Under that ol' Willow...

were about half a million twigs to be picked up and an entire summer of fun just waiting to be discovered! And it didn't take but seconds for Carter and Ceili to discover what all that old tree has to offer as they were picking "food" for the worms that they had been digging!

Our parents were out of town a few weeks ago so we, I mean us and my sister and her family, all headed over to mom and dads to do a little Spring Cleaning while they were away. It turned into 8 hours of raking, piling, and for the most part just playing. The weather was absolutely perfect so we made the best of it and had a blast together.
Carter and Ceili climbing the good old cottonwood.

Ceili and Carter pitch in and do a little cleaning themselves...i mean after all this is their table! They had so much fun cleaning this little table that they actually came over and helped us clean the other patio furniture. How sweet is that?


Here's Carter taking a little break from cleaning to perfect his soccer skills

Matt and Justin were hard at work putting together the new playground that Nana and Papaw had bought for the kids. Above you can see that Carter and Ceili just couldn't wait any longer to play on it so they grabbed some tools and decided to help!

Here's Keaton testing out the new glider before it is hung!

On your mark, get set, GO!! I cannot even begin to count how many times Carter and Ceili raced down one side and then the other side of the bridge. I guess some things just never get old.

And after a long day of cleaning and playing we all left...still loving one another!!

She's BEAUTIFUL

This is my Granny and she is just beautiful. But her beauty is far more than red lipstick and painted nails. Here is what makes her one of the most beautiful women I know.

she's my granny * her smile * her long pretty fingers that look so much like my moms that it isn't even funny * Coal Miners Cake * trips to "down home" * 4th of July parties * my first airplane ride * her hard-work and determination as a mother * her home-made flower pot dinner rolls * apple trees * back porch sits * how the smoke detector went off every time something good was being baked * her ability to play the piano * her poems * jewelry * her leather car seats in the summer sun * listening to "old" country music * her laugh * fireworks in the court * Kings Island trips * the lamp in the back bedroom that always seemed to amaze me with its ability to have either the top/bottom/or both bulbs lit * sleep overs * her willingness to always help her family * little jars in her bathroom filled with cotton balls * her cookie jar * Peach Faygo * Christmas Salad * hardwood floors with our socks on * three little blue ceramic singing angles on her front coffee table * buckeyes * Norman Rockwell plates * bubble lights on her Christmas tree * her quilts * the way she bends her head down and shakes it when she is laughing * letters sent to me during college * her afghans * slip on shoes * her handwriting * brass bed * well water * round ice cubes * waking up from a sleep over to the smell of breakfast and morning coffee * for always making it to at least one or more of my games per season * her flower garden * her love for her church * bird watching * her love for the great-grandchildren * her pecan pie * sitting by the fireplace during winter * for always being an involved grandparent and simply because she's my granny!!

Happy 70th Birthday Granny!
I love you!

~Happy Spring~

Here's to warmer weather, opened windows, fresh cut flowers and playing outside!!

Keys Please

I just have to post this before I forget. This evening while I was cooking dinner Carter was playing by himself in the loft. Every few minutes, since Matt wasn't home, I would ask Carter if he was doing okay. He would yes and I would keep on cooking. Then about 10 minutes later I heard his little feet walking so softly down the stairs and into the kitchen. He started opening up drawers looking for something. He then said, "mom, keys please". So, I opened the drawer where I hide his play keys and handed them to him. He was off to play. Which usually means that any minute I will hear him pretending to be a fire truck or dump truck or something else along those lines. But not tonight, he was quite and I was still cooking. I thought better of it and ran upstairs to see what he was doing.

Well, I have this little gate to keep him in his room at night but I usually leave it up most of the day. As I got to the top of the stairs this is what I saw. Carter had his keys in hand trying to "unlock" the baby gate. He was holding his keys up to the screw and using them like a screwdriver. He said, "mom, help me." So while he was still trying desperately to unlock it with his keys I bent over and opened the gate. He was so completely excited when it opened that he ran into his room saying, "it worked, it worked". He truly had no clue that the keys had nothing to do with the gate opening. For all he knew the keys worked. Finally! we have been wondering what the keys have gone to forever now. Apparently they belong to the baby gate. Kind of cute and really funny!!

Happy Monday!!

Don't we all feel like this on an occasional Monday morning!?!

PS....I miss his hair!! This was taken last Monday morning prior to the big cut. It was actually this particular morning hair that made me think that something just had to be done....it was out of control.

Such a BIG boy

Call me crazy because I don't really know what I was thinking but this past week I must have had a Spring itch. On Sunday, I felt a sudden urge to move Carter into a big boy bed and do away with his cute cuddly nursery and give him a room that screams Carter. If you know him well, then you know that means cars, trains, and virtually anything else with wheels. And if you know me well, then you know that I just cannot simply move anything. It really means that I had to clean out three closets, move the furniture, reorganize and have Matt climb into the attic to create more shelves so that I could store more stuff.

Then on Monday I made the decision, which has since become my biggest motherhood regret to this point, to cut Carters hair. Ok, so I am not completely happy with it and I just pray that it will grow back quickly. But I guess it is like they say "you will never know until you try it". With all that said here are a few pictures of my mid-winter, almost spring, must get reorganized madness.

Carter loves sitting in this little leather chair (garage sale find $7) while he reads books to Nutzy...yes he has since added a "y" to bears name.
Carter was so excited to show off his new room that he ran downstairs grabbed Nutzy and walked Nutzy (yes, picture a stuffed bear walking up the stairs one by one) up to his new room screaming "my room, my room". I think he was just a little proud. I just wish I would have caught it on video and that that this silly picture was in focus. Oh well, you get what you get.

Carter loves playing on his track carpet that Aunt Traci and Uncle Tim got him for his birthday. It makes for the cutest little area rug as well!!

Just a picture of Carter swinging at the park today since it was like 60...made for a nice little ending to my week of spring renewal.

The Childrens Museum

Last week, my sister Shawna was in town visiting with the kids and my other sister Holly's baby was turning one. So we took advantage of our time together and took the kiddos to the Children's Museum. Here are just a few pictures of all the fun things we got to do while we were there!

Who would have thought that Carter would enjoy watching all the model trains?!?
Here are a few of Carter and Keira splashing around in Playscape!

There's the birthday boy! Happy Birthday Mr Keaton!!

Carter loves climbing, jumping, running so Playscape was the perfect place for him!

Nana, Carter, Keira and Auntie Nawna enjoy a nice little carousel ride.

Here is the newest little addition to our family, Kalen James!!

Keira, Carter, and Ceili donned the little dinosaur outfits and jumped into a nest of dino eggs! Aren't those little costumes just too funny?