MIA

Today I have to take my computer to a far away land--wherever Best Buy sends it to get fixed! I'm so sad! :( Our service waranty runs out April 11th so if anything is wrong we have to get it fixed before then. Lindsey loves playing games on the computer at nickjr.com (great fun and educational games if you haven't tried that out with your kiddos!). One of her favorite fun games is a game where she has to use the space bar to jump--and she has jumped a lot and it has come off of the keyboard more than once! I thought maybe they could fix it "in store" but of course they can't. There have been a few other things here and there that haven't been working right, so we are going to make our list and hopefully they can get it fixed! The biggest problem for me is that it takes AT LEAST 2 weeks to get it back!! Wow! Talk about withdrawls! But, better to get it fixed now for free!

Signing off for 2 weeks with lots of tears (not really, don't worry!).....

Kiddos....

This is a picture before church last week. Ryan got 3 (yes, 3) ties for his birthday! He asked for them, they are easy and we each picked one out for him! Perfect right! So, Sunday morning, Lindsey requested that he wear hers! Of course he did! So cute!

Here is our other kiddo!! OMG! How precious is this?? I am going to be 12 weeks tomorrow. It is amazing to me to see this little baby inside of me! WOW! It was a big reality check. That sounds so silly. I knew I was pregnant, I have been sick, I am super excited, but to see it in picture, see the heartbeat and all of that comes together to see our CHILD! Praise the Lord!

T-Ball

Lindsey could not be more excited about t-ball coming up! She is MORE than excited. She talks about it all the time, she asks when her practice is going to be, she tells everyone that she got a new glove (more on that in a min), talks about her pink helmet, that her shirt is going to be red and that her daddy is the coach! So cute!

Swing batter batter swing! This is her strong point! She does really good at hitting the ball! She likes batting right handed. She can hit just as well left handed, but if you tell her to pick the one that feels better, she always goes back to the right!

Ryan was fielding the ball for her, loving every minute of it! (Notice Lindsey's follow through on her swing--impressive!)
Lindsey practicing her fielding! (Again, notice her helmet on "in the field." Did I mention she loves her pink helmet?) She actually does well "shuffling over" instead of reaching for the ball. I never told her and didn't hear Ryan tell her to do that. Impressive, I think! However, her throwing skills are below average! She definately "throws like a girl" with her elbow straight out and NOT back straight! She doesn't have it down. She also has decided that she likes to throw with her right had. So, we had to go buy her a different glove! Santa brought her a glove to wear on her right hand so she could throw with her right hand! However, she apparently is going to do differently...we'll see!

Of course Courtney had to have her turn! She doesn't "do it right" but she actually does ok hitting the ball! She thinks she is BIG time! She looks cute too!

Happy Birthday to Ryan

Today is Ryan's 31st Birthday!!

He's such a good daddy! He will put on mouse ears with his big girl!
He gives great "rides up high" to his baby girl!
We love you! Thanks for being such a good daddy and husband!

Happy Birthday!


BIG shout out to my parents as well!! This is their 33rd anniversary! Congratulations to them!

I am so thankful for my parents and their example of a Christian home they gave me. The older I get the more I understand what that means! They are such a blessing to our family! We love you, Mom and Dad! (aka Honey and Grandad!)

Happy 8 Years!

Eight years ago today, Ryan and I tied the knot!! In so many ways I can't believe it has been 8 years! Time has flown by, but in other ways I feel like we've been married FOREVER! He is truely my love! I don't know what I would do without him. He is my support, even though he doesn't say much. Most of the time that is ok. He is our hard worker, and for that I am so greatful. I wouldn't be able to stay home with our precious girls, for that I am beyond words thankful! He is a man of integrity no matter where he is or who he is with! What a blessing! I respect him for all that he is and everything that he means to me. We've been together so long that it is hard to remember life without him around, that is forsure! When my friend Bonnie who lost her husband earlier this year tragically, was going through all of that it brought real perspective to me. In every way shape and form, I have no IDEA what I would do without him. However, I had to come to grips and realize that I am NOT the one in control! I've "watched" Bonnie (through her blog) learn to deal with it and trust God through it all. So, as hard as it is, I give him to God and pray everyday for him and protection for him!

I love you and thank God for you Babe! Happy 8 Years!

Busy Times and Fun Times

We've had some busy times lately. Since I started working at MDO (which I realize isn't really considered a "real" job--and I'm ok with that!) it seems as though I'm always catching up. I can get the laundry caught up, but then the rest of the house is falling apart. I haven't adjusted well to giving up those days that I had to get all this stuff done. I'm learning to appreciate the hard work of working moms just as much as I appreciate the hard work of a stay at home mom! Wow!

