The Pool is Open

With the 80 plus temperature, Scott got in the mood to open the pool. I am super thankful. I was getting tired of looking at a leaf covered tarp everytime I looked out my back window. Now you may ask what in the world Scott is doing skimming the pool in his suit. I too asked the this question. We came home from church this afternoon and he went out to put in chemicals and decided to get some leaves out while he was at it.

Levi is ready to go swimming, but he is going to have to wait a few more weeks until the water warms up.

Daughter or Doily

Ladies conference always has an area set up where women from different churches set up booths and sell items that they have made...normally hairbows. A friend of mine had a booth where she was selling items that she had crocheted. Check out the outfit that I got for Millie. It is absolutly adorable. It is a two piece outfit (a long top and bloomers) Hopefully she will be able to wear it in the fall and winter. I think that it would be too hot for summer.

When Scott and the kids picked me up from the chruch I had him take me to hobby lobby so that I could buy some ribbon to make a matching bow. I personnaly think that she is absolutely adorable!

Levi is also wearing a new suit, so he wanted his picture taken also. Now you may think that I buy too many new outfits for my children, but in my defense they are both growing like crazy and it is the changing of the seasons. I have no choice in the matter. I have to buy them new clothes. I do look for bargains. Levi's suit was on a clearance rack for $15.

Ladies Conference

This weekend was the annual ladies conference in Indy. As usualy we took a van load of women and girls up on Friday and came home on Saturday. We had a great time, it was also the weekend of the Annual Firefighters Training Convention, I just have to say, not all firefighters look like they do in the calendars or on TV. :) One firefighter held the door to our hotel open for us and we had to turn sideways so that we would not touch his belly. The girls were dieing laughing. Too much fun.

On Saturday we stopped to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum Yum!!! I love this place. The weather was beautiful so we ate outside. We were seated at 1:30 pm and did not get up to leave until 4 pm. Without kiddos screaming and running around you really don't realize how long you have been there.

Sister Seniour and I eagerly waiting for our food. Ella and Rachel acting goofy as always. Sis. Sarah ordered a BLT salad and this is what came. It was delicious. It had a Bacon Dressing on it....I can still taste it now. If you have never been you really have to try it out. It is soooo good. And you have to get cheesecake while you are there. I recommend the Craigs Crazy Carrot Cake Cheesecake or the Lemoncello Cream Torte. Both are delicious.

Learning to Ride

Levi is looking forward to this summer when he will finally turn 8 and finally be able to ride on Pap's Harley. Millie, her sights are not set so high. She is happy to be able to get a small bike at CMO and believe me when somebody else is on one of the 2 small bikes we all know about it.

She has been riding like this for a while now, but today she was discovering what the pedals are for.

We are going to get her a bike for her birtday in July.

Oh the Places They'll Go

1. I was on the patio and I called for Levi to come in for dinner and I heard him say just a minute. I looked, but could not find him. Then I looked up, this is what I found. When he came in the back of his pant leg was torn clear up past his knee. (pair number 3 of jeans that are being thrown away due to "boy")

2. Saturday, I was washing dishes and Millie was playing, running back and forth between her room and the kitchen. It became quiet and I went looking for her. Bathroom - not there, my room - not there, living room - not there. Walking back to the kitchen I noticed Levi's door to upstairs was cracked open. I went up and looked and didn't see her. I then heard some giggling coming from the bathroom....this is where I found her.

3. The other night I couldn't sleep (what else is new). I got up to go to the living room to read for a little bit. I walked in turned on the light and this is what I found. I thought a pirate was sleeping on my couch.

My children...what can I say?

Little Cleaners

Tuesday evening has now become my cleaning night. Scott is usually up in Greenwood playing basketball in a 30 and over league (They really should just call it the old guy league). I usually fix something easy for the kiddos to eat and then get busy. The other day Levi joined in on the action which cause Millie to want to "clean" also. She went into the bathroom and got a washcloth and started dusting everything.


Picking up Millie's room (above) and sweeping the living room (below) he choose to vacuum over cleaning the toilets. I have to say I don't blame him. Millie decided to take a break from dusting (above) and was picking up one toy that Levi left behind (below) Hopefully the helping will keep up.

A new outfit

Grandma has been busy sewing......clothes that is. She usually is making curtains or drapes or something like that, but she found some really cute fabric and decided to make Millie Bug some new outfits. I hear she is working on some for Judah and Gideon also. Levi is a little too old for seer-sucker clothes.

Millie really just wanted to lay down for a nap, but I pressed forward and made her try the new outfit on, so this is what I get picture wise.

Easter Celebration

Well Millie was a little sick, but she was a trooper. Thankfully the diarrhea didn't start until Sunday night. We had a wonderful service, I had a great Sunday School class, a fun egg hunt, a yummy family dinner, and a restfull Sunday night.

Checking out their baskets.

