Spring is in the Air!!

One of our favorite things about springtime is playing at the park! If you asked Ellary to describe her perfect day, it would definitely include a playground, plenty of sunshine and of course, her friends!

It REALLY Snowed in N.C. Today!!!

We were so excited to finally get some REAL snow here in N.C!! We got about 5" and the kids were so excited to have school cancelled so that they could play in all of the white stuff. Ellary has wanted to build a snowman every time she has heard that it might snow. Finally, she got the opportunity today!! This is the most snow we have had since 2004!! I took so many pictures that I couldn't possibly choose which to post. Instead, I created a slideshow of some of our favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Are We Ever Going to Get Rid of that "Pappy"?

Now that Ellary is two, we have decided that she really needs to get rid of her "pappy". A few months ago Ellary decided that she would leave them in her bed, because that is what "big girls" do. That actually lasted for a couple of months and then she decided it would be okay if she took them out of her bed, but didn't take them out of the house. That lasted for a while, then she decided she would take them out of the house, but not take them out of the car. Well, we just want you to see how our progress is going...Do you think she will be totally rid of all "pappies" soon?

Valentines Party 1st Grade Style!

I am the class parent in Zachary's 1st grade class. So, I get to be in charge of the all of the parties and treat days. We had a fun Valentine's Party on the Friday before Valentine's Day. The kids all decorated picture frames with each of their pictures inside as a gift for their parents. They also enjoyed their Valentine's Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I am just glad that I am not the janitor that had to clean up all of the red, pink and white sprinkles that covered the room when we were done. Ellary went with me and always seems to be the center of attention every time we enter the school. She has now started asking when she will be able to go to Kindergarten. That question nearly causes my heart to skip a beat. I am soooo not ready to even think about that. Thank goodness, we have a few years!!

Zachary working hard on his picture frame


Boys just don't complete a craft the way that girls do!


Ellary is all dressed for the occasion and happy to hang with big brother Zach. I just hope that she doesn't still have that "pappy" in her mouth when she does go to Kindergarten

Ellary and Ella Grace

Ellary is such a social butterfly. Her favorite thing is having playdates with her friends. One of her very favorite friends is Ella Grace. They are only a few weeks apart in age and she is the only other girl in the church nursery with Ellary now! They have a lot of fun together. She always wants to know when she is going to play with Ella Grace again!!

Follow the Prophet...according to Ellary!

We had a yummy dinner last night. I marinated and grilled some chicken. We had steamed broccoli and baked potatoes with all the yummy toppings. Apparently Ellary decided that she was stuffed halfway through her dinner. Rather than being forced to eat anymore, she decided to toss her plate onto the floor. The five of us were all startled at her actions and asked her why she would do such a thing. She paused for a second and then proceeded to wave her arms and sing "Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet, He knows the way!" At that point, we were not sure if she really thought that is something the prophet would encourage her to do or if she was trying the think of the quickest way out of the trouble she was in! We all pretty well decided that it was the latter.

Sara Had Her First Birthday Sleepover.....AND I SURVIVED!!

I love planning my children's birthday parties!! There are so many great places to have kid's parties these days!! We have tried out just about everything and have always had a great time with the kid's and their friends. It seems that Sara is feeling like she has outgrown all of the birthday venues and for the past 2 years has opted to have her party at home. Last year for her 8th birthday we had an OVER-THE-TOP princess celebration where 10 girls came to our house and had dinner, got makeovers, hair up-dos, manicures, decorated tiara sugar cookies and learned some line dancing all the while they fashioned tutus, "pearl necklaces", tiaras and pink boas. Needless to say, that party about sent me over the edge. Anyone who knows me,knows that I like things done right! Thanks to so many great friends (it nearly took an army) it was a sensational good time for all. Although, the night ended with me in the Jacuzzi tub for a very long time!!
Well, this year I thought it would be a great idea to take some of Sara's friends out to a fun dinner and movie. I presented the idea to Sara and she quickly turned me down and told me it was time that I allowed her to have her first sleepover! I told her that if she chose my alternative she could invite 10 friends and if she chose the sleepover, I would only allow her to invite 5 friends. I thought that would definitely change her mind. How could she narrow her list to 5? Well, we had our first sleepover this past Friday night....and it too was a wonderful success! The girls all wore t-shirts that I made and High School Musical Slippers. Sara chose for me to make a yummy oreo ice cream dessert instead of a cake (note the very unprofessional decorating job) and it was yummy! The girls had a fun night playing Wii High School Musical dance and sing-a-long, RockBand and watching a movie! We also decorated tote bags that I made with the same logo as the t-shirts. Ellary had the best time of all hanging with the big girls and said "This is the best party in the whole world." The best part for me is that after midnight I didn't hear anything else from them. I actually got some sleep! They are a great group of girls!!


Emily gave Sara a subscription to Tiger Beat Magazine. What a great idea!


Sara still loves those Webkins! I think she has about 45 now!!



As you can see, Ellary loved hanging with the big girls!!


Here you can see the logo on the front of the shirts and the name on the back! The girls also decorated tote bags with the same logo!