Busy. Busy. Busy!

I keep thinking things will slow down; however, I don't think that will happen until summer. It has been a crazy few weeks juggling work, meetings, gymnastics, kiddos, birthday parties, T-ball, laundry, stomach viruses, etc. I'm so grateful for a husband who takes it all in stride and family that is willing to step in and pitch a hand! X-tra thanks to grandma and grandpa and Nana & Papa Doc! Easter was a little crazy this year but we did manage to get a photo of me and the boys.... Tim was behind the camera and joined us after Sunday School for church! As you can see, Zac was ready to bolt and Ben was not happy period!

I don't think that I ever blogged about Nate's Birthday (Friday before Spring Break). We had a big "camping" theme birthday party at our house. 19 boys were present and 2 girls! The kiddos had a blast. We started out at the "special place" and after 5 minutes everyone was soaking wet in the creek.... SURPRISE SURPRISE! We spent part of the party at the creek and the other part in the backyard. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a great time (Tim and I nearly had a nervous breakdown .... ha ha)! We were so glad Nana, Papa Doc, George, Judy, Jenny, Matthew and Miss Molly were able to come celebrate and help coral the kids!

The weather has been so beautiful. We've been trying to spend as much time outside as possible. Last weekend we went for a canoe ride on the Caddo and Tim and the big boys camped across the street at the "special place"! Spending time on the river is a lot of fun this year because Ben actually enjoys being in the canoe! Mater of fact, they left the tents up all week so that they could camp again this weekend! Lots of yummy camp food thanks to the Clay family and Timbo (venison included)! I'll refrain from posting photos here because I have so many to post in this entry! There will be MANY MORE camp out and canoeing pictures this summer!

Saturday we celebrated Z's 5th birthday! I cannot believe my "baby" is 5! He is so funny. I think 5 will be an interesting year for Z.... he is really asserting his independence and his opinions (which oftentimes differ from mine)! No matter what he does, you end up laughing at him, he is just so quirky and funny and dang lovable. He still loves to cuddle and is the world's "kissiest" boy... watch out girls! On his actual birthday we met Tim after work for bowling and Chik-Filet!

His party was at Play-by-Play in Hot Springs and he had a wonderful time running around and eating "Batman" cake! I cannot blog to much about how quickly the boys are growing or I will cry!

It has been a busy few weeks and the upcoming weeks are really wild.... two trips coming up...Chicago with my sis and Melis and Yellowstone with my hubby (early 10 year anniversary trip)! Also, we are excited to have Tim's sister Julie and her precious family come visit us in a couple of weeks! There will be much to blog about so be patient and keep checking!

Our "Staycation"!

Well last week was our spring break (and all of Arkansas')! We had a wonderful week and induldged in a "staycation"! I saw this term on a friend of mine's facebook status and had to steal it! It summed up our week perfectly!

No tropical vacation, with warm sand sifting through our toes, or warm sunshine beating down on our faces, or yummy seafood..... No cold snow freezing on our goggles while flying down hills at breakneck speeds! And you know what... that is O.K. because we had a fabulous time enjoying the "local" attractions as you will see below!

Monday: A day of R&R&R... Rest, Relaxation, and Recuperation! We were pretty lazy this day and made the first of many trips to the store for donuts! The weather wasn't so great so we watched T.V., read books, ate lots of snacks, had naps and rest time! A pretty darn good day!

Tuesday: This day was beautiful! A little windy but still beautiful. Tim was able to take off of work early so when he got home we loaded up the canoe and kayak and did a canoe ride from Caddo Gap to our house! About 3 hours with a stop on a gravel bar for dinner. It was Ben's longest trip to date. Not bad for 2 1/2 ! It was wonderful to be on the river with my boys and they too turns riding in the kayak with me.

Wednesday: Nana and Papa Doc took us to the zoo! The boys chose this as their destination. They had a wonderful time. Nate loved the reptile house and big turtles, Ben loved the train, and Zac just loved it all. It was very crowded so assigned one adult to keep up with one child at all times! After leaving the zoo we ate luch at Chick-Filet, again the boy's choice and then we went to my Memaw and Papa's house. The boys were on their best behavior and of course did not fail to provide everyone with entertainment. Ben loved playing ball with papa and the boys enjoyed going down to the pond. Memaw also managed to steal kisses from the boys. It was so good to spend a little time with them.

Thursday: This was a day of rest and recuperation (I don't know how much I rested but I wasn't wagging people here and there).

Friday: I woke up and decided it was such a beautiful day that I'd take the boys to Albert Pike. I was talking to my friend Anna and suggested that she meet us there. So, me and my 3 boys, and Baylie (precious neighbor girl) met Anna and her 3 boys at Albert Pike. Can we say "constant craziness"! We had a picnic and did a little hiking. Guess who the only 3 wet people were at the end of the trip.... that is right .... my boys!

It was a wonderful Spring Break and it got me really excited for summer! Next blog I'll talk about Nate's 7th birthday party which was the Friday afternoon they got out of school for Spring Break!