A Real Derby

It's Derby time here in the Louisville! Saturday, is the Kentucky Derby. There has been all sorts of celebrations and hoopla going on in excitement for Saturday's race!

Rylee's class made their own horses and had a derby race today at school! The Kentucky Derby is also called Run for the Roses, at the end of their race each student got a rose!

Our little jockey and her horse Charlee!

Zoo Animals

We had some absolutely beautiful weather last week here in Southern Indiana! The sun was shining, the air was warm, and us girls were ready to work on our tans! Monday, our friends, Steffani and Maddie, asked us to go to the zoo with them. We had so much fun!!!

The Louisville Zoo is just the right size, with just the right amount of animals and entertainment for our little princesses!

Maddie, Macee, and Rylee on the rhino!

Maddie and Rylee - their futures are so bright, they have to wear shades!
Rylee needed to rest and refresh from all the fun she was having on the playground!

Macee's favorite animal? Either the zebra or the gorillas!
There was a gorilla laying on his back in a bed of hay, he was holding his feet like a baby does. He kept looking over at Macee and then he would look away...then we would roll his eyes over to look at her, then look away! Too cute!

Maddie and Rylee - best buds!

BIG GIRL, RYLEE!

The girls and I ran into the mall the other day, I had some pants to return and needed to run into work to drop something off. As the girls and I were walking out, we went past Claire's. Rylee made a comment about some earrings being cute and I told her they were cute, but she couldn't wear them because she didnt' have her ears pierced.

(I have taken her before to get her ears pierced and she decided not to, I think the sound the piercing gun made got her squimish.)

Anyways, she looked and me and said, "Ok, I'll get my ears pierced." I kept asking her if she really wanted to get her ears pierced and she kept saying yes...so, we went in and GOT HER EARS PIERCED!!!

Waiting...
On the phone with Daddy, telling him what she was about to do!

Getting the spot marked on her ears!

Thinking about it?

Ear #1!

HERE WE GO!

Ok, so that first ear did kind of hurt...cringing as the girl pierced ear #2.

OUCH!

All done, sucker in hand...as well as kleenx! What a big girl! I'm so proud of her! She super proud of herself also! She has been showing everyone her new earrings and telling everyone we see about how she got her ears pierced!

Macee's Ouchie

Macee took a tumble...and caught herself with her nose!

Yep...she's the rough and tumble one!

SLEEPY girl...

As I folded laundry on afternoon, Macee came into the living room whining. She hadn't had a good nap all day and was wanting to be held. I held her for a bit and then set her down on the couch so that I could finish up the laundry. She wiggled herself into a comfy position and fell asleep...amongst all the folded clothes!

When we woke her up, I went to put my tees (which she had fallen asleep ontop of) away...there was a HUGE drool spot on one of the tees!

Happy Day

This is a song that we have sang in church before. We actually sang it on Easter weekend and wanted it share the lyrics with everyone! The band is called 'Fee' and they are actually going to be in concert at our church in May!

The greatest day in history, Death is beaten

You have rescued me Sing it out Jesus is alive

The empty cross, The empty grave

Life eternal You have won the day

Shout it out Jesus is alive

He's alive

Oh happy day, happy day

You washed my sin away

Oh happy day, happy dayI

'll never be the same

Forever I am changed

When I stand, in that place

Free at last, meeting face to face

I am Yours Jesus You are mine

Endless joy, perfect peace

Earthly pain finally will cease

Celebrate Jesus is alive

He's alive

Oh happy day, happy day

You washed my sin away

Oh happy day, happy day

I'll never be the same

Forever I am changed

Oh what a glorious day

What a glorious way

That You have saved me

Oh what a glorious day

What a glorious name

Oh happy day, happy day

You washed my sin away

Oh happy day, happy day

I'll never be the same

Forever I am changed

Here is a link to the video if you want to actually hear the song: http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQt3XlNroQ

Happy Easter 2009!

We hope everyone had a fabulous Easter! What an awesome holiday - celebrating the death and resurrection of our Savior!

The girls had so much fun on Easter morning! They were so excited when they had seen the Easter bunny had visited them! They scrambled to find all the eggs the bunny had hid...well, Rylee did. Macee found one egg, opened it and had its contents gone within minutes!

I slipped up and didn't get hardly any pics. of the girl's this Easter...suprising isn't it? I did get some pics. of them in their Easter dresses though!

Rylee - posing for the camera!

She should be in magazines!
Macee had a fit an wasn't interested in having her picture taken. So, Daddy held her while I snapped a picture of what her dress looked like.

After church we headed to the Asian Buffet for dinner. Macee got Superman ice cream all over her dress! When we got home though, she was in a good mood and allowed me to take her picture of her wearing my shoes!

Performance Team - Special Invitation!

Danceworks, where Ry takes dance lessons, has a Performance Team and something they call 'Company.' These are groups that take dancing to the next level! There are more commitments...a Holiday Show, recital, community performances, and a competition in Louisville. Class length is longer and there are rehersals for events. This is a lot more of a commitment than going for 50 minutes once a week and performing in one recital...BUT Rylee got a personal invitation from her teacher, Miss Heather!

