In April, we (spontaneously) decided to get some chickens. The girls love Mimi’s chickens. One Sunday afternoon, we went and bought 5 hens and 1 rooster. The next week, Layton’s chicken “Jasmine” died. The next month something caught one hen and the next month Reece (kind of) killed Dave’s rooster. After all the fatalities, we were  down to 3 hens. In July, we decided to get more and to build a bigger coop. Once we finally got the coop built, we bought 6 more hens and 1 rooster, giving us 10 chickens total! We have 3 grown hens now and have been getting 1 egg a day but yesterday we got 2!! (big day in Layton’s world!!!) Now the girls won’t have to fight over getting that 1 egg in the afternoons. Hopefully soon, we will need a basket to go out and gather eggs!!! J

 

 

 

 

 

 

Layton LOVES the chickens, Lydia likes them but not near as much as her sister. The picture below is so pitiful. The 2^nd morning after we got the other chickens, Lydia wanted to go out and see if there were any eggs. Layton heard her and went running out after her. Lydia came to the door with an egg, poor Layton was SOOOOOOOO upset that she didn’t get it. I don’t know how they didn’t break it getting back to the house!

 

 



 

She strikes again.....

Lydia decided she wanted to play softball again this past spring. I feel like a total failure as a mother because 1) I didn't get that many pictures because Dave and I helped coach & 2) I somehow have lost the pictures I did take. :( But I'm telling myself that I will find them one day and add them then......

 Lydia hasn't played softball since she was 5, so I really didn't know what to expect, she has always been so timid when it comes to physical activity.But she did GREAT and improved as the season went on. She hit really well but she gave me a heartattack each time she would hit the ball and run, she is SO SLOW running! It is like watching someone in slow motion. She did get a few doubles and one triple. She played 2nd base all season. She did really good and by the end of the season, she was moving better with the ball in play .(basically doing what a 2nd baseman should be!)

 As a mother, (I think) I’m calm in a lot of situations but sports are my weakness! I am a very competitive person and in the past, I’ve been known as the one hollering, not in a bad way but in a loud way, at their children!  Lydia doesn’t like anyone hollering for her, good or bad! So at the beginning of the season, I promised her that I would just let her play and have fun. (I think) I kept good on my promise! Her poor little team didn’t win but 1 or 2 games but we had a great season and made lots of new friends.    

The ball games wore little sister out! Bless her little, talkative heart....I think she spoke to every person at the ballfields each game. She had so much fun, walking around talking!

 

Proud Soccer Mom

Layton’s 1^st Soccer Game, 2014.

Layton decided to play soccer this spring. This was my first experience with soccer. Her team won all their games except 1 and they tied 1 game. She was one of 2 girls on the team. She scored one goal all season and it was for the OTHER team and it counted AGAINST us! But she assisted in a lot of goals! The important thing to me was that being so young, she paid attention each game and was a least in the middle of the group trying to get the ball, it just moved so fast!!! She did improve as the season went on, so that was good.

We have had so much fun watching her and her team play.

 

Wow Lydia, way to support your sister! (She’s playing her Ipod under her jacket!!)

 

 

I love how tight Layton grabbed Lydia when I told them to pose for a picture!  She loves, loves, loves her big sister.

 

Last game…

 

At the end of each game, the parents would make a tunnel for the players to come through. Layton thought this was the coolest thing.  I love her amazement!

 

 

My baby girl!

 

She is so proud of her trophy! Way to go Layton!

Easter 2014

We started Easter weekend off Saturday morning by going to the Munford Easter Egg Drop. A helicopter dropped 16,000 eggs onto a field and the kids were able to pick them up! It sounded fun... My mom took the girls several years ago and they had fun but this year it was SO many people that it just wasn’t that exciting. The girls got lots of eggs and candy though. Lydia even won a few ice cream cones from Sonic, woo-hoo! Aunt Amy met us there with Jaxson. He was so excited about all the eggs. But when it came time to talk to the Easter Bunny, he wasn’t a happy little boy!

 

My baby looks almost as tall as the bunny! :(

 

 

One of my best friends growing up, works on the local Hospital Wing in our area. She always said she wanted to do something different when we grew up. I would say she succeeded, big, what an honorable job.

