Baxter 5 party, construction, Rainbow

It is so hard to believe this boy is 5!

Baxter really enjoyed opening presents at the party. Lillee was very excited that he had a party, with cupcakes, and friends! All of those things were extremely important to her! He ended up having about 16 friends come. We had pizza and since it was Sunday night everyone went home and straight to bed.

Ava Kate is a couple of months older than Ben. They were all too happy for cupcake time!

Nana and Papa came for the end of the birthday celebration weekend! Lillee had definite plans that we would carry this birthday on for awhile. While my mom and dad were here we had some yummy tenderloin with asparagus.
A delicious pasta salad with radishes, snow peas, goat cheese and bacon from Southern Living.
Pirate cupcakes for the party!
Our neighbor Lindsay borrowed our bike and rack for the day so we thought we'd make a fair trade and borrow the beloved Rainbow for the day! I did the entire upstairs and Scott wanted to try out the bottom! He liked it so much he took it to the basement! Thanks Lindsay! We have a savings jar just for this even though it SUCKS!!
This five year old has been enjoying a bird's eye view of the neighborhood and checking up on the construction in the front yard. I have to say the first time I walked outside and called his name I wasn't sure where he was until I saw the tree moving. Thank goodness our pediatrician loves us so much.

The construction is almost finished. Whew, I would really like to see gold lining this drive! Here's our pool for the summer!
TIMBER...
Precious peapod lambswool got a haircut. I actually cut it first but when Scott saw him and called him Billy Rae Cyrus I knew he needed a professional! Thanks Ms. Lindsay! You made my tiny infant turn into a big boy. One that looks like his brother may I add!

Construction

This child not only turns our world upside down, now he's tearing our house apart!

Baxter is 5!

Where has time gone? Our sweet, sensitive, hot tempered middle child has turned 5! His actual birthday was Monday so we took cupcakes to school for his class. When he got off the bus he and his little side kick asked what kind of cake we were having to blow out candles? Uhhhh....mama start cooking! I whipped out a semi ok cake and let them decorate. Lovely. It made them very happy. We had some friends over for dinner (pizza, at his request) and his favorite pediatrician came too. He is anyway, the heir to her throne!

All he asked for was a Pirates of the Caribbean ship (Black Pearl) and chocolate cupcakes. A boy after my own heart! However, all of that went down the tubes when Lillee continued to question him about all the details of his party! Hence, Leaping Lizards here we come! I know he would have been completely thrilled with just our little gathering!

He promised us when he turned five he would start sleeping in his own bed. I think he has 3 times this week! That's a start.

More pics to come!

An Epiphany of Sorts

Be still my heart...

Looking at these pictures makes me so happy. I've been blogging/stalking other bloggers/trying to figure out technology for about 4 years now. Recently, I've been looking back at old pictures and posts and realized I've changed things up in years past. Once, there was lots of writing. Next, some writing with pics mixed in. Now, it seems like there are more pics than text. I really enjoyed going back and reading what was going on in our lives. I have a journal I keep for the kiddos but this is really the faster/easier way to go! Quick - isn't that what we're all striving for these days?

Our family has definitely been going through some changes. We are home a lot more. This is due to restaurants not accepting 18 month old wiggle worms! We are working on Bible verses a lot more than before and it's really neat to see Lillee and Bax remember and recite them so well. Right now we're working on 2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come! We got a cool book of devotions for children and I love for Lillee to read them to us. I have also been reading some great books myself. The Sabbath and One Thousand Gifts are terrific reads and I believe they may just be the only books you'll need to get through the rest of life! If you can live the way they suggest, it should help you, your marriage, your children. These books pretty much encompass a life worth living, full of grace and a love for Jesus.

This is Ash Wednesday and I've been thinking of something to "give up" and it's been tough. I was thinking about the internet but I find so much encouragement and friendship through these sweet blogs I stalk on the computer. And I have to admit that since we got this Mac I use the computer less so that is not a vice for me. Food? Can't think of anything I overindulge in, especially since I'm trying to shred a good 20+ lbs. Kids? Can't get rid of one of them! Unless they're on an overnight campout! I think for the next 40 days plus Sundays I'll try to focus more on writing and remembering to thank God for his abundant grace in our life right now.

February 20=Lillee March 14=Bax

Can someone tell me how to get re-energized in three weeks!

We just finished all of the 7th birthday celebrations and now it's on to the 5th birthday bash! What can I say about this boy? He is our baby! Well, technically he's the middle child but until Ben can talk to us Baxter is still the tiny infant. Scott and I were just talking about when he was a baby and we would go out at night that we would come home and get him out of his crib to put him in the bed with us! Wow! What were we thinking? And we were surprised when he had his horrific temper tantrums that lasted for HOURS! We were surprised when he would scream, "NOTHING" at the top of his lungs when we ask him a question? He is just a super sweet kid when he wants to be. He is very sensitive and pretty easy to read/understand. His love language comes much easier to the naked eye than Lillee's. It's hard to believe he's five. After Lillee's big birthday production he just said he wanted a Pirates of the Caribbean Black Pearl ship and to go to Leaping Lizards. That's it. Oh, and chocolate cupcakes for school! Wow - what a difference in children.

Here they are camping here with nana and papa. They had a fun time roasting s'mores, playing putt putt, riding bikes, playing on the playgrounds and hanging at the festival!

Nana produced this awesome strawberry cake. Mmmmmm...that woman can cook.
Lots of thank you notes for some very kind friends.

Lillee is 7

Our sweet Lillee turned seven February 20. Wow! I really cannot believe it has been that long. Seven years ago we strapped her into her carseat (incorrectly) and drove 5 mph home from the hospital with my dad following us with flashers on! I'm really not exaggerating. She is so smart, beautiful and independent. She is doing so well in school and has lots of wonderful, close girlfriends already! There is a little pack of girls that are great friends and it’s so cute to see them all together.

Lillee is very into reading now. She has been getting up after we’ve put her to bed to read more! She’s also learned the game of rummy which she tries to play all day long!

Lillee and Elizabeth have birthdays 5 days apart so we try to do birthdays together. This year was no exception. Joy booked us two rooms at the Holiday Inn and we were set. We took 12 girls to swim and have pizza by the pool. Then we ended up with 8 spending the night, beading, coloring and staying up WAY too late! Thank goodness for adjoining rooms so Joy and I could rest peacefully! They were very sweet and I think it was a birthday to remember!

I'm not sure what we would've done without Bethany there to help us out? She had those girls crafting, playing dolls and behaving very well. What a great role model for these two girls to look up to!

Their sweet teacher came with their student teacher too! It is so awesome these four awesome girls get to share such a spectacular teacher.
Our tshirts turned out pretty darned cute.

We had a great time but Joy and I sure were pooped! Thank goodness for Winter Break! We had a great time playing at the park with friends and sleeping late. We went to my parents for a few days and ended up leaving Lillee for the weekend. Hence, her rummy skills were sharpened as well as her mini golf game. She and nana went to see Gnomeo and Juliet for the 2nd time and shopping for shorts. Baxter, Ben and I came home just in time for me to pack my bags again and head here for a nice relaxing time with some very sweet girlfriends. We all had spa treatments, a long enjoyable lunch on the lake and a fun night away. Thank goodness for those friends and for husbands to help with kids!