Gender Reveal

I had a sonogram scheduled the morning of ST. Patrick's day. Cody and Ezra and Elliot came. On the way there Cody couldn't handle the suspense any more so we decided to find out. It was sweet and intimate to find out in the sonogram room with our 2 littles. We were definitely surprised.3 to 1 Elliot!
I had a feeling it might be a boy because I couldn't think of any boy names :)
The sonogram tech did say he was a wiggle worm!
We went to a cute little pizza place in Southlake Town center to celebrate.

We came home threw together the leprechaun scavenger hunt. I think the kids liked it. I sent the Byrds and Cody out while I worked on neighborhood petition stuff.  I just saw them when they came home and we added an extra little surprise for Rowdy to read to everyone basically.. "oh what joy we are having a baby boy" and he got to hand out almond joys. He was wanting a girl named Isabelle but that instantly melted into joy when he found out about his baby brother.

---Insert Rowdy reveal video--

This day was super busy we had scheduled to walk the neighborhood with flyers and Letti called and asked if we could help w a scavenger hunt, and we ended up having everyone over for dinner (I didn't cook thankfully). I had a little bit of a headache from going going all day, but it ended up being magical.
At the end of the day we had a bonfire and visited with family, but my favorite was when everyone left and it was just our little family of five. We were all joking and laughing around the fire and the kids were participating in our conversation and we just had a sweet little family time.We did giggle about names we shouldn't call our baby brother. Elliot wanted to name him Snake Skin Bowler.. (Im sure insprired by all the Monster Truck talk around her brothers :)
Anyway it was just a sweet little reward of a mom moment seeing these independent beautiful little people finding their personalities. Excited to meet another little boy.

Spring Break 2014

 Saturday Cody was in Temple stuck in a motel teasing me that I liked candy more than him. So I tried to go on a sweets fast and discovered I am probably addicted to sugar. I felt like the world was so un-fun! and I was so grumpy! We needed camp treats anyway so I did a portrait of Cody out of candy with the kids

Sunday we had post church dinner at Nan & Pop's new house. The kids used their moving boxes to make an awesome little house. We then went home & started to pack for our camping trip.

 

We went to Lake Ray Roberts. We've been a couple of times & were thinking about trying another part of the park but we've got a good thing going. The weather was amazing and our site was backed right up against the lake. My kids love sand which is part of the reason I wanted to come to Ray Roberts/ the sandy beach part.

It sounded like we were camping near the beach all night, with waves from the lake. I loved it. ITs even prettier in the spring when all this stuff is green, but you can't beat the no bug weather we had.

1 o clock vs 2 o clock ...Rowdy started digging, discovered mud. Cody suggests filling it w water, then helps them make a mud slip n slide. They were joined by other crazy campers too.

Thank goodness there were warm showers. Elliot wasn't into the mud. She liked the worms we brought for fishing though. Her "pet worms"

 The kids had fun in their own tent, and just running around exploring. but mostly eating camp snacks. I feel like Ezra had his hand in a Doritos bag or cheese it box most of our camping trip :) One of their favorite things was riding our scooters up to a park in the evening/ night where we played flashlight hide and go seek. Rowdy also loved the shower with a bench in it. Elliot is crazy good at riding her little scooter and was always excited to scoot to the bathrooom or on camp errands with me.

I am 7 months pregnant and was worried about sleeping and peeing and all that, but with our air mattress and my outdoor "skills" I got a pretty OK nights sleep. No worse than any other camping trip.
We made bacon in the morning....and honey buns... by default. I had so much fun planning the meals then forgot an ingredient from almost every meal :) but we ate well. Cody was the pit master. & pretty hot chopping wood & fishing with our kids. We went to a kids fishing pond & the kids helped with the worms & made "happy habitats" for them. The weather was so perfect it made for a brilliant camping trip.

We did decided to cut it a little short because of Cody's work, but felt like we got a solid 2 days of fun. We really would've only stayed to sleep n clean up the next morning. The children all had meltdowns when it was time to go.  Guess we need to do it again. We'll soon be needing a bigger kid tent.

Wednesday We went to Joe T Garcia's with the Bowler Adults. It was nice to laugh with everyone. Bobby and Tiffany had come up from Round Rock for the week. Then Rowdy spent the night at Nan's with the 5 boy cousins.

