The pool is open!

Our pool just opened on Saturday and already its the first thing the kids ask me when they wake up - can we go to the pool today Mommy!  I will gladly put aside my to-do list for some pool time!  :)

Kids Day of Lexington

After a full morning of soccer, we headed downtown to see Kids Day of Lexington - a huge city-wide kids festival set up downtown.  Lots of different vendors, restaurants, kids camps, booths everywhere - etc.  FUN stuff...but our main reason for going was that Josiah was one of about 10 students from his school whose artwork was selected to be displayed there!!  :)  We were so proud!!

We stayed long enough to get some free hot dogs, popcorn, and lemonade, plays the game at the Chick-fil-a booth a few times and win free coupons, and then we were done! :)

(by the way, this counts as another belly picture!!! 24.5 weeks pregnant!)

The Smile Train Mini-Marathon & Michael Jackson

I LOVE the boys' PE teacher at school.  He is a nationally board certified teacher (you don't see that all the time...especially with PE teachers!) and is such an awesome role model and champion of active, healthy children!  Being a runner, I LOVE that he is a runner and has fun running incentives for the kids all year long.  

He also was born with a cleft lip.  He and his wife have supported the Smile Train Organization for years as a way to help other children have the same surgery that he did as a child to correct his condition.  He leads a fundraiser for the kids at school to raise money for this organization while running a mini-marathon around the track.  Families are invited to join them, so of course we did!

 Callie jumped at the chance to wear her "outfit" again :)  (And I don't have any idea where she learned how to pose like this!!!)

 Josiah's grade was running first, so we all headed out to meet them.  David ran with Josiah for a bit while I ran with the younger two (I really did run - big pregnant belly and all!!)

 Then Callie was DYING to run with Daddy, so we switched.

 Josiah was happy to help lead a pink-cheeked Caleb around the track

 Callie and her daddy

 Worn out! That was a lot of laps for this little guy!!

 Happy runners!!

The younger kids and I went over to our neighbors back yard and enjoyed some play time in their new sandbox and little trampoline!!  (David meanwhile, was setting up a trampoline in OUR backyard that some friends who are moving away gave us....kids were so excited to come home and see it!)

 Jacob's grade was running right smack in the middle of naptime, but David was a good Daddy and went back to run with him...even if we couldn't all join him!

 David said at one point, he asked Jacob (sort of half-joking) if he wanted to hold his hand while they were running.  Jacob said "Sure!", and held on to David's hand for the rest of the way.  This boy.  Precious.

 We ended the night by going to celebrate David's birthday - by seeing the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show.  It was AWESOME!  We had never seen a Cirque show before and we were so impressed.  It's amazing to think of how someone came up with all of the many moving parts that come together in a show like that - and then to have it all set to Michael Jackson music?  Doesn't get any better than that!!

We weren't allowed to take any pictures, but this was the last image on the screens at the very end of the show as everyone was leaving.  Figured it was okay to just take one :).  Awesome!  My sister Kelli was SO jealous!

Jacob

Got to go on a field trip with my Jacob today.  Rode the bus and everything!  They went over to the high school to see their production of Aladdin which was great.  I love my job.  So thankful I get to be available to do these things with my kids - to see their eyes light up when I walk in their classrooms or ride the bus as a chaperone - it's the best.

Pork Chop Productions

 See Caleb and Callie right there in the middle of ALL those kids?

Our library brought in this hilarious little acting troupe that does local theatre for schools/libraries around town - called "Pork Chop Productions".  They did a HILARIOUS rendition of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears - the kids were captivated!  The boys were in karate or they would have loved it too!  Looking forward to when they come back this summer so we can see them again!

My choice for today

My choice on this particular afternoon was to sit and enjoy my children.  Josiah was reading next to me on the couch, Jacob wanted to play battleship with me, and Callie and Caleb were getting out every possible game that we own and "playing" them all over the floor.  When we were doing highs and lows during dinner, David said his low was coming home and having it look like a tornado blew through.  The kids were alarmed and said "there was a tornado?!?!"  I laughed and told David that the house would look like that every day except that I usually picked up...today I decided my kids needed me more....and it was a good choice!

Picture Day

This one looks ready to have his picture taken!  :)  He's fascinated by having pockets lately :)

 David coached Jacob's soccer team this season...they were lined up and ready for pictures!

Picture day also means its extra long because it starts extra early...he was a trooper but running out of steam at this point!

But you are the best mom!

