What A Wonderful World

Her Actual Birthday

2012-01-28T15:21:00.004-06:00

Londyn got an extra special treat this year for her birthday. Kevin's parents made plans to be in town for her big day, and so we all celebrated together. She was on a total sugar high. She took donuts to school, we met her for lunch and brought Charlie's Chicken (at her request) with a big sugar cookie from Merritt's for dessert, and then ate dinner at Ted's followed by another birthday cake. All of her favorites in one day. The girls and Grandaddy waiting for dinner.

Our family with the exception of Skylar who was on the other side of the table.

Londyn with Grandmommy.

Awe, they really do love each other!

Blowing out the candles...I couldn't find them for her party, but thankfully they showed up for the second time around.

She kind of acted like she didn't want them to sing to her, but I could pretty much tell she would have been disappointed had they not, so here she is slightly embarrassed, but feeling special.

Happy Birthday Big Girl! I hope you know enjoyed your day, and know how much you are loved!

You Scream, I Scream....

2012-01-26T21:49:00.005-06:00

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!
We celebrated Londyn's 7th birthday last weekend with an ice cream sundae party. She wanted a family party, so that made things much less stressful. My family came to town for the weekend, so we had a great time visiting, and Londyn loved having some cousins here to her help celebrate.

A little sisterly love....

Trying to get a picture with all the kids. (Minus Lincoln, he was being crabby and had to go to his room.)

Anxious to start opening presents Londyn with her favorite parents, and her parents with their favorite middle child.

HaPpY NeW YeAr!!

2012-01-23T22:07:00.004-06:00

I am aware that it is near the end of January, and as usual, I'm a little behind. But, better late than never, right? We are rarely home for New Year's, but this year we had made plans to be in town. Lucky for us, our class at church was having a party, and we had a very relaxing evening visiting, and the kids loved playing with some new friends!

Lincoln totally made it to midnight, and soaked up all the attention he was receiving from the teens and other adults. He's quite the social butterfly. It worked out well for Kevin and I as he was too busy acquainting himself with new people that he forgot all about us.

Nerd....

Making a New Year's toast!

Apparently it's tradition that all the kids jump in the pool at midnight. My girls weren't going to be outdone by the teens, so much to my surprise, they took the plunge. Thankfully, it wasn't as cold this year as it usually is, but I think they were a little chilly when they got out. They had a great time!

Rhema Lights

2012-01-15T23:23:00.000-06:00

We procrastinated a little this year, and didn't make it to the lights until after Christmas, but it was one of our evenings out during our relaxing break. The girls were all about being photographed, but I had a hard time keeping up with Lincoln. He was running around like a wild man, as a two year old should, I suppose.

Winterfest

2012-01-14T22:41:00.004-06:00

We spent one of our Christmas break days, or maybe a couple of hours, at our Winterfest downtown. It was actually quite a warm day, so it made skating outside much more bearable. We still didn't last long. It was hard for the girls, and I struggled a little as well trying to help them. We still had fun!

Probably everyone's favorite part of the evening was the funnel cake.

Kevin refuses to put on any skates, so he and Lincoln watched and Lincoln rolled down the hill a few times.

Christmas With the Fredendalls

2012-01-04T22:33:00.003-06:00

We completed our Christmas by celebrating with my family Christmas Eve. We had a pretty low key day. We enjoyed a mid afternoon meal, knowing we would just graze the rest of the evening, and then opened presents together. I forced my children to pose for a few pictures, and Mr. Malachi seemed to be in a picture taking mood as well! Really, how cute is he posing with his grandma and great grandma?!?

The kids opening their presents. This box full of packing peanuts was a big hit among the littlest ones! I'm not sure what was in it, but it provided lots of entertainment and a big mess in the end.

There's nothing like bribing the children with a Christmas present to look at the camera and smile! It worked. I think all six eyes are looking, and most of them are smiling. I'm sorry there are not pictures of the men in any of my posts, but they always grumble at me when I try to take their pictures so I've given up. However, they are present at most of our gatherings:)

Christmas at Grandma's

2012-01-03T21:17:00.005-06:00

I was kind of thinking it would be great if I could actually squeeze in all of my Christmas posts before January rolled around, but no such luck. I'm sure I'm the only one that is disappointed. Oh well, I guess it will fill up some January space since it is such an uneventful, generally unpleasant month around our house. (with the exception of Londyn's birthday, of course). Anyway, after we opened presents at our house on the pretend Christmas morning, we played for a bit, cleaned a little, and headed for Missouri. We met up with my family at my Grandma Del's house to have a few snacks, scream and yell with the cousins, and open the present that was waiting for them. They're all here, they're all looking kind of in the same direction! Our family is growing by leaps and bounds. I think we're averaging a child every six months or so. There will be another one coming in March!

Londyn and Grammy Tammy

The littlest three kids got this cookie monster toy that entertained them for quite an extended period of time. Lincoln started out a little fearful that his finger would be bitten, but he came around. We all had a great time, ate lots of junky food and were ready for bed by the end of the evening. More Christmas to come....Aren't you excited!!

Santa Came!

2011-12-29T23:36:00.003-06:00

I always assumed that when I had a family of my own, we would be home for Christmas, the kids would wake up to presents under the tree left by Santa every Christmas morning. I've conceded to the fact that we are not going to be home on Christmas day, and this year was no different. Our families just live too far away, and travel is always a part of our holiday plans. This year included less travel than usual, but still, with it falling on a Sunday, it just didn't make sense or work out that we would be at our house Christmas morning. It kind of makes me sad that our little family has no real traditions of our own, but I guess that's life when you live away from both sides of your family. Anyway, we asked Santa by special request to stop in early. Thankfully, he obliged. Lincoln was far more excited the night before to open presents, apparently he's more of a night owl, but he did like a few of his surprises once he warmed up to the early morning craziness.

His favorite thing about the morning was the mass number of candy canes that could be found in stockings and around the house.

Kevin was quite excited about all of Lincoln's gifts, and couldn't wait to show Lincoln how to use his race track for the 800 hot wheels he thought he needed for Christmas. I also found a few unopened cars that Kevin saved for himself. I really don't get it, grown men and their toys, but I think Kevin may actually be excited about Christmas for the next few years.

Christmas Eve But Not Really

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

We had our Christmas Eve last Thursday night, and by special request, Santa came to visit us on Friday morning. We always have dinner and open a few presents before Santa is scheduled to visit. We opened gifts from each other, and we also opened all the gifts from our Oregon family since we didn't get together with them this year. Since it was the first time this season they were able to open presents, there was little excitement going on. They were bouncing off the walls most of the day anxious to open a few presents.

Lincoln LOVED unwrapping his presents, and continually walked around saying "That's cool, Mommy!" or "That's cool, Daddy!" It was quite fun and entertaining watching him get so excited about opening presents and squealing when he found out what was inside.

Kevin definitely gets as excited about Lincoln's toys as Lincoln does. He really likes having some toys for boys around the house.

Skylar gave Londyn some kind of noise-making putty. When I asked them to make a list of what they thought they wanted to shop for for their siblings, she knew exactly what she wanted to get and where she wanted to get it from. It was Dollar General. My children are quite taken by the dollar store. I guess that works out well for me. Anyway, Londyn loved the putty!

Me and Londyn posing while Skylar practices her photography skills. I hope you all had a Mery Christmas, and that you are able to enjoy a little bit of slower pace this week!

Annual Cookie Baking

2011-12-27T22:05:00.003-06:00

The day before we headed to Missouri, the kids and I whipped up a few cookies. I used to spend a little more time and effort into doing this each year, but I seem to get lazier as the years go by. We managed to squeeze it in though. Again, Lincoln was there every step of the way. Londyn was very patient, and loved helping him throughout the process. Lincoln is very serious about his cookie baking, and as I've mentioned before, the elf apron was required.

It was a great way to kick off our Christmas weekend festivities!

A Friendly Day

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not a huge fan of having friends over. That's probably bad to say, but we are rarely home, and when we are, I really enjoy spending time together as a family. Plus, one advantage of having two girls sixteen months apart is that they are best friends, and there is always someone to play with. Also, I'm a disciplinarian. I can't help it. It's just my nature. I like things to be calm, organized and under control. As a teacher, those are good traits, on a play date, not so much. Not to mention, they're at a new school and I don't know any parents and they don't know me. Anyway, the girls have been begging to have friends over for a while, and we are finally going to get to spend most of our break at home, so I thought it would be a good time to step out of my comfort zone and let them invite a friend over. I have to say, they have great judgement. (I only hope they have such good taste in boys when that time comes.) The girls they invited over were absolutely precious. They were extremely sweet, polite, and helpful. I could go on and on. They were all there for around five hours and I never heard anything negative, no arguing or anything. One of them even insisted on helping me clean up the kitchen. (I so need to get some tips from her mom.) Everyone just had a really great time playing together. We started out by making gingerbread houses, and I'm pretty sure that eating the icing and plethora of candy was the best part.

Lincoln, of course, had to be in the middle of it all in his elf apron nonetheless.

They played school, wii and then took a hot chocolate break with a few choice toppings.

If they can get over the horrible behavior of my two year old, maybe they'll come play again. Seriously, Lincoln apparently doesn't know what to do when he doesn't have the full attention of his sisters. He was showing off and torturing the girls in every way imaginable. His behavior included but was not limited to chewing up twizzlers and spitting it at the girls, picking his nose and wiping it on the girls, tantrum throwing, throwing applesauce on the floor and walls, etc. I was mortified. It was like a TV episode that featured the naughty little brother. He did finally take a nap which I have never been more thankful for.

I Help You!

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have heard this phrase a lot lately. Lincoln REALLY likes to help me with everything. My favorite picture is actually on my phone and I haven't uploaded it yet, but he always insists on wearing this elf apron and the hat. I'm sure someday he will regret this decision, but for now, I love it! I tried to give him a different apron with a penguin on it, and he refused and said, "I need MY apron!"

Merry Christmas From Our Family to You

2011-12-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

Thank you Melinda Brookshire Photography for the photos and card design for our annual Christmas card!

Class Christmas Party Marathon

2011-12-24T20:55:00.000-06:00

I spent last Tuesday, making a stop at each of the kids' class Christmas parties. Between 1:45 and 3:00pm, I managed to watch a Lincoln's preschool performance, hang out while he had a party snack, visit Skylar in her class (much against her will), and swing by Londyn's party to say hi as well. I always thought that if I weren't working, I'd like to be at their parties and help out. I think I was wrong. I mean, I love being there to see them, but it's very awkward for me. It's hard for me to be the parent, and not the one in charge. I don't really know many people that are there, and it's just way out of my comfort zone to stand around, not really knowing what to do. I tried not to embarrass my kids too badly though. Lincoln's class sang a few songs, but he had just woken up, so he was pretty groggy and didn't make a peep even though he actually loves singing Christmas songs. By the time he got back to his class, he was awake enough to enjoy a couple of cookies and his first present of the season which he is quite fond of.

