Busy...Busy...Busy

We have been quite busy the last couple of days, hence the blog not being private yet. Grace has/had 4 softball games this week, then in before, between, after I have to get the yard work, house work, work work, and sleep somewhere in there. Crazy, I thought summer was a time to sit back and relax with a nice cold lemonade. I guess not for me, at least this week.

O' and lil Miss Izabelle will be celebrating her 3rd birthday this weekend...I can't believe she is going to be 3, where is the time going!!!

Anyway, I'm still planning on putting this blog as private so if you haven't done so and want to continue to view "A Look Into Our Lives" please leave your name and email address in the comments.

Thank you...

With Much Love

Jess

Softball

This is the first year that Grace is playing softball and so far so good. Although she really didn't like getting up early Saturday morning for her first game.

A couple of weeks ago was opening day...It had been raining, so they were not able to do anything outside, but we did enjoy a good lunch and watching each team get announced. Then the main attraction-Riding the Firetruck. Of course Grace's daddy was the driver of one of them.

Here are some of the pictures over the last couple of softball activities:

Grace and Izabelle in the firetruck Hailey and Grace getting off the fire truck

Ready to take a SWING!!!!
She is ready for whatever comes her way.

We are super excited to watch Grace play ball this year. Even though it was cold outside each time she played it is a blast watching her.

With Much Love...

Jess

Engagement Party

My brother was complaining about how the "brides" get to open presents and have a party because they were getting married and he wanted to have one too (so he can feel special), so my sister, mom, and myself put together an Engagement Party for my brother and his fiance on Saturday and it was a BLAST!!! It was mostly the wedding party that was there and some few family members but it was FUN nonetheless!!!!

We had a cookout, the guys played cornhole, alot of talking, drinks, and Grant was able to open some presents. I just realized I didn't get any pictures of our family and the wedding party but here are some pictures from the Party:

Some of the guys (L to R): Casey, Jarod (aka Farmer), Jeff, Levi, and Alex. These guys are a Hoot!!! This is going to be one FUN wedding.

Amanda's Mom, Kay and her brother Micheal (I get to walk down the aisle with him)

Micheal and his girlfriend Sammi

The cutest couple EVER...Amanda and Grant. LOVE THEM!!!

EVERYONE!!!! Opening Presents...


I can't believe next month my little brother will be getting married. I am definitely going to plug my tear ducts for that day. I am so happy, excited, anxious, joyed, and full of love for these two. Congrats!!! May your life be filled with many blessings.

With Much Love.

Jess

Day of Fishing

Sunday, we had a full day of fun. First we went to church and sunday school, then headed over to get some lunch to support Brooke L. in her mission trip. Then headed up to Matt's uncle's house for some fishing. Here are some pictures that captured our day:

Papaw showing Grace how to cast out her fishing pole.

Grace took my camera took some shots:

Here is Izabelle

Some of the fish they caught

Self portrait of herself

Izabelle and her daddy.

Izabelle watching them fish. Love her outfit, I wanted her to wear some cute capris, BUT she had another idea and put the capris back and came out with pajama bottoms on.

Daddy showing the girls his fish, he was trying to get them to hold it too. At the end of the fishing trip, Grace was brave enough to hold one.

I was talking to our neighbor, who happens to be one of my high school friends, didn't realize that we were out there that long (I think 1 1/2 hours). When I came inside this is the scene I saw.

This is the most priceless moment.

Until Next Time.

God Bless

Jess

EASTER 2010...CHRIST HAS RISEN

I heart Easter, not only for the egg hunting, candy, and the feasts, but because CHRIST HAS RISEN!!! This year the message really hit me upside the head. Talk about waking up, it was like God threw down a brick and told me to WAKE UP!!! Someone told me this parable and I will do my best to phrase it like they did (sorry if I mess this up). They asked me what I deserved, well my answer was simple "To be Happy". They came back and said "No, you deserve Hell". What??? Then explaination came, before Christ when people sinned they died for their sins, God gave us Christ so that we could be forgiven for our sins and live again. So, whatever we get is better than what we deserved (Hell), because Christ died for us, for our sins, so that we can live. So, now everytime I think about my own sins and/or sinned I see Christ being nailed to that cross over and over again. That hurts, but it makes you work alittle harder to become more Christlike, uh?? I know it does me.


Our Easter started out Saturday morning, I had to go to church to help with preparations for Sunday breakfast after sunrise. It was fun being with the rest of the group and prepare for such a wonderous celebration. We were going to go Easter egg hunting at the local resturant but they cancelled it due to the rain, but the girls didn't miss anything because they were able to do that the next day at each grandparents' house.

Sunday, Matt and I had to be at the church at 5am, to start cooking and getting everything ready. Unfortunately my alarm clock was set on CD instead of the radio, so we didn't hear it go off, but ended up that I woke up 15 minutes before 5, so Matt was able to get there on time, but I was alittle late (made it by 5:30ish, not to bad). It took longer to cook the casseroles then we expected, so I had to go home and bake the biscuits, which was fine, because I was able to help Patty get the girls up and ready for church. Thank you Patty for coming so early to be with the girls:)


After breakfast and church we headed to Memaw and Papaw's for lunch and some Egg Hunting. B (Greta and Rob's lil girl) kept saying I want to on a Egg Hunt, she is tooo cute!!! We got a few good shots of the girls' smiling and together.


After lunch we rested for a bit, then headed out to Nana and Papaw's for Supper and another Egg Hunt!!! By 7pm we were ready to go and get to bed. It didn't take no time for Iz to fall asleep in the truck. It was nice to be home and to relax from the festivities. I finally got the candy hid and Easter gifts put away.



