Hippity Hoppity

Yes, I know that Easter was a long time ago, but hey...give a girl some credit! I'm posting this in April...Easter was in April, right? It is still April, right?

Anyways, I have gotten out of the habit of digitally scrapbooking these events (I've been a bad, bad girl), so I thought I would take a stab at another fresh layout just for you! Tell me what you think:


And just in case you can't see the cute picture of my baby with all of the girls, here's a close up:

My poor baby doesn't stand a chance...outnumbered 5 to 1!

A fun shot of the kids racing to the next yard! Do you remember those days?

I still have another Easter layout that I need to work on...and then on to Kate's school carnival. I hope this craziness never stops! I just love taking pictures of my family--caught in the act of having a FUN time. Night ya'll.

It's Not Far Down to Paradise, At Least It's Not For Me

No, we didn't go sailing. We DID take a spontaneous day trip to my favorite place, Wilmington, North Carolina. The weather was finally warming up, and I was having some serious beach fever. I needed to see the ocean and stick my toes in some sand. I also wanted to take a stroll down the Riverwalk in downtown Wilmington. Bonus! It was Azalea Festival that weekend! This was the perfect day trip and I think everyone had a great time. I took quite a few pictures along the way, so I think I'll let them do most of the talking.

Starting out on our impromptu road trip...gotta love technology! Kate and Aaron watched movies while Mommy and Daddy listened to the Ipod in peace. I remember (back in the day) that road trips=back seat fighting between sisters!

We arrived just in time for lunch at the Dockside. It's a family tradition to eat there at least once while staying in Wrightsville Beach. It felt glorious, eating at the Marina, looking at all the yachts and fishing boats, and just basking in the sun...all while eating some yummy seafood. And this time, we purchased Kate the ever-so-popular Dockside t-shirt (pink, of course)!

Aaron was so excited to see the water and all the big boats.

He was getting a little restless before our food came, so Bryan took him for a walk on the docks.

Can you get over all these beautiful boats? Everytime I eat at the Dockside, it really makes me want to live this 'lifestyle'. Not the 'rich, luxurious' one, but the 'fun & sun' one. Unfortunately, I think you have to achieve the former to have the latter. Or...maybe we could win the lottery? Or just know someone with a boat?

Kate has my problem. She was already picking out her boat.

The coveted tables...under the blue and white umbrellas,

and with a gorgeous view of the marina.

See the bird on top of the pole? My nod to coastal wildlife.

"Mom, this has been the best lunch! But...can we go to the beach now?"

Run, Aaron, Run! Wait until you see what awaits you on the other side!

They were sooooo excited! They literally ran around in circles for a
few minutes, just taking it all in!

Priceless.

Ready?

Jump!

That was fun, Sissy!

This water is freezing, but I'm still smiling!

Katelyn got up!

Yes, Mommy was acting like a big 'ole grandma...wearing her straw hat and everything! Even though it was a sunny day, the wind made everything feel a bit cooler. I couldn't believe my kids were playing in the surf.

Aaron found Mommy's sun visor in the beach bag.

He decided to 'chill' with me, and his bag of pretzels.

Kate was still going strong!

I was just taking in the view. I love the ocean. It represents the best of God's beautiful creation. Something about all that clear/bluish water, and how it sparkles with the sun's rays.

The sky was so blue!

Bryan stayed warm by digging Aaron a hole in the sand. It was funny, because just as Bryan would shovel some sand out, Aaron would slide down into the hole, bringing more sand with him.

By the second hour, Kate and I were officially cold. We bundled up together in the beach chair to stay warm. I didn't want to leave because it was so beautiful, but eventually our need to get warm won out. So, we scrubbed off the sand at the Public Beach Access shower, and did a quick wardrobe change in the van. Off to the Riverfront for some more fun!

Love these pictures! Look at those little legs. He's just too cute.

Since it was Azalea Festival weekend, the downtown area was full of street vendors, carnival-style food, special exhibits, and live music. Oh yeah...and people. And even, the Michelin dude. Katelyn liked him...Aaron not so much.