Skylar tried to ignore me as much as possible, but did like having Lincoln there. They had lots of activities in their class, in this particular one, they are being given directions as they try to draw on their head. Skylar takes things like this pretty seriously, and loved every minute of it.

Londyn's class had a variety of activites as well, and she also loved having Lincoln there to help. You would think (or I would think) that I would have at least walked away with some decent pictures, but not so much. Oh well! At least I got evidence of my attendance and hopefully that puts some deposits in my good mom bank:) I have to say I was dreading taking Lincoln to both parties without much of a nap, but both girls really wanted him to come. I was pleasantly surprised that he was wonderful. He just went and sat quietly by the girls and stole a few of their goodies.

My Little Gymnasts

2011-12-23T20:42:00.002-06:00

This week, we got to sneak a peek at what the girls have been learning in their gymnastics class over the last few months. I tried to take a picture of them in action, but none of them turned out very well, so a posed picture in their sparkly performance leotard will have to suffice. We cut back our activities significantly this year, and gymnastics was what both girls chose to participate in. They are both working toward their back handspring, and love the time they get to spend practicing at the gym.

Gingerbread

2011-12-17T18:27:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon in Londyn's class yesterday helping make gingerbread houses. It's funny, Skylar doesn't want me to come to school to see her at all, and Londyn wants me at every event. I'm pretty sure she had a great time, mostly playing in the icing. I heard several of the students comment about how it was the best day ever! It's a lot more fun being the helper than the teacher in charge of these projects. Much less stressful:)

On a whole other note, I can't believe Chrismas is only a week away! Once again, it has completely snuck up on me before I have been able to schedule all the things I want to do!

Londyn's Christmas Performance

2011-12-16T17:14:00.003-06:00

So, there aren't many pictures of the actual performance because there were eight million kids and we were sitting pretty far back in the audience. I was glad I dressed her in green though because otherwise I'm not sure I would have been able to pick her out of the crowd. She happens to be in the second row in the middle behind the boy in the plaid shirt if you are trying to find her. It was an adorable performance, but it's times like this that I miss a smaller school, and being a teacher where I don't feel bad about sneaking up to the front to take a photo. Oh well, she had fun, and it gave us an excuse to celebrate afterwards.

Lincoln looks pretty rough, but was thrilled to take a picture with one of his big sisters.

As Planned...

2011-12-06T22:58:00.000-06:00

I really LOVE it when things go according to plan. I don't know about you, but that just doesn't happen very often in my world, but every once in a while, I get lucky! Sunday was one of those days. Last year when we tried to see the BASS PRO Santa, there was an insane line, so we left. (I really hate crowds and lines. I also had a one year old at the time. It totally wasn't worth it.) This year, I wanted to try again, but I needed a better plan. I thought we could go right after church and then eat afterward at the restaurant there. I already warned the kids that if it was too crowded we would go somewhere else on another day, and thankfully, I have very flexible children. But, it worked out perfectly! We got right in. Got a free Santa photo (theirs was much better than mine) with a perfect backdrop, and at the end of the visit they gave the kids free meals at the restaurant which was an added bonus! It made me happy the rest of the day. I do believe though that three's a crowd! Not enough room on Santa's lap. Maybe we'll go back next week for individual pictures and another free meal for the kids. (I was kind of joking about the last part, but the more I think about it, that may not be such a bad idea...hmmmm)

Christmas Parade

2011-12-06T22:47:00.000-06:00

We have never been to the annual Christmas parade, but the girls gymnastics team decided to participate this year, which resulted in us being forced into going. Not that I don't like parades, but not particularly in December, and it's just hard to get everyone up and going on a Saturday. Anyway, the girls were beside themselves excited about being in a parade for the first time. They had been talking about it all week long. When we arrived, we didn't see anyone from their team for a while, but finally ran into a few others. However, apparently the decision was made not to participate due to the weather, and those of us that were there hadn't got the message. The girls were super disappointed. I felt so bad for them. We decided to stay and watch the parade anyway, and managed to salvage the day with the promise of lunch of their choice and hot chocolate.

Tis the Season

2011-12-05T22:14:00.001-06:00

Well, Christmastime is officially here! The weekend before Thanksgiving, we cracked open the holiday bins and decorated our tree. The kids were excited to dig through all the Christmas stuff, they especially loved the headgear that they came across as they were rummaging through everything. We had a wonderful evening that started with everyone's favorite, breakfast for dinner followed by a little tree trimming, and of course, hot chocolate!

Deer in the headlights!

Lincoln LOVED decorating the tree, and was a very active participant. It did take a bit of training for him to understand that even though some of the ornaments looked like a ball, that you don't throw them onto the tree. After the first few, I tried to encourage him to hang the starts and other odd shaped ornaments.

Lincoln enjoying his "coffee" after all his hard work. I am really looking forward to Christmas with him this year. Well, with all of them of course, but you know what I mean. He's really getting into it, and loves Christmas lights, Santa and just about everything else Christmas! He's constantly excited about all of the festivities going on around him. I hope the start of your December and Christmas season is going well! It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I'm also proud to say that my Christmas tree doesn't have a waistline this year. If you remember my idiocracy last year! One thing about me is that most of the time, I feel like I can learn from my mistakes. Lucky for me, I have lots of learning opportunities! Anyway, this year, we eliminated the bottom piece, so it worked out a lot better.

The Little Cousins

2011-12-04T21:56:00.003-06:00

So part of the fun of any family gathering is watching all these little ones run around and play. They are a bit of a rowdy bunch, but I'd dare to say they have a pretty good time together! Lincoln and Anastyn took a bath together for the first time, and were being super silly.

Lincoln-just because I love how happy he is here.

Malachi 1, Natalie 1, Lincoln 2, Anastyn 3

All the little cousins about to jump out the window to get to the dog outside. This is probably the only picture we will get of them all together for a while. Unfortunately, we probably won't get one with all of their faces for quite for a few more years. They move way too fast!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T23:15:00.000-06:00

It is becoming increasingly harder to take photos on holidays because of the large number of children running around, but we did manage to snap a few of our family before the festivities. (By managed to snap a few, you understand that I mean I forced everyone to take a picture with me, right? I thought so!) We celebrated at my mom and dad's, and enjoyed a perfectly traditional turkey dinner and then thoroughly enjoyed the unbelievably beautiful weather we got that day!

Our attempt at a family picture. We're all in it, everyone is looking. Really, what more could I ask?

I really don't care for this picture of me, but I am pretty sure that this may be the only picture to date of me and Lincoln that he is actually smiling. He usually has a disgruntled look on his face and his arms outreached looking for his dad.

Anyway, I couldn't be more thankful for this crew that makes my life so crazy and wonderful all at the same time. They are all extremely forgiving, and put up with me and my craziness without too much complaint. I know I have been tremendously blessed, and am also quite certain that most of the time, I probably don't act like it. I should probably practice be thankful a little more all year long. I hope you and your family enjoyed some time together over Thanksgiving and are eagerly anticipating the joys of Christmas, I know I am!

Beauty and the Beast

2011-12-02T22:56:00.000-06:00

The first weekend in November, we traveled to the Oklahoma Christian Homecoming for the first time in forever. I think we have only been one other time, but now that we are more involved in our Alumni Chapter, we thought we would go. We enjoyed a great dinner Friday night, and the girls and I, along with my mom went to the play on Saturday. It was amazing! I was impressed with everything about the performance! We all look a little rough because we were hanging out in the city all day shopping, and the show wasn't until 8:00PM. Nonetheless, we had a great time!

The girls were probably verging on being a little too old for tea with Belle, but they definitely liked getting the light up rose.

They were super excited that we were near the front, and could actually see the actors. (not typically what they're used to apparently) We lucked out though, and had great seats, which made the show that much more enjoyable.

50th Day of School

2011-12-01T22:39:00.002-06:00

So, is it really already December? That is just crazy! I have so much to write, but can't seem to keep up with things. Shocking, I know! I only write that on every other post. Anyway, I thought quitting my job was supposed to give me more time to do things like this! Moving on... I finally uploaded the photos from my camera, so I guess I'll start there. A while back, Londyn's class celebrated the 50th day of school 50's style. I've always wanted an excuse to dress the girls up in Fifties attire, but it was never at the top of their list of Halloween costumes, so this was the perfect opportunity. Londyn was a good sport, but did take off her glasses and scarf as soon as she jumped out of my car. Silly girl! She had a great time, I think they had a little sock hop and enjoyed rootbeer floats at the end of the day!

This last picture is a bit sassy....I can't believe how grown up she is getting.

Fall Break-The End

2011-11-16T21:56:00.002-06:00

Last, but certainly not least, we concluded the fall break festivities with a hayride out on the farm. Everyone always has a great time, even if it doesn't look like it in this picture. Yet again, trying to get a decent picture of all the kids together has proven to be quite difficult. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend to enjoy all of our outdoor fall activities. Well, I'm finally calling it quits on the fall break posts, I came home with way too many. It makes it super hard to narrow down and decide what/how to post. Anyway, we are glad we had a few extra people with us this year, and are looking forward to many fall breaks to come.

Fall Break-Random Pics

2011-11-15T20:25:00.005-06:00

Yes, I know it's almost Thanskgiving. Yes, I know that Fall Break was over a month ago. Yes, I know that most retail stores have their Christmas decorations up. And I'd be lying if I said we didn't already have Christmas lights on our house. But, oh well, I still have a few more fall break things to catch up on as well as Halloween. Then, I can move on, and will be able to post about Thanksgiving and then all the fun Christmas things coming up.

Skylar enjoying a mummy dog. Londyn doing a little leisurely reading.

An attempt to take a picture of all the grandkids with Grammy Tammy. Sorry mom, but I don't think that's going to work out too well for a couple of years.

Malachi and Lincoln having fun in the leaves.

Hanging out with Grandma Del waiting for the apple butter.

Grandma Vi even came to join the fun and squeeze on the girls a little.

Fall Break-The Games

2011-11-07T09:02:00.002-06:00

We didn't get to play as many games this year because we were trying to get to the farm for our hayride before dark, but we definitely stuck with our favorites. The kids LOVE the mummy wrap game and the challenge of eating donuts hanging from a tree without using their hands. It's always so much fun, and it gets even better as the kids get older. Lincoln wasn't too interested in either, but he did snag a donut, but just opted for sitting down and eating it. I am beginning to think I am never going to move past my fall postings.....Better late than never thought, right?

