Too cute to leave out

Just random pictures taken over the past couple of months that are too cute to leave out:

Sawyer rode behind Seth on his strider bike for two miles!

Sometimes it just takes making a cute plate that tells a story to get this boy to eat!

Going to the General Women's Conference with my sweet girls.  This is the first year that the age was changed to eight and up.  This will be a yearly tradition for us.  

Falling asleep on big sister.

Getting flowers from sweet Landon

Boys mixing it up in the kitchen.  They love to be right there with me in the kitchen.

Sawyer begged and begged to get in the washing machine.  After putting him in there, I realized I might be able to get the laundry room cleaned up!  What a great play pen! Who knew?

Yep, your eyes have not failed you!  Just making pancakes and I hear, "hey Mom!"  Look up to see this.  What can I say, my phone was laying right there.  Had to get a picture of that adorable bum!

Landon finally let the dentist take x-rays of his teeth.  The couple of times before that we have tried to do this have been torture and I finally say to the assistants, "that's enough!"
Well, I'm sad to report we have failed as parents and have not been consistent with flossing his teeth.  So therefor, he had some cavities between his teeth that need to be filled!

He's taking it very seriously now!  After we got home from the dentist he came running into the kitchen with floss hanging from his teeth.  He promised he was going to let us floss every night!
The dentist said that he sees this all the time in large families.  The older two don't have any cavities and then the more kids, the more tired the parents are, the more cavities!
We're pathetic.  

Fun at the park with just the boys

Laurel's favorite part of the morning drive to school.  She loves this road and took this picture one morning because she loved how the sun was coming through the trees.

Too cool!

I rolled the girl's hair with socks!  Who knew?  A friend told me about this little trick and they woke up with the prettiest curls the next morning.  I must have been too crazy running around the next morning to take a picture but they sure were cute.

Sawyer is my cleaner!!  If he spills something, he immediately gets a towel and cleans it up!

They were bored on a Saturday.  Laurel asked me what could they do?  I said, "what would they do on the Brady Bunch, because they love that show, especially Laurel.  She said, "I've got it!"  She took off outside.  

A little later, I heard lots of laughter and screaming.  I went outside and found this!

They were having sack races!  

Working on the driveway with daddy!

Just thinking....

Laurel took everyone out one morning with a basket and scissors and came back with these beautiful dogwoods.  

Sawyer fell asleep one afternoon and I caught Landon laying beside him, rubbing his head.

More flowers from my sweet boy.  Seth was cutting grass for the first time this summer and Landon came running inside, with tears in his eyes, and said, "mommy, daddy is cutting down all of my flowers that I give to you!"  He is turning out to be the sweetest, little charmer you ever did see!

New Bike/New Photographer

Landon had outgrown his bicycle and my friend Lisa was giving away a bike and said she would love to give it to Landon.  She said it just needed some new handle bar grips.  Landon was so excited.  While Seth was at the store getting the new grips, he just decided to pick Sawyer up a new bike.  Landon had completely worn his older one out and we knew it wouldn't make it through a day with Sawyer.

Seth called me when he drove up so I could have the camera ready to capture Sawyer's face.  I wish I had gotten out the video camera also to capture his sweet, little voice.

Waiting to see what his big surprise is...

"A bike all for me?!"

"Look a bike for me!!  That's my bike!?"  "Thank you, daddy!"

Then Seth immediately got busy taking off the training wheels.  And Laurel captured every detail! (love that I can just turn it over to her and it's fun to see what she photographs.  It's always a surprise when I download pictures.)

 Daddy and Sawyer getting the bike all set up!

They are off!

He hasn't quite got it down yet.  He has trouble getting those legs all the way around when he's pedaling.  He's great with the balance because he's had so much practice with the strider bike.  We just need to get out there and practice more and I have a feeling he will pick it up quickly.  He loves it though and will get on it by himself and try to pedal and then he will crash and get back on.  This is a bike loving family!

After Laurel took all the bike pictures, she had a photo shoot with Savannah and got some adorable pictures:

I love them!  I love, love that they both like taking pictures!

Field Trip to the Sate's Capitol

I was chosen to go with Laurel's class to Montgomery, Alabama!  We had to be in her classroom no later than 6:45 and at 7 am we boarded the bus, a charter bus that is!  I don't know how everyone else feels, but at this point in the school year, I am done.done.done!  So Laurel and I were so excited to escape the normal school day and enjoy time together.

What to do with the boys?  I swear, hands down, I have the best friends ever.  Living without family around can be a little tricky when it comes to babysitting.  So between Dana and Lisa, the boys were taken care of all day long until 5:00.
They both sent me these pictures during the day.

 Lisa got the boys and Savannah before school.  She did an Easter egg hunt with them before 8 am in the morning.  And you wonder why they love her!

Dana picked up the boys  from Lisa after she dropped her girls off at school.  She took them to the Dollar Tree and let them pick out a toy.  She spoils them so bad!  I can't tell you how thankful I am for good friends taking care of my babies.  I sure was able to relax and enjoy the day with Laurel.

Getting ready to explore Old Alabama Town

The old school house was one of mine and Laurel's favorite stops.  This actor did such a good job of portraying how the school day ran back in those days.   He sure had the student's attention.  The big paddle he showed them got their attention too.

A very old home.  After this tour, I think everyone felt very blessed.

Replication of the country store

Can't you just imagine two grandpa's sitting, playing checkers, laughing.  Ah.... simple times.

The Capitol

The outside walls of the Capitol building!  They're fake! GASP!!
That's what all the students did when the tour guide revealed this piece of information.

Sweet friends, Lexie and Taylor.

Alabama's Fallen Heroes

Laurel was shocked that I actually knew the family of one of the fallen heroes.  Seth and I went to church with Mark Forester's sister, the first five years of our marriage.  And Seth became friends with his brother a few years ago.  I think it made her realize even more that these are real people who have sacrificed so much for us and for this country.

Looking at the amazing ceilings of the Capitol building.

On the steps of the capitol building

The Governor's Mansion

Dining room chair

Governor Bentley's  Chef was the one giving the tours that day.  I guess they were short staffed, government cuts, who knows!  Anyway, he knew what went on in the Mansion.

Laurel and I thought it was so cool that the pool was in the shape of the State of Alabama!

Archives

Laurel was so excited when she spotted Pushmataha on the wall.  She had done a report on him earlier in the school year.

Whoo Hoo!  That was one long, fun, educational day.  Laurel was in heaven, because History is her favorite subject.  I, along with lots of other parents, looked around at each other and wondered, "did we take Alabama History!?"