Playing Outside

Hi All. We've been enjoying all the beautiful weather we've had the last couple of weeks. Last week the wind blew a little more than our liking, but this week the breeze feels really nice. The kids love to be outside, and we usually play out there for a few hours in the morning, and then again in the late afternoon/early evening. Here's a few pics:
Katie Lynn had her 3 year exam and Dean had his 18 month exam. They are both very healthy, and at the top of the charts for height at 40" and 34". Dean got his shot like a champ, and was more unhappy at being held down, than the actual shot. I was thankful to have Darren to go with us, as it always takes a while to do both exams with shots. Katie Lynn didn't have to get a shot this year, just a finger prick for bloodwork, and she was just excited to get a mermaid sticker!

Another Nice Weekend

We've enjoyed lots of beautiful weather for many days, though it has been a little cool the last several mornings. The kids love to play outside, regardless of the activity. Here's a picture of them beside our (small) garden. KatieLynn likes to help me water, sometimes pulls weeds, but her favorite thing is to check to see it there are any strawberries that are ready to be picked. Dean also likes working in the garden, but the problem is that he sits on top of the rows (and plants) and often pulls plants up with the weeds... so for the most part he works on the outside edge of the plot. :)

Dean laughs as he 'pretend' falls down, and when KatieLynn giggles, Dean acts even more silly.






KatieLynn works on her new puzzle (Thanks Uncle Johnny & Lauren!) after church. She's wearing a dress that I wore as a little girl, that my Granny Millican gave me.

Beautiful Days

We had a nice week and weekend. The kids got to spend lots of time outside, which they loved. Darren finished planting corn, and this week will be working in the rice fields. It was nice to have him home for most of the weekend. Sunday, we ate lunch at Darren's grandpa's house, to celebrate his(PawPaw's) birthday. We're so thankful he's close by, and so healthy. Here's a few recent pictures of the kids.







Dean is reading a John Deere book to his bear, and Katie Lynn is doing a puzzle.

KatieLynn's 3rd Birthday

It is so hard to believe that it's been 3 years since KatieLynn was born! She is still my baby, but she's definitely growing as a young girl. She and Dean are able to really play together, and KatieLynn is so good with him! She is patient, helpful, sometimes motherly, and very sweet.
On Saturday evening, we invited only immediate family and friends to celebrate Katie's birthday, and she had a ball! The weather cooperated, so we were able to be outside, as well as inside. And it worked out that Darren was able to get out of the cornfield for the festivities, which was a relief.

On Sunday, KatieLynn's actual birthday, our small church congregation sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, which made her feel pretty special. We then were off to Brenham for the rest of the day to see Bebe, Papa, Natalie, Harper, and Johnny & Lauren, who were down from Colorado. We had a great visit!

Easter Weekend

We're finally stepping into this century, and starting a blog. My sister has encouraged us to start our own website, so we are using this as a baby step towards a website...

We had a great Easter weekend. Saturday morning the kids and I went to our church, Macedonia Methodist, for an Easter egg hunt and pancake breakfast. The kids had a wonderful time hunting for the eggs, and were pleasantly surprised to find candy inside!

Darren has been busy in the fields for the last couple of weeks. It finally stopped raining so they could get all the corn ground disced up, and he started planting late last week. Unfortunately, he had to work over the weekend, but we are just thankful that the weather is holding for us. Darren is really burning the midnight oil, working way past our bedtime, and then getting up at 5am. I don't think we've been this tired since we had a newborn baby, though I'm sure he is more tired than me right now. I wait up for him at night, and then get up in the morning to cook his breakfast, but then usually go back to sleep for an hour or so. The kids are missing him in our regular daily activities, but we are still spending some time with him, as we take him lunch and dinner every day. The kids absolutely love playing in the dirt, and then we usually make a few rounds in the tractor with Daddy. It's fun for everyone, and I know it helps break up Darren's day. He has a new computer on the tractor, and working the kinks out has been a little frustrating for him, but hopefully in the long run, it will make things easier.
Here's a picture of Dean playing in the cornfield.