Dates with My Kids

Last week M was out of school on Thursday and Friday.  On Thursday, he got a day with his daddy to himself.  They went and got a happy meal and just had fun being boys.  They played all day outside I think.  M was counting down the days to be with his daddy.  So sweet!  M is happiest when Michael is off work and can play "A-Team" with him.  He is obsessed with the A-Team!  I am talking about the old A-Team with Mr. T.  He loves it and he cracks me up.

On Friday, I took the day off to spend with M.  After we took E to school, we headed for breakfast at Chick-fil-A. Yay!  I grabbed my camera to take a picture of M eating breakfast to show on here of our day and my camera battery was dead.  So, no pictures to share.  After breakfast, we went and got my tires rotated and then headed to the science center.  Yay!  And better yet, it was free cause everyone gets in free on Fridays!  We had a great time!  We came home and spent the rest of the day outside in the beautiful weather we have been having!  It was nice to have the day off of work to spend with just him.

E has been wanting some alone time with me so on Saturday, M stayed with my parents while we went to do something together for a few hours.  Guess what she wanted to do?!  Yes, the science center!  So, we went to the science center and had a great time other than the fact that I sneezed my head off the entire time because of allergies.  She chose to eat at Bojangles.  She thinks they have the best fries.  We had a great time together and it was nice just to be able to focus on her.  She has been acting out alot lately for attention at home so she needed some 1 on 1 attention.

I hope to start doing this individualized time with the kids more often.  It was alot of fun!

Barlow Girl

Last Friday night, I took E and two of my nieces to see Barlow Girl at a local church in our area, which is also where M goes to school.  We had a great time!

 It was packed but we were able to get great seats.  We got on the front row of the raised section so we were above everyone on the floor.

My friend Janet and her daughter also joined us.

We had a great time!  We all met at Zaxby's for a bite to eat before the concert.  Once we got to the concert we had to wait in line till the doors opened and got our seats.  The Barlow Girls are a great Christian Rock group consisting of 3 sisters.  They did an awesome job and had a great message.  They read out of 1 Peter 2:9 talking about our we personally are a chosen generation and how we all have a job we are suppose to be doing for the Lord.  Sometimes I get so busy with life that I tend to push God out.  Their message was convicting to me.  I DO want to serve God and be in His will in my life.  I don't know exactly what He wants me to do.  Maybe my role is just to be a mom and wife and serve my family and show His love to them.  I don't know but I do know that if I seek Him, He will show me the paths I should take in my life.
I had an awesome time with my nieces.  They are growing up so fast.  R is already a teenager.  This time is precious and I enjoyed spending time with them.  I hope to be able to do more things with them to show them how much I love them.  Great night!

Sunday Letters

Dear E,

I had so much fun with you this weekend.  We went to the Barlow Girl concert with your cousins on Friday and then went snow tubing the next day.  Boy, you are exhausted!  I guess that is why after we went out to eat with friends after church tonight you were asleep on the sofa in 2 minutes.  We did have fun though and it was nice spending time with just you.  This week you also found out your school is doing a talent show and you are all excited to do something with your friends. You have also talked non-stop about the awesome new playground your school just got.  So happy and yes, we will take you to school one day so you can show it to us all.  I am sorry you have to go to school tomorrow to make up a snow day but I hope you have a great day!  I love you!

Dear M,

This week you were excited about Valentines Day but you have missed Mrs. Drum at school terribly.  She has been on a mission trip in the Philippines all week but she will be back on Tuesday.  You have become so obsessed with watching the old "A-Team" shows on TV.  You love it and play outside like you are on the A-Team. You crack me up!  Instead of cartoons you would much rather watch Mr. T or B.A. on the A-Team.  You are all boy!  Tomorrow you are out of school and mommy took the day off work so it is your day.  I can't wait to spend some alone time with you!  I love you!

Dear Michael,

Do I say this every week?!  You worked alot this past week and I hate you were not able to go tubing with us BUT this week you don't have to work patrol at all.  Yay!!!!  You have school to go to but you will be home every night with us.   I am SOOOOO excited.  It will spoil us to have you here so much!  I can't wait to have you here!!  I love you!