Fall Break-Posing

2011-11-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

So it's possible that I have slight obsession with holiday themed clothing. I can't get enough of silly striped socks and tights, tutu skirts and glittery tees. When it comes to boys, I don't have a clue, so Lincoln, I'm sorry that you just sort of look like a nerd. (an adorable nerd) I'll learn. I'll get better at this boy stuff. In the meantime, Happy belated Halloween. If my memory serves me correctly, I forced them outside in the freezing cold to make me let them take their pictures. I may have raised my voice a time or two and possibly gritted my teeth a little trying to get them to cooperate. I'm not really sure what the point of that was now, but it sure was fun, huh kids?

Fall Break-The Apple Butter

2011-11-03T22:44:00.003-05:00

I am finally getting around to posting a little bit about our fall break, which has turned into a our annual Fredendall Fall Fun Fest! This year my brother decided it would be fun to make apple butter, lots of it, from a copper kettle. And why wouldn't that be fun? Hours of peeling apples, even more hours of stirring apples in the kettle, and working in an assembly line to get it all jarred up...what could be more fun than that?!? Actually, everyone had a great time, and we ended up with a ton of apple butter for us all to share and eat over the next few years. (Really, it was a lot of apple butter!) It was a great experience for the girls, and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to spend outside taking turns stirring the pot. (I will note that I actually didn't do any of the above said work. I watched and photographed.) So, thanks Trent! It was a great idea, and I hope you are enjoying your apple butter. Preparing the apples, getting them ready to cook. (If you can't tell by this and every other picture of my brother on the blog, he absolutely LOVES it when I take his picture...not so much. Every time he sees my camera, I get the look of death. However, being the persistent individual that I am, I am going to continue taking his photo because I am the older sister, and I know best.) Moving on.. Taking turns stirring.

The finishing touches... And it was delicious!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T23:14:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween! We enjoyed a weekend full of festivities with a Halloween party Saturday night, a fall festival at church on Sunday, and trick-or-treating tonight! I have to say, I think I am Halloweened out! I've got a lot to post this week, so stay tuned. (Mom, I promise I will post our MO fall festival pictures soon!)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2011-10-29T08:39:00.004-05:00

I'm a little proud! I don't like to be braggy, but isn't that a little part of my mom job, at least sometimes?!? Anyway, I am so proud of both girls for earning the character award for their class the first month it was given. I know they were both anxious about starting a new school this year, but probably not quite as anxious as I was. I am so glad to see that they are both adjusting well, and behaving as they should.

Lemonade and Cookies

2011-10-29T08:15:00.003-05:00

Our neighborhood had it's garage sale this month, and for the first time, we were going to be home and able participate. I'm not a fan of having garage sales because I usually can't get myself together enough, but now that I am not working, I thought it may be worth a try. The girls asked all summer long to do a lemonade stand,and I wouldn't let them because we don't live on a very busy street, and I didn't want to sit out there all day. So I thought the garage sale would be a good opportunity for their entrepreneurial spirits to get to work. They sold cookies and lemonade,and sold out of both. But really,who could resist those cute, sleepy faces and messy haired little girls? They had a great time making posters for their stand and serving the customers. They each walked away with about $20 and couldn't have been happier!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

Well, yet again, I am way behind. My days are too short, and my to do lists are too long! (just like yours I'm sure) October has been a very busy month full of fun, so I guess I can't complain. We were fortunate enough to have Kevin's mom come for a visit early in October, and she got to join us for our annual trip to the Porter pumpkin patch. I have to stop taking and keeping hundreds of photos from each event because then it takes me way to long to go through them. Therefore, I'm only posting a few that I quickly grabbed so I can play a little catch up today. We had a great time as usual, and of course, picked out lots of pumpkins!

Our First Camping Adventure-Bedtime

2011-10-08T16:49:00.001-05:00

The girls couldn't wait to get their pajamas on and sit by the fire. So here they are in their eclectic evening wear.

Kevin and Lincoln singing This Little Light of Mine! I've said before, the boy needs routine.

The girls trying to get in a game of uno before heading to bed.

Londyn bundled up and ready for a fun night in the tent!

Skylar trying to get warm before crashing for the night.

And one of the final pictures from our trip cuddling on daddy's lap trying to stay warm on chilly morning. Lucky for you, this is the final camping trip post! We really had a great time! Not because everything was perfect, we were completely prepared, or had any idea what we were doing. We had zero expectation, and were just focused on spending time having fun together! It worked! I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed our one night camping adventure!

Our First Camping Trip-The Campfire

2011-10-07T20:03:00.001-05:00

We may be the only campers that use duraflame fire logs to start a camp fire, but you know, whatever works. (And just so you know, we didn't go out and buy these logs, they were left over from last winter's storm) However, we figured out these are not actually supposed to be used for cooking, so if you were thinking it was a good idea, it wasn't. It didn't work. I mean, it started the fire, but if you try to roast a hot dog using a duraflame log, it starts to look a little odd. Odd enough for smart people like us to stop and not let our children eat the roasted hot dogs. We then read the warnings on the side, and sure enough, they're not to be used for cooking. Next time we'll go the traditional route and learn to start a real camp fire with lighter fluid and actual wood.

The boy downed three cold hot dogs before I could get even one roasted for him! He must have been starving.

Lincoln was not so interested in the smores, but was quite excited about the Hershey's bar.

Skylar was practicing her creative photography skills, she apparently likes this diagonal angle.

Our First Camping Adventure-Fishing

2011-10-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

Despite the title of this post, you will not see any fish. We didn't actually catch any. It's all about the process I suppose. Thankfully, no one had any expectations, so it was still a fun way to spend an hour or so. Maybe we'll have better luck next time.

I can't believe she was so eager to get a hold of the worm. I was impressed.

Lincolnl wasn't quite sure what to think about the worms, but he did spend some time observing.

Our First Camping Trip-On the dock

2011-10-05T19:11:00.002-05:00

This was a completely relaxing way to spend a Saturday. It was a gorgeous day outside. The temperatures were perfect, the sun was shining, and little to no wind. After we played around in the tent, we hung out at the dock for a while waiting to take a boat ride around the lake. We also had a bite to eat considering we forgot the ham and bread for the sandwiches. I remembered the cheese and condiments. That counts for something, right?!?! Londyn flipped around a little as usual, and the picture of Lincoln really has nothing to do with this post, but I left it in anyway.

Getting ready for an ever so exciting boat ride. Londyn kept seeing the speedier boats go by wondering why we couldn't ride on those. They were also less than thrilled with the stylish life jackets they were required to sport while on the water. Despite those things, we all still managed to enjoy a few minutes out on the water.

Our First Camping Trip-Hanging Out

2011-10-04T17:58:00.001-05:00

We spent most of the day Saturday just hanging out. After the tent was set up, they wanted to spend some time playing inside. Londyn is working on a book that she started before she left, and Skylar chose to spend her time doing a little reading. There's always time for a little language arts.

Lincoln decided to see how messy he could get, and we just let him go. He was having a great time!

Our First Camping Trip-The Tent

2011-10-03T17:37:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm breaking our first camping adventure up into several posts because I may have come home with tons of pictures (none that are that great, but I love them because everyone was so happy) and am tired of making collages. So, for starters, we have the tent assembly post. When I asked Kevin how long he thought it would take to put up the tent, he said twenty minutes. I may have laughed a little. I was proud of him, however, that he managed to get it up in about an hour. I was secretly afraid we wouldn't get it put up at all and would end up begging to rent a cabin. I underestimated him. Anyway, he had lots of help, and the kids were beside themselves with excitement when he was finished! I'm pretty sure we could have just hung out inside the tent for the rest of the day and they would have thought it was a great trip. Way to go Kevin!

Now let me finish by saying that we came on this trip with a tent, 3 sleeping bags, and we bought air mattresses on our way to the campsite. We purchased camping equipment last spring, and never have made time to go. We are not experienced campers. Kevin went camping a lot as a kid, but I don't think he quite had a grasp on the planning and work that is also involved. Anyway, camping looked like a lot of work to me, and not particularly my style of getaway. But, we decided to do it as simply as possible, and it worked out pretty well for a fly by the seat of your pants, one night adventure. I will say that there is no better way to learn what you may need for a camping trip than to forget it the first time. I'm all about learning from your mistakes, and let's just say our trip provided many learning opportunities. We still survived and had a great time just being together without the usual distractions.

Curly Girls

2011-10-02T17:24:00.002-05:00

The girls have been begging me to curl their hair for weeks. Last weekend, I finally caved and bought some hot rollers, and they were both thrilled to have their hair all rolled up in curlers. Silly girls! I'm not sure how often I'll have time to roll their hair, but it's great for a little weekend entertainment.

Celebrating Melting Pot Style

2011-09-27T07:41:00.000-05:00

So, since Skylar opted out of a birthday party, I thought I wouldn't treat her to a night out at the Melting Pot. I knew she would love it considering she loves dipping things, and loves chocolate. I wanted to do something at least a little bit special that we wouldn't normally do. Lucky for us, my mom and sister happened to be in town the evening of our celebration as well. It was a fun girls night out, and a much more relaxing birthday celebration than most! I think it's safe to say we all had a great time! Maybe I'll encourage the non-birthday party idea every year!

She's Eight!

2011-09-26T06:02:00.002-05:00

Eight! Can you believe that? The thought of my first born being eight years old is just crazy to me! I know every time I have a birthday or milestone post I say that, and it's so cliche, but you know it's true! Skylar is a true first born child in every way. For the most part, she makes this parenting gig seem like a piece of cake. I know that may change as she approaches the teen years, but for now, I'm grateful. She was a little upset about turning eight. She informed me she wishes she would at least be eleven, and really wishes she could be an adult. Little does she know, it's not all it's cracked up to be. She likes things to be calm and simple, so she opted out of a birthday party this year. I was a little bummed, because I had this whole great party idea going all summer, and then I was reminded that it wasn't about me. Oops! Anyway, we then decided she could pick a couple of friends and we would go out to the movies. After a few days, she decided against that as well, because she couldn't pick just two without hurting someone's feelings. She asked if just she, Londyn and I could go. Sweet little thing. (And I can't tell you how secretly happy I am that her and her sister are best friends. They may never admit it, but it's totally true.) Anyway, it worked out that my sister and mom were able to be here as well, so we were able to thoroughly enjoy a girls night out to celebrate! More on that later...

Happy Birthday Skylar! We love you!

