Happy Fourth Birthday To My Baby Girl!!!

My baby girl turned four today!!! We are celebrating by going to Chuck E Cheese, with three of her friends. I can't believe it has been four years. Yes, I am sure at some point today I will cry about it!

Grace at One
Grace at Two
Grace at Three

Grace on her last day of Preschool (almost four)

I haven't taken four year old pics yet but they will be here soon!

VBS Work in Progress

This is CROCODILE DOCK! We have been working very hard for the last two weeks to get this ready. We still have a few things to do but I think we should be ready for Sunday!!! The shack was made by Mike out of 2X4's and cardboard. The dock was purchased. The background was painted by just about everyone.

The little buildings designed by Chance. The giant bobbers were painted and made by a group of us.

Cool looking sign! I cut it out and painted the brown on. Someone else painted the letters.

Another view of the dock and shack.

I am really happy with how it turned out. We all did a lot of work and are ready to start sharing Jesus with the kids!

Summer Fun

We have a wonderful neighbor girl that lives behind our house! Her name is Maddie. She is 10 and loves to hang out with Grace. They play together every time they are out at the same time. Maddie came over and played in the sprinkler and the little pool last week. They set up an obstacle course to slide into the pool. I am so glad we have neighbors that have children! We love our other neighbors but its just not the same.





The last two days Grace has went to her friend Jeremiah's house to play in the sprinkler and on the slip and slide. The slip n slide was a first time thing for her. She really liked it and wants one now. Jeremiah is her "boyfriend" so she says. Dylan is Jeremiah's little brother. I was told that the two boys got in a little fight yesterday about who's girlfriend Grace was. Too cute! I just hope these two kids are friends for a long time.

Working on the Roof

We are finally fixing our garage roof. It has been in dire need of repair. Marvin and Brooks started it this morning at 6, took a break when it got too hot out, and then got some more done tonight. Dylan and my dad helped out a little this morning too. It was way hot. Grace even got in on the action, even though it gave her mother a small heart attack!!!

Brooks' Birthday

Grace got to "butter" dad's nose on his birthday. Do not ask me what this means! It is some form of good luck. I first learned of this from my ex-brother-in-law David when he and Jennifer were dating and he did this to her. It is some sort of tradition that I think orignates and ends in the MD area. For his birthday Brooks received two pairs of jean shorts and for Father's Day he received fishing lures that Grace picked out herself. Grace and I also made Brooks a Jello cake with gummie worms. He ended out his day with swimming at our friends house. We also found a great babysitter, Jo, who goes to our church. Grace LOVES Jo very much. I think we will be calling her often.

p.s. forgive the quality of pictures, they are being taken with my cell phone and the lens is scratched but it is better than nothing.

Happy Birthday Brooks!

Our wonderful husband and father's birthday is June 21st! Here are some photos from his life. Enjoy!

Brooks and his best friend Grandpa Red

Brooks with his dad Wade and mom Diana

Brooks at about 3 or 4

Brooks his sophmore year of high school
Brooks & Kelley at our Graduation

Brooks and Kelley on our Wedding Day
The Best Dad in the whole world meeting his baby girl for the first time!
Brooks and his Grandma Martha
Brooks and Dylan on Dylan's Graduation Day
Brooks and his hobby
Brooks and his other hobby

Brooks and Grace out Mushrooming

We love you Brooks/Daddy,

Kelley and Grace

VBS 2009

Most my nights for the next couple weeks wil lbe filled with Crocodiles, Lightning Bugs, Paint, Fishing supplies, paint, tape, and paint. We are getting ready for our churches Vacation Bible School. I am having lots of fun so far. No accidents as of yet so lets all pray that none happen. I will update you on this as it gets under way.

Library

Grace has started the summer reading program for the third year in a row. She loves going to the library. This is about a weekly visit for us. This year she was old enough for the hometown reading program. She attended this for four days and received a t-shirt, some coupons to Casey's and a cup. She had a lot of fun because some of her classmates were there and her teachers are the ones who did the program. She loves all her teachers very much, they are wonderful people.

Grace is also doing the S.R.P. at the neighboring town. So far we have got to see a guy make Balloon Animals. That one I volunteered to go up and be a "giant" and had to talk sort of like Arnold Schwartzanagger(sp). It was lots of fun. Next up is a Magic Show.

