SCHOOL IS OUT!

SCHOOL. IS. OUT!!!!!

Which means there are some late nights and not the quiet naptime during the day for Everly anymore.  I thought Iris' choice of "pillow" in this picture was classic

A LOT of days swimming at the Country Club. Every once and a while the older boys would come and it looks like this.

And this.... (there was NOTHING Emerson or I could do to prevent it)

#Bronsonssmileoftriumph

Sometimes the boys would golf and the rest of us would swim. Royce was so excited to go out with Camden alone one day. Camden looks......... semi.....compliant

#handplacementiseverything

playing in extra sand for sandtraps

I did go on a few outings to Lake Dardanelle with the kids.

Where Emerson caught the girls a lizard. Iley sure loved the thing.

Bronson and Camden drove a ways away to do some work and on their way back Bronson saw this turtle (Rocky) on the side of the road and thought to bring it back for Royce. Royce thought it was the best present ever! I was actually touched by the thoughtfulness albeit unorthodox-gift-giving.

#scraggletooth

Iley and Wynn warmed right up to the turtle and decided it was their new playmate.

There are MANY ways to play with a turtle. Like pretend Rocky is a plate....

or a blanket!

I NEVER have to ask Emerson twice to mow the lawn. In fact he begs me to mow the lawn with the riding lawn mower!!! He will usually take one of the babies on a ride when he does it.

A CONFIDANT man will mow the lawn in his MOM'S red sandals! AmIright?

RIGHT after school ended Iris turned 10. Double digits finally! Our sweet Iris.

She was fretting over the fact that I hadn't asked her what she wanted in her junkbox and she was worried I wouldn't know..... but turns out Mom knows ALL!

It also helps that Iris is quick to give her opinion anytime walking around a store.

And she has wanted a "robot" forever. She even is going a year without treats to earn money towards one. So a robot dog was QUITE the surprise for her.

Okay, so I realize the girls are naked.....but praying (or getting ready for prayer) kids are the cutest.

Probably the biggest accomplishment of the summer was with these two cute swimmers.

We found a home to buy but it ALSO has water by it in the form of a pond AND a pool. I told Brooks I will NOT move into a home I have to worry about the twins (and Everly) every waking hour. I just couldn't have any peace. So I found some Survival Swim lessons in Little Rock. These are the lessons that teach them to roll on their back and float and also to always swim to the wall, etc. Usually they are quite pricey but I found these for a good deal and it was a "definite need" in my mind.

Sure it was a hour+ drive there twice a week and it was RIGHT during their naptime, but I will be darned if they didn't pick things up so fast. Iley faster than Wynn since Wynn LOVES naptime. All it took was one time Iley getting her ice cream after and Wynn not (since she was crying) to remedy that though. I was so proud of my little fish. Their confidence grew (almost TOO much, that I had to watch them MORE at the Country Club) and their new skills made Everly decide to take off her floatie for good and act like she knew how to swim all long.

So I went from 3 in floaties to 3 kids swimming in 4 weeks. Granted they weren't perfect, but they had some crucial survival skills and it made me so relieved!

May 2019 Celebrations

I have never bought school pictures (side note: and I haaaaate the companies that send pics home and say, if you don't want them, send them back. If you keep them then you owe us money. These people KNOW elementary students lose pictures/ride buses!)

AAAAAAAAnyway, there have been few times that I've been MORE tempted to buy a school picture more than Kellyn's kindergarten's "graduation" picture.!!!!!😍

I put "graduation" in quotes because the whole thing is ridiculous. They've been at school all year just like any other grade level and they don't get graduations unless they leave the school. But I digress.....

However, I DID get to hear their cute little songs and see Kellyn with her teacher (and one of my close friends) Mrs. Huddleston.

Iris also had her 4th grade graduation, but since she wouldn't look at me and gave me creepy quit-taking-pictures-of-me-or-I'll-keep-looking-at-you-like-this pictures. Now that I think about it, it's too bad I deleted them! ha!

Mother's Day was a sweet day. Brooks had the kids each write me a note and I loved it. (Wynn DOES have underwear on just so ya know)

These are the cards Brooks bought them to write on for me. hahahaha

The best celebration was the twins' 3rd birthday. They are the cutest and while Iley's new forced haircut, I no longer have to label all the pictures.

They got little computers and a walking dog and cat. I don't think they imagined toys and life could have gotten more awesome before that moment

The twincesses have gotten to the point where they will be sitting somewhere or doing something and say "Ma! Take a piture". Here is Wynn's cheezy smile.

On our way walking to church. How nice to have this single moment where one of them wasn't trying to run ahead or into the road.

(Note: any FLORAL dress I stick any of our girls in Brooks HAS to comment that they are grandma dresses or curtain dresses. These got both comments from him.)

And because Iley didn't have ENOUGH marks on her face, she did it again.

Not too big but deep enough she needed stitches. Problem is, there is STILL a scar from her OTHER stitches that she pulled out!!!! arg.

Spoiler alert.....she pulled THESE stitches out too later making another scar. Little stinker would do it at night. But MAN isn't her smile the cutest?!

There is ALWAYS a positive side right? So NOW with Iley's haircut and her scarry/stitched face and eczema covered body we never have a hard time telling them apart.

GAH! I love a pair of matching girls. We are so lucky.

