Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

My Mom called on Thursday evening to see if we would like to have some company this weekend.... and of course I said yes!!! We love visits from Grandpa and Grandma..... it's kind-of like a mini-vacation. The kids really want nothing to do with Josh and I. It's all about Grandma and Grandpa. They love to play with and entertain the kids the whole time they're here! You can find them getting their hair done, getting 'made up' with make-up, playing 'general store', cooking in the kitchen, reading books, playing hide-n-go seek..... they never run out of things to do! Grandma also feeds the kids, bathes them and puts them to sleep. And the familiar sound of "MOM! I'M DONE!" or 'DAD, COME WIPE ME!" coming from the bathroom changes to "GRANDMA!"...... and Grandma happily goes running to them! Before we know it, it's Sunday and time for them to head back home. :(

We love you Grandma and Grandpa! Thanks for coming to visit and for all of your help!

Baby Love

If there is ever a baby to be held, kissed, or loved my kids want the job. Anytime a visitor comes over with a little one it doesn't take Carlie long to whisper "Mommy, can I hold the baby?"...... and after Clay hears his sister making the request he makes sure that he's next in line! Even though Casey is still a baby himself, he likes to give kisses and hugs too! There are some days that Casey is so tired he will let Carlie or Clay hold him on the couch and will actually fall asleep, which the older two absolutely love! I guess there is just something about babies that make grown-ups and little kids alike just want to hold them and cuddle them!

Indoor fun!

Santa Claus brought the kids a jungle gym for Christmas. It sat in our garage a few weeks before Christmas came, and boy was it hard to leave it there...... so many times i thought 'oh, if only we could set that up today'! It is so hard for them to burn off all their energy in the winter, and I always find myself running out of things to do with them! They were very excited when they saw it and really enjoy playing on it. Casey has already mastered the slide.... although he can be quite an irritant to Carlie and Clay as he likes to take his time before going down the slide, and once he gets to the bottom he likes to hang out there for a while before moving out of their way. I'm fairly certain that this type of behavior is sure to continue in the future!

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe that another year has passed..... and what a busy year 2008 was for our family!

After living on the east side of town for the last 6 years, we finally made the move to Mason. It was quite a chore, but we're finally settled in. The kids each have their own rooms now..... in our old house Carlie and Clay shared a room and Casey's crib stayed in the master with Josh and I. Needless to say, they are very tickled to have their own space and are quite 'proud' of their rooms! While we went from having 5 acres to about a half an acre, the kids get more use out of the land here because it's nice and flat.... they really enjoy our concrete driveway for riding their bikes and the front yard has been perfect for driving their 'gator' and 'jeep' when the weather is warm.

One of the best things about moving to Mason is our location in relation to our church. Before we were driving 40 minutes one way to get to church, now it takes us 10 minutes to get there. It makes it so much easier getting out of the house on Sunday's with 3 kids!

Another milestone this year was Carlie starting pre-school. She has always stayed at home with me, so it was really hard to see her go. I'm sure that I had more 'butterflies' in my stomach than she did! She turned 5 in August and should have started kindergarten this year, but she had to turn 5 by July 31st to start. SO, instead of keeping her with me for another year, I thought it was best that she get some interaction with other children. She really seems to enjoy it!

The pictures that I'm posting for this entry were taken throughout last year. When I look back at some of these pictures I can't believe that another year has come and gone. I am so very thankful for my children. I love them so much and I feel so blessed that God has trusted me to take care of them. Some days are more challenging than others but I wouldn't trade them for anything! I am also very thankful for my husband who works very hard to provide for his family. He is such a wonderful Daddy and we love him very much! Most importantly I am thankful for God. He has blessed our lives in too many ways to count. Finding Him was the best thing that has ever happened to me and He has forever changed my heart!