Sunday Letters

Dear E,

This week you went on your first field trip for this school year!  Wow, you usually go on one earlier in the school year.  You went to the Science Center and did lots of fun experiments. You wore your dad's white dress shirt as a lab coat.  You loved it!  Also this week you have formed your first real "crush" on a boy at school.  You are so cute talking about him.  You giggle and laugh all the time.  We stayed up till 11:30 last night because you couldn't stop talking about him.  So cute!  I am glad you like to tell me every detail about what is going on with you.  I hope we can always talk and have a great relationship.  I love you!

Dear M,

Oh M!  You crack me up!  Tuesday you were not feeling well.  You were real congested but not sick enough to miss school.  On the way to school I mentioned that if you didn't get better I would have to take you to the doctor.  Well, that made you happy because you thought if you went to the doctor you would get a Sonic Blast just like your sister did the week before when daddy took her to the doctor.  I ended up having to pick you up early because the school said you didn't feel well.  When I picked you up in the office, you had a cute little high school girl sitting beside you holding your bookbag.  I heard that you asked her in your sweet puppy dog eyed way to stay with you till I came to pick you up.  What a flirt!  Well, you got your Blast and amazingly seemed perfectly fine when you got home!  Hmmmm.  Well, you are better now and we are glad.  It's amazing what a Sonic Blast can do!  I love you!

Dear Michael,

You seemed to be here a little more this week (a little).  It was great to have you here some.  I know work is stressful right now training someone but just know that I am lifting you up in prayer constantly while you are working.  This week you will be home with us more and I am so excited!  Thank you for supporting me in everything I do!  I love you so much!

Zumba!!

OK, to keep up with my goal of getting in shape this year, I started taking Zumba classes.  My sweet, sweet boss bought us a membership to a local gym back in October of last year and I went 2 times.  Pathetic isn't it?  Well I noticed on their class schedule that they had Zumba 3 times a week and I will probably be able to make most of them.  Fortunately they have child watch some of those times if Michael is working or I can't get a sitter.  So last night I went and thought I was going to collapse by the end.  Oh my goodness!  I know I am out of shape but I never realized how bad.  So today I was sooooooo happy the kids were both on a 3 hour delay because I don't think my body could move at 6am.  I actually am getting more sore as the day goes on BUT I feel better!  I can't wait to go again in the morning (if I can get out of bed). Ha!

Sunday Letters

Dear E,
This week you didn't feel good.  You fought a really bad cold.  I told you one day that you should stay home and get some rest instead of going to school and you cried.  I made sure you were not running a fever in any way and sent you to school but I made your daddy pick you up early because I hated the thought of you not feeling well at school.  You have fought hard and seem to be back to your normal self.  I am so proud that you love school that much and don't want to miss anything.  You are a trooper!  I am so proud of the 4 you made on your writing test at school.  You are so smart!  I know sometimes we have our disagreements but I want you to know that I love you very much and am so proud to be your mom!


Dear M,
You had a great week at school!  You were so proud to finally get your school sweatshirt to wear to school.  You have such a personality.  I still don't know how it seems everyone knows your name at your school.  Even the high school kids know who you are!
I love all the hugs and kisses you give me.  You crack me up at some of the things you say, like when you tell me that "you love me like a bra".  Where in the world did that come from?  I don't know, you truly say what you think!  You are precious!  I love you!


Dear Michael,
This has been one more busy week.  You have worked ALOT!  That is an understatement.  Thank you for working so hard for our family and thank you for keeping me calm when I don't think I can handle anymore in life.  You keep me focused on what is important and I love you for that.  I may not always seem appreciative at the time but I am.  Hopefully this week I will see you a little more!  I love you so much!

Tractor + Car Hood = FUN!!

Ok, so it has been 2 weeks since it snowed but I wanted to post some pictures of us sledding.  Yes, the title of the post is right.  When you live where there is alot of land you can have some serious fun in the snow!
We try the plastic sleds but they don't work too well,

so Michael got innovative.  He found an old car hood and hooked it to the back of his tractor.

We have a blast!  Michael drives us all around.  We have fields all around our house so we sled all around.  M got tired of the snow spraying in his face so he decided to drive the tractor with his daddy so it was just us girls sledding most of the time.

I have to admit I am tired of the snow but I am so glad that we have had some good snows here this year, especially on Christmas Day!  We had a blast!