Trips

We have taken a few short trips recently. The award for the farthest and shortest trip goes to our roughly 48 hour trip to Virginia...thank you, thank you, thank you;) I hope never to win this award again...The reason for this trip was to clean out the rest of our house in F'ville, see Granny and then go to Richmond and pick up the BEAUTIFUL side board dad made us for our anniversary, as well as see Mimi and Papa's new house. So, we packed a lot into a very short amount of time! 

On our visit to Granny's, Kendall asked Granny if she could hold her hand while we were walking to Granny's room. Melt my heart! This was so sweet!!

Granny and the older two. MC was acting shy and wouldn't look at granny or come near her. She was a mess!

By the end of the visit, MC had completely warmed up to Granny! I guess it also helps to have a toy ring for her;) Bribes are a wonderful thing;)

We finally made it to Mimi and Papa's new house and the first thing Kendall does is go looking for the cat. Good thing Cagney was ok with her getting into her space:)

Alley enjoying some watermelon

Another trip we took was to the Greenville Zoo. The girls LOVED the zoo and especially loved being with their best buds! This family has a son Alley's age and they are inseparable! They also have a girl who is Kendall's age and they are best buds, but way too much alike;) We have been getting together for park play dates weekly since the winter and I know the girls have LOVED getting to spend time with them.

Alley super excited about the monkeys...I think we should have left all 5 kiddos at the monkey cage, they were right at home!

yelling at the monkeys

MC getting in on the action

best buds!

being silly

the crew, minus MC who refused to be in the picture with anyone...loner

happy to have the "car" to herself!

checking out the giraffes...they were trying to make giraffe sounds and it was HILARIOUS!

nice kitty...

yet again...the whole time they were either holding hands and running, death grip hugging or Alley was trying to teach Charlie how to "ballroom dance"...too cute!

checking out the BIG turtles

sassy pants going for a ride

snack break

silly kids

apparently this was a funny/crazy face picture

there is this awesome playground right next to the zoo that we ate lunch at. Kendall ran straight for this "spider-web" and climb straight up to the top. She was so proud of herself!

Household conversations...

This post is to document all the crazy things my children have been saying recently...I know I've been bad at documenting every funny thing said, so this is just I've found and feel needs to be remembered. I laughed a ton while writing these down...what great memories;)

July 22, 2013
Conversation after reading our bible story for the night:
Alley: We need to tell people about Jesus all the time. I'm going to go to different countries and tell people all about how Jesus loves us. I'm going to travel everywhere.
Kendall: Well, I'm going to be a princess with a crown and a pretty dress and I'm going to sing on stage. I'm going to dance around and look beautiful. I'm going to travel to different places to show the people that I am a princess.

July 15, 2013
Alley: "I remember when you had Kendall in your belly. Then you went to the hospital and Mimi came and brushed my hair and read me a story. Then you came home with Kendall and had MC in your belly." 

June 19, 2013
Kendall just asked of the BS people were coming back tomorrow!!! Then she says I love love love BS! Alley says, "it's VBS Kendall, I don't know any BS"

June 10, 2013
Note to self, ALWAYS look over the books your kids want to check out at the library...why?? Because when we got home, Kendall begged me to read the books she picked out...they were in Spanish!! She cried when I told her I couldn't read them because I didn't speak Spanish. Then she proceeded to count to 10 in Spanish... 

May 10, 2013
Leaving the Chick-fil-A drive through Kendall and Alley said, "That man was so nice and very handsome, just like daddy."

April 29, 2013
On the way to school Alley said, " I'm going to be like Uncle Will Alley when I grow up. I'm going to tell people about Jesus all day long...except I'm not going to do it in Afghanistan, I'm going to tell people about Jesus in Mexico, because it's prettier." 

April 18, 2013
As Alley was getting out of the car to go to preschool, she looked at the teacher and said, "you know, satan was an angel named lucifer but he doesn't live in heaven anymore because he wanted to be God. No one can be God except Jesus. Satan lives in hell. If you ask Jesus in your heart you can go to heaven and live with Jesus and smile all the time. Do you have Jesus in your heart?"

April 9, 2013
We drove by a church that had a wooden cross in the front and a white "sheet" draped over it and Kendall exclaims, "Oh no! Jesus left His coat!"
When we drove by the church again the next day, the cross was gone and Kendall exclaimed, "Oh 
good. Jesus came back for His coat and His cross!"

