Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Last Day of Kindergarten!


We did it! We survived our oldest kid's first year in school. It doesn't seem like it has been a full school year since I couldn't hold back the tears and was sending my baby boy off to his first day of kindergarten. Today, May 22, 2013, Jackson finished his last day of school of his first school year. It was a half day, so the girls and I packed a picnic lunch, went and got Jackson from school, then went to the park to celebrate the beginning of summer. Our time was cut short though because of a thunderstorm, but we at least got to enjoy our lunch and played for an hour or so.
We are excited for our summer full of days in the backyard, playdates with friends, family cookouts, and making lots of wonderful memories!
Here is a couple of comparison shots of Jackson on his first day and last day of kindergarten. Look how much he has grown.... and the diffence in the smile (one is less three teeth!).



















Now.... we have to decide if we are going to be sending Ansley Kate to kindergarten or not in a couple of months! Unbelievable.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Happy 6th Birthday, Jackson Lee!

Today we celebrate our little boy turning SIX, except I was told this morning that I am no longer allowed to call him my little boy, because "I'm six now, mommy, and boys who are six are big boys. So, now you have to call me your big boy." I reminded him that no matter how old he gets, even when he is taller than me, he will still be my little boy. :)
This past year Jackson has come out of his shell so much. That shy little boy that use to hide behind my legs when people would talk to him, isn't so shy anymore. He loves to talk and will tell anyone that will listen to him all kinds of stories and tales (as long as he isn't in the middle of some type of game at the moment- then you'll get nothing from him.) It doesn't seem like it has been four years ago that I was so worried that he wasn't talking and putting all kinds of sentences together. Now... not only will he not stop talking, he loves legos, to read (which the reading teacher told me a couple weeks ago that he is on at least a third grade reading level), play games on his ipod or computer, send and receive emails, play t-ball, play in his treehouse/swingset, play with his trucks, draw, and of course play and spend time with his sisters.
Last night I was looking through some old pictures (and shedding a few tears) and thought I would post a few of Jackson from his first year.





































Can you tell he was always such a happy baby! Today for his birthday we took some cupcakes and snacks to school so he could celebrate with his class, he came home and opened presents from us,

we went to Kindergarten graduation,

then out to eat at Pablano's with our family, Aunt Jessica, Mamaw Di and Gramma Winkie (where Jackson did NOT want to wear the sombero),

and then came home to blow out candles and have some cake.

He has been so excited ALL day long, and says he has had a wonderful day. He was thrilled about all of his birthday cards in the mail, his birthday emails, phone calls, and messages. I hope he always knows how incredibly loved he is by so many people!

To our Jackson Lee-
Happy 6th birthday to my favorite little boy in the whole wide world. This past year you have grown so much- not only taller, but in so many other ways, too. You have a heart of gold and I hope you never lose or forget the compassion and care that you show towards other people. My heart swells often when I see your kindness and love. Remember each and every day how proud of you we are, and that we love you more than you can imagine! Love you to the moon and back, and then some more! Love, Mommy

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Mother's Day 2013

The week of Mother's Day wasn't such a pleasant week at our house. All four of our babies were sick with either strep throat or a horrible stomach virus. There were several days that this is what our house looked like:

So, on Thursday before Mother's Day, I ended up not being as lucky as I thought I was going to be, and ended up with that dreadful virus. I was sick, for days (5 to be exact), so on Mother's Day I felt like doing absolutely nothing (and couldn't even if I wanted to!). I did get to go to my mom's where she had a delicious lunch for my family, my sister, and all of my grandparents. So, even if we didn't do anything too exciting, I got to be with the three most influential mothers in my life:

and I get to spend every single day being the mother of these 4 precious kids. Awesome!


Mr. & Mrs. Tankersley

On Saturday, May 4th, my beautiful little cousin, Leslie, married the love of her life, Todd Tankersley. Even though we are cousins, since our moms are inseparable sisters, all of us are more like sisters than we are cousins. We were all so excited to celebrate this wonderful journey Leslie is about to take, and we are also excited to welcome Todd to our crazy family. Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Tankersley! We love you both!

Mr. & Mrs.

The beautiful bride with her beautiful sisters, the gorgeous mother of the bride and her gorgeous sisters, Cheyenna with Ansley and Elsie, and the kids talking to their great-grandparents, Nulan and Pearl, before the wedding:

Jackson was a ring bearer, while Ansley and Elsie were flower girls. (There were 2 ring bearers and 6 flower girls. It was beyond adorable.)

The lovely bride and groom; Ansley & her "aunt" Leslie, Elsie and "aunt" Leslie

Leslie and Todd with all 8 of the ring bearers and flower girls; my 4 little sweeties; Dillon and Jackson carrying the sign Here Comes The Bride right before Leslie walked down the aisle:

First dance as husband and wife; Father/Daughter dance & Mother/Son dance:

The kids had a blast at the wonderful reception (held at Red Tail Golf Course) dancing the night away:

Our Family, and a picture of the cousins:

What a beautiful,great, memorable day it was!





Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ansley's Spring Recital and Ballet


This past weekend the studio where Ansley Kate takes dance had their spring tap recital and ballet, which was The Little Mermaid. Friday night was the tap recital (which Ansley and I rushed to in between Leslie and Todd's wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner), and then she was an "under the sea" mermaid in Sunday's performance of The Little Mermaid. Studio K did a fantastic job with both the recital and ballet, but Eric and I were so impressed with how wonderful The Little Mermaid turned out. Great job to all of those that work so hard to put on three incredible shows in one weekend! Ansley has absolutely loved taking dance this year, and is not happy about the summer break. :) Now for a few pictures of our little ballerina:

Here is Ansley's sweet little class that she has danced with this dance year. How cute are they?!


Ansley with mommy, daddy, Mamaw Di and Aunt Jessica after watching her in The Little Mermaid.

Getting ready for her ballet and tap recital, Little Mermaid program, and Ansley with the ballerina that played Ariel:

Of course she wanted to show off how her tutu twirled:

Our beautiful little dancer:

Sunday, May 5, 2013

April 2013

I'm not sure how the months are coming and going so incredibly fast right now. I feel as though someone has put time on lightning speed and there is no way of slowing it down at all!  Here are a few glimpses into our busy month:

Jackson and Ansley spent the night with Mamaw Di and Papaw Fred the first Friday in April so they could get up super early and be by the creekside ready to throw their line in right at daybreak on Saturday. They caught six trout that day, and seemed to really enjoy their fishing trip with Papaw Fred! (It was realllly cold that morning.... which is why they had on so many clothes- ha!). They came home and cleaned the fish (okay, Papaw and daddy cleaned the fish) and then that night we had some yummy trout for supper. Jackson  and Elsie are like their mama and don't love fish, but Ansley on the other hand ate quite a bit. The next night we had a little leftover and she even asked if she could have some fish tacos.

We had some beautiful days and while Jackson was at school, the girls and I spent every second we could outside. It was a long winter, and we were thankful we took advantage of the gorgeous weather, because by the end of April it was nasty, cold and lots of raining.... again. Vada Belle can now climb up the stairs on her little slide by herself, and I don't know who was more excited about this- her, Elsie, or Ansley. Ansley was busy this month with dance practices and rehearsals getting ready for the spring recital and ballet. When she wasn't dancing or stuck inside because of rain, she was outside playing with her siblings and finding bugs and worms to play with.
Elsie decided to get into her and Ansley's little make-up kit (thanks, Mamaw Di). She did her lipstick all by herself- could you ever guess?! Elsie has loved spending as much time as she can outside this month, and the girl absolutely loves to swing. I think she could sit on the swing for half the day and be content.

Jackson started t-ball this month and is absolutely LOVING it! The kids are so adorable to watch and very entertaining. He is still loving school, but I think he will be glad for summer break to be here (soon!).

Vada Belle turned 10 months old and loves playing with her brother and sisters. She is finally getting to where she realizes that it is okay if mommy is out of her sight for a second. Her favorite thing to do is eat, and that is something she never really stops doing. :) 

This month I got to celebrate and stand beside one of my very dearest and best friend since kindergarten, Hope, while she said "I do" to her now husband! She was an absolute stunning bride, and the whole wedding and reception was so amazing.
My mom kept the kids for Eric and I, so it was quite weird to eat a wonderful meal, with two hands, and not have to cut up someone else's food or worry about them getting bored. :)

I also had one of the biggest honors of my life, I got to be with another one of my best friends, Angela, and her sweet husband, Laramie, as they welcomed their second child into this world, baby Henry. It was such an amazing experience! I was in the operating room with them so I could take pictures of this wonderful moment, but I don't even have one picture of that sweet baby to post (don't worry- I did my job, I just had their camera.) :) I'll have to go steal one off of Angela's facebook or something....

We were also busy this month having wedding showers, craft nights, and getting ready for Leslie and Todd's big day... which I'll post some pics of soon. Here is a picture of a few of the cousins (several were out of town or working) celebrating Leslie.

And here are a couple "just because" pictures of my cute babies:




Saturday, May 4, 2013

Easter 2013

I noticed when I went to do an April recap that I never posted any Easter pictures. Oops! My sister & brother in law have a beautiful beach house on Topsail Island, and like last year, all of our family was able to go and enjoy a long weekend there. Last year Eric wasn't able to go because of work, so we were so glad that he was able to join us this time. Unlike last year, it was pretty chilly and we weren't able to get in the water or play on the beach unless we had on a sweater or coat. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with family, laughing, watching the kids play, spending time just relaxing, and celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. Here are a few moments of our weekend:

Visiting the battleship

Playing on the Beach:

Special moments at the beach house:

Silly, fun moments:  (We were excited Travis and Kodia came and spent the day with us!)


Checking out what the Easter Bunny brought before getting ready for church:
                                                 (This lucky crab was given the name Magenta)

Dressed up in our Easter clothes:


The girls in their dresses I made for them, as well as Jackson's bow tie.

Hope your Easter was wonderful!