A list...

Early morning thoughts running through my head...  It's 8:00 and yes that's early to me!

1. I've gotta finish the laundry today and clean this awful house!

2. My closet organization is almost done...  I had to break out the maternity clothes... yes I pack them up after each baby.. thinking that is not such a good idea anymore.. :) so I bought more hangers.  I need to buy more.

3. Next I need to start organizing our school room.  I need to buy a dining room table for it.  It will be much easier to work with the girls that way.  Craigslist.. please be good to me!

4. I'm tired. When you have 4 kids chances of sleeping in are slim... very slim.  Everyone is still sleeping EXCEPT 1 cutie pie that decided I needed to be up at 7:30.  She said "mommy I want you to wake up!" So I'm up...

5. Coffee  Oh how I missed you!  (I don't drink coffee during my 1st trimester)

6. I have to many projects that are almost done.  I guess that's how I work... Oh well!

7. I'm excited to see a good friend tomorrow...  She is due in 4 weeks with a baby girl.  I'm going to make her some headbands.  That makes me so happy! 

8. Oh wow another sweet girl just woke up! :)

9. Now I've gotta get breakfast going...

10. I'm tired

11.  I don't think the house is that dirty today... Let's play instead of clean! :) 

Happy Friday!

Taylor's 5th Birthday

So we are doing the girls birthdays a little different this year.  First of all Taylor's B-day is in July, Addy's is in August and Payton's is in September all not quite a month apart.  So its alot of work to have that many parties close together. I have done a big party and a birthday dinner (on their actual B-day) for them every year.  This year... we decided on just the birthday dinner and we're taking them to Sea World at the end of August! :)  This started because I'm pregnant and tired... LOL and I thought it would be the same cost from doing 1 party to take our family to Sea World... Boy was I wrong!  Its more expensive than I thought... So it turned into all 3 girls Birthdays!  The girls love the idea of Sea World so they are happy with this change!

So now to focus on Taylor after my explanation...  Taylor turned 5 on July 13... it seems like yesterday we had our first baby.  I know every mom says this and they truly mean it.  Because the time that we have with our children is just to short!  I absolutely LOVE the baby stage!  (in case you couldn't guess that!) I LOVE the toddler stage of exploring and figuring things out (not the defiance... I could live w/o that!) I am LOVING this stage that Taylor is in.  She is learning so much everyday with almost reading... writes very well, she gets concept of addition and subtraction and her memory just amazes me.  She says the most hilarious things to us like she is a little adult.  She is very sweet to her sisters and brother and gets the orderly method that I "try" for.  I am excited for this next year of homeschooling her and watching her blossom even more! 

Here are some pics from her birthday dinner.  She wanted Gramma, Nana and Papa to be there and we invited her cousins.  Lily, Nicholas, Abigail and Alex.  Taylor's dinner request was mac n cheese and desert (she does not like cake!) was sugar cookies. 


                                                      The Birthday Girl - 5 years old!

                                                     Nathan brought her flowers for her birthday

                                                                          Addison

                                                                          Jackson

                                                              No words... He's goofy! LOL

Taylor enjoying her cookie

                                                                     Addison and Nora

The desert spread - Cookies and Lollipops Taylor's favs! And why bake when they are 2 for $5 at Publix!

                                                                              Jacob

                                                                           Payton

                                                          Taylor excited for presents!

                                                                    She loves Rapunzel

                                                        and she really wanted this babydoll

                                         Her most wanted gift of all a Rapunzel dress up dress

                                                    All decked out in her Rapunzel stuff!



I think Taylor felt very special and really enjoyed herself.  I loved seeing that sparkle in her eye "this is my special day!"

Atlanta Bound, Swimming, Parties and The 4th of July

Long Post....  and TONS of pics!

