Waterpark F U N

Here are some shots I promised from our first adventure as a family of three to the water park in Collins. I meant to post them a few months ago...but time keeps slipping away from me. I find it harder and harder to find enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished and keep you guys informed. I am sorry...... :(

Case really enjoyed the water park, he wasn't scared of anything except when he was floating through the Lazy River and spotted the drain. That liked to have done him in....I think he thought there was an animal in the water and he started screaming and crawled up Trace's leg in a hurry! I guess the biggest thing that surprised Trace and I was Case wanting to slide down the the largest slide there, he had no hesitation, and never once complained about climbing all the stairs to get to the rides...he was super excited!! We spent the entire day there with tons of other folks and enjoyed ourselves. Case keeps asking if we are going again next year and I think we will have to make this an annual event!!!

The BIG slide!!

NO FEAR!! All S M I L E S!!

Case and Mommy riding the tube together!

Having a B L A S T!

Case trying to SMOKE Daddy down the slide!!!

He is in the second lane from the left. Trace is on the outside lane.

He's gotta start sooner or later....right?

Well today marks the beginning of a new journey that we will be a part of for the next fourteen years!!

We attended Open House at Case's school today....it is hard to believe that in less than 72 hours our little boy is heading off to K4. I have posted in times past about how fast time has flown by since we brought Case home from the hospital. I always say he just can't be doing that already because it seems like just yesterday he started crawling, then walking, and talking and doing all the fun stuff toddlers do!!

But today was a bittersweet moment for me....I know in my heart it is time for him to spread his wings and grow, he needs the interaction with other children his age, he definitely craves the learning and is soaking every bit of information up like a sponge. It will be a great experience for him...he will grow so much this year!! But then the other part of me is just is not ready to let him go...he is only four, he is our world, he is my one and only child right now!! This experience is hard on my heart...I am so much more sentimental and emotional about him starting school than I thought I would be. It will be a major adjustment for me, I am used to him being home with me during the week. We have spent the last four years together learning each other, learning new things, exploring the world together....and now he will spend the majority of his time at school in the care of someone else. Don't get me wrong, I know that he will be fine and that his K4 teacher, Mrs. Glenda will take wonderful care of him, teach him new things, and love him like her own...but it is just going to take a little time for me to get adjusted to the idea of my BABY BOY being old enough to go to school.

People have told me that when your child starts school, life starts flying by even FASTER....I'm not sure I am ready for that mode just yet....but one thing I know for sure, Case is ready for school and super excited about it!! He really had a great time today, he was not shy and really seemed to enjoy finding his desk and where his nap sack went. When he found his desk, which is front and center by the way, he tried to get in on the wrong side. Once he figured out that he had to enter it from the left side he sat down and said " I think my desk fits me just right!!" I couldn't help but chuckle...he is something else!! We saw where he will sit during meal time. Trace sat in his chair and Case told him " Dad, when you get little like me, you can sit in my chair, but until then you need to get up, you might break it!!" Again we laughed, he really comes up with some funny sayings. Trace and I are both hoping we don't have the class clown on our hands...he loves to joke around, guess he has picked that up from us!! :)

I took a picture as we left the house today, he carried his "nap pack" as he calls it to school, while I carried his supplies in a bag, I was hoping that I wouldn't need to open his Kleenex before we got to school. I did alot better than I expected. Case doesn't want me to cry. He has told me " Mom, please don't cry I am gonna be a big boy and make new friends and learn to color in the lines!" I tried hard today, I only got a little teary eyed. I think Trace being there helped a bunch. But, I am not making any promises for Monday....especially as we drive away and leave him there!!! Here are a couple shots I took today....isn't he just the cutest thing EVER!!!

God is Love, God is the Creator, God is Holy.....

That was the theme of our Vacation Bible School this year.

