Daddy.

My kids seriously have the most awesome daddy in the world. I couldn't do my job as mommy without him and we are so thankful for HIM. So in honor of him today... here's a whole lot of fun pictures of him over the last few months. We love you Daddy! Happy Father's Day!

Free/Cheap Summer Outings with the kids!

Well, as you all my know by now, we are staying with family for a bit until we close on the new house, so it's been so important to find things to do with my kids OUTSIDE of the house. This keeps everyone sane. It keeps the kids from getting bored and terrorizing the house, and it keeps mommy from having to constantly stress over whether we are making a mess or getting in the way.

With that said, I thought I'd compile a little list of the fun things we have planned so far this summer. 

We are saving as much money as possible, so cheap/free is a MUST, and yet we are still having a blast!

Our favorite so far has to visit the local splash pad.   It's just a few miles from here, and it's absolutely free (unless you have to park at a meter). We like to take snacks or lunch and make it a fun time with any friends that care to join us.

Next up, are these awesome programs we just discovered this year. 

www.kidsskatefree.com

www.kidsbowlfree.com

These are simple to register for, and every week I get coupons in my email to print and the kids can skate twice a week, or bowl 2 games any day for FREE!

The one thing you need to know about these, is there is a rental fee for skates ($1) and for bowling shoes if they don't have their own.

Another freebie we love is the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. 

They have a great art selection for the adults to browse through if you like that kind of thing, but they also have an amazing, hands on kids area. You can spend hours in there at a time and the kids can't get bored!

Of course, there are SO many parks in the area that we love to visit.  My personal favorite is a fenced, wooden park downtown that is great for all of my kids, but I'm sure that any park would entertain a kid just as easily!

We also love to have playdates for ice cream at Chick Fil A or Burger King because they have indoor play places.  These are great on super hot, or rainy days!

These next two are free building clinics, they are usually on a Saturday morning (every 1st Sat at Home Depot, and several Saturday's a month at Lowe's)


Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic

Home Depot Kids Clinic

  And here are a few more we enjoy, though they aren't totally free, they are cheap and a fun time.

We love to visit  Nancy's Italian Ice with the kids on a hot day.  Cheap cold treats, and always a good time. 

We also enjoy taking the kids out for donuts (not near as cheap as italian ice!), and they love watching the donuts be made through the big window at Krispy Kreme.

And one final thing that is great around here... the minor league baseball team.

Montgomery Biscuits Baseball

This one is a little bit more costly than the rest, but if you are looking for some good fun, this is certainly a good time!

There are of course random events that go on through the summer, such as the Dragon Boat Races, and 2nd Saturday events by the river, but those are things that you have to watch for and know when they'll be held. We enjoy doing things like that as often as we can though!

Do you have any other great ideas for getting kids out of the house during the summer?

Old Navy Activewear!!!

I recently got to go shopping with one of my bestest friends and pick up some more Old Navy Activewear.

It's turning into summer around here quickly so I went in looking for something cool and comfortable to keep me motivated to stay in shape.

The selection in store this year was great. I loved all the bright color combinations and I loved almost everything I tried on. 

Ultimately, I picked out a black short with pink trim and a matching pink shirt, and I'm thrilled with my choice.

 The shirt is a relaxed but fitted shape and I love how it doesn't show too many bulges without being too loose to comfortably work out in.

 The shorts and shirt both have these mesh panels for ultimate comfort. It lets the air flow freely as you work out and keeps you cool. Definitely a plus!

The color in these pictures doesn't do it justice either. I love the colors together! Such a great combination.

As a bonus feature, Old Navy's shorts have these cute little pockets inside the waistband. They are big enough to fit some change or a key to a locker in, just perfect for keeping up with it without feeling tied down.

The shorts are so comfy I've slept in them and I love them. I think I need some more!

Overall, I loved the quality of these products and I'm so glad I got to pick these out because I am loving them!

*full disclosure:  I was given coupons for me and a friend to pick out one top and one bottom from Old Navy's Activewear line, by Crowdtap.  All opinions are my own.

Raw.

Some days I just need to be raw here, and today I guess is one of those days.

Things with the new house are moving along, but not nearly fast enough for my liking.

I'm tired of not having my own space. I'm tired of living out of boxes and in someone else's home.

I'm doing the best I can to enjoy this time and to make it memorable for my kids, but it's hard some days.  

Some days are amazing, and we have a great day and all seems right in the world. And others, I just want to crawl in a hole and cry for a good while.

 I know that all of this is nessecary, yet some days I wonder why.

I trust God, and yet I often question where this is all leading.   What he is teaching me.

 I find that I often don't wonder WHY it is happening, just what it is he wants me to learn, and then when I don't get answers to that, I get frustrated.

Anyhow, friends, if you could just lift our family up over the next few weeks as this finishes up.  Pray for good attitudes, for more great days than frustrating days, for peace for our kids hearts.

Homeless.

Wow, the last month has been a whirlwind. I'm exhausted just thinking back on everything we've done.  

So, for a short recap... we packed up our house and put it in storage, and are staying with family for the time being.  

The kids aren't doing too badly with the change, and closing on the new house is set for 2 weeks from now. Pray with us that things work out smoothly!!!

We've been super busy with ball, the kids are loving it and we're loving watching them have fun!

The kids are doing great, and growing so fast! Hopefully we can update soon with pictures of the new house!!!

I have SO much to be doing.

I have so much to be working on, and I felt the need to blog. Go figure. :)

So my tiny turned TWO earlier this month. I cannot believe how fast that went.  The boys had a great party and Elijah turns 5 this week!  Everything turned out awesome and they had a great time.

We agreed on a contract on a house. Waiting on final paperwork and then we'll submit our binder and proceed toward closing!

I can't say I'm not a little nervous and I'm definitely stressed over this, but I'm learning to let go and just let God work.

We are gearing up for a huge Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow with Lakewood Kids, and I can't wait to see how that turns out.

With that being said, enjoy the weekend with your family, and celebrate our Risen King.  

Baseball, Softball, Moving

When I say that I knew this spring would be crazy, I had NO idea just how crazy it would be!!! 

We officially signed both older kids up to play ball. 2 practice a week for now, which will turn into 1 practice and 2 games a week. EACH.   That makes 2 practices and 4 games a week.

As it looks right now, we'll be at the ball field Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for sure.

Add into that, Wed night church, Friday night small group, and Sunday church.  I'm tired just thinking about it! haha Oh and don't forget dance!

Thankfully, this first week, went well. We will have a lot of adjustment to do to our daily schedules to make everything work and get the school work done and the rest we need, but I have no doubt it's going to be a lot of fun! I look forward to warm days at the field, hanging out with friends and family.

This week, my baby turns TWO. Next weekend we are having a party for both boys combined... should be fun. The following week will be our HUGE Easter egg hunt, and of course Easter itself.  That week is Elijah's 5th birthday! I cannot believe it's been FIVE years!

After that, the rest of April will be spent preparing for Derek's big birthday bash (he turns 30!) and packing, packing, and packing some more! We're MOVING at the end of April!!!! I cannot believe how fast that's coming up. I'm looking forward to it, and nervous all the same. Pray for us, for guidance and wisdom, and for patience.