Taylor Swift

2011-09-24T22:23:00.000-05:00

We were super lucky this week to get to go to the Taylor Swift Concert. When I first heard she was coming, I wanted to get Skylar tickets for her birthday, but they sold out rather quickly. I sat on the fence for too long b/c it's not something we normally do. Some friends of ours have box seats and gave us a couple of their tickets. I originally wanted to surprise the girls, but had a bit of a dilemma. We were only offered two tickets. At first, I was only going to be able to take Skylar because I didn't want to be greedy and ask for another ticket. So, we sat down and talked about our options. I was so proud of both of them, because they both wanted the other to get to go. Skylar wanted me to send her and Londyn with another adult that was already going, and Londyn wanted Skylar to get to go since it was close to her birthday. Anyway, in the end Skylar and I decided to go, and I was going to take Londyn to the Nutcracker at Christmas. Anyway, long story short, the other people that were supposed to go got sick, so another ticket became available. I was so excited for Londyn to be able to join us, mostly because I was so proud of how she handled the situation originally. We had so much fun, and I don't have much to compare it to, but I thought she put on a great show!

Party Time!

2011-09-23T21:53:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Lincoln's 2nd birthday last weekend with a small sock-monkey themed party at home. Unfortunately, a couple of the few friends he invited as well as Anastyn were all sick. I was just glad HE wasn't sick like he was last year. I guess that's the nice thing about being two, you have no expectations, so there's no disappointment. He thoroughly enjoyed all of the festivities. His favorite party item was the balloons, but the cupcakes and coke were a close second. We had a great time celebrating and spending the weekend with friends and family. Thanks to all of you that helped us celebrate!

He's Two!!

2011-09-22T20:45:00.002-05:00

He's gone from this helpless little thing to .... this independent little boy in such a short time.

He has survived two years of being the baby in a family with two older sisters constantly doting on him, dragging him around and dressing him up. He's brought so much joy to our family, and it's hard to imagine how we occupied our time before his arrival. He has the sweetest personality. He is alway concerned about everyone in the family, and gets soooo excited when he sees his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. He's turned into such a big boy, and it's so much fun to watch him learn and grow so much everyday. Currently, he is speaking in short sentences, and likes to repeat a lot. We are able to understand most of what he says most of the time which makes life a little easier. He loves to be read to, and requests Clifford and Goodnight Moon every night before bed. He definitely prefers a bedtime routine more than the girls ever did. He takes a bath, reads, sings, and prays and then will go to bed with out a fight, generally. He still adores his older sisters, and always asks about them when they are at school. He is starting to test the waters a little bit to see what he can get away with. Fortunately for him, he's learning pretty quickly that he won't get away with much around here. I'm a little biased, but I think he's pretty precious, and I am so thankful that I am able to spend more time with him this year. Happy 2nd Birthday, Lincoln! We love you!

Sweet Treats

2011-09-20T23:30:00.000-05:00

We traveled to OKC a couple of weekends ago to watch an Oregon game with one of Kevin's friends. We decided to make a day of it and make a few stops on the way. One of our stops included Pinkitzel, a cupcake bakery and gift shop. We visited the smaller one in Edmond, but still managed to thoroughly enjoy ourselves. I had heard about it through friends on facebook, and one of my friends had been there for a bridal shower, and had told us how great it was. It was super cute, and the cupcakes were delicious!

The Zoo

2011-09-19T22:59:00.003-05:00

I'm playing a bit of catch up here, but on Labor Day, we couldn't stand to stay inside considering we were gifted with such amazing weather, so we thought we would spend the day at the zoo. It was actually our first visit this year. We pretty much avoided it all summer because of the extremely hot temperatures. Anyway, we had a great time enjoying the outdoors and a relaxing day without an agenda. My three favorite kids.

Lincoln really got into the animals this time which made it a lot of fun!

Toothless

2011-09-15T06:22:00.002-05:00

We currently have two girls around here with missing front teeth! I feel badly that I haven't posted much about Londyn's tooth losing experiences, but she handled them a little more maturely, so it wasn't too big of a deal. She just wanted to make sure we knew she lost them so the tooth fairy would come. It should be about time for Skylar's to have grown back in, but for now they are both missing their front teeth which makes for silly grins and funny faces.

Lincoln's First Day

2011-09-07T15:40:00.002-05:00

Well Lincoln started the Mother's Day Out/Preschool program at our church yesterday. I knew it was coming for a while, but I was totally not prepared. Of course, maybe I didn't think too much about considering he went to full time daycare in the past. Nonetheless, it was a bit of a rushed day as I kept thinking of things I had forgotten to do. It was a classic case of the third child neglect. His backpack is what I have been using as a diaper bag, I forgot completely about him needing a lunch pail and lunch for that matter, and it was a wonder there was a single thing clean for me to throw on him. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a lunch pail AFTER Labor Day weekend? Thankfully, there was ONE in Wal-Mart, and thankfully it was Toy Story as opposed to Princesses. And, I managed to find some pre-packaged unhealthy food to throw in there as well. Anyway, he went in without hesitation. I am pretty sure since the girls started school he's been lost and a little bored with me at home. The sight of little kids and toys other than his own, I'm sure were extremely appealing. (note: he likes this hat, A LOT! you will see it in lots of pictures, but it beats the princess crown he's been wearing around all summer) As for myself, I had a trunk show, and an event last night, so it was a busy day. However, today after dropping him off I came home and got busy on my to do list. It is AMAZING what one can accomplish when there are no distractions and interruptions. Not that I accomplished anything amazing, but I felt like I could have had I tried very hard. (Don't worry, I did tackle a few things.)

After School

2011-09-05T06:51:00.000-05:00

There are lots of things I love about my new life at home, but my absolute favorite time of day is when the girls get home from school and we all sit around the table having an after school snack and working on homework. It's kind of silly, and 1950ish, but it's just something I've always wanted to be able to do. I've felt for the last few years that we have been so busy that I never felt I was spending the time that I needed to with the kids. Previously, they would come to my classroom, I would insist they get their work done while I ran around at meetings or getting things ready for the next day. This is so much nicer, at least for now. It may get old, but for now, it's perfect. I feel like I can actually listen to what they have to tell me about their day and help them with their work. Most days we just have fruit or something, but I also get very excited about making them a special snack after school. They kind of liked it too! These are banana mini morsel bars, and of course since it includes bananas, it's healthy, right?

I also got Lincoln a notebook and crayons so he could participate in the after school table time. He wouldn't have it any other way. He absolutely thinks he is big enough to do whatever the girls do.

It Looked So Easy...

2011-09-03T05:59:00.003-05:00

My girls are always wanting to make something crafty. If you've read this blog for long, or know me personally, you know it's not really my thing. However, in order to appease my children I occasionally oblige. Now, crafting is not my thing, but I LOVE baking! (and yes, I know this project didn't really involve baking, but was along the food line.) When I saw this little project in the Family Fun magazine, I thought that it looked easy enough, maybe we could pull it off. (Why ever would I think such a thing? I thought I had learned my lesson by now.) We picked up the few ingredients when we were at the grocery store, and got started right when we got home. We gathered our ingredients and started putting the oreos on the sticks. The girls were having a great time! And then came the dipping. That was a disaster. The oreos kept falling off the sticks and crumbling into the red dipping stuff turning what were supposed to look like cute smooth apples into a crumbly mess. After about 5 tries, I started trying to spoon on the red dipping stuff and spread it which was far more work than I had bargained for and was not super effective.

Anyway, we did the best we could with what we had, and ended up with these beauties! Not so cute, not so easy, and not recommended if you aren't naturally good at this kind of thing. I'm not trying to be discouraging, I'm just saying... Skylar and Londyn were not at all disappointed, they thought they were perfect! They begged to take some to their teachers for the first day of school. The slightly obsessive perfectionist in me just couldn't allow it. I had to make up some lame excuse about teachers not being able to eat homemade items or something like that. (I wanted to tell them that if you take your teacher that poisonous looking oreo dipped apple thing they will hate you for the rest of the year. ) I think they got the hint I thought they were ugly. I hope they weren't scarred for life. A little slap of reality now and then never hurt anyone, right?

New Year, New School

2011-08-25T16:32:00.002-05:00

Well, the girls went back to school today after a very long summer break! They were a little apprehensive about starting a new school, but after they met their teachers the other night, they were both eager and ready to go! It was also a first for me to walk them to school and walk them home. It was wonderful. It was so great to have a relaxed week in preparation for a new year rather than a completely hectic one as I am usually preparing my classroom for a new group of students. They both had a super first day, and are already looking forward to tomorrow! I am so thankful for the great schools in our area, and for kids that LOVE to learn. It makes the school experience so much easier on the mom. I tried to take a picture of the girls together, but of course, Lincoln did not want to be left out.

Skylar ready to go to 2nd grade with no hesitation at all!

Londyn ready for 1st grade, but a little less confident about her new adventure, but I'm sure she'll come around.

MO State Fair

2011-08-24T16:59:00.000-05:00

The girls and I spent our last weekend before school started in Missouri visiting my parents. We had made plans earlier in the summer to come back for the fair since school started so much later this year. Kevin and Lincoln were supposed to come too, but due to his car breaking down and some work he needed to get done, they weren't able to come. Not that I wouldn't have loved for them to be wtih us, it was really niced spending the weekend with my girls and my parents. Friday night, my mom made me and my sister-in-law, Kesha, dinner for our birthday and some delicious desserts. Then, Saturday we headed to the fair. The fair was great, but my favorite part is riding in the car visiting with my mom and dad. If you don't know this about me, you do now. There is nothing I love more than a good conversation, and there is no better place than when everyone is trapped in a vehicle. There's no way out. When we were growing up, and would drive from town to town to and from sporting events, I always loved the car conversation. Anyway, I've digressed...back to the fair. The girls visited Otto, the talking car. They were their shy selves, and didn't say much. They stopped for a photo opp with the Mizzou Tiger, rode a camel, visited the livestock, and of course had a snack break or two. They had a little bit of their own money so they bought a slush cup from an infomercial type booth. (it starts young apparently) Last, but not least, we watched the Vocal Trash concert, and I must say I was quite impressed. They were talented, energetic, and unique. Overall, it was a great weekend! It was a perfectly relaxing way to spend the weekend before the big back to school week!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!

2011-08-23T16:21:00.000-05:00

On August 16th, I may have had a birthday. I may have turned 32 years old. I may have gotten a cookie cake decorated by a 7 year old. I may have had the three cutest kids in the world sing me happy birthday. My mom may have also made me (and my sister-in-law) a cake and a pie for my birthday. I may have the best friends and family that gave me the best gifts a 32 year old can ask for. So far, 32 isn't too bad!

