Easter Weekend 2016

Easter weekend started for us on Good Friday with a really great family day. Terrell had the day off (we love his job!!) and Austin and I both had the day off too so we decided to go eat lunch with Garrison at school and then we signed him out early so he could go play golf with daddy, Austin, and Papa. They did the same thing last year and it just may become a tradition. =)

Layton was napping when the big boys left for an afternoon of golf so I had a little quiet time Friday afternoon before spending the rest of the day with my littlest love. He seemed to enjoy our quality time together but eventually started asking for his brothers. Haha. Baby boy will be included in all the fun big boy stuff really soon!

After Terrell and the big boys got home from golfing and everyone had a shower and got cleaned up, we spent the rest of the evening with Nana and Pops. We went out to eat together and celebrated Easter with them afterwards back at their house. The boys loved it! And they are super spoiled at Easter thanks to all the extra goodies and fun things they get from their grandparents!! It was a fun night. =) 

Saturday we woke up to rain and clouds and a super dreary morning, so Garrison's scrimmage was cancelled and we had a really lazy morning at home. I baked a cake (whaaaa?? Haha. It turned out delish!) and Terrell did some things around the house and kept the boys from killing each other. Then we decided to go ahead with my parents annual egg hunt on Saturday afternoon while it wasn't raining since rain was in the forecast for almost all day Sunday. We made the right decision and had a great afternoon enjoying our tradition!

3 boys ready for their yearly Easter egg hunt!

My handsome boys were pretty cooperative for pictures. Yaaay!! We were really proud. Especially of Layton since he was WAY more cooperative for pictures than possibly ever before. He did terrible at Christmas so his cooperation was a pleasant surprise. =) 

Granna and Papa... spoilers of grandbabies and givers of record amounts of candy by way of family egg hunt. Hahaha. 

While we waited for the O'Mary fam to arrive the boys got to open their Easter gifts from Granna and Papa. They hit the jackpot! Lots of fun new things for Spring and Summer plus everyday things they'll love. They actually colored in their new Lion Guard books with their new "magic" marker while we waited. Everything they got for Easter has been a hit!

Baby Girl joined the photo shoot! =)

They love Piper LOTS!

And she handles all the craziness of her boy cousins with ease. =)

We had a fun egg hunt and left overflowing with candy!

Saturday evening we went to Garrison's bestie's birthday party. It was so fun! We all had a great time and actually got home and got the boys in the bath and in the bed at a decent hour so this could happen....

Unfortunately we had a bit of rough night... Bailey ran away or got lost, not sure which, so we were searching the neighborhood at 1:00 in the morning on Sunday. Thankfully we found her and all was well but let's just say she's now on house arrest and won't be going out without her leash anytime soon. Then Layton woke up at 3:30 and again at 5:30.... then the big boys were up at 6:35. Who knows what was going on with everybody? Gracious. It was doozy. 

But once Terrell and I were up and mostly ready we let the boys get up so we could enjoy Easter bucket fun before church. We paused on the stairs for an Easter morning picture and Garrison opened his Bible to the story "Jesus is Risen!" Don't be afraid, I know you are looking for Jesus Who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said. Matthew 28:5-6 

It was a fun morning for the Selph fam! 

This was the first year that we can remember that Terrell and I weren't able to make it to an Easter worship service. So bittersweet! We served on the Preschool SS hall and then had to leave after the 9:45 hour so we could get home to cook and prepare for Easter lunch. Even though I missed singing and worshiping and hearing the Easter sermon something serious, I do feel like this is what God has called me to for now. I love serving my teachers and the sweet babies, preschoolers, and families who grace our preschool hall every Sunday morning. It was a blessing to see everyone coming in in their Easter attire and cuteness and to hear the Easter story and Christ's resurrection being shared all down the hall. Easter morning was different but still a time of celebration, reflection, and rejoicing. 

Traditional Easter family picture! We go straight to my parents' after church every Easter so we can have our picture taken 47 times and hope for 2 good ones. Ha!

I couldn't resist a hat again this year. =) All my boys were so handsome Easter morning!

After our little photo shoot we went home and cooked and changed clothes and got ready for lunch. My mom found the boys these adorable outfits and they were perfect for Easter lunch! I could hardly handle the cuteness!!

