I just can't seem to get enough...

Of these precious faces!  Sometimes I just like to sit and watch my kids talk and play and eat because I cherish their little faces so much.  It makes me sad to think that they are changing and growing all of the time.  The face I saw at breakfast this morning (with cocoa crispy rings around the mouth) will not be the same little face I'll see tomorrow morning (the cocoa crispy rings, however, remain a constant).  So, I'm eating up those little expressions, round cheeks, big blue eyes and little pink mouths--cocoa crispy rings and all--and treasuring them in my heart. They are a daily reminder of God's goodness to me.

Spring Fever

I decided to go with my friend to have some Spring pictures taken of our kids.  It was really fun.  The last time we went to a photographer's studio, the kids were much younger and it did not go so well.  They did a great job.  Here are a few of my favorites.  I don't usually like the themed backdrops, but for some reason, I did like this one.  

A day without television...

This is the result of a day without television.  I had begun to notice a pattern in my parenting recently.  I was putting my kids down in front of the tv for an hour each morning so I could "get a few things done".  Instead, I would read a little, check my e-mails, talk on the phone, etc.  So today I instituted a tv ban, more for me than for my kids.  The kids didn't even ask to watch anything, which goes to show who the tv was really serving.  They played play-do, danced to music, helped me clean a little, and played "indians".  We had lunch together as a family, which was rare as I am usually using lunchtime to play catch up on my chores.  And, the most surprising thing of all, I actually got MORE accomplished this morning than I usually do.  So, apparently the tv wasn't really serving any of us well.  I am not anti-tv, but I am happy to know that I don't need it like I thought I did.  Hmm...I'm starting to sound like my mother.

I thought these "Indian" pictures were funny.  As you can see, Hannah has a vastly different impression of Native Americans than Harry has.  I guess Harry has watch Pocahontas too many times.  I'll have to re-educate him on his early American history.  I did make him smile sweetly for one of the pictures.  And I do mean "make", as it was not done willingly.   

Cousin Love

We had a great visit with our cousins this past week!  It was so fun to see the kids playing together--MJ is just now able to keep up with Harry and Hannah.  Liam is still a small fry and unable to join in on the shenanigans, but he is was very generous with his smiles and laughter.  Ken and I really enjoyed spending time with Jo and Denver as well.  The guys knocked several items off of my "to-do" list while Jo and I hit the outlet malls.  All in all, it was a great visit.  I'm just sad that we live so far apart!  These are some pictures from our zoo trip.

Mellow Mushroom

Ken and I were so excited when we learned that our FAVORITE pizza place was opening up down the road from us.  We waited in anticipation (driving by all the time), waiting for the "Now Open" sign to appear out front.  Finally, it opened up and we took the kids to experience Mellow Mushroom.  The pizza is great, but I realized the other day, just why I love this place so much.  When Ken and I started dating, we would occasionally go on dates to Auburn, Alabama, where Ken went to college.  Almost every trip involved us eating at the Mellow Mushroom there.  I associate that restaurant with falling in love with Ken.  It's just fun when life begins to come full circle.  Who would have thought on those dates, almost 10 years ago, that we would be sitting around eating pizza with our two little blond-haired blue-eyed children!  My cup runneth over!