Baseball

It's that time a year again for baseball!  Samuel has been so excited and is really enjoying his team this year.  He has also been doing really good so far getting lots of hits and making some great plays in the outfield.  I'm so glad to see him excited about baseball...because I will admit it's not my favorite sport.  But seeing his enthusiasm makes me happy!  It has also taken over our lives and really just added to the 3 ring circus that we have going on (4 kids, house for sale, baseball, school, etc).  Thankfully I have lots of college students who I call on to help us during this time.  Really, I don't know what I would do without some of my faithful babysitters who rarely let us pay them.  We are truly blessed!

GO CUBS!!!!

Spring Break

Spring break was a few weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it.  First, I HAVE to mention that for the last 3 nights, my sweet precious squishy 9 week old has slept through the night! WOOHOO!  Also, in 24 of those hours, I read Hunger Games (thanks to being rested).  So good!

Okay, now back to the reason for this post.  Spring Break.  We spent the first few days at home just relaxing.  Then since Jeff had some meetings in Atlanta, we all drove there and spent several days at my parents house.  The kids always have so much fun there and I of course, always love the help:).

There is a stream that flows behind my parents house in the woods.  Samuel planted himself there for the better part of the time we were there...catching little crawfish. 

And just for good measure, here are a few cute pics of my big girls.  They had a blast too...and even got in that creek to look for crawfish one day.  Other than that, they played out on the porch, rode the golf cart, played in the sand, and ate a lot of Popsicles.   

Jeff's grandparents also live in the Atlanta are so we got to go see them and introduce their newest great grandchild to them.  I think Anna Mitchell makes 7! 

And how cute is this picture?

We are enjoying spring so much and spending a lot of time outdoors! 

2 Months Old

Anna Mitchell you are 2 months old today

Your stats are:

 11 lbs 8 ounces (75%)

22 inches long (25%)

The last month you have grown a lot and changed a lot!  I am most proud to report that you have become much easier and are settling into a pretty good routine.  There have been several nights in the last week where you have actually slept through the night (7-8 hours) and that has been awesome!  We took you to church for the first time 2 weeks ago and I have taken you to Target and Publix as well.  We've gone on walks and it has been so good for me to get out more finally! Of course we are always in the car carting around your big brother and sisters to and from school and other events....such is life for the 4th child:).  You are smiling and starting to coo some and you are quite adored by everyone in the family.  

 Here is my post from last month to compare:

1 month 

And here is your audience while I was taking these pics:)...

You are just a beautiful baby and have completed our family!  I already can't imagine it without you...my precious baby girl.  I hope you will grow up and be as beautiful on the inside as you are on the out!  Here are some more pictures I took last week that I love...

It's still crazy to look at these children and know that they are mine...I am so very very thankful! 

Thanks to my mom for taking this picture...I love my family of SIX!!!

A Gymnastics Party

I'm finally getting around to this post nearly a month later.  Knowing that I would have a newborn in the house, I planned a long time ago to do this birthday offsite from our home and to do something relatively easy.  This gymnastics party worked out perfectly and the 11 girls (and cousin Davis) that came all had such a blast! I'm so glad I did this!  All I had to do was bring a few decorations, food, cupcakes, and some drinks. 

 I left the baby at home with a babysitter and Samuel also stayed with her.  So we don't have a complete family picture and Abigail was also being a stinker and not looking at the camera.  Oh well!  Jennifer, Buddy, Davis, Dede and Big Papa all got to come to the party which was so sweet of them.  My family wasn't able to come since my dad had just had his shoulder surgery. 

Of course I had to make a few cute things for the party...

These cute fondant toppers came from Etsy.  The girls LOVED them! 

I just put a few goodies in these favor bags (bracelet, bubbles, and a big lollipop)

The gym was great and the coaches were really fun.  Ellie Kate listened very intently as this coach explained the rules right before everything got started...

 

Yes, that is Jeff in the foam pit in the bottom picture...

I didn't do too well with my picture taking and totally missed getting a picture of Jeff's parents:(.  It was sort of chaotic at times (and really what birthday party isn't?), but I am so thankful that Ellie Kate had a fun birthday and made some great memories! 

My Two Big Girls

Ellie Kate and Abigail have the most precious relationship.  I am soooo thankful that right now they are the bestest of friends.  Now, they have their fair share of fighting and annoying each other, but more often than not they play together so well and I love watching them.  Even though they have a lot of the same interests, they are also VERY different. 

