Happy Father's Day

Well, it has been a long and crazy week. There were several things I was going to post, but have decided to just skip to today and go to bed:) Happy Father's Day to Kevin, Boo Boo, and Da!! We hate that we didn't get to see Da and hope that he enjoyed his day, even though he was at work on the boat! Kevin had a good day and is thankfully feeling better and was able to enjoy it. We woke him up this morning with cards and a few gifts. I bought him two chairs for outside and the kids decorated a pen holder for him to set on his desk at school. I took them to Paint a Piece a few weeks ago and we did their handprints. It turned out well. We went to Church and heard a great message from Brother Jerry. We then went to Mimi and Boo Boo's for a great lunch! We were able to visit with Mom, Megs, David, and Mimi and Boo Boo. After lunch we went home and got Maddie down for a nap. It is getting harder and harder to get them to take naps at the same time. Once she woke up, we went outside for an hour and then started getting ready for bed. The kids were sweet to Kevin and we all had a good day!

I said this on Mother's Day and now I will say it for our Dad's. We are so blessed to both come from strong families and have been taught well how we want to raise our kids and live a Christian live. We owe a lot of that to Boo Boo and Da and we love you both so much and appreciate everything that you do for us!! We hope you had a great day!! Here are some pics from the day.

Turner is NOT a water baby!

Saturday Maddie ran errands with her daddy and took a long nap. Mommy, Megs, and Turner had a lot of time to spend together and I thought it would be fun to dip him in the baby pool. Mimi and Boo Boo had bought him a cute swimsuit for Easter that he had yet to wear. So we lathered him up in sunscreen, put on the suit and hat, and were ready for some fun-WRONG!! Turner did not enjoy the water and I had to video it. Maddie has always loved being in the water, whether it be bath or pool time. In fact, she ended up in the pool Saturday afternoon with her clothes on. Well, Turner took a while before he began to enjoy his bath, and he just isn't ready for the pool yet. Hope you enjoy the video and don't think I am terrible for doing it to him:)

New Swingset for some Backyard Fun!

Maddie LOVES to play outside. We love the summer time, because the more she is outside, the better she will sleep at night:) We have an above ground pool that we have yet to open, several blow up pools, and a wooden cottage in our backyard for Maddie to play with. Most recently we purchased a swingset, and after hours of sweat and work, Kevin got it put together. Maddie is very excited to have it and we hope that both kids will get lots of use out of it over the next few years. I thought her favorite part would be the slide, but so far she is really enjoying being swung. Here are some pics of Maddie and the swingset.

We'll always love you Karsey!

Well, today was the day. Kevin and Maddie took Karsey to her new home this afternoon. She is going to live with a family in our neighborhood that has a daughter Maddie's age, and a Golden Retriever. They are trying it for a week, and will hopefully decide to keep her. Karsey seemed comfortable enough there and didn't seem to mind when Kevin and Maddie left. I keep looking around for her. I took up her food bowl and mat and feel like the kitchen is 3 times bigger than it was yesterday. I can't imagine going to sleep tonight without her keeping my legs warm:( I will never forget the day I brought her home. I was doing probation at the time and one of my kid's dogs had puppies. They were the cutest things and I just had to have one. During work, one of my coworkers/friends and I just went and picked her up. I bought a crate and the essentials at Walmart and she spend the rest of the day at work with me. I called Kevin and was laughing and he somehow guessed that I had gotten a dog. He was kind of mad because I couldn't even have pets at my apartment and he figured she would be staying with him most of the time. We he was right, but he also fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. She was so little and playful. I remember when she was a puppy she would fall asleep across my neck. She was easily housebroken and has been loved since that first night.

I moved back home for nine months before we got married to get a job and start saving money. Karsey stayed in Martin with her daddy and I looked forward to seeing her on the weekends just as much as seeing Kevin. When we got married, there was a picture of Karsey framed at our reception that said "My mommy and daddy are getting married". It now sits in our gameroom. She loves going to the park, chasing squirrels, catching frisbees, and playing with Maddie. She loves any kind of food, and several times got into chocolate, which we then had to give her peroxide to make her throw it up. She has lived in several apartments with Kevin, our apartment when we were first married, and lastly the house that we are in now. She loves people, and acts like a crazy dog when someone first comes over. She was our first baby, and I am so sad that she had to go. I could list a million memories that we have with her, but this is just too hard.

