Project Life Week 2

Here's a look at Week 2 of my Project Life Photos in no particular order...Enjoy!

 LG sliding into home plate.  Got to love it!

 M.E. and my BFF Esther at the faith formation volunteer dinner.  We have yummy mexican food and a really good time socializing outside of youth group.

 Random pic of Babe sitting in the kitchen floor watching tv with his pet bear that he calls "bears" (plural).

 Buddy reading to the brothers before bed.  Love this pic and the fact that he will do this from time to time.

 The Man goes off to work after a very sweet goodbye to Babe.

 Laundry. Lots of Laundry.

 As usually per Babe, he loves hats.  He wore this for about an hour, everyone in the entire place was smiling at him and he was happy as could be.

Project Life

I'm here!  Just busy!

So there's this thing in the scrapbook world called Project Life, a scrapbook kit for everyday mementos and pictures and words.  It was developed by Becky Higgins and is AWESOME!  I've drooled over it for about 3 years now, but its not cheap.  Sure I could have used some of what I had and done it that way, but I really wanted the kit and just couldn't justify spending the money, if I couldn't keep up with weekly layouts. 

Well, long story short, I won a project life kit from Cathy Zielske's blog a few weeks ago and it arrived on my doorstep on Babe's birthday.  Now most people do PL from Jan 1 to Dec 31.  But I decided that I'd just go for it. Start now with Babe's birthday! 

Have I got anything done?  Some.  I managed to take a ton of pictures.  I managed to take notes of our week and I managed to collect little pieces of life (actually I always do this but now I have a place to put them).  As I can't print photos at home, I'm challenged as staying caught up, but I thought in the mean time, since I haven't posted in ages, that I'd share the past weeks' in photos... What I plan to print and put in the album.

Week 1

 What 2 looks like around here!  messy face

 Baseball, Baseball, Baseball

 Pregame goofing off!

 The Man and Buddy coaching LG on running home! 

 At a birthday party, Buddy talked Babe into being the mule.

This one is so laid back but wild at the same time. 

I love this shot of him hanging out in the cart after shopping.

He has no idea he is only two!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Really?!  You've got to be kidding M.E. this little thing is now 2 years old!  Where does the time go?

Buddy gets a Save!

Last night at 7:56 we took the baseball field for Buddy's 3rd game of the season.  Yes, 7:56 - four minutes before bedtime! ugh!  We are very unhappy that we are have these late games. Luckily we don't have school today for Good Friday, but we will be in the same boat on Monday with another late game.
I got a sitter for LG and Babe as they are both sick and I didn't need to have them at the ball field.

We were up to bat first with Buddy the lead off batter. He was walked. as were the next 5 of 6 batters. Buddy stole every base on wild pitches and scored our first run of the night.  We would limit out at 5 runs.
Bottom of the first, 2 up, 2 down.  We'd walk the next 2 batters and the strike out the next allowing only 1 run to score. woohoo! score 5 -1
Top of the second, our first batter got a hit to first base, then several walks including Buddy. We'd limit our runs at 5 again with only 1 out. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves at this point.
Bottom of the second, a walk, a hit, a couple more walks, a thrown out at 3rd and a out at first put us at three runs and two outs, but we couldn't hold them and they scored their limit of 5. score 10 - 6
Top of the third, we struck out, walked, struck out and got one hit and an out at first only scoring one run.
Bottom of the third,  we walked the first three batter, then they got a hit scoring two runners, then more walks and a double to score their limit of five.  score 11-11.  oh no.

We only have about 12 minutes left in regulation but because we were tied we have to play a complete 4th inning.
Top of the fourth, we took first, then Buddy was walked and the next. then a strike out but Buddy managed to steal home for our second run scored in the ending. The last two batters both got out at first.  ugh.
Bottom of the fourth, we needed to hold them to one run and Buddy is pitching.  I'm nausea at this point because I get so nervous. He was so tired and knowing we needed to hold them added the pressure.
He walks the first batter, walks the second batter, during the third at bat, the first runner scores with a very close play at home base. We thought he was out, but he wasn't.  We have to hold them with one run scored and no outs.  Pressures on.  Buddy strikes the third batter out for out number 1. Next batter gets up and on a wild pitch the third base runner tries to steal home and Buddy is right there to receive the ball from the catcher for out number 2.  Yes, no run scored and another out.  That batter would walk, so we had one scored, 2 outs and the tying run at first. Buddy was so cool, calm and collected.
The fifth batter gets up and hits the second pitch to 2nd base for a thrown out at first. Game over!  Score 13-12. Buddy gets the save!   He threw 16 balls, 4 strikes and 1 hit.  He was the first and last run scored. We were all so happy for them all and ready for bed.
Sorry no pics, but keeping score and counting pitches doesn't allow M.E. anytime for socialize, let alone picture taking.

Happy Early Anniversary!

Next Saturday the Man and I will be married 10 years!  

As this is our first big anniversary, the Man went all out with his present and actually got it three weeks ago and felt last night was the night to give it to M.E. early. 

An anniversary/engagement/mother's ring all in one!  I couldn't have been more surprised.  

When we were married, we had no money and an engagement ring was not part of the equations, not that ever complained. I'm not much of a jewelry person, so it didn't bother M.E.  But it has apparently always bothered the Man that I didn't own a diamond. 
Right after LG was born he got M.E. a mothers ring, in which I promptly lost Buddy's birthstone from and since we've had Bab.  He went to get it fixed and they said they couldn't.

So.. my new 10th anniversary/engagement/mother's ring.  

