School Days

We started school again last week so one day, we went outside to take some school pictures!

 1st grader!!

 She had her own ideas for some poses and props. :)

How is it that "1st grade" sounds so much older than "kindergarten"?!

On Broadway!


Several weeks ago, Chris and Laura Anne had a daddy/daughter date at Chick-fil-A. We love our Chick-fil-A and take part in their special events whenever we can. While they were there, they won tickets to see and upcoming show! Beauty and the Beast!!! How crazy exciting!!!

So that's where the 2 of them are as I write this. I can only imagine what the experience is like for a 6-year-old!

Here are some pictures of this special day!


The tickets!! Woohoo!



Her fancy 'do



We had to get dinner together for Chick-fil-A appreciation day!! The kids and I stayed in the van to avoid all the chaos inside. :)



Here they are, about to leave!

Chris texted me this picture of Laura Anne in the theater before the show started. How excited she must've been!!

I can't wait until they get home and she can tell me all about it!

Officially Unofficial

We officially have 2 unofficial pets. Laura Anne found this cute little peewee (baby lizard) inside the house last week. We let it go outside but it lives in a plant right by the front door. His name is Herman. Peewee Herman. ;o)

 And this cute little kitty is Wubbzy III. In case you didn't remember, there was a black cat that hung around Granny's house when we lived with her for a short time 3 years ago. Laura Anne named him Wubbzy. Then there was cat that hung around our house when we lived in Deltona and that was Wubbzy as well. So of course, when this kitty started hanging around, Laura Anne immediately wanted to name him Wubbzy. It stuck, and Wubbzy is outside our door everyday. Poor little guy. He's really skinny and has the sweetest personality. I don't think he gets food from anyone else because every time I open the door, he's right there. So yes, I caved and started buying him some cat food and he loves me now.

It's kind of funny to me that cats seem to be drawn to us, considering 2 of us have cat allergies. This is the closest we'll ever get to having a cat as a pet!

Proud Moment

I had to buy this shirt for Laura Anne a few weeks ago. See, if you know my girl, she's always singing. While she's playing, while she's getting dressed, while she's in the restroom, etc. She always has a song on her lips. So I bought her this shirt (yes, it was on sale!), and the next day I asked her if she wanted to wear it. Her reply was, "yes, but that's not my life. God is my life."

That's my girl. <3

Brothers

Sigh. I love my boys.

Learning

Someone is learning how to write his name.

Toothpicks

She did this with no prompting from me. :)

Spring Is Here!

I'm excited about this year. March is over, and while it was a very busy, the rest of our year will be anything but boring! Tonight we get to take the kids to a baseball game! I love going to baseball games. It just feels like the All-American thing to do. :)

In May, Chris and I will be celebrating our 9th anniversary and we will be taking a weekend getaway to Orlando! I'm so excited!

And all things wedding are filling my brain lately because my dear little sister's wedding in October! I'm thrilled that I get to help her decorate and plan for her special day. I'm also excited because I ordered my maid of honor (I don't like the word "matron") dress in a size smaller than I thought I would! :D

I will try to pop in occasionally to share a picture or two with you. Don't give up on me yet! ;o)

Bye bye baby....

...tooth!

Recap

So here's what you missed:

Laura Anne had a birthday!

Caleb's big Christmas gift this year was a train table with lots of Thomas the train tracks and engines to go with it.

Laura Anne's big Christmas gift was a bike!

On more than one occasion, I caught Stellan on the table nibbling off of our gingerbread house!

We visited with cousins and grandparents in Jacksonville

I couldn't resist a picture opportunity because the 3 boys were all wearing Cars shirts. :)

In January, we had a great family day at a playground, and then had a picnic at a park. It was beautiful.

I'm hoping to be able to stay caught up with the 'ole blog. We'll see if that works out. Does anyone even read it anymore? .....hello? (crickets chirping)

Happy Holidays!

You won't normally hear me say "happy holidays" but I am trying to cover my bases. I missed Christmas and New Year's on the blog, and since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I'm including that, too. :)

These three adorable little people are keeping me busy this year. We're moving right along through LA's kindergarten year of homeschooling. Caleb is learning more, too and we are still doing occasional experiments and hands-on activities. They both love those so much so it 's definitely time well spent.

Laura Anne turned 6 in December (what?!) and has her first loose tooth!

Caleb will be 4 soon and is a super sweet heart. His favorite thing right now is Tim Tebow!!

Stellan is 18 months old and really showing us his personality lately. He's a very stubborn and strong-willed boy with a temper to boot, but he has a marshmallow side, too that makes him irresistable. :)

This year will be a busy one! In March, my sister is graduating from her internship and the next day, Chris and I are taking the 2 older kids to Disney World for their first time! Also in March, is the Gate River Run which I will be running in! After a few attempts at it, I'm hoping to finally finish my first 15k! The weekend after that, Chris and I are going to Orlando to see Dave Ramsey! Awesome!

Later this year are wedding festivities! As you may remember, my little sister is getting married in October! Not only am I her matron of honor (yay!), but I will be taking engagement photos for them, possibly bridal portraits for her, planning a bridal shower and helping out with decorations! I'm super excited and can't wait!

That's all for now. I only had a few minutes to let you all know I'm not dead. :)