I'm Big and I Can Do It Myself

2011-08-22T16:13:00.002-05:00

Lincoln has grown into quite the brave little toddler. He loves playing outside at the playground and jumping off of anything! He's not afraid of too much when it comes to playing around, but is aware of his surroundings....most of the time. He definitely keeps us entertained and keeps us moving. I love his age right now, and am trying to treasure the moments of watching him explore and learn so many new things every day.

Some Days....

2011-08-12T07:15:00.002-05:00

...just make your heart happy. That was yesterday for me. It didn't go without a little frustration, but overall, a really wonderful day. We didn't do much. We had to be out of the house through lunch, so we got up early, went to get a donut and headed to the park. Then, we went to the mall with no specific objective, but walked around, rode the carousel (which was a first at the mall for my kids), the girls tried on a few clothes, and we had lunch. When we got home, Lincoln took a nice long nap, and I layed down thinking I would rest for 20 minutes, and took a long nap as well. The weather all day was perfect, so when we woke up, we played out in the backyard a little, I actually fixed a real dinner (roast, potatoes, corn on the cob, and cornbread) that everyone ate without complaint. After dinner we wanted to continue to take advantage of the beautiful evening, so we went to have a sno cone at Josh's (we've only been twice this summer b/c we've been gone so much, so it was long overdue) and headed back to the park. The kids played on the playground and wandered near the water looking for minnows and frogs. Kevin and I relaxed a little, and played a little. It was a nice balance. Obviously, we didn't do anything extraordinary, but it was nice not having anything that HAD to get done, and having no obligation to be anywhere. We could just go with the flow, and do whatever we felt like at the moment. It was relaxing and peaceful. Days like this are far and few between for me. I feel like I'm always making plans, scheduling things, jumping from one activity to the next. It's hard for me to just do whatever. However, I think I'm getting better:) I just want to make sure I don't forget how much I love the simple things, and just spending time doing nothing but being together. In my book, a good day at home beats beaches and Disneyland any day!

Let Me See

2011-08-10T08:21:00.003-05:00

So, at our house, the girls put on a lot of "shows", and one of Lincoln's favorite phrases is "Mommy Watch!" Shows are generally a lot of gymnastic sort of things mixed in with a little dancing here and there, and Lincoln likes me to watch anything from him jumping to eating. Lincoln also thinks he is big enough to do everything his big sisters do. While I was out one evening, Kevin and the kids played with the camera and taped themselves. There's really not too much to this video, but Lincoln demonstrates his rolling abilities, and then they all run to the camera wanting to see.

Family Pics

2011-08-08T22:23:00.003-05:00

Well, again, if you are my facebook friend, this is a bit of a repeat, but I thought I needed an update over here, and the posts I'm brewing in my head take more time than I have to write at the moment, so once again, here are some of our family shots taken by Sara. I believe we probably take more family pictures than most normal families, but someday my children will be thankful, right? Anyway, we're still going strong, and it is still HOT, HOT, HOT here in OK! We're still enjoying every minute of summer, but are also excited about getting back to school! Life is good, and I am so enjoying being able to spend the last days of summer having fun with the kids without the stress of getting a classroom ready. I love teaching, but I love the lack of stress that I am currently feeling as summer comes to a close.

10 Years of Marital Bliss...

2011-08-04T08:09:00.001-05:00

Okay, so you know if you've ever read this blog that the heading to this post may not actually be true. In fact, I'm not sure I believe that it's even possible. I do, however know that I have spent the last 10 years learning a lot, have been incredibly blessed, and there is not a thing in the world I would change about how things have played out in my life. Next to my relationship with God, there is nothing I value more than my marriage and family relationships. I know that even when you are purposeful and intentional in developing these relationships that it's always hard, that it will always take time, and that it is so easy for life to get in the way. I also know that it's worth it. I am grateful for a husband that loves God, puts up with me, and is a great father to our children. I am thankful that he accepts criticism w/out being defensive, and works to improve himself. (It's been ten years, I think he'll be ready to graduate basic training in about another five.) I am thankful that he listens and strives to make me happy. This post is getting a little sappy, and if I go on, there would just be lots of rambling that doesn't make sense, there could possibly be tears, so I'm going to stop here and just say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I'm looking forward to the next 10 or 20... Yes, I know I just posted this collage the post before last and that it's not even that good, but I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I'm not sure I have anything better to post anyway.

The Kids...

2011-08-03T07:35:00.002-05:00

I'm not quite sure how it is the middle of summer, I am not working a real job, and the kids are not involved in any activities that I still feel like I don't have any time. I guess that must mean that my time is filled doing wonderful things that I love, right? Anyway, since we've been back from our travels, we enjoyed a few days of VBS last week, and have just spent time catching up around the house. It's pretty much too hot to do anything outside unless you are in the water. In case you are not from Oklahoma and you aren't up on the forecast, it's supposed to be like 115degrees today. I honestly didn't even know that was possible. We only have a few weeks left before we head back to school, so hopefully we can squeeze in a few more of our favorite summer time activities. It has been great to be home and spend some quality time with my crazy kids.

While we were in MO, I had Sara take some pictures for us. I loved these flag pictures, I thought they were super creative. I am still kicking myself for not dressing them in something that coordinated, but I still love them. Thanks Sara! If you are my friend on facebook, I know these are a repeat, but I really haven't been taking too many pictures of the kids lately, so this is what I've got for now.

Ecstasy

2011-07-24T23:01:00.007-05:00

Ecstasy, that would be the name of our ship! It was a five day cruise, which was enough for me. We both enjoyed it, but I also think we were both ready to come home. We made two stops, one in Progreso and one Cozumel. (I know what you're thinking...what is Progreso? Well, not much,but it did have an excursion to Chi Chen Itza, so that 's what we did.) Both stops we planned excursions which were fun, but we felt a little rushed. It was a very relaxing trip! We enjoyed just hanging out together on the boat watching the ocean, we were entertained by live music, karaoke, and some semi-funny comedy. We met several other great couples, one which just graduated from OC, and one that actually live in our area, small world! We were asked if we were on our honeymoon a couple of times, which was a compliment to me, and an insult to Kevin. (he's paranoid about people thinking he looks young.) I did learn that they do not like it when they come around asking if you want a drink and you order diet coke. I got a lot of annoyed looks, and it took them forever to get it to me. They definitely cater to the drinkers. Oh well, I just kept asking. I paid for that all you can drink soda card the first day, so I was determined to get my money's worth!

This picture should actually be second, but I accidentally deleted it and am too lazy to rewrite and upload everything and too dumb to figure out how to rearrange them. Anyway, from Progreso, we went to Chi Chen Itza. For those of you that don't know, it's apparently one of the seven wonders of the new world. (whatever that means) But as far as Mayan ruins go it is supposed to be the largest and best. So, here you have it...Chi Chen Itza. Our time was pretty limited considering we were two and half hours from the port, but I think we got to see most of it. I would say it was worth the experience.

This is us the first night on the boat. We pretty much just explored the ship and enjoyed the ocean view. Oh, and walked around taking pictures of ourselves. Yes, we're dorks. However, everyone else was doing it too, so that made it feel a little less weird.

On our Cozumel stop, we took a twister boat to Passion Island. A twister boat is just a speed type boat that does spins in the water and gets you soaking wet. It was a fun ride, and the island was beautiful. We enjoyed hanging out at the beach and a buffet lunch which I thought was a mexican buffet. Kevin said it qualified since it was a buffet in Mexico:) It consisted of fruit, spaghetti, chicken nuggets, tilapia and chips and salsa. The chips, salsa and guacomole were excellent. They should really stick to what they know.

This would be our self portrait collage. I have mentioned before that I hate asking someone else to take pictures for us, but I want to come home with some pictures. So, we took a few self portraits. I'm just glad that we have figured out how to actually get both of us in the photo. Again, more evidence of us being nerds, but you know you do it too! (Well, some of you)

And now, we are back home, in the real world, and staying for a while. I have to say, though sometimes I forget for all the craziness around me, it's my favorite place to be! Happy Summer!

Bon Voyage!

2011-07-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

By the time you are reading this, I will be relaxing on something that resembles this.

Kevin and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year, so this is an early gift to ourselves. I can't wait, but am a little nervous as well. I'm a cruise virgin, so I really have no idea what to expect. I'll get back to posting when I return.

The Creek

2011-07-18T09:50:00.004-05:00

While we were in Missouri, we took one morning to go exploring at the creek. What I had in mind and what the kids had in mind were a little different. I was thinking a few nice pictures, they were thinking catching minnows and splashing around. The girls are becoming quite the country girls as they have apparently even gone back to the creek in recent days to catch crawdads and minnows. Lincoln just walked right in, and so we just stripped him. You'll have to excuse the white trash baby hanging out in his diaper.

Lincoln and Malachi both love the water, and thankfully Malachi didn't mind Lincoln showing his love by continuously pouring a cup of water over his head.

The girls in action trying to come up with a good catch. I'm so glad they have opportunities to spend time at my parents and experience so many different things that I certainly wouldn't be able to expose them to, but I must say, I'm missing them!

St. Louis Zoo

2011-07-16T06:48:00.004-05:00

One of our Missouri stops wast to the St. Louis Zoo, one of my favorites. It worked out that everyone was able to join us. All the kids were really good, and had fun seeing the animals and playing together. The greatest success of the day was actually getting all six grandkids in one spot and almost all of them looking in the same direction. It's probably as good as it's going to get for now considering their ages.

Lincoln and Malachi hanging out in the wagon sharing some snacks.

These two are like peas in a pod. When they are all together, these they seem to migrate to each other. It's super cute!

So, I just realized that I didn't actually post any animals from the zoo. Oops! Oh well, it was the usual animals. I was focused on the kids! I'm also in a bit of a hurry to get a few posts up and scheduled before we leave town...AGAIN! Have a great weekend!

Meramec Caverns and Cards Game

2011-07-14T01:21:00.004-05:00

Following the 4th, we spent the week in Missouri. There are always more things on my to do list than I have time for, but we did manage to get in an excursion or two while we were visiting. Tuesday, we started the day off with a stop at Meramec Caverns. For those of you non Missourians, MO is also known as the cave state, and Meramec Caverns is supposedly one of Jesse James' hideouts. If you've traveled on 44 through MO, you couldn't have missed the signs. Kevin has driven past those signs for about 13 years now, but we've never visited, so this was his pick of destinations for the week. I did get a few pictures inside the cave, but I felt kind of rushed and didn't want to hold up the line. I'm just posting ones with people in them. (as if you aren't tired of seeing pictures of us!) The grandparents and the girls at the entrance

Our family pic inside the cave

Kev, Dad and Mom leaving the wine room (I think that's what it's called..)

After the cave tour, we took a little boat tour of the river. Overall, it was a pretty fun little outing. I thought it was a little overpriced, but interesting nonetheless.