Wynn is still quite the thumb sucker....which makes her an amazing snuggler when she gets sleepy too. She will come up to us and ask if we can snuggle her. 

(I think I will forever miss this asking-to-snuggle stage)

And then she falls asleep.

These moments are pure contentment and joy to me. I can't think of a better feeling that a sweet baby sleeping on me. I'm getting jealous of Brooks just LOOKING at this picture! 💜

Spring sports and Mom fails

Spring sports bring two girls in soccer and three boys in baseball.

I don't ALWAYS think to take a picture but I was by myself at Aleeya's game in northwest Arkansas and hurried and took a few. She's a pretty amazing player.

One weekend Aleeya and Iris had a soccer tournament an hour away. Brooks covered Iris' game and I did Aleeya's. Yep, we don't have pictures from Iris' game. 😏

But Aleeya's game came down to goal kicks at the end. Aleeya was asked to kick this one.

Her celebration was the best.

I never DID get a baseball picture of Bronson but I did get a picture of us going to his baseball banquet. Does that count?

The girls cheering on Emerson while he was up to bat.

I didn't get any of Royce in baseball or Iris in soccer either!

But I have an excuse!!!!!

The house is officially on the market!

Before showings/open houses I baked cookies and left drinks and had the house spotless which I PROMISE you rarely happens around here.

So the fact that 30 minutes before we had to leave the house for a showing and Wynn pukes on the floor was SUPER amazing timing.

Having a house on the market while living there bites sooooooo so so bad.

Belch's Birthday

Everly turned the big 5 on April 19.

For kids I think it's their "biggest" birthday because now she can FINALLY say she's old enough to start school soon.

She goes by Evie, Bulldog but mostly she answers to Belch. It's an unfortunate nickname that Bronson gave her a few years back for EXACTLY the reason you are thinking. This girl has louder belches than a full grown man drinking pop and watching football.

Anyway, back to this birthday girl.

 She loves Sofia the First and is always asking for amulets like hers. She's clearly thrilled with her gift. #disappearingeyestrick

And her junkbox. Pretty sure it was gone in less than 24 hours.

 There is 100% no one like Belch in the world. I guess you could technically say that about anybody, but Belch really is an original. She's quick to explain life....like a narrator of a movie..... and even quicker to ask/beg from anyone and everyone their leftovers and treats. (even strangers). She gets worked up easy and can't be talked off that cliff...until she decides to in her room and she comes out like nothing happened. She will NOT wear pants or shorts because it bothers her when she does this weird squat thing that people would never actually DO when they wear pants. Regardless, she's an all-dress girl. She's picky on socks with shoes too, so I found her some sandals she likes from Walmart and bought 6 pairs. Boom, one step ahead of Evie. Her famous "bulldog" look is legend in our family and man, I actually am going to miss her when she starts school in the fall (heaven help her teacher). She's unique, fun and man do I love this girl.

she loves animals and catching anything too. 

 This is the I'm-not-sure-I-wanted-this-kiss look.

Our fun little Belch with the bird that was in our house. 

Happy 5th to our what-would-we-do-without-her Everly.

SC Quick trip

Brooks has been flying to SC almost every month for his business there, but his APRIL trip, I decided I was going to join him.....you know, to look for a house!

It's been a crazy little ride lately with trying to navigate spiritual promptings but to make a long story short, Brooks is quitting Pathology and in March started an online Master's course in Marriage and Family Therapy. "Online" means you can really do it anywhere, but with Brooks' other business in SC it would provide us an income while we go through student-dom again. BUT we were still waiting on a confirmation from heaven with this plan.

IN the meeeeeeantime, I decided to keep my eyes out for homes, so I tagged along. But since Brooks DID still have to work for two days in SC, I just had to think of SOMEthing to keep my lazy heart busy. 😏

The first morning I went to the temple. It was wonderful (as always)

I still had a whole afternoon to kill so I went to Swan Lake Park. I love this spot in Sumter. Especially since it was baby season!

Then I laid myself down on some soft grass and read my book. I know, "poor me" huh.

While resting there I got this lovely picture texted to me of Iley, you know, the "unfortunate twin".

That girl could give herself a goose-egg breathing and standing in attention! Thankfully our wonderful friend who was watching the kids was a nurse and doted over her more than we would have even. 

The next day Brooks worked in Myrtle Beach. I knew EXACTLY what I was going to be doing with my books THAT day. I would send pics to the kids requesting them back home. Nothing like a pasty white lady in a mom-swimsuit taking selfies by herself!

I found a cool jellyfish though. The kids liked this picture better than my other beach picture. I don't get it.

The last day and a half was spent in Greenville looking at homes and seeing friends and most importantly, stopping by our FAVORITE and beloved and so-very-missed Pupuseria. I look just a liiiiiiittle too happy to be there.

(did I mention Brooks hates selfies? Well, he does.)

Man we love this place.

As far as the house hunt went we were kind of disappointed. We had one house that online we LOVED and knew it would have everything we potentially wanted. Then we got there and it was so worn down. Cracks in walls, horrible paint, nasty carpet, old windows, water stains on ceiling and junk in so many places. It would cost too much $ to get it up to speed that the asking price was way to high. The other ones would have worked but nothing really tickled our fancy.

BUT I had a nice vacation regardless!