What better way to spend our Valentine's Day?

Than opening goodies from loved ones and baking goodies with besties?

My sisters amaze me for more reasons than I could ever list on this blog or likely even articulate, but amongst those reasons is their ability to consider my kids at holidays and then take those considerations a step further and create/put together special little things for them. Auntie Angel sent a fun little Valentine package and the girls were uber excited about opening it before breakfast on Valentines morning.

Kennedy was most excited about her lip gloss and nail polish (complete with lip stencils to put the design on her nails). *Don't for one second think that she didn't ask me to paint those lip stencil designs on her nails like a gajillion times each day until I did!

Avery got this darling little bow made by some talented soul (seriously!) and I can't wait for her to wear it.

Next up were cards from their Nana and Pawpaw who are always so incredibly thoughtful and also send little packages from time to time which excites my girls to no end.

These two love a musical card more than I can tell you - it's a riot. Avery was thrilled(clearly) when she realized that her's had "Minnow" aka Minnie on it.

These little gems were also in their package - they are virtually ring pops with a lips instead of a ring. Too funny!

They were so tickled with these and kept wanting t see the pictures I was taking.

Smoochie, smoochie!

After Avery woke up from her nap we headed over to Jennifer's house to do some crafts and baking. Kennedy and I had made two batches of sugar cookies the day before (one batch we made for icing and the other they could cut out together and decorate). I also took some M&M blondies that were to.die.for. First up, they did a craft involving broken crayons and a heart silicone baker.

and voila ~ cute little heart shaped multi-colored crayons: thank you Pinterest!

next in line was the cutting out and decorating of the sugar cookies: always fun!

It was a sprinkletastic mess, but they had fun together and that's all that matters.

While our cookies baked and after the Daddies arrived, we all had supper and then got to icing the cookies K and I baked the day before.

After the cookies were iced, we all made our selections and enjoyed the "fruits" of our labor. It was a great Valentines Day full of love.

My Valentines

As if I needed an excuse to bake with my girls! They L.O.V.E. to help their Momma!

but mostly helping = licking the beaters or spoon or whatever other taste testing they can do while "helping"

see..proof!

Avery said "I'na sit in yap Ke Ke" and big sister obliged.

Love this picture of Avery - she was so serious about her job of putting the Peanut butter blossom dough balls in this heart shaped mold pan - love her little dimply hands.

Oh the anticipation of how the finished product will be.

Between baking  times, I took the opportunity to try to snap some Valentine's Day pictures of the kids in their red and pink.

Maggie and Catherine made these scarves a couple of years ago and I love pulling them out each year - so sweet.

 ~be still my heart~

Avery is always on the move - I usually end up just not even trying to get her to sit still. Years from now we'll look back and see the true Avery!

Although these are Valentine pictures, I took quite a few of Grey because he just turned 6 months old and I wanted to document that milestone as well.

Real men wear pink! 

He's all about his toes lately!

and his fists too....I'm expecting a tooth any day now!

This boy adores his sisters...especially the one that gives him the time of day: guess which one.

I have some pretty sweet and lovable Valentines if I do say so myself.

Shut it Chelsea!

Lest one of my dearest of friends "louds me out" on Facebook again, I figured I'd take some down time tonight to get a blog up ;).
 
I mean, with all the bon bon eating and relaxing and stuff I just haven't prioritized documenting like I should....sigh.

I've been trying to do better about taking pictures of the little man. He is such a happy little thing but the poor boy is in jammies 80% of his life and my hands always seem to be too full to grab the camera like I did with the girls. I love his little smile and the way his eyes get squinty and I love his gummy grins!

 Years from now, I swear I'm going to look back at most of my pictures of Avery and just giggle because she's just funny...she does funny things and I'm thankful that I have sweet little pictures like this to remind me:

 We are aiming to take her pacifier away on or around her 2nd birthday which will be here before we know it. She currently gets her pacifier for night time and nap time and that is it. What this reduced pacifier regimen = NON STOP TALKING! Last week she decided she'd improvise and has been walking around with plastic play pacifiers in her mouth - I'm tellin' y'all - she is a mess!

