The Chilek Family

Baby Georgia

2012-02-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, Kate, now has 4 children!!!! WOW! But, if anybody can handle it, she's the woman!!! Carlyle and I got to meet the newest addition to the Newberry family last week. Miss Georgia is absolutely precious!! She is beautiful, just like her mama and two sisters and seems to be such an easy baby!! Holding her and loving on her almost made me want another baby. And, I just might possibly consider another baby if I could GUARANTEE that it would be an easy, go-with-the-flow, only cry when hungry or in need of a clean diaper, loves to cuddle kind of a baby with NO REFLUX AND NO COLIC!! Those last two requirements were mentioned because of previous experiences, which I would prefer not to discuss:) And, since we all know that there are no guarantees in life, I think I'm pretty happy and content with my 3 little angels!!

When we arrived, Carlyle, Annaleigh and Lily Katherine played together while I got to love on little Georgia! The girls had a great time together and I enjoyed getting to visit with Kate and get my baby fix:)

Kate's sister came over and brought her three kids. Ashley just had a baby a few days before Kate. Laurabeth and Georgia are going to be the best of friends!!

Congratulations to the Newberry Family on the new addition to your family!! Georgia is beautiful and we are so happy for you!!!

Happy Birthday to Mrs. Aubuchon!

2012-02-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

Claire's teacher, Mrs. Aubuchon, has a birthday at the end of January. I wanted to have a little surprise party for her. I started working on all the details a couple of weeks before and recruited the ladies in the office to help keep her out of the room so her class could surprise her! It worked like a charm!! Mrs. Aubuchon walked in and all the kids were so excited to yell "SURPRISE"!!! And, since it was actually a day before her birthday, she was even more surprised!! A big thanks to all the ladies that helped to make our surprise a success!! Happy Birthday to an awesome Kindergarten teacher! We love you, Mrs. Aubuchon!!

Craftiness

2012-01-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

Pinterest has become my new hobby. I love pinning new recipes, craft ideas, gift ideas and holiday decor ideas. Last week, I finally decided that I was going to actually use some of the ideas I've gathered. I made a few new recipes, made a Valentine's decoration and a teacher gift. I'm quite proud of myself and think I will be using Pinterest quite alot!! Here are two pics, one of my Valentine's Love Tree and the other is a wreath for Claire's teacher. I think they both turned out very cute!

Sweetheart Ball!

2012-01-29T18:32:00.001-08:00

ECC hosted their annual Sweetheart Ball last night and Claire was so excited! She has had her dress since right after Christmas and has been anxious ever since. After she got dressed and we fixed her hair, she told me she looked like a princess! Indeed, she did!! After a few pictures, the princess and her handsome prince were off to dance the night away.

Jeremy was kind enough to send me a few pictures once they arrived. Claire isn't a fan of crowds and when there is alot of people around she gets very shy. When they arrived it was packed, so instead of going into the gym, she opted to stop in the cafeteria for a snack first. Then after dancing a slow dance with Daddy, they sat down and took a break. It wasn't long after that when she told him that she was ready to leave and go eat:) It's so funny how Camden and Claire's personalities are so different. Comparing last year with Camden and this year with Claire, you can really see their unique personalities shine through. Even though they didn't dance the night away, they still had a great time and enjoyed spending the night together on their special date!

Carlyle's 1st haircut!!

2012-01-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

Carlyle's hair has gotten so long, and although I love putting her hair in pigtails and ponytails, I decided it was time for a haircut. The ends had become quite uneven and there seemed to be tangles in it all the time. When it's time to do her hair in the mornings, she will run from me and then scream and cry the entire time until I'm done. So...yesterday was THE DAY!! And I decided that she would look cute with her hair about chin length! So we went to see Mrs. Tina, who happens to be Carlyle's PDO teacher. I think that helped ALOT!! She loves Mrs. Tina and was very comfortable with her! She walked right in and sat in the chair ALL BY HERSELF! Camden and Claire both had to sit in my lap so I was shocked when she got right up in the chair. Carlyle did so good and didn't cry until the hairdryer was turned on. Apparently she is NOT a fan of the hairdryer, so we let her hair dry on its own. I love how her hair turned out and think it's super cute!!! Thank you so much Mrs. Tina for making making Carlyle's first haircut a success!!

Before and after

Playing Catch Up!!

2012-01-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas, I have been such a slacker with taking pictures. I'm not sure I have even gotten my camera out of the bag. However, I have taken a few pics with my phone. Take a look at what we've been up to.

We ended 2011 cheering on Baylor at the Alamo Bowl! What a great game!! Sic 'Em Bears!

Can't leave home without our new owl hats

In early January, we helped Papa celebrate his birthday.

The girls enjoyed some fun in the bath with glow sticks.

Carlyle posed for a picture at school.

We took advantage of the warmer temps and had fun at the park with friends.

We spent a Friday night together as a family and went to a Lindale basketball game!! Go Eagles!!

Carlyle loves Sunday School, not because her parents are her teachers, but because she has sweet friends and loves learning about Jesus!

Camden and Claire begged to have a "camp-out" in their closet...on a school night. I finally gave in and they ended up sleeping in their closet ALL WEEK!!

Carlyle is our mischevious little angel. One night after she was bathed and dressed in her pajamas, she went back into the bathroom and got back in the tub!

And finally, this picture was taken just a few days ago while watching Mickey Mouse. What a hard life!!!

Hope everyone has a great week!! My goal is to do better about updating the blog! I know the grandparents would appreciate it:)

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning the girls slept until about 7:00am, which is fairly late for them, especially on Christmas morning!! They were so excited!! They loved all the stuff in their stockings and loved what Santa brought!

Camden and Claire decided to try out Camden's new karaoke machine! What fun!!

Camden got another puppy...she can even walk this one!
Carlyle loves her new baby.

After all the gifts were open, we got ready and went to church to watch Selah get dedicated.

After church, we headed to Nana and Papa's for more Christmas fun! Carlyle LOVED her cars and ramp that Santa brought.
Santa brought Camden and Claire vet coats, medical tools and two puppies to take care of.

Uncle Jeremy brought Camden and Claire hula skirts. They put them on and tried to hula.

We had a great Christmas and loved spending time with our families! We are truly blessed that our families live close so we get to spend holidays with all of them!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve morning we went to Nana and Papa's house for a Christmas surprise and lunch. The girls were super excited to get Playdoh sets!! We had to open them up and try them out.

After all the girls had a nap, we headed over to Marme' and Pops house for our annual Christmas Eve fun. Here are all the cousins ready for a great time!!
Mommy and Selah
Birthday party for Jesus!

Santa made an appearance and handed out gifts to the kids.
Carlyle was in awe.

All the grandkids with Santa, minus Carlyle. She loved him, but didn't want to go near him.
Then we had our White Elephant Gift exchange and this is the classy gift that Jeremy and I brought. David was the lucky winner and he LOVED it! He's going to display it proudly on his front door at his apartment in Houston.
Camden got a puppy, although it's not the real one she had been asking for.
Claire got the van that goes with her dollhouse.
Carlyle loved opening gifts!!
Rachel and Camden
Jake decided to try out Marme's white elephant gift. No, he's not wearing glasses. That is silly straws that look like glasses and the end is a straw for his drink.
Madeline and Carlyle had lots of fun dancing.

When we got home the girls were eager to put out reindeer food and carrots for the reindeer.

Then we got the cookies and milk ready for Santa.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!!

Cookies for Santa

2011-12-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

We had fun making cookies for Santa! Of course, decorating is the most fun!! Icing and sprinkles...what could be better??

Fun with Markle

2011-12-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Markle was pretty creative in his hiding spots his last few days. We found him in the cabinets, hiding under a glass.

Then he made a little mess with the toothpaste. Camden was really good to clean it up.

One of the girls' favorite things that Markle did was zip lining. Camden thought it was so cool!!!

And on the morning of Christmas Eve, the girls found Markle in the cookie jar. Thank goodness we had made some more cookies for Santa!! He also left a note saying that Santa would lift his power and that the girls could touch him one time each. They loved getting to hug and kiss Markle! We sure will miss the fun that Markle brought and can't wait to see him return next year!!

What Markle's been up to....

2011-12-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

He decided to hide in the fridge and turn the milk green.

Then he replaced the stockings with the girls' undies.

Markle got a little cold...probably from hiding out in the fridge.

He and Goofy decided to play Connect 4.

He reminded us how many days were left until Christmas!

And last night he painted the girls' noses red, just like Rudolph.

Gingerbread Party

2011-12-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we hosted our annual Gingerbread party and we had a blast!!! So many of our friends came and we are so glad we were able to share the morning with them!! We were sad that the Walton and Bunt families weren't able to join us due to illness. We missed you and hope everyone is feeling better!
The girls were super excited for lots of friends to arrive. Don't you love their shirts?? Thanks to my friend, Leslie, for their "belated birthday gifts". We love them!!!

We started off decorating Gingerbread houses. Everyone worked hard on creating the perfect house. Then the kids played and played!! All the moms brought food and we had such a delicious lunch! It was a bit chilly, but most of the kids played outside for awhile. It was nice to eat lunch without interruptions and to enjoy adult conversation!!

Thanks again to the Ackers, Huskeys, McNeals, Newberrys, Buttrams and Chileks for bringing your kids over for a fun morning!! We had a great time enjoying your company!

After dinner, we decided to get out our big Gingerbread house. After taking the pieces out, Claire immediately grabbed the snowman and claims that she's going to decorate it. Well, I'm not sure I would use that word, but it was creative anyway. This is the first year that our house actually looked cute. It usually looks more "white trash" than anything. I even participated this year and added a few creative touches. I am quite proud of our house and loved spending time together as a family!!

I tried to get a picture of the girls with our finished house. Oh well, one smile out of three isn't bad. Can you tell it was bedtime???

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we headed to the Clubhouse for Breakfast with Santa! The girls were so excited!! The breakfast was so yummy...cinnamon rolls, bacon, breakfast burritos, french toast sticks, biscuits and gravy and fruit! After breakfast, Santa and Mrs. Claus made their entrance. We quickly got in line to visit with Santa. We had such a fun morning and can't wait until next year!

