Dream Do Come True!

Every since we have moved to Alabama Mason has been asking us when it will snow.  I think he was thinking that it snow everywhere else except for Hawaii so of course it should be snowing now that we are not in Hawaii anymore.  Well, we have explained numerous times to him that it doesn't snow in Alabama, but to give him hope we tell him that it will snow in Nebraska (unfortunetely for me!)  It has been a long process of many discussions for him to understand that it will not be snowing here in the south.  Well.... we are liars.  One Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago I wake up to Ashley running into our bedroom shouting that it is snowing.  I think to myself, "OK, it's probably a few flurries melting in the air."....Nope, it's big flakes that are sticking.  Now, a note to all of you who are from the places where snow is a long 5-6 month reality, I realize this might not look like much to you, but to my tropical, snow deprived children this was a blizzard!  So here are a few pictures from EARLY Sunday morning....

Here they are staring in wonder....

Testing it out and here is my favorite quote from Mason after he heads out to play in his jacket and flip flops.   He is playing and then walks through the grass, he stops, gets a pained look on his face and runs to the door.  "Mom! Flip flops don't work in the snow!!"  (I know, I know!  The poor boy has lived in Hawaii most of his life, what do you expect!)

Here we are putting on more suitable foot wear!

Here is Britton testing out the trampoline.  And yes, he is bare foot.  I am such a responsible mom!  Don't worry, I'll try and have them wear appropriate snow attire for the winters in Nebraska!

My second favorite quote is from Ashley..."Mom, this is the most fun day in Alabama, ever!"

Here is Mason rejoicing over his good fortune!

And last we have Britton and his snow ball which he wanted to save by the way!

I think that the heaven's were smiling down on my kids that day and they were also good to me because after about 2-3 hours you would have never known it had snowed! Yay! That is my kind of snow!

Where have I been?

So, it has been a while since my last post.  I like to think that I've had a good reason, but truly I have just been lazy and putting it off.  Sorry mom!  As most of you probably know on January 22 Quincy received a brand new to him but slightly used kidney from me.  It has been a pretty amazing road but he and I are both recovering well and we feel very blessed for all the wonderful friends and family who have been there for us! Thank-you all!!!! Last week they interviewed us and wrote an article that was printed in the Montgomery Advertiser.  I posted the link below.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F200902260400%2FNEWS01%2F902260333

My Sweet Blankie Boy

Britton has always had a love of blankets.  When he was little he called them his "bee-boo's". He now calls them his blankets, sometimes blankies.  The one on his head is the one my mom made him when he was one because he would steal my silkie underwear out of the laundry basket and put them on his head.  She figured that if he ever wanted to travel and have the comfort of a silkie piece of cloth that the blanket would be better than underwear.  I am so glad she did because as you see he still puts it over his head and it might be a bit sketchy for a 10 year old to have woman's underwear on his head! Thanks Mom!!!  Although that blanket has been through it...snipped at the corners, painted with white out...it's nothing compared to the "teeny blankie". See below picture....
As you can see, the poor thing has had it.  We decided that the poor things should be retired. Britton took it pretty well, no tears, just a few longing looks.  All in all, I have decided that his love of blankies is a good thing...He can keep on snuggling and holding on to them in bed until he trades them in for a wife!

My Last Sunbeam

Oh, how old I feel!  Sunday was Mason's first day of Sunbeams.  (Sunbeams is the 3-4 year old class at church.  They have been in the nursery prior to this, treats and toys.  And now they are in with all the other children where they have lessons and singing time and sit on chairs A LOT more.)  I remember when Quincy went to sunbeams for the first time and I thought that was crazy, but now it is my sweet Mason, the last one.  I am thinking that kindergarten in coming way to soon!!  

He woke up Sunday morning so excited to go with the big kids.  It was all he could talk about and he even made a book that he had me write "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" and Ashley decorated it with pictures for him.  He had to take it to church with him and it even found its way home after church.  The best part was when I went to pick him up...I asked him if he had a good time and he replies, "Yes... I want to go back to nursery, there are no snacks in sunbeams." :) I have to agree with you Mason!!!!

Intervention???

Meet Fifi.....on the outside she looks cute, furry, harmless...right?... WRONG!!!!  Fifi is the cause of a potentially dangerous addiction that Ashley has fallen victim to.  Fifi is a WebKin. OK, for all you out there that are lucky enough to be saying to yourself, "What's a WebKin?" let me explain.  A WebKin or as I like to call it "Toy of the Devil", is a little unassuming stuffed animal that comes with this little card around their paw.  Now I mention the card because that is the source of the evil.  On this card is a little code with instructions...Log onto WebKins.com and put in "the code".  After your 6 year old (who, by the way, knows how to use the computer better than me) does this it all begins!  She now has to "take care" of the stuffed animal, Fifi, in our case.  You do this by playing a multitude of games, after you play the games you earn money to buy things for Fifi...food, bottled water, a bed, a fridge, a toilet!!!!, and my favorite...a treadmill! The list goes on.  And here's the clincher that I am reminded about all the time, you have to log onto the site and "take care" of your pet, ie:watering, feeding it, or it will DIE!! Oh, the tragedy!!  So our little Ashley, is....and I think I can safely make this diagnoses--addicted to WebKins.  I can barely pry her away from the computer to pursue my addiction of Facebook! It's like she starts to get the shakes when she is away to long and somebody else needs to use the computer!  Before you judge, I do feel like a bad parent, but hey, I comfort myself in the fact that at least it's not drugs!!  So I will continue to justify and hope that she grows out of it and one more thing...Thanks a lot Rick and Sharon!!!!!! 

Here's just a little picture of Ashley in the grips of her addiction.....

And the Winners Are....

Congratulations Ashley and Britton!  They were winners in a poster contest put on by the family support group here on base.  First and second places were chosen in three age categories out of over 250 posters.  Ashley won 1st place in here age group and Britton won 2nd in his age group.  Ashley won a 20 dollar gift card, movie passes, bowling passes, and more and Britton won all of those things minus the gift card.  We were very happy for them!  They must get their artistic abilities from someone other than me!

My Sunny Beach Girl

I have always known that Ashley loves the beach...My little blond, blue-eyed girl was born in St. Mary's, Georgia...30 minutes from the beach.  She had here first trip to the beach at less than two weeks old.  She loves the sand, the salty water, the shells, the waves, and even when the fish nibble her toes.  She is the first to want to go snorkeling with Kelly and let me tell you, she is braver than the boys and I put together!  They go out farther than I care to watch! She is quite the body boarder and if she would have had the chance I know she would have been a natural at surfing! So this brings me to her comment to me the other day...

Ashley: "Mom, I'm not sure I like Alabama so much." (I am puzzled, she loves her school, her teacher and the park and church etc.)

Me: "Why Ash?"

Ashley: "It is sooooooooooo far away from the beach!"

We live 3 and a half hours from the gulf coast and we have even been there since moving here! The poor girl!  I didn't have the heart to break it to her that Omaha, Nebraska is REALLY far away from a beach!

So here is a tribute to my little beach girl.  I know it may seem like a lot of pictures but let me tell you that it was a struggle to narrow it down to just these!