The Escapees

Ford is making progress! He is actually trying to escape us and venture to different rooms! 

It only took about 10 minutes for that little booty to scoot around the corner.:)

This is Olivia when she used all fours to venture as an escapee. 

Both of their little scootin' hineys are the cutest I've ever seen...

Cheap Entertainment

Need some entertainment for your one year old so you can get some yard work done? Get a BIG tupperware bowl filled with water and ice cubes and you can get LOTS of things done in the yard.

Are Hays and I guilty of this??? Maybe, but he had the time of his life.

My Treasures

Okay, so they're not really MY treasures but God is loaning them to me for a little while. How undeserving I am to be loaned such beautiful treasures. I will cherish every moment I have with them and watch what beautiful children they grow into being. They are only a little of God's beautiful handiwork.

Thank you, Lord for loaning me these children that are even more precious than gold.

Long Weekend with the Nano

Our Nano came to spend a long weekend with us and spoiled us all rotten! We kept busy going to the park and having a picnic, visiting the zoo and having a picnic, grocery shopping, grilling out, going on lots of walks and tricycle rides, having a mommy/nano spa day, mommy/daddy date night, a picnic in the living room on Sunday while it poured outside and list goes on and on. 

If you don't have a Nano like ours, you should really snatch ya up one....but you can't have ours, she's taken!

Nano and her babies, she's only missing two others.

Nano is one of two of Olivia's favorite people. She was tickled pink (or blue, as she would want me to say) to have her Nano to herself for a few days.

You can't tell, can you???

Train ride at the zoo. Doesn't Ford look thrilled to be hanging with 3 women all day....poor thing was out numbered as always.

m-o-m-m-a-s BOY!

This momma ain't complaining.

Do you see what Nano's will do for their baby girls....play in the pretend rain...all weekend.

The umbrella kept making an appearance all weekend except for the one time it actually came a down pour on the way out of church and it was no where to be found.....hmmmmmmm.

Grocery shopping scene from now on....

Nano, we miss you already! Come back when you can!

Progress

Drum roll please.....yes, indeed we have a crawler. At 14 months old with two sessions of physical therapy, praying, worrying, worrying, and more worrying, praying some more, lots and lots of floor time, motivation from absolutely everybody and enticing with toys, food and whatever else we thought would encourage, we finally have a crawler!!!

I wouldn't say that he is moving ninety to nothing from room to room but if he sees a toy he wants bad enough he will muscle up the energy and motivation to crawl and get it with a sorta half crawl with one leg folded under him type dragging motion.

Nonetheless, it is moving and we are so proud!!

He even looks proud of himself!

We go back to physical therapy in the morning so we hope Miss Jessica gives him a big pat on the back.

iPhone Dump

Today, we are having an iphone dump. Sometimes to keep up, a dumping process just has to happen.

What better way to start off a spring afternoon than with a good ole popsicle?

We have a little girl that loves her bomb pops.

 And this little guy is following in her footsteps. 

First bomb pop was a big hit.

Sometimes there is just too much coolness going on in my backseat for me to handle. 

This is one of those days.

Have I mentioned that we are going to Disney in our pop up?

Well, we made the mistake of telling this excited 3 year old the big news. So now I hear about the camper, Cinderella and Mickey Mouse on a daily basis. #bigmistake

The camper is apparently a "he" that gets checked on quite often....heartbeat and all......

I'm assuming this is preparation for the camping trip. 

We have found her multiple times on the floor sleeping....nap and night time.

Oh, brother....we're in for a LONG month.

Some days (well, a lot of days) I feel like that too, sissy. 

Some days call for hiding behind a hat and staying in jammies for as long as possible.

Do you see the smiling guilty one on the left of your screen???

I escaped for a quick shower one morning only to come back and find Ford belly flopped on the couch attacking Olivia for a chocolate donut....never a dull moment.

Sissy proceeded to get to the opposite end of the couch and cover herself with pillows.

We are learning the boy will do anything for food, especially chocolate.

We have been busy preparing for our carefree summer! 

Ahhhhh what a great feeling.

We have a "bucket list" of activities/crafts for this summer that I cannot wait to start.

Fridays are our treat days around here. Last Friday we visited the library and got treats at Great American Cookie. I had two excited little ducklings with me.

Care Bear has been venturing outside of the house with us lately. She went to the park today and momma Bear gave her a little swingin'.

She'll be a good momma one day (many, many, many, many moons from now).

Hays and I got away Saturday with some friends for some sloppin' in the mud at the Warrior Dash. And sloppin' is exactly what we did. We had mud from head to toe. Although, we are all a little sunburned and sore we had a great time running through puddles, climbing walls, leaping over fire, swimming in a lake and army crawling through mud under a barbed wire fence. A great time was had by all!!!

So that's my iPhone dump for now....until next time.

