Sunday, March 11, 2018

March Madness

March came in with a bang....first up, Colin turned 18!!
 This guy of ours is now legally an adult but in my eyes he will always be my little man trapped in a kid's body....
 We tell Colin almost daily that he is the "experiment" and the "leader of our tribe"....the decisions we make for him are leading the way for the decisions we make for our others....this parenting thing is no joke and I pray daily that I am doing it right for each of my kiddos.  
 His 18th year was welcomed in with family and friends, lots of memories shared and laughs galore!  We love this man-child of ours!
 In between birthday dinners and lunches, there was a prom date to be invited....Colin thought of all of her favorites to include during this special moment!
 In January of 2017, I became a Matilda Jane Trunk Keeper.  I am in my third season and just can't get enough of this company....so much cuteness and COMFORT to be had for all of the women and little girls around.  Chapman is often found climbing on all of the boxes and "helping" me sort through it all when a new box arrives!
 P-Man....Pryce is having a fabulous start to his first year of JV baseball at his school!  He is a starting pitcher, a third baseman, and a filler for second base as well....and his hitting is stellar.  We are thankful for this opportunity to play the sport that he loves surrounded by great leaders and the best of friends!
 Our beautiful MK
 5th grade is treating her well....
 She was recently selected to be a member of the National Jr. Beta Club...
 I am always so proud of her for keeping up with her school work, loving her friends, volunteering to do things above and beyond what is expected at school and for dancing her heart out at ballet!  
 A day at the zoo....
 we recently connected with a mom and an 11 year old little girl, Daisy, who were in GA receiving treatment for brain cancer.  During their month-long stay, we visited with them often and tried to make their time here as easy as possible.  Because we love our zoo, we chose to take them there for the day.  What a joy it was to see Daisy and my girls so thrilled with their time outdoors with the animals.  There were lots of giggles and everyone left happy!
 Chapman loved watching these turtles....we would try to distract her with other exhibits and she would always find her way back to these guys!
 My two littles are the best of friends....silliness surrounds them! Monkey see and Monkey do.
 Maryn chose the Panda because she knows MK loves Pandas.
 Daisy, Maddox, and Maryn
 The giraffe's tongue as quite impressive....
 the girls weren't really sure if they should be grossed out or excited by this long tongue coming at them for food!
 Chapman loves tigers....I suppose her father's love for the Clemson Tigers is wearing on her.
 This scuba diver was cleaning the penguin tank.  Chapman sat and watched every move and would wave to him every so often.  What isn't pictured are the penguins....usually the penguins are all in the water, diving here and there and swimming to and fro.  On this day, they were all standing very strategically on land in what appeared to be an attention pose.....and they were waiting very patiently for this scuba diver to finish his job so they could get back to swimming!
 Sweet Maddox and her friend, Daisy.  Thankful for both of them.....my Maddox has the kindest little heart and just wants people to feel love.  She had some questions about Daisy's diagnosis but that just led to her heart growing more empathy for others....
 Little bit watches everyone and takes it all in....she is the busiest little one ever and those wheels inside her head never stop turning!
 Sisters make the best of friends....
 And finally, this girl of mine may have been born in China but her love for grits makes her a child of the southern US!  She licked each grit from the bowl and then begged for more!
With everyone being in school this year, I do find myself feeling as though I am stretched.  I want to be in their lives every minute of every day but being the parent to SIX who are in SIX+ directions can make things a bit challenging.  It is good and we are thankful for where we are yet I do pray that I am able to give to my children all that they deserve....time being the most important.  These days are going by way too fast and my babies are growing up!