Here are some pictures from the day:

The girls' Easter Baskets Grace not fully awake
This lil lady is always ready to go in the mornings.
1st attempt for group picture of the grandkids
Last shot. CHEESE!!!
B and Iz ready to Egg Hunt
Iz taking a break for a bite of chocolate Grace on the Hunt at Nana and Papaw's

The Grandkids

Awww!!! What a blessed day we had. Matt and I even went on a 4-wheeler ride, just the two of us. It was a beautiful day. Praise God!!!

Until Next Time

God Bless

Jess

Spring Break is officially over:(

Okay, so I am back and today is the start of any ordinary Monday. Grace went back to school, Izabelle went to Treva's, and well I am here at work (shh, don't tell anyone that I am blogging while at work, eek).

Anyway, we had a fun Spring Break. We started off the first part of the week with me working and the girls spending time between Treva's, Memaw's, and some friends. The girls went to Memaw's on Monday to spend the night and spend the next day with her while I was at work. Kaycee took Grace to see "How to train a dragon" that afternoon while Izabelle took a nap. The girls sure have a BLAST had their grandparent's house.

Then on Wednesday, the girls' spent the morning at Treva's making Easter baskets and coloring eggs. Then Sonya came and picked Grace up to go to the park with them. Grace and Hailey are becoming such good friends (as well as their mommies). Grace was upset when we left because she thought that she didn't have enough time to play with Hailey...although she spent the whole day with her.

Thursday we went to the park, had a picnic and played with Greta & B. It's so much fun (& exhausting) watching them run from one thing to another, but so worth it. After the park, we headed home for naps. Then we took a walk through the neighborhood. Stopped at the Robinson's, then over to the Stoll's to watch Shawn plant potatoes and swing. We are soo very blessed to have wonderful neighbors.

Izabelle and Grace at the park...notice another lil girl wanted to get picture taken too.

Friday, we went with Abby and her family to the indoor waterpark in French Lick. It was really neat and FUN. Kinda wish I would have had a tan!!! The girls LOVED IT!!! Izabelle stayed in the lil baby/kiddie area and kept going up and down the slide with Karson. At the end the two got more daring going down the slide. Grace was able to go down the other slides and then into another pool with Lillie and her grandma. I can't tell you how much that made the girl's Spring Break and mine. It was a great way to end a good week. THANKS ABBY for letting us come too!!!

Grace swimming in the bigger pool Izabelle doing her FAVORITE thing, going down the slide Izabelle and Grace...Izabelle wanted to keep putting her face in the water...Such a Waterbug;-)

Grace said this morning she can't wait for school to be over...it will only be a couple of more weeks, and she will be.

Then over the weekend, I had to be at the church Saturday morning to prep for breakfast after Sunrise Service, then later that evening we had a Kaden's (Matt's cousin's lil boy) 1st birthday party and EASTER!!!! I will post more on Easter at a later time.

Until Next Time...

God Bless

Jess

P.S.
Okay, so I am just going to put this out there...First I want to say "THANK YOU" from the bottom of heart for praying for me and not fully knowing what is going on in my life or my heart. I can feel those prayers, so thank you and keep them coming, if can. I know that there were alot of concern, but I will tell you this, that me and my family are fine. There has been things that have been going on in my extended family that really made me think about things (I have posted previously about my grandpa and cousin and their health scares) and that made me anxious, worried, scared and I let that start to control my life. I am not afraid or shamed of admitting that I deal with those types of things, actually it has been able to open up the doors to others that struggle with the same thing to be able to talk about it and not feel like you are the 'only' one that is dealing with this, but I am working on controling this type of thinking by focusing on prayer, Christ, and a new way of thinking.

Continue to pray for us, if you feel the will to do so, but also continue to pray for others as well as for yourself. Pray for us to seek God in the midst of trials, to seek God during the time of blessings, and well pray to God everyday. Praise him in everything.

Give Me a S, Give me a U, Give me a N, What's that spell, SUN!!!!

While Grace was at school me and Izabelle decided to take advantage of the sun with a lil walk to our neighbor Audrey's house. It was good seeing her and her girls (we haven't seen them in a while). It was fun watching the girls play while the moms talked. It was nice, we are sooo ready to for the sun to stay (which it doesn't look it will, we have rain coming this week) and take more walks to visit more neighbors.

Friday night, Matt and I went out to supper for a date. We were going to go to the movies but missed it because we stayed in WalMart too long (we went in for bubble gum, ha). So, we decided to drive around for a bit and headed home about 8pm. What a date night, uh? But it was good to get out without the kids. Thanks to my lil cousin for watching the girls, she is definitely the girls' favorite sitter (when we can get here).

Saturday, we were excited to see that it was going to be another warm day. Grace had summer softball sign ups and she was excited to see alot of her friends there, too. Izabelle was excited too, she kept saying "Let's go to Football", poor girl got her sports mixed up, she must still be hoping that the Colts would have won the Super Bowl. It's okay, we have next year:)
After softball, we headed home to play outside and clean out the garage. After lunch we started to do some Spring cleaning. Grace asked to wash the windows and before to long she kept asking to do more cleaning. I was hoping to take a nap, but she kept saying we needed to clean this and that, she is going to be a great boss, but our house is nice and clean.

Sunday, was another nice day. We went to church, came home for supper, watched movies, went for a walk, and then to Small Groups at the Otto's. Greta made one fine meal, I went for seconds, and some of Izabelle's too. There went my diet, but I couldn't resist a good dish. We have such a great time with our Small Groups and can't believe that our run will end in July (I think). The girls had a great time as always.

Well enjoy the sun today.

Until Next Time...

God Bless

Jess