The morning outside..

After days of raining and flood waters, when my kids saw the sun this morning, they were so excited to get out there!  Brayden played with his bow and arrow while Karis played with her new chalk....

        

Karis tried to use B's bow and arrow and had it backwards but I wasn't going to tell her!

She made circles for him to stand in and told him when he got good at one, then he could scoot back into the next circle.  If he got to the last circle, that meant he was "super good!"

Divide and conquer

I know this is the beginning of many, but Jay and I had to divide and conquer with our kids tonight!  Brayden had a baseball game and Karis had her new gymnastics class on the same night, same time.  Karis and I had been talking about this all week but I have never left her at gymnastics before.  I always stay and watch but up until now, it has only been in one hour increments.  Now, however, it is TWO hours long TWO days a week.  Just wondering...have you ever tried to contain a crawling one year old in a place like this for TWO straight hours?  Just about impossible...without losing one's mind!  So, Karis and I had been talking about now that she is in a "big girl" class, I would not be staying every time.  She was VERY excited about this and wanted me to leave.  She kept grinning every time we talked about it. So the plan was to drop her off, get her started in her new class, and then leave, go to Brayden's game and then come back to pick her up.  However, when I got ready to leave, she started crying and I assured her I would stay if she wanted me to.  So I gathered all of my things (and Lucy) and headed back inside and informed Jay and Brayden that I would not be going to the game after all.  

She did great in her new class and I (tried) to contain Lucy for 2 whole hours.  Here are the girls in K's new class.  Karis is the littlest and youngest (I think).  There may be one other little girl that is 5 but the rest of them are 7.  I think Karis felt a little intimidated at first, but she did great and made several new friends!

         

Entertaining Lulu...

We tried to stay in the stroller and watch, but of course that didn't last long!

She learned to climb up these stairs, but then didn't know how to get down!

Karis was first in line because Coach said she was working so hard!

We are so proud of you Karis!

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Even though I wasn't there, I wanted to document some of the funnies from the game so I won't forget them.  Jay said at one time during the game, Brayden was laid down on the pitcher's mound on his back with his glove up under his head and legs crossed, like he was in a Laz-y-boy!  Glad he didn't get hit in the head!  Another time he was on the ground out in the field filling his hat with dirt!  And another time, Brayden caught the ball in the outfield and then ran all the way around the outfield WITH the ball.  I think that hitter got a few stolen bases off of Brayden!  haha

Our weekend in Corinth

After another day of watching the crazy weather (which you all know by now I despise)...

Jay had a conference to go to on Friday and Saturday, but as soon as it was over on Saturday we met him and headed out of town to Corinth to see Jay's parents.

It was planned to leave at naptime and it worked!  Check out this quiet car!

       

At Nonnie's house, Lucy found the box of produce and LOVED the lemons.  At first we thought she was just gnawing on it but soon realized she was actually biting into it when we suddenly started smelling the lemons!

One of the reasons we went to Corinth this weekend was that Jay's sister Kelly was in town.  She lives in Hawaii and has two beautiful girls that were home with dad so we didn't get to see them.  We had an incredible time with her and loved getting to hang out.  We haven't actually seen her since we got married in 2003!  But she is moving closer soon so hopefully we will see her more soon!

Here she is playing Make it or Break it with B...

And Lucy wasn't lacking for attention with Aunt Juju there...

And Pop-Pop getting in his snuggles...

While Brayden and Karis helped Nonnie make homemade, healthy ice cream.  And it was soooo good!  I will try to get the recipe and post it soon!

Then Aunt Jessie painted Karis' nails while eating her ice cream.  Does it get any better than this???

Then Karis snuggled with the dog Tess while watching cartoons....

Sunday we got up and planned to go to church but it was so flooded, even church was cancelled!  I have never seen floods like this before!  So we hung out at Nonnie's for a while until it slowed down and then we went to hang out at Grandmother Lucy's house.

I stole these from my sis-in-laws facebook because I didn't take any with my camera.  Shocking...I know!

Lucy was kissing the bear...

And Grandmother Lucy was giving Lucy cake!  And she loved it of course!  I mean who wouldn't LOVE anything Grandmother cooked!

Lucy hangin' out with Pinto...

Oh and on Saturday Kelly ran a 10K race and won 3rd place in her division!  Go Kelly!  Doesn't she even look gorgeous in running clothes and no make-up???  

On our way out we went to my mother-in-laws store and found lots of goodies!  I am sad to say I didn't get any pics of me and Jay with Kelly :(.   But, this is Kelly and Lucy before we left...

And due to the fact that my Bible has torn to pieces lately, I decided to get one of these covers....

Isn't it adorable??? 

We had a blast and loved getting to see Jay's family and Kelly!  We look forward to July when all of the sisters and kids will be together for the first time ever!  Yah!

My Mimi

My Mimi (my dad's mom) got to go home with the Lord today.  She has battled sickness for a while now and has been in the hospital for a few weeks this go-round.  She had been on dialysis every other day for a while now and had become septic and her body began to shut down.  On Thursday they told us that she probably had a few hours left to live but it wasn't until today that she went HOME!  She entered eternity at 9:57 a.m. this morning and I am sure was very glad to see her husband, family and mostly the Lord.  She was a very Godly woman and example and I know for a fact that she was a believer.  She had told me her testimony several times upon request.  It was a bitter sweet day...we hated to lose her here but didn't want her to suffer and now she doesn't have to anymore!  

I searched through my pics over the years and these are some that I gathered from the last 5 years....

Karis and Mimi (2005)

        

Easter 2005

2008

2006

When Mimi met Lucy (Summer 2010)

My last pic of Mimi and all 3 of my kids...

Just Mimi and Lucy...

This is my Mimi and all 4 of her kids (my dad and his sisters).  From L to R my dad, Mary, Mimi, Pat, and Carol....My dad's sister Pat (to the right of Mimi) passed away suddenly this last year as well.

      

We love you Mimi!  You will be missed but I will see you on the other side!

Visitation: Monday 5-3-10 from  6-8 p.m.

Funeral: Tuesday 5-4-10 @10 a.m.