New Wheels

Friday evening, we went to Evansville...mostly to car shop, but I needed more ribbon for bow orders too. We enjoyed a good meal at Red Lobster while we were there. Brynna could barely stay awake through dinner. She is so exhausted on Friday evenings after spending two days at daycare.

We were spoiled with good meals over the weekend! Mandi and Andre' invited us to their house after church. She made a delicious new chicken that I can not wait to try out! It has a tomato basil marinade and artichoke & parmesan spread stuffed inside the chicken. Oh so yummy! The girls would have stayed and played all day, but we knew they needed to rest before going to Small Group. Aaron and Mandy hosted. My plate was running over with food. She made pork BBQ, one of my favorites! It was a smaller group than usual, which made for a nice, relaxing evening.

Yesterday, we went up to my Grammy and Gramps' to see Tomi and Noah. Tomi is my cousin who lives in Texas now. She's a teacher there but always comes home to visit during her spring break. While we were there, her sister stopped in with her kids. I was excited since I hadn't seen her new baby yet. Baby Lane was just born on the 6th. He looks a lot like his brother Luke, minus the red hair! :) Then we had lunch with Aunt Trista and stopped to see Mamaw at work. Alex and I have been contemplating some changes to our house plans. I had the chance to discuss them with my parents yesterday. Now I feel like we've made the right decisions and I can't wait to get them finalized. We're going tomorrow for our last visit with the drafter. Then they will be official! Now, let's just pray everything fits in the budget, b/c we all know Alex does not exceed budget! ;)

Noah, Braylee, Brynna, Luke and Lane

This morning, I remembered to dress the girls in their new shamrock shirts from Great-Granny and put green bows in their hair. I said, "Girls, we need to wear our St. Patrick's Day shirts!" Brynna says, "Patwick's Day?!" Braylee asks, "Who is Patrick?" Well...I don't really have good answers, but we're wearing green! :) At the library, they made shamrocks with green construction paper. Brynna was very excited when I later showed her a real clover in the yard. After library time, we met a bunch of friends at the park for lunch...love this weather! Our group included Mandy, Mandi, Abby, Greta, me and our kids. Then we ran into Courtney and Brittany and other people we knew too. The kids were filthy by the time we left. This afternoon, the girls were playing outside and Braylee asked if they could paint. I completely forget where I saw this idea, but I smashed up sidewalk chalk and watered it down. The girls loved it!!
This evening, we drove back down to pick up the car Alex found on Friday night. I found it appropriate that it has a Notre Dame "Got Irish?" sticker in the back window since we purchased it on St. Patrick's Day. :) (We're Zeller fans, but I'm still scraping it off.) On the way home, we stopped for ice cream and Brynna had her first "very own" ice cream cone. She was thrilled!

Hooray for Spring Weather!

Last weekend, Alex was coaching at a basketball tournament. So, I took the girls to church by myself. They were doing great until we were singing the hymn after the sermon...Brynna fell between the pews and smacked her head on the ground. :( She immediately had a huge goose egg...poor little thing! She let me put ice on it and was acting like nothing happened within a few minutes. After I put Brynna to bed Sunday night, I went in to check on her and found her in her tap shoes. :) She loves those things! Tuesday, we went to story time and the girls made a lion at the library.

On Wed. night at church, I was telling my friends how healthy my girls have been this winter. Wouldn't you know it...I received a call before noon on Thursday that Brynna had a fever. :( She slept the afternoon away in my office, running 103-104 fever. Once she woke up, I did a quick exam. She had an ear infection and mild tonsillitis. She kept gagging during the evening and saying, "I have soap in my mouth, Mommy!" She ended up falling asleep in her chair that night, so sweet. Since Brynna couldn't go to daycare on Friday because of the fever, the girls spent the day at my parents' house. They said Brynna was playful all day though, so we went ahead and let her go to the BR game that evening. Well, you all know how I feel about how that game went...so sad. Saturday, the girls and I ran around visiting all day. First, we went to my friend Shana's baby shower. As soon as we walked in, Braylee spotted the lovely cheesecakes. She couldn't wait to try them! We stopped by McDonalds and saw some other friends we hadn't seen for awhile. Then on to Granny and Pa's house... Braylee wanted to go see all of the piggies on Pa's farm, but I told her I didn't want to smell like a pig barn for the rest of the day! ;) The next stop was Grammy and Gramps'. Gramps looked fantastic! (Unfortunately, he ended up getting sick during the night and was rushed back to Indy. Thankfully, the doctors think they have fixed the problem, and he's home now! PTL!) While we were there, Aunt Trista stopped by too and we were all laughing at Brynna's moves. She is such a dancer/poser! Then, we went to my mom and dad's house. The girls must have pulled out every bear Mamaw owns! Sunday morning came too early with the time change! We picked up chinese on the way home from church, yum!! That evening, we went to church to watch the movie, Fireproof. The movie is really inspirational. Plus, it was nice to go to a movie and have childcare provided too! After the movie, Lillie came home with us. The girls dressed up Leila...too funny. In the picture below, she has on a Hello Kitty shirt and a cheer skirt! :)

