Beautiful Girls!!

How about some pictures of some beautiful ladies at the beach???

Kiahna blowing bubbles!

Isn't this a beautiful one of Hallie...

I love the one that I put on of Leah earlier the best I think, but here are some more good ones...

Serving up Slushie at the pool!!

And then there is Kiahna! Throwing sand... Eating sand... saying cute things... doing not so cute things... we won't print that here... and making us laugh! She told me., "mommy, did the sun make you brown like me?"

She plopped herself down next to this little boy, who we do not know, and proceeded to start a sand fight with him!! Look at her laughing!!

Kiahna was totally thrilled to get to wear her "pretty white dress" on the beach! She asked all week and I let her wear it the last night for pictures... this is what she normally looks like after our evening beach walks...

DO YOU SEE THE SAND???

Lana and Hallie...

Leah, Kiahna, and I...

Boys...16 and stinking cool...

Especially stinking... have you ever been in a vehicle for many, many, many hours with boys... STINKING cool... yeah...

Paul and James... did you know that smiling and looking at the camera is no longer in... unless of course you are acting goofy... then it is okay... and I am pretty sure using the word "cool" isn't in either... but I am so "not in" I don't even know what word to put instead!! I like this one... James picks on Paul so much, it is good to see Paul get one on him!! We were on a fishing pier near us.

Zach smiles in spite of himself... hee, hee, hee...

Always an adventure... give boys a parking garage and they are instantly James Bond... When we came back from getting groceries James and Paul tried sneaking up on us (it was 12:30 at night) in the parking garage... they are 16... but it is nice to see them not have to be quite so mature all the time... did I just type that??

It's all about the muscle... should I be worried???

Surprising we could all fit in the van on the way back home...

We're Back...

Trying not to get overwhelmed!! Here are some of the best pictures from the trip! Planning on getting these framed!!
James

Zach

Leah

Lucas

Jadon

Kiahna

Tonight I am repeating over and over...

I love brown grass...

I love cloudy skies...

I love drizzle...

I love cold...

I love leafless trees...

I love the mess of coming home...

I love these grumpy kids...

Ahhh.... It really was so relaxing and beautiful...

Balance?? What's that???

So, I went to Wal-Mart this morning...

The goal was to purchase the rest of the thing we need for our trip. Snacks, lunch, SPF 30 Sunscreen, sunglasses... you know... STUFF!

I did that. I got home. I called my sister, Lana, who is going with us. She told me that I went a little overboard.

I did??

After I unpacked everything I had to call her back and tell her she was right...

I know... that isn't even half of it though!!!

Four years ago, when we would have taken our family to Florida, I would have home baked 25 different varieties of cookies... preplanned every meal, doing most of the preperation at home... planned out every detail... not of course without losing my mind a few times part way through it... and all this with a baby in a sling!

Three years ago, we didn't go to Florida... Jim had his new job.

Two years ago... I went to Florida... I don't think I was eating then though... and I don't think I cared if anyone else did either.

Last year... I was too stressed to prepare past throwing a few things in a bag and leaving. Lana did all the meal planning, grocery buying, and I got in her van and we rode to Florida.

I guess this year it is just so nice to not be as stressed that I went a little overboard... I told Lana that I guess it is her reward for getting everything ready for me last year! Thankfully, she hasn't went to the store yet, so my snacks are her snacks... and mom and dad's van's snacks!

This is what I did...

I opened all the boxes and split up the snacks in baggies. Each van will have a very nice VARIETY of snacks for everyone! Isn't that great!!

Here are all the empty boxes!!

There is the whole table... empty boxes on the far end and all the piles of baggies on the other!

THERE ARE 16 OF US GOING!!!!!

Here is the amount for my van... see that isn't so bad...

These are Zach's basketball shoes... they have been here since Saturday... my guess is that since the season is over, they will stay there until next year if I don't move them myself...

And just to not leave Kiahna out... yesterday she was doing her dolls hair again... but she made sure that she told me that I didn't have to do her hair again... her hair is done!

Maybe next year I will find more balance in my shopping for vacations?? You should see how much food we eat at the lakes in the summer!

Easter and Birthdays!!

Last night we had Easter and Birthday's at my parent's house. We didn't color eggs this year. I didn't even hear the kids whine about that! I, myself, normally hate doing eggs. First of all giving children a cup of dye, and expecting there there to be no disaster is hilarious! Second of all, my kids all want to dye at least a dozen each, and NONE of them like to eat eggs that way! It has felt like way too much effort to me! This year though, I was actually thinking I could enjoy it again, maybe... and we didn't do it! The last thing I am going to do this week is color eggs here!!