Everyone 4 and up can audition for the Performance Team (older ones for Company), but those at Ry's age that got special invitations are part of the team! I actually asked about this today before we left dance and before I posted the blog about it. I didn't think they would have kids that young come audition for a team and then actually cut them, but I wanted to be sure. I wanted to know how to talk to Rylee about it if she wasn't to make the team...but we don't have to worry about that until she's older! She said at this age, they just want to make sure they are good listeners and know basic dance steps! So, next Thursday begins the journey into a stronger dance commitment! Her auditions are from 5:30-7 and she is so excited! We are so proud of her and think she is going to be an awesome dancer!!!

DanceWorks' Parent Observation Day

Last Friday at dance was Parent Observation Day. Instead of sitting in the hallway, looking thru the glass windows watching the girls, we actually got to go into the studio and watch them do their routines. We were able to take pics., video, clap and cheer!

Rylee, waiting to start some tapping!
Waiting patiently for Miss Heather!

Tapping out some moves!

Rylee with some of the other dancers!

Ready for some ballet!

I have some video also. However, I'm having a hard time getting it to upload! Once I can get my computer nerd to help me, we'll get it up to share!

Sickies

Last Wednesday Rylee layed around most of the day. She was complaining of her belly and ears hurting by the time I was getting ready to go to work. I shook it off, thinking she was just complaining because I was going to work. The next morning she was still complaining of her belly hurting and I started to think that maybe we were back to having digestive problems. She wanted to go to preschool though, it was the day of their Easter party! After preschool, Rylee was just in tears, didn't want to eat, and was now complaining of her ears hurting. I grabbed the thermometer, sure enough, she had a fever! We got into the doctor an hour later, ear infections....AND STREP! The ears I could understand, the strep...no. She had not once complained of her throat hurting! She was put on on antibiotic, which was to clear up both. We go back in 4 weeks for an ear check! I'm pretty sure we should be investing in pharmaceutical stock - as much as we're at the doctor and being prescribed meds.! She hasn't complained since the doctor though, luckily we caught everything early!

Soccer Season Starts

Saturday was Rylee's very first soccer game! It was entertainment! They play four 5 minute quarters and since there are 6 players and they play 3 on 3, Ry played 10 minutes...and I think cried those entire 10 minutes! She would get upset if the ball got kicked away from her and she cried when the other team scored a goal (no score was kept...luckily)! Hopefully, next week, things will go easier for her!

She looked super cute, with her way to big uniform and pigtails!

Getting her gear on!
Our little soccer star!
Rylee and Coach Daddy!

Coach telling his players what they need to do!

"I can't win!" Rylee cried on my leg after the first quarter.

Rylee about to kick the ball!

What's This?

Rylee had a binky from day 1. She's had a binky, got rid of the binky, started sucking her thumb, go the binky back, threw the binky away herself, and now sucks her thumb. This is a habit we're working on and will hopefully will have broken soon?

Macee on the other hand...Macee didn't take a binky. I was breastfeeding her and didn't want her to get used to a binky and then not feed, so, we didn't get a binky introduced to her until we got home from the hospital. Of course, then it was too late. She refused a binky and she refused a bottle...only Mommy was good enough for her! Today though, if Macee finds a binky that belongs to a baby doll, straight to her mouth it goes! Marty says I shouldn't encourage it, but I can't help but laugh at how ironic it is that now that she no longer breastfeeds, she will pop a binky in her mouth!

On this particular day, Macee took the binky with us into town and kept it in her mouth during the car ride and thru Target...it must have gotten replaced by something else on the car ride home cause I found it on the van floor. I tossed it, neither her nor the Cabbage Patch doll it belonged to should miss it!

Out little baby with her binky!

Rylee with her BABY sister!

Moments of Sweetness

I spend most days breaking up fights over toys, listening to the girls scream at each other over the chair, pleading with them to pick up their messes, trying to calm meltdowns...well, you know, the typical, everyday tasks of a mommy! I get frazzeled and sometimes wonder if I'm nutty enough to be admitted, but then moments like these occur. Moments like this, Macee sitting on Rylee's lap while Rylee reads a book to her. It's simple things like this that remind me that I have been given the greatest gift of all...the gift of parenthood...and I LOVE IT!

Flip Floppin'

It's been getting warmer!!! Us girls are ready to wear our flip flops! One of the best things about spring and summer, being able to just flip flop around...piggies free!

Nina took Rylee to have her toes painted...yeah, TOOK her to have her toes painted! My 4 year olds' toes way better than mine. Is there something wrong with that? Of course, Ry chose pink and has lil' flowers on her big toes. Super cute!

Ry's ready for flip flop season!

Macee thought that she needed a pic. of her toes too...notice she is wearing Ry's flip flops, on the wrong feet, and with the toe separater thing between the wrong toes! She's hilarious!

The Promise Of A Rainbow

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow apprears in the clouds. I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Genesis 9:12-16

Miss Hally Turns 1!

We went up to Brazil/Terre Haute this past weekend to celebrate Hally's 1st birthday! She was an absolutely beautiful birthday princess! Hal got some great gifts...the kid, like mine, should want for nothing!

It's hard to believe that Hally is already 1! It's so awesome to see her blossoming into the little person that she is! We're so blessed to have her in our lives!

We love you Hally Beth!

Daddy and the birthday girl!
A sweet birthday princess!

mmmmm, CAKE!!!

We love this lil' gal, Hal (as Rylee calls her)!