It has taken me two days to write all this and I have talked to Jana several times since she left. She seems to get along with their dog Cody and is also enjoying their daughter Ryan. She slept in her bed last night in the little girl's room. I pray that they grow to love her like we do and that she is happy. For those that don't have pets, this all probably seems really silly. But to me, I feel like part of us is gone, and I hope it doesn't take to long to adjust without her here. Maddie has asked a few times today where Karsey is, but she has accepted the answer and just goes about her business. Oh, I wish I had the adjustability of my two year old (I don't know if that is even a word:) So.....Karsey, we love you, we wish you could still be here, we hope that you are happy, and you have given us 6 years of wonderful memories!!!

Turner is 4 months old today!!

getting weighed at the doctor

What an exciting day. Turner is 4 months old today and went to the doctor for a check up and shots. He weighs a whopping 15 lbs and is 25 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for both. At 2 months, he was in the 75th percentile for weight and 50th for height. So my chunkster is evening out. When Maddie was 4 months old she weighed 13 lbs 6 ozs and was 23 3/4 inches tall. Turner received 4 shots today and was not a happy camper. Kevin took him while I was at work and Maddie was at Mimi's. He gave him some tylenol and Turner took a good 2 hour nap. When he woke up, he was fine. The Doctor gave us the go ahead to start cereal. We will do that for a few days and then work up to oatmeal, and finally baby food. I hate that time is going so fast, but I do love trying out the different foods to see what they like. I am also hoping that his belly will start staying more full so that he might sleep through the night. We still are getting up with him between 2 and 3 to give him a bottle. I fed him a little cereal tonight and he did well. It will take a while for him to get the hang of using a spoon, but he seemed to like it enough. I am posting some pictures of him from the day.

Savannah Fun

Da and Turner watching everyone




Maddie and Brayden sliding in the pool




Maddie and Brayden in the boat

Playing in the sand

Turner enjoying himself in Savannah

Weekends in Savannah are always busy and fun. This was Turner's second time to go and he was able to do a lot of visiting. As soon as we got there Friday, we were blowing up a pool for Maddie and Brayden to play in. The spent a good portion of Friday in it and Saturday as well. Sophia got to spend some time with Turner and very much wanted to love on him. Turner slept very good Friday night and everyone was ready to go on Saturday. We decided to take Maddie on the boat for her first time Saturday with Jon, Ashley, and Brayden. I was worried about what Maddie would think, but she had a great time. We let the kids play on the beach for several hours and I got very burned! Kevin and I took Maddie and Brayden back to Nonna and Da's around 2:30 and scrambled to get ready. We had a fish fry at Dee Dee and Pa pa's and it was delicious!! He sure does know how to cook up some fish. We had fish, hush puppies, fried squash (my favorite), french fries, brownies, and watermelon. A very healthy meal that was enjoyed by all:) Kevin's other grandparents were there as well. When it got to the point that Sophia, Turner, and Maddie were crying, we decided to pack it up and go back to the house.

I thought a nap might be in order, but the kids had a different plan. Swimsuits were put back on and into the water they went. Turner spent a lot of time outside watching with his little baseball cap on. Maddie and Brayden had a slumber party and finally fell asleep sometime after nine. It was a long day, but everyone enjoyed themselves. Sunday, Maddie went to church with Nonna and when they got back we all ate lunch. We got home around six and then Kevin went to work putting a new swing set together. It is still a work in progress, so I will post pics when it is done. Megs and David were nice enough to come over and help. David is our handy man and has helped Kevin many a times on different projects. Mimi and Boo Boo also stopped by to catch a peak. Boo Boo was able to help for a bit until Mimi summoned him to go home. The kids both went to sleep pretty quickly tonight, and I hope after a long weekend, sleep long and hard. That is where I am going now! So, until the next time...