*All the heart eyes*

We had a huge and delicious lunch at my parents' house with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. And I didn't get a single picture because we were too busy enjoying good food and good times. We were inside all afternoon due to rain but we still had a great time being with family and celebrating our Risen Savior! We went home for a little rest time before going back to eat leftovers Sunday night. Yum. It was a great day full of blessings and rejoicing! 

And I'll leave you with my favorite outtakes from Sunday morning's family photo shoot. =)

This was the very last picture taken. Garrison had just declared he couldn't go on...and withstand one more picture. Hahahaha. 

Such a fun Easter weekend with those we love most! So thankful He lives!!!

EASTER 2015

Friday Favorites: Easter Week!

Easter week has been pretty good for us. It's been a short week for everyone in some form or fashion and we've really enjoyed the Easter festivities and fun that have happened this week. So thankful for Good Friday and that I know He lives!!

Here's a look at my faves from the week...

*Garrison didn't have school on Monday due to a teacher work day and these 3 loved being together all day long. (We let Austin take the day off too since Garrison didn't have school. ) Baby A was here with us too so it was a fun day full of boys. =)

*Due to a sore throat and me not feeling my best plus the thick pollen that's been covering everything around here, we decided for me to stay home with the littles on Monday night while Garrison and daddy went to practice. Slightly disappointed little brothers needed something fun to do at home so Austin chose a bubble bath for him and Layton. They enjoyed an extra long bath and had the best time! 

*Layton was up bright and early with his big brothers on Tuesday morning so he insisted on sitting with them at the bar for breakfast. He is starting to ask for them more and more and wants to do everything they're doing. He loves them so much it melts my heart. 

*We had a special visitor during naptime on Tuesday afternoon. We loved having Baby Girl come over for a little while!

*On Tuesday night we decided on me staying home again but this time with Garrison and Layton while Austin and daddy went to practice. Again because of the pollen and me not feeling great. So Garrison voted for a bubble bath this time! We're now completely out of bubble bath, haha, but these 2 brothers loved their bath time. 

*Austin had his Easter egg hunt at school on Wednesday and my mom kept Layton and A for me so I could go. It was fun and sweet! I'm so thankful I was able to be there!

*Austin racked up on eggs and candy! It was a fun morning with my middle. =)

*We were able to squeeze in family game night on Wednesday after Layton finally went to bed. Phew. Things have been a little challenging on that front but it appears we've turned a corner and found a new strategy for baby boy. Yay!

*Yesterday morning I decided on a last minute indoor egg hunt for Austin and Layton as a way to give them their morning snack. I've determined my children are just hungry around the clock. They always want to eat! Haha. So I made some word family eggs for Austin and did plain eggs for Layton and then they "hunted" for them around the living room. 

*It was a big hit and a fun little surprise for them. I remember hiding eggs for Garrison the Easter he was 3 and Austin was a baby and taking his morning nap. I hid letter cheez-its inside his eggs and we worked on letter recognition. =) Sweet memories. 

*Austin and I worked on word families or "onset and rime" with his eggs. You just write the ending or "rime" of the word on one side of the egg and the beginning consonants or "onset" on the other side. Then you turn the egg so you can practice reading each word. Even though Austin knows all of his letter sounds this is still pretty challenging for him. But it's good practice and he's motivated and interested in reading so it's been good to at least introduce the concept even if he doesn't grasp it yet. We had a fun Easter themed morning!

*Favorite Not-Pictured Moments: It rained last night!! Yaaaaay!!!! And I went to a new Bible Study last night and really, really loved it. It was both encouraging and convicting and just super informal and personal. I'm going to really enjoy a small group Bible Study in a home. Thanks Brandi for making it happen!

Today Terrell and I both have the day off so we're planning to take Garrison to school as a family, go buy groceries, take the whole family to eat lunch with Garrison at school, and then we're signing him out early so the big boys can go play golf with daddy and Papa. We also have a scrimmage game in the morning plus a birthday party tomorrow afternoon, and then all of our family Easter festivities on Sunday. We're looking forward to a fun and busy Easter weekend! Happy Good Friday and Happy Easter!! 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 5:8

Currently

Currently we are in the midst of baseball, Easter, pollen, and all things Spring. It's a really busy and crazy time of year for us (especially with all we have going on this year between my duties as Preschool SS Director and an upcoming surgery.... eeeeshh!!.... and plans for going back to work for the upcoming school year) but it's also fun. And that's helping with the stress a lot. =) I LOVE Easter and the hope and celebration it brings and I love my boys playing baseball and the excitement of the upcoming season. Spring is always a little challenging for me but I'm trying to be intentional about a good attitude and a joyful heart because Spring brings lots of new and lots of fun. 

