Silver Dollar City

Well I figured since we celebrated Easter with MoMo today that I should probably blog about our trip to Silver Dollar City to see the Christmas lights tonight.  Ha! 

 Back in December we took the kids to Silver Dollar City for the first time.  Matt and I had been before but never at Christmas time.  Although I didn't get many pictures of the actual lights--they are everywhere and so beautiful!  We spent most of our time during the day at the kid rides.  It turns out that Lilly and Reid LOVE to ride the rides!  At first they wanted to go on the rides where they had to ride with an adult so DeDe and I rode with them. 

 They liked to hold down the red button that kept us up in the air. 

 Then we found the rides they could ride by themselves! 

 During the day we had to wait for a few minutes in line. 

 I love this picture! 

 At night--there were no lines and they got to ride as many times as they wanted!  Which was about 5,000 times.  Ha!  We shut the park down!!

 They really loved this frog ride.  The frog carts jump up and down in a circle.  Sounds nauseating to me but they LOVED it. 

 We also went to a big play area.  This tube sucks the balls up in it.

 And then there is this gun that shoots the balls out. 

 Then the balls go up on this thing and fall out at the top.

 The kids had so much fun! 

 We watched a Frosty the Snowman show and we were all entertained.  There was a lot of improv going on by the actors/actresses and it was hilarious. 

 Then we found a good spot and waited for the parade to start! 

This guy was at the beginning of the parade. 

 Everything was covered in lights.  There were even princesses in dresses that were covered in lights. 

We had a great time!!

February

Well I have missed the blog world!  I am enjoying catching up on what everyone has been up to!  I will do a little IPhone/Instagram photo catch up since I still have not found my camera battery charger...but I haven't done a ton more looking either.  It's on my to-do list.  ( ; 

 The weekend after Matt's birthday we headed to Benton to celebrate with (and see) some family!  We went to YaYa's for dinner and we ordered a couple of desserts for the table to share--a brownie, a bread pudding, and then the kids' meals came with Ice Cream with oreos and gummy worms.  Reid was ALL IN at dessert time.  I know he ate just as much bread pudding as I did. 

 While we were there Lilly willingly went to bed while other people (i.e. Reid and baby Breanna) were up and then on Sunday she laid on the couch and said, "I think I'm going to take a nap."  I very sarcastically said, "Oh, ok." because this has NEVER happened before...but she actually did.  I suspected she was sick.  I kept taking her temperature there and it kept saying she didn't have one but when we got home she had a 102 fever.  I love my sweet little girl but the ONLY times she has ever laid down and went to sleep on her own initiative have been when she was sick. 

 Reid came out of Mike and DeDe's room with Mike's shirt on.  He has done this with a couple of my shirts, too.  (My clothes are on the bottom of the closet--he can't reach Matt's.)  Every time it is hilarious. 

 We went by and saw MamMa and what luck we had because Cars (the movie) was on!  Reid climbed up in MamMa's lap and watched until it was time to go. 

 Hanging out and watching some tv while Lilly was running a fever.  Thankfully she was just a little more tired than normal and never really seemed to feel bad.  I love that her and Reid like to sit in the same chair and watch tv together. 

 We got snow!  It came in the morning and was gone by naps!  The kids were beside themselves excited.

 Reid loves to eat snow.  In fact, the other day it snowed again and while the snow was falling, Reid said at least 20 times, "Mommy snow is good to eat!"  And Lilly replied ALL 20 times, "But not if it has grass on it!"  Ha! 

 This little snow angel loves to make and throw snowballs. 

 Enjoying their snow day! 

 Okay so I almost didn't post this but it was so funny...I look up to see a white booty and Reid peeing in the snow while saying, "Look Mommy I'm in the bathroom outside!"  Oh the joys of life with a boy.  ( ; 

And while I am at pictures that will embarrass him later in life...his bottom has been providing me with laughs all week.  We went to a local kids gymnastics place and because his underwear are on backwards (at his insistence because he wanted the big Lightning McQueen in the front and not the back) Reid's little crack was constantly on display. 

 Lilly drew her very first pictures of me the other day!!!  She said, "Look Mommy I even gave you a pony tail and you look soooo beautiful!"  I am pretty proud of her art skills! 

Also I drew a picture of Lilly and showed it to Reid and he looked at it and said, "Where is her tiara??"  I laughed--but he is so right--she is always wearing a tiara. 

 She also wrote DeDe's name all by herself the other day!  She is starting to get the whole letter/sound connection and reads a couple of (3-letter) words.  Her KDO has a wonderful phonics program (yes I am her KDO teacher but not her phonics teacher so I can not take credit for this) and they have been working on reading certain word families and she is starting to get it! 

