For Sale....STILL

Unfortunately, it seems as if our dream home is quickly becoming our nightmare home because April of this year marks the one-year anniversary of our home in Dothan being on the market. Lucky for us, the housing crisis struck just a month or two after we had sealed the deal to move to Mississippi, so what we at first thought would be an easy sale has now become a dreaded money pit in our life. This past weekend Matt and I made a trip to South Alabama to see how everything was holding up and thankfully our housekeeper and yard guy (yes, we pay someone to keep the house up we aren't living in but do it ourself in the house we actually live in) are doing a great job. Plus, the neighbors are ensuring no one suspicious is hanging around. That being said, it did make me really sad to see the house I absolutely loved, but I must admit, it seems as if the drive to Dothan has doubled in length and that is without kids in tow. Case in point, I actually started and nearly completed smocking Caroline's Easter dress:
I guess we have really gotten spoiled to being so close to our family these days and is truly a blessing to be able to spend so much more time them.
As for Dothan, it is about the same. Of course, we would be in town during a monsoon...and I'm really not joking. It was the worst rainstorm I have ever seen there and keep in mind that we lived there for 6 years. When we drove around, streets and houses were flooded. It was terrible. Our 2nd home (don't you love that spin on it?) is on a hill, so thankfully we weren't affected. After the sun finally came out, we visited a few friends and had dinner at the Old Mill (our favorite Dothan restaurant) with Rick and Missy. Oh, how we miss this fun couple! Missy can get a laugh out of us in seconds and they have been so sweet to keep in close touch with us since our move. It just goes to show that even though you might not live close by anymore, you can always remain close friends and thankfully Rick and Missy will be just that! We miss you guys and look forward to seeing you again soon!

In closing, please add our house to your prayer list. It really is a wonderful house and would make some family very happy, so we will just wait for God to send them to us!

My new hobby

After years of receiving snide comments from my husband over my brand new sewing machine that I never use, I finally decided to take a sewing class at Continental Sewing. Ladies, if you live near Jackson, I strongly recommend you visiting their shop. They are the sweetest ladies and are so helpful and encouraging to anyone who is just getting started. Anyway, the class I took was for beginner sewers and we were to make a skirt and blouse. Now, the blouse is so 80ish that I refuse to wear it, but the skirt is actually really cute. Especially if I put a cute little bright colored t-shirt with it.

After finishing that class, I was addicted. I absolutely love sewing. To me, it is a great way to relax and in the end, you have a nice outfit that you can be proud of and actually use. It is much better than wasting an evening watching TV in my opinion. I quickly signed up for my second class and made Caroline a pair of pants. Then, I decided to go at it alone and do an applique on a t-shirt to match the pants.Next, I decided to doll up a pair of plain socks I bought at Target that she could wear to church with her cute summer dresses that I plan to make for her. Can you tell I'm already making big plans?Of course, I can't leave out little Will. I've already made him a pair of pants, but I'm trying my best to find a plain white t-shirt in his size to do a matching applique. When that's finished, I'll share a photo because I know everyone is dying to see it....yeah right! :) All that said, at least Matt can't make any more comments about my unused sewing maching. Instead, he may be eating his words when I request a nicer sewing machine that has more bells and whistles for Christmas!

Mal's St. Patty's Day Parade

So we, along with thousands of others, decided to go to the St. Patty's Day Parade in Jackson on Saturday. I had never been, but have heard all sorts of things about it so I thought it might be fun to see what it was all about. Well it did not lack for entertainment...that is for sure. The Sweet Potato Queens graced the parade with their presence and following them were the Sweet Potato Wannabees, then there were all of the crazy floats that followed. Beads were plentiful, so Will and I left with a neck full. Unfortunately, Caroline was still at Nana's house, so she missed out on the festivities. To be honest, I was a little glad because even though we were in the "kid friendly" section, there were sights I prefer my toddler not see because of the many questions that might follow. This lovely couple decided to tie the knot on a float in the parade. What a way to start off your marriage, don't you think?!The parade lasted a long 3 hours, but we only lasted for 2 1/2. We had seen all of the crazies we needed to see for the year, and Will was ready for a nap. By far the best part of the day was our reunion with Caroline. I hate to admit it, but I think she was happier to see her brother than either of her parents. When they saw each other, they both squealed with delight and embraced each other in what seemed like eternity. It brought smiles to all those watching around us. I guess the ol' saying "absence can make the heart grow fonder" applies to kids too!

It's cute now...

but let's hope he doesn't become a plumber when he grows up...because then it may not be quite so cute!

Happy Birthday Helen!

