May 1, 2007

FUN THINGS HAPPENED IN APRIL!!!!!

April was a very busy month for us.

Carrigan has been busy going on class field trips (Old South Farm Museum and Ag. Learning Center and Pike County Farm Bureau Grounds). She had a great time on both trips and came home with some interesting kids activities. She's missed 3 days of school this month though and it's all been within the last 10 days. Last week she missed 2 days due to having strep throat and then she missed Monday due to having that awful stomach virus that seems to go around every year.

Alan is talking alot more lately. He is saying sentences and is very quick to let you know when he is not happy. He has quite the little temper for someone that's only 2 years old. It must be the red hair. Not sure who I told and who I didn't so I will tell it again for those of you that don't know. Back in March Alan hurt one of his front teeth. He was on his hands and knees pushing one of his trucks across the hard wood floors and the truck slipped and so did he. We didn't think it was that bad - it was a little loose but that was all. Well - that tooth is now starting to turn gray. He has been to the dentist and they are keeping an eye on it. If a sore develops on his gum then that will show he has an infection and more than likely that tooth will have to come out. We are hoping that does not happen. I can't imagine a two year old missing a front tooth.

Carrigan graduates from kindergarten at the end of the month. She has done so well this year. Her favorite subject is math (she definitely gets that from Rusty - I hated math). She also likes to write short stories. She has finished all of her Dr. Cupp readers and the teacher has started some of them on 1st grade work.

Rusty is almost finished with school for this semester. He has 2 more exams and then he is done. He will be taking an on-line course over the summer and he will only need to go to the campus 4 days. YEAH!!! It will be so nice to finally have him home! He has already registered for the Fall Semester. He will be taking - Microbiology, Microbiology Lab and Abnormal Psychology. At least in the Fall he will only be going to school 2 days a week instead of the 4 days a week that he did this semester. This summer he will be taking Intro to Human Development.

Below are some pictures of some of the things that we have done in April.


Here is a picture of me and Cher at Tom's birthday party. We had a great time at it was nice seeing Cher and Tom.


Here is Tom opening up one of his presents. ENJOY THE RIDE TOM!!!

We went strawberry picking across from our subdivision with Grandma Barb. The kids had a great time and it was neat learning how to make strawberry jam/preserves. Thanks Barb. YUMMY! YUMMY!! Can't wait to can some more. Hopefully there will be some peaches this year if the freeze didn't kill them all.






Carrigan was really getting into it! She was very serious about which ones she picked.


















Alan kept getting a little confused and picked mostly green strawberries but he finally got the hand of it! At one point he was more interested in the tractors than he was the strawberries. This kid loves tractors!

Carrigan's bucket was full at the end. If I remember correctly - her basket weighed 14 lbs. Way to go Carrigan!

Here is Grandma Barb and Alan showing off one of strawberries.













Barb and I took the kids to Mt. Carmel Park. We tried to get the kids tired so that we could go back and do some canning. They weren't too bad so we were able to get some done but I think that there was about 39 jars when all was said and done. I brought home 8 big ones and 2 small ones.

Alan loves to swing. He kept telling me to push him higher.


















Carrigan posing. You can't really tell by the picture but at this point she was starting to not feel very good. Who would have thought she was coming down with Strep?







Congratulations to TY for winning the 2nd grade art contest at his school. Be sure to check out The Black's website (http://theblacks1.blogspot.com) and look at his artwork!

We have some birthday's and an anniversary coming up this month!

Pat's birthday is May 14th

Kevin's birthday is May 16th

Tim and Barb's anniversary is May 23rd

Congratulations to Troy and Lisa on the birth of their baby boy. If I remember correctly he was born on April 19th at 11:59pm. They named him Daniel Wayne Person.

Here are some other websites that some of you might be interested in looking at. Here is Kristi's webshots link with updated pictures (http://community.webshots.com/user/kristifp).

Here is my old webshots link. It doesn't have anything recent but it is kinda fun looking back at when Carrigan was little (http://community.webshots.com/user/krcsmith)

Hope everyone is doing well!

XOXOXO,

Kim

Matthew at Talladega

TALLADEGA

MARCH 24, 2007

Matthew got the coolest present from Kandis last year. My little sister Kandis is so creative. For their one year anniversary she bought Matthew stock in Anheausar Busch since Bud Light is his beer of choice. The stock even came framed and there was a little plaque under neath that Kandis had inscribed. I think it said something like "You are my Best BUD" and you "Light" Up My Life. Kandis - sorry if I got that wrong but everyone should kinda get what it said.

Anyway - Kandis got Matthew the coolest present for Christmas/birthday. The Racing Experience. What a beautiful day to be at the track. I wish we could have been there to see him drive. Kandis sent me some really neat pictures that I thought I would share...






Kandis and Matthew talking before his "Racing Experience" begins.









Getting ready!














Walking to "his" car!













CHEESE!!!!











Getting the push off!









What a picture!!! Love it!













Coming into the pits!












Climbing out!

WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!!!!

April 2007

THE FIRST HALF OF APRIL!

It's been a busy last couple of weeks.

On Friday, March 30th we went to a Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt at Nash Farms sponsored by the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department. Barb told us about it and it was alot of fun. Thanks Barb for coming and helping out with the kids. We hope you had as much fun as we did. It was a little chaotic. There were lots and lots of kids! Kids kids everywhere. I don't think that they expected so many.

Here are the kids before the hunt started. Alan is holding his flashlight.


Lots and lots of kids and this was not even half of them.


Here is Grandma (Barb) helping Alan find some eggs.


Here is Rusty and Carrigan getting ready to start finding her eggs with the use of a flashlight.


Daddy helping the kids with all of there eggs and goodies.

DOODLEBUGS EASTER EGG HUNT

On Friday, April 6th the Doodlebugs had their Easter Egg hunt at Ryan's house. Last year the hunt was at our house but I was afraid to do it this year with the sandbox. I was afraid the kids would be more interested playing in the sand then looking for eggs. Plus Dixie last year got her share of Easter eggs. I'm sure she has buried several under the shed. LOL!!! Ryan's backyard was perfect for the hunt. The kids had a great time and so did the adults. Thanks Ryan!


Here is Alan searching under a bush for some eggs.
Notice there are several in the grass behind him.



Carrigan had alot of fun searching for the eggs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE

On Saturday, April 7th Brooke celebrated her birthday. Her birthday is actually on the 10th of April. She had a Build-A-Bear type party. It was so much fun and the kids all had a great time. What a neat idea Kati!


The birthday girl!!! Cheese!!!!!


Cousins!
They are very close in age - Carrigan is 10 weeks and 3 days older than
Brooke if my calculations are correct!

Time to decorate some eggs!


Carrigan was very serious when it came to decorating her eggs.


Alan was having a good time decorating. Every few seconds he would say
"Momma look" and he would hold up his eggs. He was so proud of himself and so was I.


Here are the eggs that we did.



Here are the kids Easter Baskets (buckets) that they got this year. Of course they were full of goodies and they both got new movies (Charlotte's Web and Flushed Away). The Easter Bunny has brought Carrigan a new pair of sandals each each that she has been born. The piece of paper was actually a note from the Easter Bunny. Carrigan thought that was pretty cool!

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday!

Hunter is the next up for birthday's in the family - April 22nd. I can't believe how big he is getting. He will be 11 years old. WOW!

Have a great rest of April!!!

Kim, Rusty, Carrigan and Alan