Birthday Weekend

Thursday was my mom's 60th birthday so this weekend was her official birthday weekend... and leg 3 of our Spring Break. We had a fun weekend and hope she did too!

We tried to do a few little things to make the weekend extra special but overall we just had a good time together. She made it known a while back that she did not want a surprise party or huge gathering for her birthday this year (even though it's a big one) but that she really just wanted "us" (her children and grandchildren) to go out and celebrate and to have extra time with our immediate family. And the birthday girl gets the final say. =)

We went out to eat at Outback (Yum-O!) and had someone make a family picture of us outside. Everyone gets to be the picture because a nice stranger is the one taking it, and everyone is "picture ready" because we're going out to eat. It's a double win!

*Part of my mom's birthday weekend included an updated family picture to frame. I hope to get this printed soon.

Of course the boys had a great time celebrating Granna's birthday. They loved all the dessert they got to have and they really loved helping blow out candles. It's a big deal!

 

They loved helping open Granna's presents before bed too. And yes, they are still in Christmas pjs. It's the only "cold weather" ones we have that fit. I'm thinking we can officially bring out some Spring pjs this week though.

 

Great pic of AnAn and Frankie!

Sunday morning all 3 of my boys went to church without me. I hated to miss church but I just didn't feel good at all Sunday morning. Again. Thankfully I can tell I'm getting better and better it's just been a really slow process. Hopefully I'll be back to 100% very soon!

Melt my heart

 

My parents grilled out Sunday for lunch before it was time for us to head home... but not before both boys got to sit in Frankie's big truck. They were both a little afraid of it at first but finally warmed up. You can tell how tired Austin is in the last picture! Bless his heart. Both boys fell asleep within about 5 minutes of us being in the car headed home!

We had a great weekend celebrating my mom's birthday and are so thankful for her!! We're looking forward to an even bigger celebration with extended family soon!

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY~ MAMA/GRANNA/LINDA!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Spring Break Part 2~ Gatlinburg

This year's trip to Gatlinburg with the Selph side of the family was different in more ways than one. Way different... especially for me. But more on that later. Thankfully we all survived and the kids had tons of fun. Praise the Lord for that!!

We left from my parents house mid-morning on Monday and finally arrived in Gburg around 5:45 that evening. But not before we had to stop at a middle of nowhere gas station to change a blow out diaper... which the diaper didn't hold... which got on his car seat and clothes. Yuck. It was a crazy scene for anyone riding by. We had the suitcase opened on the ground by the car, wipes and plastic bags everywhere, and a half naked little boy sitting in the driver's seat. Oh my. Once we got his seat cleaned and new clothes on him he was happy as could be.

After we arrived and unloaded, we had delicious homemade lasagna prepared by my mother-in-law and the grands all got their Easter goodies from Nana and Pops. Garrison was SO excited. I think Austin was pretty excited too. We had a really good first night.

Tuesday morning we decided to change our plans and head to the Aquarium so we could be inside and stay warm. It was freezing. This was the first year ever we had to change our plans to make sure we were inside and avoiding 30 something degree weather. Crazy.

Everybody really enjoyed the aquarium. Austin was a sleepy head the whole time and finally did nap while we strolled him around but it was a lot of fun for the older kids. I was very impressed too!

I think Garrison's favorite part of the whole aquarium was the dinosaur exhibit. (With the sharks as a close 2nd.) It was so good. It was one of our favorite parts too. He got to search for fossils with daddy and see and hear dinosaurs up close and personal. The T-Rex was even a little loud and scary. And big. He finally decided it was safe to have his picture made with it. Then he wanted a picture with mama and the T-Rex. Then Nana. Then daddy. Then Pops. The one with daddy turned out the best. =)

Garrison also really liked the penguins. He posed with about 5 different penguin displays. My photogenic little man. Precious. This one was my favorite.

After leaving the aquarium we walked over to a nearby restaurant for a yummy lunch. And that's when we knew Pops was sick. Cause he didn't eat a thing. And that's when I knew I might be sick too. Cause it hurt real bad to swallow. Ugh. So disappointing. I thought my sore throat might possibly be allergy related but it just kept getting worse and worse with no relief in sight. Thankfully we headed home after lunch and had naps. Including me. Terrell's dad stayed secluded at their condo while we grilled hamburgers for supper and stayed in the rest of the day. The boys had lots of play time with their cousins and we enjoyed time with Kara and Denny after the kiddos went to bed.

