One lonely tooth...

Marci is 7 years old and in 2nd grade...and has NOT lost a tooth until last night.  It's been wiggly for a couple of weeks and last night, she was ready for it to be gone!!  So, I wiggled and wiggled and out it popped!  She was so excited!!  We took a trip down memory lane with all of our tooth fairy memorabilla. 1st was MY tooth fairy pillow that my mom cross-stitched for me when I was small.  Then it was TRACE's tooth fairy pillow...and then MARCI's tooth fairy box! She put her tooth under the pillow and awaited morning time...to find $5!!  P.s.  Paige got her 2nd tooth yesterday...and it was the SAME tooth that Marci lost.  Must be a sister thing! :)

there it is...her lonely tooth!

toothless grin!

My toothfairy pillow from when I was little!!

Trace's tooth fairy pillow...it is pretty awesome...it has a pocket for the tooth...a pocket for the money...and a glow in the dark star that hangs out from under your pillow, so that they tooth fairy can find it easily!



The pillow reads "tooth fairy tooth fairy please be kind, in this pocket my tooth you'll find, take it out and leave for me a nickel, dime or maybe three"  Well...this shows my age AND the rate of inflation...forget the nickles and dimes...the tooth fairy brought a Green Lincoln to Marci!!



wowsers!! $5!  I told her that sometimes the tooth fairy goes BIG on the first tooth...she may not want to expect that for each tooth..there are TWENTY baby teeth mind you :)

The tooth fairy left the tooth...so it's here in good keeping!

Isn't this a cute little tooth box?!

Paige likes to mimic!

As the days go by Paige is forming her own look and personality.  For months we've said how much she looked like Marci...and don't get me wrong, she still favors her...as seen here in this picture.  I dressed Paige in one of Marci's old outfits and then let Marci hold up a picture of herself, wearing that same outfit when she was little.  You can see the resemblence, can't you?! ;)

Paige has started mocking us...we can blow bubbles and she mimics the gesture by doing the same.  We can make sounds and she will, in return, make the same noises.  We can shake our head and say "no no no no" and she repeats us by shaking her sweet little head from side to side.  We can wave "bye bye" and she waves her arm.  It's so sweet seeing her little brain work!!  Marci told her to "Stop" the other day and Paige, as clear as a bell said "Stop"...of course that one is probably straight coincedence...but it adds to the storyline, doesn't it? :)

Upward Soccer

Upward Soccer is an organization that was created to bring people together for a child's sport's sake..but since it's in a church setting, those involved get to hear God's word and feel the love that a church has to offer.  Our church, Heritage Baptist Church, is all about winning the un-churched to Christ.  Our whole goal is to make "church" not feel so "churchy"...we want the un-churched to feel comfortable.  Our staff  has gone to the extreme by creating this type of atmosphere!  So...with Upward Soccer...we have 1000 people on our campus, that may or may not be involved in any kind of church...that gives US the opportunity to show the love of Christ to those that visit our campus.  And just maybe the unchurched will feel comfortable and want to return!  Trace is too old to play Upward Soccer and it wasn't quite Marci's thing, when she played a couple years ago...but we went out this morning to support and volunteer.  In 20 minutes, there were 653 on our campus...and that was just for the 1st game! WOW!! GOOOOO JESUS!!
We also had a SURPRISE...and what a surprise it was!  One of our members, Glyn Thrash, SKYDIVED and landed in the middle of the soccer fields.  If you can imagine the look on the face's of the children, it will give you goosebumps!  I have to say that I just betttt that we were the ONLY soccer games in Texarkana(or anywhere for that matter) that had a skydiver!! :) 

Glyn Thrash...skydiving in on our Upward Soccer games!

He was in the air doing lots of flips...he put on a show!!

Look at allllllll those people...they were scurrying around like little ants!!

Marci stands with Glyn Thrash...our awesome skydiver!!