Claire's Christmas party

2011-12-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Camden and Claire both had their class Christmas parties. Unfortunately, they were at the same time. Even though I was homeroom mom for both classes, I felt like I needed to be at Claire's party since I was making Gingerbread houses. I hated to miss Camden's party, but Jeremy did manage to go for a little while. However, he forgot to take pictures. Oh well, both girls had a great time and came home with lots of loot!!!

Since it was early release day, Jeremy dropped Camden off at Claire's party so I could finish cleaning up. Mrs. Aubuchon was so happy to see Camden!

Piano Recital

2011-12-20T09:50:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday night Camden had a Christmas piano recital. Marme', Pops and Nana and Papa all came to listen to her play several Christmas songs. Camden is doing so well playing the piano and she really enjoys it!! She even played a couple of duets with her teacher!! We are so proud of Camden and can't wait to see how she excels this spring!!

Church Christmas Program

2011-12-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night our church had a Christmas program, complete with songs, narration and acting. They had asked several kids to be "presents" for part of the program. So, we found 2 boxes, wrapped them and cut holes for their arms and head. Each box had a letter and it was to spell out "Merry Christmas!" The girls were excited to get to be on stage and they looked so cute!!

Camden's Christmas Program

2011-12-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, all the 1st grade classes had a Christmas program at the new Performing Arts Center. I didn't get any pictures of the building, but it is such a nice facility!! All the kids worked really hard on learning their songs and the program was so cute!! What a great way to get us all in the Christmas spirit!!

Visit with Santa

2011-12-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

Every year I take the girls to sit in Santa's lap and get a picture. And every year it seems like there's one of of the C's who is less than thrilled about the visit. The minute we get in line the clinging, tears and loud cries begin and they don't end until we are a very safe distance from the jolly man in the red suit. I know some parents can't stand to hear their kids cry and wouldn't dream of making them sit in Santa's lap for a picture, if they were going to scream. I, on the other hand, love looking back at the pictures of the girls in Santa's lap and I treasure these memories, even if they were upset. One of these days they'll be grown and I want to know that I captured as many memories as possible.

This year I was fully anticipating Carlyle to be the one who screamed and screamed and screamed. She gets scared of birds in the parking lot, commercials that have dogs barking, and has even gotten scared of a statue of a dog. So, with the history that she has with animals, I fully expected her to react the same way with the bearded man dressed in red. But, to my surprise, she anxiously waited in line and kept saying "Santa" over and over. When I asked her if she wanted to sit in his lap, she said "yeah"!!! Because I wasn't sure how she would do, we positioned the older girls first and then sat Carlyle in his lap at the last minute. What a shock!!! She cheesed it up, smiling ear to ear! She even gave him a hug before we left!

I love this year's Santa picture and am so happy to have gotten one with all three girls smiling so big!!

For fun, take a look back at all the Santa pictures since Camden was a baby.
2004-Camden

2005-Camden

2006-Camden and Claire (love this one...we barely got Camden in the picture. Can you tell she's sitting as far away from Santa as possible?)

2007-Camden and Claire

2008-Camden and Claire

2009-Camden, Claire and Carlyle

2010-Camden, Claire and Carlyle

Our Elf, Markle

2011-12-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

This morning was Markle's first appearance this holiday season. The girls were super excited! He brought them breakfast (powdered donuts,hot chocolate and orange juice) and even a gift to remind us all of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. We didn't want Carlyle to miss out on the fun so we had to wake her up. She wasn't too thrilled about the presence of Markle, however she was very interested in the present!! She helped Claire tear off the paper. All three girls were thrilled with the Fisher Price Nativity set. They played all morning with it, until I had to hurry them to eat and get dressed for school. We love Markle and hope that his presence in our home brings more sharing, more kindness and more love! And, we're hoping to remember that the real reason for Christmas is the gift of Baby Jesus!!

Thanksgiving and weekend away

2011-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Being the good mother that I am, I took absolutely no pictures on Thanksgiving. NONE!! The girls looked super cute in their smocked outfits and had lots of fun at Marme' and Pops' house. We spent the majority of the day enjoying great food and lots of fun! Three of Jeremy's uncles were in town so it was good to visit with them. Of course, the girls had fun playing with their cousins. It was nice to have such a relaxing day!! Later that afternoon, Jeremy stayed at his parents' house to play poker with his family and I took the girls to my parents. I stayed for a little while, then headed home to pack for our weekend trip to Dallas. Thanks to my parents for keeping the girls. I know they all had fun, but feel sure that my parents were exhausted after spending 3 days with 3 wild, crazy, full of energy girls:)

Now, back to our weekend. When Jeremy and I found out that Baylor was playing Texas Tech at Cowboys Stadium the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we decided to get tickets. I was really excited to be going to a Baylor game and especially excited about going to Cowboys Stadium. When my mom found out we were going, she suggested we just stay two nights and have a weekend away. And then she offered to pay for the hotel(as an anniversary present). Of course, I said YES!!!!

Our plan was to leave Friday morning and head to the Allen outlets. Then we realized it was Black Friday and found several great sales so we bumped up our departure time to around 5am. At 11:00pm on Thursday night I still wasn't finished with laundry and packing and knew it would be at least midnight before I could go to bed. Getting up at 4:00am to shower and get ready didn't sound like much fun. I knew I would do better just staying up all night versus only getting about 4 hours of sleep. So, we decided to leave Thursday night, since most of the stores at the outlets were opening at midnight. We left our house around 11:30pm and got to Allen about 1:00am. The parking lot at the outlets was completely packed, with no parking available. They had additional parking about a mile away, with shuttles to take you over to the stores. So, that's what we did. This first picture is us on the charter bus, waiting to be shuttled over to begin our shopping adventure.

We shopped and shopped and shopped, finding some really great deals. The longest we had to wait in line was about 45 minutes at Gymboree. Other than that, our wait time was less than 5 minutes. About 5 or 6:00am, cars in the parking lot seemed to be disappearing and the crowds of people seemed to be diminishing. We stopped for a short breakfast break and then continued shopping until about 8:30am. Here's the packages we had accumulated so far.

We then headed to Edwin Watts and Golfsmith. Then we ate lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Jeremy had heard great things about this burger joint, and it didn't disappoint. Pretty tasty!!! After lunch, we checked into our hotel about 12:00, went to bed and slept until 5:00pm. We got up, showered and headed out to dinner at Abuelo's. Definitely one of the best Mexican restaurants I've eaten at!!! So far, our Friday was very productive!!!!!

Saturday we slept in until about 12:30. I can't remember the last time I've slept that long. After getting dressed in my Baylor attire, we made a stop by Sam Moon to do a little more shopping and then made the short drive to Arlington and had a late lunch at Pappadeaux. Definitely one of our favorites!!!

After a delicious meal, we made our way to Cowboys Stadium. We got stuck in so much traffic trying to find our lot to park in. Once we got in, we parked relatively close to the stadium and waited in more lines to go through security. Once we made our way in, we quickly found our seats and couldn't wait for the game to begin. We had so much fun at the game cheering for the Bears! What an exciting game!!

Sunday we slept in, packed up and checked out. We stopped by the Galleria, walked around and didn't buy one thing. Can you believe that after our shopping weekend, we were able to walk out of the Galleria with not one package?? We made our way to Mesquite and stopped at Target to get the girls a surprise. I had completely forgotten all weekend to look for them something. And, what kind of parents would we be to come home with nothing for our girlies? There was a Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant very close to Target and so we just stopped in there again for a quick lunch. This time we got the Cajun fries, which were so so good!!! Then it was time to make the trek home to see our girls! What a fun weekend to spend time with my husband!! I enjoyed the alone time, but of course, missed the three C's. Thanks Nana and Papa for helping make this weekend possible! Can't wait for our next weekend away!!!

Veteran's Day Program

2011-11-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

This year for Veteran's Day, both Camden and Claire's schools were having a program honoring veterans. Unfortunately, the programs were at the same time. I hated having to pick one program over another and since my dad is a veteran, I hated for him to have to choose between his grandkids. Fortunately, Camden was a good sport and said it was ok if we wanted to go to Claire's program. Camden's school is doing a Christmas program in December so she said we could just come to that one. Jeremy did manage to go and watch Camden at her program and my friend, Leslie, was able to get a picture of her singing. I hated to miss Camden's program, but since this was Claire's first big program I wanted to be there for her. She did great and knew all the words and motions to the songs! What a fun morning! Happy Veteran's Day!!

Carlyle waiting for the program to start

Papa introducing himself as a veteran of the army

Carlyle and Papa listening to the kids sing

Claire showing Papa and Carlyle the card she made

Claire and Jaxson

And, here's Camden singing at her program

Baylor Homecoming 2011

2011-11-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Baylor Homecoming and the girls love going every year to see the Bears. We usually go down on Friday and spend the night, but this year we decided to head down early Saturday morning. And, oh it was early. We had to leave early enough to get our Shipley's donuts..an annual tradition!! We were on the road by 5:30am. Silly me thought the girls just might go back to sleep, since it was dark until we arrived in Waco. Yeah right!! They were wide awake, anticipating how much longer it would be. We pulled into the parking lot of Shipley's around 7:30am. We all enjoyed our breakfast of sugary sweets!!

After filling our tummies, we made our way over to campus. We set up our chairs and blankets to save our viewing spot for the parade and then headed into the bookstore to do some shopping for souveniers. The girls picked out a Baylor stuffed animal and Camden just had to have some Baylor tattoos for her face. I got my share of goodies, too. Thanks to my sweet hubby, I got some pajama pants, t-shirt and a cup. My mom actually got me a few things too, but it's for Christmas. After getting our goodies, we went back out, right in time for the parade to begin.

Baylor has some of the most amazing floats!!! I was actually float chair one year for my sorority, Chi Omega, so I'm a little partial to the floats!! I know first hand how many long hours, tiring nights, and hard work goes into making these fabulous floats!!

Another float

And another

How cute is the Radio Flyer red wagon!

Hanging out in front of the bears!

The bear is shaking off the water after getting wet.

Swinging away in the green and gold swings!!