March 29, 2013
After spending a lot of time this morning trying to unlock the girls bedroom door, Alley walks up with the coat hanger and jiggles it in the lock and suddenly the door opens.

January 30, 2013
Alley: "Mommy, why do we sin? I don't like sinning because i love Jesus so much. Why do we sin?"

January 22, 2013
Alley came out of her room tonight telling me she's still scared of the dark, even with her nightlight. I told her it was super bright and that she needed to go back to bed. She asked if she could pray to Jesus about her fear. "dear Jesus, please be with me tonight and hold my hand since I am scared. You are the light of the world, please shine your light on me and be with me..."

January 14, 2013
today I noticed some really elaborate drawings of Alley's...on the interior of our car...so, her punishment was having to spend her free play time cleaning the car...her comment when she was done, "that was so fun mom!"...she was totally serious...

October 25, 2012
Conversation with Alley this morning:
A: mom, there is a pool at our hotel, did you pack my bathing suit?
Me: no, it must be in one of the boxes at the house here at Clemson.
A: mom, I bet you left it in Farmville.
Me: no, the house was completely empty. Don't you remember the movers taking everything and running through our empty house? It is in one of the boxes in this house.
A: oh, I thought we were just going on a big vacation...

July 19, 2012
Alleys prayer: "Hey God, please keep baby aubrie's heart good bc I haven't met her yet and want to play with her. Please let Doc, Opa, and Bill Bruce have fun in heaven. let them pick flowers and run around bc that is so fun! I love Doc. Mommy? Why didn't you let me see Doc? hey God! Please go with Uncle Will to Afghanistan and hold his hand so he can tell the boys about you. I would like to see you please. Amen"

June 20, 2012
Alley: Dad, this is my sweet tooth, my tea tooth, apple tooth, and my sweet tooth.

June 14, 2012
Overheard this morning:
Alley took a marshmellow out of her cereal, leaned down to Kendall and held it out to her say, "Jesus is your savior, Amen". She then put it in Kendall's hand, who ate it with an "Amen". Then they went on about their business...oh my! First we spend weeks "bath-tising" everything and everyone in our house, now we've moved on to giving communion;)

April 18, 2012
Alley: Daddy, I need a car. 
Me: Why?
Alley: So I can drive to candy land!

February 6, 2012
While doing my bible study today, Alley brought out her little bible to do her bible study as well. She holds up her bible and says,"what's these words in the bible?". I told her that it's Jesus talking to us. She then proceeds to hold the the bible up to her ear and then after a moment of silence exclaims, "I hear Jesus! He says he loves me!"

January 25, 2012
Alley put her ear up to her rice crispies this morning and said, "mom, my cereal is talking to me!" I said, " what is it saying to you?" , she said, "it's telling me Jesus loves me"

December 30, 2011
Scene of the night...Kendall throwing a fit on the floor (because that's the type of day we have had), I stood over her and asked, "Are you done yet"...she stops and looks up at me and says, "yesh" and gets up and walks away....oh my...

October 18, 2011
quote of the day: In the car, on the way home from visiting daddy at work...MC is screaming her head off (like usual...ugh!).
A: "Mommy, can you please turn her down, I can't hear me!"
Me: "Oh baby I wish I could"
A: "Please do it"...

April 10, 2011
After a day of falling and scraping her knees, tonight in the bath Alley told Andy, "Don't wash my patella please"

JAnuary 11, 2011
I walked into Alley's room after "rest time" and she looked up at me and said, "I didn't make a mess, Curious George did." Well, now that we got that straight;)

September 4, 2010
Alley's prayers tonight: "Dear Jesus, thank you fo mommy, daddy, kendall, Aunt Jess, Carlee Cott, Ucle Will, Owen, Owen, Owen, Owen, Owen". Me: okay Alley, and who else?" Alley: "Owen mommy, and Owen, and Owen..."

May 11, 2010
Alley: "mommy, guess what...." me: "what?" Alley: "I love you!"

April 17, 2010
(conversation while driving this afternoon) Alley: "mommy, where the cows at?" me: "Alley, there aren't any cows on this road." Alley: (throwing her hands up in the air) "Oh no, we're lost!!"...get this girl out of the country!

February 18, 2010
when asked what her favorite color was, Alley said, "daddy!" (with a big smile on her face!)