Me forcing my dad to smile while taking a picture with me so I have a picture to post when father's day rolls around next year:)

After we went to the caverns, we sent Lincoln home with my parents and we headed to St. Louis for the Cardinals game. I am always terrible about knowing what to get Kevin for his birthday and father's day, but I wanted to surprise him with something. So, I got him tickets to the Cardinals game. Unfortunately, this was the best picture we came away with. Overall, a great day!

Fun on the Fourth!

2011-07-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Did we have fun on the fourth? You bet! It isn't all that often that we have all the Fredendall cousins together, and it still is nearly impossible to get a picture of them all together, but they did get to spend the better part of the fourth playing with each other. We spent the morning leisurely sitting on the porch and hanging around the yard at my Mom and Dad's.

As the temperature rose, the water was rather tempting, so we took advantage of the slip-n-slide. Londyn and Lincoln LOVED it! Skylar tolerated it and was a little awkward, and Malachi and Anastyn gave it their best shot, but it probably wasn't their favorite part of the day. After that we enjoyed my Dad's BBQ pork steaks before heading off to watch fireworks.

We spent the evening watching fireworks at the capital. My sister and her family and my dad weren't able to join us, but we tried to have a good time anyway!

It was a wonderfully filled day that included a few of my favorite things and a lot of my favorite people!

(Aren't you glad that I decided to create collages instead of making 18 posts over one day? You're welcome!)

Introducing...

2011-07-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

Our beloved pets. Let me preface this post that we are not really pet people. I have put it off for a long time, but I do believe that every child should have a pet at some point in their life. I was ready to give in and let them get a dog. We had been planning to get a fence, and it would have worked out. However, in the presence of dogs, my children cling to the nearest adult or climb on countertops. Therefore, I decided this was bad decision. We were walking through the mall one day, and there was a little kiosk set up selling hermit crabs. My girls were intrigued, and I thought it may not be a bad idea. I mean, really, is there a lower maintenence pet? Anyway, I waited a few days and the girls were relentlessly begging to go buy the crabs. Finally we got them, and they were impressed for all of about 2 days. Londyn's interest has lasted a little longer, but Skylar is a little more like her mother. When we left for San Antonio, we forgot the crabs, and we forgot to leave food for them. (Again, we should not be allowed to have pets.) Anyway, we were coming home, and Londyn asks, "Do you think the crabs died?" Skylar responds "I don't know, but I hope so. They are a lot of work, and not really that much fun." I think she had been holding that thought in since the second day but held back knowing the wrath she may recieve after all the begging she did. Too bad for Shelly and Sebastion, they did survive and have the pleasure of being owned by such loving caretakers. (Both pets are currently thriving, and I promise we are doing our very best to take care of them!)

Dallas

2011-07-09T21:20:00.003-05:00

Following our San Antonio visit, we had to stop in Dallas while Kevin attended a training. It was a pretty dreadful day, which was mostly my fault. I failed to plan the day, so we ended up doing a lot of wandering. It all worked out, but I was very ready for Kevin to meet back up with us and head for home. We had to be checked out of our hotel that morning, and we were limited to doing things that were walking distance from our hotel. The JFK museum was really close, so that was our first stop. Skylar was elated, but the other two were NOT impressed! As we arrived and we were waiting to start the tour Londyn says "After this can we please do something fun?" Skylar responds with "Londyn, there is nothing more fun than this!" Londyn and Lincoln humored us, but the tour would have been a little more beneficial had they stayed behind. I can't blame them though, it was an audio tour, and over their heads. All things considered their behavior was acceptable, but it was a little rough. Skylar thought it was great and was left with even more questions, so I supposed the mission was accomplished. This tour did only last a little over an hour, which left us with about 6 more hours to kill. Did I mention it was HOT, we were walking, and had no idea where we were going? The only thing I could find within walking distance to do was make a stop at the Dallas World Aquarium. I really didn't want to go because it was more than I wanted to spend, but we had to get out of the heat and off the street. So, we visited the aquarium. The kids had a good time, and it counted as a "fun" activity for Londyn, so I guess it worked out. Lincoln was way too tired though, so he was a bit difficult. He loved the animals, but wanted to run around and fussed quite a bit. But you better believe I made them pose for pictures anyway. I'll spare you and only post one, but they look like their having a great time, don't you think?

We still had a couple of hours before Kevin's training was supposed to be over, so we made stop at a self-serve yogurt bar that happened to be on our path and a visit to the scariest McDonald's I've ever stepped foot into. Once I realized the surroundings, I grabbed the food, grabbed the kids and made a run for it, attempting to be very nonchalant, of course. So much for a relaxing break and a cold drink. We did survive, but I was SO relieved to finally get in the car and head back to Tulsa. It was quite an exhausting day. I am however thankful for resilient kids that do a good job of making the best out of any situation. I'm thinking they probably didn't get that from me.

San Antonio-The End

2011-07-08T20:28:00.001-05:00

It is time for these posts to come to an end. Our friends met us on our last evening there, and we had planned to meet for dinner and then go to Seaworld together the next day. They did make it there, but had a car accident after dropping half the crew off for dinner, and it just kind of went downhill from there. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and we did get to spend a little bit of time together. Gavin is quite the ladies man.

Lincoln just couldn't stay awake, even in good company.

And again, at the Shamu show, but this time with Gavin. We didn't get quite as wet the second time which was a huge disappointment for the kids, but a relief for the parents. And with that, I will close the San Antonio chapter of our summer. Missouri fun to come!

San Antonio-Yes,There's More..

2011-07-07T19:44:00.005-05:00

You can't say I didn't warn you that there were going to be way too many posts about our San Antonio days. Please excuse, and I'm sure I'm boring you to death, but they make me happy, so they just keep coming. I spent the days that Kevin was working at the waterpark with the kids, and it was perfect. There was plenty to do for all of them, and it was easy to keep them in the same location. Kevin did manage to make it with us one morning, and so I used that opportunity to take a few pics of the kids doing what they love most. Water makes everyone happy, right?

Lincoln couldn't have been happier to slide down the slide and play with the big kids.

This is Lincoln heading to the line for the slide...AGAIN! He couldn't get enough, and he thought he was plenty big enough to go on his own. Silly boy!

San Antonio-Riverwalk

2011-07-06T23:14:00.000-05:00

Just so you know, trying to keep track of three kids, find your way around an unfamiliar city in extreme heat, make sure everyone is having fun, decide on a place to eat and take pictures of the beautiful surroundings is near impossible. Therefore, I'm settling to be happy with what I got. We spent a couple of evenings at the Riverwalk eating dinner and wandering around a little. We stopped to eat at a great little restaurant and sat outside for dinner. The girls found this lizard like creature, and though very out of character, picked it up and played with it while we were waiting for food. (yes, I made them wash their hands before they ate) Lincoln was a little overly tired, so Kevin and I were pretty much trying to entertain him until the food came. We remembered why we don't like to leisurely go out to eat dinner as a family. Sad but true.

Skylar taking over the photography duties to snap a picture of me and Kevin.

Londyn not sure what to think about being serenaded by the mariachi band.

A quick stop in front of the Alamo while we were there.

A nice man stopped and asked if we wanted a family picture. Thank you nice man, it's the only one we got the whole trip!

Skylar and Londyn being goofy in the souvenir store.

Requesting me take their picture, goofy smiles and all. Overall, we had a great night out and enjoyed being together. It's so great to just get away from the everyday chores of home and just focus on having fun together.

San Antonio-Seaworld

2011-07-05T22:31:00.007-05:00

So, there are no whole family pics, but here are a few that I took while at Seaworld. It was a very wet destination, so I kept my camera packed up most of the time. The mandatory entrance pictures. One with dad, and....

one with mom. Thanks kids for cooperating!

Going on a water ride with dad. They also rode the Journey to Atlantis, but I can't seem to locate that picture on my camera.

Lincoln doing everything his sisters do, seeing if he was tall enough for the ride. Not quite..sometimes being the baby just stinks.

Yes, we bought one refillable cup and made them share. Worked like a dream!

Standing in front of the rollercoaster that they weren't quite big enough to ride.

Baby Shamu...

San Antonio-Arrival

2011-07-01T17:29:00.005-05:00

Our summer of crazy travels has begun, and I'm just going to warn you that you are going to get so sick of seeing pictures of these three kids in San Antonio. I took a lot of pictures, most of them aren't even very good, but it was just fun to be doing something! Also, when I look back at pictures, it makes me think of good things and the frustrations of a vacation with three little kids sort of slips away. We did have a great time for the most part with no major hiccups. Traveling with a 21 month old can be difficult worrying about naps and such, but for the most part he was a real trooper. The best part of the trip was that it was virtually free. Since Kevin was there for a training, we will be reimbursed for mileage and hotel. So, it was a no brainer for us to tag along. We had grand plans to wake up last Saturday morning and leave the house by 5:00 AM. Kevin's alarm didn't go off, so it was a little after 7:00 when we headed out. We didn't really have any plans for the evening, so it wasn't really a big deal. We did still manage to go to Seaworld the first night, check things out for the next day, and catch the"Shamu Rocks" show. The kids posing for a pic after a long day in the car.

Two peas in a pod. Londyn taking care of her little brother.

This was my first time at Seaworld, and I must say, those whales are amazing! I'm sure you already knew that!

Kevin with the kids.

Me with Londyn and Lincoln. I'm not sure why Sklar wasn't cooperating.

Me and Skylar allowing Londyn to practice her photography skills. (she still struggles to actually get the people all the way in the pic)

Seaworld has a funpass that you can buy that is the exact same price as a day pass, so we bought that and went for four days. That may have been a little bit of overkill, but we just took it easy and didn't feel rushed to get through everything. They also had a waterpark inside Seaworld, so the kids and I took advantage of that the days that Kevin was working. It worked out perfectly! More of the same, Seaworld/San Antonio pictures to come. I bet you are on the edge of your seat...

Mud Pie

2011-06-27T07:06:00.003-05:00

Who needs swimming pools, waterparks, and Disneyland? We finally got a fence in our backyard. We literally have NOTHING else. No toys, no swingset, not even a ball currently, nothing. While I was packing up for our trip, I sent the kids outside to play for a while. They played for hours with the water spicket, and a flower pot full of mud. Seriously, hours. In a 2 square feet area, stirring potting soil in a flower pot. Whatever floats your boat.... Lincoln got to spend the whole afternoon in the nude which he fully enjoyed.

The girls have come full circle when it comes to picture taking. I was trying to take pictures of Lincoln, and they wanted in. Always with the ridiculous posing.

