our weekend...

We had a nice time in Clinton, MS with Ron's parents this weekend. The best part was that it only took 3 1/2 hours to get there. We're used to a 6 hour trip since we always had to stop for a meal coming from Huntsville.

Saturday was quiet. Aunt Debo and Baba Dee came to visit for the day, while the men went golfing. Then Christine and I took the kids out for Mexican food before meeting the guys back at the house in time for a little football. I forgot to take pictures. I could kick myself for it...

This morning I attempted to get a picture of the kids. Laney wouldn't take her eyes off the TV!

I asked Luke to get close to Laney and be real sweet so I could take a picture. Neither one of them wanted to take their eyes off the TV!! But that's okay, because it made for an adorable picture.

Before it got too hot this morning Christine and I took the boys on a nature walk. She gave them each a bag to fill with whatever they could find.

We walked on a worn sidewalk that felt like it told a story all on its own.

When we got back to the house the boys showed their daddy all that they found. Good times...

playset update: IT'S UP!!

Ronzo finished the playset a few days ago and we had some happy kiddos. Sam, Luke, Laney, Ian and Cannon (our neighbors) have played on it every day since then.

First day back at MDO

Luke and Laney went back to MDO this morning. After a little over 3 months away from it, I welcomed it with open arms. We went to see my mom at her office before checking them in. Laney didn't want to smile.

Her teachers are Mrs. Kaki and Mrs. Shelley. They said she did great all morning. They want the one year olds picked up early for the first two weeks, to give them time to adjust. So after only 2 hours, I was back in the car to go get her. She was balling! She was the last one there and must have assumed I wasn't coming. It was pitiful. I scooped her up as fast as I could.

I didn't get a good picture of Luke and his teachers before class because he was crying way too much. Instead, I got one with his teacher Mrs. Erika when I went to pick him up. They said he only cried 5 minutes and had fun the rest of the morning.

helping daddy

luke pulled out some tools and got busy helping ron put together our new patio set. thanks to the wal mart clearance aisle, we are the proud owners of a table where we can eat and enjoy the great outdoors.

wildlife

i saw this hawk in our backyard a couple of days ago. it was beautiful. my dad would have loved it! he always loved counting hawks on long trips to pass the time.and a caught a hummingbird feeding. maybe next time i'll get a better shot...

CHEESE!

Laney can say cheese now... she says it when I pull out a camera and when I pull cheese out of the refrigerator. She has also started saying "Sam" and "gum" in the last few days. Pick up a bottle of Orbit gum, shake it around a bit, and she'll come running yelling "gum!" over and over again.

coach young

sam loves his p.e. coach, jeff young. coach young was also my p.e. coach when i was a little girl at briarwood. how often does that happen? he's probably been there for 40 years or more... every day coach young is out at the carpool line, waving to the moms, dads, and youngsters. and sam likes to get right up at the window and wave back. for all the years i've known him, he's always called the kids "brother" or "sister", or "man of God" and "woman of God". it's music to my ears to hear him say it to sam.
i also ran in to my teacher from 3rd grade today. mrs. rooks was at the information desk, and i clued her in to a story my mom tells often. it starts with the fact that i was a talker. a serious talker. i got in trouble often. one day i came home from school and my mom asked me what i had done that day. i said "mom, i had the best day ever. my teacher put my desk in the hallway and i sat there all day. i got to say hey to all of stannon's friends." i didn't even know i was in trouble! when i reminded her of the story, she said with much sarcasm "imagine you, getting in trouble for talking..."

fork finger

laney has decided to use her finger as a fork. she can successfully stab and eat mini-wheel pastas, blueberries, fried eggs and more...

Since we have a lake in the neighborhood, we get to look out our back porch and see these guys a lot...

We also get to see the presents they leave us in the driveway. Geese are fun, but I wish they'd poo on someone else's property. ☺

Kole and Luke had some good cousin time one morning last week. Their imaginations led them to a camp-out in the middle of the hallway.