 While I am at bible study they do a bible study for the kids as well.  They were talking about the book of Lamentations and asked each child what made them sad.  Reid's response?  "When dad didn't give him a fork when he was eating his brownie."  It is a tough life for that boy.  I am thankful those are his biggest problems!  And I love that he takes that to the Lord in prayer, too.

I am reading a couple of books right now and I am LOVING The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson!  I am only a couple of chapters into the book but it is SO good. Hopefully I can get back in the swing on blogging and share what God has been working on in my heart lately!  

Matt's Birthday/Valentine's Day

 Well if you know how sweet-natured my man is--it will probably come as no surprise to you that his birthday is Valentine's Day.  Here is the birthday stud with some custom-colored artwork from Lilly and Reid.  Lilly was quick to tell him that she "did her best work!" 

 I got up early to surprise Matt with a birthday breakfast but got a little surprise myself!  After I had went to bed, he put out a little Valentine treat for me and both the kids.  So in love with that man! 

 I had to laugh because this is my failed attempt at a heart-shaped pancake...what might be hard for you to see int his picture is that it is stuck inside the cookie cutter and burnt on one side and raw in the middle.  Maybe I should have sprayed the cookie cutter and put less batter in???  Either way he ended up with circle pancakes instead of heart ones but I think he was still able to feel the love.  (;  He had to work (and the kids and I had KDO) and he came and spent his birthday lunch with us at KDO.  He received lots of birthday wishes from some fun preschoolers!  Ha! 

 After KDO the kids and I rushed to get everything ready for Matt to come home.  First--we had to stop and get balloons.  The kids INSISTED that Daddy needed balloons for his birthday!   They were really fun this year and were so excited to get ready for Daddy's birthday.  Lilly kept telling Matt it was going to be his BEST birthday ever!  No pressure for me, right?  She also kept inviting everyone we saw, including strangers and check-out clerks, to Daddy's birthday party.  I had to politely explain that we weren't actually having a birthday party...but if we were...they would sure be welcome. 

 The setup.  All picked out by two sweet children. 

 Plates with footballs because footballs are Daddy's favorite...and of course we had to have the mathcing party hats, cups, and napkins!!  And the candles on the cake--Lilly was just sure his birthday would not be complete without the "letter candles" (the ones that spell Happy Birthday).

 Presents with a card from each of us.  Reid picked a birthday dinosaur one, I got a "Happy Birthday" one, and Lilly picked a red Valentine card with sparkly flowers on it.  The kids also got Matt a blue football--that was the present that they worked very hard to pick out together.  The football was Lilly's idea--the blue was Reid's. 

 Then the birthday boy requested sausage pizza so I made--from scratch--a sausage pizza. 

 And a requested chocolate peanut butter cake.  Matt came home and we ate dinner and he opened his presents and our sweet friends the Dalmuts came over to sing Happy Birthday and have some cake with us. 

 (My camera battery is dead and I can't find the charger so this is the best "action" shot I could get with my phone.)  Blowing out the candles!  We are so thankful for Matt and couldn't ask for a better husband to me or daddy to Lilly and Reid.  We love him so much and hope he had a super special birthday!

 I also just need to brag on my big girl who signed her name all by herself to each one of her Valentine cards.  I am so proud of her! 

And because if big sister does it, then he needs to try as well--with my help--Reid signed all of his, too and did a really great job!  I can't believe how big these two are getting!  I'm a pretty blessed girl!!

Branson, Part 1

Ok so back before all the sickness (which by the way we have all been well ever since my last post--Praise the Lord!) in December we went back to the ENT for Reid's check-up.  We got the all clear for swimming and don't have to go back until April.

 They did a hearing test on him and he thought it was hilarious.  He just kept laughing.  It was so stinkin' cute! 

 DeDe came in town and we went to Branson for the weekend and had lots of fun.

 We stayed at a place with an indoor "splash-a-torium"

 The kids were excited to be back in the water. 

 We went through a drive-through Christmas lights place.

 We went by Bass Pro and saw Santa,

 colored some pictures,

 played some games,

 and played with trains. 

We ate at Cantina Laredo (I *think* that was the name) and sat outside so we could see the fountains...

 

 and then we went and saw the fountains up close, too.  We were really blessed with beautiful weather--especially for December!

We also went to Silver Dollar City but that will be it's own post.  (:  We had a great time and are so glad we were able to go have a special weekend of family fun! 

The Past Month

Wow!  I don't even know where to start there is SO MUCH to catch up on (including Christmas).  I have been meaning to blog for a few weeks but just haven't gotten around to it.  So I will just give a brief update of what we have been doing and then later I will do more detailed posts of the highlights.