So this trip came up very unexpectedly but also planned.... HUH??  So for July 4th weekend we had a trip  planned to Atlanta to see our friends the Brownd's.  It was Anna's 1st Birthday and Aaron's 2nd Birthday party.  Almost 2 weeks before this trip Nathan's boss informed him that he was being loaned out to Atlanta for work and you leave in 2 days... What???  They usually do things like this on a volunteer basis... but I guess they didn't have enough volunteers.  Nathan asked if the kids and I would pack up and go with him.  So we did!  We weren't sure how hotel arrangements would be and since all of this was on AT&T we thought it was worth a shot.  Nathan called ahead of time and the hotel upgraded us to a suite for FREE!  If we didn't have a suite I don't think we could of made it for 9 days in a hotel.  Not so much for small space but because of bedtime.  The kids need to go to bed a certain time and Nathan and I don't want to go to bed 8!  So it all worked and God blessed me and the kids with a relaxing week and a half.  Nathan had to work and worked long hours.  It was some extra money in overtime and they covered food up to $40 a day.  So our whole family ate for free!  Breakfast was included with the hotel... which they were so nice to extend to me and the kids for free too!  Like I said it was a FREE break from all the "house chores."  We were able to visit alot of friends and the kids and I enjoyed 2 days at the pool.  Very relaxing and I enjoyed every minute!  I LOVED that a maid came in everyday and brough fresh linens and cleaned.  It was probably my fav part!!!!  After Nathan's work time it literally backed into our vacation that was planned and we stayed with the Brownd's.


We saw the Brownds just about everyday and had dinner with them when they got home from work.  This is our first night we saw them... All the kiddos minus the babies on the couch :)

                                                                  Aaron and Payton

                                                                        Taylor

Aaron's birthday is June 26th and Anna's is June 29th.  They are a year apart!  On Aaron's birthday we celebrated at Adventure Kids and all of them LOVED it! Very cool place!  Here is Addy riding one of their cars.

                                            Jackson was all over that place!

                                                                    Sandy and Anna

                                                      Birthday Girl and Birthday Boy

                                                         Jackson in the HUGE sandbox

                                                                         Charlie

                                                                            Payton

                                                                              Addy

                 
                                                                           Taylor

                                                                           Anna

                                                                 Aaron's Birthday cake

It rained alot while we were there... we saw a double rainbow one evening... very cool! 

                                                Daddy, Payton and Taylor looking at rainbow.

So I was very brave one day (we did this twice!) and I took the kiddos to the pool!  By myself... with 4 kids that cannot swim... kind of nerve racking.  But it went great!  They LOVED it and did very well and listened to the rules. :) It was fun!!! 

Here are the girls all decked out ready for the pool!

They didn't leave the stairs! LOL Except with me (which was the rule) to many kids to keep my eye on!  They each took turns "swimming" with me and it was alot of fun!

Jackson's first time in the pool!  I bought this float but it was awful it didn't keep him up! So that is why he is tilted.

                                    We worked on some school stuff too while we were there....

                  This is what happens when you wear your kids out! LOL  She passed out!

     I tried so hard... but well it just didn't work out as planned... LOL I was trying to get a good pic of how we had things set up.  The hotel basically had two rooms.  A living room and a bedroom.  The bedroom had two double beds in it.  One for Nathan and I and the other we put two girls in and the other on a palet on the floor and they rotated.  Jackson was in a pack n play in the room too.  So anywho this is the kids on the girls bed, and they didn't want to take a picture...

Fireworks!  On July 3rd we went to downtown Cumming to see the fireworks!  We haven't done this with the kids before.  I've always wanted to but they start after their bedtime and the crowds... etc.  So since we were on vaca we went for it!  We met a group of our friends from our church there too... :)

                                                                Nathan and the kiddos

                                                              Group of great friends!

                                                              Jackson checking things out...

                                                                       Sisterly love

                                                       Doing some sparklers

                                                                  Elijah and Jackson

                                                             Watching the fireworks!

Addison's reaction was priceless... here is how she looks watching the fireworks and when they started she said "OMG!!!!" 



Got Dirt?

So this is what happens when you talk to your neighrbor outside a little to long and your kids have to entertain themselves.... 

Nathan says this picture of Payton belongs on a "Feed the Children" poster...

And straight to the tub they went! LOL