Fun with Friends on Friday!

Since the beginning of our kids starting Preschool last fall, our play group has tapered off on meeting up so regularly. Three of the mothers are directly involved two days a week with the preschool - two teachers and the other is the baby sitter for the teachers... so getting together for a play date is often times "too much." They need a day off too form all the kids. :cP

However recently with the nice warmer weather, it has made us want to try and get together at least Every other Friday. :) We met at a park just following Easter for an egg hunt, then went over to Millie's for a Birthday play date for her turning 4 and today, we were invited over to Jed's home to come play in the sprinkler! Which the kids l-o-v-e-d!!!

(Do you notice Olivia and Nora have matching swim suits!!! Wish I had thought and have them pose for a photo - maybe next time.)

I think in two weeks we are going to try and go to Shangri La Botanical Garden and Nature Center that just opened up a couple months ago... and since most all of the play group kids are also the preschool kids we will make it a field trip too!

Below are some more photos of friends that were taken at our home while I watched Natalie and John Paul for a short while before we all went to play group. They loved driving Nora's "BarVie" jeep while she directed them on where to go. ;c)

and here is a photo of my great friend Heidi the hostess of the play date today holding her newest addition to her family, Ella (born 3/10/08)

Thanks Heidi for letting us come over! It's aways fun playing in your BIG Backyard!!!

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

A rare moment at Story Time yesterday!

Not sure what phase the moon was in yesterday, but for one rare moment all the kids cooperated and lined up for a group photo at Story Time!!! again, did I mention RARE?? ;) I'm just glad I had my camera and could stand beside Ms. Michelle and take a quick snapshot for proof!


Nora is in the back squatting down looking at the two newest baby girls in our group.... and Paul Thomas is the baby asleep in the blue car seat and Olivia to the right of him in the brown car seat.

There were a few moms and kiddos absent yesterday. I think the class size is around 20 kids.... so that would mean there were 5 not there. But on average this is the usual group size and we always have a active group of preschoolers on Wednesday's!!!There is another mom that just started coming this year who is a mother of twins also!!! I am not sure on the spellings, but Kyler is the twin with the light eyes, and Kayden is the twin with the dark brown eyes. Johna's twins are just a few month older than mine - as they just recently had their first Birthday and both boys are walking already. Seeing them each week gives me a "preview" to what life will be like around the next corner. LOL :cP

Nora helps Miss Michelle clean up!

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Wordless Wednesday

I am so glad that God made them sisters!!! :c)

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Baptism Portraits!

I almost forgot to share with everyone... but take a look at what I picked up earlier this week!!! Olivia and Paul Thomas' Baptism portraits!

these photos of the actual portraits do NOT do them justice! sorry!We Baptized them in September last year during Labor Day weekend so that my David's mother and my Dad and Clara could come down from Kentucky to be here. The photos were not taken until November -there were some scheduling conflicts with our October trip to Savannah... but thankfully the gowns still fit them and we did finally get the photos taken!

I think they look great on either side of the mirror in the Dining Room, don't you? I was very pleased to find frames that matched the light fixture in the Dining Room and so very similar to the frame of Nora's that hangs in the foyer.... and she still refers to it as the "photo when I was Baptized when I was a rooster" :cP

again, sorry about the poor lighting - no windows in the foyer...

and also I took another photo of the twins - this is hanging up at the studio on display. It is huge! not sure exactly how big - but much larger than the 16x20's that I bought. I think the sale price was around $750 for this size (((which is why I did NOT purchase it))) I wonder how long they will keep it on display and after they're done, what they will do with it???

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

A great day for a picnic at home!

I have more than enough photo to share with everyone but for today will just share the highlights of a picnic we had outside on the driveway after preschool today. The babies loved Nora's idea! It was a little windy so we had to get creative on how to anchor down the corners of the quilt. ;c)

oh good, Olivia has decided to wake up and join us!!

Paul Thomas still hasn't mastered the pinching motions for picking up foods yet -he grabs everything and brings to his mouth as if he were eating popcorn by the hand fulls! ;c)

I think they were looking for the kitchen chairs that the boosters are usually strapped to... I love it when they do the same thing at the same moment :c)

Olivia loves to patty-cake! and really gets excited in anticipation when you rooooollll it :c) then tickle her!

Nora sitting still - a RARE moment these days!

and guess who took this photo?

and here is 1 of 19 mommy and me shots we tried to take... the other 18 had crazy faces on Nora..ok, well maybe on 17, I think I blinked in one. :P

isn't she looking so big girl like here? She crosses her legs when she sits now, but not for the typical reasons... she thinks she is being a mermaid and that is her big tail! LOL ;c)

and here she is as "the little mermaid" pretending to be ASLEEP!!! hahahaha! 3 year old are so fun!

and what about the food you ask??? I took all of these photos before I brought out the foods as we were waiting on Heidi and Eli and Ella to come join us. But after they got here we had pretzels, apples, hot dog slices and juice! and while Nora and Eli rode trikes Olivia and Paul Thomas ran around in their walkers on the driveway.

