Hot and Cold

Well if you're an Oklahoman reading this, you know the craziness that is the weather in our state. It seems as though spring can't decide for sure if it wants to stay for good. Or really at this point, summer. While I was a psychology major in college, I learned about a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Basically, it's when the weather (to the extreme) determines people's mood/depression, and those affected become deeply depressed during the winter months. Or something along those lines. Anyways, like any good psychology major, I often refer to many of these disorders I learned about and convince myself I have one or more of them. This one in particular. It's crazy how on the nice days, nothing can go wrong. My children are perfect little glorious creatures, frolicking through the grass, licking popsicle off their fingers, sharing their toys. Perfection. And then the next day, we awake to frost on the lawn and me squeezing their feet into the winter shoes we have outgrown because good grief, what mom is going to buy cold weather shoes in May? And Mommy losing her mind 100 times a day because everyone is angry and bitter they can't go play outside.

It's just been craziness.

However, on these glorious warm days, I can't seem to take enough pictures of my half-dressed little sweeties enjoying the sun and warm breeze. And keep repeating to myself that this cold front is the last one of the season. It has to be, right?

Warm day fun at Menchie's helping support the March of Dimes with our favorite twin friends, Harper and Tatum. :)

Cute Campbell and Tatum (I think) holding hands.

Just can't get over the cuteness of them with their back packs and nap mats at school. 

Burke had discovered and now subsequently LOVES Teddy. His favorite place to be is propped up on the ottoman so he can try to grab him or pull his tail. Teddy of course is such a good sport about pesky kids messing with him constantly. 

Sweet kisses from big sis.

Oh how these three crack me up. The girls enjoying some nice nakey time with their triplet from another mother, Charlotte.

Charlie and Campbell are killing me in this one. Such girls! And Sophie looking like Stevie Wonder. ;)

Yet another warm day treat. Snow cones!

Oh how I adore this pic of the girls taken by my father in law.

The girls had their spring program this past month at Mother's Day Out. Don't they look thrilled? Campbell kept yawning, and Sophie got irritated because one of the kids behind her kept hitting her pony tail. These wouldn't be near as much fun to watch if my kids ever did what they were supposed to do. ;)

Me and my little stinkers.

Campbell is a golf fanatic. Anytime she sees Kyle walk out the back door with his golf club, she quickly follows behind. She could hit golf balls for hours with him! This of course makes both Kyle and I's hearts so happy. I hope all of our kids enjoy playing golf to some degree so we can do it as a family someday. 

My sweet boy enjoying some nakey time on the porch swing with me while Kyle took the girls to feed the ducks.

So the other day when we got home from the gym, Burke went down for a nap and I thought I could maybe enjoy the warm weather/my Sonic drink and book while the girls rode their tricycles on the driveway. However, within minutes, the girls demanded I get their chairs and sunglasses so they could sit next to me and be "like Mommy." Oh how I love them. 

2 1/2 going on 14

Hey Mom, you're in my sun.

And then a few days later, Burkey longing for warmer temps while in his sweater and cords.

This morning, we made an honest effort to try and make it to the March of Dimes walk to support our sweet friends, the Gaines, but the darn cold ruined that plan. I just had to get a pic of the girls in the darling shirts Megan had made, though! We had such a great time doing it last year and being part of team Double Gainers, we were bummed to miss it this year. Hoping the weather cooperates next year! 

Hopefully I'll get around to taking Burke's monthly pic soon (3 days late at this point). Until then, please join me in praying the glorious sun and warmth come back soon...and stick around. 

xoxo

Burke {9} Months

After taking Burke's 9 month pictures (gasp!) this month, it immediately dawned on me that it was this exact month with the girls that the chalkboard became a toy versus a prop. Burke could not keep his hands off of it! Luckily, he's so cute that I didn't mind much. 

Look what I did! :)

I wish I could say that he pulled up here all by himself. But alas, he still prefers we move him instead of moving himself. ;)

The girls still need to be a part of our monthly photo shoot. I don't think Burke minds.

Our little Burkey just continues to light up our world. His contagious smile, endless amounts of chubbiness, and squeals make me wonder how we ever lived without him. He is officially saying "dada" alllllll the time, and trying hard to mimic a few other consonant sounds. He would rather be standing holding onto something (as seen above) than any other position. We have been working lots on crawling, but he still has no desire to. He actually will flop out onto his stomach within moments of us putting him on all fours. Little stinker. The girls were also both clapping at this age. We clap and sing songs all the time, but instead of clapping his hands, if you stick your hand out in front of him, he'll clap your hand. Again, could he be any lazier?! 

