First Snocone Stand!!!

Today was our neighborhood's yard sale.  We always try to participate and usually make quite a bit of money.  I spent a lot of the week getting things ready.  We thought it would be fun for the kids to get involved and sale something too.  Instead of a lemonade stand, we put our sno cone maker to use and sold those.  They were a hit.  The kids made a poster and picked out the flavors we were going to sale.  They sold them for 50 cents and made $35 dollars.  We took out $4 to give to church and they split the rest.  It was a good lesson on earning money and giving some of what you make to God.  We started the sale at 6:15 this morning and called it quits at 11.  It was a success!!

Let me say that yesterday Maddie had a birthday party and tball game.  I set the alarm for 5:30 this morning for myself and I was tired waking up!!  Not working for almost a year has definitely gotten me out of THAT routine.  After the yard sale we had another birthday party this afternoon.  So thankful for our friends and that the kids are able to do extra activities, but this mama is TIRED!!  Looking forward to summer and Kevin being home for a little bit:)

Giraffeee and Darney!!

I just have to post about Turner's 2 friends.  First off there giraffeee.  I know that isn't how you spell it, but that is how he says.  He loves him.  We can't go to bed without him.  Maddie goes through phases with what she likes to take to bed.  Turner is pretty consistent and it has been giraffeee for as long as I can remember.  So sweet.

Next there is Darney.  I don't have a picture of him because it is his imaginary friend.  It is Hilarious!!!  He started talking about Darney a few weeks ago and he talks about him all the time!  BUT, not in public-I think it embarrasses him, which makes me laugh even more.  I know, terrible.  Here is Turner's story yesterday about Darney. 
Turner- "Darney is in the hospital"
Me-"What happened to Darney?"
Turner- "He fell off the bed and landed on a saw and it cut his arm off (he has tools galore in his room, thus the saw reference).  I took him to the doctor and the doctor said-no more Darney's jumping on the bed!!!!!"

I really love that kid!!!

Baby Aubry's First Baby Shower!!!

Last Sunday Megs had her first baby shower!!  Her mother-in-laws gave it at Jim and Nicks and she got a ton of great things!  Aubry is going to be one cutely dressed little girl.  She also received stuff for her room, diapers, bath stuff, and lots more.  Maddie went with me and had a great time.  She helped Megs open her gifts and acted like such a big girl!!!  We have several more showers in the upcoming weeks to prepare for Aubry's arrival.  Megs went to the doctor today and her fluid was back down.  She goes back on Thursday and I am praying for good news.  She needs to stay put for a little while longer, but we are all looking forward to welcoming Aubry to the family.  She is going to be one loved, spoiled little girl:)

Playing School:)

Maddie has always enjoyed doing workbooks and learning things at home.  Turner has just recently began to enjoy it as well!  I told Kevin we probably spent 3 hours today "playing school"  I printed off a weather unit that I found on pinterest.  It was a 40 page workbook created by Beth @ www.livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com.  It is a great blog with lots of neat stuff in it.  There was 20 worksheets geared towards preschool age and Maddie and Turner each did 4-5 pages.  I was proud of both of them, but especially Turner.  I don't give him enough credit-he sat there forever and did a great job following directions and gluing!

  We also went upstairs and worked on our chalkboard.  Turner likes to draw suns and the letters H and T.  Maddie and I have been working on sight words, and reading simple sentences.  She has 12 sight words down pat and is doing great!!!  We are having fun trying to get prepared for Kindergarten next year and Turner's first year in Preschool!  Here are some pictures from today and one day last week of the kids playing school:)

Tball is in Full Swing!!!

  Bartlett sure is serious about some Tball!!  Maddie has been having practice twice a week and last week she played a game Friday night and then again Saturday morning.  She had fun and did well.  She made several runs both games.  She played pitcher Friday night and Saturday was pitcher at first and then was on first base.  I think it is taking the kids a bit to really figure out the rules of the game, but they appear to be having enjoying themselves.  They won Friday and lost in the last inning Saturday.
  Turner's favorite part of the game was the food.  He enjoyed some nachos, chips, a cheeseburger....Ha!!  We best remember our money:)  I got a few cute pics of her from Friday that I wanted to share!

