Boy, How Time Flies

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is our baby's birthday. He'll turn three. It seems like just yesterday he was being welcomed into our world.


He's still my little one who loves hugs and nuggles (snuggles) and spending time with Mommy. But I know he's growing up way too fast and those times will all too soon be gone.








Soon he'll be grown up enough to really play football like his big brother. He's wanting to do that already.

I'm Happy Birthday my baby boy...boy you have grown WAY too fast.

Gotta Give Him Credit

No matter what you think of Michael Jackson's music or the lifestyle he lived, you must admit the difference he made in the music industry will never be forgotten. Some of the choices he made later in life may not have been the best for him or others but the talent he shared is something rare and special.

Our eight year old said he was about like the DaVinci of Pop. The impact he made will never be forgotten.

Happy Mother's Day!

I love this video. Somehow I see my guys doing this some day. Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you : ~ )

This Weekend

Hey Mommy!!

















This weekend we have made a new focus on fitness. Our oldest trying out new poses/exercises.










This will be my nemesis over the next several weeks, months and years, but hopefully it will get me back in shape.

Days in Pictures

Our oldest working on his homework Monday.











Our youngest with ice cream all over his face.

















On Wednesday we stoked up the grill for some burgers and dogs. It was good to have freshly grilled meat from the grill. Jim is a GREAT grill cook!!














My guys playing out in the yard.

Another Big Day

Today, the Bishop preaching at our church during morning worship. He talked about following Jesus and then offered a blessing for our new addition that is getting closer to completion. It was a joy to have him join us for worship. During the children's time today, the woman leading it gave the children bubbles. My boys enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and day blowing bubbles on our front porch after church.

Big Day in Our House

Yesterday was a big day in our house. Our youngest began sleeping in his big boy bed and our oldest was taught how to mow by his dad. They're really growing up now, which causes me to have mixed feelings right now. They're no longer my babies.

More Catching Up...

Monday our first butterfly came out of its cocoon.







Tuesday I took more pictures...now we have two











Wednesday, on more pic of our butterflies in their hatching environment. Our youngest was especially amazed to watch them. And our youngest cat tried to terrorize them by jumping up and hitting their hatching habitat.


















On Thursday I took this picture of our very clever cat sitting in the hall watching the butterflies.














Friday I snapped this picture out front of the church of a cherry tree.

Picture Catch Up

I'm behind yet again.

Thursday - April 16 - my boys blew bubbles.
















Friday, my youngest does flips, with daddy's help, of course.














Saturday we found a potential playhouse/hideout for the guys.


















Sunday, both boys attended a birthday party at our local inflatable place.

Hey!

Our youngest up close and personal.

I've Got My Glasses!

Our youngest got all dressed up today...put his Elmo snow boots on, his ONU sweatshirt, his sunglasses and was ready to go somewhere. He climbed up on the coffee table and announced I've got my boots, I've got my glasses, Mommy, I have my pants, I have my ear, I have my other ear. I thought of the song I Want to Be a Cowboy. Later this evening, he got out his rocking horse, got on his Scooby Doo PJs and cowboy hat and rode off into the sunset while watching Sponge Bob.

Fun at the Park

The boys had a great day off with Grandma at the Beach. We went to McDonald's playland for a late lunch. After that we went to the Strike Zone to bowl a couple of games. Finally we went to the park to play on the new playground equipment. Here is a pic of our oldest on the stone dinosaur.

He Is Risen!!

Today was a wonderful Easter Sunday!! It started out early for me at the Sunrise Service at Beech Fork Lake. Boy, was it COLD (around 32 degrees) but the setting was pretty and watching the sun come up over the lake was pretty cool. I saw about 6 - 8 deer on the way, which really woke me up at that early hour.

Later in the morning it was time for our service. The sanctuary was decorated with fresh flowers and butterflies. The title of the sermon I did was He's Alive it was a first person portrayal of Mary Magdalene after she found the tomb empty and talked with Jesus. Attendance was AWESOME today...I hope folks come back!

Hopefully I'll Stay Caught Up

Being Holy Week I haven't had the chance to post my pics from this past week. But here they are and hopefully I'll stay caught up from now on.

Monday our youngest posed for this picture....

