End of School

Both girls finished school at the end of May with programs. Peyton's Kindergarten class held a graduation ceremony where they wore caps and gowns, received diplomas and performed several songs they learned this past school year. The parents and students were then treated to cake and punch. Emily's class held a program where they also performed songs and showed off some of their artwork. Both girls are glad to be done with school for the summer but are already thinking about what school will be like in the fall. Peyton will be in the first grade, and Emily is excited to go to "big school" to attend Pre-K at Ball Elementary. She got her first uniform shirt the other day and was so proud of herself. She wanted to wear it all night long.

Happy Easter

We enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend together as a family, with limited traveling! We enjoyed a picnic at a local park, soaking up the warm weather and spent the long holiday weekend doing all kinds of things including several church services, an Easter egg hunt, our first crawfish of the season and lots of other fun things.

The girls had a good time at the church's Easter egg hunt - Peyton only found 39 eggs! Emily isn't nearly as aggressive of a hunter as her big sister. Regardless, they got plenty of candy that will last us for weeks. We met the Easter Bunny at the mall and Emily did not flip out, which is a huge accomplishment for her. She actually waved and blew him a kiss, telling him "you better come to my house!" The Easter Bunny definitely did come to our house with "Princess and the Frog" DVD, gardening tools, bubbles, a few other toys and just a little bit of candy.

The girls greatly enjoyed their week of spring break - spending the night with some friends, a lunch date with Ms. Dana, a baby shower in Natchitoches and of course, Easter. Neither was excited to return to school but there are a few more weeks until school is out for the whole summer. They can make it!

Disney World

Our family made a trip to Disney World this February with our friends, the Morgans. They moved from Louisiana to Tallahassee so we took advantage of a long holiday weekend and went to visit them. We then all drove together to Orlando. The first night, we took the kids to Downtown Disney to shop and eat, then got up early the next morning for the Magic Kingdom.

The weather was a little chilly but still sunny. The day flew by as we learned how to navigate the rides and take advantage of "Fast Pass." The girls liked the rides Buzz Light Year, Winnie the Pooh and really liked the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, although they DID NOT like waiting in line. We got to meet Daisy Duck and got to see several of the princesses. It was a really long day and everyone was really tired by the time we left, but we had a great time.

It was fun getting to visit with the Morgan family and the girls loved playing with Alex and John. It was a great trip to take as a family before Cooper makes his arrival.

Baby Shower for Cooper

Friends and family helped host a baby shower a few weeks ago to help Shawn, the girls and I prepare for the upcoming arrival of Cooper. We had a great shower with lots of good food and decorations, including a really cute diaper cake and a "daddy tool belt" for Shawn. The girls got into the spirit by helping unwrap all the presents for Cooper and passing them around for everyone to see. He got a ton of clothes and diapers and much-needed items including a pack 'n play, bath tub and swing. It definitely put us on the right track to be ready for baby. Only about 5 weeks left to go ...

Big Sisters!

Peyton and Emily got practice being big sisters this week at a sibling class at the hospital where we'll have Cooper.

They got to bring their baby dolls and practice diapering them, color a happy birthday card for the baby and eat a birthday cake. The best part was when they got to dress up in hospital gear - scrubs, masks, caps and booties and tour the delivery ward. They got to see the room where the baby will be born, where they measure him, even sneak a peek in the nursery where they saw two little babies.

The girls each got certificates and really enjoyed their time at the hospital and are excited for their little brother to get here - only a few more weeks!

Snow Day!

Like everyone else in central Louisiana, we woke up to a blanket of about 4-6 inches of snow last Friday. It started snowing the night before and the girls went to bed so excited to see what would happen in the morning. They woke up at 6:45 a.m. screaming about how much snow was on the ground. They immediately got dressed and went outside to play, make snowballs and make a snow lady. Emily got cold and didn't like that her feet got dirty but Peyton was pumped to be outside. She even went to our neighbor's house to slide down a small hill with their son, Stevie.

We had to remove the snow from Shawn's truck so we could head to Florida for a weekend trip to Disney World with our friends the Morgans. Ironically, snow flakes followed us all the way down south, even to Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! The girls are preparing for Valentine's Day parties at school and have enjoyed making Valentine's, decorating boxes and getting candy! To celebrate Valentine's Day, President's Day, Mardi Gras, my birthday and anything else we can think of, we're heading to Florida for a getaway to see the Morgans. We'll all travel together for a day at the Magic Kingdom. The girls can't wait!! Pictures to be posted soon ...