Happy 2nd Birthday Nina!

May 8th was Nina's 2nd birthday. We went to Georgia and spent the weekend with my Mom and Mark's parents. We had a great time and Nina, of course loved being the center of attention. We were able to have a night out with Chris and Melanie and enjoyed dinner with them while the kids enjoyed getting spoiled by the grandparents. One of the things that Ethan has always looked forward to at my parent's house is riding my Dad's tractor. Mr. Roy is taking care of it now, but hadn't been over to make sure it was running....so we didn't get it out, but Ethan stayed in my Dad's shed for hours playing on the tractor. He even had Ro Ro bring his lunch out there to him and he had a picnic on my old wagon in the shed. It was funny. The kids stayed outside almost the entire weekend - they just love being in the yard playing together!

Nina is quite the 2 year old already! She is such a huge talker and loves to sing and dance. Among her favorite songs are ABCs and Let's Go Fly a Kite. She sings both quite well and it's adorable. She cracks us up all the time - we never know what is going to come out of her mouth. She and Ethan play well together, most of the time, and she loves her Bubba! Nina is a delight to be around and such an amazing blessing to our family! Happy 2nd Birthday, Nina! It only took Ethan 2 days to figure out how to flip himself on the rings.

Here I come, Mommy....watch out!

This is Kaylee from Ethan's preschool class. Let me just tell you, this girl is already throwing off the scent. ALL the boys in the class fight over her. ALL of them! I witnessed it one morning as I dropped Ethan off - Brian and Kaylee were talking and Ethan walked in and put his bag up and then started talking, or trying to talk, to Kaylee. Brian literally stepped in between them and put his arms out at Ethan....like he was telling him to stop. Ethan's teachers say that this happens many times during the day, with all the boys. She is the one that all the boys talk about when they go home. How funny is that? Ethan is going to miss her!

The birthday girl giving someone a dirty look

I'm 2!!!

Ethan on Poppa's tractor

Waiting for her party guests to arrive

How cute are they?

Nona, Ro Ro, Melanie and I took the kids down to the clubhouse to play on the playground there. On the way back, Melanie and I put all the kids in the back of my Mom's truck....evidently they were quite wild driving through the neighborhood - but then again, my Mom does exaggerate a little.....!

The cake

Nina attempting to blow out her candles. She blows up instead of out....so she never can get it. She had several helpers though!

Enjoying cake and ice cream!

Mommy and Daddy with the birthday girl

Melanie with her girlsSunday (Mother's Day), we drove to Chattanooga to spend the morning and afternoon with my grandparents. Here we are with Mema.

Nana and Papa with the kids

Ethan loves to climb on the side of their swing - except this time, he kept trying to use the top of the swing like his trapeze bar. "He's all boy"!

Nana made Nina a birthday cake and a chocolate pie. Ethan had 2 pieces of chocolate pie before we left - everyone loves Nana's chocolate pie!

I just had to throw this picture in here....Mark made these grilled sweet potato fries with cilantro tonight. They were super yummy!

Outside in April

April has been another fun month. We've spent almost the entire month searching for a playground for our backyard. Pa and Ro Ro said they thought the kids should have a playground in the backyard and for us to start looking....who am I to argue with that? So we started our search and let me just tell you, there's a lot out there! But, we finally found something that we really liked and placed the order. This past Friday, they were coming to deliver and install and everytime the kids thought they heard the truck coming, they would run to the window and look. They finally got here and Ethan was soooooo excited (Nina was already down for her morning nap). He literally stayed outside all day long Friday and Saturday (except for nap). Ethan already has a farmer's tan. They absolutely love it and don't want to come inside. There is a phone on the platform and that is the prized possession right now...not sure if we're going to order a second one or not. Maybe that can be Nina's b'day present! Tonight we went to dinner after church and it was almost dark when we got home, but they didn't care! They still played and played and played, in the dark! Thank you Pa and Ro Ro! Can't wait for you to come see it in person!!!

