Anatomy 101

Vivian is exhibiting some interest in the human body right now. For instance, she's proud that she knows exactly where her pee and poop come from. She also thinks it's a hoot when I'm changing Ellen's clothes. She always points out those little items on her chest. She calls them "nickels."

(Why do I have two posts in a row that mention poop?!)

My day was worse than your day!

Billy came home from work tonight, exhausted, as usual. (I am very appreciative of how hard he works and what a good job he does.) He made the comment along the lines of, "Whew! What a day!" I promptly asked him if anyone happened to wipe his/her poop on his pants. Just kind of puts things in perspective...

March Madness

Our kitchen remodel started this week during SPRING BREAK. Good timing, right?? We tried to be out of the house most of the day every day. The kids loved it because we got to pack a lot of fun things in a short amount of time. We've played and picnicked at the park, spent time at Nannie's and my brother's homes, ate at McDonald's with a Playplace twice, shopped at Target, played at JumpZone, and spent the day at the zoo. (We met the Kemps there. Zoey has grown a foot since I saw her last!) It's been a great week but I am very tired! I didn't have a free hand very often to snap pictures but here are a few!

At the park...


Hanging out at Nannie's


At the zoo (Henry is a big Peter Rabbit fan.)


William made sure we didn't get lost.


I'm really not sure what they were mining for.


Is there room for one more?

A great way to start your day

Our week

Sunday afternoon was spent at the rodeo. This was everyone's first rodeo, except for Billy. He said his grandparents took him when he was little.



The weather was gorgeous so we spent a couple of hours at the park on Tuesday. We fed the ducks until they just couldn't eat any more stale bread.


Someone always finds the one mud puddle...


All my preschoolers had "Muffins for Moms" at school this week. Vivian's day was on Wednesday and the boys' was today. Mmmmm, muffins!


Tomorrow morning we are having a benefit garage sale for a special family who will be traveling to South Korea soon to adopt a baby girl. If you know who we are and where we live, come and support this great cause! Rain or shine, we'll be here!

Go Fly a Kite!

It's feeling like spring again! The weekend weather was warm and breezy--just perfect for Kite Day. Our FCC group gets together each spring for some kite flying, but I think this is the first time we have actually had the weather for it. Did you know that the Chinese first invented kites over 600 years ago? There were some beautiful dragon kites with long tails, but our kids were set with their Disney kites! (Thanks for the photos, Lisa!)

3 months

Ellen will be 3 months old on Sunday, so I took her today for more pictures. Having portraits done at all the age milestones is a big deal for me. Forget that my house is a disaster and my laundry is piled sky-high! They're only little once and I just want to capture every sweet moment!
She wore the same dress that Vivian did for her 3-month portraits. I only wish she had enough hair to get a bow in!

A little princess

Vivian went to her friends' birthday party this week. Meg and Blakely (or "Blake-a-ly" as Vivian calls her) are now three! All the little girls dressed up in princess dresses, shoes, and jewelry, and then were treated to a "makeover" with shimmery eye shadow, lip gloss, and nail polish. They were then "presented" to the adoring fans. Too cute!

Eighteen months

Eighteen months ago today, we met you for the first time. It's amazing how much you have accomplished in such a short time. We are so proud of you, and we are so proud to be your parents! We love you so much!

He's certifiable!

Billy is officially board certified in family medicine! He took a day-long exam the Thursday before Ellen was born, and he received his certificate from the American Board of Family Medicine in the mail today. Congratulations, Dr. Billy!

A party and some snow!

Saturday, Nannie took the kids to see their cousins, Jackson and Evan play basketball. We then met up at our cousin Jordan's 2nd birthday. It was held at a local volunteer fire station, so the kids got to climb on some real fire trucks. They all had a blast! I didn't get picture of the birthday boy; he wouldn't stand still long enough for me to snap his picture! We left there to meet Billy's Grandma at Billy's mother's gravesite. It would have been her birthday too. We then went out to dinner with Grandma. Oh, we had some tired kids in a crowded restaurant!!

What's up with this hat?




We woke up Sunday morning to the first (and likely only) snowfall of the year! Rebecca, spotting the white stuff from her window, came downstairs shouting, "It's snowing in my room!" Check out the fashion footwear: plastic shopping bags! You have to do something to keep those feet dry! The kids came back in for a hot chocolate break and then headed out again. I wasn't feeling well so Ellen and I stayed in where it was warm!





Since snow was covering the roads also, we opted not to drive to church that morning. After a big weekend, we all settled in for a Sunday afternoon nap. We overslept and there was no way to get everyone ready to make it to the evening services. Forgive us for being lazy slacker parents, God! Billy did hold a little Bible study for the kids.