Brynna, Braylee, & Max at Sectional

Visiting Granny

Yesterday when I took Lillie home, it was gorgeous outside, so Abby and I took the kids for a walk. Once we were home, we spent the evening playing outside. Today, we went to story time at the library as usual. Then we had lunch with Abby and Mandi and their kiddos. We spent pretty much the entire afternoon/evening outside. We skipped dinner time and didn't come in until 7pm. I was surprised the girls weren't begging to come in for dinner b/c they are always asking when the next meal is! :) I think they were enjoying the warm weather as much as I was. The girls took their babies for a walk in their little strollers and then played in the sand box while I worked in my landscaping.

Not sure how to describe this feeling...

I know I'm way over due for an update, but I can't think about much else at the moment than the basketball game I just witnessed. Perhaps I wasn't born a BR Viking, but I've been a true BR fan for 13 years now. I've watched some glorious victories over the years... from Landon's final shot against Loogootee in 1997 to Josh's amazing 3 pointer in the 2007 Semi State and countless other final minutes that seem magical...you know, the ones Albert captures in slow motion on the Road to Glory tapes. :) I've also seen some devastating loses...the ones where the last shot bounced out or a little mishap caused a game-changing turn-over. But, this is unprecedented. A WIN that's counted as a loss.

Celebration after Semi-State win 2007

Tonight, Barr-Reeve was down by one point with 4.1 seconds left (I think). Trey nailed a shot...a shot that clearly left his hands before the buzzer went off. Unfortunately 2 referees chose not to call anything and another said it didn't count. We went from complete jubilation, knowing BR and Coach Hughes had pulled off another magical victory, to complete confusion and devastation only seconds later when we realized they had not counted the shot. WHAT??!! It's simply not fair that one man could decide such a big call by himself?! Ya ya, I know...life's not fair.

At one point, I know some people probably thought the game was over when we were down by 10 with less than 5 minutes to go, but I couldn't help but think about Aaron Ash scoring 9 points in 6 seconds (ok, it really wasn't THAT magical, but I don't remember exactly how it went down) on that very same floor several years before. I was nervous but had a feeling our boys could pull it out. After the game, I thought it might almost feel better if Trey had missed the shot, because then we could have accepted it as a true loss. That brief moment of thinking it might have been better if he had missed it is gone...the truth is, BR won the game regardless of who gets the W by their name in the paper. A WIN marked as a loss.

For those not from Southern Indiana (or those who didn't get the Hoosier-hysteria-basketball gene!), it's hard to understand how upset we could be over a silly basketball game. And sure, it's just a game, but here...here it's different. These boys grew up hearing stories about their dads playing at BR. They've been dribbling basketballs since they were able to walk, and at least as far back as I can remember, we've been talking about how THESE boys had a chance at State this year. Alex and I have been traveling to watch these boys play ball since they were in 4th and 5th grade. They are our Bible Memory boys! I am so upset for them and their families. It's hard to comprehend as a fan...I can't imagine being one of the players, coaches, or parents.

With my favorite player Ethan.

Still trying to figure out why it ended like this. ???

The Beloved 'Bu is dead.

Alex's Malibu that is. Alex was only 0.5 mile from home this morning when he over-corrected after going off the side of the road a bit. It spun his car around and slammed him into an embankment area, flipping the car a couple of times...very similar to what happened to me this past summer. Of course I was scared when I got his phone call this morning, but he assured me he was ok. I asked him if he needed me to come get him, but he said he had called a wrecker and he'd have them drop him off at home. He later told me that he didn't want me or the girls to see the car...guess it's pretty banged up. I am sooo thankful Alex is ok...my worst nightmare is to lose Alex or one of my girls. But...I'm not too upset about the car. ;) For those who know us well, you know we often joke about Alex's "purple grandma car"...and literally, we bought it from a guy who was selling his deceased mother's possessions! Alex is all about finding the best deal...no matter what the color or style, if it gets good gas mileage, has low miles and a low ticket price, it's his kind of car! :) So, who knows what we'll get this time. Personally, I would jump for a Toyota Prius, but I doubt it's in the budget since we pay cash for vehicles. Please be praying for us to find something that meets Alex's car criteria quickly. It might be a good idea to pray for our insurance policy too! :)

How Sweet it Is!

Friday, the girls wore their special shirts to daycare. I was glad Braylee was feeling better so she wouldn't miss her Valentine party. Even though Brynna looks perfectly fine in this picture, by 8:30 daycare had already called to tell me Brynna had started with diarrhea. :( Poor thing. Braylee was able to stay and enjoy the day though...and brought home lots of goodies.Saturday morning when the girls woke up, we made heart-shaped pancakes and said a little prayer for baby Andon's family.
The girls couldn't wait to open their Vday gifts. They each received a new swimsuit and Princess stickers and candy. Braylee had an extra surprise, a swimsuit cover up. Brynna gets to inherit Braylee's old one. ;) The girls were definitely in the mood to model on Sat. morning.