Finding Easter Eggs. Once she got the idea that she was supposed to pick up the eggs and there was something in them most of the eggs were gone, but we had fun anyway. Levi got enough for both of them.

Trying to get a family picture. Levi is laughing, Millie wanting to go home.
Levi goes from one extreme to another, millie picking her nose.
Oh forget it, just strike a pose and smile.



What a difference a year makes. Easter 2008 - Easter 2009

The Children's Museum

I have been wanting to take Levi to the Children's Museum for a while, but with such an age difference between him and Millie I just didn't see it working out to well. Our time to go came when mom and dad took Millie for a few days last week. It worked out even better when Jacob got to come along too. They both had a blast. Especially when they got to see the new Star Wars exhibit.

These are Lego creations.

Levi was too scared to get his picture taken next to the mummy. Jacob doesn't look to sure either.

All three "boys" took a ride on the carousel that was originally built in 1917. Very cool.

There is also an exhibit "The Power of Children" where it takes you through the lives of Ruby Bridges, Ryan White, and Anne Frank. There wasn't a lot of talking or playing, but both of the boys were interested and asked quite a few powerful questions. Some of which were hard to answer.

Have Mercy - just get me home.

It is now 12:30 am......Happy Easter. I have just finished up getting ready for tomorrow. We have to be at church around 8 am (praying Millie will not be sick). I am usually more organized but this week I have been off. So I found myself out at the good ol Wal Mart at 8:30 pm trying to get up the makings of an easter basket for the kiddos and to get what I needed for the family dinner tomorrow.

Just in case you are wondering Wal Mart is not the place to be on the Eve of Easter in the Easter basket sections. People are pushing people just to get to the one last bag of plastic eggs, searching for a basket that does not cost an arm and a leg, and frantically searching for a chocolate bunny that is not broken. I finally gave up and just got some playdough. (I needed some for my First Steps clients....multi purpose gifts). Now off to the grocery section.......

Plates, napkins, cups, dinner rolls, and drinks. If you thought the easter section was bad, well the grocery is worse. Every mother, aunt, grandma, cousin, sister.....was out buying the ingredients for the big dinner. It was mass confussion and most of the shelves were close to empty. I wanted to buy matching napkins and plates, but I have ended up with blue flowerd plates (all that was left) and birds nest napkins. It will have to do.

I just wanted to get home, but I needed panty hose.....I make it to the isle and try to get my hose, but I can't because there is a man bending down right in front of all the hosieries talking on the phone. I listen in, "Honey there are too many, what kind do you need?" Yes the husband got suckered in to going out and buying his wife some new hose to wear to church the next morning.

I just want to go home. I grab my hose and head for the check out. I pay and head home. I pull into the driveway when I remembered that I was supposed to buy a part for the computer at church. So I put the van in reverse and go to the other Wal Mart (we have two) get my wireless router and finally head home to stuff eggs, make baskets, press clothes, wash hair, get music together, and collapse.

So now I am in bed, but my dad's night owls genes are taking over and not letting me get to sleep.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter! Remember it is not about the Easter Bunny,egg hunts, and new outfits (although my family is coordinating tomorrow).

He's ALIVE, He's ALIVE, Death has lost the victory and the grave has been denied!!!!

Way to go Carrie!!!

Carrie's trip to Indiana was not just to celebrate Lexie's birthday, it was also to show off her new body. She has lost 100 pounds!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited for her goal is to loose 80 more. Keep up the good work Carrie!

Before - this is the only picture that I could find of Carrie. If you look really close you can see her in the background. I know it is hard to see past the adorable Levi. :)

After- Here she is 100 pounds lighter!

They are going home Thursday and we will miss them. Hopefully they will work out a way to move to Indiana soon!!!

Lexie's Question

Living in Florida, Lexie doesn't know all her Indiana family that well. This became very apparant when she asked Uncle Nicky if Cammie and Ceara were both his daughters? When he said yes she then asked, "Why is one white and one brown?" We all just cracked up laughing.




Cammie and Ceara are as different as night and day (no pun intended) as Sara Jane and I are.

Family Fun

This weekend we celebrated Lexie's 5th and Christopher's 11th birthdays. Lexlie was thrilled with her new hoola hoop and Christopher was super excited over his hardbound book of American Presidents and picture of Calvin Coolidge (our 31st president...I think). Ask him any question you want about presidents and he will tell you the answer. He can name them in order, tell you when they were in office, and when they were born and when they died.

After all presents were open we all gathered around the Wii and played American Idol. Even Big Nick and Millie got in on the action. We had so much fun! Everyone was laughing, singing really bad, and just having fun being together.

Millie entertained the crowd with an original rendition of "ABCs" She would sing in the mic. "a b e o e o.....YAHHHH!!!" we would then all applaud and good girl her. What would any singing competition be without "YMCA?" What a great time we had.