All of that to say that we've done some fun stuff too! One of my good friends, Katie, had her baby last Thursday. Klaire Dobson was born weighing in at 8 lbs. 10 oz! So so sweet! It was exciting to see this newborn (she was 4 hours old when we went by!) and think about our baby coming in October! So sweet. Then yesterday I visited them at home. Katie has 2 other kiddos--Kennedy and Scotty (yes, the famous Scotty that Courtney loves!). They were there running around. So we had a total of 5 kiddos. Klaire was sleeping most of the time, but it was definately a HUGE reality check for me. Slightly different "look" to it than sitting in the hospital with just Katie, Sean and the grandparents! Excitement is still there, but not far behind now is the reality of a newborn and all that he/she will bring!

(excuse this bad lighting--there was a HUGE window behind her)

Then this past weekend we had what I would call PERFECT weather! It was warm but not hot at all! We broke out the boat and went for a ride! We just went to the AR River here. It was so much fun. We just took snacks and drove around. Lindsey once again wanted to drive, but seemed more distracted and wanted to look around a lot. Courtney just liked moving around on the boat. She drove some, but was not nearly as interested in it as Lindsey was. So different! :)

It made me so ready for those fun weekends out on the lake. I didn't grow up doing that, but it is something that I already cherish that our family does. I am so thankful for our boat. Getting it back out made me realize how much I enjoyed it and how much fun it is to see Ryan love it. The girls love it and what a fun time we will have this summer! At least I have an "excuse" this year for my look in a bathing suit! ha ha!! I already bought each of the girls 2 swim suits!! I'm a little ready for summer I think!

Cartwheel Queen

Here is Lindsey showing her skills! She does so good at gymnastics! She has moved up to the "5 year old class" which pretty much just means that she could do all of the expected skills in the preschool class. She goes in the afternoon now and is with "big girls." She seems to love it. I enjoy watching her do it and be sucessful! However, she continues to tell me that she is going to do dance again next year. I told her she could pick and she so far picks dance. She says she's going to "make a pattern" dance-gymnastics-dance-etc. (we tell her she can only do one thing). I don't know what I want to do. I REALLY REALLY want her to keep doing gymnastics, for several reasons. However, she keeps saying dance. So I don't know what I'll do. Do I "make" her take gymnastics? Do I "let" her do dance? Any suggestions? I know it doesn't matter, she's only going to be 5. :) Enjoy her GYMNASTICS SKILLS!

Fishing

This picture has nothing to do with the title, but is just cute and I hadn't posted it! The other morning I looked in at what they were doing in the toy room and this is what I saw! I guess they are practicing for a baby!! This was our living room the other night for a little while. Ryan is going on his big fishing trip to Lake Fork in TX this week. He leaves on Wednesday.
Bless his heart, he has not been fishing in a year (since the last time they went on this trip). He has made such a sacrifice for us in doing that. He gets is "boy time" in now with golf (doesn't take as long) and basketball (one night a week) so don't think that he isn't getting his man time. However, fishing has been a big part of his life, so I know what a sacrifice it has been for him. He's so excited to go on this trip. As I saw him doing this and Lindsey helping him it reminded me of our newlywed days. When I would sit in the floor of our duplex and hold the spool while he put new line on his reels! Something I was so unfamiliar with, but quickly learned about. Courtney ended up helping too of course!

She was so proud to be helping her Daddy!

This is what she was doing (for those of you that may have no idea!). You put a pen through it and hold it as the line pulls off and he reels it onto the reel. Anyway...precious to me!

Courtney Reading

This is too cute not to post! :) I typed out what she is saying because I realize that if you don't have this book memorized like I do after reading it for 4 1/2 years, then you might not catch some of what she is saying. Also, I put in parenthesis what the book says, so I can see how close or exact she was later when I forget (if I ever do) what the words to this book are! I'm so proud!

Can I have a sailor hat? Thanks Dad (Spot wants to buy something is what it says first, then exactly as she said it)

Catch the ball spot. Watch it. (exactly what the book says)

Sam is taking a nap. What are you making Spot? Sand castles. (exactly what the book says)

Where's your fadder (aka father)? Here I am. (exactly what the book says)

You didn't catch a fish. Almost. (Spot, you caught a fish. Almost)

I'm ok. (Puppy overboard, I'm ok)

Spot that's not your towel. Let go! (exactly what the book says)

Spot you can play with your friend tomorrow. Gooood boy. (repeated on the last page)

The first time it says, What has spot found now? But it says what she said on the last page. Just got a little ahead of herself!