Odds and Ends

If only Addison knew how to relax and get comfortable...

Luke is lucky he doesn't have little snails on his shirt too.  Amelia, thankfully is still all about matching with Addison and she tells me she likes "the long dresses with pictures on the top."  (Otherwise known as smocking).

Big kisses for baby sister, this is right before she screamed and hit both of them.  Thankfully we were on the way to church so hopefully she absorbed some holiness.

This is why Luke survives...just when we think he can't get any naughtier; he lays this out on the table for Daddy when he gets home from work.  Just in case, I'll translate, "Daddy, I luve you.  Luve, Luke"

Melts my heart that boy, I tell you.  I adore that he spells Luve like Luke, with a 'u'.  It's too precious to correct and I refuse to do it.  Especially because there are many times when he is not too precious.  Like when I get a phone call from his teacher that he has been lying at school about doing his work.  My Luke, lying to his teachers!  And he sticks to the lie even when they catch him in the act.  They asked which teacher checked his language work and he said, "Ms. Aurora."  That was interesting his teacher told me, because it was Ms. Aurora's day off.  So not only is my sweet boy a liar, he is a bad liar!  Lord, grant me the strength to deal with this boy.

After school fun with some buddies in our backyard.

Addi of course ran right into the water.  I'm thinking a life jacket with a fishing reel on it so I can just reel her back into the beach and I don't even have to get wet.

Busy making drip castles like "Uncle Kent."

Amelia at an "awesome" birthday party.  She was over the moon about her makeup and her purple and pink hair!

I caught Luke in this get up watching a movie.  Seriously?

We found a turtle in our yard this week, poor, poor turtle.

As you can see Addison has fully acclimated to her Mississippi roots, naked except for a diaper and crocs!

These Irish Eyes are Smiling

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Amelia and Luke made certain I dressed them in green so they wouldn't get pinched at school.  After school it was time for some fun.  The kids are waiting for the parade to start because in Ocean Springs, we will throw a parade for anything and everything and throw beads at you as well.  Addison has turned into a true southern girl, while we were waiting she yelled, "Moon Pie please!"  I didn't even know what a Moon Pie was I was 31 years old!  (They are chocolate/marshmallow pies that get thrown from floats during Mardi Gras season).

Kiss us we're Irish!  Well, except for that Polish/Croatian guy in the center but you can kiss him too.

Luke getting some treats from the Marshall.  

This parade was seriously like 4 minutes long, it was hilarious.  But the big draw this time was the Budweiser Clydesdales!  

They really are impressive and were cool to have in Ocean Springs.  They were actually here for the Air Show at Keesler Air Force Base this weekend but they did a cameo for us here in Ocean Springs :)  We took the boat out this weekend to catch some of the Air Show but most of it we just watched from out backyard.  The Blue Angels really are so cool to watch.  Luke however is my kid with sensitive ears and he HATES air shows.  He didn't even want to come out of the house while they were practicing and performing the last couple of days.  We finally just gave him earplugs so he would play outside at least.   But he would usually come charging in the house with his hands over his ears when they would fly by.  I guess we all have our quirks right?

After the parade we dropped the kids back at the house with a babysitter and it was time for some real Irish fun!  We met up with the rest of the over 21 Ocean Springs crowd and did the Pub Crawl.  Plenty of green drinks for everyone:)  Us and our buddies the Neffs.

Jello Shots which always seem like a fun idea at the time.  

Kristen, Me and Jenny hanging at the Grocery.  We had a blast at the Pub Crawl but I was crawling the next day, I just can't bounce back like I did in my younger years.  (Sonya, how did we go play tennis after nights like this?)

Da Boys.  If there is one positive thing about having a hubby with a finicky pancreas, it is that I always have a designated driver :)  Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Photo Shoot

I realized it is March and Addison's two year old picture time frame has come and gone.  I know I religiously took the other kids to get "professional shots" and by that I mean some high school girl at JCPenney but alas the third child is missing out.  So I decided I have a fantastic camera and dog gone it, I will take some myself.  And truly, our backyard is a much better backdrop than some painted spring flowers on a screen at JCPenney.  So hopefully Addison will forgive me when she is older, she certainly won't be hurting for pictures of herself.  To divulge an embarrassing thing about me, I take so many pictures of Addison that she actually says, "Yay! Photo shoot!"  So pitiful, I know.

She is looking like such a big girl now!  My favorite Addison phrase now is, "Uh oh, I got the boo boo again."  Each time she gets a boo boo, she calls it "the boo boo."  It sounds like it is some weird disease or something.  Cracks me up, every time.  She also has this Elmo book about finding things and the words she uses are hilarious.  "Mommy, find the archeologist? Mommy find the canteen?  Mommy, find the monk?"  Seriously, funny hearing it come out of a two year olds mouth.  

Taking a break from all that outside fun for some pictures before church.

