Running for a cause

Ella Grace's school participated in a Boosterthon Fun Run a couple of weeks ago. This was my first experience with this program, and it seemed to be directed very well, with staff coming in to teach kids about character, as well as host the run on campus. You can see the tunnel and guy in the red shirt below. He encouraged the kids through the run, they played music and made it a very fun environment. Ella Grace is the last one in her class about to run through the tunnel here.






Skipping a lap to get warmed up!


Picking up some water during the run. Despite it being January, it was really hot already!

Our sweet girl did fabulous! She was the first I saw in her class get to the lap cap of 35 laps!
As they ran each lap they stopped by the teachers to get a mark on their shirts.

Encourage a friend lap



Cooling down a little as she approached her teacher for another mark.


What to go Ella Grace! You made many of us go broke from sponsoring you, but we are so very proud of you!

Swimming our winter blues away

Maybe not our "winter" blues - rather our "beach-going" blues (since we haven't been in a couple of months). Pop & Nana are visiting Florida with friends down in Kissimmee. After school Wednesday, the kids & I headed down to visit with them at their resort. I still wasn't feeling well, but my kids could not pass up the opportunity to go swimming. Do you blame them?! I mean, it was January 25!

Pop let the kids practice their swimming for a while before letting them put their floaties on.


Ella Grace is a regular little fish. There is a water fall in the pool and she would swim around it (with either Pop or Nana leading.) They both did so great and got several compliments.

Major swimming under the water fall!



It is so hard to get a serious picture of Ella Grace anymore - she is really in to making faces lately!

Major was stuck to Pop's arm, Pop was teasing him that he was a bug! Major was having a fun time, despite his look here.
We made some homemade ice cream, ate dinner, gave the kids baths and headed home. Ella Grace had a big day at school on Thursday - her fun run!

Ella Grace's 6th birthday party!

We have never had "friend" parties for our kids' birthdays. We have been able to focus on our family (and some close friends/neighbors). This year, we let Ella Grace invite a couple of friends over for a small party. She had such a fabulous time, and the girls were all so good. It was fun to see them interact together outside of school! Bless their teachers' hearts!

Ella Grace & Masyn painting picture frames -


(clockwise from top) Ella Grace, Megan, Major, Masyn


Major had to show off his tumbling skills for the girls!

Isn't this a great picture of the girls!? I printed the pictures and put them in the frames for them to carry home.




Trying to blow out candles in the Florida sun. She insisted on having all 6 candles in her ice cream in her cup!



After much eating (honestly), they had just a few minutes to open gifts before the moms came.

More squinkies!

A sign from Masyn's sister! So sweet!

Showing off her dress from Pop & Nana




Room decoration from Aunt Lo-Lo
They were so funny to listen to - Ella Grace kept saying "C'mon girls," and "Girls, let's go." This time has come too soon!

This was certainly a special day for her. She couldn't wait until her friends arrived. Megan's mom said Megan was up at 6:00 am Sunday morning asking if it was time to go to Ella Grace's house! So cute!

a tumbling party

Major was invited to a birthday party for his friend Ariana from school. It was held at a tumbling facility in honor of her 5th birthday. He was so excited to go somewhere by himself and he was such a big boy!

They had a bounce house, jumped in "marshmallows", swung on bars, walked on balance beans and did several obstacle courses. He had a ball. At bathtime Saturday night he said he wanted to go back to that place everyday and keep going!


Enjoying goldfish & chips and salsa.


Big cupcake for a little man!
Major picked out Ariana's gift himself. He picked out a recorder (like a flute) from the dollar section at Target and then a Barbie squinkie set (because his sister is in to squinkies!)

We have color!

Poor little Major woke up Friday (1/13/12) with a terrible cough. Jeremy insisted that morning I get him to the doctor. But, after a couple of hours, his cough had subsided some. However, by lunch time came he was really feeling bad. I was able to get an appointment for later that afternoon, after some juggling getting Ella Grace a way to a friend's house after school. Major was diagnosed with croup, yet again. It really is an annual event for him. And he felt terrible all weekend.

Since Jeremy was off on Monday (and we definitely weren't taking Major to church Sunday), we decided to paint. I was SO excited! We began with the entryway, formal dining, formal living area. And it looks fabulous! I can't help but smile every time I walk through! Can you tell I'm still excited!!!! !!!

And this cute little tow-headed boy kept popping up in all of my pictures!





We also painted the pool bath...more on that later

To see the manatees

I remember a few of my elementary field trips: Red Mountain Museum, Birmingham Zoo, Huntsville Space & Rocket Center, Constitution Village. They were fun, really. Today, I was able to experience with my little girl, something new & exciting. We traveled by bus with all of her fellow kindergartners at her school to see the manatees.

Once we arrived, we had lunch. You know, because at 10:50 these kids were hungry already (and 7 minutes late having lunch, too).

Next, there was playground time. Someone always ends up crying, and it was sweet to see these girls (Ella Grace & Megan) try to console her. I hope they always have that spirit about them.

This park has canoes you can rent and a boat you can cruise the river on. It wasn't long before we began to see the manatees in the river. They were a little difficult to spot at first, but then you could see lots of them at a time.




This is one of my favorite pictures. The manatee is spraying water.






Ella Grace only stayed with me and another friend for a little while, then trailed off to join one of her teachers. I think Ella Grace held her hand for the majority of the visit! Her teacher even said "Ella Grace, I don't think we've held hands this much all year!"

Ella Grace & her friend Megan on the bus ride home.
We had a bus full of tired kids when we pulled back in at school. What a fun field trip this was!