Lillie Gets Braces

     Well Lillie's been waiting for this day for almost a year now. After a failed attempt with an ortho office we decided we (I) could not stand to work with we found a lovely ortho in Dr. Tito Norris. After an initial visit it was time for braces day! She looks adorable before braces and adorable after...what a lucky young woman she is! 

By bye nakie teeth! We'll see you in two years!

Samuel's 4th Grade Field Trip to Mill Springs Cabins

     Another fun field trip for the 4th graders! They learn about TX history in 4th grade and Bradley Middle School has built this amazing old timey TX town that the area 4th graders get to visit. The 7th graders is TX also spend their year studying TX history and the kids at this school learn about, study, and then give the 4th graders tours of the "town". I missed this field trip the year that Lillie came and it was really great to finally get to see it and experience it with Samuel. We all had a great time and the kids did a great job!

In the museum

Playing some pioneer games

With friends, ?, and Harlan

Making their own fossil rocks

I think this was horseshoes

Riding a "bull"

This thing was pretty cool. The 7th graders had a rope attached to it and they swung the 4th graders around on it pretty crazy like. Of course the kids had a total blast and all admitted that it was way harder than it looked.

In a one room classroom

WOW

A rendition of a log cabin home

s

Visiting Auntie Katie in Austin

     Auntie Katie moved to Austin about 8-ish months ago and we finally made it up there to visit. It was a great day! Thanks for showing us some fun sites Katie! (We also shopped at a fun farmer's market that morning. Sadly no pictures of that adventure)

At a yummy food truck park for lunch, creamistry ice cream, and playground fun

Climbing the big boulders at Zilcker Park

Playing with some random ball the wind blew over. We asked and asked but could never find out who it belonged to.

Chillin' on a chair in Katie's apt. She lives with a mom who's got a toddler just a little older than Isaac so he was happy to have a bunch of toys to keep him occupied.

The Day the Pokemon Came...

     Oh these two boys - how they love Pokemon! Within the past year they have each started a collection of cards. They wanted to buy big packs at walmart but when I told them they could get them for about $10 cheaper on Amazon they were willing to order them and wait a couple of days. But boy when they came you have never seen two such happy kids! Way to save your $ for something that you really want guys! They had a ton of fun looking through all of the options online and even more fun the day they arrived. 

I couldn't even get this kid to wait for a pic before he busted the package open

And neighbor friends are already over to see what they've got and if trades are possible

Easter 2016

All ready for church. This was truly the very best pic that I could get of all four of them. Oh Isaac.

Truly he is a total stud though

Cul de Sac egg hunt

Isaac is definitely in the stage this year where he just picks up one and is ready to bust it open to eat the candy before he moves on to the next egg :)

He's lookin' sad but don't worry, he's got a ton of eggs in there

Cul de Sac football

Auntie Laura comes up with the BEST games!

     I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ - that He lived for me, that He died for me, and that He was resurrected. Because of this most precious and sacred gift I can repent of my sins, work to be a better person each day, have joy in my family, and know that I too will live again after I leave this earth. And one glorious day my spirit and body will also be resurrected in a perfect and immortal form to live eternally with my family and my Father in Heaven. This knowledge right here, is what allows me to feel joy each and every day. I am so grateful for the knowledge that my Savior lives!

Sibling Love

     When I went in to kiss the kids goodnight before I went to bed I found Samuel asleep in Lillie's room. Turns out they had been hanging out and decided to do a sleepover. Below is a pic they drew together on her whiteboard. I love sibling friendships!

     And in other sibling love news a few days later I found these sweet notes they had written on the bathroom mirror to each other It started with L writing the notes to her brothers and then they reciprocated.

The Day The Tree Came Down...

     Our foliage was in bad need of some trimming and while the workers were trimming stuff away Tim and I finally made the decision to get rid of a pesky tree in our front yard. It grows to close to our foundation and literally thousands of baby oak saplings shoot up from it's roots. Tim has wanted to be rid of it for nearly three years now. On the other hand it's a fully mature oak that provides beauty and shade to our home. So I've been the one holding up this process. But it was finally decided that it really should come down. I had such a hard time watching it happen. The kids on the other hand (especially the boys) loved watching all the men with their big tools cutting huge branches off of trees and taking an entire tree down top to bottom. Isaac was especially enthralled. He normally goes to bed around 6 but there was no way I could tear him away from this.

Seriously I cannot imagine climbing this high in a tree and then using a chain saw to cut above my head. I hope this dude has a good life insurance policy.

I was so sad the entire time they were taking this tree down and even teared up a but. But once it was said and done I had to admit that it actually looked much nicer and the space provided some better sun to two crepe myrtles that needed it. Now to get the stump gone and to see if those darn saplings will stop coming up