Tagged by Leigh Ann...

Leigh Ann was tagged and then tagged all her blog friends so I thought I would answer these questions. It sounds like fun! I love being tagged and I love reading other blogger friends "tags". I always learn so much more about them. So here it goes..

I am...blessed beyond measure.

I think...about irrational fears a lot of times.

I know...my kids are my greatest joy, and I treasure everyday with them.

I wish...I had more time.

I dislike...bad drivers, any kind of seafood, and waiting in lines.

I miss...having a small baby.

I fear... something happening to my family.

I feel... extremely lucky in life.

I hear...music playing on the TV.

I crave...attention.

I wonder...how my life will change in ten years, how much my children will grow and what kind of teenagers they will be.

I love... Jesus, my family, the water, friends, sports

I ache...for families that have lost loved ones.

I care..for sick people.

I always... tell my family I love them.

I am not...a shy person.

I sing...in the car VERY LOUDLY.

I cry...when I think about anything happening to my kids.

I don't always... let my husband know how much I appreciate and love him.

I write... private notes to myself A LOT.

I win...everytime my kids give me kisses and hugs.

I lose... on days that I don't have patience and do not slow down to see the beauty in the day.

I never...eat anything from the sea! (right there with ya, Leigh Ann)

I listen.. to Keith Urban A LOT

I am scared of.. something happening to my family and FROGS

I need... to catch up my scrapbooking.

I hope...that I grow old with my husband, and we watch our kids grow.

I tag... anyone that reads this. :)

Happy 5th Birthday To My Little Princess

Today is my sweet little princess' 5th birthday! She has been such a wonderful blessing to me (on most days) ! There are days that I get very stressed out with her. She has such a strong will and attitude with a capital "A" but those are the days that I am gently reminded about that day at the ultrasound when I was told I was having a girl! I was so excited I cried. Husband has to often remind me of that day when I am at my wits end and ready to explode. I wouldn't trade all the drama for anything in the world. I love being "the dainty diva's" mom and can not believe she is five years old! Even right now as I type this and she is crying because her burrito has to cook for longer than one minute and she wants it to cook for ONE MINUTE and no longer! :) I have thought a lot about the things I love most about Scarlett:

*Her sweet sensitive side that is not always seen.
*The way she will hold my hand and tell me "it will be all right, mommy" if she thinks I am having a bad day.
*She still wants to sleep with me and wants me to "hold her like a baby".
*I love the way she loves her daddy, and how well she knows that she has her daddy wrapped around her finger! She will talk baby talk to him and get whatever she wants! :) She is learning well! ha!
*I love that she is very determined about everything. She does not give up on anything. Yes, it can be exhausting on days when the answer is NO.. but you gotta love that tenacity.

There is so much I love about her that I could go on and on. I am so thankful to have my little princess and be there for it all! The good the bad and the crazy! She can make me laugh constantly. She is very creative and very detail oriented. A perfect lefty! She comes up with her own ideas, for example.. this is her "FROO FROO" face. Why is it called that? Who knows, but that is what she has named it and she will forever call it that. She has a vast array of faces and they all have names.
She can strike a post in an instant and has been able to do that since she was VERY little!

Here she is not quite a year old. That was her very first Valentine's Day. My mom made her little dress and headband and was so excited that she finally had someone that she could make things for. Scarlett is always so excited to see her Nana coming. She likes to go to her house and help her cook, clean, and just "hang out". I enjoy watching my mom and Scarlett interact together. After three boys, Scarlett was the first (and so far only) granddaughter. I love the fact that she can be such a tom boy! She will jump down and play in the dirt as quick as she will put on make up. She just loves being where the action is.

I love her sense of style. She is an accessory queen! We like to call her our own little Gwen Stefani. :) She will wear two shirts, a skirt and pants, and several bracelets, necklaces and if it has pink.. any shade of pink, that means it matches. She is so carefree and silly! She can change from drama mama to silly little girl in a instant! She wants to smell all her food prior to eating it. At a birthday party recently when asked if she wanted cake and ice cream.. she replied "Can I smell it?" and she ask that question about all her food prior to eating. She is a daredevil. She is not afraid of anything! I am afraid of roller coasters and rides that get off the ground. Not her! If her height didn't stop her she would be on every single ride possible. Here at Magic Springs Ethan was holding on for his life and not Scarlett. She threw her hands up and gave out a "WEE" as they went down the hill. I could go on and on about all the things I love about her. Her daddy loves the way she always cocks her head to the side to have her picture taken, how she could eat her weight in cheese dip, and just how silly she can be. We all have our favorite things that make up our Scarlett.

