Happy Birthday Kennedy

Day one of birthday celebrating started Sunday! On Friday we are headed to see the mouse, or should I say princesses? Disney World here we come...all 6 of us. Leanna and Kennedy have appointments at the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique where they will receive a full makeover including a crown! Next we will have lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table! We are staying for the weekend and hope to enjoy one other park as well, it is a toss up between Epcot and Hollywood Studios! Little Kade is covered in a rash from a reaction to MMR shot. He has been very irritable and itchy for the past few days! Rash should go away in the next few days so hopefully he will be all set for Mickey! Here are a few birthday shots to share!

Bad Blogger

I am a very bad blogger! Maybe in a few long years when I have a minute to think I may have time to catch up on all that is going on. For now, I am running crazy, and the kids are driving me there! We have had a very busy summer, Vero Beach, many weekend trips, and a triathlon in between! Here are some pictures! I would say I would post soon, but that would be a stretch!

My First Tri!

On April 10th I finished my first Triathlon! 1 hour 32min! It was a 1/2 mile swim,( in the ocean), a 10 mile bike, and a 4 mile run. It was GREAT! My sweet friend Trisha and I trained together for months and had a BLAST! I am so thankful for her. She is a blessing to my life. We still swim 2 mornings a week and giggle over coffee on our way there and back in the car. Sometimes that giggle is a venting session, but it's still fun! She is that friend that understands what it takes to be a mom and a wife, and sometimes, you just need a good friend to complain to and she is always there to listen and sympathize. She doesn't say its okay when its not, and she lets me be mad when I need to be without trying to fix things! She is my rock and I can't imagine a day without our silly texts back and forth! Enjoy the pictures! The next one is July 31st and Michael has signed up too!!! Uh-OH!!

That's Daddy's!!

When my husband is not home, my daughter so sweetly reminds me how much he helps me! I break out the vacuum cleaner tonight and the precious 2 year old says, "That's Daddy's!"

Just had to share! :)

Run Mommy Run!!!

Mommy's two day getaway included special time with one of my besties, 13.1 miles of running over 4 bridges and on 2 miles of sandy beach! I finished in 2:04 which I was really proud of considering the challenging course! My legs are MUCH more sore after this second 1/2 marathon! It had to be those steep bridges!!! Here is a pre race picture of Trisha and I...we are off to reward ourselves with sushi!!

New Addition to Our Technological Family

Meet Mac...my new MacBook Pro! Yes it is so fun! I am still trying to figure it out but having a working laptop ROCKS. No one is allowed to touch it but me :) (Kyle broke my Dell Laptop) Anyway I took this picture with the cool built in camera. Well that is all for now, short and sweet. Tonight is family game night..bring it ON!

Leanna and Marshmellow

We are so proud of Leanna and her rabbit Marshmellow! Marshmellow took home a first place ribbon in the Polk County Youth Fair! It was so much fun to go back to the youth fair for a trip down memory lane! I can remember the good old days at Oaks School when we would take a special field trip to see all of the animals and support our friends who where showing them! So meet Marshmellow...the BEST bunny EVER!

I Heart Kade

Sometimes when we least expect it...something so special happens and your life would never be the same without it! That's how I feel about Kade! My little blessing! I never thought that I would have a fourth child, but God knew that my family wouldn't be complete without this little ray of sunshine! He is such a blessing to my life, Out of all of us he is the most easy going!! He is always happy, unless you aren't feeding him fast enough! He is 13 months old now and walking all over the place and getting into everything! He is going to have to learn how to be tough with Kennedy pulling him around like a babydoll! Even when I am having a bad day or life isn't going as I think it should, I can sit back and look in these beautiful blue eyes of his and think about all that God has blessed me with! He is the topper to this cake of a family...all of its complicated layers are made complete by him just being here! XXOO Kade!!

Christmas/New Year Vacation

We had a beautiful Christmas! What a blessing to have our family together and then to be able to take a trip to the mountains! We had a blast on our road trip as "Griswold" inspired as it was! We stopped over night in Atlanta and toured the city. We had the opportunity to see the brand new World of Coca Cola and the Georgia Aquarium which was FANTASTIC!!! The kids loved every minute of it! Log Cabin fires, smores and lots of snow playing too! It was a wonderful trip and a wonderful way to start the new year! We are glad to be home and ready to see what God has in store for us in 2010! Its going to be a GREAT year in HIM! I am so thankful to be a stay at home mom, even as crazy as life seems at times! All of my kiddos are well and happy and I couldn't ask for anything more! Happy 2010!!!

Happy Birthday KADE!!

Kade had a WONDERFUL birthday!!! He was a super champ! He didn't cry once! He ate 2 hot dogs, his father's idea, and he would have eaten all of his cake if I would have let him!! He was super sweet, and the happiest one year old I have seen at a party!!! Andrea Reed with Sweetcakes LLC made his cake, http://www.sweetcakesllc.com/ as you will see it was AMAZING!!! We are getting ready for Christmas but running out of time!!! I have scones in the oven now! I plan on packing up goodie bags for friends this week and spreading a bit of Christmas cheer on Wednesday!

