The Friendship Rock...and more

We've been enjoying the warmer temperatures here in Odessa.  The past few days, the girls have been "meeting their friends on the rock after school".  There is a large rock outside of the church office and the girls meet up with their friends Barrett and Brock to divvy up left-over lunches and snacks and play for a bit.  This works out nicely because we don't have a back yard right now to go home to.  On Wednesday, the boys' mom brought some snacks and candy in Easter eggs and we let the kids have a little egg hunt.  It was fun times.  (until Mavery's meltdown...it had to be someone...)

Here's what happens when I ask Mavery to go get my sunglasses out of my purse.  

She finds my lipstick...and I STILL didn't get my sunglasses.

Taking pictures at church.

Reading together at bedtime.

(when they're supposed to be asleep)

The girls had an Easter egg hunt at school on Thursday.  They both came home with a bucket full of candy eggs. I told them that when they got home they could eat as much candy as they wanted, but then the rest went bye-bye.  (that way I don't have to keep track of "one piece of candy a day" for the next three weeks...)

Mavery thought it was the best idea ever!

Cookie!

Yum!

Chocolate!

Starburst!

Tummy Ache!

Evie decided that she wanted to empty her eggs and sort them.

Such the organizer.

(if only she kept her room clean and organized...)

I managed to get a picture of the three of them the other day with all three looking at the camera AND smiling.  It was one rare peaceful moment in our normal day of chaos, fussing, fighting, crying, and "because I said so!!!"

Mommy's Favorite Outfit...again

When Evie was a baby, I had a favorite blue outfit that she wore.  I was able to get Mavery in it and posted it in 2011.  (Mommy's Favorite Outfit)

So, here we go again.  Third time around.  Just can't believe it.  Three little girls.

Evie @ 5 months

Mavery @ 3 1/2 months

Olivia @ 5 1/2 months

I tried and tried to take a picture of Olivia this morning where she wasn't sticking out her tongue.  Clearly, she loves the camera... and her tongue...

Silly girl!

This sweet girl is growing way too fast.  She is doing much better riding in her carseat. She still loves to be in the Moby wrap and most nights she goes to sleep this way.  She sleeps all night sometimes...it's still pretty hit and miss.  She is almost sitting up on her own, but not quite.  She scoots all over her crib on her tummy, but she still only rolls from tummy to back.  I can tell that she will be cutting her bottom teeth very soon.  So far, she likes pears and apples, but hasn't taken a liking to any vegetables yet.  

Porch Time and Pedicures

We have been enjoying sunshine and 80 degrees during the afternoons the past week.  While we live in a 2 bedroom apartment and it's slightly cramped with 5 people, we do have an awesome porch.  The girls can go outside and play water table and whatever else they can think of.  I've had to initiate a few rules:

1.  you must wear clothes

2.  you may not reach over the rail and dig in the flowerbed dirt

3.  you may not drink the water in the water table

On Tuesday, they used their imaginations and decided to give each other pedicures.  It was one of those rare moments when all the planets lined and everything was peaceful.  Olivia sat in her rocker and enjoyed watching the older two play.  

First it was Mavery's turn.

Then Evie got a turn.

(they used the sand sifter for exfoliation... such imagination...)

Then Olivia enjoyed her first pedicure.

And then it was Mommy's turn!

Mavery's chocolate covered duck face

This is the craft Mavery brought home from school last week.  It cracked me up.  They learned about the five loaves and two fishes Bible story.  Their activity was to make the meal with gold fish cracker and croutons to represent the 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  Maves tried to eat hers on the way home from school...but thankfully she stopped when she got to the glue. 

Enjoying her toys in the highchair.  

(because she doesn't enjoy food in her highchair just yet...)

Five Months Old and Spring Break Re-Cap

Olivia is 5 months old!  She is getting so big and so expressive with her smiling and cooing.  She loves to watch Evie and Mavery and she especially loves it when they play with her and talk to her.  She is doing better with her evening fussy time, but she still has her rough night.  She is getting better in the car seat, but she's not a pro at riding in the car just yet.  She is wearing 6 month clothing.  She sleeps all night some of the time, but not every night.  Evie and Mavery decided that they needed to be included in her 5 month picture.  Sweet girls.