Support your local library or contact me and you can support ours! We are looking to build a new building soon!

Update for June so far

June has been very busy so far. We have started the library program again this year in Knoxville. This year we are taking two or three friends of Grace's with us. Reagan(4) and Colin(2) Cox and Ben(5) Wood. Ben went to school with Grace this past year. All three boys are cousins. Reagan and Ben compete for Grace's attention and I think Grace loves that fact. They ran me ragged on Wednesday when I took all four kids to the library, McDonald's and then to the park to eat and play. At the park we ran into a friend of mine with her two boys and her sister's twin boys and daughter. So I ended up being the "monster" and had to chase all 9 children around the castle like playground equipment.

The past weekend brought Brooks, Grace and I going to Saylorville to camp. My Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Don are park attendants there. We had my cousin Jody's daughter Kendall, who is Grace's age, come camp with us. The two girls cracked us up with their talks, playing, and general goofiness! Kendall wanted to move in with us, but Jody told her she would miss her. I can't wait for the girls to get together again.

I still don't have a camera. I am working on that. I hopefully will get a new one or get this one fixed. Who knows? I will try to update more often, it just stinks not having pictures to go with it!

Fire Hydrant Fun

Grace has awesome Grandpas. Her Papa Wade is a city worker and yesterday he flushed the fire hydrants. It did warm up a little so we followed him around and she got to play in the water a little bit. She had so much fun.

p.s. sorry about the pics being so small but my camera is broke so I am using my cell phone.

Go Cyclones ???

Grandpa Jack and Grandma Linda took Grace to the Cyclone Spring game. Brooks and I do not approve but what can you do? Just kidding. She had so much fun and is very excited about going back. Don't worry Hawk fans we are going to take her to her first Hawkeye game this fall!

Hehehe...a little fix up to this picture done by me!!!

Day with Dave, Sidinia and the Goodwins

We went to our friends Sidinia and Dave's and then went up to Sidinia's mom and dad's to help dig "hens and chicks". Grace loves Sid and Dave SO much and is always very excited to spend time with them. Sidinia's mom and dad are really nice folks and love Gracie too.

Sidinia pushing Grace on the swing

Dave pushing Grace on the swing

Mini Olympics

Last Thursday was Grace's first field trip. The preschool and a bunch of parents went to Central College for the Mini Olympics. It was so much fun. Here are a few pics.

Mrs. Tammy made all these shirts for the kids!

Stacia (in the orange shirt), Grace and Tori

Throwing the football

Tori and Grace kicking the soccer ball.

ONE HUNDREDTH POST

We made it. It didn't take that long but here is my 100th post! Thank you to everyone who reads about us. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy posting.

Easter...Saturday and Sunday

We had Easter for my family on Saturday at my house. I made a really awesome pork loin and potatoes to go along with some salads and other stuff. Steve, Jennifer, Haley, Raina, Derek, Jack and Linda were there to enjoy the day.
Grace and Raina having a little snack

My mom hiding an egg :)

Grace hunting

Raina finding the first one!

We even made Derek hunt for eggs too!

Haley & Raina

Aunt Jen and Uncle Steve bought the girls these chocolate eggs with candy inside!

On Sunday Brooks, Grace and I went to early services and breakfast at church. After an early morning nap we headed over to Grandma Martha's for dinner and another egg hunt.

Grace stashing her find at Grandma Martha's

Grace, Lexie and I headed over to our cousin Beth Ann's for Easter Dessert later in the afternoon Sunday. It was so much fun to see everyone. The kids had a great time finding all the eggs and getting to play with each other. Grace told me on the way home her favorite part of her day was "Going to Beth's Lake!!!" Beth has a small pond in her front "yard" that she took all the kids to.

Sutton and Grace chillin in the chair

Riley, Jody, Kendall, Beth Ann, Grace, Eddie, Sutton, and Courtney getting ready to find some eggs!

Grace, Sutton and Kendall...man we make some cute kids!!!

BR: Riley, Sutton, Blake

MR: Kendall, Grace, Lexie, Emily

BR: Mackenzie, Lindsay, Sutton