T Ball Season

Madison just finished last season of T-Ball and loved it. She is getting pretty good and just loved having a real uniform. We are going tonight to the team party and she is so excited to get another trophy to put on her shelf. Next year she will be in the machine pitch division...she is not to sure about that, but we have plenty of time to practice.

Jack's 3 year old preschool pictures

Fall 2009 3 yr old picture




Winter 2009 3yr old picture

Spring 2010 recently turned 4 picture.

I don't know why they take so many pictures each year of the kids, but I feel like I have to buy them each time they do (guess I just answered my own question). Jack has also grown so much this year. Although he continues to go to speech therapy, he is very understandable now. He is so smart and can remember just about anything that he wants. For example, you know how some parents have their children memorize the US Presidents? Well we did not waste our time on that. We got right to the important stuff and Jack can tell you just about every NASCAR driver, their car number and sponser. We are so proud. He loves cars. He was a race car driver at Halloween and he loves to play with his cars and says all the time, when he grows up he wants to be a race car driver. Jack especially likes the "Jack" car, although he does not know it is actually the Jack Daniels car. He see's the big JACK across the hood and loves it.

What a Difference a Year Makes!

I cannot believe how different Madison looks in these two pictures. The first was taken at the beginning of first grade and the second was taken at the end of 1st grade.





What a sweet little girl who still has all her front teeth. Hair brushed and looking all cute.




Looks so grown up in this picture. Teeth missing but still cute. I sent her to school with her headband in her hair, but it was not there when I got this picture. I think she was playing with it at school so her teacher took it away and she didn't get back for the picture

Is Summer over already?

Terry, Madison and Jack working on their sand castle

Watching the waves

I think one of the reasons Madison liked Tennis

so much is because it is a sport she can play

while wearing a skirt.

This summer has just flown by! I cannot believe Madison will start 1st grade in just 2 days. After T-ball, where Madison's team place 3rd in the tournament, she went to Tennis camp for a week. She liked tennis, but does not want to play in the summer anymore unless we can find an indoor court. It was so hot that week.

Then off to swimming lessons for two weeks in the morning. I cannot believe how far she has come with the swimming. I think I saw some actual swimming this time around. She also enjoyed a week at VBS.

Then mid July we drove the 12 hours to NC. We stayed at the beach for a week and then with my parents for a week and just got back this weekend. Madison loved being in the ocean. I am glad that granddad and uncle Terry like going in the ocean, cause I just cannot enjoy myself in the ocean thinking about all the things that could be swimming around me that can bite or sting. Jack got to touch a baby shark that was caught by a man fishing nearby and thought that was so great, Madison on the other had thought it was to yucky to touch, and of course they like playing in the sand. We have had such a busy summer, but has enjoyed all of it.

Play Ball

This was Madison's first time at bat.


T-ball ready

Madison has been playing t-ball this spring and has had a lot of fun. We are playing thru the local parks and rec league and she is loving it. Madison's team is sponsored by the Fire Dept so they named themselves the fire girls. This is a girl's only league and each team is divided up by the local elementary schools. So half of the girls are in her class and the others she met on the playground at school so it is just one big party for the girls. I have found the secret to get Madison to play sports is to be on an all girls team. The end of season tournament is this Saturday and I think we may do ok. The team has come a long way. At the first game her team reminded me of the bad news bears. The girls did not even realize they had to run after they hit the ball. They got bored in the outfield and played in the dirt. But now, they pay attention and actually throw the ball to the correct base to try to get an out. You have never seen so many pink bats, cleats and gloves. One team even painted their bats pink and put flowers and butterflies on them.

Wish us luck this weekend. A full day of t-ball then off to tennis camp next week...

Happy 6th Birthday Madison

Madison had her birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's this year and she had so much fun with her friends. It snowed the morning of her party which I think kept a lot of non-birthday party people away so we practically had the place to ourselves that Saturday. Madison had fun dancing with Chuck E Cheese, playing games and of course opening all her gifts.

Pierced ears

For her birthday, which is coming up next Wed, Madison decided she wanted to get her ears pierced. We headed over to the mall and I fully expected her to back out especially after we found out that both ears could not be done at once since there was only one sales lady, but she wanted it done. She walked over, picked out her earrings, got in the chair and held on to the teddy bear. After the first ear was pierced, she looked like someone had punched her in the stomach and I thought she was going to cry, but she closed her eyes, sucked it up and got the other ear pierced. No tears! She is such a big girl and was so brave. I was so delightfully surprised there was no drama. Now if I can just survive the Chuck E Cheese party this weekend.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jack

Madison lost her 1st tooth

Madison finally lost her first tooth. I think she was the very last of her friends here in Arkansas and in SC to loose her first tooth. She has been asking me on a weekly basis for months now when she would loose her tooth. Two days ago she lost it and got her first visit from the tooth fairy. She was so excited.