After the parade, we made our way to Ninfa's for lunch...one of my favorites! It was so yummy!! We had such a great day at Baylor and I loved getting to share such a special place with my family! I love that the girls enjoy spending time at Baylor and I love that Jeremy and my parents enjoy this special weekend, almost as much as me!! Already looking forward to next year!!

Trick-or-treating

2011-10-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Last night the girls had so much fun trick-or-treating with their cousins. Nana, Papa and Marme' and Pops all came over to watch the kids collect tons of candy. This year we decided to ride in the back of Jake's truck. Last year we walked and walked and walked and never thought we would make it home. We were all exhausted!! The truck was a much better idea! Pops drove and Nana and Marme' and Selah all rode inside. The kids had a great time!!

Since I didn't manage to get a picture of the girls in their costumes last night, here are pics from a week ago.

Baby Selah was dressed as a black cat and looked adorable!!!

The cousins

And we're off!!

Carlyle was lagging behind.

Carlyle was checking out the ghosts on Mrs. Wendy's front porch.

What a fun Halloween spending time with family!! Looking forward to next year when we will have another little one to add to the festivities!! (In case you didn't know, Crystal is pregnant..NOT ME!!!)

Fall Festival

2011-10-31T20:10:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon our church had its annual Fall Festival. Before heading that way, we stopped by my grandmother's house for some trick-or-treating. The girls were so excited for their first house to get candy at!! And, Mother Parker doesn't just give the great grandkids one piece...she let them take as much as they wanted. I finally had to move the bowl in the kitchen. Before we left, we tried for a picture. All the girls were so cooperative! Why can't all the pictures I take of them go that smoothly??

Jax, Madeline and their parents met us at the church. Carlyle noticed the bounce houses and got so excited!!The kids had so much fun being together. I think their favorite thing was the inflatable slide. They stood in line a long time to go down the slide and continued to want to do it again and again. What a fun afternoon! Thanks to Jake, Crystal, Madeline, Rex, Rachel and Jax for coming with us. We had a blast!

Super fun Friday!!!

2011-10-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

Friday was 50's day at Camden's school and Storybook Character day at Claire's. Nana made Camden a poodle skirt and I thought she looked adorable, even though she has no clue what people dressed like or what went on in the 50's. Claire wore her Halloween costume and made a beautiful Belle.

This past week, Claire was the "Marvelous Me" in her class. We put together a poster full of pictures of her from when she was a baby until now. She also got to bring Show and Tell on Friday, have her parents eat lunch with her that week and invite her mom or dad to read her favorite book. Claire asked if Camden could read the book to her class and I loved that idea! Mrs. Aubuchon was excited about it too because she wanted to hear how well Camden was reading. Camden practiced many times reading the book and she did a great job!! She even showed the pictures to the kids, just like a teacher. What a treat for Mrs. Aubuchon to see how Camden has progressed since leaving her Kindergarten class in May. We were both so proud of Camden and Claire loved having her big sister read to her class.

PDO Costume Parade

2011-10-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our annual Costume Parade at PDO and all the kiddos were so cute!! Carlyle LOVES her Minnie Mouse costume and looks adorable in it!! Before the parade began, we all got some pictures with friends.

Charley, Kellar the pig and Callen
Ella, Parker, Carlyle, Charley and Callen

Leighton, Callen and Carlyle

Mommy and her Minnie Mouse

We even had a Frog Prince...isn't her so cute??

The babies are all ready for the parade.

Carlyle walking down the hall.

When she walked into the sanctuary, she sat on the step as she watched the papparazzi at work:)

And, because I think it's cute, here's The 3 Muskateers Halloween pictures from this year(2011), last year(2010) and 2009.

Sweet Carlyle

2011-10-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Enjoy listening to Carlyle sing "Saw, Saw, Saw" (a song from sunday school) and the Barney song. Be sure to turn the music down at the bottom of the page so you can hear her:)

Saturday Fun

2011-10-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon the girls got all dressed up in their Halloween costumes so we could go to Gage's 5th birthday. It was alot of fun. Camden and Claire loved bobbing for apples. Even though I forgot to take any pictures at the party, there were cute Monster-themed games, a pinata and yummy pizza and cookie cake!! Happy Birthday, Gage!!!

After the party, we headed back to Hideaway where they had their annual Fall Festival. As we walked in, Camden and Carlyle immediately wanted to go on the tractor ride. Claire and Daddy went to play some games. After the ride, we met up with them and headed to the cupcake walk. Seriously, I think we went through about 5 or 6 rounds. Claire was determined to win a cupcake. Unfortunately, she didn't win and was sad. But, we reminded her that Halloween is in one week and she will get TONS of candy. That seemed to lift her spirits a bit!

We had a fun-filled Saturday and enjoyed getting to dress up in our costumes! Carlyle absolutely LOVES her Minnie Mouse costume!! And, Claire is such a pretty Belle! And, don't you think Camden should join the Lindale cheerleaders on Friday night?? Hope you all had a great weekend!!

Cousins

2011-10-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

All the cousins!
Claire, Carlyle, Camden, Jaxson, Selah and Madeline

Camden gets stitches

2011-10-18T19:21:00.001-07:00

Saturday was supposed to be a low-key day. The girls spent the night with my parents Friday night so Saturday morning I headed to their house to get them. I had promised my mom I would help her clean out one of her closets. While we cleaned, the girls played outside with Papa. Around 11am we had finished and sat down to take a break. The girls were in and out and Camden came in to ask if she could have a piece of candy. My dad had bought several bags of the miniature candy bars (Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Snickers). I told her she could have one piece since it was about lunch time. I never thought twice about how she would open the bag. A few seconds later, she walked up to me with a paper towel around her finger and told me she needed a band-aid because she cut her finger. When I asked how she cut it, she told me a knife. She never cried or freaked out. In fact, she was so calm about the whole thing. When I looked at it and saw how deep the cut was, I knew I needed to take her and get it stitched up. When I said that, then the freaking out began. Ha! My friends' husband is a doctor and he is the one who tended to Camden a few months ago when she got her finger slammed in the door. So, we went back to Mr. Ben and he stitched her right up. The hardest part was holding her down while he gave her the injections to numb her finger. After that, we both sat and watched as he put in 4 stitches. She was such a brave girl, but I think she has learned her lesson about knives. What a day!!!

Camden after getting stitches. You can't see them b/c of the band-aid, but they are there:)

Painting Pumpkins

2011-10-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I thought it would be fun to do something "crafty" with the girls. I bought some little pumpkins and decided I would let them paint their pumpkins, any way they wanted. I didn't really have a plan, nor did I have an idea of what the finished products should look like. I just gave the girls some paint, brushes and pumpkins and said go. They had alot of fun being creative and I enjoyed watching them work.

More fall pics

2011-10-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

This morning, my parents and I took the girls to Yesterland Farm. We go to a pumpkin patch every year, but the one we have gone to for several years was closed this year due to the drought. I had heard of the Yesterland Farm, but never been. When I got a permission slip for a field trip to this farm for Camden's class I decided to research it to see what all they offered. Well, the website doesn't do it justice. It was SO MUCH FUN! I really thought we would be done in an hour or so, but we got there right after they opened at 10 and left at 1pm, only because Carlyle was having a meltdown and we were all hot! Otherwise, the girls could have stayed alot longer. We had such a good time and will definitely be going back. They are also open at Christmas and have trees you can cut down, with the same rides, etc.. Looking forward to the cooler weather so we can stay a little longer.

We started off with some pictures and all 3 were very cooperative.

Then it was off to the rides. I didn't think Carlyle would ride anything because of our recent experience at the fair, however, I was wrong! She rode everything that I let her ride and had a great time!!

Camden and Claire's absolute favorite was the roller coaster. I think they rode it at least 3 or 4 times in a row.

They got to ride a canoe in the water and have duck races.
Barrell train rides.

Papa helping the girls with the Pumpin Launcher and the Corn Shooter.
Time to pose!

We then went to the corn maze, which started off really fun. It was a game where you had to find different things on your game board and hole punch the items that you find. However, there isn't much breeze inside the maze and it was getting very hot. On top of being hot, we were all getting hungry and cranky, especially Carlyle. We couldn't find our way out and I felt like we were going in circles. Finally, my mom found the exit and we were all relieved. Seriously, I think we were in the maze for at least 20-25 minutes...TOO LONG!

We had a great morning and there was a nice breeze for most of the time that we were at the Pumpkin Patch. Thanks to Nana and Papa for joining us. We all had such a great time!!

Lindale Homecoming 2011

2011-10-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Lindale's Homecoming was this past week and every year they select one boy and one girl from the Kindergarten class to be the Flower Girl and the Crown Bearer. At the Pep Rally, the kids hand roses to all the Homecoming Court and at the game the Flower Girl will hand the Queen a bouquet of roses and the Crown Bearer will carry the crown. Awhile back Claire was asked if she would be the Flower Girl and she as so excited!!! She would ask me every night if that was the weekend she was going to get to go on the field at the game. Finally, Friday came and we got up early to head to practice at the field. Claire and Elijah did great! After several hours at school, I picked Camden and Claire up early to go to the Pep Rally. Neither girl had ever had a mum before and they weren't really liking how they tug on your shirt and how they seemed to get in the way. But, I got Camden a mum because Elijah got one for Claire and I thought she might have wanted one. Guess I could have saved some money. Oh well...it makes for cute pics.

Waiting for the Pep Rally

Claire and Elijah waiting to take their places.

Carlyle enjoying all the sights and sounds at the Pep Rally.

Elijah and Claire being introduced.

Singing the school song with the big kids.

After resting for a couple of hours at home, we got dressed and met up at the stadium.

Daddy, Claire and Mommy

Pretty little flower girl.

Elijah got Claire a corsage and he brought it to her at the game. So sweet!

The Homecoming Court
Crown bearer and Flower girl

Holding the roses for the Queen

Sweet friends!

Mr. Williams walked with Elijah and Claire
Handing the Queen her flowers.

Homecoming court and their escorts.

What a fun night for Claire and such an honor to be chosen. She had such a wonderful time being involved in the activities and getting to participate with the big kids. Thanks to all our family who came out to show support for our Claire Bear. We're so proud of you Claire...you did an awesome job!!!

