James and his Papa

James decided to spend time with his Papa after Sunday lunch. Maybe he
will learn how to do the dishes...early!

What a Wednesday!!

This morning Maggie's hair was a mess to no avail...



so, we tried a cute little Pony Tail!


James' sweet smile I simply adore...



even when he wants to roarrrrr!!!


They just bring a smile to my face when I get to spend extra time with them in the morning. We get the day started on the right foot!

Give me your tomorrow...

Dada played his guitar for us while singing a couple of songs. My personal favorite was him singing If I were a Carpenter by Johnny Cash. James and Maggie were fascinated...they wanted to climb just to be close to him.

DIY: How to Wrestle & Capture a 20 pound BEAR...(minus the fur)!

Step 1: Rub lotion on the bear, so that you have a slippery grip. (this lotion will eventually be rubbed off either on your clothes/carpet/changing pad)

Step 2: As the bear begins to roll; grab slippery body and attempt to roll it back to it's original position. (Bear begins to laugh at your struggle)

Step 3: Repeatedly tell the bear that it needs to be still. (Bear rolls its eyes and laughs again...being still is not part of the vocabulary)

Step 4: Threaten to the pin the bear with the patented Noh-Moh-Rol-Awei leg pin: You will need to place your leg atop the body of the bear (gently of course), this will prohibit the flailing of arms and spontaneous rolling. (Bear begins to laugh harder at your struggle...)

Step 5: Attempt to entrap the Bear with a elastic garment...to prevent any leaks due to the afore mentioned laughter. ( Most likely...garment will go on crooked, and will need adjustments; however, the constant roll away tactics require you to revert back to Step 4)

Step 6: Now, the Bear begins to get angry...they were patient in the beginning, laughing at your struggle; now, they are howling/screeching and grabbing at anything that will help them pull away. Hold on tight this is where the fun begins. (this is not really a step, just an observation in the routine...)

Step 7: Attempt to calm the bear, while still trying to be productive in attempts to capture the bear. Pull out the protective suit..this will be used to cover the bear during caging.

Step 8: Begin by grabbing an arm to slip through the sleeve of the suit...watch out the bear will attempt to grab the inside of the sleeve and not allowing the arm to fully push through.

Step 9: Attempt to sleeve the other arm, without losing the first arm to the quick withdrawal reflex. This is tricky, so once both are in sleeves, attempt to button first few snaps...totally for your own protection.

Step 10: As the bear begins to crawl away, grab one leg and attempt to entrap it in the attached foot pocket. This will not be easy as you are trying to prevent the roll away, the roll and crawl, and barrel roll maneuvers from the bear. (you may need to use the Noh-Moh-Rol-Awei leg pin as explained in Step 4)

Step 11: Begin to click all snaps between legs and foot pockets. Watch out for attempted roll away as the bear begins to feel comfortable in the suit.

Step 12: Once suit is completely snapped, tackle suited bear and place in cage.

You have 12 steps to a successful bear capture. Good Luck!

FYI: this is how we spend each evening after bath time trying to get the kiddos into their pajama's!

Thanksgiving Thursday!

God has blessed me with a family beyond my wildest dreams! I love them and pray that God will bless and keep them. These were some fun pics from Papa Ed!

Part Trois Father's Day/100th Post/A Bunch of Photos...You get the Idea, Lots Going ON!!!

The MoMs Blog is hosting a Blog carnival...and I am playing along. This is my 100th post, so I tried to make it a good one...well, I at least tried to post a bunch of Father's Day Photos. We had my whole family and Keith's whole family over to celebrate Father's Day. This was definitely a first...Keith's First Father's Day (James and Maggie outside, not in), Papa Ed's first Father's Day as a Poppa, and my Dad's First Father's Day with both daughters and three grandchildren. God really blessed us with a beautiful day!

Keith with his first Father's Day shirt...with James and Maggie's hand prints!

Poppa with his First Grandpa Shirt...

Paw Paw with his shirt, and knowing all of his grandchildren were there...priceless!

Keith and his Mom...

Poppa and Maggie

Aunt Mae-Mae with Ggie, Ggie


Dada with James (he loves to splash)

Most Handsome Dada!

So, who has the best Cannon Ball???

Someone forgot to get the ball (out of the air)...hummm?

Mama...

What makes Dads So Great! (Part Deux of the Father's Day posts)

Well, there are several dads that I have the opportunity of knowing, and I am definitely better for it!

Keith: Handsome, Strong, Faithful, Loving, Confident, Funny, Prince Charming, SuPeR DaDa, Sun Buddy (he likes to lay out by the pool with me), Helper, Confidant, Honest, Soul Mate, Hard Worker, Doer, Non-Complainer, Jungle Gym (for James and Maggie), Mine, God Follower, Husband, Son, Silly, Hugable, Dependable, Excitable, and He makes my heart overflow on a daily basis!

My Dad (Paw Paw): Great Dad, Strong, Do-It-Yourselfer (I learned everything from him), Listener, Lovable, Funny, Thinker, Faithful, Fish Slayer, Dependable, Honest, Super Awesome Paw Paw, Builder, Godly, Friend, Helper, Would not have made it without him, Thankful, and I love him more than words can express!

Papa Ed (Poppa): FIL (he took me as one of his own), Loving, Friendly, Thinker, Super Smart (HE will teach J&M Algebra), Super Handy, Gardener, Husband, Funny, Do-It-Yourselfer, Godly, Strong, Patient, Dependable, Thankful, and he has become the best Poppa to James and Maggie.

I saw these words (okay, it's a poem) and they really struck a cord (OKAY...I cried) with me.

Walk a Little Slower Daddy

"Walk a Little slower, Daddy." said a little child so small.
I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up, You're what I want to be.
Then I will have a little child who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;
So, walk a little slower, Daddy,
for I must follow you!!

- Author Unknown