Spring Break Re-Cap: (In words because I failed to take pictures...all week...no surprise...)

We had a picnic at the UTPB park with Daddy on Wednesday.  The girls enjoyed playing on the playground after lunch.    

We had lunch with Daddy on Tuesday at Rosas.

We made fresh strawberry muffins on Monday and this counted for "bake cupcakes".  They were yummy.

We had a playdate with Brooklyn, Carter and Holden on Wednesday night.

We played water table on the porch on Thursday night, but it quickly turned into "mud table".

The ziplock bag paint was a fail because Evie poked a hole in her back pretty quick and that was that.

Popcorn and Movie was on Friday when we went to see Cinderella.  This was a blast!

Evie and Mavery slept late almost all week.  At least what is considered late for them, past 7:00am.

We took road trips to Midland, Andrews and Big Spring.

Evie practiced tying her shoes, but she hasn't mastered it.

We did not sew a skirt or pillow case, but we went to Hobby Lobby and bought the material.

We went to visit the ducks at UTPB, but I forgot the bread, so we didn't feed them.  

Daddy, Evie and Mavery took Vannah the Van for a wash.

Daddy took Evie and Mavery for a date at the park and slushies on Sunday afternoon.

Evie, Mavery and Daddy had a donut date on Thursday morning while Mommy and Olivia went grocery shopping.  

Overall, it was a fun spring break!

Our trip to the Stonehenge replica at UTPB.

Pictures in the Mail

My sweet Aunt Erline sent us some pictures in the mail last week.  I love getting letters and pictures in the mail.  Even with the girls growing up in the "technology" age, they still get excited about going to get the mail.  There's just something about getting a surprise package in the mail.  (I could do without the bills that come, but that's a different post...)

These first ones are from the shrimp boil that we had out at Aunt Sandy and Uncle Ron's "The Other Place", back in October.  There's no mistaking it was October because I was great with child.  Four generations in this picture.  Priceless!

Mavery taking a ride in the Little Car with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ron.

The men-folk.  Drinking iced tea and swatting flies.

I'm not sure why we were clapping and what Evie was doing, but when my mom and aunts are involved, there is no telling...

This sweet picture was taken at Aunt Erline's house at Thanksgiving.  She wrote on the back of the photo that Evie was swinging on the teter-totter, then went inside to get Mavery, brought her out, helped her on and they played sweetly together.  Ahhh, a rare moment with these two sisters who seem to fight over EVERYTHING these days!

Family

Flowers in memory of Lee

Thank you, Aunt Erline for such a wonderful surprise in the mail.  My Memaw would always send me letters and pictures in the mail and this reminded me so much of her.  It was very precious to me.  

Destination Unknown...

We wanted to take a road trip as part of our spring break adventures.  However, someone...(Olivia) does not like to ride in the car.  So, Friday and Saturday we decided to pack up and get in the car to see just how far we could get, and maintain our sanity.  We had to do this same type of "road trip training" with Mavery because she hated the car in the same passionate fashion.
Friday, we set out for Lubbock and ended up in Andrews, Texas for the day.  It was fun.  They had a fun city park and a Dairy Queen.  What more could we need?  This is the only picture I got from that trip.  Evie sitting on the tire swing...not looking at the camera.

We ventured home and the car ride was decent with Olivia.  She fussed some, but was able to find her thumb and sleep.  After a little afternoon snooze at home, we decided take the girls to see Cinderella. We are not big movie-goes, so for us to pack up a 6 year old, 3 year old and 5 month old and go see a Disney movie on opening day, on the last day of spring break was pretty spontaneous of us.  But it was a success.  We sat in the back row, got lots of snacks and wrapped Olivia in the sling.  For the most part, the girls did really well in the theater.  Evie, surprisingly loved the movie and wants to go see it again!

Saturday, we slept late!  Then we decided to head out east and see how far we could get.  We ended up at Big Spring State Park.  This was the perfect size park for us.  There is a short hiking trail that we were able master with 3 little girls and a fun park to play on.  

 Scenic view of Big Spring from the edge of the Edwards Plateau