7-5-4

 

We just wrapped up Birthday Season around here.  Layla is 7, Anna Lea is 5, and Wyatt is 4!!!  Crazy!!  I really didn't think we would ever get to this stage, but suddenly here we are.  I decided not to do individual friend parties this year, and instead do a family membership to the Tennessee Aquarium. 

 

 





Easter Sunday

 

 

 

Gram and Layla

 



 

Anna Lea's birthday at Pre-school.  We brought ice cream cones for everyone:)

 

 

We celebrated as a family that evening with cupcakes, and presents.

 



 

We also had a special treat, Grandpa was able to be there!

 



 

 

Bundles of energy, determined, curious, tender-hearted, animal-lover, loves to be kissed, Anna Lea

 



 

 

Family Trip to the Aquarium was lots of fun!

 



 

Wyatt's little buddy Aleksio was able to come as well.

 



 

 

Next up, Layla's big day!

 



 

 

loves people, loves food, thinks things through, great reader, big helper, Layla

 



 



 

Famous Barbie Cake made by Marmee!!

 



 

We had a few extra friends who happened to be here to celebrate with us, Clif, Sally, Violet, Caroline, and Laurel!!

 

 

 

All the kiddos:)

 



 

Clif and Caroline Rose

 



 

 

And finally, Wyatt's big day.

 

Construction Cake that I was very proud of myself for making:)

 



 

 

Gentle, loves to cuddle, distracted easily, doesn't-ever-get-in-a-hurry, sweet Wyatt

 



 

 

Wyatt makes me laugh in this picture;)

 



Spring Break With Friends

This year, for the first time, my friend Adrienne and I set out on our own with ALL of our children for Spring Break!  We found a neat place in Perdido Key, Florida, and we really enjoyed it!  The kids especially had a great time getting to hang out with their buddies for a few days.

 

 

 

Anna Lea, Wyatt, and Layla

 

Joshua and Anna Lea

 

 

Wyatt

 

 

Anna Lea

 

 

I can't believe these are the only pictures I got, but at least we made it home with all 5 kids!

Hike with Friends

We had to take advantage of this beautiful day...

 

so we went on a hike with some friends!



Wyatt, Caleb and Alex

 

 

Reagan, Grace, Layla, and Anna Lea

 

All the kids, pre-hike:)

 

Anna Lea and the boyz

 

The prize at the end!

The kids had a blast together.  They weren't too excited about hiking all the way back, but we made it, and were rewarded with a yummy picnic lunch. 

Hope

During college my best friend and I kept a calendar taped to the back of our dorm room door.  The purpose for this calendar was to help us make it through our last year of college, a few days at a time.  We would count down to every weekend, or break from classes by crossing out each day once it was past.  We made it through by looking foward to, or anticipating events that were coming up in our near future. 

Ten years later...

I am still a girl who likes to have something to look foward to, something that gives me that feeling of excitement or anticipation.  In this moment, I am most looking foward to the first day of Spring!  One week from today it will be here!!  We have almost made it through the gray, winter months, and are about to soak in the warmth and beauty that will surround our home here in East Tennessee.  Shorts, swim suits, water guns, flowers, gardens, picnics, and around here, bare feet, are all things we do!  Mmmm!   I absolutley crave it! 

There is just something about having something to look foward to that fills us with hope.  Hope in something to come that is better than what we have right now.  Something more exciting or fun, something more relaxing or fulfilling. 

As a believer who is learning all the benefits of a close relationship with God my Father, I am able to not only be filled with a hope of things to come in this world, but also filled with the Hope of eternity.  I can look foward to eternity with the One who made it possible to hope -  Jesus!
For He is Hope! 

He is hope for a better life right now, this second, this hour, this week, this season of life.  He is hope for a better future.  He is the only Hope that satisfies. 

Happy Easter!

 

 

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Matthew 28:6

12 Days of Christmas

We really didn't celebrate Christmas for 12 days, but it might as well have been.  We did celebrate for a whole week!  It was crazy and chaotic, but blessed and joyful at the same time.  Rob and I both come from rather large families.  He is the second of five siblings, and I am the oldest of six.  We were able to spend time with every single one of our brothers and sisters and their children over the Christmas holiday.  It started at our home the Saturday before Christmas when we had our own little families' "Christmas morning" .  The kids had asked Santa for one thing each; Layla asked for a bike, Anna Lea a pretend snake, and wyatt a tractor.  They must have been good, because those gifts were waiting for them when they woke up that morning, along with several others from Mom and Dad. 

 

Later that day four of their cousins arrived who would be staying with us for the next five days.  (along with their parents, thankfully:)  They were more excited about seeing their cousins then they were about presents!  They all played together so well!! 

 

Caleb and Wyatt

 

 

Gram and Anna Lea

 

We were also lucky enough to get a suprise visit from Santa himself!  The kids did not know what to think!

 

Uncle Will's new Christmas present was a big hit also - Millie, a Black Lab

 



 

Cousin Beau

 

Beau and Eveley

 



 

Opening MORE gifts from the great grandparents

 

 

On Wednesday of the next week, we packed up and headed to my parents to continue in the festivities.  Wyatt with his cousin Daniel

 

Here we also recieved gifts from Grandparents, Great Grands, Aunts and Uncles and Great Aunts and Uncles!!! We we overwhelmed!!  and thankful!!

 

We were especially glad to get to see Leah, Matt, Madi, and meet Lindsey for the first time!! 

 

Maybe my rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas song below will give you a little insight to our jolly  little holiday...

 

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 12 talkers talking, 11 others laughing, 10 mores a tweeting, 9 kiddies screaming, 8 moms a nursing, 7 kids at our house, 6 men a laying, 5 coffee spills on carpet! 4 falling down, 3 big suprises, 2 shopping days, and enough food to feed a small country!