Hello old friend!

I haven't written in quite a while. Summer has been crrrrrrrAAAAAzy! Let me clear that up for you. I've gone CRAZY!!!! The first few weeks of summer Bowen attended two Vacation Bible Schools and Caroline attended one. We passed on summer camps this summer and headed to Redington Beach(Tampa Bay Beach) for a week with Mimi and Papa and then enjoyed a week at the Overton family beach condo in Crescent Beach (St. Augustine). We have gone horse back riding, swimming, bowling, movies, swimming, played puzzles, swimming, oh PAINTED the exterior of the house(got to give Brantley all the credit...although I was in the house with the kiddos), a little more swimming, saw a great magician at our library, and took a trip to the Florida Aquarium. Bowen and Caroline are little fish. It makes taking Davis along a more relaxing experience. Although equipped with swim lessons, Davis has become an above water fish with some arm floats.

Schools supplies have been purchased, first day of school clothes ironed, backpacks monogrammed and gas money for the school bus (minivan) is hot in my hand. Bowen's teacher visited our home last week and he seemed to really like her. He will be attending the kindergarten in our neighborhood(Keene's Crossing). Caroline is still at Windermere Union Preschool(3 day 3 year old class) and Davis will be attending the Winter Garden First Baptist Mommy's Morning Out 3 half days this fall. Yippee!!!!! I can't wait to have the opportunities to volunteer at both the preschool and the elementary school this year:)

We are also gearing up for dance lessons for Caroline and soccer for Bowen. Coach Brantley will be back on the field with a soccer team this fall:)

Davis is 18 months

18 months!?! What????? I forget how YOUNG he is! This boy thinks he's every bit of 3! He hangs with the big kids and acts like a big kid. He wants to eat with utensils, he wants to sit at the table in a chair, not a booster. He wants to swing on his belly in the big kid swing. He wants to put on his own shoes and tries to undress himself when I call for his bubble bath. Davis is happy, wild, easy going, wild, a little lover, wild and did I mention CRAZY!!!! He keeps me and Brantley on our toes and is a constant reminder of how complete he has made our family. Davis keeps all of us laughing. He makes it his mission to make you laugh. Yesterday morning he signaled that he wanted me to put his shorts on his head. I did. He kept them on and ran up to Bowen and Caroline (with shorts on his head) and stood in front of them until he got a good laugh. He couldn't stop laughing at himself, too. Happy Year and a Half Baby D!!!!

Weight: 25 lbs 9oz (50 percentile) Height: 34 inches (90 percentile) Shoe Size: 7 Clothes: 24mth to 2T Favorite book: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Favorite food: scrambled eggs

Say cheese!!!!!

All three looking at the camera and smiling!!!! This photo shoot was part of my Mother's Day present and the kiddos delivered!!!!

Bowen 5/Caroline 3/Davix 18 months

Preschool Trip to Publix

I know, I know!!!! It's been a while. I LOVE updating my blog. I just wish I felt like hopping on the computer at the end of the day. You know, when all of the pitter pattering has quieted down and is tucked PERMANENTLY in bed. No more..."I need another sip of water" or "I'm hungry" or "I need to poop" or "I have a headache". By the way, I started typing this short paragraph at 7:30pm and now it is 8:15pm. I've been pacing back and forth between my desk and the kids' bedroom receiving some hum-dingers from Bowen AND Caroline. Oh, she's in on it, too. Bowen has schooled her on how to push back bedtime. We've been so busy I have missed some fun posts and need to catch up. Back in mid-April, Bowen's preschool class headed to Publix for a field trip. His class visited the bakery, seafood, produce and got treat bags at the end of the tour.

Windermere 5 K

When I signed up for this race I KNEW I'd be walking. I have not trained for a good run in FOREVER....oh, maybe never:) My friend Kristy suggested the race and also suggested signing Bowen up. Evan was running with her and so...you know, maybe Bowen would like this. I had the bright idea to bring my stroller. I just had a feeling that Bowen would tucker out. HA!!!! Jokes on me. I think he walked 20 yards of the race and decided the view was better from his chariot.

You know, when I think of a 5K, I think of running the Gasparilla(in Tampa) down Bayshore Blvd(paved and flat). It's all I know. WELL, let me tell you that downtown Windermere is NO Bayshore Blvd. Small hills, UP AND DOWN, and sand...LIKE...EVERY street we walked (sometimes ran) on was sand. The town's people in Windermere vote year after year for NOT PAVING THE STEETS. They are worried about poluting their lakes. HUMBUG! I'm am no friend of the Windermere "town's people". The heck with your sand streets on my unfit legs and my jogging stroller's wheels.

Oh...but don't you worry Bowen! You'll be pushing Mommy around some day! I think I spent the last mile telling Bowen how he would have to push Mommy around in a wheel chair in sand, up and down hills when I get old. Ohhhh, AND he made me slow down and get gatorade for him on the side of the street. Wouldn't want him to be parched! I looked like a beat horse by the end of the race.

NEXT year....NO STROLLER!!! Bowen's chariot will not await.

Easter Continued...

...Following church we headed to Granddaddy and Diana's for some appetizers and then to my brother and Barbie's house for Easter lunch. Bringing Matt and Barbie's neices and nephews together was so much fun. They did an Easter Egg Hunt, then unloaded their basket riches on the foyer floor, followed by lunch and then a good game of hide-and-go-seek. We also had a chance to celebrate Matt's birthday with a cake. Our kids slept for the entire ride back to Windermere from Tampa. They were pooped!

St. Andrew's Easter Egg Hunt

On Easter we headed to St. Andrew's in Tampa to meet Uncle John, Aunt Lori, Reagan, Weston, Granddaddy & Diana for church service. Following service all the kids enjoyed a wonderful Easter Egg Hunt. Each of the kids got to pick out a basket and head to the enormous Noah's Ark playground to hunt eggs. Davis is a bit frustrated that he can't get up the slide. Why take the stairs?!?

The Easter Story is a difficult story to share with a child. Topics of suffering, death, resurrection, etc. They are difficult concepts that can also elicit mixed emotions from a young child. We decided this year that Bowen was mature enough to understand the meaning of Easter on a deeper level AND he really showed interest. His first response..."those people were awful to Jesus. But....it turned out okay". We've found that he has incorporated what he learned this Easter in to his daily prayers. It's so joyful to watch your child open their heart to God. For this, this Easter is my most memorable Easter ever!