Gearing Up For Halloween....

Happy Halloween!!!

We are gearing up for tonight, and I am really really excited about trick or treating this year. Reese is finally understanding what Halloween is and the twins are big enough this year to not have to be carried around in their infant seats! (YAY!!!!) I think I'll wait to share what they're dressing up as tonight because I don't have any pictures of them in their costumes yet. I'm making the twins' costumes, and I have a little bit more tweaking to do on them. (Yes, they will be ready for tonight). I want to get a shot of the three girls together, but as they all have very stubborn minds of their own, we'll just have to see how well it goes! :)

We carved our pumpkin last night. We have affectionately named him 'Jack'--as in jack-o-lantern. (Yes, I know how geeky can you be, but Reese likes naming things now!) Reese picked out the design--a bat, but she made sure we knew she wanted a 'happy' bat. Don't know where the happy came from; guess she was worried about being scared. Who knows? Anyway, have lots of pictures to share from that, so look out for a slideshow sometime today! Got too much to do this morning to post pics, but rest assured will try to later.

We are going to our church's 'Trunk-or-Treat' tonight. We are looking forward to it; it's the first year for our church to do this. The camera battery charged all night and the memory card has been deleted so we'll have plenty of room for Halloween pictures!!! They usually just do a fall festival kind of thing, so we are ready to take the girls and see them trick or treating with other little fellas! We hear that there will be a hot dog supper, a cup cake cake walk (I'm taking orange cupcakes with orange frosting (get the Halloween theme) sprinkled with black and orange sprinkles!). YUMMY! I have to admit that I love cupcakes; just wish my waistline did, too.

After trick or treating at church, we're going to take the girls around to see some of my family members who live in town. I've got two sweet, sweet great aunts who live not too far from us, and we love seeing them. They are both so good to my girls; it's kind of like having a few more great grandmothers for them instead of great great aunts. I just love all the family I have; what a blessing from God for my girls to be surrounded by so much love. We'll finish the night by taking the girls to my mom and grandmom's house so that they can give out some candy but more importantly see the girls in their costumes!

We hope everybody has a safe and happy halloween and that we all survive the sugar highs that our babies will be on after all that candy! Looking forward to seeing pictures and hearing everyone's halloween stories!

I Am So Excited.....

Yet another wonderful thing about Reese being in school now---yesterday, she received an invitation to her very first birthday party!!!! :) It is in two weeks for a little boy in her class named Alex. He will be turning four, and Reese is already asking about her birthday party and telling me that Alex has to come! Too sweet!!! We are really excited that she's making friends and being included in things. It's tough on a little girl to spend most of her time with a mama and twin sisters who really don't have exciting lives. Hope these two weeks go by quickly; she's already wanting to go to the party.

Alex is a very sweet little boy, and his mom shared this precious story with me a couple of weeks ago. See, Reese only goes to school on Wednesdays and Fridays, and Alex noticed that one Thursday that Reese and another little girl weren't at school. Alex's mom told me that he got in the car after school & told her that Reese and the little girl weren't there. He told her that they might be sick and that he they needed to pray for them to get better! Out of the mouths of babes--is that not precious!!!? How darling.

And...I need some help, especially from moms of little boys. WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU BUY FOR FOUR YEAR OLD BOYS??? Having all these girls running around here makes it difficult to think outside the box, you know? Warren and I are at a loss, so if you have any suggestions, we would GREATLY appreciate it! Thanks!!! I'll let you know how the party goes!

More Surprise Party Pictures

Most (if not all) of the pictures in this album are courtesy of my cousin, Daphne. This was the first time for me to use this web album thing, so I hope it works the right way! Love some of these pictures that I wasn't able to see or get for myself. Great job, Dap! :) Enjoy!!

(in order to see the pics, you'll have to click on the picture and then select the 'slideshow' button somewhere close to the top)

Daddy's 60th Surprise Birthday Party

The Birthday Boy

My dad was surprised by family & friends with a 60th birthday party on Sunday, October 22. My sister and her girls came up from Jackson and met me and my girls at our hosue, and we all rode together. My girls and I had just seen my dad the previous Wednesday. He had no idea about his party. I love it when surprise parties are successful! Anyway, we were not there in time to see him walk into the party and be totally shocked by all that was going on. But, my cousin, Daphne, is supposed to be getting me some pictures of that! I'm kinda glad we weren't there at the start. I think the arrival of ALL the girls really surprised him, too! He told me when I hugged him that we had just seen each other. I told him that I knew that, and he said that I could really keep a secret. Glad I didn't tell Reese about the party; she DEFINITELY would have spoiled the surprise. It was a great afternoon of celebrating with family--lots of whom I don't get to see too much anymore, which makes me sad because two of my first cousins live in the same town as I do! I think we need to remedy that situation!

