Happy Birthday Jesus Cake

Each year we celebrate Jesus's birthday by having a cake and singing happy birthday to Jesus.  I love my kids at this age.  

Atlanta Skyview Day

Christmas in Atlanta

Dino fun in Atlanta

A little fun in the Georgia snow

Valentine's Day Fun!

 

 

 

Weekend Fun!

Ryan and I love to take our kids on adventures!  This weekend after playing in the driveway with sidewalk chalk we took the kids to ride the MARTA (think New York subway, but only in Atlanta and very slow and not very efficient). The mass transit in Atlanta is not very good.  It only goes North and South and East and West.  It is really not very efficient nor is it very clean.  None the less my kids has a blast riding on it on Saturday afternoon.  We took it from as far North as we could get all the way down town to Peachtree Station (downtown).  Where we got off and attempted to have a late afternoon dinner.  We knew it was Valentine's day but we thought since it was 3:30 we would be in the clear.  Well the wait at Hard Rock was 1.5 hours, and the wait at the hibachi grill was 2 hours.   But we did manage to find a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant that has chips, cheese dip, and great Margarita's!  Everyone was happy.  This was the kids Valentine's gift/adventure.  Ryan and I have about decided that we are done buying crap for our kids.  We would rather them experience adventures in life! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Forrealfriday"

Well here it is….  I think we are calling it “forrealfriday”.  This is the for real part of my life, this is my twin’s bedroom.  My darling, youngest, beautiful daughter is a HOARDER.  There is no better way to say it.  This is what her bed looks like 900% of the time.  She will collect crap from ALL around the house and store it in her bed.  She tells me at night time “don’t worry mom I can just sleep on my pillow, there will be enough room for me there.”  I seriously clean her bed out at least every week, well maybe every two weeks…..

I think hoarding is hereditary, so she gets it honest.  My brother-in-law claims I am a hoarder, he says “I am just a very organized hoarder.”  He would know best he has helped us move several times. 

Here are some other pictures of Addison and Preston’s room.  Yes that is Sharpie all over their carpet.  And yes there are no curtains on the windows for a reason.  The reason being the twins pulled them down, off the wall, and left huge holes in the sheetrock (that I have not fixed yet, because I cannot keep up with life).  And no I cannot keep their room clean either.  And yes those are Glow in the Dark dinosaurs on Preston’s wall, adhered with masking tape. The two of them together are into everything.  What one of them does not think of the other one certainly will. 

That is Addison a sleep with all this stuff at the very top of the bed.

 

 

This is a picture of all the stuff I pulled out of there bed yesterday....

Glow in the dark dinosaurs taped to the wall:

 

Permanent market all over the carpet: 

This is Preston's bed, just a few dinosaurs

I did however spend 4 hours of my day cleaning their room out yesterday.  This is all of the junk that I pulled out of their room.  Why do we have this much stuff?????  No one on this earth should have this much stuff in their whole entire house much less in one child’s room.

 

  

Now you know it, now you know the dirty truth of my life.  And if you know me at all you know that this room kills me.  But I think God is using it to tell me “let it go, I have this all under control and you can’t do everything perfectly Laura Diane…..  Let the little stuff go…..”  Thank you God for the reminder! 

Addison in Disney

I love my sweet Addison but she is by far my most challenging child.  She is beautiful, loving, independent minded, and strong willed.  She is a 30 year old trapped in a 3 year olds body.  She loved day 1 of Disney (Animal Kingdom), she did well day 2 (Magic Kingdom), she was pretty put out by day 3 (Magic Kingdom), and by day 4 (Epcot) she made us pay.  I won’t even talk about the drive home.  Here are some fun pictures that capture the essence of her personality during the trip.  I know that God has big plans for Addison’s life (and all of my children for that matter), and that is why I document this here.  So that one day I can look back and thank God for helping us make it through these days! 

About day 3 we got Addison dressed for the day after 30 minutes of her yelling at us.  The next thing we know Ryan and I found her Butt naked in the back bed room protesting the day’s activities.  God is teaching me humility with this one!

 

Drive Down:

 

After Day 1: 

 

Day 2 of Disney: 

 

Start to Day 3! 

 

 

 End of Day 4 Disney 

 

Sometimes God gives mom and dad rest! Praise the Lord!