He also rang in his 9 month birthday with his first little tooth! He's been drooling tons, but that has literally been the only symptom of teething we've seen. I was shocked when I looked down the other day and saw it poking through! He's been happy happy as usual. His sisters didn't get a tooth until a few weeks after their first birthday, so I was extra shocked to see it this quick. 

We had a brief and thankfully very mild bout of pneumonia last week, and antibiotics cleared it up within a few days. This poor little guy has been hit with just about everything this winter. We are definitely ready for warmer temps and no more sickness. 

He is getting so good at feeding himself. He still does the best with crackers and dry food type stuff. But lately has been eating shredded cheese, turkey, and even managed to pick up a few diced up bananas and blueberries recently. 

He's continuing to be a great sleeper, in spite of some congestion/cough and teething. We couldn't ask for a happier, more easy going kid. Burkey boo bear, we love you to pieces!

Can you all believe it's April? It makes me giddy to think about beautiful spring days and bare feet. 

:) 

xoxo

Easter Fun

 Well, like most other major holidays in our family, Easter weekend was filled with a million fun activities plus some traveling. I love that Kyle's family lives in the boondocks. The girls are exposed to so many fun activities that we would never get to do in "the city" (horseback riding, seeing cows, sheep, fishing, country life). I just wish it wasn't a 2 hour trip both ways. I'm sure someday when our kiddos aren't so little, it will feel like no big deal. But until then, I guess we'll have to get used to the temper tantrums and exhaustion that come with hauling our crew around.

Anyways, we had a great time celebrating our risen Lord this weekend, and spent some much needed quality time with both sides of our family.

Easter baskets. Where's Burke's, you ask? I'm about to order it from Pottery Barn now that they're on sale. I've realized this is what happens with your third child... 

But gosh he's the sweetest. I don't think he minded not having an Easter basket.

Sweet Sophie

Campbell loving her Disney princesses.

"These are all my princesses."

To Taloga we go...

Sophie and Daddy on Cody

Burke told me this was his tough cowboy face.

Sophie in Papa's cowboy hat

I call this the "We're not in Edmond anymore" picture. ;)

My father in law thinks it's the greatest that I love to ride horses when we visit. So we went on a ride Saturday afternoon in the gorgeous weather. We saw his neighbor's buffalo, cows, roosters, and sheep. We totally rode our horses down the side of the road, and no one looked twice at us.

Kyle, the girls and I went fishing Saturday evening. Just the four of us. I loved every second of exploring and being in the perfect silence of the country with these three. It was one of those evenings I'll remember for a long time. And how lucky was Kyle to have cheerleaders yell "Yay Daddy!" every time he casted his line?

My and my girlies

We had a family egg hunt Saturday evening. 

The girls love playing in this big tire sandbox. When I spotted the girls and Teddy all perched on the side, I had to snap a quick pic of it. :)

Burke was definitely a fan of sitting in soft, green grass and playing with his sisters' eggs.

Easter morning we headed to Lenora Methodist Church. It's always nice going to Easter service in a small town. There were a whopping 68 people in attendance! Where else can you get a front row parking spot on Easter Sunday? They also do this sweet little children's church at the beginning of the service. The girls were mesmerized by the older girls, as usual. :)

Egg hunt #2 in the back of the church afterwards.

Back to Edmond we go for the Ball family Easter egg hunt and dinner. Canon and Crew are easily two of the girls' most favorite people on the planet. And Burke is quickly realizing how much he's going to love getting into trouble with them in the not-so-distant future.

Burke and the Michael boys

Canon is such a sweet big cousin and adores Burke. This picture melts me!

Oh how I adore all of these crazy monkeys 

Egg hunt #3

Every time I tried to take a picture of Sophie, she almost always had candy stuffed in her mouth. I'm pretty sure she had shoved an entire Reese's egg in her mouth in this one. Definitely my child.

 All in all, we had a wonderful weekend. Kyle and I collapsed into bed last night, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Hope you all had a great Easter weekend, as well. Praying spring is here for good!

xoxo