May Days

I have two weeks worth of pictures that belong in our family memory book. Things are slowly starting to go back to normal and summer is here. Thank you Lord for both of those things!

27 weeks with baby #3 (photo credit: Georgia)

Cravings: Chocolate ice cream, juice, peaches, fruit in general, some meats

Discomforts: inner thigh pain, indigestion, sore gums and teeth (weird, I know) but nothing major

Movement: this baby is a wildcat! I feel movements all throughout the day-kicks, punches, rolls. 

Things to remember: Georgia and Jack have to see and kiss my belly everyday. They are so ready to meet their brother or sister. They have been amazing at understanding I can't do all the things I use to be able to do and they have been big helps with physical things that have become a challenge for me. They are going to be a HUGE help to me raising this child!

This picture was Georgia's idea, I think she knows what she's doing. Sweet baby #3.

She is fascinated with wearing a ball/pillow under her shirt to look like me ha! Her doll playing has also increased as she prepares for big sisterhood.

We start the Bears Lunchbox Express 2020 edition on Monday! Despite all the unknown, it's going to be a great summer providing for our students.

Before

After! I'm ashamed to admit the chairs came with the house and after the first year, we tossed the cushions and I haven't purchased others or used this space. I didn't realize what we were missing! We love this space now for morning coffee, watching the kids play and waiting on food from the grill. 

As I mentioned, things are reopening and I love the emphasis everyone seems to be putting on the great outdoors. I also have a heart for great design and I love this graphic so I had to share :)

Our first crop from the garden- a bowl full of spinach!

Wick loves coming to our house to play and he got a little extra bang for his buck with a new haircut this time!

So handsome and sweet!

We gave Georgia this pink desk for her birthday in the fall. We finally have it the way we want it. Chapter books in a neat storage shelf, pictures and art supplies-she loves this space!

The Salmons came to visit one evening and sweet girl was wide eyed and bushy tailed! She has grown so much since birth, we are so proud of her.

This boy didn't have to go home, he got to stay for a sleepover! This was his first sleepover and we had some warm chocolate pudding to celebrate the occasion.

Matching pjs and they made plans to wear them so they could look alike at the sleepover. And Bo is holding a baby doll. Nope, it doesn't get sweeter than that.

They all slept together on Georgia's mattress in the playroom

Goodnight, babies! They slept all night (Jack ended up in bed with us but Georgia and Bo stuck it out). Bo was so proud of himself the next morning.

We dropped Bo off at his house and headed out for a fun day of hiking. It just so happened to be our tenth anniversary as well. We had always said we would take a trip to celebrate ten years but between COVID and baby #3, that couldn't happen this year. We are hoping for a 12th anniversary trip :)

First stop-Mammoth Cave. We chose a trail that took us down to the banks of the Green River.

Mother's Day, Shanty Hollow and More Ruthie

We celebrated Mother's Day this year quarantined at home. No special church service, no restaurant meal, no day trip. But it was my favorite Mother's Day. I received this sweet note and hand picked flowers (and petals) on Saturday, a day early because they were so excited to celebrate me so why not start early! She has such a servant heart.

Marcus had said that they probably wouldn't do breakfast in bed for me because he went hunting that morning but that did not stop Georgia. She insisted I have breakfast in bed! She got up early and went and found everything she could fix for breakfast without supervision and served it to me. This may very well be my favorite Mother's Day gift of all time <3 

For dinner, I had a steak meal (sides not pictured because they weren't ready and I was ready to dig in ha!) from the Big Green Egg-I'll take that over any restaurant.

The day ended with a drawn bath, candles and rose petals from our rose bush (kids' idea and they picked them). I am the luckiest mom and wife!

Just for documentation sake-I love that at seven, she reads a chapter in a chapter book at night before bed and does not like her wet hair on her pillow, so she puts a towel on her pillow instead :) Also note her first trophy to the left, she was so excited to receive it for her cheer season!

Jack went fishing again with Poppa and Deenie to Lake Malone. It looks like he did more than fish ha! It was a very hot day and he was tuckered out by the time he came home that afternoon.

We social distanced at Shanty Hollow Lake on Friday. The kids have found interest in hiking. They also purposely matched for the outing-be still my heart.

We left them wade in the lake after we hiked.

We love the outdoors, especially when we can retreat to a beautiful place like this that is just up the road from us.

Of course he ended up shirtless ha!

On our way home from Shanty Hollow Lake, we visited Paige and her family. We decided to allow cousin hugs and these girls were so excited for it! Lottie is Paige's twin. I feel like I'm looking at my sister as a little girl when I look at her! She is in a phase where she wants to wear Bo's clothes :) 

I FINALLY got to hold my niece! I sanitized and wore a mask. I didn't realize how tricky it was to wear a mask but also look at a baby; when you look down, the mask comes up ha! It felt so good to hold her and check her out real good. She's our little princess!

These three end up completely filthy when they are together. 

It feels like summer is almost here and we couldn't be happier for warm weather. There are days that things almost feel normal and that's a welcome retreat.

Fishing and The End of School

The garden is completely in the ground. We had a freeze warning last night so we had to get out every bucket and bed sheet we could find to cover our garden plants and flowers. Thankfully, everything survived! From right to left: Row 1-tomatoes, Row 2-peppers, Row 3-cucumbers/okra, Row 4-squash/zucchini and Row 5-green beans/spinach. Everything was planted on April 22nd except the okra, I planted them on May 4th. I just love our little garden!