I went to Nashville Friday afternoon to run in the Country Music Half Marathon on Saturday morning. I stayed with our good family friends, Julie and John. Julie's parents, that live in Peachtree City and go to church with Mom, were in town for a visit and we had a great time together. Friday night after a fabulous pasta dinner, we stayed up til midnight playing Mexican Train Dominos and had a blast! We had great conversation and of course, John had to blame his loss to the fact that we talked too much...although I think he's the one with the reputation for 2 minute stories turning into 10 minute stories...! I got up early Saturday morning and headed to LP Field and then to the race start. There were over 30,000 that ran this race and it was so much fun! I was proud that I finished in under 2 1/2, especially in that heat and humidity! It was 85 at race time - yikes! I had a great run and actually got to see several friends from my time at Lipscomb. After I got back to their house that afternoon, we went to the Franklin Main Street Festival and walked around. It's just such a cute town with adorable shops and the festival just had the best smells....fresh funnel cakes, kettle corn, smoothies, lemonade, chicken on skewers, bbq, fresh potato chips....the smell of Summer! I hated to leave before I could redeem myself at the game table, but I promised Ethan Dairy Queen, so I had to head home. I feel so blessed to know the Hallford/Cottrell family and to consider them friends - they just radiate goodness and are the perfect example of wonderful Christian living! I want to be a better person just by being around all of this family! Thanks for opening your home and making me feel welcome! I can't wait for Paris - we really need to figure out a way to get the Dominos over the pond with us! Mark and I were still eating dinner one night and the kids started coloring with markers - somehow, some one started coloring on themselves and it turned into a green nightmare! They thought it was so cool that I told them they could keep doing it and for a few days after kept asking if they could do it again.

They have been all about the sandbox recently, which is great when I'm cooking dinner because I can keep my eye on them while still in the kitchen. They play here for a long time and love it!

I think someone gave this hat to Mark when he turned 30 and Nina found it in our closet the other day and refused to take it off!

The playground!!!!

Nina goes up the ladder and comes down the slide before you can even turn around. She's fast!

Having a little snack in the fort

Heading to church tonight. Ethan was so excited that I told him he could finally wear his green flip flops! He keeps saying, "oh, Ro Ro is going to love these and we'll wear them at the beach." I don't think he realizes that our beach trip isn't for 4 1/2 more months!

This "dress" as my Mom calls it, was mine when I was 2. Can you believe I wore dresses that short? I know my booty had to have been hanging outta that! So, I made the pants to go with the "dress", that is now a "top". Nina just thought she was the stuff wearing this outfit and her white sunglasses!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Easter

Last Thursday after Ethan's Easter party at preschool, we headed to Georgia. The kids were both good travelers, even though Nina only napped a little and Ethan didn't nap at all. Towards the end of the trip, it got a little hairy, but we made it. Friday we went into Atlanta to see the puppet teams at Lads to Leaders. Ethan loves this little girl from church so he was excited to see her....although when he did see her, he got very quiet. Saturday we went to Cedar Grove's cookout and egg hunt. It was fun to see all our old friends and the kids had a good time - it was so chilly though. Sunday was Easter and it was so pretty outside. The kids loved running around the yard and finding eggs. I love seeing all the pretty trees, flowers and bushes blooming!

Ethan and Kate before the puppet competition

Ethan looks really excited

Ethan and Allie at the egghunt Nina had at least 2 Lindt lambs before church....and yes, she's in Halloween pjs - not great planning on my part!

Ethan caught in the middle of a yawn looking through his Easter basket

I thought Ethan and Nina's expressions were hilarious - neither were interested in taking pictures (surprise, surprise)

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Egg Hunt

We had our church egg hunt this past weekend. It was so much fun and a LOT of hard work. Since we do Lads to Leaders Easter weekend, the smaller kids that don't participate, get looked over around this holiday. So, I got the bright idea to have an egg hunt. Everything went well and we had about 40 kids and over 125 total. The weather was perfect - 75 and sunny! We were originally forecast for rain and in our class on Wednesday night, several of us that had worked so hard on getting this together, asked that good thoughts and prayers go up for sun and no rain. Well, it worked.....and I kid you not, on the way home, after all was said and done, it started pouring down rain....for about 3 minutes and then it stopped! Anyways, the kids had a great time and so did the adults! Nina already eyeing the cookies!

Nina and Sydney don't quite know what to think....

...so let's just point to our shoes....

Kelly painted Easter eggs and bunnies on the kids

Nina is off to find the eggs

Mark is already trying to steal Sydney's candy

The older kids dying eggs - all the kids had a blast doing this!

A physical therapist, pilot and police officer...and a few others...now which ones charred the first 4 hamburgers? After that, they knew what they were doing - but when I saw those first 4, I thought we might be in trouble!

Ethan stopping mid grab to smile for Daddy

Ethan and Daddy making their craft together - a bunny windsock

Whew....nap time!