The Ice Storm

This is the lake that is accross the street from our house. Just a sheet of ice.

Madison and Jack in front of the lake.

We survived the ice storm last week and only lost power for one night. It was soooo cold that night. Our gas stove just doesn't cut it when it is 15 degrees. I used to think that if I was going to be without power, I would rather be in the cold than in the heat, but after being in Houston without power after hurricane Rita and now going thru and ice storm without power, I can offically say they both suck!! There are still so many places around here that don't have power so I am thankful we do. Our church, which is Jacks preschool is running on generators. Madison's school got power back on over the weekend so she was able to go back after being off all last week. It is so sad to see all the trees that snapped under the weight of the ice and are going to have to be cut down and cut back.

Christmas Day 2008

We had a great Christmas in Arkansas this year. We almost got all of our moving boxes unpacked before we had to add alot more toys to the mix. And these were big toys this year that seem to take up a lot of room. But the kids loved them. It was a great sunny day and Jack and Madison had a chance to get out and ride their bikes. It is always so much fun to watch kids open their presents and see the look of delight on their faces.

Jack gives 2 thumbs up to the work bench from Nana & Granddad.

All the barbies in my house will be living and cruising in style.

That tire wheel has about 50 matchbox cars. Jack was in heaven when he opened it up.

The grand barbie doll house.

Jack loves riding on his train.

New "old" photos

We had these pictures taken at Madison's school for a fundraiser. We got our $10 photo, but there were so many cute photo's we ended up with a boatload of pictures. I think they turned out pretty good for two kids where were quit sick.

Madison, Jack and Santa 2008

Finally! Jack's 1st picture with Santa.

Getting ready for Christmas

We have been so busy the last couple of weeks. We did not move into our new house until 12/15, which happened to be the week everyone decided to get sick, so we have spent this last week busy as beavers. We got our Christmas tree this past weekend and to our delite, when we pulled up to the Lowes garden center there was a sign....all Christmas trees $5.oo. So we got a 6 ft tree for just $5. There is a small whole where some branches are missing in the back, but put that in the back against the wall and no one would ever know. We got our stocking hung a few days ago and today Madison and I made a ginger bread house, please remember it is the first time either one of us have tried this. Now all there is to do is to go out on Christmas eve day when I can be by myself (Bruce will be off) to pick up a few more presents and I will be all finished.
Whew...I'm starting early next year!

We're back online...

Well we made the move and are now in the northwest corner of Arkansas. I haven't quite figured out if we are in the ozark mountains or the foothills, but it is a beautiful area of the country and I think we are going to like it. Madison is adjusting well to her new school. She only had one melt down when she cried and begged me to take her back to SC so she could be in Ms Thomas' class again. We are making friends and found a great new church. I picked a church from a website I found and when we got there I thought what a small world. The music minister filled in once or twice for the music minister we had at our church in Texas so it was nice to see a familiar face, even though he does not know who we are. We made it thru a month in a two bedroom apt and now we are in a house again and as soon as I get unpacked things will be great. It is much colder here. Yesterday the high was 19! and today only 29... so that is something we are going to have to get used to. I had to go shopping for gloves and hats and warmer coats, since that is something we did not need in Texas and SC. Anyway, if that type of weather keeps up I will be blogging a whole lot more...

Weekend in the Mountains

This weekend was the last before we move so we went up to the mountains to visit Nana and Granddad. Madison and Jack also got to see their favorite aunt and uncle, Ginger and Terry. Madison and Jack had so much fun as they always do when we go up there. They spent the weekend riding piglet (a little motorcyle), playing the drums and playing at jump off rock park.

My little drummer boy...he's a natural.

Madison and Jack had so much fun jumping around on the big rocks. Although Nana almost had a heart attack each time they did thinking they would fall of the rocks or worst the mountain.

Jack taking his first ride with Uncle Terry on piglet.

Madison riding piglet. She was scared at first, but once she started riding, she got the fever and did not want to get off. of course Terry went slow and stayed in the driveway. Next time she wants to take her hello kitty bike helmet so she can ride up and down the mountains.