My Cup Truly Runneth Over

Some days I can barely keep my head above water. I'm sure ALL mothers know what I mean when you feel like you're not sure that hitting the sack will ever come. Some days can feel like an eternity that is overcome with mountains of laundry, screaming babies, toddlers that won't poop in the potty, both kids napping at different times, a house that looks like a tornado came thru, intended healthy suppers that never happen that are replaced with whatever we can find at the spur of the moment not to mention ever getting exercising in or a split moment to yourself.  BUT those obstacles are overcome and filled with so much joy from being a mother. I would not trade my tornado looking house or the countless poop mishaps for anything. Yeah, some days are really rough BUT most days are filled with smiling babies, toddlers saying "I love you, mommy" or "I'm YOUR guurrlll", hugs and kisses from both, an understanding and helping husband , play time that could go on for hours and the sweet sweet sounds of children's laughs and giggles. 

My cup runneth over.

It has been beautiful weather so we had the new big brother over to play.

Love these two. 

You see this grin and you can't help but know you are blessed.

Spring has sprung and so has spring cleaning around our house. This is what was going on as her closet was being gutted.

Then we had an outfit change. This girl lights up our days and keeps us chuckling.

This little guy had his first physical therapy visit. We didn't get great news but it's not anything that can't be fixed with a little (or a lot) of tummy time. So that is exactly what we have been doing. Lots and lots of tummy time. He's saying "really, mom, come on! Give me a little break."

Lots of tummy time calls for some much needed rest. This is after he slept from 7pm-9am. That never happens!

Tricycle rides are a must every afternoon and some mornings.

(notice the Care Bear that got to tag along)

I was informed that Care Bear had to go to the park with us because she wanted to slide and sliding is exactly what she did.:)

Thank you, Lord for filling my cup each and every day. 

Trip Down Memory Lane

We get Easter pictures taken every year and it is so much fun to look at them every year and see how much they change and grow.

Easter 2010

I remember this day like yesterday. Being a first time mom, I was a nervous wreck thinking everything wasn't just right.

Isn't she just adorable with those bunnies?

Easter 2011

One of my all time favorites.

Easter 2012

I think Ford was all of a month old.

Easter 2013

They both look so grown. Olivia was busy feeding the carrot to the bunny while Ford was busy feeding the carrot to himself!

3 Year Interview

I thought it would be fun to ask Olivia these same questions every year around her birthday and see how the answers change.

What is your name?

Olivia

How old are you?

Three. Holding up all fingers on her left hand.

What is your favorite color?

Blue.

Who is your best friend?

Wil (no hesitation).

What is your favorite animal?

Elephants and giraffes.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A tiger. (usually the answer is a blue tiger)

What is your favorite book?

The Berenstain Bears.

What is your favorite movie?

Calliou.

What makes you happy?

God.

What makes you sad?

Mommy. (lots of disciplining going on this day) :(

What is your favorite food?

Eggs.

What is your favorite song?

The princesses. (we play the princess songs on our phone and it has a picture of all the princesses)

What is you favorite game?

A puzzle.

Write your name.

Can I just keep her 3 forever...........

A Celebration

We are celebrating the most precious gift from our Lord, a baby!

We are rejoicing with Matt, Amberly and Wil Franklin as they welcome a new baby boy, James "Henry" Collins. He was born on Friday, April 5th weighing 7 pounds and 6 ounces and is 20" long.

Welcome, sweet baby Henry!

You are loved more than you will ever know.

Update on the Buddha

Yes, I am have been guilty of calling Ford a little Buddha ever since he started sitting up as a itty bitty baby. Why? Because he sits straight up when playing on the floor with his legs crossed and doesn't go anywhere! So...the little Buddha will start physical therapy in the near future to encourage some movement. The doctor is convinced that there is nothing physically wrong with him, he just has a very laid back, easy going personality and is in no hurry to get anywhere. We'll keep you updated on progress being made.

He sure does make up for his lack of movement in cuteness though. 

Easter 2013

We had a great Easter and pray that everyone was able to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. 

Living He loved me. Dying He saved me. Buried He carried my sins away. He justifies freely forever.  One day He's coming. Oh glorious day! Oh glorious Day!

The Easter bunny hopped by to pay Olivia and Ford a visit. 

The Easter bunny got no help from the peanut gallery. 

The kids and I went to Memphis Wednesday thru Saturday. It was a nice visit. This is the only picture I got the entire time. Four kids in the same household can be a bit much.

Pops reading the bedtime story to the middle two. I'm not sure who's having a better time, pops or the two kids.....

Olivia was so excited about what the bunny, rabbit as she says, brought her. If you look closely in their baskets you will notice some Mickey and Minnie goodies. Yep, the first trip to Disney World will happen in May in the pop up camper. We will have two happy little campers on our hands and I am so excited.

I am convinced that a decent family photo may very possibly NEVER happen. I guess we will never forget our reality with a one and three year old.

These kinds of pictures are more fun anyway, right???

Poor Ford was sick and running fever and his mean mom made him dress up anyway to get some quick pictures. On another note, I now see why people give me strange looks in the grocery and at the park, my children look almost the same age. I think I might start smiling and saying yes, they were born 9 months apart.:) 

My precious babies. 

Cousins. 

Soon, very soon there will be one added to the mix.:)

Sooo excited about the millionth Easter egg hunt. Can you tell they both had their share of candy already?

I think this is the ONLY time they sat still the whole day.

What a privilege it is to celebrate the resurrection of my King. I am so thankful He paid the ultimate price for an undeserving sinner such as me. Happy Easter!