Close to Perfect

We enjoyed another gorgeous day outdoors!!  We loaded up the girls and headed out for another near perfect outing!!  This post has lots of pictures! Lots of words just aren't necessary!!

Maddie loved driving us around!

Pop had to run back to town for a minute, so we headed over to the pond and worked on throwing sticks and pinecones.

They make my heart smile!!

Carefree!!

Two peas in a pod!!

Sweet, sweet girls!!

Swinging, Shooting, and Parking

As luck would have it, we finally had a beautiful, sunny day and the girls were here to enjoy it with us.  After a fun morning playing at home ( and giving it time to warm up some), Pop suggested a picnic and fun afternoon at the camphouse.  The girls and I agreed that it was a great idea, and it's something we don't do nearly enough!!

Pop pulled Uncle C's old BB gun out of the closet and dusted it off.  Maddie was amazingly good at shooting!  

She also loved the new swing Pop made.  Josh recently made one like this for the girls at home.  Pop thought it would be fun to have one at the camphouse too.  He actually made one for both girls.  Lillian is still a little unsure of it, so she swings with Maddie.

Lillian also loved pulling the rope to make Maddie go higher.

There was also plenty of hugs and snuggles!  Pop is the best!

We cooked some hotdogs on the grill, set up a table outside, and had a great meal together.

Lots and lots of fun!!

On the way home, we made a little detour to the park.  This is always a guaranteed good time!!

I remember when my heart would stop when Maddie wanted to do this.  Now, I don't even blink an eye!!

It's also lots more fun now that Little Bit can really enjoy herself.  I hope by summer Reed is able to go with us!!

Lots and lots of fun!  And lots more memories were made!!  We are headed back to play some more after church today!!  We can't wait!!

Maddie and Pop

Maddie and Pop recently went on another hunting trip.  They pack lots of snacks, bundle up as much as possible and head out for a great adventure.  Even when they don't see anything, Maddie tries to convince him to shoot stumps and things.  She takes it very seriously, and this makes Pop very happy!  This time they went to a ground stand, and I think she really liked that!  Pop loves his time with her.  Lots of memories are being made-even if they aren't seeing the big one!!


I think this look means, "Stop disturbing me to take my picture!  I'm hunting!"

A quick little selfie!

Back to looking for the big one!!

Snack time!!

Happy Hunting!!

Feeling Better

Josh and Lindsey have had a very tough winter with sick babies.  Pop went down one day to keep Lillian.  The plan was for him to go the first day, and then I was going to meet up and go the next day.  Well, she was feeling better on my day, so I didn't get to go.  I am so hoping they make it through the rest of the winter healthy and happy!

As the day progressed, she felt better and better!

This smile could move mountains!!

Reed's daycare sent these pictures to Lindsey.  It just doesn't seem possible that he is pulling up!

Just precious!!

Maddie recently was awarded a trophy for cheerleading.    She is big time into gymnastics now.  I predict lots of upcoming posts on that!!  

This girl does love a trophy!!

Chuck E. Cheese

The girls spent a few days with us before school started back.  Lindsey and I met at Chuck E. Cheese to make the swap!  Maddie was so excited she could hardly stand it.  I  found a coupon that enabled me to get 100 tokens for a very reasonable price!  100 tokens-what was I thinking?  Lindsey and I ended up hiding some after we realized we might be there all day!!

Everyone was all smiles when we met in the parking lot!!  

Look at look of determination on Maddie's face!! She is competitive like her mom and dad.

Lillian had lots of fun!  

Maddie got to me the real guy himself!!  Lillian decided she'd meet him at a later time!

Reed is all smiles until I aim the camera at him!!

He was super excited when he realized his sisters were headed home with him!!

I can't wait until our next visit!!

The Hill

We have lived in this house for 27 years.  In those 27 years, between Lindsey, Caleb and now Maddie, the hill in front of our house has provided countless hours of fun!  I couldn't even begin to guess how many times they have been down it.  I don't want to jinx it, but I can't remember anyone ever being hurt either (which is nothing short of a miracle)!  We have ruined the soles on several pairs of shoes though.  Lindsey is quick to remind me now to make sure they have on their old shoes now!! Lillian is not quite as adventurous as her sister.  We have to ease her into things slowly!  With the help of her wonderful big sister, she quickly got the hang of it, and was going down in no time!  She's not as fast as her sister yet, but that's ok!

Maddie eased slowly down with Lillian, as she got the hang of it.

Are they not precious!?

Pop also gets his share of exercise on these adventures!  He's been up and down the hill quite a few times himself!

It's scary how fast she goes!  The good thing is that she can carry her big wheel back up the hill herself!

 I am sure that Maddie is offering advice on how to do it better, and I am equally sure that Lillian is not listening!!

Maybelle even got in on the action.

Seasoned professional!!

Baby Reed is wondering when he can get in on the action!

I predict many, many more trips down this hill.  I can't wait until Reed is able to join in on the fun!!  I am in the process of cleaning closets and such.  I am going to try and find some pictures of Lindsey and Caleb going down the hill, too!  It seems like yesterday that they were 5 and 2!!  Time flies!

Pop's Hunting Buddy

Pop loves taking Maddie hunting, and Maddie loves to go.  It was too cold for her to go with him one day, so she asked if she could watch hunting shows while Pop was gone. I'm not sure what he's going to do when Lillian and Reed are big enough to go!  I'm afraid the shooting house is going to be quite crowded!

Pink boots and a purple scarf complete her hunting attire!  That's Uncle C's old jacket, too!

Ready for the big one!

Where are you big guy?

A little Sprite makes the hunt even more fun!

I am sad to say that they didn't kill anything that day, but Pop has been on a roll shooting wild hogs lately.  He's killed 3 in two days.  This has become his new favorite thing to do!

Happy New Year!