Field Trips

Both girls went on field trips this spring and I am just now getting around to blogging about them.  Allison's preschool class went to the Children's Museum in Oak Ridge.  We went there with Lauren's class a couple of years ago, so Allison remembered a little about it.  She couldn't wait to get to the life size doll house.  I must admit, that's one of my favorite parts of the museum, too!  The trip was around Easter, so they got to have an Easter Egg hunt along with a picnic.  

Allison in the doll house living room

Allison and Chase...I was taking this picture of Allison outside the dollhouse and Chase ran up and jumped in the picture!

Allison and Chase

Allison outside the Dollhouse exhibit

Allison and Carisma at the water room

Carisma, Wynsar and Allison waiting for the egg hung

Carisma, Wynsar and Allison singing a song

 Lauren's first grade class got to go to Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg.  I was so happy that it was on a Friday so I could go with her.  We had a great time.  So many parents went on the trip that I only had to be responsible for Lauren and her best friend Emma.
 

Lauren and Emma

BFFs Lauren and Emma

Looking at the fish

In the tunnel

Emma & Lauren

Savannah, Lauren & Emma

Lauren, Emma, Jake, Brook H, & Maggie

 When we left the Aquarium, we met Bill, Brother, and Allison for our first trip to Dollywood this season.  The weather was absolutely perfect and we had a great time.

Allison 

Allison & Lauren

The girls love the bumper cars.  Allison was just belly laughing the whole time.  She loved bumping in  to brother and Lauren.

Lauren rode the Dizzy Disc with Uncle Bill.  That girl is pretty fearless!

Happy Easter

Easter has become one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my family.  The first time Bill ever went home to my parents' house with me was for Easter, nine years ago.  I think we have spent every Easter since then with my family.  I looked back at our Easter pictures since we have been married tonight and enjoyed remembering each year.  (I couldn't find any Easter pics for the year 2007.  I'll have to keep looking.)  I might do a post with just a picture from each year.

The weather for the weekend was absolutely gorgeous as you can tell from the blue sky in the pictures.  This spring has been breathtakingly beautiful with all the flowering trees and greenery.  We did have a slight cool down for the weekend, but it was still pretty much perfect.

Fortunately my brother brought his camera home for the weekend because I forgot ours.  I was so upset with myself.  But I think we still captured some great photos. Thanks, brother!  I had a hard time picking just a few pictures, so get ready for picture overload!

Lauren, Daddy & Allison coloring Easter Eggs

Lauren & Allison coloring eggs

Allison coloring eggs

Lauren & Allison decorating their colored eggs

Allison decorating her colored eggs

Allison's Easter cards

Lauren's Easter cards

Checking out what the Easter Bunny left for them on Easter morning

Sweet pose from Lauren

Sweet smile from Allison

Another sweet smile from Lauren

Allison

Love these two sweeties

Lauren & Allison dressed for church

Lauren & Allison

Sweet sisters

Lauren

Allison

Dad, Mom, Lauren & Allison

Uncle Bill and his little buddy

Love this picture of my girls

Lauren

Allison

Lauren sure loves to tilt that head....she's done that all her life

Family picture

Me and my wonderful husband

I like this sweet pose

Allison hunting Easter eggs

Allison finding more eggs

Allison & Lauren finding eggs

Running off to find more Easter eggs

This Post is for the Family

I have been neglecting my blog for a while now.  Just can't seem to find the time to write.  In my defense, I just finished my 3rd online class to get my teaching license renewed. I have one more class to complete and I will be finished.  (I wonder if  will ever use that renewed teaching license?!)
Quite a bit has happened since the last post.  Lauren finished up her first season of Upward Basketball.  She really enjoyed the experience and made some friends on the team.  It was lots of fun to watch her play.  Here's a picture of her team on their Awards Night.

Evelyn, Lauren, Nylie, Skylar, Issac, Cadance (Ethan was not in the picture)

We had a minor catastrophe in our house.  In our master bathroom, the toilet leaked for an undetermined amount of time, causing damage to the bathroom floor, as well as damage downstairs.  As a result, we get our entire downstairs painted.  I have mixed feelings about that.  Excited to get it painted (especially getting rid of the flat paint that's on the walls) but dreading the actual process.  I think Bill is going to try to fix our bathroom, so we can recover our deductible!  (I'm so happy to be married to a wonderful man who can fix things!)
Lauren's school had their spring Boosterthon Fun Run (fundraiser)  on March 14.  It was a beautiful, warm day for the run.  Luckily it was on a Wednesday so Allison and I could go cheer on the runners.

Lauren running

Lauren walking a lap

Allison, Lauren and her friend Emma after the run

We have been on spring break the past week.  My sweet Mom and Dad came and picked up the girls last Friday after school and took them to their house.  Bill and I were able to get a few things done around the house.  I missed the girls a lot.  This is only the second time they have been to stay with my parents for a few days.  They had a great time getting spoiled (and eating lots of SUGAR)!  I drove up Tuesday afternoon and brought them back to Knoxville on Wednesday.  They have enjoyed being home and getting to play outside with their neighbors.
We have had a crazy warm spring so far.  It's been in the 80's for several days.  We went to Fountain City Park on Thursday with April, Mackenzie & Josiah and Cindy, Sam and Julia.  We enjoyed the sunshine and a picnic.  I enjoyed visiting with my friends while the kiddos played.

Allison, Lauren, Josiah & Mackenzie

Allison

Lauren

One last thing I want to record on my blog is a cute little thing that happened the first night the girls were back at home.  I got up to go to the bathroom around 11:30 and went in to the girls bathroom (because our bathroom has no working toilet).  I turned the light on in the bathroom (something I never do at night) and found Allison lying in a little ball on the pink rug in her bathroom.  She was dead asleep!!  It was so cute!!  Wish I had taken a picture of her.