Co-sleeping

We wanted to try Preston in a big bed, so we asked the kids if they wanted to sleep in the same room one night. Of course they said yes. We put Preston on the trundle in Maddie's room, and we turned out the light. Lots of giggles followed, then some jumping on the mattresses. Marty and I thought they would eventually lay down, but about 10 minutes in, they both started wailing. Somehow Preston's teeth collided with Maddie's head. They were both fine, and Preston went back to the crib (which he can climb out of). Maybe we'll try again soon. Or not.

Swimming in April

After church, we went to see Uncle Jay and Lisa B. It was so warm out that the kids stuck their feet into the ice cold pool. We all know how that goes...first it's the feet, then up to the waist, and so on. Thankfully Spencer was brave enough to play with them.

Maddie Grace loves her Lisa B!


Bailey was enjoying the sunshine











So about 2 seconds after I took this picture, Preston scooted himself into the pool. Spencer (who happens to be a lifeguard) grabbed his shirt and pulled him right up. His head never got wet.

He was a little upset from getting so cold
Snuggling with Uncle Jay

Easter Day

We woke up to 22 wild turkeys in our back yard!
The kids and daddy opened their Easter baskets
Amy and I got up early to hide eggs outside for a quick hunt before church

The Cross

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

The Cross IS the reason we celebrate Easter! I pray that each of you knows how much Christ loves you. We are so unworthy, but He gave his life anyway for you and for me.

Easter Decor

If you have read this blog for even just a short time, you might know that I love to decorate for holidays. We have crosses and scripture throughout our house all year, so I thought I would show you the things that I put out for the kids.

These sweet eggs hang on the kids doors

The kids have enjoyed playing with the decorative eggs
My mom gave us the Easter egg tree
I especially love these bunnies since there is a "big sister" and "little brother"

We didn't color eggs today, but we plan to after church tomorrow. We will put them on this cute plate.

What are your favorite Easter decorations?

Egg Hunt at School

Guess who had an egg hunt today?
Preston opened each egg along the way
He only kept the ones with candy in them. He threw back the ones with stickers.
Maddie loved the hunt!

Who left this handprint...
and this one...
and who would COLOR THE WALL?
Hmm...

A visitor

Maddie had a special visitor this afternoon to help her feel better. Olivia was here about 2 seconds before they changed in to dress up clothes.

Maddie's surgery

Maddie Grace did so well this morning. Our friend Christa was her nurse, so that made her very comfortable. The ENT was able to remove the lodged tube, and I was so excited to see it was whole. It was not broken, as he originally suspected, so we don't have to worry about pieces of it remaining in her ear. He did have to repair her ear drum. He made an incision behind her ear and removed a small piece of fat. He used it to repair the hole in her ear drum, and he expects it to heal completely with no hearing damage. We serve an awesome God, and I am so grateful for all of your prayers for Maddie.
Bunny Bear helps her to feel brave

Oh, Brother

Maddie and Preston were playing last night when Maddie came over and said "Mommy, would you look at my brother?" Well...here is what I saw...
He pulled the sink out of the play kitchen and climbed on in

Our Pastor

A few weeks ago, our beloved Pastor, Rick, announced that he has been diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. He has just started treatment, and he has kept a wonderfully positive attitude. This past Tuesday, our church hosted "Slick with Rick" and 42 selfless men shaved their heads to support Rick's new "do". Please keep Brother Rick in your prayers. You can follow his story here.

Surgery Tuesday

Maddie's ear surgery is this Tuesday morning. Please keep her in your prayers!

Preston's 1st shiner

See it under his left eye? He got hit by a swing on the playgound at school.

Consigning

It's spring/summer consignment time around here, so I have been busy going through the kids clothes and toys to get rid of things they have outgrown. I kept every baby item after Maddie Grace was born, but when we found out that we were expecting a boy, I had a lot of pink things that I no longer needed. Some of my friends talked me into participating in my first consignment sale about 2 years ago, and now I am hooked. I use the money that I make to purchase in season play clothes and toys for the kids. I get a bunch of new things and get rid of old things all at once. It's a definite win/win! Here's how it works: I label my items (twice per year), drop them off for the week of the sale, then I pick up any leftover items at the end of the week and collect a check. You usually get 70% to 80% of what you sale. There are 10 or so sales I like in a 5 to 6 week period. I try to put my items in 5 of them each season (spring/summer and fall/winter). If I have anything left over, I donate it. The sales only take gently used or new items, and many still have the tags on them. The last day of the sale, everything is half off! I have learned not to wait till the last day. If you really want it, you better get it while you can. Here are a few of my favorite things that I purchased the last couple of weeks:

We surprised Maddie with this Barbie Jeep. It's like new, and it cost 1/5 of the retail price.
They love it!
This was new from a boutique. The tag had $59 on it, and I paid $9. My girl loves to dress up!
Loved this blue embroidered dress for $4
Two boutique outfits, with tags attached, for a small fraction of the $95 retail price
The dress still has the tags on it (retail $67). I got these two super cute pieces for $12.

Hanna Andersson polos for $4
Brand new Sketchers for Maddie and 2 pair of Stride Rite shoes for Preston. Grand total: $10.

Here is a great website that lists the sales in TN:

Click here and select your area. Some are better than others, and they all have their own rules. If you live in my area, I would be happy to share my experiences with you.

So here's a question: what do you do with the things your kids have outgrown?

Hey, batter batter

Marty had baseball practice this weekend, and he took Preston with him. He loved every minute of it!

Madi Claire's Birthday

February is a big month for birthdays on our street. Madi turned 2, Drew and Natalie turned 4, and Grant turned 8. Chris and Nicki also celebrated birthdays. Here are a few pics from Madi Claire's 2nd birthday party.