Wrapping Up April

Another wonderful week is in the books!  I have so enjoyed the warmer weather and being outside.  Softball, soccer, tball and track are still going strong!  

Lillian enjoyed a 4-H event at Lake Martin last week.  The next day she came down with a terrible stomach virus.  She missed a day of school and a ballgame.  She is much better, but still has very little energy.

Maddie's first track season is wrapping up with Sectionals this week and State the next week.  We are so proud of her! She has had a terrific season.

Guess who scored all 4 of his team's goals in his last game! They won 4-1!!  It is so much fun to watch his team this year!  I am amazed at his progress.  He loves everything about soccer, and we love watching him do what he loves.

And I am pretty sure TBall is the most entertaining sport around!!  Love this stinker and his brother so much!

After the game, the boys, Levi, Taylor, Tammy and I enjoyed some time at Bark in the Park before bringing the boys home for the night.

They weren't here long, but we managed to squeeze a few fun adventures in before I took them back in time for church Sunday morning.

Jack and I enjoyed a little early morning Ranger ride.

We also enjoyed an early morning Easter egg hunt in our pajamas.  Shhhh.......Don't tell them Easter has passsed.

Nothing strange going on here.....Just petting the goldfish.

And we may have moved, but there is still a hill to conquer on the big wheel.

And just a little update on yardwork-I think our flowers are so very confused.  Before I realized we were moving here, I transferred lots of things to our old house.  When we decided to move, I dug them up and moved them back here (plus lots more of mine).  They were not moved or replanted at the right time, so I wasn't sure what to expect this year. I knew bulbs are resilient, but I thought it might take another year for them to reestablish. I am happy to say that they seem to be just fine!  Reed spent lots of time cleaning out and working on the roses.  They are fixing to be in full bloom, and we can't wait. Much more to come on that soon. Here is just a little sample of a few that are growing in the old garden area.  We are working hard on getting that area reestablished in grass with flowers around it.

Reed sent this picture when I was in Alex City this week.  I love the new solar lights he installed!  I can't wait until the grandbabies (and me) can jump in and enjoy this!

                                 

Lots more to come!

Play Day

We had John Sawyer and Jack one day this week, and what fun we had!  Pop was able to be with us most of the day, so that was an added bonus.  I have included pictures of some of our adventures, but to be honest my favorite moments are the simple ones- lunch at the coffee table, bringing EVERY toy out of the toy closet and dumping them in the floor, riding bikes, playing in the yard, and the way they are completely at home here. This is true with all five.  I hope I never forget the wonderful blessings we have been given with these precious ones!

I feel exactly the same way as John Sawyer when the Co-Op gets in a new shipment of plants!  Even though I have planted well over 10 flats this spring, my heart still skips a beat when I see all these beautiful plants!

They were actually helping Pop pick out some pepper and tomato plants, but they also managed to touch almost every plant in the green house!

Off to pay for these treasures!  I also may have snuck in a couple of more things.

Next, it's off to one of our favorite places-the sand pile!  Jack has been a little skeptical of going to the top, but he mastered it today and LOVED it!! Pop was right there helping him along!

Pure joy!!

Always time for snuggles!

King of the World! (Or at least the sand pile!)

He made the journey up quite a few times!

They love playing together-most of the time!!

We had a quick Easter Egg hunt! These boys have already done this a few times this year, so they were pros!

Flying the Spiderman kite was lots of fun, until Nana got it stuck in the tree, and it lost its tail!  Oops!

Just a wonderful day!!

Life

What a wonderful spring we have had so far!  Just a little bit too wet, but wonderful, nonetheless.  I have been in the road a good bit the past few days trying to make as many games as possible.  In between rains, we have also been doing never ending yardwork.  Hopefully, this hard work will pay off!  I will be back in Alex City next week for a soccer match and softball game.  There is nowhere else I would rather be!

We were all able to be with Maddie a couple of weeks ago when she made the most important decision of her life.  This is the prayer I have for all our sweet grandbabies.  We are so incredibly proud of the wonderful young lady she is.

Reed has been playing soccer for a few years now.  All of his hard work is really paying off!  He is having an awesome year.  I don't have pictures from his last game, but he actually scored the only goal of the game with a little over a minute to play lifting his team to a victory.  The first picture below is also one of him scoring!

Lillian is playing for a new team this year and is also doing fantastic.  I still miss her old teammates and friends we had made, but I definitely agree that this was the right move for her.  She loves being with her classmates!  They are off to a 3-0 start.

I'm not sure there is anything more entertaining than Tball!  John Sawyer is having a blast, and so are we watching him.  His game this morning was called off due to weather, but we can't wait to watch him again next week.

Speaking of yard work-Belle is obviously on goldfish duty!  The azaleas were gorgeous but are just about gone!  We have a few irises and lillies blooming, but lots and lots fixing to bloom. Pop bought me a battery-operated weed eater, so as soon as it dries up, I'll be trying it out! 

Maddie is loving her track season, and so are we!  Her school doesn't have a JV team, so she runs on the varsity team.  Sometimes, I forget that she is a seventh grader running against high school students from across the state.  I forget, because she is doing awesome!  The pictures below are from a meet in Gadsden, but she actually took first place in the 1600 yesterday in Lincoln's meet.  Wow!! She has also run in the 800 and 3200 meter races, plus the 4 x 800 relay and the 300 hurdles. She is getting better with every race.

Next up, a day well spent with the little ones!

Thirteen

Thirteen years ago, our lives changed forever.  Even though I was extremely close to my grandmother, nothing prepared me for the special love and relationship we have with our sweet Maddie (and the others). She is super smart, independent, loyal, adventurous, funny and just a joy!  She is kind, thoughtful, and tenderhearted. She loves the outdoors, trying new things, running, and her family and friends.   She has brought more love, laughter and fun into our lives than I could have ever imagined!  I just can't believe that she's a teenager!  I am forever changed and grateful for our relationship. Being a grandparent has changed me in many ways.  I'd like to think that I am more patient and love just a little deeper! Things that once bothered me, don't faze me now. It all began with her. Happy Birthday, sweet girl!  You are loved more than you know.

I am sharing just a few of literally thousands of pictures from the past 13 years.  I know we will blink and she will be grown!

                                                  

                                                              

                                                       

                                              

                                                  

                                              

                                 

                                                       

                                                                      

Happy Birthday!  We love you bunches!