Bryan and I usually eat at The Pilot House when we visit downtown Wilmington, but this time we decided to try someplace new. We still preferred a view of the river (shocking, I know), so we settled on The George On The Riverwalk. Bryan and I were pleased with our meals (he got shrimp and grits, and I had this amazing mahi-mahi dish...served with fried bananas), and we all loved the beautiful view.

Kate and I are happy to be in the shade and enjoying our sweet tea!

Aaron resting his little noggin for a moment. I think the activity
of the day was catching up to him.

Love you honey. Thanks for agreeing to do this thing last minute.

I hope you had as much fun as I did.

The Henrietta III. If you ever get the chance, you should take one of their cruises (we didn't today, but I've done it before).

Dessert time! We went to Kilwin's for some ice cream (Aaron got a chocolate covered pretzel).

Aaron, Kate and Bryan--getting ready to take a tour of the Peacemaker.

The Peacemaker was built in Brazil and launched in 1989. Now owned and operated by the 12 Tribes Communities.

Probably my favorite picture of the day. I love how the colors of the cotton candy match Kate's outfit, and I really love how the sun highlights the red in Kate's hair. I can't put my finger on it, but the picture just leaves me feeling happy and even a bit nostalgic.

Almost time to leave, but Kate wanted her picture with the hotdog. So, high five, you're a weiner with us!

Kate getting her face painted by a pimped out clown. She wasn't the best artist I've seen, but she was great with the kids. Kate picked out a princess (of course) and Aaron wanted a frog. I loved seeing my kids having fun and enjoying the day.

Couldn't resist snapping a shot of this booth. Hmmm...and it was unmanned. Kate, can I get some of that stimulus money, honey? I need to pay for parking.

I love all the historic buildings in downtown Wilmington.

Sadly, it was time to leave Wilmington and go home. I hope we get to come back for a visit soon. I hope my kids will remember today. I feel like we created a special memory--a family memory that I will reflect fondly on for a long time to come.

Let Me Tell You 'Bout...

...the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees, and the moon up above, and a thing called love.

Okay, well scratch everything but the bees. I just want to talk about bees today. And not just any bees, but take a look at these delectable hymenoptera (and for those of you who were lucky enough to be educated in science by Coach Dennis, let's say the other one together..."it's a lepi-dop-tera!"). Okay...sorry, I'll focus, I promise! But really take a close look (these won't sting you, I promise):

Okay, well maybe not that close. And don't SAY anything about his eyeball. He already has a complex about it. Wait....no he doesn't...because...that's right--he's in my belly.

One afternoon (several weeks ago), TJ brought these sweet treats over for us to enjoy. I believe that him and his mama had been bakin' and decoratin' earlier that week. And, they are not only cute, but they taste YUMMY. The bee consists of butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Then, you drizzle on a little chocolate, and add almond slices for wings! Oh yeah, and don't forget the chocolate chip eyes! I did some hunting online and found the recipe at allrecipes.com.

Now getting back to my intro song...remember the rest of the song? Well Kate seems to be getting interested in 'the birds', 'the bees'...whichever one of those means B-O-Y-S! Oh boy, when did my sweet, innocent Kate start liking boys! She has always loved playing with TJ because they both love to act out stories together. But the other day, she told me that she thought he was cute too. Hmm...let's revisit the above picture. Is that her arm around him? Maybe it's time for talk #2.

I'm Just A Girl...

I AM a wife, a daughter, a stay-at-home mom, a sister, and a child of God!

I AM NOT stupid.

I KNOW what people might think about me.

I THINK it takes effort, understanding, selfless behavior and a splash of humor to have a good marriage.

I DON’T THINK a marathon will ever be in my future.

I WANT to be sitting in the sand, at some sunny beach RIGHT NOW.

I HAVE two beautiful kids that I love with a mommy's heart.

I LIKE getting pedicures. You know, the ones with the long massages. Can I get an amen?

I DISLIKE diaper changing. I will celebrate when my toddler is fully potty trained!

