Have you called us lately?

Today one of my friends called and asked if I had gotten her message. I told her no because my answering hasn't shown any new messages for several days now. She informed me that when she called she got a spanish message and I realized the problem. My little darlings have been playing with the answering machine, they love to push buttons. Well, they somehow have changed the options to spanish - I don't know spanish and to get the answering machine back to english you have to understand the spanish directions. SO... if any of you know spanish I would really appreciate some assistance. If you call in the meantime, we would love to hear from you but you may not want to leave us a message unless you hear an english introduction :)

Matchy Matchy

I know some think it is crazy but one of my favorite things to do is to dress all three of my girls in matching outfits. If they aren't all in the same outfit they usually coordinate. I especially love Sundays and sundresses! I know it is still a little cool for sundresses but I can't wait. Here are some pictures of us in our matchy matchy outfits!

"Her smile beams like sunshine, which fills our hearts with love."
-- Birgit B.


"Little girls are precious gifts, wrapped in love serene. Their dresses tied with sashes and futures tied with dreams."
-- Author Unknown

Thirteen Thursday

Ok, my friend Danna posted a "Thirteen Thursday" where you list 13 confessions about yourself. So, since this is our family blog, I am listing 13 confessions about our family. I am not proud of all these things but confessing is liberating so here goes!

1. Our family eats late dinner - usually between 6:30 - 7:30, sometimes later!
2. We never wear clothes at our house other than underwear (better knock if you come over unannounced!)
3. Eva Grace stole our neighbors cat! She later told the little girl she did so does that really classify as stealing????
4. I usually do my bible study late the night before rather than a lesson a night!
5. I still bite my fingernails, and now so does Eva Grace!
6. I sleep with my "blankee" every night and have since I was a child! So does Emma, I can't make her give it up because I haven't!
7. I eat junk food in front of my children and won't share! I also hide food so I don't have to share.
8. Burt won't use shampoo and soap, he only uses one and which ever he chooses is his whole body wash!
9. We all brush our teeth in the shower.
10. I pretend I don't know Eva Grace is sneaking television when she is supposed to be asleep.
11. I want to be Emma's teacher favorite parent - I suck up!!!
12. It is a big deal to Burt that the girls marry republicans.
13. Our dryer vent has been disconnected all winter and Burt won't fix it because he thinks it saves on the heat bill and the humidity is good for static electricity!

Ok, I feel a little better now....

Easter 2008

Easter was a lot of fun and very busy this year. Saturday we went to our church egg hunt then to Grandma's to dye eggs and make the traditional bunny cake. Saturday night was busy with trying to prepare as much as possible for Sunday morning (laying out dresses, baths, nails done, ...). Sunday morning was full of Easter Bunny suprises, then church, Grandma's for lunch and egg hunts, and Salsa's Sunday with Nanner and Poppy (We eat at Salsa's every Sunday night!). The girls looked beautiful and several memories were made, including conversations about the true meaning of Easter! It was also Ella's first Easter~ We are so blessed!

It was a semi peaceful night tonight so the thought ran through my mind that I would take a hot bath. Burt said he would watch the girls and make sure they were occupied so I could do this (sweet!). So, I was taking my time, shaving my legs, relaxing.....I Should have known it was too quiet in the house. When I got out of the bathtub and got dressed I walked through the quiet house into the flooded kitchen. Water was all over the tile floor. I have no idea what the girls were doing but they had water everywhere and Ella was having a great time swimming in it. They were getting water out of the refrigerator dispenser in a bowl for something and it kept spilling??? I do have to say that blogging helped their situation because the first thought in my head was where's my camera instead of I'm gonna beat them, that was my second thought. And, you know they can't clean it up with a couple of towels, it took them several -clean, of course! On the bright side, I don't have to mop my floor this week!!
Ohhhh... you ask, where was Burt? I wondered the same thing!

A busy day with 3 kids!

I don't know what it is about all schools having events on the same day and time but that is where having 3 children gets chaotic. Today all 3 girls needed to be in a different place at the same time, each with a seperate adult. Eva Grace's party started at 1 pm so I went to that one for 30 minutes, then Nanner came for the rest and took her home so I could rush across town to Emma's party that started at 2 pm. I had to get to her's early to help her teacher set up. All of this was done with Ella on my hip. I am so blessed to have such a good baby because she never made a peep! I am also blessed to have people in my life to help me when I need help and to be able to be a part of my girls' school activities!

After the parties we all went to the playground to burn off some of that Easter candy energy! Ella LOVES to swing!

Cleaning House

Today the girls decided they wanted to help me clean by helping vacuum. They usually will do anything possible to get out of cleaning so I didn't want to discourage them at all. As you can see, they got out 3 vacuum cleaners and went to work. One can't help but notice Burt, sound asleep on the couch as all of this was going on! Can anyone relate?

Vogue, Vogue, Vogue

Today I really wanted to do something for myself so I decided I would make my girls some dresses for spring. They were very excited about this and wanted to help, as usual. So we got out all our fabric and they were insistant about the lollipop fabric so we made dresses. I have to give my friend Danna credit because she found the material first and is also making her girls dresses out of it as well. Here are Emma and Eva Grace modeling our work. I wanted to monogram them but Eva Grace said no.

Is it Christmas?

YEA!!! Snow!! It's about time. Our family loves snow. I think Burt is actually the biggest fan of it! My girls love it too. What is it about a snowday that puts the Christmas spirit in you? Emma thinks that is Christmas when it snows (because her first Christmas she remembers was a white Christmas) So all day today we found ourselves singing Christmas songs - Deck the Halls, and Santa Clause is Coming To Town were the favorites. Eva Grace would change the words to Santa Clause is Coming to town to Santa Clause is coming to Eva Grace's house. Emma has a point, snowdays do bring that feeling usually associated with the excitement of Christmas. We had a great day. The girls played in the snow, throwing snowballs and trying to build snowmen. Burt rode his 4 wheeler in it and Ella and I watched most of it from the windows. "Thank you, God, for the pretty snow today."

Peeps

What is it about Easter that brings out the candy buying in me! I hardly ever buy junk food for our house but my girls love those Easter Peeps. When they first saw them in the stores they started begging for them. So, yesterday I suprised them and got them some while they were in school. They were so excited! Well, this is why I never buy junk food for our house - yesterday afternoon I went in the kitchen and noticed that Emma and Eva Grace were hiding in the laundry room. When I opened the doors Emma had eatten half the package of Peeps and Eva Grace had her a colorful little pile of Easter Reeces Peanut Butter Cup wrappers. -BUSTED!! How do you think this story ended? The same way similar events at our house end, "Emma told me to." "No I didn't, you're lying." "I not lying, you told me to." argue... argue...argue. How is it that little girls can have so much fun and it all end by arguing? And every other day, arguing without candy!

"I wish to be like mom."

Emma brought this home from school today and it MADE MY DAY!! In case you can't tell read kidspelling, it says "I have a dream, I wish to be like mom." Also, in case you were wondering where this artwork is hanging - it is proudly being displayed on my refrigerator!

Ella's first steps!!!

Ella Ruth took her first steps Tuesday, February 26!! Emma, Nanner and I were trying to get her to get the bear and she took her first independent steps! It wasn't a lot and it will probably be a while before she is really walking (no complaints there!) but I had to record the milestone~