JFK

2011-06-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

About spring break time this last school year, Skylar's teacher read a book to the class about John F. Kennedy. Apparently Skylar was quite intriqued by his assassination, and has not received adequate answers to her questions. I'm sure she was driving her teacher crazy as the rest of the class had quickly moved on to another subject. Her teacher checked out every JFK book from the school library, but most books written for children, even the chapter books didn't really go into much depth about the assassination. (I can't imagine why) Anyway, I thought her slight obsession would settle. I think I was wrong. When we got back from Washington, I asked her what she thought I brought for her, and she quickly replied " A book about John F. Kennedy!" I was shocked that she really remembered, but that was exactly what I brought her. However, after reading the book I brought, she promptly replied "That book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I know about Oswald and Ruby! I need to know what REALLY happened and why it happened!" Well, good luck with that one. She WAS impressed that I saw his grave and the burning flame next to it that she knew more about than I did. I don't know what I'm going to do with this girl. She is such a nerd, and I mean that in the most loving, motherly way possible! It was nice though that she was so interested in everything I had to tell her about my trip. When we returned, we sat for a few hours at my parents house, looking at all the books I brought back about Washington and all the sites there. I kept asking if she wanted to do something else, but she said no, she wanted to learn about all of the places. It worked out well for both of us. No one else in their right mind would want to sit and listen to me ramble on about my trip and my excitement about getting to see all the things I'd only read about. Londyn, bless her heart tried so hard to be interested. I think she is the only child that may have missed us even a little, so she wanted to sit by me and try to listen, but you could tell the poor girl was bored out of her mind, and I couldn't blame her a bit.

Washington DC

2011-06-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

Up until last week, our summer has been a bit ho-hum. Not at all in a bad way, but we were pretty much doing the typical summer things like swimming, playing outside, reading, etc. We are slightly limited on the number of things we can do because Lincoln, although precious, requires a little more rest time throughout the day. I still think we were all enjoying our time of just hanging out doing what we want when we wanted. However, last week was our first of many mini vacations we'll be taking throughout the summer. We hadn't planned any big vacations this summer since I quit my job, but Kevin had a few travel dates planned for work, so things worked out that we could turn a couple of those trips into little getaways without spending a fortune. So, our first was a trip to Washington D.C. Kevin had a training there last week, and we had previously won a free airline ticket, so I used that and we went the weekend ahead to enjoy the city. Washington has always been a place I've wanted to visit for obvious reasons, so I was thrilled to get to go. The kids stayed with my family in Missouri, and couldn't have been happier to be left there for week without us. I'm sure I've said it a million times, but I LOVE taking trips just Kevin and I. It's so nice to just be able to spend time together and not be distracted by all of the daily duties at home. We had a great time taking in all the sites, and just being together. The only down side of just the two of us going is that there are very few pictures with us in them. I hate asking people to stop and take a photo of us, so I ended up with lots of pictures of just the stuff. I may as well have copied them from the internet. It was a bit overwhelming with so many things to do, but I would definitely say we made the most of our time. We are, however, planning a trip back in about three years with the kids so they can see everything as they are learning it in school. I may try to post more pics in the coming days, but we are home only long enough to do laundry and then we are headed to San Antonio with the kids. (another work training for Kevin that we are all taking advantage of) Shortly after that, we will be headed to spend a few days in Missouri. It will be a busy, but fun July!

Lincoln-20 months

2011-06-23T22:14:00.004-05:00

It is becoming almost comical to believe that I may begin to update regularly. I must be kidding myself. I contemplated quitting, but when I start looking back at posts from the last few years, I'm so glad I have used this as a way to keep track of things we are doing and documenting things about the kids. I don't have baby books for any of them, so this is the closest thing I have to remind of their milestones and their little antics that never cease to make me smile. Speaking of making me smile....
I haven't made monthly posts about Lincoln since he officially turned a year old, but he is growing up so much and doing so many new things, I thought he deserved a little blog time. First of all, he's the cutest little boy in the world! I may be biased, but really, don't you think so? I LOVE his current age as he is beginning to develop a true personality, and able to communicate beyond cries and grunts. He rarely ever cries, and is a lot of fun to be around. He can repeat pretty much anything that you say, and can express himself quite well. I can understand most of what he says in context to what we are doing. He still adores his sisters, and the feeling is mutual. They play together for hours when we are at home, which makes me a very happy mother. He likes to help out around the house, and wear everyone's shoes. He likes to "go" and likes clothes and shoes, which makes getting him dressed for the day a smooth process. He likes to make people laugh, and is full of hugs and kisses for everyone. He is also a big fan of babies. (as if he's not one) But, he is so sweet and gentle with them. Well, I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea, and don't need to hear any more motherly doting. I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer, and then getting to spend even more time with him when the girls head back to school.

Discoveryland

2011-06-10T06:32:00.004-05:00

I really had good intentions of updating more regularly, but time seems to get away from me, and I end up failing to do so. And, we really haven't been doing too many exciting things. We've enjoyed the time off, but we've pretty much just been hanging out at the house, an occasional trip to the pool, etc. It's been nice to take it easy. Kevin's parents did come for a visit the first week of summer vacation. We all enjoyed having them here in Oklahoma. One of our evenings out was a trip to Discoveryland. I had heard about it before, but we had never been before. I highly recommend it. It was a great night out! If you don't know, it's a performance of the musical Oklahoma at an outdoor theatre. There is a BBQ dinner served prior to the show, free pony rides for the kids, and delicious ice cream for purchase during the show. All of the kids enjoyed it. Even Lincoln did great, and we didn't leave until around 11:00PM. He loved the live horses in the performance and was always eagerly anticipating their next appearance. Mike and Raynette (Kevin's parents) and the kids.

The kids...I had asked the girls to crouch down so they could be closer to Lincoln, but he always does what they do, so the end result is this awkwardly cute pose of them all scrunching down.

Pony rides

Lincoln saying "I wanna ride, I wanna ride" He however wouldn't get on when I tried. He must have just liked the idea of riding. He is deserving of his own blog post soon about all the new and adorable things he is doing. I am really trying to take advantage the time I have with him at his age now, as it is so fun to see him learn and experience so many new things every day. You can just see him take everything in.

Having ice cream with Grandmommy and Grandaddy waiting for the show to start.

My not so little girls hanging out before the show.

Thanks Mike and Raynette for taking us to our first visit to Discoveryland! We had a great time!

End of School

2011-06-06T08:59:00.003-05:00

Well, school has been out for about a week now, and summer is in full swing which makes me very happy! School, of course, ended with awards, assemblies and performances. I missed a few things, but did manage to sneak in as they got some of their awards. I'm so proud of both of them! Skylar heading back to class to perform their poems.

Londyn receiving her award, and looking to see if I got her picture:)

Both girls posing with the principal after receiving their limited edition Arrowhead Rocks tshirt for meeting and exceeding their reading goals for the year!

So, another year gone, and next year a lot of change will be taking place. The girls will be going to a new school, and I will be staying home! I think it will be a good change for all of us, but it is sure to be an adjustment. Both girls seemed to be ok with the transition, but when they got in the car after school last Friday, Londyn started bawling hysterically! I totally didn't expect that, but I think it's out of her system now and she's ready for a new beginning!

1st Grade Luau

2011-05-26T18:59:00.002-05:00

Skylar gets pretty excited about anything that has to do with school, but she has been talking about this Luau for weeks. They've been studying the ocean, and worked hard over the last week or so to make homeade grass skirts and leis. They enjoyed a smorgasboard of fruit, cheese, crackers, and other luau style snack foods. I only had time to sneak out of my classroom for a minute to snap a couple of pictures, but they all looked like they were having a super time!

Gymnastics Awards

2011-05-25T18:36:00.002-05:00

The girls had their gymnastics show and awards last night just before the storm scare. They both love gymnastics and are trying to decide if they want to continue next year! They're always more excited to think about practicing when they've received their medals and awards.

Cousins

2011-05-24T18:20:00.000-05:00

Despite recital day being rather busy, the kids found a little time in the morning to play together. They absolutely love being together, and could entertain the adults for hours with their playful antics.

What's a lone boy to do among all the girl cousins? Be the daddy, of course! That's the story we're going with anyway!

Grandma Del brought her new dog, Cotton, and the girls couldn't get enough of him.

Sweet little Natalie taking in all the action around her.

Lincoln is a real lover. He LOVES babies, and all the girls. He's quite the ladies man.

My girls and Anastyn eager to take photos in our pajamas. It's a fight to get them to be in pictures when we're all dressed up, but when we're in our pj's and I'm not wearing make-up, they're all about a photo shoot! Go figure:)

Recital 2011

2011-05-23T17:59:00.003-05:00

The girls had their dance recital last weekend, and it was so much fun to get to dress them up in their costumes and watch them perform. Their ballet dance was to Owl City's song "Fireflies", and their jazz dance was to "Stayin' Alive" which was definitely their favorite.

Londyn Skylar and her very proud toothless grin!

Thank you to Grammy Tammy, Grandma Del, Nathan, Erin, Anastyn and Natalie for making the trip to come watch what will probably be our last recital!

I'm Back!

2011-05-17T21:02:00.003-05:00

So, it's been a while. There are a plethora of reasons for the blogging hiatus, but as school is about to come to an end, I am anxious to get back into the blogging groove for the two of you that check the blog for updates! A lot has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm not even going to begin trying to play catch up right now, but I'm going to leave you with a couple of recent random pics of my three favorite kids. This is a picture of the kids playing in the safe room waiting for a tornado. I swear, this is their favorite time of year! I've never seen anyone so excited about storms coming.

Enjoying a popsicle on a sunny Saturday after playing in the sprinklers. A summer tease....hopefully many swimsuit wearing, patio sitting, popsicle eating days to come!

Over the last couple of months that I've neglected to blog, the girls had a fantastic time in Missouri for Spring Break, we've participated in the Tulsa Heart Walk, sought shelter from crazy OK storms, enjoyed a mother/daughter sleepover, spent sunny days at the park, dyed eggs, baked Easter cookies, had a visit from the Easter Bunny, celebrated the Royal Wedding, helped my mom celebrate her birthday, had a great Mother's Day, finished the soccer season, and I managed to get away for a work trip to Florida. It's been the usual whirlwind of life, and I'm looking forward to a refreshing summer break! We do have the girls' dance recital this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some good pictures to post, and all of my technological devices will be working properly.

Lincoln as an Only

2011-03-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

As I said in the previous post, Lincoln got to experience a few days of being an only child. I really thought he would miss his sisters. I'm sure he did, but he also thoroughly enjoyed the attention he received. I was shocked that I hadn't realized how much of my attention was diverted to the girls even when I thought I was giving him my attention. We had a great time hanging out. He insisted on sitting in his chair to eat and insisted on an extended dinner time each evening. He became very fond of syrup...on everything.