I HATE cancer.

I DREAM of a day in the future when I can go to the bathroom and not have a small voice call out from under the door, "Mommmmmy, are you in there?"

I FEAR leaving this world without fully grasping my relationship with God.

I’M ANNOYED when people aren't paying attention (traffic, check-out counters, hey-I'm talking to YOU!)

I CRAVE all foods Mexican.

I USUALLY can finish reading a good book in a couple of nights. Now, my eyes will be bloodshot, but the book will be DONE.

I SEARCH for missing socks all the time.

I HIDE my fears on a daily basis. I don't want my kids to worry.

I WONDER if we will be going to Las Palmas again this week?

I REGRET not visiting my Aunt Jeanne when she was in the hospital. She died before I got to tell her face-to-face how much I loved her.

I LOVE my husband because he is really cute...oh, and really funny (my daughter told me to type that one!).

I CAN make hair bows; snap a decent photo; make people laugh; sing along to most songs on the radio

I CAN’T begin to explain how God exists, but I believe in Him.

I TRY to really enjoy the small things and live in the moment each and every day.

I ENJOY a good glass of Cabernet Sauvignon; a slushy Pina Colada; an ice cold bottle of beer.

I DON’T CARE if I ever have a career job again.

I ALWAYS check on my kids before I go to bed at night...some of the sweetest moments, just sitting beside them, listening to them breathe.

I NEVER spend more money on clothes than I have to...gotta love my Kohl's discounts .

I’D RATHER be at the beach...any day.

I RELY on Bryan for a LOT. Thanks honey!

I BELIEVE the children are our future; I can fly, I can soar; for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.

I DANCE in the kitchen with my kids (and sometimes even B when he's feeling crazy)!

I SING at Karaoke bars when it's "Ladies' Night".

I ARGUE with my TV: Political Debates, Presidential Addresses, Duke Basketball, The View, Oprah, I could go on.

I WRITE for my blog and on Facebook, but wish I would write more letters.

I WIN at Cornhole.

I LOSE weight and then gain it back.

I WISH for nothing; I pray about everything.

I LISTEN to Ella, Mary J., Third Day, Castro, Burlap to Cashmere, EW&F, Norah, The Drifters, Old MJ, Stevie, JT, Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, Santana, ABBA, Jennifer Knapp, Rihanna, Tobymac, Alison Krauss, Van Morrison, The Police...

I DON’T UNDERSTAND why children have to suffer...ever.

I’M SCARED that I'll die and my kids will be left without a mother.

I FORGOT my combination to my locker...you know...the one from high school.

I AM HAPPY to be alive and to be saved from my sin.

I Feel Good...

Finally, I can blog about the last week of track out for Kate...when everyone was on the mend and we could actually get out and do something! And it will come as no surprise to anyone that knows our family (okay, me) that our first outing was a trip to The Cupcake Shoppe (pronounced shoppy, according to my daughter). Please, if you haven't tried Sara's delicious cupcakes--you need to get your booty on down to Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh.

Our n&fs, The Riveras, had never been, so we piled 2 mamas, 3 girls and 1 little boy in my minivan. While a little sighing and a couple of "how much longer" questions could be heard from the back rows of my van during our trek, there were many more "oohs" and "ahhs" and just plain 'ole squeals of delight once we reached our destination...the cupcake counter. Eureka! And for one moment, after all of the kids were served his/her very own Cookie Monster cupcake, I believe there may have been a second or two (maybe three?) of silence. Here are two shots I got of my kids:

I don't know what Aaron was more excited about:
eating his cupcake frosting or just getting out of the house!

The pretty patient dressed in purple...she finally had her appetite back!

********************

Next on our "to do" list was a mommy/daughter date night! After our days of sickness and isolation, I thought BOTH of us deserved a night out. We drove off in the Civic, music blaring, sunroof open and windows down (actually, it was probably cold so I'm guessing not, but you get the idea). We were foot loose and fancy free!!!!