Now, time for an update on the details and happenings around here currently...

*Eating... Thursday nights have become pizza night. Both boys have an early practice at the same time and it's so easy (and cheap I might add!) to grab a "Hot and Ready" Little Caesar's pepperoni pizza on the way home from practice. =) I have Bible Study tonight so depending on rain we may all be eating at different times. Come on rain!

*Planning... We're planning quite a bit right now. Some good, some not. First up we have Easter and all of our weekend plans. We're hoping it rains before Easter so that egg hunts and Easter morning pictures and outfits aren't cancelled/messy/disturbed. I desperately want the rain for all of this thick pollen we have but it'd be great if Easter itself was dry. 

We're also planning for me to have surgery over Spring Break. My wonderful bestie/NP recommended I see an ENT due to the frequency and duration of my sinus infections and so after visiting the ENT twice plus having a CT scan, we've determined I need a septoplasty and a tonsillectomy. =( It was a very stressful and dreaded decision for me to make but I've prayed about it and consulted with my doctor and hubby/family TONS and decided it's for the best. I don't want to have to do it but it's necessary and will hopefully make a huge difference for me. Even though I'm not looking forward to it at all and I'm still a little stressed about it, I'm at peace with the decision to move forward with it and get it over with.

We're also trying to plan what we'd like to do for our anniversary coming up on June 4th. Last year we celebrated sort of small for our 10th anniversary because we were preparing to move and spending our money on new things for our new house. So this year was supposed to be something bigger in terms of a get-away... however we just discovered a little conflict with dates. Boo!! I have been super disappointed. Big time. I'm trying to get over it and be flexible and laid back... but honestly the pity party is still tempting. Ha. We're still planning to celebrate we're just not sure if we'll do a get-away or something different. Decisions, decisions.

*Loving... Watching my big boys play baseball, watching Terrell coach them, watching Layton grow and become closer and closer to his big brothers, weekends!, the new once a month Bible Study that's about to start that I can actually commit to, ice cream, grocery shopping during the week, my church, family time, and being back in the hometown. (Every holiday I'm reminded how thankful I am to be back!!) 

*Not Loving... POLLEN, falling behind on cleaning and clutter around here, fighting and/or arguing brothers (#headache), and not knowing exactly where I'll be teaching/working next year. We're still praying about what's best and asking God to open the doors to what we need. It's hard not knowing and waiting, especially for a major planner like me, but I'm learning patience and trust while we wait. 

*Watching... Terrell and I are watching all of our favorite shows whenever we can. We are still loving Blindspot and the new season of Survivor has been really good so far too. Plus we still love Scorpion, Hawaii 5-O, Blue Bloods, and Duck Dynasty. Our TV time has been cut waaay down due to later nights with baseball practice but we still have the best time watching shows together when we can. It's our favorite way to hang out and unwind. =)

*Reading... Right now I'm reading The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand. I really love her books and that the setting of them all is on Nantucket. They're just good, easy reads. I've also been reading through the Gospels lately and I'm almost done with Luke and ready to move into John. I've loved reading about the life of Jesus from different perspectives. After I finish John I'm not sure whether I'll move into Acts or go back to the Old Testament and maybe read Daniel?? 

*Trying... Not to become worried/stressed/worked up over the things mentioned above... surgery, job/going back to work, our anniversary plans, being SS director, etc. It's been a WHILE since anxiety and worry have been an issue for me but they've reared their ugly heads the past couple of weeks. Things have just felt really stressful around here. And our crazy busy schedule hasn't helped. Thankfully I'm starting to feel some peace and I can see God's faithfulness and answered prayers through all the craziness. 

*Hoping... For RAIN!! (Just not on Easter) And for a smooth and successful surgery AND recovery coming up next month!!

*Wanting... Rain to wash this pollen away, a dry or almost dry or partially dry Easter Sunday, our country to make the right decision for our next President, extra rest and sleep, and more down time for my family. 

