Soccer, painting & cupcakes

Today was the last day of the Upward soccer season. Our games have been at 9:00 every Saturday morning, and there have been several games where it was really windy and chilly and we wished we'd packed blankets. Not today! It was HOT and we needed sunscreen (luckily the church provided sunscreen because I forgot to bring ours). Rhett had a blister on his foot, so he didn't think he would be able to run very fast. We told him this was his last game of the season and he needed to be tough and play hard.

Part of the team ("Pumas").
We were happy when our friends Bobby and Charla showed up to watch the game--Thank you guys for coming! Alexee had fun sitting in Charla's lap.
Look who can balance standing up! He's walking quite a bit now...on May 17th it sort of "clicked" for him and he started walking a lot that day!
The team having their half-time devotion. Upward is such a neat program.
When we got home I rolled out paper for R & A to paint on in the back yard. I bought a new box of washable finger paint earlier this week and thought it would be a fun project for them. They did enjoy it, but it wasn't long before they got bored with the paper and decided to paint themselves. I looked out the kitchen window and Alexee had her clothes off and she'd painted herself, including her hair! After Rhett saw me laughing, he asked if he could do the same (Alexee didn't bother asking permission!). They looked so funny, and it was good to see them having fun together. I washed them off with the water hose--cold!!--before I let them come in to take a shower.

I wonder if this was the moment when the idea popped into her head about painting herself instead of the paper?!

This afternoon we made cinnamon & sugar cupcakes. I always loved when my Aunt Linda made these when we were kids!

Recipe:

-Just use a yellow cake mix to bake cupcakes (I used regular size cupcakes this time, but I've used a mini-muffin pan before, which is cute for a baby shower brunch, etc.)

-While the cupcakes are still warm, dip them in melted butter then roll them in a sugar & cinnamon mixture.

Sprinkler fun and plants

The days are getting warm here! Time for the sprinkler in the back yard! Rhett and Alexee had fun running through the water yesterday after we picked R up from school.My hydrangea's leaves looks healthy, but I'm so disappointed that it only has ONE bloom on it (it had two, but Alexee picked one a few weeks ago). Any suggestions on how to make it bloom more?
Our day lilies are blooming a lot though! (Alexee likes to pick these too.)
And my two banana pepper plants are blooming.
One of the things I like about this time of year: good fruit

Last night I made piecrust hearts and fresh whipping cream to go with strawberries and blackberries. Mmmm! (I'm hoping to go to Flippin while the blackberries are ripe so I can pick lots for FREE--I really don't like paying for blackberries at the grocery store!)

Thirty-Five

Today my parents celebrate THIRTY-FIVE years of marriage! We are so thankful for them.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad. We love you.

Baseball game

Well, we didn't actually see any baseball played...the storm moved in before the game even got started. But we had fun eating and visiting with friends anyway! Lane's parents came up yesterday and met us for church then they kept Alexee & Crosby while Lane and I took Rhett to a Travelers game.

The guys with the tickets:

In front of the stadium (it's only a few years old and really nice--we decided we should go more often!)

It was sunny when we got there, but we knew there was a good chance of bad weather coming our way.

Rhett located a cotton candy stand right away...

...And a frozen lemonade stand

But then the clouds started getting darker and darker, and they covered the field:We decided we'd better make a run for the car! We hope to go back soon though.

Barking Buddy Dog Biscuits

On Saturday we decided to try making homemade dog biscuits from the GooseBerry Patch kids cookbook that Mom gave us. (Here's the recipe in case you want to try it for your pup!) We didn't have molasses, so I used a mixture of honey and syrup instead.Alexee insisted on trying a bite, even though I told her I didn't think she'd like the garlic taste.
They had fun with the cookie cutters. Bogart had quite an assortment of Christmas tree, angel, moose, dragonfly, heart, teacup, star, butterfly, pumpkin and stocking treats.
Crosby didn't take a long nap that morning, so he got in on the project (well, playing with cookie cutters and drinking milk).
Once the treats were cool, Rhett and Alexee let Bogart try them. I think this one is funny--can you see his eye?
Mmmmm! He liked them!

Field Day

Today was field day at Rhett's school. He's been excited about it all week, and luckily the weather cooperated! When I arrived, the kids were having lots of fun at the dance station:Rhett & friends from his class:
Their last stop before lunch was the snow cone station. I checked him out after his picnic lunch, so he had a short day but a fun day. He's had a great kindergarten year--I really can't believe it's almost over. I'm thankful for his wonderful teacher and new friends. It's been so neat to see him learn to read and become more independent and confident. Only 15 more school days until SUMMER BREAK!

Mother's Day

It has been a special Mother's Day. Lane got up with C at 5:45 this morning and let me sleep a little longer (thanks, L!), Not too long after that the other two kiddos were up, and R wanted to make me breakfast in bed. They served me a yummy meal of toast (one cinnamon, one with strawberry jelly), bacon and apple slices. When Alexee climbed on my bed she said, "Momma, are you sick?" :) I told her I wasn't and that it was Mother's Day and I felt so special. The very next thing she said: "When is it Daddy's Day?" Guess it's no secret that she's a Daddy's Girl. :) Thanks for breakfast, guys and gal--what a treat! Lane took our picture before church...so thankful for these sweet children. I love being their Mom! I hope they know every minute of every day that they are loved and that they bring me such JOY.Then Lane took a picture of me with each sweet child individually.

Rhett...

Our church had a baby dedication ceremony this morning, and it reminded me of my first Mother's Day in 2004 when we had R's dedication--he was less than two months old. Those years went by fast. Now he's reading, playing outside with friends (without me), losing baby teeth, and talking about how he's almost a 1st grader. Oh, and he learned how to tie his own shoe last Thursday night before soccer practice--he was so proud! I could be wrong, but I think this boy will ALWAYS look out for his Momma. I often ask him, "Do you promise to always give me hugs, even when you're as big as Daddy?", and he always says, "I promise."Alexee...
I love how she says "girl"--she pronounces it "gerel". And I love how she says to me, "Me and you are the only gerels in this family so we have to stick 'togeder' ". I LOVE having boys, but I'm also very thankful to have someone who asks me to paint her fingernails pink, likes to wear dresses and bows and likes to pick flowers (like yesterday when she ran out on the soccer field to pick a tiny yellow flower and she held it in her hand until we got back to the car). She is sweet and funny and full of energy. She makes us laugh every day. Crosby...
And then there's this sweet baby boy. I smile every night when I go in his room and put my hand on his back to feel him breathing (and he makes me smile a thousand other times throughout the day). From the day I found out I was expecting baby #3, I was 99.9% sure that "it" was going to be a boy...I just knew in my heart he would fit perfectly in our family, and I'd be absolutely crazy about him. And I was right! :)
After church Alexee and Crosby took naps and Rhett did an archeological dig in the back yard. :) He got this neat fossil kit yesterday at Mid-America Museum when he went there with his Grammy and cousins. He worked at this for a long time and discovered three fossils.


After his nap we got C to take several steps in a row (5 or 6, I think) by holding the TV remote out in front of him (Lane's idea)--he loves the remote, so it was good motivation for him! Tonight we went out to dinner at P.F. Chang's--a good way to end the weekend!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, Grandmother and to Lane's Mom...
We love you all!