We were watching a cooking show on the Food Network one night, and the boys were passing through the room.  They stopped to watch for a few minutes and then Josiah said "Mom, you should go on Chopped!  You would win us $10,000!  I smiled and said how sweet that was, but said that the people on the Food Network are really professionals.  Josiah's reply was "But you are the BEST cook Mom!".  Sweet boy.  Made my day!!!

Happy 39th Birthday David!

We lucked out this year - David's birthday fell on a Friday, so he got to be home to celebrate it since it was his day off!!  Starting off with birthday donuts of course...

 The kids were SO excited and wanted to let Daddy open their presents for him before they headed off to school.

Looking at the card that Callie made for him... 

 Josiah made him a bunch of coupons for him to use...the hilarious thing is that most of them were about Josiah!  For example, movie night with Josiah, game night with Josiah, go to the bookstore with Josiah, see a movie in the theatre with Josiah - it was the cutest thing ever!  Any guesses on what Josiah's love language is?  :)  Quality time for sure!

 Jacob gave David his rubiks cube (of course, David has his own, but....)  Jacob said he knew that Daddy likes them and so he wrapped up his own to give to him.  Sweet hearted boy.  (I had to keep Josiah from bursting his bubble....the logical one Josiah thought that was ridiculous :) )

 We went to Firehouse Subs for lunch so he could enjoy his FREE birthday sub - yum!

 Callie fell asleep on my lap like this in the afternoon....poor thing...she was worn out from all the celebrating!

 In order for David to find his birthday present from me, we sent him on a scavenger hunt...

 It was so much fun - the kids totally loved leading him around the house trying to figure out the clues with him.  At the end he found my gift to him - tickets to the Cirque Du Soleil Michael Jackson show next week!!!  I had gotten a fabulous deal on them on Leap Day back in February and had been keeping the secret since then - it about killed me!  We were SO excited!  :)

Happy Birthday David!  I am SO thankful that God brought you into my life all those years ago at Liberty.  I love that you are a man seeking to know and love God more, serving Him completely wholeheartedly.  Thank you for leading our family with wisdom and love.  I love you more today than I ever thought possible and look forward to the next 50 birthdays together - although I don't know how many more candles will fit on your cake!  I love you!

A BIG day for Callie!

 Registered this sweet girl for Kindergarten today.  Can NOT believe it.  To say that she is excited would be a SEVERE understatement!  We absolutely LOVE PHES - it has been an awesome school for the boys and Callie can NOT wait to go with her brothers!!  She is growing up!

 She and Caleb are inseparable.  Mostly because Callie loves being the boss and Caleb happily follows.  But Callie is a natural teacher and so she can be so sweet with Caleb as she "teaches" him all throughout the day.  This was while we were at the library - she was "helping" him choose his books.

 Her friend Addison got her this ADORABLE running outfit for her birthday, so she was SO excited to go running with her daddy when he got home from work!!!  Aren't they the cutest?

 stretching...

...and they're off!

Jacob's Game

Pictures this season of the kids' games are going to be hit and miss...so when I get them, enjoy them!!  Having 3 play makes it a little crazy - we usually will have 2 playing at once (same place, but different fields) and with me having Caleb and being pregnant, I can't promise great pictures...but will try to at least capture the season!  :)  So here's Jacob!

During halftime of Josiah's game, I turned around to see this - David playing with the younger three....and them all having a blast.  I am so blessed.

Goodbye...but hopefully not for long!

The kids had their first soccer games on Saturday morning, but we lucked out and didn't have games until 10 & 11 am.  We enjoyed a great big pancake breakfast with our friends before having to say goodbye...but praying it was only for a little bit!!! (Turns out we were right!  A month later, we found out that YES they were going to be moving back!!! PTL!!)

The Michaels' come to Town!

A couple of weeks back, Alli texted me and asked if they could stop through and stay the night with us on their way back to WV from Disney World...once I stopped jumping for joy, I said YES!!!  They moved last  summer and we have ALL missed them SO much.  (Update:  their Dad's old boss called him up several months ago, said his job was still vacant, he went through the interview process, GOT the job, and is moving back THIS summer - we can't WAIT!!!!!)  We were thrilled to get to see them!!!!  The kids all picked up right where they left off, and we grownups loved getting to sit and catch up too!

 Josiah and Jacob were thrilled to get to show off their "obstacle course" that they had constructed

 These two girls are two peas in a pod.  I mean seriously.  Cooper said at one point "Carlie and Callie are a lot alike mom".  Yep - that's why they get along so great!  :)

 Dessert time!

 Cooper and Jacob are LEGO masters!

 Callie, Carlie, and their pets :)

Cooper, Jacob, and Josiah...laughing about who knows what!!  :)