Matt's 34th Birthday...

Saturday we had a fun-filled day with friends celebrating Matt's 34th birthday...

The kids and I couldn't wait for Matt to leave on his bike ride Saturday morning so we could decorate for him...Anna Lauren knew exactly what she wanted to do, and I let her do it!  She was so proud of her poster she made for her Daddy!

Anna Lauren was having no part of Daddy taking a shower before he opened his presents and cards...so...he opened away sweaty and all!

All he wanted for his birthday...new flip flops!

After Anna Lauren's soccer game, we headed to Mexican (Matt's choice) with the Williams family to enjoy birthday lunch.  The kids were FABULOUS, and we had a super fun time!

After lunch we came home and everyone got a nap before heading to the Bounds house to cookout...the girls talked Matt into pulling them in Mr. Jeremy's bike trailer.  Too bad they are right in the sun, but here is Anna Lauren with sweet Emmy.

Rileigh was sweet and let Anna Lauren and Emmy go first and she waited and went Cooper...Cooper LOVES to ride in anything that moves!

Sweet Emmy...

 
Sassy Anna Lauren...

Then all the girls took a turn with Cooper...Rileigh thought it was a good idea for Cooper to just stay in instead of having to buckle and un-buckle him every time...such a sweet girl!

Precious Rileigh!

The birthday boy requested a cookie cake...

He had lots of helpers waiting to blow out his candles...

Could eat these three little girls up...for the most part, they are so good together and typically play so, so sweet!

And the best part is they let Anna Lauren spend the night...she was so excited!

Got to love Rileigh's "war paint"...they got into Rileigh's make-up and had themselves a good time. Thanks Bounds family for a super fun night and especially for celebrating Matt's special day with us!

A Horrible Experience...

Our Anna Lauren is officially ready for kindergarten but the last step definitely did not come easy for her or us.  The last step was her 5 year old check up ~ urine sample, height, weight, blood pressure, hearing, vision, finger prick, and last but not least 3 shots.

We breezed through everything until the finger prick.  The lady from the lab came in to do the finger prick and she immediately started screaming LOUD..."I want Ms. Renee, Dr. Joe's nurse, I want Ms. Renee".  The nice lady from the lab went and got Ms. Renee to do the finger prick...there was some crying but nothing out of control.

Dr. Joe, who she likes, comes in for her exam.  Once it got time to examine her, she went crazy...kicking, screaming, crying..."I want my Mommy, don't put me on the table, etc".  Dr. Joe and Matt pretty much held her down and within a few minutes the exam was done.

And last but not least...the 3 shots.  Several of her friends have already gotten their shots so she knew they were coming.  We also have the kid who is very "aware" and asks many questions so there was really no way to hide this from her.  So...the nurse comes in...shots in hand.  Anna Lauren backs herself into a corner and starts screaming extremely LOUD..."please don't do this to me, please don't do this to me".  We try calming her down (wasn't going to happen) and everything else imaginable.  Finally after about 10 minutes of this craziness Dr. Joe comes in and he and Matt literally use all their strength to hold her down...Dr. Joe had her upper body and Matt her lower body.  The whole time she is screaming..."I want my Mommy, I want my Mommy".  At this point I'm crying, she's crying, it was horrible I tell you.

Whew...finally...it is all done!  Matt told Dr. Joe sorry...he said, "no worries...not even in the top 10".  Really...I cannot imagine any worse!  Then he gave me a big hug and said it was ok and we were all good until she turns 11.  Oh wait...except the flu shot every year!

After we left, she cried for a good 20 minutes...but...a new outfit and shoes for her bear from Build A Bear made it all better. 

On a happy note, she is in the 93rd percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height.  Dr. Joe predicts her to be at least 5'9"...sounds good to me!  And her hearing and vision are good!

Our Easter Weekend...

Our Easter weekend was not the "normal" Easter weekend...but...that is ok.  What really matters is that we are so blessed to serve a RISEN Savior!

