Recap: Fun Time with Nanny Barb - Part 1

Nanny Barb and Mr. Jerry have taken on a big job by agreeing to be the caregivers for the kids when we have to be away overnight. Troy won an all-expense paid trip for 3 nights to a certain location in Orlando that shall-not-be-mentioned specifically for fear of emotional distress that could be caused. I had surgery on May 3rd in Nashville so we were away for a few more days the following weekend. I just recently was able to get the pictures from her camera and wanted to start posting a few at a time.

They are such precious people and have blessed us more than we could have ever imagined. The kids are completely comfortable in their home and we are worry-free because we know that they are safe and loved. And I'm also very grateful that they are so thoughtful to grab a camera and get some pictures when we are away.

I'll be back soon with another installment.

Our Easter Blessings 2012

We had a really fun Easter with the family. Poo Pa, Uncle Stevie and Uncle Albert hosted lunch at their house with ham, sweet potato souffle, beans, rolls and.....EASTER BUNNY CAKE! Yum. It was all a hit with the kids (and the adults).

The kids really lucked-out because the Easter Bunny actually made a quick run by Poo Pa's house and managed to hide quite a few eggs in the backyard. They had SO much fun hunting for the goodies. And, as you can see in the pictures, Clark was the winner of the extra prize when he located the Golden Egg. What a tradition that could be for us!

After lots of sweets and treats, we decided to skip naps and head straight for the outdoors. They had time to ride bikes, play in the back yard, "mow" and run around for HOURS before ever having to come indoors. Auntie Karen and Uncle Tom dropped by and he even got in the fun when he chased the kids around the yard. I am hoping that they will sleep like rocks tonight!

Happy Easter to all and to all a good night.

Sharing Smiles

I just needed to get a post up with something to make me smile and laugh. Obviously Kendall was more interested in being silly in order to make someone smile and Emma was all about sharing a smile. And then we have Clark giving us his classic (and ever-so-charming) toothy grin. Either way, I hope these pictures bring a smile to YOUR face.

Summer's Coming!

It's time to plan those summer parties for birthdays, church youth groups, etc. I have a perfect solution for lots of fun on a hot summer day... a Nothing But Bounce Water Slide Party. And if you click on my link (here, again) it will help me save for our membership to the pool this summer. It's only $100 for the giant waterslide party for 90 minutes. Trust me, the kids are going to think you are the Best. Parents. Ever. :)

If you haven't been to a NothingButBounce party, check out their website (click on the link here) and see what they have to offer. It isn't a fancy website, but they really offer a great deal. We had our birthday party at their church location and just went to another one yesterday. They have already added a new and more exciting inflatable (picture below is from NBB)! All of the kids loved it. Friendship Church has many other programs to offer that are just awesome, like summer camps, drive-in movies and Zumba classes. Checkout their website here.

I promise to get back here with some pics of the kiddos this week. It's been crazy around here, but I'm sure that is no surprise. :) Happy Monday.

Pirates and Princess Night at Chick-fil-A

Daddy took the girls to dance class this evening and Clark got to have some quality time with Poo Pa, Uncle Stevie and Uncle Albert. Since Clark had dinner with the guys, the girls got to have another dinner-date with Daddy at Chick-fil-A.
They had lots of fun at the Pirates and Princess night where kids could dress up. The girls didn't have their princess outfits, but it looks like they had plenty of fun anyway.

Now We Are FOUR!!! (and How to Party on Budget)

I think Aunt Linds gave him the extra cupcake.

OK, they were four almost 3 weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to sorting through the images and trying to get some posted. But it isn't because we didn't LOVE celebrating.

This year we had our first real birthday party with friends from school. I found a local church that operates a company that does a bounce-house-type party (and also inflatable rentals). It's called NothingButBounce and the church is Friendship Church and it was a lot of fun. It isn't anything fancy, but what four-year-old needs fancy?!?! They just want FUN. There were four inflatables that the kids could jump in, on or slide down. There was one that was sort of a baseball game and another was a basketball game. You are allowed to bring in your own food and drinks, so it is certainly a great option if you are looking for ways to hold a party without spending a fortune. We were also lucky enough to get a half-off deal for the party which made this an even more-budget-friendly option.

Our theme was Toy Story and we had cupcakes and ice cream, a few decorations and some balloons (the mylar balloons from the Dollar Tree are STILL floating in our dining room). I'm a big fan of the cupcakes from Sam's Club and we had them again this year. The price is great and they do a nice job on the designs and offer a nice variety of popular themes. I'm also a big fan of the whipped icing, though Daddy would prefer buttercream. The under-five crowd didn't seem to care, as long as there WERE cupcakes. :)

We had only been to one other birthday party prior to ours, but had decided early-on that the kids would not open gifts at their party.  Maybe it won't be such a challenge when they are older, but right now, they don't really have any sort of gift expectations, so it seems like it makes it easier to keep that part in the background.  I also think that this age still has a little trouble understanding when some kids get presents and others don't so we thought the gift-opening could wait.  Ironically, they still had not opened all of their gifts a week later because it is that far off of their radar!  They would ask if they could open one and then spend quite a while playing with whatever it was and never thought to ask about another gift.  Talk about lucky!

And it also gave me a chance to pack up quite a few toys that we no longer need to keep.  Since we were bringing in a new round of entertainment, it seemed fitting that we work on clearing out other toys and pass them on to someone else.  I'm thinking that we might need to move to a gift-free option next time.  I am one of those moms who has learned that the disposable gifts are the best kind.  Crayons, coloring books, note pads, stickers, Play Doh, etc are all fun things that the kids really love and then I get to throw it all away when we are done.  Not particularly earth-friendly, but definitely clutter-free-friendly when you realize that none of these things will be around for long.

We feel so blessed that they had such sweet friends come and celebrate with them for their birthday.  I'm sure the other kids were a little weirded-out that I asked them to sing the Happy Birthday song three separate times, but that is another issue I have considered for quite some time.  They all had lots of fun and many were a little upset when it came time to say good-bye to the inflatables and the fun of jumping around everywhere.

Happy 4th Birthday Kendall!

Happy 4th Birthday Emma!

Happy 4th Birthday Clark!

Emma and her buddy, Gracie.

Hey batter, batter!

Guess who had a BLUE cupcake?!?

Happy Birthday Kendall!

My boy loves ORANGE!

Happy Birthday Clarkie!

Licking icing off of the candle and has yellow icing in her nose.  Good times!

Happy Birthday Emma!