Gotta love the neighbors!!

These first 3 pics are just of Tess outside playing...just because I think she's cute!! It's the 4th picture that I wanted you to take special note of! Yes that's a picture of a pool, not just any pool, my lovely next door neighbors pool! Why might you ask is that such a big deal? Well to those of us non pool owners we are always in search of a cool place to dip our toes during the humid days of June, July & August, a place to splash around on hot summer days, a body of water that you can see what's at the bottom (I'm not a big ocean or lake kind of girl)! When we moved into our home this past winter I did not know what was behind that tall, ominous privacy fence that is 2 feet from my back porch...I had heard my gracious neighbor talk about "the pool" but I could never see it...was it really there? And then the days began to warm, the fence gate opened and behold right from my kitchen window I saw it...THE POOL!! This elation would all be for naught had it not been preceded by an open invitation to enjoy this chlorine filled bliss anytime we wanted! I believe the exact words were, "anytime, just come on over, you don't even has to ask!" WHAT? I had heard about those type of neighbors but never lived next to one! And I know that it is not just an empty invite, she really means it, she is that type of neighbor. She heard that Brent & I were sick and within a few hours brought a meal over, the day we moved in she provided us with coffee, snacks and left her door open in case we needed to go over and use her home, she has left goodies on our doorstep and she always speaks to us going and coming! I told Brent that she probably would be a little offended if we didn't use the pool~seriously! So, needless to say, I'm looking forward to taking her up on her offer ~ talk about "small town USA" Can I get a Woo-Hoo!!

I'll help you DaDa

Brent was looking over his notes Sunday morning before he left for church and Tess wanted to help in her own special way!

*just a little aside for all my bargain hunter friends...Tess' dress~ $1 !!**
Gotta love deals like that!

Unhappy Scrapbook Page

You will have to read my last post to understand these pictures but in short, I believe I wrote that I should have captured one of those wonderful "time to come in" meltdown moments!
Well I didn't have to wait long ~ after nap time we ventured out again to run an errand downtown and I caught "a moment" in all it's beautiful glory ~ I, like another bloggy friend asked, (remember that post Heidi..he he ) "is it wrong of me to take a picture of this moment?" Then I affirmed my decision by thinking that one day I hope to create some sort of scrapbook from these posts and who doesn't put a picture or two of their unhappy baby in a scrapbook?! I know I've seen many a picture of a screaming child in the arms of Santa & the Easter bunny nestled in the pages of a scrapbook...YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! So here's mine...I mean here's Tess' "unhappy" scrapbook page!

Right before Mommy says, "it's time to go now"
Who could have thought that those simple words could cause that face??
(Notice the lack of tears)

Did I mention she likes to be outside??

Outside Time!

We are so exciting that Spring has sprung!! We have been enjoying playing outside so much! One great thing about our new little town is the park/playground right across the street...it is so nice to just stroll over to the playground on nice afternoons! Tess looooves the "out of doors" (that's what we like to call it) ~ so much that we even experience those beautiful little meltdowns when it it's time to come in! (Should have gotten one of those pictures)

Cardboard Stories

Please take a minute and go to this link to watch this video ~ http://vimeo.com/4125092

God is real...He moves in real people's lives...He forgives real sin...He heals real pain...He gives real joy!! He is just not someone we talk about on Sundays and Wednesdays, He is active in our lives everyday in every situation!

It's well worth a few min. of your time to watch...makes you very humbled and hopeful that we serve a Risen Savior who is working for our good. Psalm 84:11

Mom & Dad loving on the girl !

Just Been Playing

I don't have any Easter pics to post~I know I'm a bad mom~it was a very hectic day and I had good intentions but alas my intentions did not win out over the busyness of the day! So here are just a few random pics of what we have been doing around here. Here's some handy bullet descriptions that will go along with the pics.

• Da Da as Tess prefers to call him, ran a 15k~that's a little over 9 mi. (insert uggh) for you non runners~ The course was throughout our neat little downtown so Tess and I strolled down to meet Brent at the finish line to cheer him on!
• Da Da bought Tess some new things...a wheelbarrow & some golf clubs~she loves both of them (and yes she is in her pj's in the wheelbarrow pic~we have a screened in porch and it was a rainy day so we just hung out in our pajamas and played!)
• Once again the weather has been crazy so there have been days when we still need a hat~the pink one Tess is sporting was made by my mom (she has learned how to crochet and this is the first thing she made!)
• One of the new things Tess likes to do is stick out her tongue...she likes for me or Brent to do it first and then she copies us ~ she also has learned that when mom says "cheese" that's her que to smile, of course she thinks she has to shut her eyes to do it!
  
• Of course the laundry basket is always fun!
• Tess loves the cats, she "talking" to one of them in the last picture
  

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

TOO CUTE
(OK I know that's two words but oh well~
I guess I should have posted it on Two Word Tuesday!)

Just a little aside: this was not posed ~ this was all Tess' doing!

A surprise for Tess!

These are just a few pictures from 2 Sundays ago when two older couples in our church body heard about Tess' 1 year anniversary with us! They took us out to eat and then surprised us with a little cake for Ms. Tess.

The second & third picture is Tess telling us how old she is. (although we were not celebrating her birthday the number 1 fit this occasion!)

It was such a sweet gesture and so heartfelt and we are so thankful for these dear sweet brothers & sisters in Christ who have treated Brent and I like their own children and love on Tess like she's their own grandchild!

PLEASE, PLEASE tell me I'm not alone!

Okay, I take great risk posting these pictures ~ for two reasons

1. I don't like my feet or for anyone to continually focus on them~ so glance quickly (all you really need to notice are the two different flip flops) &

2. I look like I must be totally crazy

But oh well, I'm just hoping that I'm not the only one out there who has done something like this before. Y'all have just been too chicken, I mean smart, not to post it!

I only noticed my shoes half way through my day...seriously! Thank goodness it has been pouring today so Tess & I didn't venture out! (Wanna know the funniest part...I'm still walking around with them that way) See I told you I posted this knowing the great risk this caused me and my need to feel normal! :)

And yes, that is the cereal box in my fridge, and no I don't usually keep my cereal in the refrigerator! I'm surprised I didn't put the milk in the cabinet where the cereal goes!! Who does that? Now I'm wondering what I did with my bowl & spoon?!!

I'm chalking it up to just "one of those days!"

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

FAMILY