Easter Sunday 2012!!

Maddie joined us in bed around 6 Easter morning. I nudged Kevin awake so he could hurry and go hide the eggs outside for the hunt. The kids also planted jelly belly's the day before and wouldn't you know suckers appeared in their place:) By 6:15 both kids were awake and ready to see if the Easter Bunny had come come. We ran to the kitchen and the kids were excited with what they found. They both received several games, small toys, and lots of fun candy! They immediately wanted to go outside and find some eggs. They loved finding the suckers and Turner was a much better competitor this year when it came to finding eggs!
We then got ready for Church and headed there to celebrate the day!! After church we headed to my parents for a delicious lunch and I brought my homemade caramel apple pie! Everything tasted great and the kids went on another egg hunt where they received more candy and money. Mimi had bought Resurrection Eggs. Her plan was for Maddie to give everyone an egg, and we were supposed to open it and say what it means. After you opened and explained all the eggs, you have told the Easter story. Well, proudly, Maddie knew what each one was and she told us all the Easter story by herself.....about 5 times:) So glad that they already are learning the true meaning of these holidays. We do Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny because they are fun, but our kids do know the true meaning and importance of these holidays!!! I do think you can do both, but that would be a whole different post.....
It was a good day spent with family! We spent the rest of the afternoon at home playing and being lazy! Where Kevin had to take off a few days last week, it was nice to be able to stay at home and prepare for what will hopefully be just a normal busy week!

Picnic with Nay and Coloring Eggs!

With the past few days being sad ones, we couldn't wait for today!! Nay Nay was in town and everyone was getting together for a picnic at the park. It was so great seeing Nay Nay, her kids, and Maddie and Turner's friends from when she kept them. It was like no one had missed a beat. It didn't feel like Nay Nay had ever left, even though they moved 4 months ago!! I am so thankful for that. We have really missed them and it did my heart good to see and spend time with her. It was a perfect day for a picnic and we stayed and played for two hours. I can't wait till we get to hang out again. We really want to go St. Louis this summer to visit them. We just have to get the money together and make it happen!

After the park date we came home and colored eggs. The kids had fun and we bought some carrots to leave out for the Easter Bunny tonight. I had also bought the movie HOP for the kids to watch and we started it before Turner quickly zonked out. It was a long fun day for the kiddos and I am so glad. We put them to bed and are looking forward to celebrating Easter Sunday tomorrow with the kids. All of a sudden, it means an incredible bit more to me!!

Baby Starks!