Case really seemed to enjoy VBS this year. I noticed how much more confidence he showed this year versus last year. His independence was more evident this year as well, he stood in line with his classmates as they marched in, he wasn't hesitant like he was last year about going off to class with his teacher. And as long as Trace and I were not watching he would sing in Music class and do the motions. Case really seemed to enjoy crafts this year and participated more, he painted all of his crafts GREEN...wonder why???? Oh I am sure it has something to do with GREEN Tractors....HaHa

Trace was in charge of capturing pictures for VBS as I helped with Crafts. When we took our break for dinner the first night the ladies in the kitchen had a story to share with us about Case. Remember Case is picky about what he eats.... The ladies served hamburgers, chips, and cookies the first night. Well Case didn't mind telling them that he only likes hamburgers from Sonic!!! LOL He did try a bite of his hamburger but he said it didn't taste like Sonic hamburgers!! The ladies got such a kick out of him...he is Mr. Personality...and those dimples help him out of alot tight spots I am sure!!! :)

On last night of VBS we had parents night and the kids performed their songs and motions they had learned during the week along with the bible verses they memorized. They also had been learning each night about a Mission project in Bolivia and collecting an offering for the project...so they were to have a final offering that night. We gave Case $5 for him to put in the offering plate, we thought they would take up the offering before the kids performed.....NOT....so Case carried his $5 up there with him. I asked Trace to go up there and get the money...but he said "we will have to ride this one out" and that we did!!! Well, the kids performed 3 songs...the whole time Case played with that five dollar bill....we smiled at him, made motions for him to put it in his pocket, and tried to tell him to stop waving it around...nothing worked...finally I leaned over and asked Trace was he "enjoying the ride???" Everyone was chuckling about it before it was over, and close to the end I finally had to tell Trace to quit looking at Case because Case's lip was beginning to quiver, he thought that he was in TROUBLE!! It was too cute and those are the kind of memories that we are going to remember the most!!! We had friends from church come up to us after it was over and tell us that they thought they were going to have to get up and leave because they couldn't control themselves!! Gotta love that BOY!!! :)

Well I hope you enjoyed the recap of the week we spent learning about God at VBS and creating some lasting memories!!!

Dog days of S U M M E R!!

Just wanted to share a few pictures of Case cooling off on these hot summer days slip-n-sliding!!
BTW...this is our second one of the year...the first one didn't last a week...I guess a rambunctious boy and his dog might have had something to do with that!! HaHa

As you can see from the video, Allie enjoyed the slip-n-slide too, she had a great time chasing Case and nipping his swimming trunks....I guess this gives new meaning to the Dog Days of Summer!!! :)

So you're gonna be a big brother.....

As most of you know we are currently waiting on our second blessing from heaven through adoption. And yes, one day when God's timing is perfect, Case will become a BIG Brother!! It has been a much longer wait the second time around....we have been waiting with Bethany for almost 17 months, and when we began the process of our one year renewal of our home study in March, our social worker and I mutually decided that Case might enjoy a Sibling Class. We both felt it would prepare him for a baby....or as he says his baby sister....I pray that God sends him a baby sister or he might be a little disappointed. :)

So, I started doing some research and found one in the Jackson area....on my birthday! So, we decided that we would make a day of it and attend the sibling class and then celebrate Mommy's birthday! Case was excited about going to a hospital where he would see how to help with a baby and learn how to be a good big brother. Since we have NO babydolls in our house, I asked a friend if we could borrow one of her daughters baby dolls to use at the class. Well, that is where the fun begins.....Case refused to carry a babydoll....he said dolls are for GIRLS.......finally I told him he had to bring either a baby doll or a stuffed animal to the class with him....he decided to bring his good buddy George!! Yes, George the monkey would be his baby sister for the class!! LOL Case wasn't the only one who brought their buddy George...there were several in the class that day. I guess most boys feel the same way about babydolls as Case does...they are for GIRLS!!