The holidays snuck up on me this year! I have been training for a 1/2 marathon which I ran this past Sunday the 20th. I was so proud of my time! 2:05!! That's 13.1 miles!! So now that that is over, I am wrapping up final Christmas chores! We are looking forward to a trip to Tennessee after Christmas for a week! No plans, just relaxing, or as much as you can with a 1 and a 2 year old!

Merry Christmas!!!

Preparing to PARTY!

Kade's first birthday party is in a little over a week! I have been out and about getting items to put on the greatest show on earth! Kade's Circus! His cake is being designed by Andrea Reed of Sweet Cakes LLC. http://www.sweetcakesllc.com/ I am super excited as two years ago she designed Kennedy's WONDERFUL candy land cake! It was fantastic! Well Kade now has four teeth, two up top and two on the bottom. I can also see more coming in in the back. But you would never know it as the little one is always smiling...unless he is hungry and BOY can he eat! Kyle and Leanna are getting ready for Christmas and doing well in school, we still have to stay on Kyle a bit to turn in assignments but when he does DO the work it is always good! Teenagers!!!! But he really is a sweet kid! Kennedy loves to sing and is still Dora's #1 fan! She is talking more and more and is starting to ask questions about everything! She even copies Leanna's tone sometimes it is so funny! Well that's all for now..I leave you with a picture of the soon to be birthday boy!!!

Halloween

We had a quiet family Halloween this year! Pumpkin carving, homemade chili, and trick or treating! The kids had fun and got way too much candy as usual! Kade has his first top tooth coming in! He is walking behind his car and will be taking off any day now! Kennedy loves to sing songs and has just mastered "If Your Happy and You Know it!" She wants to play babies and have tea parties all day long. My full time job is playing and it is STILL a lot of work! Every minute is precious though, as these babies are growing up so fast!

Spinning

It has been so long since posting. I don't even remember what it was like to have time to post! Is Kade even on this blog? WOW He will be a year old in December and since he was born it has been one long whirlwind. I can barely remember to feed them it seems! Four children is a lot. But I was just thinking how blessed I was today when listening to a lady's testimony about her fear of not ever feeling a baby kick-WOW I have had FOUR babies!!! I have experienced what it feels like FOUR times! AMAZING! They are healthy too, what a blessing!!! Kade is saying Ma Ma and Da Da, crawling and standing holding on. He is so cute when pretty girls come around, flirting and holding his head to the side while smiling shyly. I think we are in trouble!!! Kennedy is 2 and happy as long as we are giving her whatever she wants at the time! She is starting to talk in sentences and loves to color, read and play babies! Kyle is doing well in high school, but could be studying more in my opinion-he is SO smart and just fails to apply that at times! Leanna is super sweet as always-A student and loves dancing and soccer! More pictures to come I promise! Our lives are busy, and not always easy, but God is good and he is going to come through! He has given me the strength to do this even on days when I tell myself I can't! I love my family, and am so blessed to be a mom!

Copy Cat

Dance Baby Dance!

This shot is from Easter! I was just laughing yesterday because Kennedy looked at Kade and said "Dance baby dance!" She looked at him like he should just start dancing! I love the funny things they do!

Kyle's Birthday Trip

Kyle just turned 14 on March 28th. For a special treat, we took him and a friend to Universal Islands of Adventure and spent the night in Orlando. He was so excited to go to a restaurant and not have to fuss with 2 high chairs, strollers, etc! It was nice to give him some "big guy" attention! We had a great time with him and his friend C. Happy Birthday KYLE!

Learning How to Swim!

Kennedy just started swimming lessons! She is off and kicking. As soon as we got to the pool at the YMCA she was ready to jump in! Hopefully we will have a little fish soon!

Blessed

So I am constantly and consistently being blessed by my Mother's of Preschoolers meetings on Thursdays, aka MOPS. Today more so than ever I was reminded how blessed I am to be a mother and how everything I do and say shapes and molds them. All I have ever wanted is to be a mother and to be a good mother. But I fail at times! I loose my temper and don't always give the attention that is needed. I was reminded today that my kids need to feel loved more than anything!! I must choose my battles and re-affirm them daily. I want to be a light for my children, and show them what it means to have Christ in their hearts! So with that said, I am going to take a step back, and hold my breath when I even think about exploding out of aggravation over something silly that they have done or said. I will pray before I speak, and ask God to give me that patience that I don't always have. I am so thankful for my family and for the light that my children are in my life!

Our Song

SICK!!!

For some reason when Kennedy is sick, we are ALL sick! Luckily Kade is hanging in there! I actually had the opportunity to weigh him at Dr. Eanett's yesterday! 8lbs 10oz! YAY! That was good news considering they wanted him to supplement with formula and he wouldn't take it! Following the mommy instinct worked so I must be doing something right! You would think after the fourth child I would have it down, but I have forgotten so much I am still learning! Kyle's talent show is on Friday so we are all exciting! He and his "band" have been practicing for months so we CAN'T wait to see what they have come up with!