Luke with his, "I'm up to something smile."

Pretty Amelia.

Caught mid-belly laugh.

Ash Wednesday

Yesterday being Ash Wednesday we went to church to participate in our service and receive our ashes from Pastor Scott (or as Addison calls him Pastor Tott).  Before we left for church I had asked Amelia and Luke if they knew what special day it was today.  Luke yelled excitedly, "It's Ash Monday!!"  Well, close enough big guy.  We discussed the season of Lent and how it is a time to think about Jesus' journey to the cross and all he sacrificed for us.  Luke was able to remember all of that and then he added, "Mom, the ashes are just like in Lion King when the monkey wipes the ashes on Simba's forehead."  I had to think about his reference for a moment but he was right.  He cracks me up with his ability to remember EVERYTHING!  Even things I don't want him to remember.

Anyhow, our church family was presented  with some challenges that I thought I would share...

Be a neighbor by allowing yourself to be greatly inconvenienced this Lent to help someone that is difficult to love.  (Good Samaritan)

What is something you put in front of Christ's invitation to follow him?  Walk away from it this Lent.

This Lent when you struggle with sin ask the Lord to help you walk the other way toward the house where He is waiting.

Take time to think about when Jesus stopped and found you.  Give something you have to someone who doesn't this Lent.

Personally, I knew these would be great goals, not only during the Lenten season but all year. I have never given up anything for Lent but I thought this year I would try.  It is supposed to be something you really love and will be hard to give up.  So initially, I thought, oooh Facebook.  And then I thought, no that is taking the easy road because I gave it up for almost two weeks while we were moving.  Then I decided on desserts.  I decided it would be something that I would crave a lot and I really will want to give into my sweet tooth but that can help me remember why I am giving it up in the first place.  "Make us hungry for nothing else than the table you have set for us."  However, I totally had to eat one Cadbury egg before I started my fast.  Yummo.  I also told Stephen I expect a giant, humongous Easter basket filled with candy and desserts just for me on Easter morning.  Oh, and my loyal readers, just so you know...I double checked with Stephen on the first challenge, the love someone who is difficult to love one; it wasn't me.  Whew.

More house fun!

One of the wonderful things about this neighborhood is the dog population.  Every single one of our neighbors has a dog.  So far, my kids have been so enamored with everyone else's dogs that they have forgotten all about asking me for their own dog.  All of the fun but none of the responsibility.  This big guy is Hercules.  He is a big oafy teddy bear.  He belongs to the little girl across the street and he stays and plays with the kids all day and follows them around everywhere to make sure they are safe.  Luke loves him but unfortunately every night at dinner I smell Luke and he smells just like Hercules.  Yuck.

More tree climbing time, this beauty is at the end of our driveway right by our mailbox.

More view.

This is the beach right behind our house, right through the field above.  It is really the neighborhood beach that our neighbors let the kids roam around on.  Here are a bunch of our friends cleaning up the beach.  Little environmentalists at heart.

Our own little private oasis.  Addison knows the beach is behind the house now so she will say, "Beach mom, beach?"  "Beach, yay!" and clap her hands.  It has been a week of living here and our kids have never slept or eaten so well.  They are out the door by 8:30 and don't come in until lunch and dinner.  I guess running around in all that fresh air is the way to go.  We have been on Mardi Gras break this week so it has been nice to have everyone home.  

Our New Digs

We found our dream house!  Er, um, well it will be eventually.  It's as they say "a project."  The downstairs has been redone and is really gorgeous but the upstairs, green carpet, yellow tile, yikes.   But we are excited and thrilled and so glad we are moved in and the whole house selling, packing, closings are all behind us.  

The wide angle, I don't think those bushes have been trimmed in years!  It is one of many things on the list which seems to be insurmountable.  

Our cutie pie Addison.

One of the many awesome tree climbing trees on the property.  Before even walking in the house Stephen was practically writing a check for the property and the trees alone.  Our three little monkeys, I foresee many a Christmas card picture in this tree.

Our back deck, we can walk to the water from our backyard.  There is even a little private beach right behind where the kids are standing but we are now also close enough to "downtown" to walk to the restaurants and front beach.  

More of the ancient Oaks.

Some more view from our house, it was cloudy today, I'll get some better pictures on a sunny day.  

Our back deck.

This is the tree on the side of our house, Stephen can't wait to place a rope swing.  The kids have barely been inside since we moved.  They have found fast friends in the neighbor kids and dogs and explore all day long.  The kids all take walkie talkies with them and give the other one to the parents so if they need help, we can know where to find them and we can call them home for dinner.  Not such a bad way to grow up.  I'll post some pictures of the inside of the house tomorrow.  We have lots of room for visitors and would love to have y'all come stay with us!  We have had a couple weeks in a row of low 70's and sun, perfect weather :)  Now July on the other hand...