Kiawah 2013

Aaaaand, we are back to the real world. In the words of Kendall, "Whomp-whomp". What a great time was had by all! We can't wait until next year:)

We had a different kind of week at the beach this year. This is the first time, in a long time, that we've had rain every day. The good thing is that most of the rain storms blew in strong and hard for about 20 minutes or less and then were gone (until later int he day), so we could "weather" those out on the beach under our tent. Thank goodness for that tent and the side flap! Of course, I thought we might blow away or drown, but I'm happy to say we all survived;) We even came back with a little tan...woo-hoo!

The girls did so well at the beach! Alley, of course, was in heaven and couldn't decide which was better, digging in the sand and making sandcastles or going into the "deep, deep sea". Such a dilemma;) Kendall did much better this year with the ocean. The very first day she was getting knocked over by the waves and loving it. Of course, she is a little bit dramatic and wishy-washy....so she'd ask to go out in the water with Papa or daddy and then they'd start going out only to have her change her mind...but then change her mind again once she got back to the tent...goodness gracious. As for MC, we couldn't get her away from the water! that child wanted to be in it every second she was on the beach. She LOVED "swimming (and meowing like a cat?!!!?) in the small tide pools and then running into the ocean and getting knocked over by waves. Her laugh was just hilarious and very infectious! I am so happy our girls love the beach and the water:)

Kendall will do anything for a snuggle, especially one with Mimi:) She claimed she was cold...hmmm

reading with Mimi before bed...can you tell she loves Mimi;)

Little miss busy-body (in the few times she stepped away from the water....must have been close to snack time!), digging away

feeling the wind in her hair;)

the satisfactory castle stomping...and now off to the ocean;)

digging and looking for shells

water baby

sweet sweet Kendall

Alley checking for shells

MC swimming and meowing like a cat...didn't everyone know that cats LOVE water?! ;)

dig dig dig

run run run

pausing from shell hunting to get a picture

sweet sisters

digging a hole big enough for them both

theeeeen, MC crashs the party;) 

how sweet, they made room for her;)

wild woman looking tame....don't be deceived;)

reading stories on the porch

I am amazed, truly amazed...we actually got a family picture with every one looking and semi-smiling! Could this be the start of something new and consistent??? Wait, it totally was a fluke...but I can still hope...

I love my little wild, full of life, loud, princess drama, wrestle-mania family:)

dude, since the girls were "on", why not take a picture of them with everyone and anyone;)

Uncle John, aunt Kim and the girls

Papa, Mimi and the girls

the twins seriously discussing the National Geographic magazine

What? This is a chair made for just one?? Are you daring me to squeeze two in here?...it is on...and there we have it ladies and gentlemen, they really must love each other...or at least tolerate each other;)

Kendall and MC being sweet for the.first.time.EVER....

the Kendall's hand gets the itch to tickle...so funny!

sweet, sassy, wild MC...sitting still for once

playing princesses (more like Cinderella) while we wait for dinner...Kendall even pretended to lose her shoe in her oh so dramatic way:) I really think she could make it on broadway or the movies...

dancing "at the ball"

the girls "becoming Ariel"...the guys were too sweet to accommodate their request. Thank goodness they didn't act like Ursela;)

going into the "deep deep sea"...unless Kendall changes her mind and would rather snuggle...

Alley having a sweet conversation with Papa

Follow the leader...but the leader was.not.happy....decided against taking a picture of that...

just too cute

swimming and probably meowing...again.

surprise!

cutie pie

snuggles with daddy

Alley just looooved getting to see Katherine at the beach this year:) She couldn't talk enough about how she loved Katherine and thought Winston was "so hilarious".

aaaaaaand, we had to have Clemson represent here at the beach:)

Happy 4th of July!!!

MC probably cracking herself up;)

the girls playing their version of Go Fish...it was very very interesting

 Having some fun with sparklers

the peanut gallery showing excitement;)

MC and her entourage;) The "Mary ____'s" need to stick together;)

Kendall not really wanting to "play with parklers"

well I'll be...she actually did it:)

telling Aunt Kim all about it

Kim found some coral on the beach and Alley used it as a hair piece:)

lounging at the beach

 the love of my life:) 

My sweet happy girls so ready to get out to the beach:)

So, there you have it...our rainy, fun filled week at the beach:) Here's to next year and the hope of a lot less rain;)!!