Mid Week Ramblings

Nana offered to pick Jack up from school on Wednesday afternoons, so that both Todd and I can attend the boys soccer practice. (I am not able to go on Mondays because it is from 6:30p - 7:30p, and Jack's bedtime is at 7:00p...). I will tell ya, it was wonderful to be able to sit back in a lawn chair, watch Brody and Wade practice and not chase around a toddler that wants to be part of their every move.

Oh, and did I mention that I am in love with natural light? Dusk, is by far, my favorite time of the day. Especially on a chilly, sunny evening...



The little Hipsh gals:


During a water break, Mr. Larry stepped in as goalie, and Campbell scored!!


Then, Coach Phillip had them pair off, fight for the ball and defend each other. First up, Campbell vs. Wade:

She kicks....


He blocked!


He then put twin against twin...


Here comes the B-man....


And, he actually scored against Wade, but I was too busy cheering to capture the shot!!


After soccer practice, we headed over to Nana and Gator's for Easter dinner and Easter baskets! We had ham and green beans and mac-n-cheese and the boys all time favorite, crescent rolls. (We will be in MacClenny visiting Great Grandmother for Easter Sunday this year, so we had to celebrate early!)


I turned around for one second.....oh Jack...


And Nana finally completed the tree skirt she made me for Christmas...it took longer than she expected. It is an heirloom that I will be able to pass down someday. It is beautiful and intricate and incredibly special to me! Thank you Mom!


Just a few school pics from their week so far...(I have muted out a few faces of the little ones, because I do not know their parents and do not know how they feel about their children on a public Internet blog)

Happy Easter Everyone!

Reminiscing...

Sweet boys...Look just how much you 3 have grown in 1 little year! Exactly 1 year ago, today:

Life is fleeting, years rush past...

and little boys grow up so fast!

Let me take time out to be thankful

mine's still here with me.

And though I'm busy through the day,

Let me take time out to play...

Let me take time out to smile,

to sit with him for just a while...

Let me take time out for walks,

for swings and sports

and quiet talks,

for sharing giggles, tickles, hugs,

for patching knees

and catching bugs...

for running races, climbing trees,

for helping with his A-B-C's...

for hatching plots

and planning schemes,

for listening

to his thoughts and dreams.

Let me tuck him in at night,

hear his prayers, turn off the light.

And when my busy day is done,

Let me thank God

I have a son.

A very windy Sunday afternoon!

A very windy Sunday afternoon, indeed! I am surprised Jack did not fly away. Seriously, the winds gave my hair a whole new meaning to the word wind blown... :) The kiddos played hard on the playground, for almost an hour before Pop's arrived...we then headed over to the baseball fields, where they ran the bases and explored the dugouts. All in due time Harrell boys...We kicked around the soccer ball and enjoyed the sunshine and warmth on our skin. This family is READY FOR SUMMER!





Love these pics for some reason...



Thank you Pop's for treating us to ice cream after the park!!

Visit from Grammie and Mimi!

Mimi and Grammie popped over to our neck of the woods for a short, but fun-filled weekend. We pretty much spent most of our times indoors, as it rained off and on Friday night and most of Saturday...but we did manage to get out and buy local strawberries from Akers Farm and made/canned tons of Strawberry Jam! We danced and cuddled and read lots of books. We ate and cooked and watched TV. The Easter bunny even made an early drop off to Grammie's house!

Soccer

Soccer practice has begun! Go Team Home Instead!

Writing

The boys all made homemade cards for Nana and Gators birthdays this year. They worked long and hard on them!


Wade especially enjoyed making his card...he wrote the entire alphabet, Happy Birthday Nana and Gator and placed stickers in just the right places :)

One more year

Something was lingering on my mind...I could not put my finger on it...but I was feeling anxious. Like I had made a wrong decision or something. You know the feeling, when your instincts are flailing at you with waving arms, telling you to step back and rethink your recent decisions? Well, I finally figured out what I was feeling anxious about...kindergarten. I was so worried about them starting...their birthday is August 13th...and school starts August 19th. So, that would mean they would make the 5 year old cutoff by a week. Seriously...just one week? Academically, they are ready. Without a doubt in my mind. But socially and emotionally? They still have a ways to go. So, together, Todd and I have decided to keep them in preschool for one more year. The nagging feeling has left me...I know 100% that we have made the right decision for our boys.

Quick Get-a-way

My Mom and I headed over to Orange Beach, AL to see Luke Bryan at the Wharf! We had an absolute blast, and I am blessed beyond belief that my man can take care of all 3 babes without blinking an eye. We took our time coming back home, taking the beautiful and scenic, country roads from Foley to Fairhope. It was gorgeous! We happened to arrive in Fairhope for their big annual craft/art fair. It was a beautiful day outside, so we parked and strolled around the fair, people watching and enjoying the live music and the smell of fair food. It was so enjoyable for this Momma to relax!

Cannot wait until next time Mom!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We really do have Irish blood running through us. (Well, all of us but the Daddy-man.) My shamrocks!

Daily Reports

The boys school decided to go paperless, in regards to sending home daily notes and newsletters. They are using a new program, where we check in and out on an iPad, and when we check out, it sends us their report, directly to our email. But what I love best, is they attach pictures and videos of what they did during the day! I love this so much...makes me feel like I am part of their little day at school! Here are a few...





and a sweet video of JackJack!

Haircut!

Little man got a big boy haircut! His hair is full on curly and crazy and we had to tame it down a bit. His hair grows so fast, that his curly top will be back before we know it! Doesn't he look so grown up?

Lighter Later

We are loving daylight savings time! The extra daylight allows more time in the evening to play outside, ride bikes and practice soccer. Thank Goodness, because our 3 munchkins are still bustling with energy after school!






Jack wanted to be just like his BB and Wade...check out his shin guards and big ol' shoes. Our 3rd child. Bless his heart!!

Let the games begin!

We have finally arrived at sports time. Todd wanted to wait until the boys were around 4 1/2 to start any sport, so we are starting with soccer!

This Saturday, the Spring soccer league started by having a tryout/meet & greet with all of the players and coaches. The boys got to run different drills and the coaches took note to each kids skill level. (They do this so they can "even out" each team with the varying of skills.) Poor JackJack wanted to be right in the mix of things...he wanted to run the drills, kick the ball and stand with his big bros... :(

They were so excited and listened very attentively and followed every direction...It is too cute to watch their different little personalties shine through. Wade appears more cautious, watching others to follow their lead. Brody appears to have a competitive spirit, wanting to be the lead.


Wade in Action!


Brody in action!


We had not purchased cleats before the Saturday tryouts, so they were super pumped to buy all of their soccer gear afterwards. They, of course, picked the loudest, most flashy pair! (Brody actually picked out a blue/green pair at first...equally as flashy, but after trying them on again at home, they just didn't fit right...so back to Hibbett's we went, where he ended up choosing the same pair as Wade.)


The rest of the weekend was spent park hopping:


Where Jack rode his first merry go round...


Practicing soccer, of course...


Playing in the front yard...


And lots and lots of family time. Hope everyone had a great weekend!