Since this blog is basically a journal of our lives, I don't see anyway I can go without blogging about baby Starks. I just wish Starks would have more than one entry.....
About four weeks ago we got very exciting news! I found out we were pregnant!!! I actually had taken a test on a Sunday and the line was very faint. Kevin didn't really see anything and said we would just see. Well I waited another day or two and took a digital test. It said PREGNANT and I was beyond thrilled. We weren't sure if were going to have anymore babies and decided after the revival in January to just put it in God's hands. If he decided to bless us with another one than he would. I immediately called the doctor and got in the following week. We told our parents but no one else. I wasn't exactly sure how my sister would take it-I didn't want her to think I was trying to steal any of her thunder. (She was super excited for us when I told her, and I can't believe I even worried about it).
In a two week period I went to the doctor 4 times. They did an ultrasound at the first visit and I was too early for anything to show up. I was a little apprehensive but went back every other day for blood work for a week. My progesterone and hcg levels were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing. Things were looking good and I was getting very excited. We still hadn't told the kids and we were trying to figure out where the baby would sleep. We had just redone both kids rooms at Christmas and it looked like someone was either going to have to downsize their room or be moved upstairs. It didn't matter though, we felt so very blessed!
It was time for me to have another ultrasound. Not only did I see a picture of my baby, but I heard the heartbeat! This was the first time to see a baby on the first try-I had a miscarriage before both Maddie and Turner. It was such a miracle and an exciting day. The ultrasound tech informed me that the heartbeat was on the low end of normal. She said it could be because I was still early. She did seem a little concerned, but I was determined to be positive and knew that everything was going to be ok. I was going to go back in another week for another ultrasound.
We had a picture of our baby so we decided to tell the kids. Excited is an understatement. Maddie would tell everyone she saw and if the baby was a boy she wanted to name him "Starks". She really wanted a brother because she said Megs was having Aubry for her to play with and Starks would be for Turner to play with. It was such a sweet time for the four of us to dream about a baby joining our family.
Let me say, during this time I started getting sick....really sick. I had forgotten what it was like to be pregnant. I stayed sick the whole time with M and T and I was already feeling pretty bad with baby Starks. My head always hurt, I was throwing up, and hungry all the time. It didn't take long for the symptoms to start. And it was so worth it!
Then we come to Wednesday. My next ultrasound......thankfully I had asked Kevin to take off work and come with me. As positive as I was being, the Lord must have been preparing for me what was to come. We walk in to the ultrasound and the first thing the tech asks me is if I have had any bleeding or cramping. Well, no...actually I have been getting sick the whole week. She said that was good. As soon as she began the ultrasound, I knew that Starks was no longer there. Our sweet baby had already gone to Heaven and we will never know Starks here on Earth.
We came home and told everyone and decided to send the kids to Nonna's for 2 days while I had a D&C. I was worried how the kids would take it and thought Savannah would take their minds of it and keep them happy. Maddie was upset for a minute, but in true child form bounced back really quick. I don't think Turner ever really knew what was going on. Maddie was upset because she didn't know if the baby was a boy or girl and she really wanted to name it Starks. I told her it didn't matter what the baby was, we were naming it Starks. She knows that Starks is living with Jesus and we will see the baby when we get to Heaven.
So this is where we are and the roller coaster we have been on for the past month. I feel like I am in a daze and hope to snap out of it soon. I don't know what the future holds for our family, but I know we are really blessed with two, and I want to enjoy every second of it with them. I am so thankful our friends and family who have been a huge support system throughout all this. We are sad, but we aren't broken and we know Baby Starks will be waiting for us when we enter the gates of Heaven one day. I'd say that is a pretty good reason to celebrate Easter Sunday and the fact that Jesus died for us so that one day we could go there!!! He is almost Risen!!

Easter Activites!!

This weekend we had some Easter fun. Saturday morning we headed to Freeman Park for Bartlett's Easter Egg hunt. Some friends from church were there, so that was an extra treat. The kids were split up because of their age, so I took Turner and Daddy went with Maddie. Turner got a lot of eggs and was so proud of himself!! Maddie was more concerned about the candy that had fallen out of the eggs. So her basket contained about 3 eggs and then a bunch of candy:) Both kids got their face painted with bunnies that matched their shirts! I loved their matching outfits and plan on letting them wear them a bunch this next week! It was a fun outing and the kids were excited to hunt some eggs.
The kids and I "egged" some of our friends this past and Maddie has been dying to be able to get some of her own. We went to Blake and Natalie's house and hid a dozen candy filled eggs in their front yard while they were gone. We left a note on their front door saying they had been "egged" and it was their turn to do it to someone else. The kids had SO much fun hiding those eggs and sneaking around. It was an idea I got off Pinterest and something we will definitely continue to do in the future.
Today after church the kids and I made Birds nests to give to their teachers at church and school for a little Easter happy. Another pinterest idea-haystacks in the shape of nests with Peeps and mini eggs on top. It is such an easy, messy, delicious treat to make!!! The kids had chocolate dripping of their hands and it was a chore to keep them from licking their hands until we were done:) We love baking together and it was a great way to spend the afternoon. I love having them involved in making things to give to others. They were excited leaving tonight with their bags to give to their teachers at church.
I am hoping to get them to the mall this week to have their pics made with the Easter bunny. We also have tball practice a few times, and Maddie is starting practice with her new developmental team at gymnastics. Should have lots to post about this week!