I absolutely adore one of the gifts he received. It was from my cousin, Daphne, and her family. She and her mother spent an afternoon last summer, after a move to a new house, going through tons of family photos. They either ran across this one or had had it already, don't know which. Anyway, she had this photo enlarged and framed for my dad. It's a picture of my Uncle Wesley's (my dad's older brother & Daphne's daddy) little league baseball team. My dad wasn't old enough to play, so he was the bat boy. My Uncle Wesley is no longer with us; he was killed in an accident when I was in junior high. I remember waking up early early one morning and hearing my grandfather's voice coming from the living room. What was he doing at our hosue so early? I went into the living room to find out what was going on, and that's when I learned that my uncle was most likely going to pass away. My grandfather had come over to be with my mom while my dad went into the hospital to see about his brother.

I loved seeing that picture of my dad as a little fella! :) I think it's funny that as children we never think of our parents as being anything but our parents. It was nice to see him as just a kid! Anyway, one more special thing about it, and perhaps the best was that my dad's dad, my paternal grandfather, is in the picture, too. He was the coach. My grandfather had already passed away by the time I was born, so I never got to know him. And my grandmother, my dad's mom, passed away a few days after I was born. I have heard stories of how she got to hold me before going to Heaven. Just wish I could remember! The only grandparents I have ever known are my mom's mother and dad. I don't think my dad has many if any pictures of his father, so this gift was extra special to all of us. I know I don't have any pictures of him, so when Aunt Donna told me that she has boxes and boxes and boxes of pictures, I told her that I was going to come over one day and go through them so I can add to my collection!

It was a very special day--one that I know I will remember and hope my dad will, too!

Love you, Daddy! :) 

Birthday Cake--YUM-O!

Anna (l) and Maggie really enjoyed PawPaw's birthday cake! They have HUGE sweet tooths like thier Daddy! (or would it be 'teeth'?) :)

 

My Sweet Aunt T & Uncle Danny

My dad's younger brother, Danny, and his wife Theresa. I love them both so much, and I get really sad that we don't see each other as much as we used to. Guess that comes with the territory of growing up and having a family of my own. I love telling folks about my Aunt T. I never really get into a story about her without going through a spill about her 'name.' I can't really remember who started calling her Aunt T; don't know if it was my sister or my cousins, but that's who she is! When I tell people abotu my Aunt T, they look at me kinda funny--thinking that I'm meaning my 'aun-t.' (hope you figure out what I mean by that). AuntT is SOOOOOO talented; she's quite an artiste! :) I wish I still had one of the things that she created for me. she painted my name and a great prairie looking girl (a la Laura Ingalls), complete with white bonnet, on a metal container (think potato chip canister) that I carried to elementary school as a lunch pail. All my friends thought it was the neatest thing; I did, too. When my parents divorced and when we sold our house, I don't know what happened to it.

She has four sons (and now a granddaughter and grandson) and wanted a daughter. I have to say that a little part of me is glad that she didn't--my sister and I have always considered oursevles to be 'Aunt T's girls!' I remember how she would call our house and she never could tell me and my sister apart on the phone! If I answered, she's day "Hey Brandi." If Brandi answered, she'd say "Hey Brooke." Love her so! Anyway, we got to see them at my dad's surprise birthday party (more on that later--if blogger and picasa will start acting right!). Love you both and hope to see you again soon! We miss y'all! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAWPAW!

My dad celebrates the big 6-0 today! Wow!!! It finally dawned on me a few weeks ago that he'd be reaching this 'milestone.' I always have known how old my mom would be on her birthdays because I know what year she was born. I have never really known that about my dad until recently. Anyway, Reese & I baked him a few birthday cupcakes and we're going to take them to PawPaw at work once Reese gets out of school. We're not taking all 24 (partly because Reese, the babies and I had a couple) and mostly because my dad has had some heart problems and two heart attacks (one that really really had us all scared). So, needless to say, cupcakes aren't a good part of his diet, but hey, you only turn 60 once, right? What better way to say "happy birthday" than by having those three sweet smiling faces 'tell' you and by getting some sweet treats to boot! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY! WE LOVE YOU!!!

I Pledge Allegiance...

Reese is really learning a lot now that she's in school, and we are all loving the fact that she's going and meeting new friends her age (she's already started talking about wanting to invite all her classmates to her birthday party! I cannot wait for that!) and getting a break from Mama and the babies. Her school is so great--they learn a new Bible verse every month, and last month, it was "God gave us ears to hear and eyes to see." She said it for me in the car on the way home from like her third day at school, and I have to tell you, I almost started crying--I did get teary, though. That moment was just another realization for me of how big she truly is getting. And...Ms. Jamie is teaching them the pledge of allegiance. I don't even remember when I learned the pledge, but I think I was probably older than three! :) Well, she said it for me tonight, just in passing, so I had to bring out the video camera to get her to do it again for all of you! Hope you enjoy. I have NO idea why she was swaying back and forth; kinda made me seasick looking at her through the camera lens, but she did a FANTASTIC JOB! Of course, some of the words come out in "three year old," but as the proud mama I am, I don't care!!! She just said it and was so proud of herself, too! Love her!! Check out the video below!
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Goodbye....For Now