Besides the cold snap this weekend, the weather has been picture perfect. We spend our days outside as much as we can. I was outside with Jack and G had decided to go in and read and look who I seen looking out at us from the upstairs playroom window! Sweet babies.

We went fishing behind our house one afternoon. This is our neighbor's pond and they let us fish it which we appreciate. Our poor son has no personality.

She looks so big to me here. She picked out her outfit for our little fishing trip, I thought she nailed it except we all needed boots because of the ticks! She's growing up on me.

They were going boat fishing with Poppa later in the week so we thought it would be good to get some practice in.

My kids have turned into fishing snobs, they think they have to be in a boat on a lake or it's not worth it ha! But I can't argue when they catch 77 fish!! They were so proud of themselves.

We need haircuts asap but he is in his element when he's on the water!

Deenie caught this precious moment in the boat. A big thanks to Poppa and Deenie for including them on their fishing trip.

First grade completed, second grade here she comes! She had a great year, thanks to Mrs. Willoughby for her nurturing and teaching and all of the NBES staff for caring for our girl and pushing her to reach her potential. She'll be ready for the next chapter come July, August, September...whenever it is, she's ready!

This is her new favorite pose. I have a feeling she will enjoy looking back at these expressions :)

At our last NTI packet pickup, we were accidentally given a second grade packet. She was on day three before we even realized it so we just did it. She was challenged and didn't love every minute of it, but I know it was good for her.

My goodness this is happening fast. We will never forget the year we finished school at home in pajamas.

Last day of K and last day of 1st grade. It will be Jack's turn in the fall to begin his first and last day school pictures. Someone hold me.

A Checkup and Eighty

A new month has rolled around along with the feeling that the days of the covid crisis may be getting close to being behind us. I don't know if that's true or if it's the fact that I've stopped watching the news and keeping up with it. Either way, it's farther out of my mind and I feel like we can start to make plans for the future when things resume to normal.

For the time being, we continue with a modified way of life. We transitioned to a NTI, homeschool format on March 16th and my staff has continued to feed our students throughout the pandemic. They have rolled with all the punches and embraced constant change. I couldn't be more proud of what we have been able to accomplish during this pandemic. It's hard being essential and on the front line in these times, but they are the best and always do more than what's expected. 

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. This was my first time in public since my previous appointment four weeks ago. My doctor was impressed, he said you really are hunkering down ha!

Up four pounds, BP 100/63 and the baby's heart rate was 154. Everything looked great. The only disappointing part was hearing my doctor say he isn't confident that things will be back to normal in the healthcare world to allow for hospital visitors when I deliver. Marcus would be allowed to be there but that would be it. I instantly thought of Georgia and Jack. They will be devastated if they can't be there, especially since we are waiting to find out the gender. I know there are worse things and a lot can change between now and then. I'm trying to stay positive!

Tuesday, we met Ruthie in real life. Still no touching or holding but at least we were able to lay eyes on her. She is a tiny beauty!

We took them supper and the kids played together in the yard. Georgia is going to be an amazing big sis (again). She just followed Lots around and did whatever she wanted to do. She is the best.

Lottie Kate had to show us her sister :) You can tell we are living in covid times, Lottie has hand sanitizer in her hair LOL

We put a hair mask on sis's hair this week because it was just a tangled mess. Brother had to have one too. We are about to be too big to bathe together anymore, there is no room in that tub between them and their one million toys.

80 years ago today in Leonard Oak, Kentucky, my mamaw was born into a family that had very little but worked hard for everything they had. You can still find her working in the garden or sweeping her porch; her and papaw get more done in a day than most do in a week. She taught me how to garden, fix cornbread and sew. She loves God, her family, Aberdeen Church and a tidy home. I'm thankful for all the years God has given me with her. Happy Birthday, Mamaw!

That was my facebook post from yesterday and here are some pictures in honor of my mamaw:

She asked me to do the fashion show at the nursing home with her! This was 2007.

Strawberry patch picking

Mamaw and newborn Georgia

Beach trip 2007

My wedding day

Learning how to make her world famous cornbread! I have finally perfected it.

I didn't know what to get her, especially considering I can't go shopping and deliveries on everything are delayed. I got on my Walmart click-list app and thought maybe there would be some Pioneer Woman things that would fit her. I hit the jackpot! I found these towels and eight floral placemats. She loved them. She said I needed new placemats. I agreed,  I'm pretty sure the ones she uses are 30 years old.

To add to the craziness in the world, I was brushing Georgia's teeth and discovered she has an extra tooth coming in BEHIND a permanent tooth. What in the world?!? We have a follow-up orthodontal appointment scheduled for Tuesday so we will address it then. Our dentist recommended we start seeing an ortho now due to some issues she has such as missing teeth (or what we thought were missing teeth) and a few other things. We will see what needs to happen next.

Today, Wick came over for a playdate and they all had the best time. My kids love a picnic on the porch and wanted him to experience it too! They jumped on the trampoline, put on their swimsuits and slid on the slipping slide, rode all the riding toys and ate ha! We will all sleep good tonight.

I ordered new chair cushions for our back porch. Sis matched so we had to take a picture. Her freckles are already popping and she looks ten to me in this picture. Her daddy came home and asked who the teenager was he received a picture of on his phone :)

Cousins and friends for life <3

Georgia also had a zoom meeting with her teacher and some of her classmates today. She's right in the middle grinning ear to ear. She is going to miss Mrs. Willoughby and her classmates, especially since their time together was cut short.

Let the weekend begin! Tomorrow looks like it's going to be gorgeous, I hope we can spend as much time outside as we possibly can.