Random Pictures

These are some pictures I found on Rob's phone...

Wyatt's Cowboy gun from Gramma and Grandpa Dalton

Look at those thighs!

Grandma reading Christmas story to Layla, Anna Lea, and cousins Silas and Daniel

Layla, Silas, and Daniel in a go-cart

Wyatt in Granpa's truck

Anna Lea holding Grandpa's kitty

Early Birthday Presents!!

All of our children were born in the spring. Anna Lea's birthday is first on April 17th, Layla's is next on May 3rd, and Wyatt's is last on May 8th. So far, we have been able to just have one big birthday party to celebrate and give out presents for everybody all at the same time.


Rob saw these really cool "off road" type tricycles at Tractor Supply a while back, and we thought that would be a good thing to get for the kids' birthday presents this year. Rob has been looking for them online and in the stores for a month or so now and saw 2 of them in the store yesterday, so he grabbed them before they were gone! When he came home from work that day, he went ahead and put them together. He gets so excited about giving them presents and I knew if he put them together he would not be able to wait until their birthdays to give them to the kids....

I was cleaning the kitchen after supper, and he started sending the kids in one by one asking me if they could go ahead and have their birthday presents today. I remained strong and said "NO!" for a few minutes, and then gave in. We walked down to Marmee and Pop's where the tricycles were hiding and gave them their presents. (A whole month early!)

waiting in anticipation (Anna Lea in her dress up clothes as usual)

Biker Boy

Anna Lea zooming around

Layla got a "big girl" Princess bicycle. She was very proud. We put some training wheels on it today, and she has been practicing and practicing!!

Chattanooga Zoo Visit

We took our fist trip of the year to the zoo yesterday. We went with Sarah Washington and her daughter Sinclair, and Layla's teacher, Mrs. Cassie, and her two daughters Ensley and Caylee. They all had a good time together. The turtles and the monkeys seemed to be the most interesting attractions for them this time:)

Mather's Visit

Mathers is Rob's cousin from Alabama. She came to stayed with us for the first time last summer. The kids just love her, and we do too. She is a huge help and no trouble at all to have around.





I know Wyatt will probably want to kill me one day for these pictures, but they are just too funny and cute not to remember. He can play dress up with the best of 'em, and he can walk around in the girl's dress up shoes better than they can!

Doctor McCay (fyi never wallpaper if you still have preschoolers)

the weekend

We had a very enjoyable weekend! We started Saturday morning off right with breakfast at the only restaurant in our city -- Hardees! Then, we stopped in Ace Hardware to get a few things to plant in our early vegetable garden.

We planted two different kinds of lettuce, some broccoli, and a couple rows of yellow and white onions. We also did a little maintanence on our yard. I could stay outside all day and garden, I LOVE it!! Rob and the kids enjoy working outside in the garden and yard just as much as I do.

Onion Sets

Butter Crunch Lettuce

Wyatt and Daddy

Anna Lea wearing the leaf blower

After Wyatt took a nap, and the girls "helped" Marmee in her garden, we got ready to do some playing in Chattanooga!

After a little shopping, we ate supper at a yummy BBQ place called Smokey Bones, followed by dessert at Dairy Queen!!

Smokey Bones

Dairy Queen

We all had a great time!! (except for the drive home listening to a certain children's CD for the 624th time! AAAAAH!!)

Play Dough and Cornbread Crumbs

Yesterday it was cold and rainy so I stayed home (inside) all day long with all three of my precious children. For some people that may sound nice. It was not nice. Since we were all trapped inside together, it seemed that I was just walking around picking up one mess after another. It was really starting to get on my nerves. I totally enjoy having a clean, neat home. It bothers me when I walk across my floors and I feel crumbs or stickiness. I start to feel slightly out of control. Well, I thought that if I could just jump in the shower and get myself clean maybe that would help a little. I jumped in and hoped and prayed my children would not make too big of another mess while I was in there.

When I left they were all 3 sitting sweetly at the table playing with play dough together. When I returned the play dough was scattered randomly around the house as well as corn bread crumbs. I had made a pan of corn bread the night before, and there were a few leftover on top of the stove completely covered by a towel. Well, Anna Lea found them somehow and had been sweet enough to share them with her brother as well. So, there were cornbread crumbs all over my FLOORS mixed with the random play dough droppings. This did nothing to strengthen my mental state, and it definitely did NOT feel very well on my clean bare feet...

Right now I am in the middle of a Bible study of David's life by Beth Moore. It has been wonderful, and I am learning so much. One of the things we have been learning through this study is that we need to be able to confess our faults one to another. I will confess one thing I continue to struggle with during this time of my life is Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry and sin not." When I found the play dough and cornbread crumbs, I sinned. I did not handle my anger the appropriate way. I love what I read later that day in our study book, "Be angry and sin not does not mean 'be angry and do nothing'. God created anger. It energizes us to respond when something is wrong." Boy, did my anger energize me! Next time I will try to chanel it in the appropriate way when disciplining my children when they have disobeyed.

Can anybody out there relate????