Once we arrived to the class Case began to get shy...and I really worried that he wouldn't even participate in the activities. But much to our surprise, Case participated and really seemed to soak up a great deal of information at the meeting. He learned how to hold a baby the right way, how to feed the baby a bottle, how to burp the baby, and how to change a diaper. He even got to put a diaper on George. Once we arrived back home he told his Nanny all about what he learned. He sat her down on the couch, got

George, then began to tell her everything he learned. He showed her how NOT to hold a baby, the right way to hold a baby, how to feed George, he burped George, then rocked him and when he was done he looked at her with a sincere look and said "You got it Nanny?" I wish I would have filmed the reenactment....it was priceless!!

Well, I think Case learned a great deal of information from his sibling class. And his Daddy and I have NO DOUBT that he will be a GREAT BIG BROTHER when God sends his baby sister "down from Heaven" as he likes to say!! :)

I will let the video speak for itself....it was a very sweet experience!!

B U S Y - B E E S!!

That is what we have been lately...seems like the summer has flown by and I am not sure where it went too! :)

We are just ONE week away from Case starting school and him being an official K4 student!! OMG...I can't believe my baby is old enough to go to school everyday. I told him that I was going to be sad when he went to school and his response was "Mom, don't be sad, I am going to be a big boy and make new friends at school" That just about ripped my heart out....then a few days later I told him that I was gonna be awfully lonely around the house on my days off from work with him at school....he looked at me as sincere as he could and said "Mom, when God sends us my baby sister from heaven, you won't be lonely anymore, she will keep you company until I get home from school" That just about did me in....needless to say, next Monday is going to a very emotional day for me! I will try to stay strong, but I am not sure I will make it without crying!!

My hope is that this week I can get this blog up to date so that when school starts we can start blogging more about Case's activities at school....I am sure there will be many stories to tell!! LOL

We have done all sorts of things this summer.....

Sibling Class for Case in Jackson
Vacation Bible School at our church
WaterPark in Collins
Monster Jam Truck Show in Mobile
Splash Pad park at Clarkco State Park

I hope that by the end of the week you will have a recap of all these events plus a few extra pictures and adventurous stories about Case!! So, stay tuned this week...hopefully I will get caught up sooner rather than later!

Muuuuudddd Ridin'

Case is enjoying his four wheeler more and more! He is getting really GOOD!! Trace and I are continually amazed at how well he does for a four year old. It has taken lots of practice and guidance from his Daddy....because my nerves can't handle the training exercises. :) Case knows how to crank his four wheeler too...WOW, I know!!!

These pictures are from a few weeks back when it had rained a good bit and it was wet in our back yard, Case found a wet spot that he turned into a mud hole. If you asked Case what he was doing on his four wheeler he would tell you he was "Muuuudddd Ridin" The word mud had about four syllables in it!! LOL

I plan to post a few videos when I get them uploaded to the computer.









By the way, he wanted to pose like that for his pictures....it was ALL his idea!!! :)

Adoption Profile

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Easter

We finally got a few good family pictures this Easter. Something I have been striving for since Christmas! :) It is still an ordeal for Case to have his picture taken. He does great one on one...but for some reason when you add Mommy and Daddy to the mix it becomes a challenge! Maybe it is because there is three of us to get focused on the camera at just the right time!

We had fun coloring eggs...we couldn't say dying eggs because Case wanted to know why the eggs died? :) It is really hard to say "coloring eggs" instead of "dying eggs" by the way. Case enjoyed dipping the eggs in the different colors, but did not want to pick up the eggs with the egg dipper, he thought using his hands was a much better approach.

We had a few things for him in his Easter basket....like a new kite, bubbles, a new ball frisbee and some other things....but the main thing in his basket was all sorts of Reese's peanut butter cups, Reese's peanut butter eggs, and Reaster Bunnies...if it had peanut butter and chocolate...it was in there!! :)

We spent Easter morning at church then colored eggs that afternoon. We hid Easter Eggs every afternoon until about Wednesday. We hid them for Case to find and then he would hide them for us to find. He just thought that was the greatest thing ever!!

It is TBALL time!!

Yep, it is that time of year again! You know it is baseball time again when the grass starts to turn green, when Spring is in the air and the aroma of fresh cut grass tickles your nose! I love Springtime and Case does too!! He loves the outdoors and especially after being cooped up in the house all Winter long, he looks forward to playing in the dirt, riding his bicycle and of course playing TBall!!