We do have a tradition of opening the Resurrection eggs! The kids get to tell the Easter Story, based on the things they find in their eggs! Very Neat!

Dad, Benjamin, Quinn, and Jadon listening to someone tell about their egg...

Leah tellin us about her egg... Livia, Whitney, and Breann beside her.

Zach tells us his part...

And James has the empty egg... HE IS NOT HERE! HE IS RISEN!!! Allison made those rolls that you put the marshmallow inside and then end up hallow in the center! That was pretty cool!

It was Clay's first Birthday on Saturday... see him digging in! Love that tounge!

This is amazing to me! Look at all of us! Clay may be #18 of 19, but look at all the attention he is getting!!

It was Breann's Birthday too...

And to leave no one out... except Kiahna, not sure where she was all evening that she didn't get into any pictures. I guess she got her chance the other night with her hair!

Lucas, whining about his toe... taking his picture helped out so much!! hee, hee...

Off we go to another busy day... So glad HIS mercy is new every morning... I hear footsteps... just in time!

Where did the day go?

It has been a long day here. One of those days that ends, and you know you have done lots of things, but you look around the house and it looks like you did nothing! Okay, not nothing, you must have done something, and it probably involved making a bigger mess than was already here!

I did accomplish this...

1. Took my van in for an oil change, check-up, and tire rotation before our big trip next week.

(see I am being proactive!!!!)

2. Helped my parents figure out how to order pictures online from their new camera.

(being a good daughter!)

3. Worked 2 hours at the PTO Carnival... putting bread sticks on a plate... with cheese... and telling unsustpecting customers that they only cost $2.00, when they actually were $3.50... opps!

(Innocent mistake)

4. Did Kiahna's hair. 3 plus hours... the hope is that this will last until we get back from Florida. The Lord BLESSED her hair clips, giving me EXACTLY the right number of them!!!

HERE SHE IS!!!

She was a little annoyed to have her picture taken after having to sit still that long. She did so well though! She had her comb and clips and was doing her Strawberry Shortcake doll's hair while I did hers! Chatting away to me... that is new for her!

This picture happened after I was done posting yesterday... Anti freeze on the garage floor. He was trying to get something off the shelf and it fell and spilled. Earlier he dumped the gas can again. It only had a little in it. That was NOT an accident.

I am ready for another massage now. Think one day Kiahna will learn to give me massages after I do her hair? A mom can dream, right???

Could Spring Be Here???

Looks like Spring may have come to Indiana... at least for the day. It was sunny, and a warm 56 degrees today... Our house is blocked by the wind so we had it very nice!

How quickly though the realization of the DIRT involved in Spring...

Why do children do this? Does it intice you to go outside in your socks?? Puzzling isn't it? At what point in life to we decide this isn't such a good idea? Maybe after we have to start doing the laundry? This will be an issue with us all summer... oh well...

My First Blog Entry!! How exciting!! Spring is in the air here!! And I am trying to learn how this thing works... these pictures are not in the order I had planned!! Oh well!! I will learn! And the ones I put at the end have now dissappeared so I guess I have to put them in the beginning! URG!! This is taking so long and is frustrating me...

Leah and Kiahna made lots of cup cakes today for her to take to their 5th grade booth at the carnival tomorrow night at school. They are doing a cake walk!

Lucas in the snow...barefoot... riding his bike... at least he isn't wearing his socks!

Jadon will hopfully learn to move his bike before someone runs over it... I just know this is going to be bad...

Zach shooting hoops after school today!

Jadon tried planting his palm leaf he got at preschool... He got to be Jesus and ride on the donkey's back!

More of Jadon enjoying the mud... I didn't get one of him stuck ankle deep in the mud on the side of the house... this was afterwards when he was having fun cleaning up!

Remembering how to ride his bike! Not so easy with big ole boots on!

And the best part of spring... getting the grill running again... it still had a twinge of oil smell to the fire though... kind of ruined the effect!

Know what this is? This is the mud that Jadon threw at my front door.

Today was the first day that we could actually think of being outside for awhile... and it has been such a long cold winter, why wouldn't we love to do that? How quickly I am reminded of the "fun" of spring time and the "joys" of children playing out doors...

And while I've typed this, Jadon and Kiahna have gotten into the cupcakes, spilled some anti freeze in the garage, and everyone who was supposed to be cleaning up the kitchen has conviently dissappeared! Better get!