First stop, Kate's school's fundraiser night at the local Barnes & Nobles. We headed straight for the children's section and soon found a cozy corner for two. Kate loves Shel Silverstein's Where The Sidewalk Ends, so we grabbed it off the shelf and began to read together. There are those times in parenthood where you just want to soak up the moment, you know, somehow take a snapshot with your mind and pray it stays there for always. Sitting there that night, with a happy, healthy child in my lap, laughing with her big, bright eyes...I just wanted to stay there a little bit longer. Kate's favorite of the night..."Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out"! Didn't you love that one as a child?

Here is Kate with Kyle the Crocodile (her school's mascot) and her friend, Meredith. Kate still enjoys meeting the mascot every chance she gets (even though she knows that there is a real person inside). Funny to me.

Okay, so after our little snugglefest in the children's section, we decided to join the rest of the students on the other side of the B&N. There was a bunch of benches set out for our kids to sit on while they listened to their teachers read from a selection of books. However, Kate got sidetracked by one itty, bitty thing. Ahem...person. Ummm...boy.

Yes, it appears that my little girl really does like a certain someone from her class. One minute she was by my side, and then the next thing I know...poof! She's gone. I looked over to see my smart, independent Kate blushing furiously after spotting O-W-E-N. She hurried to grab the bench next to him. And then, she moved closer, actually sitting with him on his bench. And then, she draped her arm around his shoulder. (All kinds of mommy alarms were going off!) I was looking around to see if there was another mommy in the crowd looking as concerned as I was (surely Owen's mom would notice, right?). I didn't see any. I tried catching Kate's attention, and finally got her to remove her arm from his shoulder. We stayed for a few more minutes, and then I convinced Kate that we really needed to go. I can promise you that once we got in the car, Kate and I had a discussion about appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior for a six year old girl. Don't worry, I didn't make a huge deal of it, but I had to address the arm around the shoulder bit. I mean, really? Where did she learn that move?

My friend, Sandy, had her camera and took these snapshots of them as evidence. Look at how close my girl is sitting next to Owen! You can't tell where her shirt ends and his sweatshirt begins!

After buying 3 new Cam Jansen books for Kate, we decided that dessert was just what the doctor ordered! Kate and I both shared a booth and enjoyed our sweets at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe. It's so much fun for me to have this one-on-one time with Kate. I find that her little voice can sometimes get lost---drowned out really, by the incessant chatter of a certain rambunctious younger brother. She got the spotlight that night. And she enjoyed it thoroughly. We both did.

After dessert, we ended the night with....shoe shopping at Target. Believe it or not, Kate got really excited about it. She looked over all the shoes and wanted to try on almost all of them. We finally selected some new gym shoes (white & hot pink of course), and a pair of very girly, white dress shoes for Easter. Yay for girl bonding over shoe shopping! Gotta love having a daughter.

Since it was a school night, Kate needed to get to bed, so we headed home. As we were pulling in the garage, Kate said, "this was the best night, mom". I completely agreed.

********************

On our last day of track out, God blessed us with a gorgeous, sunny day. After church, we decided to treat the kids to lunch out at McAlister's Deli. I brought my camera along, and wanted to share some cute photos of the kids:

Aaron getting some love from Daddy.

How could you not want to kiss this sweet face?

I love this picture because it shows off two of my favorite things: Kate's freckles and her dimples!

I'm having fun, Mommy!

Aaron couldn't wait to get his hands on, I mean--IN the fountain!

Two similar shots of the kids throwing pennies in the fountain. I love the angle of these pics.

They are getting too big. Growing up so fast...

My sweet girl and me!

Satellite shot.

A rare shot of both kids looking straight at the camera and BOTH wearing sweet expressions.

No parking on the dance floor, Aaron! Time to go home and enjoy the rest of our day.

Thankfully, even though our first part of track out was unpleasant, the last week allowed us a chance to relax and enjoy spending time together as a family. Spring is here, and we can't wait for many more days of soaking up the sun and playing outdoors. I've started planting some new flowers in my urns, and I've enjoyed watering them each day. Hope you guys are enjoying this beautiful time of year!!