It's beautiful and I'm very happy. 
I love you, Hun!
Happy Anniversary!

Baseball Season is here!

Last night was our first baseball game of the season.  Whew!, yesterday was a whirl wind for M.E. trying to finish all the loose ends, hemming pants, upload info to the league website, gathering supplies, etc.  It was a crazy day.

It was Buddy's team to play.  I didn't manage any pics because I was keeping score and its alittle harder this year with counting pitches and kiddos stealing bases.  We would lose 5 -15.  They were a good team and we just don't have the experience they had.  Buddy would bat once and dribble the ball back to the pitcher for an out a first.  65 foot base runs are long. He wasn't happy. But in the top of the 3rd he'd take the mound to pitch.  I was so nervous.  He faced 6 batters.  Threw 30 pitches with 8 of those strikes, walked 3 and gave up 3 hits.  I was very pleased and so was he. 

The Man was happy with our effort and so we begin our weeks spent at the ball field. 
LG has a tee ball game Wednesday and Thursday, and Buddy plays again on Thursday. Busy, Busy, Busy!

Spring Break Photos

Spring Break was another wonderful vacation for our little family.  I managed over 700 photos. I'm so proud of myself for making an extra effort to capture my family this brief moment in time. I actually even took notes of our trip another helpful tool when trying to document/scrapbook what the boys like and did.

WARNING - there's a lot of photos!  It may take them awhile to download. 

We started our trip with a weekend on the White River in Arkansas like last year.  Such a wonderful start to Spring Break. Just 4 hours away and fun for the whole family. 

Highlights included - staying in a cute cabin, playing with mad libs on my iPhone (this was seriously some of the best fun we had. Making silly stories about "poop" and the like. LG had M.E. crying with laughter), playing in the sand & rocks, many walmart runs, watching the NCAA tournament (Go Wildcats!), building & building again with legos, fishing with the guide HotDawg, searching for a cafe for breakfast (there wasn't one, LOL), and catching lots of Rainbow Trout. 

 Babe was so pleased to be able to run around outside with out M.E. constantly hollering at him to stay close.

 If this guy doesn't become an airplane driver, he would certainly make a great engineer.  

His lego creations are fabulous and well thought out.

 I had so much time to just sit on the deck and relax with my boys.

 LG got to go out in the boat with the Man for the first time and enjoyed about an hour and a half of fishing before he decided he was done.  He got many rainbows and even brought in a brown trout all by himself. Buddy then took his turn and landed two brown trouts and many rainbows. I think he said he caught 25!

 I think he had fun.

 We'd leave with a dozen rainbows, Yum!

Of course, Babe wanted his picture with the catch.  That's our guide HotDawg with him. 

We'd move on after fishing to Kentucky, Yay!

Highlights included - Babe vomiting in the van about an hour from Mamaw and Papaw's, seeing the new house, sitting in the porch swing, walks on the property, Aunt Jean's suppers, getting our taxes done (we actually will get a little back), picking up Sman early from school, playing in the yard, jumping on the trampoline, getting our van brakes fixed (they were pulsing and making scarey noises), going into town with my Mom, lots of army guy battles, seeing Mere and her family, hotwheel races, finding lost pacies, glowstick spillage (should we call poison control? we didn't and everything was fine), laughing, laughing & more laughing, Buddy driving, ice cream eating and Dairy Queen stops, storytelling, running (lots of running), LG's make-up homework, Aunt M's supper and farm, storms and most importantly being with the family.

 LG had a week's worth of homework to do after missing so much school last week for the stomach virus. He's not a big fan of doing homework.

 These two are so close.  It makes my heart smile.

 I think this will be an annual picture.  I love it.

 Babe could not have been happier with all the stuff to get into and run, run, run.  He didn't get to drive the lawn mower but he wanted to.

 Speaking of driving, that's Buddy behind the wheel.  I told the Man to take Buddy driving and so they made several trips back and worth on the farm. 

Buddy had a blast.  He said his max speed was 31 mph and it was really hard to go straight.  

Ah, a memory he'll have forever. 

 While Sman and Aunt Cream got to skip school and work for two days, the other days the boys had to fill their time until they got home. This meant lots of jumping on the trampoline.

 Quick stop at DQ for ice cream, we don't call her Aunt Cream for nothing.

 Tired boys!

 The Man at my Aunt M's and their dog, Dixie.  We love visiting Aunt M's farm- its a slice of heaven. 

 The Man and M.E.

 We always have to walk the property on her farm. 

 I love the hills, green grass, budding trees and seeing the cows.

The views are spectacular.

 Babe running with a muddy bottom.  It had rained off and on most of the day, so there was a bit of mud everywhere, but it was still fun.

 One of my favorite pics from the day.  That's Abby the dog, Uncle, my Uncle D and Papaw.  Such a classic moment of farmers walking and talking.

CHEESE!  This pic sums up so much for Buddy. He was so happy this whole trip. 

And now for my overall favorite picture from Spring Break. 

 

That's LG back lite by storm clouds mixed with sunshine. 

I'll be getting this one printed and enlarged. 

Also during Spring Break, we celebrated the life of my little cousin Raven, who lost her battle with cancer the previous weekend.  We were able to visit the funeral home and see family and friends.  Its so sad to bury someone whose only 18, and just as sad when that person was beautiful, sweet and genuinely good. 

We love her and know she will be greatly missed.  

Please remember her parents and grandparents if it moves on your heart.

We also received word during our trip that Gramma Beach suffered a massive heart attack. Thank goodness, she's still with us and working on a good recovery.  We love you and wish you rest and good health.

Happy Spring Break!