Trace helped at the concession stand...that fit him perfect since snacks are his favorite pasttime! :)

Kids' Devotional

 I've always had good intentions of doing a Bible story/devotional with our kids..a little devotional that opens up conversation and teaches us about how our relationship with God is supposed to be...and the ways we can continually make it better.  It's such a nice way to wind down the day...HOWEVER, we have good intentions but life gets in the way....especially at bedtime.  It seems like the devil always wins and something gets in the way and eventually our devotional gets put on the back burner :(  So...I decided that a morning devotional might fit our lifestyle a little better...and when a better time, but in the car, on the way to school...the kids are buckled...they can't move...So...we added a devotional to our morning drive.  Trace absolutely DESPISES having to read the devotional...he's not a morning person...but he does it anyway...after all, I am the mom...and he is the kid! :)  Marci, then, reads the scripture...and we pray.  I really hope that we can keep this up...it's such a great way to start the day!

After I took this picture and really studied it, although it's a simple snapshot...I love how the morning sun is shining in on Marci's hair...the sun...just one of the many pieces of God's handiwork! :)

Labor Day Fun!

Our Labor Day was a very relaxing day at home with the family!  It was a gorgeous COOL morning!! 

Trace:  He  had some neighbor friends over to hang out...the windows and doors were open...music was playing...it was perfect!
Marci:  I always enjoy doing things with our kids that I enjoyed doing as a kid.  When I was young, and the windows were open, I'd pull around on my bicycle like it was a "drive-thru"...I'd pretend to be a mom on my way to drop off my kids at day care or pretend it was a fast food restaurant.  So...Marci, on this particular day, would drive by the open window and pretend it was Taco Bell...and I'd hand her some food/drink.  I hate I didn't take any pictures...but maybe she'll remember it without pictures, just as I do...and maybe she'll play "pretend drive-thru" with her kids one day :) Marci also had a neighbor friend over to play...
Me:  I had it on my agenda to get as much scrapbooking done as possible...and this I did.  I take SO many pictures, that I have filled up 1 baby album for Paige that contains birth-6 mos!  So...I started on a 6-12 mo album for her.  AND my mother-in-law did a "Nursery Rhyme" album for her...I love these albums, b/c all I have to is insert the pictures...I've got this one almost full also!  I know it's a little over-the-top but I can't leave out any of these precious memories!!
Jamie:  He has been remodeling the hallway...it's going to look amazing once it's completed...it's just taking some time to get it there.  He worked on that and he shampooed our carpet.  Our house doesn't have much carpet, but what it does have can get dirty quick.  It all looks much better.  We also steam cleaned all of our tile and cleaned the whole house!!
Paige:  She started standing on her own for a few seconds...she is a busy bee and "eats" everything on the floor.

After the day was all done, we all felt accomplished!! yay!! 

Here are some of the snap shots that I take...see why I can't leave them out? :)

Paige has discovered her tongue...she can twist it around, stick it out, use it to sound like a motor boat...

See that tongue again! Marci loves to read to Paige...it's so sweet!!

It's beddy-bye time!! Night Night!

Paige is like a little puppy, looking for leftovers...she got underneath there to get some Cheerios.  You'd think we don't feed her...but her chunky legs will tell you otherwise! :) and... Look at that crazzzzzy hair!  She wakes up and it's going everywhere!  We can put it up in a ponytail now! :)

A Week of Firsts



A week of firsts...

Trace started 8th grade!! This is his last year at the middle school.  UNbelieveable!

Marci started 2nd grade!!...and Piano Lessons!

Paige cut her 1st tooth!

Marci meets her new 2nd grade teacher, Mrs Kelly Buck-Kelley



My Big SECOND grader!  All decked out with her new pink and black zebra backpack and lunchbox!

You know he DID NOT want me to take this picture...but I won!! *insert evil laugh! :)

It dawned on me...this was his LAST FIRST day of middle school! ;(

Ms Robin Curtis is Marci's piano teacher.  This was her 1st lesson.  I was sad that I had to miss out on this occasion...but Nonnie took pics for me!  She came in saying, "I LOVE LOVE LOVE piano lessons." and went straight to the keyboard to start practicing!

This is how Ms Robin taught her to hold her hands....