Unfortunately that's when my fun ended. I didn't sleep much at all on Tuesday night and just felt pretty miserable. My throat was painfully sore plus I felt achy, uncomfortable, cold, etc. Then I woke up with stomach issues on Wednesday morning. They didn't last but my sore throat and achiness did. Soooo, we made the decision for me to stay home Wednesday while the rest of the fam went out to breakfast and spent the day at the Nascar Speedpark. It was the right decision. I spent the morning in bed and got up and ate soup for lunch then spent the afternoon watching reruns of shows like Full House and Everybody Loves Raymond. I even made myself a doctor's appointment for the following afternoon as soon as we'd be home. I was thankful for the rest and the quiet and the medicine that provided a little relief. But I was especially thankful that my boys were feeling great and having a wonderful time. Big, big thanks to my amazing husband and sweet in-laws for helping take care of me and the boys!

According to Terrell, Garrison loved everything about the "speedpark". Yay! And Austin had fun too, he just stayed inside the majority of the day playing on the indoor playground. He was too little for the rides anyway. I'm thinking I'll get to go there one day since it was super popular with the kiddos.

My boys came to pick me up just before supper so I could go out to eat with the rest of the family. They were happy to see me and I was happy to see them! Unfortunately I couldn't really enjoy myself at dinner because it hurt so bad to eat. This has seriously been the worst sore throat I can ever remember. And I am sooo over it. I did enjoy getting out though and being with everyone else.

When we got back to the house we celebrated Pops' birthday (a couple weeks early) with presents and cards. I thought this picture turned out pretty great! 

Unfortunately (again), things went downhill for the Selph household Wednesday night. I had an awful night with my throat. I almost couldn't swallow. At all. I slept very little. And then I woke up with what I thought was the stomach bug on Thursday morning, our departure day... and so did Terrell. Nooooooooo. We were both ready to panic. All I could see were multiple stops on the way home at sketchy gas stations and us not getting home til some reeeally late hour. But I kept praying. I think I may have been in a constant state of prayer throughout Thursday morning.

By God's grace we were able to leave on time and make it home without a single stop. I loaded up on medicine and water and Terrell was feeling great by the time we got on the road. God is so faithful. It was seriously a miracle we made it home as soon as we did without having to make one single stop. And the boys did great. They read books, held hands, talked, played with hotwheels, and slept! We were SO thankful.

I made it to the doctor and got antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection. I'm praying they're effective. Terrell went to work today (vacation days are too important to waste), so the boys and I have been laying low at home together. We did all our laundry yesterday and have been packing today. Leg 3 of our break starts tomorrow as we travel home for my mom's 60th birthday weekend.

This year's trip to Gatlinburg may have been different from years past but it was still full of fun and laughter and memories for everyone involved... at least at some point or another. =) We enjoyed getting away, we had fun catching up with Kara and Denny, and we loved seeing our boys have a ball. Thanks to Nana and Pops for making it happen! The Selph family appreciates all you did for us on our trip!!

Easter 2013

Easter weekend has been fun filled and exactly what I needed after an overwhelming and stressful week trying to get ready for our very busy Spring Break. It has been so nice to enjoy time with family, see my boys get extra play time and attention, and laugh hard with my crazy relatives. It was a much needed distraction that I am very thankful for.

We arrived in the hometown yesterday and enjoyed playing outside, helping Granna cook, and dyeing Easter eggs. Garrison had a ball. And today was just as fun. We had a wonderful service at church, then the Easter bunny had goodies waiting for the boys when we got home, and then we had a huge family gathering with tons delicious food for lunch. The boys loved it all, especially playing with their cousins, sampling yummy desserts, and hunting for Easter eggs. It was such a fun day for all of us.

Easter is so special because of what it means and the celebration of Jesus being alive, and I think each year it means something more to me. It has been especially precious to read the Easter story to my firstborn and then to hear him tell about the Easter story. He still doesn't know every detail but he does know the important ones. There is so much hope found in Easter and I am so grateful. What a blessing it was to worship in our home church this morning and to spend the day celebrating with family. God is good.