*Needing... A job for the upcoming school year that provides for our family and is best for all of us when it comes to schedules, time apart, time together, job demands, and the effect it will have on each of us, a successful surgery and quick recovery, and the rest needed to get through all the busyness of this season!

  Whew! There's a lot going on around here and I think I've caught you up on it all! So thankful for this outlet and a place to write, share, and document our memories and life happenings, both big and small! 

Happy Thursday!

Weekend Recap + Easter Buckets

This weekend was a good one! Friday started off a little stressful (more on that later), but everything else was pretty wonderful. I didn't make tons of pictures, so my apologies for that, but I wanted to recap anyway. 

On Friday afternoon right after school and Baby A left to go home, Terrell's mom came over to watch the boys for me so I could go to my hair appointment. It is a pretty big treat for me to have my hair done these days between finding an appointment and working things out with the boys, so mama was thankful! Little things really are big things. =)

After I got back home we all went out to eat Mexican together and had a great time. The boys are always happy to have their grandparents eat out with us. Whenever we mention going out to eat now they've started asking us who's coming with us and are disappointed if it's just going to be our little family of 5. Haha.

Saturday morning we slept in as late as we could before Terrell and Garrison left for batting practice and Austin and Layton played and I showered and attempted to clean the house some. We ate lunch at home and had naptime and rest time before getting ready for our date!

Around 3:30 Terrell and I dropped off the kiddos with my parents and we were off!! 

Our top priority was Easter shopping and we think we're done! Easter coming super early this year made Easter buckets a challenge! I feel like we got a lot of random stuff but hopefully it will all be used, played with, and enjoyed. (I'm sharing the contents of the boys' Easter buckets below.) 

We took a break from our shopping and running around to eat at Long Horn for supper because it just never disappoints. And it was sooo good! Eating a delicious meal at a great restaurant with the hubs... my fave!

(And my necklace, who lots and lots of people stare at and ask me what it stands for, says "G. A. L." It's for Garrison, Austin, and Layton. My 3 boys who put together make "GAL". =) It's Stella and Dot.)

The boys had a ball with Granna and Papa. They played outside all afternoon and then chose Waffle House for supper. Hahaha. We got home really late (for us!) and then I had to whip up something for Sunday School the next morning since it was our turn to bring snacks. So it was a really late night for this early bird! We had a great time on our date and laughed a lot and got all of our Easter shopping done. It was so fun! Thanks to Granna and Papa for their baby-sitting services!!

Sunday morning was pure craziness. CUH-RAY-ZEE. Sigh. The big boys and I finally made it to church around 8:20 so they could participate in the Palm Sunday service and it was really sweet. They followed Jesus into the sanctuary waving palm branches and walked each aisle in all 3 services. Austin did great even though he was a little intimidated. The service was wonderful and that made our crazy, stressful morning more than worth it.

Terrell took Garrison home early from church because he had a bad headache and just didn't feel like staying. And he loves church so we knew he wasn't faking or exaggerating. Thankfully he felt better after some Tylenol and lunch. Then we all had a really lazy Sunday afternoon and Terrell and I were even able to sneak in a nap. The best!! 

Then at 5:00, Garrison Cade had his last I'm a Christian Now class. Wooohooo! He really enjoyed the class and it was super special having Nana as his teacher, but it was a lot of work and a big commitment so we were thrilled to celebrate his completion and "graduation". =) We're praying that as Garrison grows so will his knowledge and love of Jesus. Luke 2:52 is my prayer for all of my boys.

Sunday night was super low key because we didn't have school on Monday. No laying out of clothes or making of lunches or preparing of book bags was a wonderful treat. Even though Terrell and I didn't have the day off, a day off of school for the kiddos is an big bonus for mama and daddy. We really loved our weekend and enjoyed it to the fullest!

And now for Easter buckets! Each year I like taking a picture of what we get the boys for Easter strictly for documentation and memory's sake. It's fun to look back on and to have as a reference and to possibly even give someone a last minute idea. This year's buckets were way more last minute than usual but I think they'll be well loved anyway. =)

We love practical gifts at Easter and we love anything small and fun that they will love... and that won't fall apart or break within 2 days. Ha! 

Garrison's and Austin's bucket contents are almost identical except for colors but we went with socks, flip flops, a graphic tee, a new toothbrush, a new cup for their bathroom and "toothbrusing", a Ninja turtle bowl, glow sticks that they can make into necklaces and bracelets, cool bandaids in a Transformer themed tin, a jump rope, a Ninja Turtle handheld fan, Quixels, and a mini basketball toy (this could be the item that doesn't last long, ha). 