Camden's Baptism

2011-10-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer after Camden became a Christian, we began talking about baptism. She wasn't so sure she wanted to "go under the water". She kept putting it off and one day she asked if she could get baptized when she was 7. I told her that was fine and then I mentioned that her birthday was going to fall on a Sunday and it would be really neat if she got baptized on that day. She immediately was on board and was telling everyone that she was going to get baptized on her birthday. She was so excited!!

Sunday morning, after getting up and letting Camden open birthday presents, we had breakfast, got dressed and headed to church. I had everything laid out for the morning, including Camden's dress and a bag with shoes, undies, hair dryer, bow and brush. In our rush to get out the door, I grabbed my Sunday School lesson, Bible, Carlyle's diaper bag and my purse, completely forgetting Camden's dress and bag. We got about 10 minutes down the road and I remembered that I forgot the dress. We turned around and Jeremy ran inside and grabbed it. It never even dawned on me that I didn't have the bag until we got to church. UGH!!! I am a Type A personality, wanting everything to be PERFECT! However, this morning wasn't going as planned. Instead of getting upset, which I normally would have done, I tried to make the best of what had happened. Camden was just going to wear panties while getting baptized because the robes are pretty thick. Since the pair of panties that she had on were the only pair we had, she got baptized with nothing on except her robe. I remembered seeing a red bow in the nursery that had been left there for several weeks. Not sure who it belonged to, but we used it Sunday morning (hope we don't get lice from that). So, Camden wore her dress, a borrowed red bow and her pink flip flops to church. Not the look we were going for, but what funny memories!!

The Lord used that incident on Sunday morning to remind me that the things I sometimes think are important aren't really important at all. Watching Camden get baptized put things into perspective. Knowing where we are going to spend eternity is important. Spending time with our family is important. Treating others the way we want to be treated is important. Teaching our children about Jesus and the love He has for us is important.

Happy Birthday Camden!

2011-10-02T16:47:00.001-07:00

We started off Camden's birthday a little early. Since her birthday is on Sunday and we didn't have school on Friday or Monday, and I work on Tuesday and Thursday, we took cupcakes to Camden's class on Wednesday for her birthday. She was such a good hostess as she passed out cupcakes to all her friends. Even though her teacher was out sick, Camden still had a great time as we celebrated her special day.

The celebrations continued as Camden woke up to birthday balloons, decorations and presents this morning.

After getting dressed, we headed off to church for another celebration as we watched Camden get baptized. I will do a separate post on this.
After church Camden wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday meal. Even though Daddy was wanting to get home to watch the Cowboys, he gave in and took the birthday girl to one of her favorite places. What a good Daddy!!!

When we got home we had cupcakes for dessert and Camden got to blow out the #7 candle. I can't believe my baby is 7!!! Where does time go??

Camden, we love you so much and hope you had a great birthday! We loved celebrating with you and how special for you to be baptized on your birthday! Can't wait to see what God has in store for you this next year! Happy happy birthday!

Fair Time!

2011-10-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Friday night we met Nana and Papa at the fair. Papa planned ahead and got the girls arm bands to ride all the rides they wanted. Camden and Claire couldn't wait to get there. Carlyle was happy just to be going somewhere. She didn't know where we were going, but she was excited, too. When we got there, Papa took Carlyle on the carousel while the older girls rode another ride. Surprisingly, Carlyle was not thrilled about the ride and did NOT want any where near another ride the rest of the night. She liked watching Cam and Claire, but didn't want join to them. But, Camden and Claire definitely got their money's worth of riding rides. They had THE.BEST.TIME!!!

Happy girl enjoying watching all the people and seeing all the lights!

When my brother and I were little, my parents would take us to the fair every year. They always had ponies that we would ride. Ever since Camden was born and we started taking her to the fair, they haven't had the ponies, which made me sad. But, this year they had them and I'm so glad they got to enjoy the rides. It's so fun to let your kids do things that you grew up doing. Such fun memories!!!

Papa bought Carlyle some cotton candy and thought she might like it. However, just like her sisters, she didn't care for it. I don't think it's so much the taste, just the texture and the way it dissolves the instant it hits your tongue. Oh well, mommy got to finish it off and I enjoyed every bite!
Thank you Papa for such a fun evening! We all had a great time and look forward to the fair every year!

Happy Birthday Marme'!

2011-10-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

Thursday was Marme's birthday and we all surprised her with dinner at our house. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and had chips and cheese dip! And, what's a birthday without some CHOCOLATE?? We had a yummy chocolate cake for dessert!! All the kids had so much fun playing together! While the kids were playing outside, Carlyle got ahold of a marker and went to town. She looked like a little Indian!! She was so proud of herself!

Happy Birthday Marme'! We love you and hope you had a special day!

Daddy and Selah

Marme' and all the grandkids

Go Eagles!

2011-09-27T20:02:00.001-07:00

Friday night we went to cheer on the Lindale Eagles football team. This was our first game this season to attend and the girls were super excited. We went with Jake, Crystal and Madeline, which made it even more fun!! Camden and Claire had fun cheering and watching the band play and Carlyle was entertained by all the lights, sounds and people! We had a great time and the weather was great! Looking forward to our next game, which will be Homecoming! A special little girl that we know very well will be participating in the Homecoming activities at the pep rally and at the game. Stay tuned for details and pics:)

Baby Selah is here!

2011-09-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Monday evening, baby Selah was born. Jeremy's sister, Rachel, gave birth to a sweet little girl a little before 9:00pm. She weighed 6lb 12oz and was 19 1/2" long. Since Camden and Claire had school the next day, the girls and I headed home around 6:30 to finish homework, get baths and get to bed. They were sad they couldn't see Selah, but I promised them that we would see her the next day after school. Of course, we are all thrilled to have another little girl in the family! Congratulations to Rachel, Rex and big brother Jaxson!

Madeline, Camden, Claire, Carlyle and Jax all watching a movie in the waiting room while waiting for baby Selah.
Pops and Carlyle
Cheese!
We finally got to see and hold Selah on Tuesday!
Camden was a natural holding her and did not want to give her up to anybody!!! I think Rachel has found her babysitter:)
Claire and Selah
Sweet baby!
Carlyle had to have her turn, too!

She LOVED holding baby Selah!

Carlyle turns 2!!

2011-09-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

Sunday was Carlyle's 2nd birthday and she awoke to one of her favorite things...BALLOONS! Not just any balloons, but two of her favorite characters...MINNIE and ELMO!!! She was so excited. I don't think we even needed gifts. She was having so much fun with her balloons. But, you only turn 2 once, so we had to get her some fun presents.

She loves to sing the "I love you" song from Barney, and as much as it annoys me, it sure is cute when my baby sings it. So, we got her a Barney book that plays the song.

She also got a Minnie Mouse that talks and her bow lights up. It's really cute and Carlyle loves it. She's finally figured out how to squeeze her hand to make her talk and she will do it at night when she's supposed to be sleeping. Ha!
The big 1st grade sister reading Carlyle her card.
Feeding her new baby a bottle.
All dressed for church in her birthday dress!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Carlyle! We love you so much and are so thankful you are a part of our family! Your make us smile and laugh daily and you definitely keep us on our toes. You have alot of "spunk" and are just so likeable:) You are such a social butterfly and will say hi to anyone and everyone, no matter where we are. You go anywhere, like you own the place. It doesn't matter if it's the grocery store, school or a restaurant. You LOVE men, especially older men. You seem to be attracted to them and will just go up and talk to them, which I'm sure makes their day. You bring so much joy to everyone that you are around and I pray that you will continue to bring smiles to others' faces as you grow older. Happy 2nd birthday to our sweet Baby C!!

Sweet Shoppe Party!!!

2011-09-19T08:41:00.001-07:00

Saturday we celebrated all 3 girls' birthdays with one "Sweet Shoppe" Party! I had so much fun planning this party. I would say that the party was a huge success and that everyone had a great time. I mean, who's not gonna have fun when there's a candy buffet?? All the kids had a great time playing outside and the weather was absolutely perfect!! It couldn't have gone any better!! Camden, Claire and Carlyle had such a good time playing with their friends. This party was just FUN!!!

The party decorations
Party guests

Blowing out the candles! My 2 yr old, 5 yr old and soon-to-be 7 yr old
Time to eat!!!!
One big group shot!!!

Thanks to all our family and friends who came to celebrate these 3 little girls! They had a great time and we hope you all did, too! Thanks for sharing our celebration with us!!

Birthday week!

2011-09-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Guess who's turning 2 this week???

When life throws you lemons....

2011-09-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

make lemonade!!

Today was Callen's 2nd birthday and the theme was "You are my Sunshine"/Lemonade. What a fun party!! Camden and Claire passed out lemonade to the guests and then even decided to try and make homemade lemonade from squeezing lemons. They had a little help from Charley and Carter. They did pretty good! Happy Birthday Callen!!

Blowing out the candles
Pretty cake!
Sweet sisters!!
Cheese!

Cullen's birthday!!

2011-09-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was Cullen's birthday party and the girls couldn't wait! The party was at The Discovery Science Place and they had a blast!! Camden and Claire had lots of fun playing with Taegan and Nellie Grace. (Just want to say congrats to Taegan's mom, Jennifer. She had a baby boy yesterday morning and he is so cute!!)

Cullen, Camden, Taegan and Claire checking out the ambulance
CHEESE!
Chef Claire is busy in the kitchen.

Carlyle spotted Nellie Grace and ran over to give her a hug.
Claire making a volcano.

Camden's volcano erupts.
Claire's volcano. So cool!
Cullen and his Lego Helicopter cake. The helicopter blades really spin, too!!

And, just because the girls' birthday party is next weekend, I'm going to leave you with a picture of my sweeties in their birthday dresses. The theme of the party is "Sweet Shoppe" and these dresses couldn't be a better match!! Lollipops and Gumballs! How perfect!!!

Buddies

2011-09-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Callen and Carlyle are exactly 2 weeks apart in age and they are good friends! They are in the same PDO class and same Sunday School class. Leighton is the third friend in the "Three Amigos" and because of her birthday being before Sept.1, is in an older class. I'm sad they're not all together, but they are all still good buddies!! Callen and Carlyle just moved up to my Sunday School class and it's so fun watching them interact together. They take up for each other and fight with each other, just like sisters:) I'm so glad Carlyle has such good friends to play with and grow with! Friends make life more fun!!!

