Happy Memorial Day

I love Memorial Day weekend because it's usually a weekend we take to relax and hang out with family and friends. This year we did both! We headed to the Coast on Saturday for the day. Andy's dad is buried at the Veterans cemetery and they do a really nice flag display for Memorial Day. The grounds are nice anytime of year, but they're especially neat during the Memorial Day holiday. It makes you so proud of the men & women who serve our country. It reminds me of one of Andy's dad's favorite sayings, "I Love America". He was so proud to have served his country and such a great supporter of our military men and women. The flag display reminds me of the real reason we celebrate Memorial Day!

The entrance into Veterans Cemetery

Andy teaching the boys how to salute & the Pledge of Allegiance

Hudson taking a break from talking to Papaw in Heaven!

While on the coast we finally go to meet Jason and Angelle's newest addition, Andrew Thomas Lowery. He is such a cutie.......he's even more precious in person. I forget just how tiny newborns are. It's hard to believe he's 7 weeks old and weighs less than what Brady weighed at birth. For those of you who don't know, Brady weighed 10lbs 8 oz when he was born....he was the size of a 3 month old (and no I didn't have a section). Congrats Jason and Angelle he's beautiful!!

Me & Andrew

Me, the boys, and Andrew Thomas Lowery

We spent most of the day on Sunday and Monday at the pool. The weather was beautiful so we decided to get outdoors and soak up some of the sunshine. The water in the pool was a little cool, but the kids didn't seem to mind. Here are a few pics from the weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful and fun weekend. Summer has begun!!

Weekend Fun!!!

WOW!!! What a fun weekend! We started the weekend Friday night with great seats at the MS Braves baseball game. We went to the game thinking we would probably only get to stay 2 or 3 innings depending on how the kids were doing. Too our surprise they did GREAT!!!! Brady & Hudson made friends with the cutest young girl who was sitting next to us....she turned out to be one of the players wives. She was so sweet and everytime her husband would come up to bat the boys would cheer him on....it was like they were long time friends or something. We actually stayed for the entire game and even stayed to watch the fireworks afterwards.

There are lots of pics below from the weekend....Enjoy!!

Take me out to the ballgame....and take our picture with this silly mascot!

Saturday afternoon we went to my mom's for a cookout. My sister's family, my brother and his girlfriend, and my stepbrother and his wife and son were all there. We had lots of fun!! They surprised me with a yummy ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for my birthday (it's really not until Thursday, but sister, niece, and nephew will be gone to church camp). Ella loved the cake...the pics below are from her having free range with one of the kids cake. They left it on the table and she moved in and took over....she was covered head to toe in icing.

Yummy, look what I found!! This is good!

I can do it all by myself! Who needs a spoon???

Hudson & his corn. Jacob taking a quick break.

Zachary & Aunt Jennifer Uncle Jon & Aunt Jennifer

On Sunday, Andy and my dad built the kids a sandbox. I didn't get any pics of the "work in progress" but I did get some of the end results. Thanks so much for all of your hard work....I know shoveling all of that sand was no fun, buyt they LOVE it!!! (They also finally put sand in the sandbox area of the swingset. So now we actually have two sandboxes....we'll save the smaller one for Ella)

Brady's contribution to helping out with the sandbox.

Ella & Brady in her sandbox. The finished produt!

Thank Daddy & Pawpaw....we're having lots of fun!!

Watch out....Here I come!!!

Those are Ella's latest thoughts because she's walking!! Okay, not completely, but the past two weeks she's been taking 2-3 steps here and there. She's even been getting into the standing position on her own. Yesterday, my sister watched the kids while I went to the dentist and while I was at the dentist she said Ella took about 5 or 6 steps. So when I got back to my sister's house we had her walking across her area rug. Well, last night we went to my dads to visit my uncle who was in town from Dallas. While we were there, she walked about 10 steps then turned around and walked back another 6 steps. We had her walking all over the place. Of course, we were bribing her with vanilla wafers......we should have given her a sign that said "Will walk for food". I can't believe she's walking before her first birthday....she just turned 11 months on Monday!! Wow!! She really is growing up way too fast!! Brady didn't walk until about two weeks after his birthday and Hudson didn't walk until he was 13 months - he actually took his first steps the day after he had tubes put in his ears. Watch out Brady & Hudson 'cause Ella is on the loose!!