This picture from my phone one afternoon just displays that so well...

Ellie Kate is ever the DIVA and Abigail is well, apparently a tomboy:).  They both dressed themselves this afternoon and I love that each outfit really displays their personalities.  Abigail's best friend these days is a little boy at her school and she always wants to be the boys when they play with their doll house.  Ellie Kate is ALWAYS wanting to look pretty and notices clothing, jewelry, etc on anyone and everyone. 

I snapped this precious picture the other night while I was feeding Anna Mitchell.  I had to use my phone on this one too (since I was a little occupied) so the quality is not great, but I just love the way they were all cuddled up together watching tv.  

These girls just melt my heart multiple times a day. 

A Little Project

I don't get out of the house much these days (you know because of the newborn who sleeps and eats all the time) so I've gotten a bug to paint and rearrange and redecorate things. Jeff loves this, let me assure you:). Ha!  I have several things in my garage waiting for me to attack them.  Pinterest has fueled most of this I'm sure:). 


Anyway, I've had this sad little end table forever that I got at salvation army for nothing. I finally got to painting it Saturday.

I decided to use a sample paint can that I had gotten to try for the nursery.  The paint is Benjamin Moore Silver Mist (kind of a gray/blue color).   It's really beautiful on walls so I knew it would be great for this piece.  I lightly sanded first but since I'm pretty impatient I don't ever take much time on this step, then I painted most of the dresser with a small paint roller (had to use a small brush on the little detailed part at the top),  replaced the hardware with some I already had,  distresed a bit with some sandpaper, and then used rub on poly to make sure it would be protected.   This was an easy, fun little Saturday project especially since it was such a beautiful day so the kids were occupied outside:).

I replaced an older little side table with this new one in our family room.  LOVE it! 

sharing on Metamorphis Monday at...

and

and

HERE

Rock Stars

I think the flu has left our house.  Good riddance.  Jeff and I still feel tired and weak but are mostly recovered.  The girls are all good and so far Samuel and Anna Mitchell have not gotten it.  So thankful.

When we found out Jeff and Ellie Kate had the flu last Friday (EK had had it all week but we just thought she had a fever from her shots that she had that Monday), I decided to leave with the well kiddos and drive to Atlanta to stay with my parents.  I did this mainly to try to keep Anna Mitchell from the germs.  My parents even met me halfway in their car so my mom could help the last 2 hours if I needed to stop and feed the baby. .  Well, by Friday night it was clear that Abigail and I both were coming down with it as well.  Thankfully, my parents have a finished basement (with a full kitchen and bedrooms) so we quarantined the baby down there and my mom took care of her.  My brother and his wife even took an entire day and night of their weekend to come take care of her (middle of the night feedings and all) too.  My dad helped me with Abigail. 

I can't even begin to express how AMAZING my family is.  I am soooooo blessed.  They are truly rock stars.  A week before we went over there, my dad had major shoulder surgery.  Like really major.  He was still in a sling and not supposed to be doing much when we went.  My mom had just had a chemical peel on her face (which is like a serious burn) to help get rid of skin cancer cells.  Neither one of them had gotten a flu shot this year either.  And yet they rose to the occasion to help us!  The Lord has given them such selfless, servants hearts and the older I get the more grateful I am for the way they love me and express God's love to me. 

Back on the home front, Jeff and EK were miserable together but so many of our amazing friends dropped off meals and food and gatorade at our front door for them.  Some of our youth at church even went and picked up the medicine Jeff and EK needed at CVS for them. What an incredible blessing all of that was!

We couldn't come home yet by Sunday, so my dad drove Samuel halfway and met Jeff's dad who took dropped off Samuel back home so he could go to school Monday.  Jeff is a rock star too, by the way!  Even though he wasn't feeling too hot, he took care of our two oldest and even went to an important meeting at Samuel's school on Monday.  God has given  me an amazing husband:)!

Needless to say, we had a ton of help to get us through the flu.  It just makes me realize anew that we weren't made to go through life alone.  Whether it's family or friends, God created us for community in the good times and bad.  We have seen that play out so many times in our life and this small trial was no different.  The community God has given us is amazing and we really are just amazed at how well taken care of we were the last 7 days. 

And because too many of my posts lately have been without pictures, here are a few straight out of the camera...

pre flu...this girl loves her baby sister:)

isn't she delicious??

good morning:)

 

love this boy

he started his ADHD meds today....so hoping it goes well! 

{and yes, he needs a haricut}