 My days anymore are pretty routine and pretty scheduled: wake up, snuggle on couch while feeding baby, change diapers, fix breakfast, get dressed (all 4 of us), go to gym/Bible study/Mops (depending on day), have lunch, babies down for nap and K and I do home school, babies up from nap, snack time, outside time or play time until dinner prep/Daddy gets home, bath/story/prayer and bedtime. After the kids are in bed I usually run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to be as productive as possible until I can do no more and I collapse in bed. Then...I.DO.IT.ALL.OVER.AGAIN the next day, and - I wouldn't rather be doing anything else! Anyhow - usually once Tim gets home he rough houses with the kids while I finish dinner prep and sometimes we have some free time to play before bath time and bed time routine but usually I'm with Grey or cleaning the kitchen after dinner and Tim's with the girls. Every now and then Grey takes a late nap and I get to play with the girls but it's not often that a)Grey is napping then and b)I have the energy to participate in said rough housing. Here recently I did  participate and my hubs caught it on film (which I am thankful for although I'm not a huge fan of pics of myself in my "mommy uniform"...aka sweats or yoga pants).

 ~silly girls~

 Last week my best friend from middle-high school, Allison, came to visit with her daughter Betty. We had a great time socializing and playing and I took a few pictures of them because like me...she's always on the other side of the camera. I love her little smile in this picture.

 Just another spontaneous play moment caught on film - she was microwaving her pretend Valentine's chocolates which she calls "Choca". What you cant see is that she would press the button and then kick each leg as if patiently waiting on her "choca" to cook and then she'd open the microwave door and run it over to me and say "heh go Momma".

 Brace yourself for some sweet baby action:

 

Next up I'll be sharing the 962 Valentine pictures I took over the course of three days. I'm such a SUCKER for all things holiday! Y'all have a great weekend!

Moments

Lately I feel like my days are just passing by in a blur. I don' t know if it's life with three kids or if it's the daily routine we seem to keep that makes time fly by or what, but I really want to remember some of the routine/regular but special moments with my kids.

 

Moments with my almost two year old Avery. She is spunky, funny, wild and SO much fun! She loves to dress up in just about anything - accessories, big sisters clothes, little brothers clothes, household items - you name it and she'll try to put it on!

People are always telling me what a trip she is but that she seems as though she's giong to give me a run for my money. She's giving us a run for our money people - there is no "going to" about it. Luckily the fact that she is so cute seems to make the aforementioned run a little less painful.

 Moments with my handsome sweet little lovable Grey. He will be 6 months old in a few days and it almost hurts me - I just love every moment of being with him and being his Mommy. I tell him all the time that he's "just so kissable" and he is!

 Moments of watching these two develop their relationship. They are the BEST of friends. Don't get me wrong....they bicker just like all other siblings, but for the most part they are so sweet to each other and they have so much fun running around this house and playing all kinds of make believe games and pretending to be every imaginable character under the sun!

 I love these precious t-shirts from their Great Aunt Kathryn and I hope every word on them is true - that my girls will "Always love Jesus".

 Avery loves her babies and loves to take care of them - rock them, feed them, stroll them and even carry them in her little front pack.

 I love those moments when I stumble upon Kennedy playing with her little brother...not because I asked her to, but because she wanted to. Greyson ADORES her as you can see in this picture. Kennedy is such a nurturer and it's just really sweet to watch her grow and want to be of help to her Daddy and I in any way that she can - even with her siblings.

 This big girl lost her second tooth on 01-11 and I think she was more excited about using her new/hand me down tooth fairy pillow from her cousin Catherine than she was about losing the tooth and or getting a visit from the tooth fairy. Ha! Moments like this are reminding me that she's growing up. She has been wiggling one of her top teeth for well over a week so before I know it #3 will have bit the dust!

 My little sweet cheeks.

My big girls

 

Last weekend Tim and I went and visited a local elementary school for their information session and registration for the upcoming school year. I've been homeschooling Kennedy and have literally enjoyed every moment of my time spent with her. She has learned so much since we started and it's been such an awesome experience to be with her and watch her grown and learn, but we're open to what the Lord wants for her and for our family where school choice is concerned. If homeschooling is what is in our future I'm good with that, but if there is a spot in this school for her, I'm good with that too (though I know it will be hard). The school I'm talking about is a charter school and the way one gets into this particular school is by lottery. We have officially entered Kennedy into the lottery for kindergarten and we should know on March 3rd whether or not she was drawn and will have a spot for the upcoming school year. I really want to have her where God wants her to be and I think at this point we feel really great about the school and thankfully it's pretty cut and dry...either God closes that door and I home school her next year, or he leaves it open and there is a place for our sweet girl there.

On the way home from the session, I just kept thinking and even said out loud to Tim "how did we get here". I mean, it's just crazy that my baby is about to go to school! If she gets into this school, classes begin in July because they are on a year round schedule versus the traditional summers off type of schedule. Y'all, July will be here before I know it. Now you understand the title of this posting...I'm trying to savor every one.