25 Random Things....

this is something I should be good at...

1.  I love my life...

2.  My girls, they're silly and they fight a lot...reminds me of my sister and I when we were young...

3.  My husband is just like Erin...random in actions...can be talking about something important and catch Kam out of the corner of their eye and impulsively start to kiss her...

4.  I was up for the majority of last night...from 2 on...uninterrupted sleep is overrated...

5.  My mom and dad are like the calvery...they usually show up in just the nick of time...

6.  There was a small earthquake near Seattle today...called my brother to ask if he felt the quake...

7.  Getting old really is reflected most in my skin...time for botox...

8.  Laundry is fun when you see how fast you can do it...

9.  I worry less these days because I trust God more...

10. I love my friends and yes, you know who you are because lately I like to tell people how much I like them...you should try it more and then it wouldn't be so hard...

11. I LOVE Fox news, but don't watch it as much since we have a new President...

12. Lately, I've noticed that I haven't met a stranger...I talk a lot more to people than I used to, guess I've got a lot to say...

13.  I need a new kitchen...green tile, corian and a porcelain sink (and a refridge with no filter) got to go!

14.  I only listen to KSBJ...never thought I would be so unhip...

15.  My husband is officially sterile...

16.  Kyle did back flips in my back yard last week and still has a weird knot on his arm from falling on it...

17.  Sometimes I actually get concerned about the economy and try to spend less...

18.  Reading "What in the World is Going On?" by David Jeremiah...

19.  I love my Sunday School class and my church...

20.  Kyle got a new car and was so excited about it, he cleaned out the garage...

21.  Going swimming this afternoon...

22.  Thinking about changing my hair color...

23.  Don't care for grocery shopping, mostly because it's so cumbersome with little ones...

24.  Love holding Kam...love it!

25.  One word that describes me today, grateful!

That was easy...took two minutes!  If you read this do it...it's fun :)

Birthday Girl :)

Erin has been so excited about her birthday. She has been asking almost every day for the last couple of weeks if it's her birthday today...so on the morning that it finally arrived, Erin came downstairs and said to her dad, "Good morning Dad, it's the Birthday Girl". That's what she called herself all day...don't chase the Birthday Girl, give that toy to the Birthday Girl, the Birthday Girl's hungry...

She loved her party...her family, her friends, a Sleeping Beauty birthday cake, and a princess bounce house.

Erin before the party...

The cake...

Bounce house fun :)

Kam and Papa hanging out at the party.

Brooke playing in the castle.

Loving that she's 4!

I can't believe she's 4...she's such a blessing, our miracle, a pure joy, and forever our little girl. We thank God for her and pray His richest blessings on her life.

Up From the Grave she Arose!

yes, I found myself singing out loud my favorite Easter morning hymn as I walked down the stairs this morning.  

Erin started with a positive strep culture last week, then Brooke on Monday, and Tuesday night I started to complain to Kyle that I wasn't feeling well.  I went to bed, had chills, felt achy, and spiked a fever...my throat wasn't sore yet, but we felt pretty confident I had strep...considering my exposure (wet slobbery exchanges with Brooke...they're sweet kisses, don't get me wrong, but they are WET).  

After a high powered antibiotic shot, 48 hours of a non-stop (102.5-103.5) fever, a night sweat that felt like I got in bed straight out of the shower, and yes, a throat that looks like cottage cheese, I am finally better.  I thought about posting a picture of it, but I'm grossed out and I didn't want to post all those beautiful white blisters on my tonsils to the world wide web.

I have to close this post by saying I'm so thankful for my family.  Kyle, Cherrie, and my parents have helped watch the girls and take care of me, and believe me, that is NO easy undertaking. Thank you, thank you, thank you...I've told you all, I don't know what I'd do without you.

