Daddy's Little Helper

Spring at the Discovery Center Wetlands

Friday was a beautiful day. Cate didn't have school so I took the kids to the wetlands at the Discovery Center. This is one of our favorite places to visit especially in the spring when everything is blooming and baby animals are arriving.

We saw two Great Blue Herons, geese, snakes, Mallard ducks with babies and lots of tadpoles.


We remembered to take our nets so we could catch tadpoles to check to see if they had legs yet.


Cate caught some and didn't even mind touching them.


Reed managed to catch one all by himself and was sooooo proud.


We had a picnic and really had a good day together. Later that day, Nanna and Grandpa came over and we grilled out and tested out the new fire pit. I think we all collapsed into bed that night.

Spring is in the Air

We're enjoying the Spring. Everything is blooming or so green. Birds are singing all around us. The kids are enjoying nature.



They stay up way past their bedtime because we just can't make ourselves go inside.



Reed and I made a bluebird nesting box. We have a male bluebird checking out Cate's box.



Our pink dogwood bloomed this year. Amazing since I thought it died last year in the drought.

Cate's New Do

Cate has been asking to have her hair cut shorter. We finally did it.

Sunday morning conversation with Reed

Reed: Hey Mommy I stayed dry last night.
Me: That's great Reed. Did you have to get up in the night to potty or do you just wait until the morning?
Reed: It stays in there all night!



(Reed decided that he wanted to wear underwear to bed last week. He just willed himself to stay dry and he hasn't had an accident all week. I've been blown away because he never stayed dry when he wore a pull up and he sleeps so hard. He got some new Clone Wars undies.)

Things you thought you would never have to say #1

Son your pants are on backwards and you're wearing two hats.

The Fire Pit

I have wanted a fire pit for a while now and I finally decided to do it. I found a video on You Tube that didn't look too difficult. I went to Lowe's and bought 39 pavers and had them loaded into the back of the minivan. It was riding low on the way home. I went home and got out all the tools in the shed, picked out where I wanted it to go, laid out the pavers to get an idea of the size, marked off the area, dug up the grass and tried to level it out, and finally stacked the pavers in place. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, although I haven't had a chance to try it yet. If I'm still able to move tomorrow then I may try it in the evening. I got some Peeps on clearance and I really want to make some Smeeps.

Happy Easta'!!!

We had a great time this weekend doing lots of things
that usually go along with the Easter season.

We decorated eggs.

Flat Cate joined in on the fun.

Our eggs turned out to look like various Star Wars characters.

We went to our Easter Carnival at church.

We watched The Easter Promise and squealed over what we found in our baskets. But best of all we were reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us. Remember that Jesus died for you. But three days later He arose from the dead. He is alive and wants to have a personal relationship with you. To find out more about how to know Jesus click here.

Tornadoes in Tennessee

Thanks to Nanna for calling to make sure I was watching the news. We jumped right into our storm shelter/downstairs bathroom. We praise God that we made it through the storms fine. Thank you to all who called to check on us. I was amazed at the number of calls I got from Mississippi. Love you all.

Please pray for those who lost homes or were injured but especially pray for the those who lost two loved ones, a mom and 9 week old girl. Our hearts go out to them.

Mommy & Cate make a bluebird box.

We had a great time making our first bluebird nesting box. It was a challenge but I think we did a great job. We don't really have an ideal place to hang it but maybe some bird will like it. Cate really like the side door that opens.

Cate & Reed's Eggsperiment

Reed's dream...

"The worms were all falling on me and I stepped on some of them. They were all red and pink. They won't get dead in the dream. Those were the worms I didn't like. I like purple worms. The worms were getting real close to me and trying to bite me and trying to get me. Do worms have teeny-tiny mouths? First I was outside and they were poking out of the ground and getting right next to me and then they were getting in the garage and hurting my foot. They were really bad worms that's why they were chasing me and biting me. They were all over the place in all the states, in Alabama. I was riding on my bicycle and we went to Alabama to look at the worms there. And that's all the stuff I'm going to say."

Isaiah 58

Isaiah 58

True and False Fasting

1"Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they delight to draw near to God.
3 'Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?'
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
and oppress all your workers.
4Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?

6"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

13 "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
14then you shall take delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

We had the best Spring Break!