April 2016

April is always such a fun, exciting, but extremely busy month for us. While looking at our calendar I realized that we had something going on every single day, and often times more than one activity going on. I already wrote about the kids in the county talent show and the girls in their dance recital, but we also had Jackson's banjo practices and baseball and t-ball practices and games began this month, too! Add in school, school activities and the end of the year test, and it only added to the excitement of our month. 

Ansley started out her first Saturday of April the same way she has the last few years, by going fishing with Papaw. Eric was out of town at his parents for the weekend, and Jackson, Elsie and Vada Belle were still sick with the flu and Felix had a terrible cough, so I stayed at home with the other 4 sick ones. She caught a pretty good size one and she made sure to tell me first thing that she caught more than papaw. 

Enjoying the warmer days with Vada Belle and Felix while the big kids are at school:

One very cold Saturday, we went to the Playhouse Fun Fest at the high school.  The kids loved all of the neat hands on activities they had there:

The second graders presented their study on plants one night at the PTA meeting. Ansley loved showing us her projects. Here she is with two of her sweet teachers, Mrs. Henson and Ms. Zukowski, and showing me which egg was hers:

Vada Belle reading at the PTA meeting & Eric eating lunch with the girls at school.

For Christmas Eric's parents gave us some money to do something fun with our family to make a memory.  We were able to find a great deal to see Disney on Ice when they came close by, and that is what we decided to spend our money on. It was a fantastic show!

Just a normal Saturday night at our house. If you get headaches easily from loud noises, you might want to stay away from our house. :)

April is the start of baseball season for us. This year Jackson and Ansley are on the same team playing coach pitch, and Elsie is playing her very first season of t-ball.

Opening day parade:

Felix cheering on his big brother and sisters:

I ended up having to leave opening day early with the girls so they could run (literally run to the car because we were running late) to dance rehearsal for their upcoming ballet:

We always try to go to Grandfather Mountain in April for dollar days. One Sunday after church we met up with a bunch of our family at Price Park for a picnic and then went to the mountain. The weather was perfect:

Elsie is doing great and absolutely loves t-ball. She didn't want to play last year because she was too busy socializing with her friends in the stands, but this year she found out that several of her classmates were playing so she thought she would give it a try. Three of her friends from her class are on the same team as her, so she loves going to practice and to games to see them and she is learning the basics of the game, too:

Jackson is in his second year of coach pitch, and Ansley is in her first. They have a great team with some sweet kids. I love watching them play ball!

*The girls and their dolls with their new dresses from Mamaw Dianne
*Felix talking to the cat (he loves cats!)
*Our baby chicks at a week old
*Me and my babies after surviving a weekend without Eric and three of them having the flu and Felix with a terrible cough and cold
*All three girls snuggled up in a toddler bed

Vada Belle always keeps me smiling and laughing. I love this little girl so much!

Warmer days means getting to go to the park with sweet friends. Vada Belle loves hanging out with her buddy, Henry, and Felix loves swinging and watching the kids playing.

Some outtakes of Felix's 9 month pictures:

Felix turned 9 months on April 29th.  At 9 months Felix loves to crawl, put tiny objects in his mouth (to scare his mama), dance when he hears music, and his favorite time of day is when his big brother and sisters get off the bus. He can pull up on things and do this funny move where he gets on all fours like he's about to stand up (but he can't do that just yet!). He is still toothless but is always gnawing away at his hands, feet, anything he can get in his mouth, constantly. Whenever he wakes up or wants to be picked up, when I pick him up he will just put his arms around me and squeeze and bury his head into my neck, like he is hugging me. I absolutely love it.