Pigtails, growing, swim lessons, and golf...

that's what we've been doing around here :) I tried to put the girls' hair in pigtails for a few days, it was cute, but it takes extra time, which, right now, I just don't have...but, I'm thankful their hair is getting long enough to do it...for those of you who don't know, Erin and Brooke's hair is SLOW growing...in fact Erin has had two trims her whole life and Brooke, just one...I told the hair dresser to be REALLY careful in how much she cut off, not cause I care about the appearance so much, but more because half an inch will literally take years to grow :)

They really DO like their pigtails :)

Kameron, she's just growing...and still eating almost around the clock. We tried to let her cry it out a couple of nights ago and it was tough...for her and the entire family (2 am till 3:20 am)...so, last night when her internal eating alarm went off at 2 am, I caved and fed her at 2:30...what to do, what to do...?

just 'a growing'

So, the girls started swim lessons and it's been so much fun! The first day, I was like, 'this is awesome, it's worth every penny'...and then the next lesson...I could see sweet Brooke (I'm behind a glass/mirrored wall) in time out for not following instructions...she was taunting the teacher, who was stuck in the pool with Erin, by throwing toys (which they're not to touch until the end of class) in the pool and running all over the place. After class, she, the teacher, informed me that Brooke's behavior 'has now become a safety issue'. I think she might be letting me know that Brooke may be getting 'shipped out' unless she can 'shape up'. So, we're working on that...

Headed to their lessons :)

the pool their first lessons were in...they've been moved to a bigger pool adjacent to this one...

Kyle would LOVE for the girls' to take a real liking to the sport of golf...so today, he gave Erin her early birthday gift from D and Cha Cha...a set of Junior clubs...

they're legit, people!

She is IN LOVE with them and wanted me to take her picture...so here you go...

Erin with her clubs :)

It's my dad's birthday...

'Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?'  Mom asked me to have that song playing for dad when he came over for dinner tonight...and we did...he was smiling until the part where John Lennon sang 'you're sincerely wasting away' :)   

He's not, in fact, mom and dad have never looked better!  I tell them all the time that they're like a fine wine...they just get better with age!...thanks partly to their priceless investment in their grandchildren lives...

Tonight we ate and watched the kids play soccer...

Brooke asking for Papa...

Erin looking for Papa...

There he is!  Dad on his 64th birthday!  A man who loves and serves his Lord, his family, his grandchildren and is committed to leaving a Godly legacy...I'm so thankful that he's my Dad and my girls' Papa...I love to hear them scream/cry his name...they love their Papa and so do I.

Papa, the big bad wolf, was trying to 'blow the house down'!

Lasagna, don't get any on ya!  Is Brooke the only 2 1/2 year old who will NOT use utensils?

Erin's faithful to pray before every meal...she likes to pray with one eye open so that she can see who's listening and to make sure no one takes her food!

Oh yeah, we're signed up for soccer...ignore the clothes...Erin's into comfort, not fashion :)

Wow, can you see her form, Coach Oakley?  So funny!!  I laughed when I saw this picture...those of you who know me well, know that I will have to contain my amusement at her soccer games...

The little ones playing goalie :)

Dad's favorite, Mom's angel food cake with blue whip cream :)

Christmas is over...

and back to the ol' blog.  I've missed it!  We had the best Christmas this year...it really does just keep getting better :)  It was so much fun playing Santa with the girls, watching them open presents, hearing them sing Christmas songs, and spending A LOT of time with our family.  We spent Christmas Day and New Year's Eve with the Honeymans and Senior Watsons...playing a lot of Rock Band and just hanging out.  

We do have something that is still lingering from Christmas Day...Erin's black eye.  She was running around the house with her camera, unable to share, and Drew really wanted his turn...so after a short chase and a wooden mallet to the face, he got it!  Over the break, Erin has learned to share and that "boys are fast" :)

Brooke and Erin...it's Erin's left eye

Where's Erin?

Playing inside the plastic bin with her doll!

Putting away the Christmas decorations never took so LONG....and Erin wanted to help, but ended up playing in one of our storage bins...