But really, is he te cutest thing ever, or what?

Spring Break

2011-03-26T21:26:00.002-05:00

Well, yet again, I'm severely behind on this blog. I'm not sure if it's a lack of time, energy, material, or motvation, or maybe all of the above. Oh, and I've had some computer and camera card issues. Nonetheless, for the two people that consistently check this blog hoping for an updated picture of their grandchildren, I am attempting to make a few updates. Spring Break flew by, but we managed to enjoy it. The girls went to my parent's house for the week, Lincoln stayed here with us. He went to school part of the time while I attempted to catch up on a few things around the house and Kevin and I managed to squeeze in a few lunch dates which is always pleasant. For the conclusion of spring break, we headed to MO to pick up the girls and spent a little time with family. The below picture is rather random, but it was of the kids waiting for my mom and grandma to arrive at the designated meeting place. The girls had a soccer game that morning and didn't have time to change, and Lincoln was antsy from the ride. They were eager to get to Grammy Tammy's, and Lincoln had no idea what was to come. I thought he would be lonely, but I think he enjoyed his week alone!

Skylar in Teacher Mode

2011-03-10T20:48:00.000-06:00

It's Been A While

2011-03-07T20:28:00.005-06:00

So, I'll play a little catch up. The last few weeks have completely kicked my butt. Getting back into the swing of things after two blissful weeks off has been a challenge. But I think we are almost back to normal, whatever that is! I've just posted a few pics of our recent in order and they start at the bottom and go up. Last Saturday the girls both had their first soccer game. I'd love to say it was fun, but it as 30 degrees outside, and I was alone because Kevin was sick. I don't have many pictures to post because I was trying to keep myself cuddled up in my blanket to stay warm. The girls both had a great time, and didn't seem to be bothered at all by the ice cold temperatures.

We went to Missouri for a quick trip a couple of weekends ago to celebrate my nephew Malachi's birthday. I can't believe he is already one! So cute, and he had a fabulous Mickey Mouse birthday party!

While in Missouri, Grammy Tammy was kind enough to let the girls deck her out in make-up, new hairstyles and nail polish. What a good sport.

They also did a little finger painting. Lincoln tried it too, but he wasn't fond of getting his hands dirty.

Lincoln got a new backpack, which he loves, and new shoes. It was like he instantly grew out of all his shoes. He went from several pair to wear to churh and school to none! He is growing like a week, but cuter than ever. I'm totally loving every minute of this stage. He has developed quite the personality, and loves to make everyone around him smile.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T20:33:00.002-06:00

This is the after the big day of eating cookies, ice cream and chocolate all day photo. It appears they all enjoyed it, especially Lincoln as he has chocolate drool all over his shirt.

Too Good To Be True...

2011-02-13T21:44:00.002-06:00

In a discussion with someone about my husband and our relationship, someone referred to my husband as too good to be true. I laughed, of course! But quickly realized he is too good to be true. Not in the sweep you off your feet, super romantic, buy you nice gifts kind of way. (I mean we went to CiCi's Pizza buffet on our last date night, that should tell you something.) But in the perfect for me, amazing person that totally gets me kind of way. I could go on and on and bore you with all the delightful details, but no one really wants to hear that, right? It's hard to believe that this Valentine's Day will be the 13th anniversary of our first date! I hope you and your too good to be true significant other enjoy your Valentine's Day!

Sweet Dreams

2011-02-13T20:58:00.002-06:00

There are so many things about this picture that make me smile, but mostly I think that it is hilariously sweet that they choose to sleep together in a twin bed. Every night. They just can't give it up.

The End

2011-02-12T13:15:00.002-06:00

Well, my two week hiatus of sleeping in, sitting around in pajamas and sweatpants, eating cookies, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, staying up late watching movies, playing with the kids, etc is coming to an end. I am beginning to feel the pressure to begin getting things prepared for a normal week. I have to say, that for the first time in a very long time I actually felt like I had a break, a real break. For a short time, our little world seemed to stop, or at least slow down a lot, in a very happy place. Nowhere to be, no one expecting anything, just us hanging out. I thoroughly enjoyed the lack of schedules and activities, just the luxury of a little down time with my favorite people. This time of year is usually quite challenging because of Kevin's busy season, so it was so nice to have him home with us for several days as well. For our family, this blizzard was a true blessing and a perfect reminder of who is in control.

Puzzled

2011-02-11T15:27:00.002-06:00

We decided to spend last night putting together a puzzle. I thought it would be a fun way to spend some time together as our leisurely lifestyle is soon coming to a close. Although, I totally overestimated the amount of time it would take. I bought a 100 piece puzzle thinking it would take us an hour or two, but it took about 20 minutes. I've never much enjoyed puzzles because I wasn't very good at them. It probably would have taken me an hour or two. Oh well, we still had a good time, and I guess next time we'll go for a larger puzzle that will entertain us for a little while longer!

Remembering Fall

2011-02-10T19:51:00.001-06:00

I've had a bit of extra time on my hands, so I thought I would post a few of the pictures we had taken in the fall and I never got around to posting. We attempted to get pictures of all the grandkids on my side of the family, but it is near impossible to get so many little kids to cooperate. (and we've added one more since then) I still managed to find a few favorites. All pictures were taken by Sara McDaniel of Beloved Photography. She's fantastic, but you already knew that.

More Snow Days

2011-02-09T18:57:00.002-06:00

Well, we are in the middle of week two of our winter vacation. As expected, we received a little more snow today, but not as quite as much as they were calling for. We will, however, be out again tomorrow! I, for one, am enjoying every minute of our days together. We were able to get out over the weekend and restock, we had several people over for the Super Bowl, so we were good to go for another week of fun! Monday and Tuesday, Lincoln went to school and the girls and I ran around, knowing we would probably be home the rest of the week. I have sort of laid off the pictures since we haven't been doing anything too exciting, just the same relaxing things over and over again. I did snap a few pictures today of the kids reading. They love cuddling up in their bed and reading together under 18 blankets and 42 stuffed animals. Lincoln has also developed a love of books and reading so he was more than thrilled to join them today. It's funny to me that everyone in our house has remained in pajamas every day possible with the exception of Londyn. She gets dressed everyday and always puts a bow in her hair or some other hair accessory. I hope you are enjoying winter as much as I am!

My Middle Child

2011-02-06T06:18:00.000-06:00

I feel like frequently when I write posts that have to do with Londyn, I talk about how she challenges me. I hope that isn't perceived negatively, she's just different than Skylar and we butt heads a lot. She tries to see what she can get away with and pushes the limits, which are qualities that could be advantageous to her in the future as long as they're channelled appropriately. I just feel like I am always getting on to her, or getting frustrated with her. Thankfully she also has a wonderfully loving and forgiving personality. However, in the four days that we have been home, I have been able to have so much fun with her. She has been an angel. No whining, complaining, eye rolling, grumpiness, negative attitude, etc. She's done what she's been asked to do, been extremely helpful, kind to her siblings, and just all around pleasant to be with. I've thanked her several times for her stellar behavior, and tried to make sure she knows how proud I am of her and how much I love her. I'm very thankful that I have had this time to spend with her where I am able to be more relaxed, and she isn't overly tired that we could spend several days just enjoying each other's company.

It Goes On and On-Day 5

2011-02-05T20:46:00.002-06:00

When I started the Daily Blizzard posts, I thought it would be three days tops, and considering we're on day 5 it's getting a little old. I think I'm going to stop. I hate to be a quitter, but I doubt anyone is complaining. Today was great! We saw the light of day! We ventured out to Sam's, Wal-Mart and Reasor's. Sam's wasn't very crowded and they had everything I needed there in stock. I bought 4 more gallons of milk! The other stores were really crowded and short on supplies, but between all three we're good to go for another week (or more). The only thing I couldn't find was ground beef so I settled for ground turkey. The find of the day was seeing Diet Sun Drop in Reasor's! Sun Drop has been in OK for a while, but I've never been able to find Diet Sun Drop. So exciting!

Then we ended the evening with a movie night, hot chocolate and popcorn required!

Love these little cuddle bugs and thankful they aren't old enough to be embarrassed by how gross I look most of the time at home.

I also finished cleaning out the closet I started and didn't finish yesterday as well as started a little picture hanging project that has me a bit frustrated. Oh well, at least I feel like I actually made good use of my time today!

In Case You Haven't Heard

2011-02-05T14:00:00.000-06:00

IT SNOWED!!!!

And the only "getting out" I've done is playing around in the yard. But, I'll take it! We had a great time getting a bit of fresh air and enjoying a little sunshine. Lincoln is still not much of a fan, but gave me a few grins.

We've had A LOT of family time over the last few days, and I have to say that I am constantly reminded of how much I am blessed and how much I adore this family of mine. The kids have been amazing and haven't complained at all about being bored or not getting to do anything. (Lincoln has whined around a litte, but I suppose I'll give him a break since he is only 16 months old.)

Desperate Times....

2011-02-05T08:22:00.000-06:00

Call for desperate measures. I completely ran out of all baking supplies. I couldn't believe how quickly I went through supplies considering I did actually prepare for the blizzard. Of course, it didn't help any that I kept messing up recipes and having to double them or throw them out. Anyway, we needed something sweet today, and so we concocted a little something with a few of the ingredients left in the pantry. Vanilla Wafers on their own are definitely not my favorite (especially the off brand). I keep them around for Lincoln to snack on every now and then.

But, with a little peanut butter,

and a little chocolate,

they're not bad, not bad at all!

Ok, I know this picture looks kind of gross, but I'm a terrible dipper, and I wasn't going for pretty:)

On the Fourth Day....

2011-02-04T20:00:00.003-06:00

We said our prayers,

said the Pledge of Allegience, (Apparently, the girls were feeling guilty for not pledging this week. I found this picture on my camera when I picked it up to snap a few pics.)
played in the snow,

and last but not least, made a few messes while attempting to clean out closets.

So far, I think I've been handling the fact that I've been unable to leave my home quite well. I am, however, beginning to feel the cabin fever. Kevin managed to get out briefly today to replenish my soda supply and bring me a Sonic drink, but I have not left the house at all for FOUR days! That is definitely a record for me, and I would like all of my family to know that I've not had one single meltdown, thank you very much! We got more snow today, and according the most recent weather, there's lots more to come. I'm very thankful that we don't have to be anywhere, and we are safe and warm. My only concern is that I'm afraid we're going to run out of milk by tomorrow and I'm not sure how the little man is going to handle that. Kevin went to three stores today and all were out! I started the week with four gallons. I thought I was more than prepared.