Can you believe this??

Today is April 10th, and I took my kids swimming. Pure crazy!! The pool where we live is open, and once the kids got wind of that information, they started begging me "momma pleeeease, take us swimming" REPEAT countless times. I finally caved this afternoon and took them. The water was like ice, but that didn't stop them. They swam for a good hour, until their mouths were chattering and lips turning blue ;)

Here's to lots of swimming fun this summer!!! YEA!!!! :-)

Happy Birthday Rico!!!

Today is Rico's 36th birthday!!!

This is also the end of our spring break week, and we decided we would take a trip to the Nashville Zoo. We always keep things from the kids until the very last minute, we've learned our lesson the hard way that plans can change, and then you have heartbroken kids. So, this morning we told them the exciting news, and they were SO happy!!! :-) My parents got us a pass to the Nashville Zoo for Christmas, it's a really nice zoo, and a great way to celebrate the man's birthday ;)

They have MACKIN' play jungle for the kids. It's huge!!! We could let the kids just spend hours playing in this area...

And by kids, I mean Rico.
Hope couldn't navigate these ropes all by herself, so daddy to the rescue!!
Hi kids!!! :-)
Of course, we also had to hit the carousel!! Mr. Big stuff doesn't need a mommy or daddy with him anymore :/
Thankfully, this one still needs me. Even though she kept moving my hands off of her. I was cramping her style.
So, the zoo's land was donated by two old maid sisters, who lived in this ginormous house, and had thousands of acres. The home is still there, and you can go take tours, and read all about them. Quite fascinating!! Well, at least to Paul and I, the kids were ready to see some animals!!
So, we obliged ;)

So, there is always that day of the year that sneaks up on you. The day when you don't know or expect the temperature to be that hot or that cold. On those days, you are ill prepared, and it bites you in the rear. Today, would be the first day that I did not see the heat coming. By the time we left today, it was 88 degrees. We were hot!! Poor Hope was miserable, and I felt like a bad momma.
Daddy to the rescue, we went and bought them hats to keep the sun off their faces.
So fun to watch their faces! They just love the animals!
Especially this little guy!!!
He's also the map reader. He's all about the map! Cracks me up!
Please ignore the pasty whiteness that is me. I do believe I got a sunburn today.
And we hit the jungle play area one more time on the way out. :-)

I debated if I would share this or not, but decided I would. Paul went to go get us drinks, and the kids ran on to play. I sat down to watch the kids, and for a few moments they were out of my sight, but really there was no where for them to go to. Pierce came running to me a couple minutes later, telling me he lost Hope, and he wasn't sure where she was. So, he and I went to find her, and for the next what felt like 30 minutes, but actually was about 3 minutes, I did not see her. I started to frantically say her name, and I felt myself getting seriously panicked. I see all these children, but not her, and of course Paul was not there to help look for her. I was getting sick. Finally I see Paul, and I'm yelling "I can't find Hope, I can't find Hope" and in his calm way says "she's right behind you" I turn around and see her and start to cry, like I looney in front of all these people, I am crying. I officially was ready to go home. Of course I played the what if's in my head, and it just made me think of how fast something can happen. Praise God, it ended okay.
We came back home and had a little family celebration. Happy Birthday Paul!!! We LOVE you ;-)

Professional bowling will NEVER be in my future.

What shall we do for spring break number 4 kiddos???

LETS BOWL!!!!

Actually Paul and I planned for a while to take them bowling, we have never taken them, and Pierce has been asking for a long time to go. THEY WERE SO EXCITED!!!

First of all, why does there always have to be a show off in the group?? The one who gets the ball down the lane in a nano second, and always gets a strike or a spare?? And why can't it ever be me??? ;) Rico, was the man. Whatevs.
Pierce had a hard time figuring it out at first, but started to really get the hang of it. It was hilarious to watch him go full steam ahead with that ball.
And Hope was hilarious. Her ball would take about 10 minutes to get down the lane, but it was almost always decent!!! Hope would roll her ball down the lane, and in the meantime I would go to the bathroom, file my nails, make a couple phone calls, and look up and she'd have a strike, HA!!