Yesterday we said goodbye (for now) to Warren's little brother, Bryant. He is headed off to basic training with the national guard in San Antonio, TX. Warren, the girls, and I headed to Jackson yesterday morning to see him off. Katie, Warren & Bryant's sister, and her little boy, Hunter, also made the trip to Jackson to tell him bye. I am not exactly sure how long he'll be gone (I think six months or so), and we can't wait for him to get home. I know, I know, he just left, but he's never been away from home for long, and he's out in Texas with folks he doesn't know (which can be a good thing in helping to make some friends--you kinda have to when you're around folks you don't know, right?). We're proud of him for making this decision and going ahead with it full force. We pray that he is safe and does well and isn't too lonely or homesick. He'll be back before we know it. :) Reese was really concerned about whether or not Uncle Boo liked planes and if he was going to be ok on the plane. She also worried that he wouldn't be coming back. We reassured her over and over again that he is indeed coming home and that he'd be safe on the plane. I cannot wait until he gets his addresses to DamDam so we can write him and stay in touch. I hope he can check the web and see our blog site so he can keep up with what's going on with us.

It was a very moving day. There were several other families there saying goodbye to their loved ones, too. I think Katie spoke to a lady whose son is in the guard with Bryant, and if the young man I saw was her son, he looked to be about 18! That seems so young to me now. I remember when I couldn't wait to be 18, and now it feels like forever ago. Warren and I were both doing ok, emotion wise, until we heard a young girl say, "Bye Mommy". Her mother was leaving for basic, too. That brief exchanged just kind of got us in the heart. I cannot imagine what they, the mother and daughter, were going through and feeling at that moment. I love having breaks from my girls, but they have never lasted more than a few hours. I would have no idea what it would be like knowing that I would see my girls for six months or so. Lord, please be with each member of the guard and their families as we are all away from each other.

**BOO--if you do get a chance to read this, know that we miss you, are proud of you, and most importantly, WE LOVE YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!!**

***check out some pictures from yesterday that are posted below. I didn't get too many really good ones, so I'm hoping Katie will email me some of hers so I can post them later. (She did a much better job at snapping pictures). I was busy trying to keep Reese from going berzerk in the airport and keeping Anna & Maggie content in their stroller!

Saying 'Bye to Her Baby

Here's DamDam saying bye to her baby boy as he's leaving for Texas. Got a little misty seeing Bryant off on this new journey in his life.
One last hug for Mama! :) 

Getting Checked In

Bryant going through the security checkpoints at the airport. I'm amazed at how much things have changed since the last time I flew, which was seven years ago (the first and last time for a while). I'm glad they're taking all these extra measures to keep everyone safe, but I had to laugh when one of the guards threw a bottle of Noxzema back to BopBop! Guess it was contraband! :) Too funny!

 

Watching & Waiting

Reese, Hunter, and DamDam watching for Uncle Boo and waiting for his plane to ake off for Atlanta.

BopBop looking out as Boo's plane readies for take off!
 

Waving Bye-Bye to Uncle Boo

Warren put Reese up on his shoulders so she could see Boo going through security before getting on his plane. So sweet hearing her say "bye" and waving. She asked us if Boo was coming back--YES he is!!! Hope she can hold out that long until he's able to come home! (Hope we all can!) 

The Girls and Uncle Boo

This is Warren's 'little brother'--little if you consider 6 feet and a size 13 shoe to be little! :) I took this picture about a month of so ago when he came by for a visit. The girls love their Unka Boo! :) 

Reese's New 'Do!

I finally took Reese to get her haircut Tuesday morning! It looks SO much better. It had kinda gotten out of control. I told her that I couldn't see her beautiful blue eyes under all her hair. And that's the first thing she said to me once her haircut was finished. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, now you see my beautiful eyes." ABSOLUTELY!!!! Not the best picture, and I'm not sure if I'll ever get a good one of her again. She's turned into a real ham when she's in front of the camera! Love her sweet face! :)

The Next Food Network Star

I love watching Food Network in the afternoons. I can't get enough of Paula's Home Cooking, Everyday Italian (although Giada makes several things that Warren probably wouldn't eat), and Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. Well, the other day while we were watching Sandra Lee, she was using a Ziploc bag as a piping bag to decorate some cupcakes. Well, my industrious and very smart big girl found a ziploc bag and put several of the 'foods' that came with her Dora kitchen in it. She started piping her creation into a bowl! She looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I just like Sandra Lee!" Too Cute!!!!

The Twins First Carousel Ride

We all went to Tupelo one day last week to do some shopping. We always go to the Barnes Crossing Mall while we're there; there is a carousel located right off the food court. Reese really like to ride it, although she hasn't gotten 'brave' enough to actually ride one of the horses. She much prefers the stationary seat shaped like a sleigh. And, as it turns out, the sleigh was easier for the whole family to ride in. This was Anna & Maggie's first time on a carousel. I think they really liked it. The pics didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. I was sitting right in front of them and couldn't zoom out without standing up. And, I didn't want to try that because I think I've become a little motion sick here lately! Ugh!
Anyway, all the girls seemed to enjoye their time riding. Reese squealed and giggled the whole time. Anna & Maggie's eyes were wide open, taking it all in! I love the last pictures--Anna seems to be ooohing in excitement.