 

Happy Easter from the Selph Family!

 

*Please pray for us as we get ready to start the 2nd "leg" of our break tomorrow. =)

Egg Hunts & Easter Buckets

In an effort to make sure at least part of my boys' Easter gets documented, I'm blogging on a Friday night in the midst of packing, laundry, and Easter oreo balls. But it's a welcome break for me so I'm sitting down and enjoying it!

The boys had Easter egg hunts at school yesterday and today. They both loved every second. Austin loved his so much he was devestated when his daddy took his bucket away from him after the hunt was over. Heartbroken I tell you. Garrison loved his so much he's been asking for candy every hour on the hour. (I kid. But it does feel that way sometimes.)

Garrison's was yesterday and Austin's was today. Austin and I went to Garrison's together yesterday, and today my director covered my class for me for a little bit so I could go to Austin's. And daddy came too! They both had so much fun and got lots of candy. It was much easier to photograph Austin at his hunt because he took his time and stopped to pose and was quite leisurely. We were very impressed at how quickly he learned to find an egg and put it in his bucket. Garrison on the other hand was on a mission that could not be interrupted. He was even a tad disappointed that his bucket wasn't as full as he had hoped it would be. Thankfully a class picture interrupted his almost pity party. Whew.

On a mission

 

Austin found a couple for brother!

 

Class picture time!

 

Loving his bucket and ready to hunt

 

Class picture! (Half of his little friends were crying. The one beside him is obvious, then there's the sweet little girl in the process of jumping ship, and then there's missing Luke who took off for mama before his picture was ever taken... hence the missing spot in the group.) Precious nonetheless.

And here's a sneak peek at the contents of the boys' Easter buckets. We make sure to keep it extra simple at Easter and just get them each a few small, inexpensive goodies. Plus they get some fun things from Granna and Nana so there is never any need to go overboard.

This year Garrison is getting a new Leap Frog DVD (Talking Words), fruit snacks/gummies, underwear, a pack of card games (he is really into card games right now), a water/paint notepad thingy (we found it at the dollar section at Michaels), 2 new hotwheels (Austin is really into hotwheels right now so Garrison has gotten back into them too), and a gardening rake and shovel (to be used outside or at the beach). Plus he's getting a few eggs with jellybeans or money. =)

Austin is getting some fruit/veggie melts, a new sippy cup, a watering can for the bathtub, Destin, a bouncy ball, a new toothbrush, 2 new hotwheels, and a new plate/container for his lunch box (which was accidentally left out of the picture). He will also get a couple of eggs with "candy" and money.

Austin is a little tougher to shop for because of his age and the fact that it's hard to buy him really small toys. And this may be the first year ever we didn't do a book for either one of them. We have tons and we usually get lots as gifts so we just decided not to this year. Easter bucket gifts are simple and practical but hopefully still fun and exciting for our little guys.

 

So thankful for Good Friday and His sacrifice, and that I serve a Risen Savior! 

Preparing for Spring Break

But first, a little weekend recap....We had ourselves a really fun weekend. We stayed home most of the day on Saturday due to rain and super messy weather, but Terrell did take the boys to the grocery store solo so I could get some work done in the peace and quiet....and we got out for an afternoon trip to Target and dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants. It was the perfect mix of home and outing.

On yesterday we went to our hometown church for the Palm Sunday service. SO good. I loved it. And my big boy decided to go to big church too because there was lots of singing and he wanted to see his Sunday School teacher, my dad, and Terrell's mom in the choir. He did really good considering the service was a tad longer than normal and included the Lord's Supper. We were really proud of him.

After lunch my parents took Austin home and got him down for a nap while Terrell, Garrison, and I went over to his parents' house to visit for a while. We made it home just in time for supper and the "school night" routine to begin.

And so begins the week before Spring Break and craziness all around.

This is the first Spring Break I can recall that will be non-stop busy start to finish. I get tired just thinking about it. We have a lot packed in. We will be away from our home for approximately 7.5 days of the 9 total days of the break. This is brand new to me. Growing up we didn't travel or vacation on breaks unless it was summer break. Since getting married, Terrell and I have never really planned much for breaks (unless it was in the summertime). And for the past few years breaks from school have meant something waaaaay different to me because I was a 100% stay at home mom. Now that I'm back to teaching, they are a really big deal... because I have to go back to work the following Monday like a normal person. Haha. 