Sweet Leighton, the oldest of the "Three Amigos"

Callen and Carlyle in Sunday School

Giving hugs

Happy 5th Birthday Claire Bear!!!

2011-08-24T18:21:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Claire's 5th birthday! Oh my, I can't believe that she is already 5. Where did the time go??? How did she so quickly go from this

to this?

We started off the morning with cinnamon rolls, per Claire's request. Then, it was off to school for the big Kindergartener. After lunch, I brought some cupcakes up to her class. She loved it when her class sang Happy Birthday to her and Mrs. Aubuchon gave her 5 birthday hugs!

And then we took Claire to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday dinner. She quickly announced to the lady at the door that it was her birthday because she remembered from last year that you get a birthday sticker and extra tokens!! Smart girl!! It was a perfect night to go...there was only about 3 other kids there, seriously! So quiet and calm!! The girls had a great time going from games to rides and back to games.

When we got home Claire got to open her presents and eat another cupcake for dessert. She loved her new pizza and sandwich food for her kitchen and was really excited about her Little Pony remote control car. We had a fun day celebrating Claire and I hope she knows how special she is to all of us!! We love you Claire and can't wait to celebrate again at the big birthday bash in just a few weeks!!!

1st day of PDO and 23 months

2011-08-23T18:23:00.001-07:00

Carlyle turned 23 months last Thursday and I only took one picture of her that day. Here she is on her official 23rd month birthday.

Today was Carlyle's first day of PDO for the fall. Even though she has been going to PDO with me since she was only a few weeks old, this was her first day to be in a class other than mine. Since she has been in my class since she was born, moving up to the toddler class was a big deal. There were lots of changes in the toddler room that she wasn't used to, but I felt confident that she would do well. I knew she would have a good time since her buddy, Callen, was in her class and because Mrs. Caren (Callen's mommy) was her teacher. She was a little clingy this morning, which surprised me, but once she got in her room she did pretty well.

Instead of sitting in a high chair for lunch, Carlyle got to sit in a chair at the table. I watched her through the window for a few minutes and she just sat there, watching as her teacher got everyone's lunch out. Even though her food was already in front of her, she didn't take a bite for awhile. Then I heard Mrs. Caren say,"Carlyle, come sit down and eat". In fact, I heard that several times. Carlyle wasn't used to having freedom at lunchtime. I'm sure she will catch on quickly that she has to stay in her seat to eat, but just in case she doesn't, I'm going to give her teacher permission to strap her in the chair. Ha ha!

Nap time was different for Carlyle, too. Instead of sleeping in a swing, she had to lay on her nap mat. Mrs. Robin went in and took a picture of Carlyle when she layed down. She was so still, it was kind of freaky looking. She and Callen were laying next to each other and they were awake for awhile. But, Mrs. Caren said that when things in the room calmed down, both girls went to sleep. They didn't sleep that long, only because another child in the room woke up screaming and screaming!! Hopefully, all the kids will get used to their new room and new schedule and will learn to take longer naps! I'm so glad that Carlyle had a good day and I know that it's good for her to be away from me some during the day, even if it is just across the hall.

1st day of school

2011-08-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

This morning Camden and Claire woke up very excited about the 1st day of school. They ate breakfast, got dressed and I did their hair. They couldn't wait to get to school. After a few pictures, we gathered backpacks, lunches, cookies for the office staff and treats for the teachers and we were off. We stopped by the Jr. High and picked Jeremy up on the way so he could join us.

Our first stop was to drop off our big Kindergartener. She was all smiles as we got a few pictures.

As we walked down the hall, Claire grabbed my hand and I could tell she was getting a little nervous. Still, she did really well. She handed Mrs. Aubuchon her treat and she was kind enough to take a family picture. We hung up her backpack and put her lunch in her cubby. As we walked over to her table she began to cry, telling me that she wanted to stay with me. I felt so bad for her. I wanted to leave her happy and not sad, but knew we had to leave to get Camden to school on time. I gave her lots of hugs and kisses and promised I would be back very soon. Mrs. Aubuchon took her and tried to divert her while I slipped out. I was so sad for Claire. I immediately texted a friend that works there and she went and checked on her a little later. She said she was fine and that Claire was only sad for about 5 minutes after I left. That made me feel so much better.
Next stop was for Camden at her new school. She marched right in like a big 1st grader and did great! She did allow me to take one picture before I left. I knew right away that she was going to have a great day!!!!
I hoped and prayed all day that both girls would have a wonderful 1st day of school. I picked Claire up in her classroom and she was all smiles. Mrs. Aubuchon said she was very quiet, which didn't surprise me. Claire tends to be shy and quiet until she warms up to you and then she is a chatterbox. I bet that by the end of the week she comes out of her shell. Since I didn't get a picture dropping Claire off, I had to get one of her with that big smile on her face at pick up.

I am so thankful for the faculty and staff at Lindale ISD. I felt so welcomed this morning at both campuses we went to and I have no doubt that all the campuses in Lindale treat parents and students the same way. We were greeted with lots of smiles and hearing teachers and staff call my kids by name made me feel so blessed that they take the time to truly "know" my kids. What a great first day...can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the year!!

Meet the Teacher

2011-08-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was "Meet the Teacher" at both Camden and Claire's schools. We got all dressed to go meet their teachers, check out the schools and hopefully see some old friends and meet some new ones. They both were pretty excited, but Camden more so than Claire. Carlyle had no idea what we were getting ready for, but she was excited just to "go".

First up was Claire's school. Since Claire had the same teacher that Camden had last year, she was already familiar with her. We got to the school and saw lots of familiar faces. Everyone was happy to see us and made us feel so welcome. When we got to the room, Claire immediately got very shy, clinging to me. We found where she would sit and her cubby. We walked around the room, hoping she would warm up a little. Camden took her and they played in the kitchen and wrote on the board for awhile. After getting to play for awhile she did warm up and was ready to speak to Mrs. Aubuchon. Of course, she was excited to see Claire and gave her a big hug. I just know Claire is going to have a great year!

After cookies and milk in the cafeteria at Claire's school, we headed over to Camden's new school to meet her teacher and check out her room. Camden is at the school where I used to teach at, so I enjoyed getting to check out all the changes that have been made and loved seeing lots of familiar faces. I love that I have friends that teach and work at the same campus that Camden will be at. It's nice to know that so many people will be watching out for her!! We found Camden's room and as we walked in I just had a great feeling. It was bright and cheerful and even smelled good!! Camden found her desk and cubby and walked around the room checking everything out. We met Mrs. Hering and I could tell that she was genuinely happy and excited about Camden being in her class. I am confident that Camden is in a great class and that it's going to be a super year!! Yeah for 1st grade!!

Splash Day at PDO

2011-08-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was our last day of PDO for the summer and it was Splash Day! Camden and Claire were excited about getting to play in the water. Carlyle had fun going from one pool to another pool and playing with the bubbles. We had a great time at PDO this summer. I'm sad that when we start back for fall that I will only be bringing Carlyle with me. I still can't believe that I will have two kids in school. But, I'm sure Carlyle will enjoy all the attention!

Camden and her big decision

2011-07-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

What an awesome day today was!! Camden asked Jesus to come into her heart this afternoon and I couldn't be more thrilled!

Camden has been talking alot lately about how Jesus died on the cross for her sins. Of course, she hears all the Bible stories at Sunday School every week and over the last few weeks she has heard more about God's love for her in Bible School and at God's Kids. Sunday evening we went to watch Jaxson, her cousin, get baptized. We talked about it before we went and then nothing was said after church. Jeremy and I didn't want to push anything, but we also wanted to be able to answer any questions she had. A few days passed and Camden and Claire spent the night last night with Marme'. Camden brought up Jaxson and how he got baptized and she asked Marme' a few questions. Marme' then told her that she needed to talk to us about it and that's all that was said. When I picked them up I didn't bring anything up. After lunch we were cleaning up some toys and out of the blue Camden said, "I know that Jesus loves me and He died on the cross for my sins and I want to get baptized". So, Jeremy and I talked to her about it and we prayed with her to invite Jesus to live in her heart. She is SO excited and immediately called her grandparents to share the good news! We will take her Sunday to talk to our pastor and then we will get a date for her baptism. What a proud moment for parents to know that your child believes in Jesus and will spend eternity with Him one day. I pray that her excitement about her salvation will not fade and that she will be eager to share with her friends at school about Jesus' love for them. We are so proud of Camden for making this important decision and look forward to the day when Claire and Carlyle can experience this same excitement!

On a completely different note, I couldn't do a post with no pictures. So, I'm going to leave you with a picture of a sweet, sleeping baby girl!

Too cute Tuesday

2011-07-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love the outfits that the girls have on today and I wanted to get a picture of them wearing it. So, while I was cooking dinner, I asked Jeremy to try and get a picture of them. After about 5 minutes, he came back and said he was done. I checked the pictures and was so proud that he got such a cute picture. He doesn't know it, but he may become my official picture taker. He got a cute picture with no screaming, no tears and no bribery (at least none that I know of).

22 months

2011-07-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Carlyle is 22 months old today. And I really can't believe that in two short months she will be turning 2!! She is definitely not a baby anymore and we have already had a few previews of "The Terrible Twos". Carlyle has developed a sense of independence, which is not always a good thing. Especially when it comes to meal time. She insists on eating her yogurt and applesauce all by herself, which usually means it ends up dumped on her tray. She then proceeds to rub her hands all in it and then put her hands all in her hair. Needless to say, bathtime usually follows those meals:) She is talking up a storm and repeating everything and anything. She has just started saying thank you and it's so cute! She will now say it without me prompting her. When I give her something she will say ,"Tank you mommy". Oh...melt my heart!!! Love that girl:)

Just in the last couple of weeks, Carlyle has learned how to crawl up onto the sofa, ottoman and Camden and Claire's beds. She thinks she is so big now, but it scares me to death. I just know she's going to end up, head first, on the hard floor. Oh well, I guess she'll learn. And, she thinks it's so funny to walk around the house backwards. She'll start doing it and when she sees me, she just laughs. You can't help but laugh with her.

