100th post!

Well this is my 100th post since I started this blog last July. I love being able to post pictures and stories of my kiddos so that not only I, but others can watch and enjoy my kids growing up. No big "theme" today though. Just some random pictures of the kids over the last week. Lorelei is getting to be a big girl now. She doesn't use her paci anymore (we took them away cold turkey the day after she turned two), she is potty trained (for the most part except night), and we just ordered her a "big girl" bedroom set last night. It won't be in for a few weeks but we think she is ready- we'll see! She is also FINALLY cutting some more teeth. Poor thing only has like 14 teeth and Paxton had 20 by the time he was 2. Anywhoo, it has been tough with the whole teething this past week but I think two more have finally broken through! Lorelei is everything girl! Below are pics of her with her babies. She was feeding them this morning in the rocking chair. She is such a Princess!

Paxton continues to do swim class everyday and is really loving it and doing great. He is my little shark man! Here are some pics of the kids!

Swim Lessons

Paxton has been taking swim lessons over the last 3 weeks and will continue for the next month to take swim lessons at a local Swim place. He has done really well. I am impressed with how much he learned in just 3 short weeks (twice a week for 35 minutes each time). Last summer he loved the water but would NOT put his head in the water and wouldn't even really jump in to his daddy. Now he can float on his back and swim a little bit by himself. He also loves to go under now too! He has done really well and is being moved up to the next class next week! Good job, buddy! Here are some pics from today in swim class. The first picture is of Pax with his swim teacher Ms. Lisa- great teacher!!

Playing red light, green light with splashing.

Swimming under the water.

Floating on his back. The teacher is close but not holding onto him. She sings a little song about being a pancake and flipping over- too cute!

Park Time!

Today the kids and I went to the park to kill a little time since daddy is out of town this weekend. We actually go there quite often and so I thought I would take my camera today since this a regular happening at our house. We love the park! The kids enjoy running and getting their energy out (and so does this mama!). Lorelei is scared of the slides right now, she is going through this phase where she is scared of practically everything! It is almost like a little game for her. The other day she was playing with a 16 month old little girl and Lorelei up announced to everyone there "Mama, I scared of the little girl!" That's when I knew it had become a little game. Anyway, she used to love the slides but it is not her thing right now.

And yes, this is the "Broken Leg Park" as Josh refers to it. But we are over that and Paxton is cast and boot free now. He runs and plays very well now, thank goodness!

We have a fascination with wood chips in our family. As you can see both kids love to play with them. Often they will spend much of their time playing with the wood chips at the park.

Too handsome!! Look at that cute face!

Sweet! They look a lot alike in these close ups of their faces.

Must be time to go home when your children are laying down on the playground equipment!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day! It has been a great Mother's Day weekend for me. Josh and the kids took me out shopping and out to eat so we had a great weekend celebrating! Today the whole family got together to celebrate mothers. I just wanted to take this blog to list the top ten reason why I love my mom so much!

1. She loves me no matter what I do or have done!

2. She loves my kids no matter what they do or have done too!

3. She makes a huge effort to be there for me when I need some help with watching my kids.

4. She is always there to listen to me gripe, cry, whine, about whatever is going on in my life.

5. I love the way my mom has always show me the "other side" of things. Whenever I see life in one perspective she always tries to show me another way to look at things- on the positive side! Sometimes I don't appreciate it then, but in the long run she has given me great perspective!

6. I love the way my mom shines her light for Christ. She has and probably always will be involved in Bible studies, teaching women's classes, and quietly ministering to those who need her. She has a quiet and gentle spirit and many people look to her for Godly wisdom and advice- including me! I only hope that I can be half as wise and knowledgeable in God's word as she is!

7. I love how my mom knows what to say and when! I have a way of sometimes letting everything I think come out of my mouth or at least show it on my face. My mom knows when things should be said and when to hold her tongue. She knows that a gentle spirit goes a lot further than a tongue that cannot be held!

8. I love how my mom respects my dad. Now that I am married, I see it being so hard to not get upset when he comes home late or to hold my tongue when I don't like how is doing something. I love the relationship between my mom and dad, it is true, pure, loyal and most of all loving!

9. I love the way my mom takes care of my kids and loves my husband like her own. I love how she knows them and thinks about them and their needs. I love how she plays with my kids, holds them, reads to them, feeds them, talks to them at any time no matter what the inconvenience to her!

10. I love my mom for who she is and who she has brought me up to be! It is so tough being a mom and now I see the daily challenges she faced bringing up small children. I am so proud to be her daughter!

Here are some pictures below of our Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there!

It's really hard to get 4 small kids to look at the camera at the same time. Here is Grandmama and most of her grandchildren.

Gotta throw this cute one in of Grandaddy reading to the boys before Sunday lunch!

Me and my two precious children. I love being their mom, they are God's greatest gifts to me!

Pictures with Updates

We have been busy just doing this and that. Below are some cute pics from this weekend when we kept Emilie and Bryce while Robin and Brent went out for her birthday- they kept our kids the night before so we could go to a dinner for the school. They all had so much fun together that none of the kids wanted to leave the house they were visiting!

Also wanted to share two cute Paxton stories. First one was last week. We were playing in Lorelei's room and Paxton was banging Lorelei's jewelry around and broke it (big shocker!). I told that if he kept it up that I would take some of his money from his piggy bank to buy Lorelei some new jewelry. A few minutes later, after I had forgotten all about it, he asked "Mama, are you Zacchaeus?" And I am like "What?" "Are you Zacchaeus, are you going to take money from my piggy bank like Zacchaeus did from the people?" (Me Laughing) "No Paxton I am not Zacchaeus, I am your mommy, and if I think you need to pay for something you broke, then I can take the money from your piggy bank." That kid is too clever and funny for me!

Second story: We were in the car today listening to some kids church songs. The particular song "Give me oil for my lamp" was on. At the end of the song :

Paxton: "Mama, why does she want to burn?"

Me: "Huh?"

Paxton: "The lady says she's burnin', burnin', burnin'."

Me: "Oh, no honey, she doesn't really want to burn, she's talking about letting God's light shine in her so everyone can see."

Paxton: "Well, she said she wants to burn, why does she want to do that?"

Me: Long explanation about God's light in us and how it is compared to a lamp, how a lamp burns oil, etc, etc, etc.

That cutie keeps my brain hopping!

My kids adore Mr. Brent and Ra Ra!!

Robin and sweet little Bryce!