This will be his last year playin' TBall, next year he will move up to coach pitch! Scary thought for me....but I know it is the next step! Case loves to play baseball, he looks forward to Friday nights under the lights. We had opening day a few Saturday's ago and he really did great. He is still getting the hang of fielding the ball, but his batting technique is something to see. He has a great stance and chokes up on the bat! I get tickled everytime he bats because his coach will position him at the plate...but he will reposition himself just right and hit the ball. He has hit several balls past second base! Trace and I think he is a natural...but then again we think he is PERFECT!!!! :)

Case's 4th Birthday Party!

Well if you have wondered whether or not Case's fascination and love for tractors had subsided...it has NOT! So keeping with the tradition from last year, Case was given the choice of what kind of birthday party he wanted to have. He thought about it for sometime and went back and forth but finally decided on a........if you guessed a "John Deere Tractor Party" then you were right!! :)

We scaled down the party this year to just a few of Case's closest friends. I let him pick who we would invite to the party, set the date and made the invitations! He requested a John Deere Tractor birthday cake, so I took on the task of making one for him....I thought it would be extra special for me to make his cake this year. That was a task that took lots of time and patience...but I think it turned out great for my first cake. I really did enjoy baking and decorating a cake for my tractor lovin' boy! We had planned to have lots of games and activities outside for the kiddos but the weather did not cooperate, so instead everyone stayed indoors and the kiddos enjoyed hot dogs, cake, cupcakes, and most of all playing upstairs in the toy room!

It is really hard for me the fathom that Case is now FOUR! I can't recall what life was like before his arrival. We have loved every moment of our lives with him...he is truly a blessing from God. There is not a day that goes by that we don't thank God for giving us this special gift...and we feel blessed that we were chosen to be his parents!!!


All the kiddos




The Birthday Boy


Case's JD cake!


Happy Birthday to me.....

Playin' catchup!

I am going to TRY my hardest to play catchup on Case's blog over the next few days!

I can't believe that it has been two months since I last posted pictures on here...we have been busy to say the least, but it has been a "good" kind of busy. We are enjoying life and spending a great deal of time outside enjoying the beautiful weather....therefore Case's blog has taken a back seat. But don't fret I have been snapping away pictures during our busyness!!!

Several people have commented that it has been WAY TOO LONG since they have seen some recent pictures of Lil'Man....he is not sooo little anymore!! :) He weighs just over 50lbs and is about 43 inches tall!!!

We have had a birthday party, second season of TBall, and Easter to update. Along with Allie, Case's new dog and so much more. So stayed tuned over the next few days and hopefully I will find the time to catch you up on our latest adventures!!!

Case's First Tux.....

Case was asked to be a ring bearer in one of our friends wedding on January 24th.

Case did really good, we were SO PROUD of him. He showed that "HAM" side of himself that most of us have grown to love and adore!! He received many compliments...from "look how sweet" to "you are ONE handsome man".

Case was a little gentleman on the night of rehearsal. He put his arm out for his flower girl to hold and when she would let go of his hand he would put his hand on her back and gently guide her down the aisle. It was so sweet to watch.

On the day of the wedding we arrived early for pictures and stayed until the ceremony began. By the time the wedding began he was getting antsy to say the least...so I am sure that is why he left his flower girl lagging behind. She was shy and Case had a job to do...get that pillow to the front of the church So,needless to say he made it to the front of the church way before she did!! :-)

It had to be the longest wedding I have ever been to in my life. The ceremony lasted 55 minutes...and Case stood up there the entire time slinging his pillow like a helicopter blade! :-) It was a site to see. After the ceremony several people came up to us how cute he was he was up there twirling his pillow. Trace and I think he did a magnificent job considering he is 3 and he stayed occupied for 55 minutes with a ring bearers pillow!!

Here are a few pictures of Case in his tux! I know I am biased...but he sure is one HANDSOME boy!!