Sweet girl still loves her paci at bedtime and instead of one blanket, she has to have at least 2 of the 3, if not all 3. She is so funny. And, believe me, she knows the difference between blankets. If you try to give her one that's not "one of the three", she will throw it back at you. She loves her minky lovies and still loves her crib! She hasn't tried to climb out yet, but then again, neither did her sisters. Camden stayed in her crib until right before her 3rd birthday. Who knows...Carlyle may still be in her crib when she starts Kindergarten. Just kidding! Carlyle, we love you so much and are so blessed that you are a part of our family!

Jailhouse ROCK!

2011-07-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

This past week, Camden went to a music camp at our church called God's Kids. Every morning they would learn the songs and motions to a musical and then in the afternoon they would go on a fun field trip. Friday night they performed for the parents. The name of the musical was called "Jailhouse ROCK!" It was a great performance and had a great message about the freedom we have in Christ. I'm so proud of Camden for working so hard this week. All the kids did a great job! We are already looking forward to next year when Claire can join Camden for all the fun!!

Another injury for Camden

2011-07-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner and all the girls were in Camden and Claire's room playing. All of a sudden I hear Camden screaming as she comes running in the kitchen. As she is screaming that there is blood on her hand, she is waving her hand all around, flinging blood EVERYWHERE!! The kitchen and hallway seriously looked like a murder scene with all the blood. Apparently, Claire had slammed the bedroom door (which is about as heavy, if not heavier, than our front door) and Camden's hand got caught in it. I had Jeremy come look at it and we tried to get as much blood off as we could. It looked horrible!! As heavy as the door is, we're surprised that her finger was still attached. Just a sidenote...Camden is very dramatic, especially when it comes to injuries. Claire can fall and scrape her knee and she might cry for literally 5 seconds, then she's off playing again. Camden can get the same injury and she will carry on about her knee for hours...how she can't walk on it, how she can't run, how it hurts, how she needs medicine or a band-aid, etc... So, needless to say, this injury was very painful and she cried and cried and cried. Anyway, her nail bled and bled and bled...for 6 hours!!! What a long night! We immediately put ice on her finger to help with swelling and we continued to apply pressure. We thought we had it stopped, so we wrapped it and she went and got in bed. She got up to get a pillow for her hand to rest on and we noticed it was bleeding through the gauze. After consulting with a doctor friend and Jeremy's sister who is a nurse, we knew if we couldn't get the bleeding to stop that we were going to have to take her to the ER. We got ice cold water and held her finger in it for 10 minutes at a time. As you can imagine, she was NOT a fan of that. But, it seemed to help and after the third time, the bleeding was very minimal. We finally went to bed around 12:30am. What an exhausting night!!

The next day Camden went to God's Kids as planned. The ladies in charge took extra care of Camden and watched out for her "fragile" finger. When I picked her up, a friend whose husband is a doctor, offered for her husband to look at it just to make sure it didn't need any stitches. We ran by to see Mr. Ben and he suggested that he try and move the nail back into place. He also informed us that the finger was broken. So, in order to allow him to work on the nail, he needed to numb it, which meant 3 shots. That was lots of fun, especially with 2 other kids in the room with us. I had to hold Camden down and as she is screaming because of the shots, Claire grabs my legs and starts crying because of Camden and Carlyle is running around the room, opening drawers and cabinets, pulling out gowns, sheets, rubbing alcohol and is trying to drink iodine. It was absolutely CRAZY!!! But, we survived! Mr. Ben was so nice and put a splint on Camden's finger so that she couldn't bend it. That was the only way for the nail to stay in place. He also prescribed an antibiotic because he was concerned that she might get staph from the open wound. So, we left there at 5:00pm, headed to the pharmacy to wait on the meds. Again, I'm sure we were quite the entertainment as Carlyle ran around all the aisles, grabbing hand sanitizer, vitamins and anything that looked interesting. I stopped on the way home and picked up dinner because it was so late and because I was exhausted!! After dinner and baths, all 3 girls went to bed. Talk about a FULL DAY!!! I'm just so thankful that Mr. Ben took the time to check out Camden's finger and was willing to help us out. I'm just hoping that her finger will heal quickly and that the soreness will go away very soon!! Camden was such a trooper and was so brave!! I'm just hoping this is the last injury for a long, long time!!

Camden and Claire watching TV while we wait on the doctor.
Poor little finger.
After a full day at God's Kids, a couple hours at the clinic getting her finger worked on, and waiting at the pharmacy for her meds, she fell asleep on the way home with a sucker in her mouth.
Camden's broken and injured finger

Ding Dong Lover

2011-07-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Monday, Camden started a week long music camp at our church called God's Kids. They rotate to different stations, where they learn different songs with the motions to a musical. Every afternoon they go on a field trip somewhere fun. She is having the best time. Friday night they will perform their musical and I can't wait to see what she has learned. So, Monday after we dropped her off we headed over to a friend's house for a play date. I'm sad I didn't take one picture, but it was lots of fun. Jennifer made us a yummy breakfast and the kids got to play and run off lots of energy. Then, while waiting for Camden to get finished, we went over to my parents to have lunch and let Carlyle take a nap. I found some Ding Dongs in the drawer and Claire just had to have one. Of course, that meant Carlyle had to have one, too. This was her first one to ever taste and she was IN HEAVEN!! She gobbled it up and enjoyed every bite!!!

Sunday Snapshots

2011-07-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Little Fish

2011-07-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Camden and Claire have been taking swimming lessons twice a week for the past two weeks. Even though they were pretty good swimmers, they have started learning how to use their arms and how to take breaths while swimming. They did great every day and they loved seeing their teacher, Mrs. Debbie! We have enjoyed being at the pool this summer and the girls are swimming like little fish!! Check out the videos at the bottom of the girls swimming.

Happy Independence Day!!

2011-07-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Our Independence Day started off a bit slow. Jeremy played golf early this morning and I was hoping that the girls would sleep later than normal since they had been up past 10pm the last two nights. Camden, as usual, was the first one up. She woke up up around 7:00. Claire wasn't too far behind at around 7:30. Poor Carlyle must have been worn out from all the festivities of the weekend because she didn't wake up until 8:15, which is so not normal for any of my children. I can't remember when any of my kids have slept past 7:30 in a very long time. We got up, had breakfast and were moving very slowly. We then headed over to Marme' and Pops' house for lunch. We were the first ones there so Camden and Claire enjoyed helping Marme' make special desserts for the kids, prepare relish trays, and getting everything ready for our big BBQ. After we ate, all the kids (and the big boys) got their swimsuits on and went out to enjoy the big water slide. All the kids had such a great time, but I think the big boys had just as much fun!!

Jax started off the fun

Madeline's turn
Camden took her turn
Madeline going down on her Daddy's back
Claire going head first
Madeline and Jax on Rex's back
Carlyle had the best time just running around the yard and playing in the water.

Oh no!!
Daddy decided to take Carlyle down the slide. She wasn't a huge fan.
Trying to get a picture of all the kids
This is the best one I got. These kids were worn out after playing hard!!
Later that afternoon we went over to Nana and Papa's for swimming and dinner. Carlyle fell asleep in the car so I transferred her to the bed. Jeremy and I took Camden and Claire to my parents' neighbors to swim for a bit. They had so much fun!
After swimming, we had a yummy dinner of grilled chicken, corn on the cob, potatoes, beans and homemade rolls. YUM! Camden and Claire wanted me to bring stuff to make smores, which I was very excited about. So, after dinner and more swimming I got everything out. My dad was going to make a fire outside, but both girls insisted that they wanted to make their smores without roasting the marshmallows...WHAT?? Since the girls and I were the only ones making smores, I didn't want my dad to make a fire just for me. I was a little disappointed because I really wanted a good, yummy, gooey smore. I attempted to roast my own marshmallow with a match. I don't recommend that. It just wasn't the same. Although it still tasted good, the marshmallow wasn't as roasted as I'd like and the chocolate didn't melt. Oh well, despite the fact that my smores experience wasn't a huge success, we still had a great day celebrating the holiday with our family!

Celebrating the 4th on the 3rd

2011-07-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

Every year Hideaway Lake has a big 4th of July celebration. This year they had all the festivities on the 3rd. There are fun activities all day long at the beach/pool area and then at night they have a boat parade with sky divers and fireworks. There were so many people there that parking was a nightmare!! We have some friends, The Bloomers, that live very close to the pool so we decided to park at their house. We were going to walk over to see the sky divers and parade and then come back to their house to watch the fireworks from their driveway. When we started down their driveway headed to the pool, we look up and see the sky divers on their way down. So, instead of making the trek to the beach, we just watched the sky divers from the driveway. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them land on the beach or watch the boat parade, but I'm not sure we would have been able to see much anyway with all the people. So, we headed inside to cool off. The Bloomers were so nice and they cooked BBQ for us and two other couples. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with great friends!! The fireworks were great and it was a great ending to such a great night! Thanks again to the Bloomers for allowing us to spend the holiday with you and your family!

Brianna played Twister with Camden and Claire while we waited for the fireworks.

Mr. Gandy and Carlyle
Mr. Bill holding Carlyle
Daddy and Carlyle
Carlyle watching the fireworks and eating marshmallows.
Carlyle enjoyed going from lap to lap to watch the fireworks...notice she is going to the men! This may pose a problem the older she gets:)
And the beautiful fireworks!!

Neighborhood Parade

2011-07-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Neals, invited us to their annual 4th of July picnic and parade. Everyone brings their own dinner for their family and then they gather in the street for a red, white and blue parade. The neighbors all had their chairs in their driveways ready to watch the kids make their way down the street. We had fun decorating the girls' wagon and bike. We had such a great time visiting with old friends and making new ones. After the parade, we all went back to the Neal's house and the kids all played in the backyard. What a fun evening spent with friends and family! Thanks to the Neals for a great night!

Claire, Macy, Camden and Carlyle

Carlyle and Mr. Paul became good friends.

Claire and Carlyle ready to start the parade

The parade begins.