So excited!!! And here I am. WORLDS WORST BOWLER.
I look decent, don't I? Don't be fooled. I am playing bumper bowling for children, and I tied with Hope. That's right, a 36 year old grown woman, playing bumper bowling tied with a 3 year old. I hang my head in shame...
While she basked in the glory.
Overall, it was a really fun time. Paul took the rest of the day off and we came home and hung out, played games, and just enjoyed being together.

Hope decided to get her pillow pet and lay down on the floor while we played some x-box. Within minutes she was out cold. She hasn't napped in such a long time, she takes cat naps when we are in the car, but never at home. It was so sweet to see her sleep right in the midst of everything. I love my babies, and it's been nice having them home this week.

Just when we think it's safe to have fun...

Spring Break day tres, and today I said, "Who's ready to go have some more fun? How about we hit the park!!!" After much cheering and rejoicing, we set out for more fun.

Sassy pants was ready to rock the playground in her digs (this was what I talked her into after crying to wear a dress, my word ;))

We met some friends. This little fella is in Hope's class.
And Pierce was ready to play with the boys, and oh what fun we were having.
Running, kicking, laughing, all is well.....
Until I see this face coming at me. Like all momma's I know just by looking at them when something is wrong, and I immediately knew that he was not feeling well. A big fat halt on the fun. Stop the fun truck, we have a problem.
And within an hour, we were at the doctor, AGAIN. He was feeling miserable, poor little fella. Turns out to be an ear infection, so here we are on another round of antibiotics and about a million dollars later, but hopefully by the morning he'll be mucho better.
Oh, and a little unrelated, just had to share this picture. Hope sound asleep wearing her shades, you can't see the drool rolling down her mouth. Hair all strewn from playing outside. What a cute mess!!! ;-)
Stay tuned!!! Spring break fun day number 4 tomorrow, HA!! I plan to blog everyday this week, I know how thrilled everyone is :-)

To dye for.

Spring break day two. No bounce houses today, but still got the drugs. I was feeling much more like myself today, and it felt so good to get back to Jazzercise, but poor Rico is in bed he feels so bad. :(

I thought today we would dye Easter eggs, and just play at home. I have other things up my sleeves for the rest of the week, and thought a day at home would be good.

The kids have been asking me for DAYS to "color the eggs" They were sooooo happy to do it today.

For some reason, I was being given the what for. ;) I actually had to tell her to put on some clothes, I get so tired of her always being naked, ha! She pulled on her purple dress with pink and zebra bow. Actually one of her better choices, ha!!!

Doesn't she look so intense? I really love that you can see her pinkie finger. A family trait :-)Here they are, the finished product!! Aren't they just to dye for?? Tee hee.

My sweet, sweet boy. He has said to me several times today, "momma this has been the best day ever, and I love you" Melt my heart!!!

Drug up, and bounce!!

Cough, Cough, Cough, HACK, Sniff, Blow, HACK, Cough, Cough..... This is the melody at our house. We've been going strong for over a week now, but I think we are starting to feel better. We're all on antibiotics, and by golly it's spring break week, we gotta have some fun!!!

There was a group of women from the church we go to, getting together to take all the kids for fun at a place called Monkey Joe's. It's actually in TN, but we are only 30 minutes from Tennessee, isn't that weird?! I scored and got a buy one get one free pass, and for 9 dollars the kids got to bounce their little hearts out. This place was huge, and really clean and nice!! So, we drugged ourselves up, and headed to BOUNCE....

Sometimes, I feel like Pierce is getting so big. I mean he's 6 1/2 now!! However, today next to all the bigger boys, he still looked like my little boy. I don't mind that one bit ;)

Crack me up, Pierce took a face dive.
Love that little hind end.
It's so good to see my kids making some friends!! Not that Hope ever lacks in that department, she just walks straight up to kids, and tells them to play with her, HA!!
We drove home in some HORRIFIC rain, we actually had to pull over on the side of the expressway for a while. Pierce was throwing up the prayers to Jesus, while I was a nervous wreck. Of course, Hope slept through it all, ha! Thank the Lord, we made it back. Here's to more fun all drugged up this week :-)

Misery.

Take a look at our counter. Actually this isn't everything either. We are all sick. Pierce missed 3 days of school last week, then Hope started, then they sweetly gave it to me, and then I of course had to share with Rico. Misery. Pray for us that we get well soon!!! Spring Break is this week for us, and we need to have some fun.