Turning 34 and other highlights!

In front of the USS Alabama

A couple of weeks ago I had another birthday. I turned 34 to be exact. Jeff went all out this year and made my birthday an extra special one. When I woke up on my birthday, I didn't know that it was going to be all that special of a day. When you are a mom, birthdays just seem to be another day...get the kids ready for school, run errands, go to doctor's appointments, chores, etc. And I had all of those things planned for my birthday. Jeff and I had decided to meet for lunch, because I had a mystery shopping gig so that was going to be my big treat. My good friend Amanda, kept Adison for me so that Jeff and I could enjoy our lunch rather than fight with a toddler. After lunch Jeff totally surprised me by kidnapping me and taking me to a nearby mall. He said I had 30 minutes to buy a new swimsuit and that I wasn't to look at the price (you think this guy knows me??). After that he had arranged a manicure/pedicure which fell through at the last minute (it was the thought that counted) and then he sent me on my way with my new suit to the spa at Ross Bridge. At the spa he had scheduled me for a massage and scalp treatment and then after that I was given a couple of hours to relax by the pool. Meanwhile Jeff took care of picking up the kids, taking them to doctor's appointments, and then he and the kids met me at Olive Garden for dinner. It was an AWESOME birthday and a very special treat. I kidded with him that I will turn 34 every year if this is how it is going to be!

The past couple of week have been packed with events and a lot of fun. Kendal and Trey finished up their softball and T-ball seasons. Kendal had a great last week and was a superstar in the field for her little team. They didn't do so hot in the tournament, but at 7 you don't really care as long as you get a cool trophy. Trey is catching onto some of the concepts of T-ball. The league was very relaxed on rules and organization which was a good introduction for our little guy. The best thing Trey has going for him right now is that he has an older sister who loves playing ball so when she is playing he usually will jump in and want to give it a shot. I think our little driveway play is probably just as beneficial as any league at this point.

Trey at bat

Playing pitcher...I am impressed he is looking in the right direction!

The girls have a couple of more weeks before their dance recital. Like I have said before Kendal is ready to be done. Bayley still loves dance, but is trying to find the right fit. She wants to be with the older girls, but the more competitive it gets the harder it is to "dance up" so to speak. I am excited to watch the girls perform and see all that hard work, and monthly dance payments pay off.

As school winds down we are making plans for our summer. The kids are excited to have season passes to Alabama Adventures again. It is nice that the park is only 20 minutes away and has a little bit of everything for all of my kiddos. Between that and the library I have a feeling that is where we will spend most of our weekdays. On weekends we are planning on spending a lot of time at the lake. We are headed there this weekend and are very excited! It should be a good warm up for the next week when the Griffeth families roll into town for our annual Griffeth Family Lake Vacation.

Last weekend our family accompanied Jeff on one of his work trips to Point Clear, Alabama. Jeff had to work the days that we were there for about 1/2 of the day and the rest of the day was able to join us all for some fun. It was a great resort with lots of fun activites. We swam, rode bikes, kayaked, flew kites, played volleyball, played in the ocean water, partcipated in the cannon firing at the resort, and visited the USS Alabama (an old navy war ship that has been turned into a museum). It was a fun family vacation and we survived sleeping in one hotel room together.
Water fight between Jeff and Adison and the rest of the kids
Adison was not a fan of the water at first, but it didn't take her long to love it!
Volleyball on the beach
Adison loved the bike carriage...I loved it too. I wish we had more places to ride here at home.
Trey flying his kite!
Jeff and Kendal getting ready for their bike ride!
Bayley loved kayaking!
The sand and water brought hours of entertainment.
Inside the museum...it was a lot of climbing stairs. It definitely didn't make any of my kids ready to sign up for the Navy anytime soon.

Another highlight from the last couple of weeks was Jeff's annual company party at the Barons Baseball game. The kids always love going and visiting with new people, eat good food, and watching some of the baseball game. This year was extra special though because Kendal got to be one of the people who threw out the first pitch at the game. She was so excited and nervous even though I don't think she really understands how cool of an opportunity that really was. She loved not only throwing out the pitch, but loved watching the game. It was a unseasonably cold night so we left early, but I am sure we will try to catch a couple more games before the summer is over.

Kendal before throwing out the first pitch!

April Highlights!