Dec 18-20.  Reid had the stomach bug.  At the time we did not realize this would start a string of sickness that still hasn't ended.

Dec 21-23  Lilly and I got the stomach bug.  I guess it is because I am older but I thought I might die during this 3 day stomach bug while Lilly hardly seemed phased by it.  Thankfully it was over a weekend AND my mom was in town.  She was able to take care of me while Matt finished up any Christmas shopping we had left to do. 

Dec 22  Our sweet Tank died.  He was 10 years old and we knew it was coming but we miss him very much.  He was the BEST dog. 

Dec 23  After watching the weather all week and seeing it was supposed to snow on Christmas we decided to leave Christmas Eve night to go to Benton so that we didn't have to travel in the snow.  I was bummed because this was going to be our first Christmas morning at home but we just wanted to be safe.  It ended up being a good decision.  Matt and I stayed up super late wrapping presents because we hadn't wrapped a single one...or packed.

Dec 24  We had Christmas with my family and then headed to Benton.  We got there about 11:30pm, put the kids to bed, waited for Santa and then headed to bed.

Dec 25  It sleeted all day and then turned to snow in the evening.  We had a White Christmas and were very relieved that we came early.  However, anyone that wasn't in town couldn't make it for Christmas lunch so we hated that we didn't get to see lots of family.  The kids (and us) had a great Christmas!!  Around 9:30 pm--the electricity went out.  We went to bed hopeful it would come back in the morning.

Dec 26  We played outside in the snow, made a snowman, had a snowball fight, ate snow ice cream and then came back inside.  Still no power.  Decided to go to Peggy's house (Aunt Becca's mom) because they had power.  Spent the night at Peggy's house.

Dec 27 Still no power.  Luckily we had lots of sweet family to take us in.  We spent the day over at Danny and Melissa's house and then spent the night at Aunt Kay's.  The kids are LOVING this and think it is the BEST vacation ever because we are getting to hang out with so many people and stay at all these different places.  (: 

Dec 28  SWEET POWER!!  We went back to Mike and DeDe's.

Dec 29  There was a shower incident with sewage backing up into the shower.  I suggested to Matt maybe we leave a day early.  He said we weren't giving up now.  Hahaha.  Honestly (other than the shower--that was AS bad as it sounds) it wasn't as bad as it sounds.  We got to see lots of family and we laughed a lot.  A LOT. 

Dec 30  Came home

Dec 31 Had a fun New Year's Eve with some sweet friends

Jan 2  Thought Reid had Pink Eye

Jan 4  After Reid started running a high fever, took him to the dr--he had Strep.  And probably a sinus infection. 

Jan 6.  Took Lilly to the dr.  Probably strep.  Antibiotics for her too.  I think Matt was jealous that the kids got the "pink stuff."  We also started a 21 day fast with our church. 

Jan 9-10  Got to go back to KDO for staff meeting and then KDO.  We had missed 3 KDO days due to sickness so this felt like a big feet.  Until that night when I went to bed with a headache not feeling well.

Jan 12--Lilly and I were both running fevers so we went to the doctor--we both had the Flu. 

Jan 14--Reid joins us with the flu.  We ran fevers for an entire week.  We didn't leave the house.  We were starting to feel like prisoners in our own house.  Cabin fever was pretty bad. 

Jan 19--sweet freedom!  We got out of the house and went to a birthday party.  We were all excited!!  Matt said he was going whether we were well or not.  Ha!

Jan 20--got to go to church for the first time in a month.  It felt SO GOOD to be back worshiping the Lord with our church family!

Jan 24--KDO.  Came home and put Reid down and he woke up with a fever.  Sigh.

Jan 25--about 8 pm Reid's fever shot up to 104.  Matt and I panicked but no doctor's office was open.  We gave him a fresh dose of tylenol and put him in a lukewarm bath and his fever came down to 101.6.  We decided to not go to the ER and take him to the doctor the next morning.

Jan 26--took Reid to the doctor.  Left the house with a 99.6 fever...got to the doctor...no fever. He ran a little fever off and on that day but then was all better.

Jan 27--our fast ends--we made it even with all of the sickness!!  (more on that later)

Jan 28--KDO--I have worked a total of 3 days this month.

Jan 29--Lilly starts running a fever.  Low-grade.  Then at about 11 pm...she "gets sick."

That brings us to today where she is feeling much better.  I know that health-wise--we have it pretty good and that all this sickness will pass.  We are very blessed and we have not lost sight of that...but I would be lying if I said I wasn't really hoping that it is over now.  Hopefully I will get some pictures and some more details of other stuff that has been going on in our lives soon!