Thursday cousin Jill & Letti stopped by with just enough time for Lucy to hurt her foot on our trampoline :/ (first accident) then Tiffany Nan and I took a bunch of the kids on a hike to Eagle Mountain Lake. Another gorgeous day. Elliot did good! She was slow but never asked to be held. Ezra was cracking us up because on the way out I had grabbed a bunch of Peanut butter crackers for lunch only to discover Andee was allergic to Peanut butter. Ezra saw she didn't have to eat them so he decided he was allergic to Peanut Butter too. Andee was telling us about hives and goosebumps and Ezra somehow ended up telling Aunt Tiff all about he had eaten peanut butter and now his feet were "puzzled." which I think he was trying to say allergic or hivey or something. I don't even know but now he and Aunt Tiffany are best friends. The kids were all really good on the hike even on the hike back with wet jeans.

Later I went to pictionary at Letti's and had a great time. Cody and the boys went to a boy barbeque/ swim party at Uncle Tad's, where Rowdy ended up spending the night again.

Friday we had a family Soccer game.

 Go gett'em Ezra

Rowdy was loving it. He played the whole game. Even after getting pegged in the face

 Then we went to Chik-Fil-A

Saturday Cody was in OKC. I worked on a petition and flyers because I'm grumpy they may be building low income apartment in front of our neighborhood. Then right as a thunderstorm began Locke & Katie blew in. We ate chicken tortilla soup, caramel and made a sign for the Anderson house. The kids had fun jumping on the trampoline together in the rain and out of the rain. and sweet Katie did my laundry while I painted. I definitely got the funner job.

Sunday my sunbeam Elliot was cray cray in class. We ended up at Nan & Pops house after church. It was nice visiting w Jill & Letti & Kellie. Nan was with the Carmacks in Temple because Craig's leg landed him in the hospital :( 

 Looking back on this week I already feel the gratefulness of keeping a record. These are sweet sweet times. Couldn't have asked for a nicer week.

Tomorrow I have a sonogram, protest to organize, and a St. Patrick's day to make magical...Its going to be hard to wake up.

Elly Belly

Since I'm not in a crazy rush to put kids to bed so I can do a seminary lesson every night, I'm so much more patient with our bedtime ritual. One of my favorite little things is Elliot always asks me to sing her a song. Usually "Elliot is a Child of God". I scratch her head. She closes her eyes & she snuggles deep, in her queen size bed all to herself (.. I add this in case our new baby is a girl, and she no longer has the luxury ;) Elliot is so much fun. She is constantly cracking us up. Every now & then she gets a little embarassed if we are laughing or paying too much attention...little stage fright almost. She is a doll. She is in full "buddy" mode. Eager to help & hang out with Cody or I.

But wow she loves her brothers. She has a huge heart, always sharing with all of us (even when I wouldn't).

Ezra and her are together a lot and have fun together..most of the time. But she loves to play with Rowdy too. Lots of fun trampoline games with these 3.

She loves to get dressed herself, and usually does a pretty good job. There are lots of broken hangers in her closet from her jumping up or standing on a stack of pillows to grab the desired attire.

She loves to help with the dustpan and talk about what Paisley will say, and her "sisters" and friends. Elliot usually wakes up with a story about a dog licking her or a zebra tickling her.  Ever since we went to the stock show and a camel grabbed Rowdy's jacket, she consistantly thanks Heavenly Father in her prayers, for the Animals that don't bite, or don't have teeth.
She can be a little sassy and loud but lately both of those haven't been such a big problem. She now almost automatically goes to her room herself if she screams or growls in our house. It one of those things as a parent you try and keep a straight face.

She loves riding her scooter or the little red bike. Shes gettting good and fast. She can keep up with all of us now. She does the funniest little flamingo leg hold on her scooter when she is "cruising".
I forgot to mention Elliot overheard people giggling about the way she said girl, which was adorable. and she later told me " I can't say girl, but I can say Lady" so now when it would be appropriate to say girl most of the time she says lady. It is so funny cute (but we are still encouraging her to say girl) ie, "Are these lady pants?" "Is that a lady cat?"



We are all in love with this little girl... I mean Lady

Remember

This was the back of our Christmas card this year.... (delivered to us from the printer Christmas day!? poor mail men)

I have been feeling the need to document more of life for awhile now. In fact in all of my reminder lists and calendar events for the past year, blogging is included somewhere in there.  

Its a habit to write it down and a habit to ignore it. 

However, Nan, called late yesterday night and asked if Elliot could come spend the night so she could have a day with Elliot and Paisley. Elliot was already sleeping so I got her stuff ready, wrapped her up in a blanket, still sleeping, and held her keeping an eye out for Nan. She was so big in my arms and I had to hold her over my big pregnant belly but it was cozy comfortable. She was close to my face so I rubbed her cheeks with mine. So soft and sweet and sleepy. I felt like I already missed her. She's growing up so fast. 

I was thankful for that moment and for lots of fun crazy and precious moments that need to be remembered.