On Tuesday I got this shot of our ever growing caterpillars are ascending to the top of their container. We're getting close, but still no cocooning...



On Wednesday our caterpillars began their assent to the top of their container they came in. And then they began to spin their cocoons...



Thursday I took the lining of the lid out and this is what it looked like with the 5 cocoons.

Friday I took this picture of the cocoons that have been transferred over to their hatching environment. This is where they will stay until they come out of their cocoons and are ready to be set free to fly.





Yesterday we had an Easter egg hunt at the church. There were several children that came to find eggs hidden throughout the church. Here's a picture of most of the kids that came.

Come On Cocoon!

Well, as you can tell by some of the pictures on here our caterpillars are growing quickly. I keep talking to them each day to encourage them to cocoon soon so they can hatch by Easter Sunday. It looks like a couple of them are complying with my request. There's all kids of this silky looking junk in their container...hoping that means cocooning soon and maybe hatching by next week.

Catching Up

I am behind yet again posting my pics from this week. The first three, from Monday - Wednesday are our caterpillars as they have grown....

On Thursday I took this pic of our boys' Jesus and Peter toys....the boat does not float and neither do the action figures.

Friday I caught is pic of my oldest and Jim making paper airplanes.

Yesterday, we went to a birthday party of one of our oldest friends. Here is a picture from that...

Events of this Weekend

Friday we had a concert by our boys. It was quite the show.




On Saturday, I had a BUSY day. It started out with giving blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive at our church. That experience went kinda weird, I started to feel quite dizzy and told the guy who had poked me and they got me fixed up eventually. After sitting for a while to feel better, I helped get things ready for the community dinner that our church was having. This dinner is held each year and is offered free to anyone wishing to come. I had to leave early from that for a wedding of a family friend. The wedding was held at a local theatre and was gorgeous! Congrats to the bride and groom. Here is a picture from their special day.

Today, the effects of my blood donation became VERY visible. I knew that guy hurt me when he took my blood. This is why I didn't want to give blood when I was in college. It'll get better but right now it hurts. But knowing that my donation could help save a life makes it worth it.

They Arrived

I was surprised when our butterflies (larvae now) arrived today. They were just FedExed yesterday and got here today. I had not expected them to be here until Monday. They are unpacked and hopefully will begin to grow and thrive.

I'll post pics from time to time showing their progress.

Here Butterfly!

Our youngest found the Butterfly Garden box. He thought that the butterflies were in it already, but I told him that we were to get them in the next several days. He decided that the butterflies must be around here somewhere so he went around calling, "Here butterflies....butterflies...here butterflies."

Butterflies for Easter

This year for Easter we are giving out suckers with butterflies on them. I'm doing the children's time during that service and plan to talk about life out of death and Jesus emerging from the grave. I decided to further illustrate the point it would be cool to have real butterflies to release. I should have thought about it just a little earlier but ordered the butterflies today and purchased this Live Butterfly Garden. When I talked to the lady she said the deadline for Easter was last Tuesday but I hope that our butterflies are overachievers. The caterpillars and their food should arrive either Friday or next Monday. Then we'll watch them grow. This could be very cool!

The Diva Mobile

OK...I have to gripe a while. I don't understand Hummers...I don't know why anyone would want to drive one because of how big they are and how much gas they guzzle. Quite frankly I don't think that anyone really needs a hummer to go about their day to day lives. Emergency Medical workers, yeah, they need one to be sure they can get to folks who are in trouble. They need to be able to go across terrain that might not be easily traveled by other vehicles. Our military needs them for essentially the same thing. But I don't think that someone needs it to run errands, to drive the kids to school or to go work out. The past few days that I have gone to work out and have seen this Hummer in the lot. It interests me because of the vanity plate on it...something about Diva. But the fact that it's Pepto Pink is a little much for me. I think the owner is a student and I don't really understand the point. To each their own I guess.

I Was Doing So Well

I'm behind again, but have the pics.

Allie sits and rests a while.






On Friday, the boys went outside to play for just a little while.














Saturday night, Jim cooked chili for the 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off youth fundraiser. The chili had really good flavor...steak and everything...but was a little hot for me. Jim wound up tying for first with last year's winner.













Another picture of our dear little Allie Cat