to the kids that you only use one finger to play (instead of hitting multiple keys at a time with their whole hand)...

Such a sweet picture!...

Beau was out of town again this weekend and I got to spend Saturday evening with the polygamy family again...Thanks to the Bruces for taking care of me while Beau's gone!!

Brooklyn's Surprise Party

This year Brooklyn told Katy she wanted a Surprise Party for her 6th birthday. "You know, Mom, the kind where I show up and everyone is hiding and they jump out and yell 'Surprise!'. She cracks me up!


We drove to my parents' for the day and made Brooklyn think we had just come to hang out for the day (which is the reason Jon and Katy gave her for coming too). My mom bought Dad a real popcorn popper for Christmas. I'm not usually a popcorn fan, but Lya brought home butter from the movie theater so I was all in! The kids got a kick out of watching it pop.

Brooklyn needed to pose for a pic...


So, of course, Elijah wanted to pose for one as well...

Then Sadie chimed in....

When the first kernels started popping Cale started cheering...

After enjoying our popcorn I announced our family needed to go "run some errands" so we had to leave. We actually needed to get to Katy's parents' house where the party was supposed to be. Here's the conversation that followed...

Brooklyn: "Can Elijah stay here and play?"

Me: "No, Elijah has to come with us."

B: "Why?"

Me: "I need him with me when I run errands."

B: "Why"

Me: I can't come up with any more lies! "Because I said so, get in the car!!!"

When we arrived Katy had made this super cute Tangled tower cake...

We all hid and waited for Brook to come in. Once she stepped in we all jumped out and yelled "Surprise!!!" She was actually really surprised!

After she had to change into her birthday costume we got down to business...CAKE!

Zac and Heather enjoying their cake...

Time for gifts!!

She tried on her cowgirl dress up clothes and they fit!!

When I asked her to pose for a pic of her clothes...

After a while we were wondering why it had become so quiet...where are the kids? We stepped outside....

Dad has this pheromone that seems to draw children to him and relax them. Luckily he uses this talent for good and not evil. There was one little girl just whining and crying all. day. long. Jon took her outside, walked around with her, rode her around on the golf cart, looked at the animals, nothing worked. He walked up to my dad, my dad took the girl into his arms and she immediately stopped crying and was just happy as can be. Jon's mouth drops open, he looks at my dad and says, "Do you know this kid?" Dad pulls her away to get a better look and says, "No, who is this?" Nice. That's my dad in a nut shell...beautiful on the inside and the out.

Aimee and the Good 'Ole Boys

Last week we had our annual end of winter visit from Aimee, Grant and Grayson. We had a few days spent crafting, cooking, playing, and lots and lots of talking!


Hey, kids, are you having fun?!!....
I think this picture is hilarious. Grayson was not at all impressed with me "imprisoning" him in a high chair for his snack so we could work. Sadie, however, wanted nothing more than to sit in her old baby chair and eat!

Aimee hard at work on her new embroidery machine...

A cute shirt she embroidered for a little girl at church...

Brooklyn requested "cowgirl dress-up" clothes for her birthday this year. I made this outfit and Aimee embroidered the shirt...pretty cute!

Each night Aimee would take the kids to the bathtub while I cleaned up the kitchen. Friday night she decided to catch the kids' acting crazy.

I love this picture of Grayson...makes me laugh every time!

Wow. No words. A tub full of weirdos...

This was our attempt at a group picture. The older they get the harder it is...

I can't wait till the next time we get together. I really can't wait till Aimee and I can get away together without those weirdos!!

Yee-Haw!!

The past 2 years Jannie has bought our whole family Rodeo tickets. It really brings back memories of going every year as a little girl with my mom's family.


We drove up and met my parents and brothers' families for lunch. Sadie went straight to her Papaw and loved on him for a while...


The cowboys...

Let the show begin!

Sadie loves her Uncle Zac!!

Couldn't you just gobble this little cowboy?!!

This was Sadie the whole rodeo!

We had a great time!!! Thank you Jannie!!

Snow Day!

We got a lot (for central Texas) of snow on Thursday night so when we woke up on Friday morning the kids were ready to go out and play in it. We held them off until close to 10 and they wouldn't wait any longer.

I'm waiting...



Is it impossible to take a normal picture?...

Are you excited to go outside and play in the snow!!!....

I sent the kids out with their dad and said "Stay close to the house so I can get some pictures!" Beau then began in on me not going out with them. It took a few minutes, but he eventually guilted me into going out. It also didn't help that Sadie seemed to be less excited about the snow once she was actually out in it (like mother like daughter)...

Can you come out here and carry me Mama?...

One look from her and I was on my way to find some warm clothes! Beau said, "I thought you liked the cold weather!?" I said, "I do, I like it to be cold outside and me sitting inside, under a blanket by the fire with a hot chocolate!"




Beau taught Elijah how to make a snow angel...

Can you see it?

My other little Snow Angel...

Here's Beau's chicken house I was talking about...

Throwing snow balls...

After coming inside and warming up the kids thought my hair needed fixing. They brushed and attempted to put every one of Sadie's bows in my hair (please ignore the no make up, a la natural look)...

Nice.

Even though everything we had planned for the day was cancelled due to the weather, but we still managed to make the most of it.

What a Chick!

I think I've mentioned that Beau built a chicken house for our back yard (I need to get a picture of it). Yesterday Beau and Elijah went to get the new chicks.

Oh how my boy loves animals...


May I introduce you to Fluffy, Stormy, Ruby and Brownie...

They sat and watched the chicks forever!

Today was Pajama Day at the kids' school. I asked Beau to take pictures of the kids in their pj's. I made these matching pants. They're not technically supposed to be called pajama pants because they are not flame retardant, so we call them lounge pants. They each had two pairs of pants and two shirts on because its so incredibly cold outside, but they loved their monkey pants...

Of course...

And just because its pretty....This was our Amaryllis. It was one of Elijah's Christmas gifts. I know that seems like a weird gift for a 4 year old, but Elijah loves gardening and he's watched this grow from a bulb...