Parfaits and Plants

Last week my Mom sent the kids this cute cookbook in the mail. They were excited about it, and so was I! I have a few other Gooseberry Patch cookbooks, and I think they're all great (I like the illustrations as well as the recipes).Last Sunday night I had to go to the grocery store (least favorite chore), and I told Rhett to choose something for us to make and mark the page so I could buy the ingredients. I loved finding his marked page. :)So after school today we made Pink Peppermint & Oreo Parfaits. (I don't really like peppermints, but with enough Oreos you can make anything taste good!) Rhett crushed the cookies and candy canes (yes, leftover from Christmas).Alexee took a turn.
They liked hanging the candy canes on the side of the parfait glasses.
Rhett snapped one of me pouring in the vanilla pudding/Cool Whip mixture (tinted pink with food coloring).

Mmmm! Snack time!

I was helping Alexee in the other room when Rhett said, "Come here quick and see something!" When I went in the kitchen, this is what he wanted me to see--a bluebird peeking out of our bird house on the back fence!
After the parfaits, we planted the irises that I dug up at my parents' house last weekend. I hope they do well--they're such a pretty flower.

My helpers (C was asleep)

I also planted a mint plant and a cilantro plant in hopes that I will have fresh herbs for Will's Mint Tea and salsa this summer...we'll see!? (It might not be a good sign that the cilantro is drooped over like that?)

Sweet boy!

Side story:
On the way home from school today, R said, "You know what my question was for 'I Wonder Why' time today?"
Me: "No, what?"
R: "I wonder why my dog doesn't wear underwear..." :)

Two banana pepper plants (maybe too much for one pot?)...

The irises along the deck

Azaleas everywhere

I think azaleas must be the most popular plant in our town--they are everywhere, and they have been in full bloom these past few days. They're beautiful! I've enjoyed looking at them so much that I snapped a few pictures out of my car window. :)This yard is amazing--I'd love to have a tour of the house! I wish I had a picture of the tulips that were in bloom at one end of their driveway a few weeks ago.


Driving by the golf course:
As I see all the spring color, I'm reminded of days like this, and how thankful I am for seasons! God is good!

Visiting Grandparents

After school last Friday we drove to my parents' house for the weekend. I hadn't been there since mid-January, and I was getting homesick! The kids are always ready to go, so we were excited. We stopped by Dad's office when we got into town, then we went to the house and Dad grilled/Mom cooked and my Grandparents joined us for dinner.

Alexee asked Granddad Forrest to color with her. She gave him advice on what colors to use to color the kittens. :)

With Mo Nina

Saturday morning, Mo made biscuits and chocolate gravy, as promised--yum!
Saturday was full of outdoor fun. Rhett learned to shoot a BB gun.
I think he hit the target on his very first shot.

Mom and Alexee went to check cows and came back with a lucky 4-leaf clover that they found by the gate. (You have to look closely--it blends in with the pretty green grass. I love April before it gets hot and dry!)

Reading "Jack and the BeanSTOP", as Alexee calls it. :)Dad, Rhett and I went to the farm supply store to look for vegetable plants and containers. I got a few plants but no containers...not sure what I'm going to do? Rhett liked looking at the rabbits there (I did too!). He kept trying to open the door to its cage. I just knew it was going to escape and we were going to have to pay for the run-away rabbit. After plant shopping, Rhett and Granddad worked on their brush piles while Alexee, Crosby, Mo and I went to see my cousin's sheep/lambs. They were running from us, but it was still fun to look.
We tried to get them to stand still by giving them a few of Crosby's Cheerios...that didn't last long enough though.
Sunday morning before church:

Alexee liked the irises that matched her dress.

She's growing up too fast.

After church the kids took rides on Banner. The weather was actually warmer and sunnier on Sunday than on Saturday, which made it even harder to get in the car and leave. :( As usual, tears were shed. Rhett tried hard to convince me that it wasn't really necessary for him to be at Kindergarten on Monday. :)
Crosby didn't quite feel 100% all weekend (cough and stuffy nose). He had a little bit of fever and had a hard time napping. He still enjoyed being outside though.
Mo showing us how to measure a horse.

Blessed!

Such sweet times!

Monday stroll

The weather was too perfect today to not take advantage of it and go for a stroll. I don't have a double stroller--probably wouldn't be able to push it up these hills even if I did--so we rarely go for walks in the neighborhood any more. It was fun today though. I thought of how many miles I must have put on this stroller with Rhett when he was a baby--I used to go on several walks a day just to get him to go to sleep (and if it was raining, I'd stroll him in circles in the dark garage). Six years later, this is my stroller companion...he enjoyed the ride and never fussed. He watched cars and birds and trees. The dogwoods are in bloom right now--it's a pretty time in Arkansas! It will be hot and humid very soon, but today was perfect! Blue skies and a light breeze. My legs were getting tired by the end of our walk. This is the hill coming back to our street. It doesn't seem like much in a vehicle, but it's tough when out of shape and pushing a 25 lb. child in a stroller. :)
When we got back home we sat on the front steps for a while to catch our breath and look at the mail. We were also waiting for Lane to get home for lunch--he had a break between hospital duties today, so he came home for a while to hang out with us!
For the first time ever, Rhett rode the bus home with a friend after school today! He was very excited to get to do that. I was nervous, but I emailed his teacher to ask if she'd please remind him to stay RIGHT with his friend at all times. She wrote back and said not to worry--she'd walk them to the bus herself and everything would be fine! She's wonderful! I also asked Rhett to ask Mrs. Suzanne to call me when he got to her house, and at 2:45 my phone rang! I was happy to hear from her--he was there safely! I picked Alexee up and we came home and started making cookies while Crosby took a nap. Then our neighbor called to invite Alexee over to play with her little girl--A was so happy about that! She loves "Matawie" (Natalie). :)
In between the above events, I worked on cleaning out our office (it still needs work, but I made some progress and hope to finish it up and have Lane hang pictures soon), and I also got caught up on laundry. A family of five results in a lot of laundry--this is just from the weekend! Ironing is on the list for tomorrow...
I woke C up from his nap to go get R at the friend's house while A was playing at the neighbor's. Crosby was still sleepy in this picture (backing out of our driveway).
When I arrived at the friend's house, he and R were climbing the tree in the front yard--you can see them if you look closely:
When we got home we played outside with the neighbors for a while longer. The kids were all hot, hungry and grouchy by the time we came inside. I put the tilapia in the oven and the kids in the tub. They ate a lot tonight--Rhett loves fish--it's one of the few healthy things I can get him to eat. He ate every bite of his, which made me happy! They were all in better moods after dinner. It's been a fun day!

Party Girl

This was a great weekend for Alexee--TWO friends' parties to attend! Maylee turned three and Lindy turned two.

Ready to go!

(I only took pictures at one party because the first one was during the baby shower at my house, so my friend let Alexee ride with her. ) Here are the kids enjoying their pink cupcakes at Lindy's house:

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Just one more Alexee picture I wanted to include...one night last week I went to check on the kids before I went to bed and Alexee's bed was empty! Look where I found her sleeping:

Lane came and lifted her back into bed without her waking up.

Happy Sunday