We all love so much about her and are so blessed to have such a sweet "diva-like" little princess in our lives! Hard to believe she is five years old. It seems like just yesterday I was at the doctors office being told I was having a little girl. Little did I know just how much fun it would be!
Today was no exception to the madness and mayhem around our house. We left early this morning and went to Chuck E Cheese and played for a few hours. One of Scarlett's little friends went with us. Karley is leaving for Disney World so she will not be at the party so we had our own party today.
The kids had so much fun! We came back home for cake and ice cream and more play time. The video is from the cake and ice cream. You will notice you hear Scarlett telling Karley she has to SING! :) She wanted to be sure and be the center of attention at that moment. Tonight is Scarlett's birthday dinner of choice and guess what she wanted. She wanted Cheeseburgers, Macaroni and Black Eyed Peas! Not the normal, but definitely what we are having for dinner.

I hope you had a good 5th birthday, Scarlett! We all love you so much and are so thankful to be your family. I am so happy to be your mommy! I love you my little diva princess!

Crunch Time...

Well, the big birthday party is on Saturday and we are in a bit of a crisis. We bought this big cool playset for Scarlett for her birthday and I had accepted the fact that it would not be put together for the party due to timing (we did not purchase it until Monday morning). But, you would have to know my mother to know that if she gets an idea in her head NO ONE is going to rest until it is completed. So, my dear dad has been her everyday working on this monstrous wooden thing in our back yard that I really need(want) finished by Saturday. We all try to help, but my dad is definitely Mr. Fix It and would rather do majority of it by himself. If he is not doing the work, he is constantly checking on you and redoing your hard work. So, I read the manual and get the screws out of bags and ready to go, which is no easy feat. Take a look at these screws. There are more screws to this thing and I have ever seen in one place! My hopes are fading on the fact of it being together by Saturday, except for one glimmer of hope because my mom and dad are both off work Friday and TRUST ME my dad will be here at sunrise if my mother has anything to say about it. :) She really is a wonderful woman.. she just wants things done QUICKLY! :)

Here is how much we have completed: and here is what is should look like when finished:
The weather did not cooperate tonight and we only were able to get the ladder together. Scarlett has her "papa" won over and as he was packing to leave she ran and gave him a big hug and told him "Thank you for getting my swing ready for my party!". He told her he would be here every chance he got until her party and he would have it ready! :) So, there will have to be a good reason if it is not ready because I know he will do his best.. with me right there beside him reading the manual and handing out the screws.

**I should mention that hubby was unable to take off work, it is a really busy time at work for him, or he would be right there beside me helping to hand out the screws and reading the manual! :) That and he has been doing the running around of the kids this week for me. Thanks, Honey! :) **

I'll let you know...


Have a good week!

Baseball Fun

Ethan had his fifth game of the season last night and he is really doing well. I just love watching the little kids out there before the game. Scarlett was able to wear her "bling" shirt to support her brothers team and she was very excited about that. The back of her shirt says "little sister" in the rhinestones and was supposed to say ETHAN's little sister.. but she decided she did not want his name on her HER shirt.. so it just says "little sister". Ethan was worried no one would know that was his sister but I assured him they would know.. believe me they know! :)


I was able to catch some pictures of the boys during their pre game warm ups.. how cute is that! They all line up on the chalked line and stretch (with a lot of playing in between). They also practice their swing and their aim during "target" practice. Ethan has a little chant he says to himself when he is getting ready to hit during each game. He repeats "see the ball, hit the ball" to himself several times and it must be working, he got a line drive down third baseline last night! It is so exciting to see the boys hit the ball and take off running! :) Next, off to the field and let the game begin. Ethan played second base last night, just like his mom! :) I have to remind myself several times during the game to let the coaches tell him what to do and me keep my mouth shut! Do you know how hard that is! I find myself yelling "Ethan, get ready" "get the glove on the ground"... all those typical baseball mom chants.. but I am trying to let the coaches steer him right and me just keep quiet in the dug out. NOT EASY! I also have to say his last name everytime I want to say something to him since there are several Ethan's on the field at any time and we have a two on our team. Ethan may ended just having to go by his last name! :) I always did and it worked out well. Lastly, we got our baseball team pictures in last night and of course I bought way too much.. but it was his first year playing so hubby went along with it. I just had to order the Baseball Magazine cover photo and it turned out so cute! I am glad I did pay the extra money just for that. I was torn between the Wheaties box cover and Magazine cover.. but I think I made the right choice, don't you?Hope you all have a great week! I am still getting things ready for the party. Thanks to my sis-in law who sent me some great Mexican appetizer recipes.. I am going grocery shopping today and finish up the decorations. I think it may be all prepared by Saturday afternoon.

Fun Filled Saturday

This Saturday was a fun filled day! It started off really cold. I had spent all week doing the "change out" of winter vs. summer clothes and did not leave any jackets or anything out of the bins. So at 8am this morning I am digging for a jacket, and long sleeve shirts for all of us to wear to the soccer fields down by the river. His soccer season has been extended due to all the rain we had in March/April. The river rose so high that it flooded the soccer fields several times and with that washed away his larger goals, so the boys are playing with these small goals! It makes for an interesting game. He scored three goals, which was exciting to watch. He loves playing soccer!

