Blue

We had been planning a trip out to the Berry Patch for a few weeks now. Things kept coming up and we kept postponing. Finally we made it out there. Of course we picked the hottest day of the year thus far:/ we left earl and were out there by 9am but by 10 it was all ready 93 degrees! We picked our berries and filled our buckets all while drenched in sweat and longing for the a/c. Worth it? You bet! I came away with almost 6lbs of blueberries for under $13! Can't wait to continue this tradition next year!

Pool Rats

It's official, summer has begun!! The girls just completed their swim lessons. They both passed with flying colors! I'm not surprised but due to missing 2 days from illness I was a tad worried. The final day of lessons was "fun day". Elise's class began on the giant slide while Ava played with the water features in the shallow end. They would then rotate. Elise's class made it over to the diving boards. Now, she can swim but never has been in 13 feet of water, let alone off a diving board. As I walked up I saw her sitting on the side and watching all her friends run and jump off the board. Broke my heart. I told her to go get up there. Her instructor got in the water but was about 6 ft away holding onto the side. She cautiously walked to end and JUMPED! I was sooooo proud! She came up and slowly tread water to the the side. She immediately got back in line. What's next is nothing short of amazing. She ran down the board jumped on the end and did a complete FLIP into the pool. As the instructor and I were picking our jaws up off the floor she paddled over to the side and got out. She ran right over and gave me the biggest hug. That was literally one of my most proud moment thus far with her!! What an amazing kid!!


We generally get to the pool 3 days a week and while the girls swim I am kept busy chasing after my little guy. He is so busy! He's up then down, in then out. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Here's to hoping the rest of summer will be just as awesome!!

Black thumb

Every year I pride myself with my beautiful flowers. This season started as any other, hit the city market up and bought the most gorgeous flowers. Everything was blooming and thriving. I was quite pleased.

Fast forward 3 weeks.

My wonderful "helpers" decided that they would miracle grow all my flowers. No problem, right? Well they filled the watering can with about 3-4 cups of the miracle granules and just enough water to make it into a slushy. They then proceeded to "feed" my plants to their death. I believe I was mowing the lawn when this happened. So now I am left with wilted, brown, decrepit looking flowers:( one planter was salvaged, but to say I am sad is an understatement. I know they were trying to help but at the same time I'm frustrated. I flooded the soil to try to flush the fertilizer. Hopefully i can save them.My veggie garden is thriving so I will focus my energy on that! Here are some pics of my flowers.

Schools out for Summer

We survived our first year of school!! We are so very proud of Elise and her accomplishments this year, she has done amazing! It's bittersweet as we enter the summer months for she will miss her teacher immensely. Here's is her first day and last day photos!!

Recap

I just realized I haven't updated or written in almost 8 months! I must be busy:) things have been great! The girls are chugging to the end of yet another school year and have both done exceptional in school. I can't believe that next year I'll have 2 kiddos in elementary school! Kellan is ever changing and making his mark on this family. He captures everyone's heart with the bat of an eye. He turned one in march and everyday since has been surprising me with his wit, charm and love for exploration. He is very busy, into everything. The girls were retry active but he is by far the busiest. I'm wondering if it's a "boy" thing?! The end of march also marked a very sad time for our family. We had to say good bye to our beloved Ozzy. He was 10 and barreling stage 4 kidney disease. Watching him suffer on a day to day basis really took its toll on me emotionally and finally Wes and I together had to make the horrible decision. I know in the end we gave him the greatest gift and that was eternal happiness and a life without pain. It certainly doesn't make me miss him any less. I really never realized what a integral part of this family he was until he was gone. Gracie his counterpart has been in a funk and his departure has changed her as well. It's sad to see her look for him every time the front door opens:(
We have been steadily making more improvements to the house. Flowers are planted, garden is growing. We are also getting ready to do a complete kitchen makeover. Lots going on. This summer is already filling up with swim lessons, camps, vbs, bbqs and visits from the grandparents! I look forward to a nice packed break with the kids! Leaving y'all with a few pics!

Weight

I know as a woman weight is such a personal and touchy subject. For most of my life I have maintained an active lifestyle that keeps me pretty fit and happy with my weight. After having Elise I gained about 10 extra lbs and carried that over to my pregnancy with Ava. After her birth I began working out and eating very healthy. I sustained a size 10 until I got pregnant with Kellan. I was so terribly sick with him that I lost weight in the beginning of the pregnancy and ultimately only gained a total of 7lbs. YES, I ate, I actually ate a lot! Wes kept saying, " next appt I bet you've gained 10 lbs...". This lasted the entiiire pregnancy. Once Kell was out I began breastfeeding, the weight just melted off like butter, and NO, I am in no way complaining. Since I only gained 7 lbs while pregnant I have proceeded to lose an extra 22lbs. I am so happy with my new body and have even ventured out and replaced most of my clothes. This is where it gets tricky...Since i am breastfeeding I eat like a horse. I get these crazy insatiable hunger pangs that don't leave unless I literally stuff my face like it's my last meal. We are going on 8months and I know once a year hits weaning him will be on the agenda. Im not only sad about that bond ending but also about the fear of the weight returning. I know everyone says "eat healthy" and "work out", and I will, but it's not easy with 3 kids. I also don't want to have to live my life constantly monitoring my caloric intake and exercise routines. This just kinda sucks. Wow Im whiny. I've had to battle baby weight after my other pregnancies and lost the weight the good ole fashioned way, but even with a 5 day gym work out routine I never got down to where I am at. Im just nervous that the moment I quit it will all come back.

Halloween

We only made it to a few houses this year due to sickness that struck the kids. They still made out like bandits and did so looking adorable!!