 

We dyed eggs Saturday afternoon. Recently, I seen something on Pintrest about how to dye eggs with Kool-Aid. I thought that might be better than the kit & vinegar. We had 8 different colored packets and the eggs turned out so pretty. The colors were so bright. And the best part was the girls were able to taste the colors! I know that sounds strange but every year, Layton begs me for just a little taste. I always have to tell her no but not this year!! I think we will dye eggs like this every year from now on.

 

The next morning we woke up to lots of surprises from the Easter Bunny! Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures but the girls each received a bible cover with their name monogrammed on it & lots of other fun goodies! They were beyond excited, especially about the bible covers.





 

Praise God, HE LIVES!

 

Bro. Steve preached a wonderful message about our Risen Savior that morning and we all enjoyed worshipping together. The kids choir sang during our service that morning and they did a wonderful job. I don’t think I will ever tire of hearing my babies sing. The love it and so do I!

*A quick story* All the kids, in kids choir,  were sitting on the stage steps waiting on church to start. They were being so patient and all looked so pretty in the Easter outfits. I noticed that the little girl beside Layton was sticking her finger in Layton’s face and I assumed was talking ugly to her. Layton is the type of person that will not accept someone being rude to her (or anyone else around her!). So, my mama alert immediately went up! I just knew that Layton would probably push/hit/kick the little girl and she would fall off the stage and …….. I showed Dave and his words of encouragement were “Oh no………….” but the longer I sat there (and prayed REALLY hard!), I thought maybe we should just let her handle it. I prayed that she would handle it in the way we are trying to teach her, not aggressively! And low and behold, PRAISE Jesus, she handled it great! She did put her finger in the little girls face, said something, and it was over. The little girl stopped being rude to Layton. They sat there until song time, looking pretty as ever. After they sang, Layton came to her seat and, Dave & I, both bombarded her with praises about how proud we were that she handled the situation in the way that she did. She acted like it was no big deal but it was huge to us! It kind of makes me think we are doing something right!!!!!!

After church we headed to Mimi’s house for lunch and the annual egg hunt.

I love this picture! Layton loves her big sister.

 

It never fails, every time I see a picture with  my husband & our babies, it melts my heart! And it also makes me giggle to think how much these little girls have this big man wrapped around their little fingers..... :)

 



 

 

Mimi & Papa’s great grandbabies; ages 10,9,8,6,4.

 

 

 

Mimi and my girls.  

Thankfully after a million pictures, they were able to change clothes and find eggs!

 



 

I am so thankful the day was beautiful and we were able to play outside and enjoy family time but more thankful that God gave his only Son to die for my sins and that I am able to worship him freely.

 

 



 



 

 

Spring Break 2014

This year for spring break we decided, at the last minute (of course!), to go camping. I didn’t want to travel too far since the weather was a little cool so we decided to go to Chickasaw. It was our first time to go there and it definitely won’t be our last! After church on Sunday, we headed out and stayed 3 days and 2 nights. The park was very nice. We were the only campers around our site so it was quiet. We enjoyed sitting by the fire, eating marshmallows, riding horses, riding bikes, napping, just being lazy. It was so nice to have a break for reality for a few days! Lydia said several times that it was her favorite vacation, better than the beach! Whoa!!!  

Loaded up and truckin!

 

We managed to wear Layton AND Reece out in the same trip = success!

 

 

Riding bikes

 

 

The horseback riding was one of our favorite parts. We all agreed that it was one of the coolest things we have ever done as a family.  Both girls did great listening to the guide when he told them how to go up and down hills. We rode for 1 hour. The guide told us we went approximately 5 miles through the woods! It was beautiful.

 

 

On the last night, we all decided to stay 1 more night and day but when we woke up the next morning, the wind was crazy and the temperatures were falling. We decided that mama & daddy would stay off 1 more day and go to the Discovery Park of America the next day.

The Discovery Park of America is a new museum type park in Union City. It is 3 stories tall and full of dinosaurs facts, Tennessee history, an earthquake simulator,  lots of science things, military history, old cars and trucks on display, small aquariums and a 2 story slide! The outside has several different parts that you can walk through too; old log cabins, barns, a train depot, several  old town set up’s. It was really neat to walk around and look at everything. We will definitely go back again.