Camden and Grayson

Nellie Grace enjoyed the stroller ride

Daddy pulling Claire and Carlyle in the wagon

Here comes Camden

Macy walking her dog in a patriotic tutu

The Bunts and The Chileks in the parade

Nellie Grace and Carlyle were so happy to see each other

Cool Cullen

Mr. Casey playing with Camden

Claire, Camden and Cullen

Headed to Canton

2011-07-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Friday morning Caren, our girls and I all loaded up and headed to Canton to shop. We were only going for a few things so we thought we would brave it with our girls. We decided to go early because of the heat. Surprisingly, all 5 girls did really well! We only stayed for a couple of hours, but that was long enough! Thanks Caren, Charley and Callen for a fun morning!

Carlyle's all ready to shop

Camden and Carlyle

The only picture I took while at Canton. The minute I pulled my camera out, Carlyle started fake crying. It makes me laugh how fast her moods can change!

Parties and playtime

2011-06-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening we went to Aubrey's birthday party at the Splash Park. The girls had so much fun playing in the water and on the playground. Carlyle's favorite thing was the slide. She went up and down the slide at least 10 times. What a fun evening to spend with friends!

Saturday morning I had planned on taking the girls to the zoo, however, the hot temperatures made me change my mind. So, in a moment of weakness, I took them to Chuck E. Cheese...on a Saturday...by myself! WHAT WAS I THINKING??? But, really it wasn't that crowded. We got there about 10:30 and the girls had a great time playing all the games and getting tickets. Carlyle seemed to be a bit overstimulated. I couldn't get her to smile the whole time we were there. She wanted to ride the rides, but she never cracked a smile. I think she was just taking it all in. We had a fun morning and finding a fun place to play with an air conditioner was an added bonus!!!

This evening after dinner, Jeremy and I took the girls to the beach area in Hideaway. The last time we were there, Carlyle loved it!! I thought it would be fun for them to build sand castles and enjoy the sand and water. Carlyle had the best time sitting, walking and splashing in the water. Camden and Claire loved playing in the water with their daddy. Carlyle made friends with a little girl who was building sand castles and sat down beside her to watch. We had a fun and relaxing evening and I'm sure we will spend many more summer nights on the "beach". We love it!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today after church we went over to Marme' and Pops' house for lunch to celebrate Father's Day. We gave Pops his gifts for Father's Day...tickets to the Rangers game next Saturday and a framed picture. We had a great time celebrating Pops' special day.

Tonight, Nana and Papa came over for dinner. We grilled steaks and had baked potatos, salad and rolls. It was yummy! Nana made her special chocolate pie for Jeremy, one of his favorites! The girls were so excited to give Papa his cards and gifts. Papa also got a framed picture, which he loved!

Happy Father's Day to the three special men in my life...my husband, my dad and my father-in-law. I hope all three of you had a special day. Thank you for being such wonderful husbands and Godly fathers. I love you all!!

Daddy/Daughter Date Night

2011-06-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, Chick-fil-A hosted a Daddy/Daughter date night. I decided to make reservations for Jeremy to take Camden and Claire. They had a table all set up for them and they tried to make it so special. Both girls got goodie bags to bring home, which they were so excited about. They saw Charley and her daddy there, and had to get a picture with the Chick-fil-A cow. After dinner, Jeremy took them to Orange Leaf for dessert. They all had a great time and I'm so glad they got to spend the evening together making special memories!

21 months old

2011-06-19T19:21:00.001-07:00

Saturday Carlyle turned 21 months old. I can't believe how big she is getting. She continues to amaze me at how much she knows, what she can say, and how she's already learned how to get what she wants. I'm sure her big sisters taught her that:) She is talking up a storm and even saying phrases. She has started throwing tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants or when we tell her no. I think the terrible two's have hit our house early. I'm hoping they don't stay long.

She doesn't have the greatest eating habits. In fact, she's pretty darn picky when it comes to food. She is not a fan of fruit, which I hate. Pretty much the only fruit she will eat is bananas. Sometimes she will eat grapes, but she has to be in the mood. Otherwise, she will take it, chew it up and spit it out, or throw it. Yes, she still has the BAD HABIT of throwing her food off her high chair. We've tried to get her to stop, but I think those sweet eyes and sly grin is working to her advantage. Jeremy and I usually end up laughing. So, I'm pretty sure we are to blame for her bad table manners. Oh well, hopefully one day she will learn. She is finally drinking more milk. That has been a battle, too. She will refuse her milk and would rather not drink anything at all than to drink milk. This past week she has finally given in and is at least getting a cup of milk in a day. She is such a stinker, head-strong and stubborn. But, oh how I love her!!!

Carlyle is such a hoot. She keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh all the time. One minute she has me pulling my hair out because she is so stubborn and the next minute she melts my heart when she cuddles up next to me and gives me kisses. She is such a sweetheart and I love her so much!! She came out of the womb being high maintenance and crabby...LITERALLY, but I wouldn't change her personality for anything! She completes our family and is a perfect match with her sisters!!! What a blessing!!

Friday Fun

2011-06-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we headed to the pool with Caren, Jennifer and Jamie and their kids. We had so much fun!!! Camden and Claire jumped off the diving board and were loving it. All the kids played so well together. It was kind of crazy with 10 kids, therefore, I didn't get to take as many pics as I would have liked. Carlyle was in and out of the water and didn't want to stay in her floatie. She has no fear and I was having to watch her like a hawk. So, unfortunately I didn't get a picture of all the kids. But, there's always next time:) Thanks ladies for making the trek to our house to hang out at the pool with us. We had a blast!!! Here's a video of Camden and Claire on their last jump off the diving board. Poor Claire needs to work on her belly buster.

Friday night before dinner, the girls decided to give Jeremy his gifts for Father's Day. He got a putting green, a couple of "dad" books to read to his girls and a framed pic. I thought it turned out pretty cute! Each girl picked out their own card, too. All musical cards, which Carlyle LOVED! After dinner, we took Jeremy to get some frozen yogurt for dessert. After all, it was Father's Day weekend.

Playdate with friends

2011-06-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

I know I'm about a week behind on blogging, so hopefully I can catch up tonight. Last Monday we went over to my friend, Leslie's house for a playdate. Our mutual friends, Kate and Leigh Ann, also came over with their kids. We had such a fun day. Leslie had set up kiddie pools in the backyard for the kids to swim and had bubbles for them to play with. She also had an air pump she had used to blow up the pools. The kids managed to find it, along with some water balloons, and attempted to use the air pump to inflate the balloons. That kept them entertained for a long, long time!! The mommies enjoyed a nice lunch and great coversation while the kids enjoyed lunch and outside playtime! My kids slept so well that afternoon!!! Leslie, thanks for having us over!! And, Kate and Leigh Ann...it was great to see you. Let's plan another get together very soon!!!

The big kids eating lunch.

Carlyle and Nellie Grace hanging out together in the pack n' play.

Sweet McKenna enjoying a snack
Claire, Lilly Katherine, Annaleigh and Camden being silly. I have no idea why they are doing "peace" signs.
Carlyle blowing a kiss while eating an ice cream cone.
Having fun outside

TCBY, Bible School and a little watermelon

2011-06-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

I forgot I took this picture last week. The girls and I were out running errands and we decided to stop by TCBY for a cool treat. I had gotten Camden, Claire and myself some yogurt and when we sat down I tried to give Carlyle a bite and she refused. She wanted to do it herself, meaning she wanted her own. So, I had to go back up and get a dab of vanilla for my little independent girl, costing me a whopping total of $0.55. I had absolutely NO CASH on me and pulled out my debit card. I'm not really sure they would let me use it for such a small amount. The girl checking me out was super nice and took some change out of the tip jar and paid for Carlyle's yogurt. I felt bad but she insisted. What a thoughtful gesture!!! That, along with the yummy yogurt, made my day even better.

Today was the first day of Vacation Bible School and I attempted to get a picture when we got there with my girls, plus Callen and Charley. Camden was forced to hold Callen or she would have run away and Carlyle was in tears because she knew she was going to be left in the nursery. Oh well...the day did end up much better and everyone was happy and in good moods when it was time to go home.

Caren, Jennifer and I picked up the babies when we were done with our crafts and took them in the sanctuary to watch the big kids sing and dance before it was over. Carlyle went up to the steps and sat down, looked at Leighton and Mallorie and patted her hand right beside her on the step, beckoning them to come sit by her. It was so cute!!

After dinner tonight, we went outside to play and I cut the girls some watermelon. What a nice, refreshing treat for such a warm evening.

20 months

2011-06-05T18:41:00.001-07:00

Carlyle turned 20 months old on May 18. I actually forgot about doing a post, so here it is...only two weeks late. Carlyle has become very opinionated lately. She will tell you no or yes if you ask her a question and she knows exactly what she wants. We were at my parents house the other day and I asked her if she wanted a cookie, to which she said yes. So, I went to the drawer and pulled out a box of Nilla wafers. She looked at me and shook her head and said no. She then looked in the drawer and pulled out the package of Oreos. I handed her an Oreo and before she took a bite, she twisted them apart and started licking the icing. She is so funny!! When she is finished eating, she continues to throw her food on the floor. I can look at her and with a very stern face tell her "No, we don't throw food". She will look straight at me and with a grin, throw another piece. I can swat her hand and tell her no...she continues to do what she wants. Jeremy can't help but laugh, and has yet to swat her. He leaves that up to me. I admit...I do think she is pretty darn cute, but I am trying to train her the right way. Her cute little smile makes it hard to discipline. Carlyle still LOVES her paci and blanket, two things that I think will be hard to break her of. Carlyle's vocabulary has grown so much. She can repeat almost anything you say and it's so cute hearing her say new words and even phrases. I think the first sentence that she said was "I want a cookie". Of course, it was food related. Ha! I'm exhausted and can't really think of much more to say except that Carlyle has completed our family and we love her so much! Her personality makes us smile and we are so grateful that the Lord placed her in our family!! Here are two pictures taken on May 18 at Camden's field day.

Circo Del Rey

2011-06-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Circo Del Rey (Circus of the King) came to town last night and our church helped to organized the event, along with several other local churches. Jeremy and I took Camden and Claire to see it, and since they have never been to a circus, they weren't really sure what to expect. There were several different acts...some were a little slow for the girls, but for the most part it was pretty entertaining. We had a great time together and I'm hoping we can get in alot more family time this summer!!