Next stop McDonalds for lunch and more play time! They over heard me mention McDonalds and the battle ensued.. and guess who won.. you got it the kids! We then stopped by the local nursery and picked up four hanging plants that are so pretty. We bought two Wandering Junes and two Ferns. The Wandering Junes reminded me of my grandmothers house growing up, she always had a lot of these hanging plants all around her yard. Next stop HOME!

My friend from Russellville, Kelly, was in town and they stopped by and the kids played in the back yard all afternoon. We had a soccer shoot out, baseball game, jeep driving, trampoline jumping, sand playing kind of day!

In the middle of all this Scarlett went to a Rock Star Makeover birthday party. She came home with a purple feather boa, blue glitter hair, sparkle eyes, and a pink braid..and a big chocolate ring around her mouth. :) She had so much fun at her little friends birthday party. Lynnleigh is her first friend that she made on her own. She is so cute with her friends.

Today is Sunday and the start of a new week. My little princess is turning five on Thursday so this week's post will be all about her and a look back.. mostly just for the mom in me to be sentimental, and to feel sad for just a little bit. :)

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

Birthday Week has begun...

Yesterday afternoon when we returned home from shopping there was a big box from Disney.com on our front porch. I knew I had not ordered anything.. so the excitment began. Scarlett just knew it was for her since it was "her birthday week". Ethan ran to the porch first and read the label and then yelled, "you are right, Scarlett.. it has your name on it. It is your birthday week!". Scarlett was SO EXCITED. We had to run into the house and rip the package open and this is what we found. A new Little Mermaid swimsuit, towel, shoes, sunglasses and a beach tote. She was just beside herself with excitment! She ripped her clothes off and begin taking tags off as fast as she could try it on! She looked so cute! The big package was from her Auntie Lolo, Uncle T, cousins Jacob, Lillie and Lauren and Nannie D. They all live in Tennessee so they will not be able to be here for our big party. We miss them! :)

In the meantime, we are planning a "Fiesta" for next Saturday. I need good party food ideas for a fiesta. We will have the usual salsa, cheese dip.. but what about finger foods? Anybody know any good, easy mexican style finger foods? It is not as easy as I thought to find fiesta decorations! and games???? I need help! Lots of ideas for this Fiesta are needed. I have a week.. that is plenty of time, right? ha! We will see if it all comes together in time and if it does not, I must remember the backyard will be filled with four and five year olds that could probably care less if they have food at all, they just want to play.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Yo Ho HO! A Pirates Life for ME!

Today was a beautiful day outside! Just the perfect weather for an adventure. My kids decided they were going to play "pirates". I wondered to myself just how they were going to do that.. and the things they came up with just amazed me. They played on their "pirate ship" for over two hours. They even came up with a play and by scene 13, Ethan, the Pirate Captain, was tired and ready for a snack. :) Apparently he was a grouchy and mean captain. Here are just a few of the pictures from their adventure. I just love to watch my kids use their imagination and come up with ideas and adventures all on their own. Today was no exception. I was having so much fun just sitting back and watching.

They built a compass and telescopes:





















They had "shipmates". One was in charge of the left, right, and Clifford the Big Red Dog was in charge of the plank.
Scarlett was in charge of fishing, while Captain Ethan was steering the boat although at this particular time I do remember the Captain yelling "man overboard" and went to save his fellow pirate AKA "KEO".















They would occasionally put their "underwater scuba" gear on and hunt for buried treasure.. and yes they had even placed treasure in the yard to look for. It was so funny to see both of them with big football helmets on and jumping overboard to search for treasure. I was informed by the Captain that a pirate always yells "EUREKA" when he finds a treasure! (I think he had a few facts mixed up.. but who cared.. I was enjoying the show). Pirate Princess Scarlett told me that "...argh! Keep you hands off me treasure..." she sounded serious so I did! :)



















They had thought of everything. They would drop a line for fish, and they had an anchor that they would drop down when they "docked". Somehow it seemed Scarlett was in charge of all the hard work. Captain Ethan stayed at the front of the boat and "steered" while yelling out his orders! :)



















I hope you enjoyed our adventurous day! I leave you with a picture of my beautiful pirate princess who just happens to be turning FIVE in a few days! I am so busy planning a big Fiesta.. but I am sad! It is so hard on me to think that this is it.. this is my last baby, and she is not even a baby anymore. :( She is ready for kindergarten! Ready to be more independent and I am sad! I would love to just keep them little forever.. but I know that would mean missing out on the next phase, the next wonderful adventure and finding out what God has in store for both of my kids. I feel extremely blessed! and so lucky I have my very own Pirate Princess! :) I forgot to mention the pirate belts! Don't ya just love them! For all those times you thought you wouldn't need those old curtain tie backs.. just look what you could do with them! Have a great day!