So this week we have what feels like tons and tons to do to not only make sure we're ready to be away, but to make sure we're ready to get back. The week we go back is "my week" at school. (My turn to be "lead teacher") So I have been working lots on getting all of my school stuff taken care of so I have absolutely nothing hanging over me while I'm away. I've been cutting, tracing, working on our April newsletter, and cutting some more. I think I'm almost there. Plus we have a really big, really important fundraiser/auction for our school coming up shortly after we get back. It's especially important to teachers like me who are also parents of students at the school. This fundraiser is a big part of the reason "staff kids" are able to go for free. Which is one of the reasons we chose this preschool. So it's a big deal. In other words, things have been a tad stressful when it comes to school.

(Although a tad stressful with preschool stuff doesn't even touch or come close to touching a tad stressful with "big school" stuff. Please read this loud and clear: I am grateful. Me getting a little overwhelmed does not equal me being ungrateful.)

We've also got the house and laundry to take care of. (We must do some cleaning this week so we don't come home to a big ole mess.) Last minute shopping for items to insure our refrigerator and pantry won't be bare upon our return. Stuffing of eggs for upcoming Easter parties and egg hunts. And packing... for Easter weekend, 3 nights in Gatlinburg, and my mom's 60th birthday weekend. Lots of packing for lots of fun.

We will be busy. I will possibly lose my mind getting ready for everything. I may even get dramatic a time or two. (Okay, that's highly likely) But we're also excited and looking forward to all the fun to come. And in the midst of all the busyness this week we especially don't want to forget about Easter. We want to celebrate our Risen King. We want our boys to know what Easter is all about. That Jesus lives! We want to have fun with Terrell's family in Gatlinburg. We want to enjoy extra time with his sister and her family. We want to celebrate my mom's birthday and have a great time partying with her and the rest of the fam.

Yes, things will be crazy leading up to the break... and yes things will probably remain crazy throughout the break, BUT, I don't want to miss out on the fun because of being consumed with school (which is what I'm ultimately on a break from!) or because I'm worked up and stressed out with what will be waiting on us at the end of the week. I want to embrace our crazy break and enjoy it. I'm praying I can relax and have fun instead of obsessing over little stuff and wondering how in the world we're all going to be ready for the following Monday morning. I know I'll regret it if I don't let myself just be and enjoy our Spring Break. Because the fact is, we'll be fine. We'll enjoy Easter with family. We'll celebrate Jesus and his resurrection. We'll make memories in the mountains. We'll enjoy birthday celebrations. It might be busy and crazy but it'll be worth it.

Now to get everything taken care of before the end of this week...

Easter Pictures!

We had Easter pictures done of the boys again this year and are in love! Danielle really captured some good ones. They aren't all perfectly posed (although Garrison did a great job with the whole posing part) but they are precious and funny and really special. We're thinking from this point forward we finally have a good routine for "professional" pictures... family pics in the Fall and Easter pics of the boys in the Spring. At least while they're little. This will sort of hold us accountable for having professional pictures done.

Things sure have changed since last year, but Ollie the bunny was super patient and tolerant of my boys... especially Austin who was totally fascinated with him. =)

Below are our favorites (not counting the ones I already posted from our preview)...

A few notes to go along with each one:

1. I think this is my absolute favorite. Both boys are happy and smiling beautiful, natural, we love Ollie smiles.
2. This is another favorite because everyone's looking at the camera... except Ollie.
3. This is my favorite "traditional" picture of them because they are both sitting where they're supposed to, looking at the camera, and smiling. We noticed after the first few pictures were made that poor Austin's pants were pulled up a little too high. Haha.
4. Austin's expression cracks me up in this one.
5. Garrison is perfectly posed in this one. Smiling big, head tilted and all. Presh. Austin was more worried about Ollie and sort of over the whole sitting where we told him to business.
6. This one was just sweet to me.
7. Giving brother some love. Melt my heart.

Thank you SO much Danielle for your patience and great work!!