Friends

I know, I know... I have not blogged in forever! I have a lot of blog posts I started writing in my head, but they just have not made it to my blog yet :)

Since my fantastic friend Lori is a much better blogger than me, here is a little snippet of something we have been up to lately :)

Star Wars Birthday Party

IT HAPPENED! The boys have talked about having a Star Wars birthday party FOREVER! Easy enough for me to do one theme for the three of them. When they were younger I picked the theme since they really didn't care. Last year and this year I lucked out that they wanted the same theme! I am prepared that in the future I may not get so lucky...

As I already blogged, all the Star Wars party prep was completed. The weather forecast went from 78 degrees, to thunder storms, to sunny, to 50 degrees... you get the picture. We ended up mid 50's and cloudy. Which means we were able to use the boys birthday presents of Dan's hard work over spring break - their outside play area! Just add friends and hoodies!

I had to narrow down the pictures. A special thanks to my friend Beth who took over some of the photography - which means I actually made it into some of the pictures! I have not had the chance to edit or crop any of the photos... so please bear with them.

I tried to narrow it down, but then I also wanted you to get the fun spirit of the actual party. I'm guessing only the grandparents will make it through all 40 photos....

soooo ENJOY OUR STAR WARS 5th BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

Not too cold for these kiddos!

Climbing machines!

Dan pushing the littlest ones

My parents were in town from MI and Papa had fun with the littlest ones on the trampoline

jumping/chasing time!

the chatting moms!

Beth, Kim, Edie (not sure where Mel is?)

Cake time!

I cheated. Sam's club cake! It was YUMMY whipped icing!

Yes, it's crustless peanut butter or pb&j sandwiches for the kids

Drink center

notice the decor Quinton added to the food section??

So Cute!

Kim & Edie

However the blue icing does THIS...

The pinata all set up and ready to go! Looks a little creepy doesn't it?

Easton broke it!

Dan playing with the kids on the trampoline

He made up a game we call "popcorn". The kids LOVE it!

Love Joshua mid air here!

So funny!

Present time!

Showing off their first gifts

Storm Troopers!

McDonald's gift cards!

Hey, I spotted a little storm trooper walking around...

Mary Mckenzie chewing on the wrong end of her lightsaber

Storm Trooper nerf guns!

Our own folding chairs!

As the boys went outside to fly their new kites, I found everything lined up. I think it was a cross between the boys making sure they had ownership of their stuff and my mom lining it all up...

Their chairs with their guns in the cup holders, and bags filled with everything else.

It was a FUN time! Thanks to all our friends that made it out to the party!!!

For all my Southern Snowed in Friends

This is for all my snowed in southern friends. Especially those in Springfield, Missouri and Siloam Springs, Arkansas :)

(Click on it to see it larger)

I saw this on a friend's Facebook and thought this was hilarious!!!

One Year Ago Today

It dawned on us earlier this week that one year ago today is when we drove from Northwest Arkansas to West Tennessee! Two moving trucks, 1 Montero, 1 mini van, 1 pickup truck, and some very tired people, and VERY cranky kids!

When we drove it, it would be only my second time to see the area. My first time to see our rental house. We drove into town on a dark and rainy night trying to decide what had to be unloaded and what could wait until morning. Not too long after that I did my first blog post about moving.

At the time we didn't know how we'd like the area, if the church we thought we'd attend would become home. If Union would be what it seemed. Missing friends and what is familiar.

I don't think you can ever not totally miss something after you move. To stay honest, I still miss:

* CCF Bible Study

* Northwest Arkansas Moms of Multiples Club

* Going ANYWHERE in Siloam and running into someone we knew (or someone that would ask me why I didn't have my choo-choo wagon with the boys in it!)

* Women of Worth (our ladies group from church)

* Moms and Tots with my friends and the kids friends

* Our friends at First Assembly

* Tender Care (the boys preschool)

* Siloam Springs Aquatic Center (Medina NEEDS one of these!)

* Carrabba's Italian food (YUM!)

* Fellowship groups/Sunday School classes at First Assembly

* Mall choices

* An airport that is only 20 min away (That flies Allegiant!)

A year later the word that continually comes to our mind is BLESSED!

We have been SOOO blessed to find a church home, FRIENDS, friends for my kids, a GREAT working environment for Dan! We never thought we'd have what we do, especially in only a year!

Our Blessings:

* Friends!

* the boys transition

* Our church, Northside

* Our new house (our dream house!)

* Sunday School Class

* 20 min drive to most anything we need

* the parks

* Children's Museum of Memphis

* Open Gymnastics time & Fun Zone Jumpers

* Dan's job at Union

* my photography business

* Sam's club being a lot closer :)

* FRIENDS! (yes, I had to list it twice)

* being asked everywhere if we have a church or if we want to visit their church.

Having children ask lots of questions makes you sometimes figure out things in your life that you have never completely ironed out in your head. My children are old enough to ask a lot of questions about moving, friends, etc. They still ask for some of their friends from AR! It has made me tell them something I have to remind myself all the time, so that we are not sad about moving.

"Sometimes people are in our lives for a small time, and others for a big time. I know it's sad that we moved away from friends and it makes my heart sad too. However, if we didn't move, we would have never met our new friends! And if we would have never moved to our old home, we would have never known those people too. God let us meet each person in our lives for a reason, and we can keep that memory in our hearts to make us smile."

Thank you Northwest Arkansas for being our home when we needed it, and thank you West Tennessee for opening your arms to us as our new home!

Am I old enough to say "Back in the Day"?

If I'm old enough to say it, Lori is a great friend of mine from "back in the day". We went to Zoe together (yes, I will forever call it that), then college. We have stayed in touch over time. While we don't get to see each other much and talk even less, she is a Forever friend and we LOVE hanging out with the Bunks! They live a few miles from my parents in Michigan, so we try and see them when we are in town.

We even had icing on the cake with our visit, we got to visit with BOTH of Lori's sisters! While Jeni (all cute and preggo) had to head out right away, Keri and her family was able to stay.

The night started out perfectly. So perfect, in fact, that I set aside my camera for most of the night and missed getting pictures of everyone. I decided it was more important to hold little 12 week old snuggly Elijah rather than photograph him. Then he slept so well for his parents so we didn't get to visit with him again. Keri was being the great mom and taking care of breathing treatments, medicines, bottles, sleeping infants, and all that two 9 month old infants entail. So I never got a picture of her either! (or her little cutie Jonathan).

We found out that almost 5 year old boys can play SO WELL together that we even were able to visit, eat, and let them stay up 2 hours past bedtime! It was so enjoyable that we could chat, and that the boys played together with all the guns and ammo until their hearts were full. It was a sad good-bye and my boys have asked to play again with Isaac quite a few times already.

Thank you Bunks so much for having us over during this busy Christmas season! We had fun and wish we could do it more often.

Attempt of #1 of a picture of the kiddos

Not only do the silly faces here crack me up, but I love how Zoey is watching them all!

Even though Dalton is not looking, I had to include this shot. Easton said "I want a picture with just my friend Isaac and not the girls". How cute is that?!

The girls

David all smiles!

Zoey with her "cheese" smile

We made the famous calendar!

Calm down/movie time

yes, they are ALL watching a movie quietly!

The guys chatting

The aftermath

My favorite picture of the night :) This was their favorite spot to plot their attack.

This one is for you, Lori. I know you hated the last minute picture I took, so I left it out and will leave you with this....

"I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul rememb'ring my good friends." - William Shakespeare