Queen Helen invited Caroline and Will to help celebrate her 4th birthday with a Princess and Superhero party. Despite the bad weather that changed the outdoor party plans, the kids had a blast. Hunter let Will borrow his Spiderman outfit since he was going as Batman, and when we put it on him Will thought he was really something. The mask through him for a loop because he was very timid about moving his head around at first. After he obliged me for a picture, he decided he really didn't need the mask to be Spiderman afterall.The biggest surprise was that Caroline actually wore her princess outfit throughout the entire party. She's never been much for playing dress up, but I guess since it was for Helen's birthday, she was game. Happy birthday, Helen, and thanks for letting us help you celebrate!

Spring Break

This week the kids didn't have playschool, so we decided to enjoy our Spring Break by taking a mid-week visit to the farm. Mommaw and Pappaw were so excited we came to stay with them for a few days, and Nana decided to join in on the fun as well. During our visit, we picked a few spring flowers, tried to find a lucky clover...




hunted Easter eggs (yes, we are getting a head start this year), took Mommaw outside for a much needed breath of fresh air...went to check on the cows...and baked cookies with Nana.Will made it very clear that he loves tractors and ice cream...while Caroline was tickled pink she got to see one of her favorite cousins...Miriam. When it was time to head home, Caroline decided she needed to go stay a few days with Nana and Pop Buddy, so Will and I made the trip home without her. Hopefully Nana will send us a few photos of what Caroline did during her visit because I'm sure there will be plenty pictures taken!

Spring is in the air...

and we're getting all decked out for it! Caroline and I have been busy sprucing up around the house by decorating for Easter. Some of the things we've been making include an Easter egg tree...and 2 egg wreaths for the front doors. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that the hot glue sticks so we don't have to pick up eggs off the front porch!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

The Nasty Stomach Bug

Our kids have been extremely blessed in the past to have never had a stomach bug, but luck finally ran out and our sweet Caroline was the victim. Friday night Pop and Mimi were in town and treated us to Caroline's favorite...Mexican food. Considering the massive amount of queso, rice and sopapilla she ate, I shrugged it off when she told me her tummy hurt before bed. Instead, I let her hop in the bed with us to help her feelings. Well, before I fell asleep, I heard her sit up, cough and you can guess the rest. Unfortunately, the majority of the surprise landed on me and my side of the bed. After arousing my husband from his slumber, we quickly changed the sheets, cleaned ourselves up a bit and headed back to bed. It never occurred to me that this was anything more than a one-time occurrence. Well, little Will decided to start crying, so I got up to rock him a little and was so glad I did because Daddy was the victim of the next surprise. Thankfully, we have 3 pair of sheets for our bed, so we changed them again. This time, however, I realized we were dealing with something much more serious, so I Lysoled everything, grabbed the hospital pan, and took Caroline in the living room to sleep in the recliner with me. She quickly picked up on how to use the pan, and after about 6 more episodes, she had the bug whipped! She told me that the cold wet rag I put on her head was making her feel much better and that she would be alright. After seeing her like that, I thanked the Good Lord above that we have healthy children who rarely get sick. Usually after church on Sundays, Caroline begs us to go eat Mexican. This Sunday, however, she quickly requested going home to eat. She said, "I don't want any Mehcan today." Bless her little heart!

Okay...I probably shouldn't put a picture of my sick child on the blog, but if I looked this cute after being sick all night, I wouldn't mind. Besides, the picture was taken after she had whipped that nasty stomach bug. She was so glad it was finally over!

My Cuties

Louisiana Saturday Night

This past weekend we made a fun-filled trip to Louisiana. Caroline had requested a "weinee roast" for Saturday night, and you know the grand kids usually get what they want. After playing hard outside all morning long, we headed to the lake Saturday afternoon to meet our cousins and have some fun along the campfire. The kids enjoyed riding the 4-wheeler, riding in the boat and casting a line and playing games with their cousins. The hot dogs were good, but the smores were the best! Caroline and Will were worn out, but come Sunday morning, they were ready to go again. After church, we headed to the park to play before visiting Mamaw Elsie. All and all, we had a great weekend and were able to enjoy this absolutely beautiful weather we're having!

Silhouettes

This morning the kids and I went to see a silhouette artist who was in town. I've always loved silhouettes, so when I heard a professional, Clay Rice, was coming to town, I jumped at the chance to have him capture my little sweethearts with his scissors. After seeing the finished product, I couldn't be happier.

It SNOWED!

Having gone 6 years without seeing snow, we finally lucked up! Yes, late last night we saw some unfamiliar "white stuff" falling from the sky. Even though Caroline was already asleep, I woke her up so that she could enjoy all the fun. I mean, who knows when it will happen again?
Caroline and I have been talking about snow all winter in hopes that we might get lucky since we live a little more north now, so I knew she would be so excited to actually see it. She was and thankfully went back to sleep without too much fuss. When we woke up Sunday morning, we were tickled pink, or "white" I should say, to see that some of it was still hanging around. Daddy helped Caroline make a tiny snowball before we headed off to church and I had the hard task of convincing her to drop it and not take it with her in the car. And of course I took the opportunity to dress the kids in their matching snowmen outfits!

My Lil' Cowboy