Paige had a great week too!  She was passed around from Daddy to Ms Alecia to Nonnie to Ms Karrie, since our babysitter is out for 6 weeks.  One problem...no one wanted to give her back to me...they all wanted to keep her! Ms Alecia took her to the barn to see the horses...and she helped clean the barn by sitting in her stroller and supervising!  Ms. Karrie and Trenton took such good care of her...she text me mid-afternoon saying there was no reason to come pick her up...they were just going to keep her :)  I'm so glad she's loved so much when I'm  unable to be there!   I'm so thankful for great friends that come to the rescue!  Paige had her 9 month check up last week. She weighs 17 lb and 15 oz(30th %), 27" (28th%) and Head circumference was 17 1/2"(62%).  She had to have blook drawn to check hemoglobin levels...I guess they did this with the other 2 kiddos...but it's so horrible I blocked it from my memory...which is what I'm trying to do after they stuck Paige...it's so pitiful! :(  She's walking behind toys...even toys that aren't mobile...she MAKES them mobile by pushing them around the room.  She also cut her 1st tooth today @ 9 1/2 mos old...well we actually NOTICED it today...not sure when it actually CAME in...she's not been fussy or drooling...I wasn't expecting a tooth, since Marci was over a year old before she cut her 1st tooth....but Daddy noticed it this morning while I was at work and texted me the news! Don't you just love that big smile?!  I eat up moments like this...they are good til the last drop! :)

So "Booty-ful" :)

After Marci's 7th Birthday Party, Paige was wiped out!  She had been asleep quite some time, and when I went in to check on her, evidentally her diaper had come loose...and that little tiny booty was just popped up.  Couldn't resist taking a photo of that!! She's so "booty-ful" in every way! :)

Marci's Cooking Party

Marci loves to cook...always wanting to help in the kitchen.  So, when we decided that we'd do a cooking party, I thought "but where?"  My house couldn't accomodate all the kids in the kitchen...nor my oven for all the baking.  I had  heard about "Papa Murphy's Take n Bake" pizza place doing parties, so I checked into it. 
SHOUT-OUTS:
Because Papa Murphy's is a "take n bake" place, they didn't have tables and chairs and the regular set up for a normal party, so we had to provide all of that. (Courtesy of HBC-thanks for letting us borrow tables and chairs)!
My Mother-in-Law made aprons for all the guests and they were fabulous...such a hit!!
My mom bought chef hats for all the gang and I puff-painted the guests' names on them!  She also made the birthday banner that you'll see in the pics!
Amy Lauterbach, a great friend of mine, made the "pizza" cake from a link that I had found online and it truely looked like a pizza!
Marci and I made personalized "place setting cards" for each guest.
Papa Murphy's Staff:  They said they'd never had such a big party before...I think we wore them out! 

PARTY DETAILS:
Set up:  We had 30 mins to set up in the lobby before the party started...so I was a mad-woman who had aLOT of help to get it accomplished!  My nieces and nephews, my mom and dad, Jamie and Trace and Marci all helped get it all together before the guests started arriving!
Pizza Time:  The employees of Papa Murphy's took the kids in the back and let them roll the dough out and then led them through the process of doctoring their pizzas with the various toppings!
Cookie Time:  While the pizzas were baking, the kids went over to do another recipe:  Eskimo Cookies  They got to follow the recipe and measure the ingredients and stir them...roll them into powdered sugar...and place them into their own little "to-go" boxes that Marci had ready for them.  These were "no bake" cookies, so the guests could take them home and eat them immediately! ;)
Just as they were finishing their Eskimo Cookies, the pizzas started coming out of the oven...so they go to eat their pizzas.  YUMMY! 
Present Time:  The kids all got a fruit kabob and sat and watched Marci open her gifts :)
Cake Time:  Sing and Eat...
The End ;)  Quick but wonderful party!! 
Thanks to all my HBC Small Group for  helping with all the stations...That's what friends are for...in baking and cooking...I'll be on your side forevermore...That's what friends are for ;)

Marci turns 7 and Paige turns 9 mos...

August 12, 2011 was an exciting day for us!! Marci is already 7 years old?! Wow...it's truely hard for me to believe that SEVEN years has passed by!!  Marci has been wanting to take piano lessons, since she no longer wanted to take gymnastics...but we were missing ONE tiny detail...a PIANO.  You must have a piano in order to practice.  So, we thought a keyboard might just be the right fit for now, since it would take up less space.  She was so surprised!!

Paige Naomi...my my my...NINE months already?!  I'm already starting to plan her 1st bday party...it doesn't even seem right!  She is doing great...babbling...eating...sleeping...pooping...all in a day's work for a baby!  She's starting to stand on her own a little bit...she's letting go more and more...she'll be walking before we know it...if I had MY way, she'd be waiting til she turns one! ;)