Yeah!! I can do this!


Ella & Unlce Emmit after a long night of walking for everyone!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Moms and Moms to be! I had a very special Mother's Day. Thanks to my wonderful husband for the bathrobe, lotions, and the much needed pedicure and massage....(and for the oil painting for the mantel, which was really a present to myself!) Not only was today Mother's Day, but it was Ella's baby dedication at our church. She was so sweet during the dedication. When they were reading her life verse and the meaning or her name she let out the sweetest little cackle and began clapping....it was priceless. After church we went to my Mom's for lunch. It was a great day of relaxation and watching the kids do what they do best.....PLAY!! I tried to get a good family picture but of course none of my children would cooperate. And of course I got not one single picture of Ella's dedication. I honestly don't know how that happened. I guess it's called having three children four and under....somethings gotta give somewhere. Happy Mother's Day!!

The only decent picture I got of all of us.

My sweet little Ella!

Daddy's little girl!!

Shouldn't this be mommy napping on Mother's Day??

It was impossible to get a picture of all three of them.....I tried for at least 30 minutes and then finally gave up! Brady & Hudson we're not interested in having there picture made....they just wanted to play with their cousins.

Picnic at Roosevelt

This morning after Brady's t-ball game, we headed to Roosevelt State Park for his end of the year picnic with his preschool class. The day was filled with lots of fun activities like playtime at the playground, relay games, a picnic lunch, fishing, tug-a-war, and a visit to the deer pen. We had such a fun day!! However, it was such an emotional time for so many of us moms. It was fun to watch our kids play and interact with their friends, but it was also a reminder that all good things at some point and time must come to an end. As we watched Mrs. Jenkins open her gift, we realized that our "babies" we're growing up and moving on to 4K next year. Now, for most of us that wasn't the issue. It was the realization that we had to leave Mrs. Jenkins and move on to a new teacher - yikes!! We are all very blessed to have had Mrs. Jenkins and it makes us sad that we have to say "good-bye". You see, there is no other teacher like her and no one will ever be able to measure up to her standards! So please pray for us and that we will have another good teacher and good year next year in 4K. Enjoy the pics from our fun day with our family and friends!

"

Family Fun Night

Brady has the most AWESOME preschool teacher!! Their cannot be a better teacher than Mrs. Jenkins. She truely LOVES the kids and it shows in everything she does. Several times throughout the year she gets all of the families in her class together for family fun days. {She also makes it a point to come to the kids birthday parties - did I mention what a great teacher she is??? } Brady's K4 teacher is going to have some "BIG" shoes to feel! I could go on and on about how wonderful she is, but that's not what this post is about. Anyway, last Friday night was one of the family fun nights at Sonic, which has a great playground. We had lots of fun visiting with Mrs. Jenkins and the other kids and their families!! So much fun that we got there at 5:00 p.m. and didn't leave until leave until about 9:30 pm. Here are a few pics from the night! (This weekend the class is going on a family picnic and fishing trip to Roosevelt State Park so I'll post those next week).

Mrs. Jenkins, Brady, & the class on their class trip down the slide!




Hudson & Mrs. Jenkins - he's already praying for her to be his K3 teacher

Mrs. Jenkins' Class - the older boy & girl are her children

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Brady started playing t-ball this year and Andy is his coach, and I must admit he does a GREAT job with those kids. It takes lots of patience, which Andy has a lot of with these kids. It really is nothing but "organized chaos". Okay, I must admit they are precious; however, picture 20 four year olds (10 per team) running all over the field at the same time with one mission -to get the ball!! I don't even know why they put them in positions, because they all end up at the center of the field on the pitcher's mound - it's priceless!! The hardest thing about Brady playing t-ball and Andy coaching is Hudson doesn't understand why he can't get out on the field and play with his big brother and daddy. I spend most of the game chasing him or trying to find ways to distract him so he won't run out on the field. Things will be much easier when Hudson is a little older and they can play on the same team!

Wow! What a hit!

Every good ball player stays well hydrated!

Hey, hit it to me...I'm ready!!

Brady, Nathan, & Ashton - preschool pals!

My nephew, Jacob - anxiously awaiting his turn to bat.

Hudson & my brother's girlfriend (aka Aunt Jennifer)

She helps entertain Hudson during the games!!

Brady's biggest fan...Ella!! Go bubba!!