As I was looking back over my pictures, I realized that we did a lot of things in the month of April that I don't want to miss recording. So here are the highlights of some of the fun activities we got to participate in during the last month.

Bayley had a field trip to the McWane Center this last month and all of her yearly testing at school. It is hard to believe that she is finishing up 4th grade and will be a big 5th grader next year. She still loves reading and has to be reminded often that there are other things she could be doing as well...it is a good problem to have. Dance and piano are her 2 big extracurriculars that keep her busy and she seems to still enjoy both.. She is a big help with Adison when I need an extra pair of hands and can be a good help elsewhere if she wants to. She is looking forward to spending lots of time at the lake this summer and enjoyed our one day trip there last weekend.

Kendal has been very busy with softball and dance. She is ready to be done with dance and concentrate solely on athletic activities. She is pretty fast and very competitive. She is becoming a better reader and has a great model in her older sister. She tries to tackle harder longer books so that she can be like Bayley.
Our Trey is growing up to. He is playing his first season of T-ball and we have determined he throws better left handed. He is doing pretty good for his first go around and seems to be enjoying having his daddy as one of the coaches. He loves to draw and write and is very close to reading. Every night he asks how many more months until his birthday because he is ready to turn 5.
Adison can be summed up in one word...busy! She is an active 19 month old. She cracks us up with her funny mannerisms. She has been sick a couple of times the last month, once with strep and the other with a double ear infection. While she is sick we comfort her with her binkie and blankie, which is usually only allowed in her crib. The last week we have spent a lot of tear-filled moments retraining her that her binkie and blankie are only allowed in her crib. By today she was doing much better!

I love when I can catch all my kids smiling in the same picture!

Bayley hanging upside down on the jumpy thing. She waited over an hour for an opportunity to jump and twirl! Yesterday while Jeff was in Tuscaloosa, I took the kids to Hoover Days, our cities annual celebration. They had all kinds of free stuff and kids rides. My kids were in "free" heaven.

Kendal and Trey riding on the train. Notice their cool colored hair. Trey chose green, Kendal orange glitter, and Bayley blue.

After a full day at home without power and unable to go outside, I let the kids watch one video on my laptop until the battery ran out.

Kendal had her "Fish" musical at school this month. It was a cute little program. I know you can't see her in this picture, but she is one of the yellow fish!

Adison found this shower cap in my bathroom and wanted me to put it on her. She then walked around most of the morning with it on her head....totally Adison!

This is my newest nephew, Maddox. We got to see him while we were in Georgia. He is such a sweet baby and it was fun for me to hold a newborn again. I can't believe how tiny they are and how quickly they grow!

Kendal of course wanted an opportunity to hold Maddox as well!

While in Georgia, we visited Spencer and Leigh's beautiful new home. The kids ate lunch, decorated eggs, and decorated cupcakes. It was a fun afternoon spent with cousins and grandparents.

One of the main reasons we went to Atlanta was to go to the Atlanta Temple open house. It was so special to get to walk through the temple with our kids and grandma and grandpa "G". They enjoyed the experience and hopefully learned more about these sacred buildings. While there Jeff and I also celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. My parents were kind enough to watch the kids while we enjoyed a nice dinner and conversation. It was fun reflecting on the past 11 years of our journey together. I love ya, Jeff!

The whole family in front of the Atlanta Temple.

The kids had their annual Spring Fair at their school. This is a picture of Bayley enjoying the "throw-up" ride. I don't know how she could even think about riding it...you walk up and there is throw up all over the ground where kids have hurled. Nasty!

Trey and Kendal stuck with a little safer ride in the swings. Kendal, however, I think was ready to get off sooner rather than later. She had a tendency to get motion sickness.


It definitely was a fun month, however over the last couple of days Jeff and I have had the opportunity to reflect on how blessed we are as a family. We spent last Wednesday hunkered down in our basement as the tornadoes hit Alabama. Fortunately we were not hit and did not have any damage. However there were areas close by that were destroyed. Jeff has had the opportunity to help in the clean-up process, especially in Tuscaloosa. The kids and I have looked for opportunities to donate. At times you feel like you are doing so little, but I know that every little bit helps as many try to put back together their lives. We are thankful for the gospel in our lives and that comfort that it gives us. We thankful for the great support system of family and friends. We love our kids and are so glad they keep us busy and focused on what really matters. May should be another busy and fun month. We can't wait!