Then, it was time for Mommy to go to work at the Quick Care Clinic...and Daddy had already been gone to his bball tournament all morning. Bridgette came to babysit. The girls were sooo excited. She brought them heart-shaped ring pops and sugar cookies with icing! She took some pictures of Brynna enjoying her cookies, so cute!
Once Alex was home, he brought the girls by the clinic to give me a card. I could tell right away it was a card that played music, but I was so surprised when I opened it and heard each of my girls say "I love you, Mommy." Then the song "How Sweet it is to be Loved by You" played. I just about started crying, but I held it in since I was at work. If only you could have seen the girls too...only a dad would take them out of the house looking the way they did! :)

Sunday after church, we were sitting at the dinner table when Brynna fell out of her seat. She exclaimed, "I dropped me-self!" She is such a silly girl! The girls went down for naps while I put things together for small groups that evening. This is how I found Braylee...my kids do such weird stuff at nap time!
During small group, Brooke made the comment that we hadn't heard from Braylee and Willow for awhile. It wasn't long before Willow walked into the family room with bright red toes. Oh Dear, I thought! When I went to the bathroom door (which was locked), I said, "Braylee?" Immediately, I heard, "Soooorrryy." in an I-know-I'm-in-trouble tone of voice. Luckily, they did manage to keep most of the nail polish on themselves, but still...what a mess!
Yesterday, the sun was out and while it was still cold, the girls decided they wanted to spend some time outside. Then Aunt Trista did a little shopping with us.

Brynna's 1st Haircut

Monday, we met Mandi, her kids, and Gramma at McDonalds for lunch. I wasn't feeling the best...had a horrible headache all day. I knew something was starting with Braylee too. I found her back in bed 3 times before we ever even made it to McDs, but she said she was just tired. She ran a low grade temp of 101 in the afternoon but seemed fine otherwise. We even made cupcakes that evening!
Yesterday morning, I went to baby Andon's viewing. My heart continues to ache for them. Please remember Chelsa, Ryan, and their families daily in your prayers.

I picked up my girls and headed to my parents' house. We took the girls to Aunt Trista's salon...or beauty shop as the girls call it. This was Brynna's first turn in the salon chair! I have such a hard time with that first cut! Braylee was even older when she got her 1st trim. Braylee went first yesterday to show Brynna how it's done. On the way there she had said, "Mom, make sure Trista knows I only want a TRIM! And this is even the last trim I'm getting!" She always tells me how she wants long hair like Aunt Tracee. :) While Brynna waited her turn, Mamaw pulled out all of the goodies she and Papaw had brought from Hawaii for the girls...hair clips, jewelry, and Hawaiian paper dolls. So cute! Brynna was such a good girl when it was her turn and sat very still. Trista evened it up and gave me a few of those sweet first-cut curls for her baby book. Once we were done, of course we had our usual lunch...Mexican. Yum!

Braylee's ready for her trim.

Look how cute her little legs look sticking straight out.
Getting ready for the first snips...
Handing me the curls...
Post trim, looking cute!
Thanking Aunt Trista and showing off their new paper dolls.

Braylee seemed fine all day, but as the evening wore on, she started complaining of a belly ache. She had a rough night, so Alex stayed home with the girls today. Braylee left me such a funny voicemail today that I nearly choked on my sandwich when I listened to it! After a long nap this afternoon, she seems back to her normal self and had seconds at dinner! :) The girls are excited about their Valentine party tomorrow. I hope Braylee is able to go!

Happy Birthday, Grandma-Great!

Saturday night, we went to the Barr-Reeve Homecoming game. The girls filled up on too much junk as usual...nachos, popcorn, and candy. Can you believe on the way home Braylee asked if she could have a snack before bed?! :)

Today after church, we went to Grandma-Great's house (Alex's mom's mom) to celebrate her 85th birthday. She tells some of the best stories and we enjoy our visits with her.
We tried to get a picture of some of the great-grandkids together...easier said than done! :) (I'll put the sibling groups in the same color.)

Brody, Addison, Sydney, Trista, Brent, Braylee, Ella, Brynna, Eli, Gabe, and Grace
Gramma and Pappy's 4 Little Sweeties

Braylee & Bridgette (Bridgette was Braylee's age when Alex and I started dating!)
Loving the warm front that came through!!

11 years

Alex and I have officially been together for 11 years now. I remember there was a ton of snow on the ground then too. We had spent extra time hanging out together since classes had been cancelled. Within two weeks, I had a feeling he was "the one." Within a couple of months, we were talking about marriage. By the time the spring semester was over at the beginning of May, we knew we were meant for each other and had already talked about naming our little girl Braylee some day. When I told my parents that summer that I knew he was the one, they said they already knew. :) It's been 11 wonderful years, with many more to come.