This past Thanksgiving, we moved my mom to an apartment in downtown Brookhaven because she took a job as the innkeeper at The Inn (7 apartments and 7 hotel rooms).  Long story short, it ended up not being the "ideal" situation so this past weekend we moved her back to her house.  Therefore, we spent Friday, Saturday, and Easter Sunday moving mom. 

And on top of moving mom, my grandmother was sent from the hospital to the nursing home Friday for what we think will be a brief period of time in order for her to get therapy/back on her feet so she can go back home.  Now...this is somewhat hard for everyone as my 83 year old grandmother worked everyday and was still driving up until January.  She would probably still tell you she is going back to work...

So...lots going on with my family but we managed to get everything done as well as have a little fun with family.



Saturday morning we went with Bently to an Easter egg hunt...here Anna Lauren and Bently are listening to the "rules" before the hunt begins...

Enjoying hunting Easter eggs...

Daddy and Cooper hunting eggs...

We typically stay at home for Santa and the Easter Bunny...but like I said, this year was a little different.  Anna Lauren made this carrot at school so we took it with us to Nanna's so the Easter Bunny would know there was a little girl and boy at Nanna's that he needed to stop and see...

And guess what...the Easter bunny found Anna Lauren's basket...

And Cooper's basket...

Cooper was all smiles Easter morning...he thought it was great fun going through his basket!

As was Anna Lauren...

Cooper loving his bubble gun!

Reid, Brad, Paula, and Jake...

Good thing Christy is taking pictures of the kids in May...this was the best we got!

Love this picture of our little man!

Family picture "craziness"...

I actually do kind of like this one...love Anna Lauren looking at Cooper!

And enough is enough!

Weekend Soccer Games...

Anna Lauren had a soccer game on Friday night and Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from Friday night because when I got to the game, I realized my camera battery was dead from our cruise.

Half way through Friday night's game, Anna Lauren got upset because she had not scored a goal.  We encouraged her and told her  she wouldn't score every game and just had to keep trying.  She went back out and scored...the frown turned upside down and there were smiles!  It didn't end there...a little boy on the other team was let's just say an "athlete"...he was fast, and he scored on her...she did not handle that well.  There was then a meltdown...he is faster than me, he keeps scoring, and so on.  Matt and I again encouraged her and told her it was going to happen...whew...at 4 we were not prepared for that...we have been so "this is fun" mind set...trying to let her play and just enjoy it before it becomes so competitive.

Then there was a new day and a new game...Saturday morning was a fun time...she scored 4 goals and was all smiles thinking she was "something"!

Scoring her first goal of the game...

Almost to the goal...

And she scores...

Cruise Vacation Day 1 ~ New Orleans

Last Saturday morning, we dropped the little man in Brookhaven (yes, I cried when I left him) and headed to New Orleans to board Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas for the next 7 nights.  Matt and I LOVE to cruise so we had "cruise fever" and decided what better excuse than Anna Lauren's 5th birthday to go on another cruise and not to mention Royal Caribbean had this particular ship in New Orleans for a brief period...we couldn't resist!

Anna Lauren sitting on the curb in front of Tim and Beth's house waiting on her first taxi ride...Tim and Beth were kind enough to let us park at their house, which saved us from having to pay to park in long term parking.

Not sure if she is more excited about riding in a taxi or going to the cruise terminal...

We were at our last check point before walking onto the ship and the computers went down...so...Daddy and Anna Lauren entertained themselves while we waited 30 minutes or so...

Anna Lauren's 1st stop on the ship...the pool!  And yes, it was FREEZING cold but her Daddy agreed to swim with her.  It was a short swim because like I said, it was FREEZING!

She then found her way to the kid pools, which didn't seem as cold...

Our first night at dinner...Anna Lauren with Ms. Laura, our waiter for the week.  She was truly treated like a princess all week!