Layton's bucket contents are a little smaller because he's only 2 and it's really hard to come up with small, fun and/or practical ideas for a newly turned 2 year old! So we ended up going with bubble bath, a Biscuit Easter book (Layton loves Biscuit), a new toothbrush and toothpaste, a Ninja Turtle handheld fan, flip flops, a graphic tee, socks, a Ninja Turtle bowl, and glow sticks. So lots of the same things as his big brothers with a couple of different things thrown in too. We'll be throwing in a few plastic eggs filled with jolly rancher jelly beans, a cadbury egg, skittles, and starbursts... and yogurt melts and teddy grahams for Layton. =)

Have a great Tuesday!!

Friday Favorites: Finding Our Groove

This week we feel like we've finally started to find our groove. For the most part. YAY. This was our 3rd week of baseball and while the first two weeks were totally exhausting, a bit of a shock to the system, and lots of trial and error, this week we sort of settled in and figured some things out and have just about mastered the juggling act. Don't get me wrong, we're still pretty exhausted, but we feel a little more confident in the new routine and the busyness that comes with baseball life. So we are super excited about that and are hoping things keep getting better and better. And of course a little rain and some canceled practices thrown in wouldn't hurt either. (But don't tell the coaches or my husband I said that. Ha.) Even though this week was a lot better than last week, we are still soooo thankful it's Friday!!

Here's a look at some of my favorite happenings during our week of finding our groove...

 *Last Saturday morning we devoted to working on Garrison's upcoming school project... A habitat diorama! (The perfect project for our animal loving firstborn.) And it was a family affair... because you can't pull out paint and paintbrushes without including the little brothers. =) We made tons of progress and now it's almost 100% complete!!

*Saturday afternoon we had some shopping to do and dressed the boys in their new matching outfits from Granna. My heart times 3!!! (Austin isn't standing up straight so Garrison looks 10 and Layton looks humongous. Hahaha.)

*Tons of strangers stopped us and talked with us or complimented the matching cuteness. It may have been a record. =)

*Sunday afternoon goodness.... a break from playing to enjoy a bowl of ice cream. Yum. 

 *Spring training baseball after homework and play time. Love how much they love sports!

*I've taken Layton and A on a few morning walks this week which have been fun little workouts. And we've enjoyed watching our beautiful tree bloom! 

*We weren't living here last Spring so this was a surprise to us and one that we've all enjoyed. It's definitely made me love Spring (my least favorite season) a little more! 

*A little color sort with my baby. He's slowly but surely learning them! Ironically he knows white the best. (He had already found all of the white and put them in the barn.) I'd say blue is next.  

*A quick game night of Skip Bo for my big boys!

*This year for St. Patrick's Day I went a little more festive than normal. =) I used the printables Andrea from Momfessionals provided plus added a fun, festive, and GREEN breakfast. Since there were no green doughnuts to be found (#smalltownproblems) we went with green cupcakes instead in addition to our traditional bowl of Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast. 

*The printables were perfect! The extra special touch that's right up my alley. =) I just wrote in green and taped them to green cardstock I had leftover from Layton's picture display at his birthday party. 

*The big boys were super surprised and loved their special breakfast! Garrison read Austin's "Lucky to Have You" to him. =)

*I loved their sweet reactions and hearing them say thank you. They are always so appreciative of the little things. 

*Layton woke up later and was pretty excited too! I read him his note and cut up his cupcake so he could eat it with his spoon. Then I had to give him his cheerios and Nutri Grain bar because even a cupcake can't replace his regular breakfast. Haha. It was a fun and festive day for the whole fam!

*Favorite Not-Pictured Moment: Watching Terrell coach our big boys and their teams 3 nights a week. He really is the best coach ever! Even though the baseball season is running us ragged I love that Terrell is coaching their teams. Coach daddy is pretty worn out but wouldn't trade it for anything. My boys are BLESSED!

We are so thankful for Friday and the night off tonight!! This weekend we're looking forward to a hair appointment for me this afternoon (yay!), going out with Terrell's parents tonight, a date night and Easter bucket shopping tomorrow, Palm Sunday, down time, and extra rest! Have a great weekend!!