Saturday, March 31, 2018

Easter

We celebrated Easter with the girls on Friday night, then Saturday again at Mimi's house.


We filled their eggs with blind bags and very little candy, since we knew they would be getting a lot from that bunny that comes to your house.


Blind bags are surprise bags of various characters.  They love them. 


They love opening them and seeing which character they got.


It's a genius idea - they charge way too much for a little plastic toy that you don't even decide what you get.  And kids love them.  :)


Saturday morning we went to Mimi's for the traditional Easter Breakfast and Easter Egg hunting.  I'd show you what that is, but... I didn't take any pictures of all the awesome, wonderful food we had.  Molly made blueberry strudel muffins.  Mom made the traditional breakfast.  I made the bacon bits and fresh Orange Juice and Pineapple Juice.  It was awesome.



The girls had to get their pictures taken before running off to hunt eggs.



They were very patient.  


Then they were off.  Searching high and low for the eggs.


Front yard


Back yard


Until all the eggs were counted and found. 





The below pictures are ones that Ceara took:





Happy Easter!

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Gage's 16th Birthday

Gage turned 16 this year - Molly had a small gathering for ice cream cake.  It's the best ice cream cake, in my opinion.  I believe it is Toffee Coffee crunch cake - made by Cold Stone.  It isn't one they keep made and ready to buy, you have to order it in advance.  And it's yummy. 

Jeff (Molly's husband) was in charge of the candles.  He made an accidental buy...


Candle placement is important.  


He's so handsome.  :)


Smoke filled the room with only 16 candles...


Yum.  If you like Heath Bars and coffee, you'll love this cake.


Opening gifts


Jeff getting some cake.



Happy Birthday, Gage!!

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Pops Birthday

I didn't make the cupcakes for Pop's birthday, but I supplied the decorations for the girls to decorate.  


We were watching the new Jumanji - Welcome to the Jungle, so we decided to do a jungle themed decorated "cake" (cupcakes made to look like a cake). 


Pops didn't care if we had a cake, really - it was for the girls.  


That yellow stuff on the cake was icing that was too thin to try to write with, but it was too late to change it and I didn't have anything else.  





After the girls got their Carter snuggles in, they were off to the shed to make some play-doh creations. 



And a good time was had by all.  ;)

Sunday, March 18, 2018

One Year

One year ago, I was asleep in my bed with Lily sleeping next to me (it was a Friday night, so we had the girls) and I got the call.  It was just past midnight - so officially 3/18/17 - and my mom called to let me know that Jack had passed. Lily woke up, too, so I had to be the one to tell her that Poppy wasn't with us anymore. She wanted to go with me, but I hugged her and told her I would be back soon and she should go back to sleep. I got up and got dressed and went to be with Mom at hospice. To be honest, I don't remember if I got dressed or just wore my pajamas.


I held his hand, kissed his cheek, and said my goodbyes to him, I had just left there a few hours earlier.  I sobbed uncontrollably for a little bit.  Mom was the calm one.  She had been sleeping in the convertible chair next to his bed when the nurse woke her just after midnight to let her know, but we had been warned that it wouldn't be long.  He hadn't been awake since they had brought him there 5 days earlier.  We were supposed to have more time. 

The above picture was taken at my grandma's house on Christmas day. 

I miss him.  I think of him often - when I'm doing something he taught me to do, or if a song comes on the radio that he used to like. When I am just driving my old truck down the road.  I talk to him as if he's sitting there with me. It seems strange that he's been gone a year - it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. 

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Mid March

We didn't have the girls last week - Lily was heading to Florida to go on her first cruise and Rylee wanted to stay with her Mamaw.  

Tonight, we have just Rylee, as Lily is traveling home from Florida, so we will have her next week for Pop's birthday celebration.  

Rylee was wearing half of a huge egg on her head tonight - being goofy.  She misses Lily, but had fun with Pops coloring in the shed. 



In other March news, we are eating healthier as a family.  Or trying to.  We still order pizza once a week, though.  The next few weekends should be eventful.  

Next weekend is Jeff's birthday - it falls on Friday so we (the girls and I) will be making a cake for him.  


I snagged a few pictures of Lily from her vacation pictures.


She had a great time on the cruise with her Daddy.


And Carter enjoys laying down and chatting every week.  <3 nbsp="" p="">

He's getting so big, so fast.  





Sunday, March 04, 2018

March 2nd

After eating dinner, I set up the Wii and went through some of our games.  I tried to do the Wii Fit so we could bowl or play tennis, but the disc wouldn't play.  We did the Disney dance game, then I put in Animal Crossing - the girls didn't like trying to use the controllers so Pops did it while they watched.  He narrated while playing and they cracked up.  


Rylee fell asleep while watching - at 10:30, I think that is the earliest she has ever fallen asleep at our house.  


Lily was not long after.  Maybe dancing wears them out?  


Saturday morning, we had our "usual" breakfast - bacon being the most important part of it.  They love bacon.  I cook a pound every Saturday and they eat most of it.  Along with fruit and crispy crowns.  Those are the staples of Saturday morning breakfast.  The other items vary - eggs, pancakes, and French toast also make appearances.  

We juiced some oranges and a pineapple and had fresh fruit juice as well.  Mmm, it is so good when it is fresh!  The girls love it, too.  

After breakfast was cleaned up, we made some Rice Krispie squares.  They took turns stirring - with Lily holding the pan for Rylee.  They were kneeling / standing on an end table - I really need to get some step stools - my last one broke and I haven't replaced it. 


It wasn't long after that they went to Mimi's house to spend a couple of hours with her before going home.  I spent the remainder of the day cleaning and organizing.  I've slowly started minimizing the house - I filled 2 boxes this weekend for donation.  I also cleaned out my filing cabinet and burned all the old documents I don't need anymore.  

Today I have been getting ready for the work / school week.  Laundry, meal prep - stuff like that.  I'm also going to clean out my container cabinet - Tupperware, Gladware, Ziplock... all those things that get organized, then unorganized as they are used and just thrown back in.  It's time for the organizing part.  Maybe I'll keep up with it, maybe not.  :)

Next 2 weeks we will only have Rylee because Lily is going on a cruise.  We will miss her!