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

EDITED TO ADD: a photo of Jackson our mini schnauzer (9 years old.) He got to go to the groomer earlier this week and we decided to go for a summer cut and shave his skirt. well, actually we didn't have much of a choice b/c he was so matted... will all the tasks I have to do every day and night combing the dog just isn't on the list anymore! But I think he still looks cute. I know he feels much better!

Wordless Wednesday

Last Friday we were invited to a Birthday/Play Date Party for one of Nora's friends. :) Here are a few photos taken that day to share with you for this week's wordless Wednesday. ~bonnie

The little girl holding Paul Thomas is the Birthday Girl :)

Olivia was in the party spirit with her Puffs can noise maker!

Paul Thomas wanted a closer took and taste of everything -just couldn't take his eyes off the balloons for a single second!

Time for cake! and a Beeeeauuuutiful Barbie one at that! :)

Now that we had our sugar fix, it's time to jump!

After we got home, Nora went to the stairs to take off her shoes and put them in the basket, "so we'll know where they are next time." ;) and naturally, she had to check for toe jam!Ta Da!

Get another picture of my foot momma!

"No! No! NO! Not my face! Not my face I said PLEASE!" :cP

OK, so maybe this wasn't so much of a "wordless" Wednesday... LOL ;)

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

God Bless the Parents Who Drugged Us

A friend sent me this story that I just had to pass on. Instead of emailing it out I felt it was worty of posting here on the blog for everyone to read:

"The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.

"Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

I replied, "I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.

I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.

I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and cocklebur's out of dad's fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place."

I don't know who the who the author is, but boy, they sure hit this right on!!! God Bless the Parents Who Drugged Us!

;) Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Wordless Wednesday

how about a short video for a change? This was taken after the Brithday cake last Friday. David was feeding the babies... and Olivia was really into her Guava!

Edited to add: If you are a rather new visitor - I must share a link here that will take you to the first video we ever posted of Nora last September. Get ready to laugh your socks off at the ending!!! There are also links on the right hand column that will take you back to old posts from each month :) ~bonnie

fever again!!!

well, as the saying goes, what goes around comes around...

and as you may have read from 2 weeks ago - Olivia had fever for several days... well guess who has been hot as a firecracker all this week? Yep, Paul Thomas! It started Sunday at church... and we have been doseing him up around the clock with Tylenol and Motrin alternating... and can not get his fever gone! Just when I think it is gone, it comes back!

Sunday, yesterday and today/tonight - if he is still haing fever tomorrow, I will take him it - b/c most likely he will also need a round of antibiotics..... and we just finished the bottle with Olivia last night....

Tonight at bed time, he measured 103.6 his highest yet!!! :( poor little guy! Also it seems much more dificult for him to breath. Tonight after his bath, for the first time ever, he refused to nurse - it was too exhausting for him and I noticed as he closed his eyes to go to sleep that he was having to breath thru his mouth. Must be stuffed up although I have not noticed any runny nose...

I'll keep you posted - but until then keep him in your T's and P's ;) (thoughts and prayers) He and I have been up more than usual the last two nights. :( and it is wearing us both out!

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Jasmine Cake = yummmmOOOHHH!

LOL I got your curiosity up have I??? Well today was David's 35th Birthday... and a Jasmine Cake is what my 3 year old Nora insisted we make for Daddy's Birthday…

She got a 2008 calendar for Christmas and at the beginning of the year we put Disney stickers on all the dates of friends and family members birthdays so she would recognize when a special day was coming up. Each night before prayers, I ask her, “What was your favorite part of today” and we talk about what happened and she chooses… and I fill it in on that day’s square. I’m trying to teach her about the days of the week and such…

Well ever since about February, she has been flipping the pages up and reminding me that 4/4 is Princess Jasmine’s Birthday too – b/c that’s the sticker she put on David’s Birthday. LOL ;)

Although there wasn’t much to it - it was a good thing I had some mommy friends to ask for help on this project, b/c I searched and searched and couldn't’t find anything to place on the cake. Not even a card to cut out around… but Nora’s preschool teacher searched among her home and found this 4” figurine for us to borrow. Isn’t it cute?

Oh the fun she and I had making this cake Friday while the babies napped! Although I have many made from scratch cake recopies that were once my mothers – right now in my life I had to settle for saving time and using a box mix… but you know what..? it was just what we needed. Nora was so proud of herself for reading the “IN-grid-eeeee-nces” by looking on the back and seeing it needed, “ 3 eggs like me momma!” (she’s 3 years old) and only ONE stick of butter… it was so fun! :c)

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

the babies were not quite sure what was going on... this was their first Birthday party at home :) - and believe it or not their June 4th Birhtday will be here before we know it!!!

She couldn't take her eyes off of the "fire" LOL

how about giving Daddy a Birthday kiss???? not! Nora goes for the ice cream instead! :c)

here are the special cards for Daddy - yep, another princess Ariel... they didn't have any Jasmine cards, and Nora really loves the ones that play "U-sic" It was a big hit with David as well :) And at the top is the one she made all by herself.

and just for fun - here is one last photo of Nora... She is 100% my Daughter!!! :) We both love chocolate ice cream... and with her looking down in the photo she looks so much like I did as a little girl!!! :c)