Jeremy and the girls waiting for the show to begin.
Juggling rings
Juggling fire
A clown balancing chairs on his chin.
Walking the tight rope
Riding a bike on the rope
Balancing a chair on the rope, while standing on the chair.
Globe of death...motorcycles are going round and round.

We didn't get a picture of me and the girls at the circus, so I made Jeremy get a picture of us when we got home. I know it's cheesy, but oh well!

Carlyle's new hiding place

2011-06-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been absent from blogging for awhile. We have just been enjoying our first week of summer. Lazy days, no schedule, playing outside and lots of pool time!!We have VBS next week and, even though it's only been a week, it's still going to be hard getting back on a schedule.

The other morning I was looking for Carlyle and couldn't find her anywhere. I kept calling her name and searched the entire house. Finally, while walking back through the kitchen from the girls' room, I hear a cabinet door open and look over and this is what I saw.

Cutie patootie crawled inside and was having the best time. That is now her new favorite place. Not only does she enjoy sitting in there, but she will hide things in there, as well. I found her blanket, pacifier and her cup in there. At last I know where to look for my car keys if they end up missing:)

Saturday fun

2011-05-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to Madeline's 3rd birthday party. The girls had so much fun swimming and playing in the water! They had a huge water slide which entertained Camden and Claire the entire time!! Crystal did a great job decorating and made everything look so cute! Happy 3rd birthday Madeline!!

When we got home, Jeremy and my dad got busy landscaping the backyard. Since the swingset was finished, Jeremy wanted to put some landscape timbers around it and fill it with mulch. He also planted some azaleas in the flowerbed that is behind the swingset. The backyard looks amazing!! Thanks to Jeremy and my dad for spending the entire afternoon/evening working so hard! Here's a before and after picture.

Best Buds

2011-05-31T06:56:00.001-07:00

Carlyle and her three little friends from school. Poor Garrett is the only boy, but I'm don't think he minds too much. We are sad that Garrett and his family are moving this summer. We will miss you Garrett!!

Carlyle, Garrett, Callen and Leighton with their suckers (the only way we could get them to sit still long enough for a picture)

End-of-year party and last day of Kindergarten

2011-05-27T19:42:00.001-07:00

Today was Camden's last day of Kindergarten and her class' end-of-the-year party. We decided to have ice cream sundaes, which all the kids loved!! Camden has had a great year and has learned so much more than I ever could have imagined. We all love her teacher, Mrs. Aubuchon, and are going to miss her so much! I am so proud of how hard Camden worked this year. She has learned so many new things, is writing so much better and is doing so well in her reading. She loves to read and I am hoping that her desire to read never goes away. Camden Lynn Chilek....we are so proud of you for completing your first year of school, and doing it with flying colors!! You are officially a big first grader!!

Camden and her friend, Kayley.
Braden, Camden and Kayley
Mrs. Aubuchon giving Camden her "diploma"
Camden and Reeci
Mrs. Aubuchon and Camden
Braden and Camden
My big first grader!

And just for fun

First swim

2011-05-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening we got out our new pool, blew it up and the girls enjoyed their first swim of the season! They had a blast! We are so ready for summer!!!

A new swingset

2011-05-21T16:10:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jeremy, his dad, Rex, Jake and my dad started building the main unit on a swingset. They all got together again this morning to finish it up. Camden and Claire were so excited as they watched the progress all morning. It looks amazing and I know we all are going to enjoy it so much!! A big thanks to my hubby for giving up golf several weekends in a row to work on this project. And, without Jeremy's dad, Rex, Jake and my dad, it probably still wouldn't be done.

The swingset is so much better than the one we bought a few years ago at Toys 'R Us. There's two regular swings, a baby swing, a disc swing, slide, ladder at the back and rockwall on the side. It even has a steering wheel and a communications center with a phone at the top of the fort and one underneath the fort for the girls to talk back and forth. The cool part is that it really works!! The girls played outside all afternoon on this swingset and had so much fun. I'm so excited about the hours of entertainment that it's going to provide!!

Western Day

2011-05-21T10:30:00.001-07:00

Friday was Western Day at Camden's school. The Lindale Rodeo was going on so all the kids dressed in their best western attire and walked over to the Rodeo Arena to watch a little show. Our family isn't western, therefore, we don't own any western clothing. We don't even have cowboy boots. So, I wasn't sure what we were going to use to dress Camden in and I really didn't want to go buy anything. Up until Thursday night she said she didn't want to dress up. But, at bedtime when we were picking out her clothes she changed her mind. I remembered that our friend, Mrs. Robin, had given the girls some pink cowboy boots for their dress-up trunk. We pulled them out and tried them on. Camden looked so cute in them, even if they were a tad too big. After searching her closet, this is the best that we could do. Camden even found a bandana in her dress-up clothes that we put in her hair. I thought we did very well with the outfit. My little cowgirl was adorable and had a great time at Western Day!

Claire's Pre-K Graduation

2011-05-19T19:20:00.001-07:00

Today was a big day for Claire. She graduated from Pre-K!! She was so excited this morning when she woke up and didn't fight me to get dressed or eat breakfast, which is very unusual for her. After getting dressed, we had to get some pictures of the big graduate and her sisters. Camden was excited because she was going to get to "skip" school and go to Claire's graduation. I know she missed her friends at school, but she was so anxious to cheer on her sister at graduation. All day she seemed so happy for Claire and I'm glad that I allowed her to be a part of this special day.

All the graduates were so cute in their cap and gowns. After the pledge and prayer, they sang a couple of songs that they sing in chapel. Then Mrs. Robin called each child up on stage, said a few words about them and then handed out their diplomas. Claire was all smiles during the ceremony and even during all the pictures we took after it was over. She was so happy that Nana, Papa and Marme' came to help celebrate her big milestone! A big thank you to Mrs. Chaney (Claire's teacher) for her dedication and hard work this past year as she prepared her class for "big school". Claire has come a long way from her first day of Pre-K and I feel confident that she will be so successful in Kindergarten! Mrs. Chaney, we love you and will miss you!!

Claire lined up with her class.

Walking in

Singing songs

Claire is all smiles

Mrs. Robin saying a few words about Claire

Claire with her diploma

Mrs. Robin asked Camden to be her helper

All the Pre-K graduates

Our family with Marme'

Mrs. Chaney and Claire

Mrs. Chaney with Camden and Claire

Mrs. Robin and Claire

Our family with Nana and Papa

Our family

Pre-Graduation Celebration

2011-05-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Claire will graduate from Pre-K. It makes me sad to think that she will start Kindergarten in the fall. She will turn 5 the first week of school. But, I think she's ready and I'm sure she will be fine. Last year when Camden graduated, we got her a Build-a-Bear with a graduation cap and gown. We also got her an autograph dog that she took to school and had all her friends sign. So, we decided to do the same for Claire. Instead of giving it to her in the morning, we decided to do it tonight. We told her we had a surprise for her and she got so excited. When she opened the bear her eyes lit up. I was a little worried that she was nervous or scared about graduation. But, once she opened her gift that is all she could talk about...who was going to be at graduation, what she was going to do, what she was going to wear, etc.. I was relieved to hear her positive comments about her big day. She wants to take her bear and autograph dog to school tomorrow to show all her friends. I'm so glad Claire is excited about tomorrow and hope that the day is as special as she is!

Wonderful Wednesday

2011-05-18T12:43:00.001-07:00

This post is going to be long, so dont feel like you have to read it all. Just wanted to document Camden's 1st field day! This morning Claire, Carlyle and I headed up to school to watch Camden participate in field day. My dad wanted to come but had to work. Ironically, his job was in Lindale and when he got there, the man wasn't home. So, he surprised us and showed up to watch Camden. I'm so glad he was there to help out with Claire and Carlyle. I thought Carlyle would be fine in the stroller, and she might have been if Papa hadn't been there. But, she didn't want to ride and was ALL OVER THE PLACE! Thanks to my Dad for helping follow her around. Jeremy was able to get away from work for a little while to come watch, too. Camden had a great time and I loved getting to watch her have so much fun!

Hula hoop fun! Camden did awesome!!

Dribbling the basketball

Claire enjoying an Oreo.

Batter up!

Jump rope time.

Daddy and Carlyle

Mrs. Sustaire and Camden

Hopping on the balls.

Camden and Claire

Claire and Carlyle

Carlyle being silly

Catching the whiffle balls.

Run Camden!!!

Carlyle is so tired!

Camden scores!

Obstacle course

Camden, Carlyle and Claire

Camden proudly wearing her medal!

Mrs. Aubuchon's class

Camden and Kerrigan enjoying a snow cone.

After snow cones, parents were allowed to take their kids home with them. Of course, Camden begged to go home. Leslie took Cullen and they invited us to join them at Cracker Barrel. Talk about chaos...two mommies, two 6 year olds, two 4 year olds and two 1 year olds! WOW!! It really was fun, though! There were times all we could do was just laugh. Three kids a piece...this is our life...and we love it!!

Camden and Cullen playing checkers before going in.

Camden and Cullen (our big 6 year olds)

Claire and Grayson (our middle children, who are SO much alike)

I'm sad I didn't get a picture of the babies. They were both going on no nap and were pretty tired. As we were walking out of the restaurant we see tons of people in red, white and blue holding American flags. We found out that they were there to welcome home a soldier. There were some older ladies who "invited" us to stay and help and after we were handed flags, we felt it would be rude to leave. Not to mention, there were tons of people blocking our car, so there really was no way we were leaving. It was a neat experience for the kids and I hope it is something that they will remember. It was neat watching them stand, waving their flag alongside so many other people.

Cheering on as the soldier and his mom drive by.

Thanking the soldier for his service.

Toothless Tuesday

2011-05-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday afternoon Camden was messing with her top tooth, which was already loose. She went back and forth with me about whether she would let me pull it out for her. Finally, she told me I could pull it out, but not hard. I really wasn't sure if I could do it or not, and I definitely didn't want to hurt her. But, I grabbed a kleenex and on the second attempt, the tooth came right out. I think it surprised us both. So, lucky for her, the tooth fairy had a little cash on hand for her visit last night. Here's my toothless beauty!