Highs and Lows

Maddie going down her slide




Our own water park at home










Maddie at the sprinkler park







We all enjoy the summertime, especially Maddie. She is so proud of her pools and loves being in the water. Tuesday, Kevin took Maddie to the sprinkler park in Collierville to play with some of her friends from church. She isn't too fond of water getting in her eyes, but I think they all had a good time. Jene kept Turner that day so Kevin could keep a better eye out for Maddie, then that afternoon Maddie was retested for allergies. I am not going to say too much about it on here, but Maddie is still highly allergic to peanuts. We also found out she was allergic to cats and dogs. While we all love our Karsey, we are in the process of looking for her another home. I was also concerned because Jene has a cat and was devastated at the thoughts of finding someone else to care for the kids. Jene texted me that night and said that the cat was going to her dad's this past weekend. I loved her a LOT before, but cannot begin to tell you how much I love her now. To know that she is doing this to be able to care for my kids means more to me than I could possibly express in words. Before I start to cry again, I am just going to post some pics of Maddie having fun in the water!

I have found my hands

A berry flavored teething ring-my favorite:)




I have found my feet and my mommie's purse!



Turner is growing more and more every day. He has recently begun to learn how his hands work and they are into everything!!! The doctor told us that he is already teething and we think we feel one on top! Not even 4 months yet and working on a tooth. If his hands aren't in his mouth, then he is grabbing his feet or anything else he can find. I just love watching him learn and can't believe how fast he is already growing up. He has been a little fussy and we have already started the oragel and baby tylenol. I hope he doesn't have too much trouble.

Finger Painting and Birthday party!

Turner enjoying the show




Maddie and Ethan being the magician's helpers






Maddie and Ethan




Maddie's handprints




Maddie finger painting



We had a fun filled day today. I bought Maddie some washable crayola paint this past week and decided to take her outside and let her go at it. She made a huge mess, but also did a great job on doing her handprints. She is such a crafty girl and that didn't come from me. Luckily both her Mimi and Nonna are, so she must have picked it up from them. She will spend hours coloring, playing with playdo, and not painting. I am so glad she prefers this to sitting in front of the tv. After she painted, we came in so daddy could mow the yard this morning. Turner took a long nap and then we all got ready for Ethan's 4th birthday party. Ethan is the son of one of Kevin's friends from work. He is also Maddie's fishing buddy, and I think they are kind of sweet on each other:) DJ, Ethan's dad, thinks it is hilarious while Maddie's daddy does NOT:)


We love going to birthday parties and in the past year have been to a BUNCH!! This year, Maddie has been able to bowl for the first time, go to pump it up, been to 2 other bouncy parties, Maple Grove Farm, several home parties, and today seen her first Magic Show. She always has lots of fun and we are grateful to have so many friends with kids close to her age. Turner has gone to most of these parties as well, but tends to sleep through a lot of them. He already has several buddies close to his age, so in the next year or so, we should be going to parties for him too. Today there were games for the kids to play, a magician, hotdogs, snocones, and lots of other goodies. There was swimming as well, but we didn't know and didn't bring the swimsuits. Maddie managed to get sopping wet in her clothes and rode home in her panties. Thank goodness I had an extra pair of those. We had a good day and both kids are out for the night. I have posted some pics above.

Bittersweet Endings

Today we had the funeral for my 93 year old grandmother in Clarksdale, MS. She died Monday morning in the hospital after suffering a heart attack sometime last week. She had suffered from Alztheimer's for several years and had spent the last two not talking, having a caretaker with her at all times. I have so many memories of my funny little grandma, and know that she would not have wanted to go on the way that she was. She did such a good job raising my mother and her brothers and sisters. She left behind an incredible amount of memories and I laugh almost every time I hear a story about her-the things that came out of her mouth:) I hate that my children weren't able to know her, but am hoping that in their later years, their Mimi can keep them entertained like Grandma did us. But not at the expense of my mother's mind. It was so sad watching Grandma begin to forget things and become confused. Alztheimer's is a terrible disease and I know especially hard for my mom and aunt's and uncle's to watch slowly take Grandma away. I pray that she had given her life to Christ and is in Heaven, so that one day I will see her again.