Wordless Wednesday

Wes (10 months) and Kris, Southern Miss Coliseum - September 2003

FLASHBACK: NECA era ends

The way our baseball league is designed you play in the same division for two years. It works out well. The players spend the first year learning from the older teammates and then in turn showing what they've learned before moving up to the next level. The teams are given names of businesses/organizations that support the program and our team was NECA/IBEW. He played on this team for his first two years of coach pitch. Then he moved on to play for Central Sunbelt for the first year of the next division. At the beginning of this season we learned that this sponsor was not returning and our team would be ...you guessed it - NECA/IBEW! So, Wes has had the unique opportunity to have the same team name for three seasons :)





As his second year in this division - his fourth and final season of coach pitch - came to an end, we have lots of memories and friendships to hold on to and look forward to making more!

Wes was fortunate to be selected to play All -Stars at the end of the season and we are in the throws of practice and a series of three tournaments. He is enjoying being able to play baseball for a little longer! I'll post more about this experience once the season ends.

FLASHBACK: Ann Elise's Kindergarten Graduation

The end of Ann Elise's Kindergarten year was celebrated with a graduation ceremony - cap and gown and all. The ceremony included Pomp & Circumstance, the students singing a number of songs they'd prepared for the night, and most children speaking a part. Ann Elise's part was "Please sing this wonderful song with us on the second time through." We were very happy she said her part well!

A big smile before we left the house:


The Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011:


Receiving her diploma from Mr. Griffith, the Principal:


Showing her excitement over her diploma:


And a final picture with her Kindergarten teacher - who retired at the end of the year.


Ann Elise loved this school year. She made some good friends and learned some valuable academic skills. We feel she is well prepared to tackle first grade :) We couldn't be more proud to stand next to this sweet graduate!


We were more prepared with this graduation ceremony - it can definitely signify an end in many ways. Looking back at Wes' Kindergarten graduation serves as a reminder - now the little boy look, the "fun" of learning the basics, the innocence of just being 6 does comes to an end :(

We now know first grade brings desks, homework, projects, and life lessons...growing up is hard to do (especially for the parents)!

Wordless Wednesday

Bankston Hays (8 months) - VBS Family Night, June 2008

FLASHBACK: Feathered!

You may have seen the recent hype in the news regarding fly fisherman and their frustration over one of the newest fashion trends - their bait is being found in girls' hair!

I am not exactly sure how this trend got started - maybe Steven Tyler donning them on American Idol? But nonetheless, girls everywhere are picking out feathers of all colors and clipping them in their hair.

Ann Elise first brought this fashion trend to my attention when a few friends at school started wearing them. I started paying attention and one day found myself at the school early for pick-up. The third graders were at recess and a group of girls were sitting nearby and I noticed just about all of them had feathers! I knew a few of them and decided to find our what I could. They told me everything! HA! I found out where to get them, how they get put in, all the styles, etc.

Ann Elise continued to bring up the idea of getting feathered and after talking it over we decided it would make a good "recital gift". So, the feathers were purchased, wrapped, and attached to some balloons. She was very excited when she opened them and couldn't stop asking when could she get "feathered"!

I took her to the boutique the next day and a sweet college girl put them in. Ann Elise was very proud and has enjoyed everyday with her little extra bling :)

FLASHBACK: Ballet Recital 2011

Ann Elise had another great year of ballet and tap. Her teacher is very sweet and really loves the girls. They worked hard all year practicing positions and getting better. We love the simplicity and modesty of this studio. Her teacher picks out the class costume and makes it work for both the ballet and tap number. She just changes out a few pieces to change it up. This makes intermission much less stressful and more enjoyable :)

For the first act Ann Elise's class performed the cutest tap dance to Joshua Fought The Battle of Jericho. Lots of fun!

During the second act her class performed a sweet ballet routine to Heavenly Sunlight. So, so precious!

Getting a hug from Mrs. Lynn, her teacher, for a job well done!

Posing with her biggest fans - big brother Wes and little brother Bankston Hays :)

Her grandparents were equally excited to watch such a great performance!

Ann Elise really did a great job. She knew every step to both routines and performed them just when she was supposed to - all with a big smile spread across her beautiful face.

Butterflies Update

Earlier I posted about the Easter Bunny bringing Ann Elise a Butterfly Kit. In order to get a better understanding of what was about to happen - and because we knew there would be no way we would be able to witness every moment of our butterflies' metamorphosis - we watched this YouTube video. How incredibly cool to watch nature perform!

For the first week we got to watch the caterpillars grow, climb to the top of their jar, get in their "J" formation, and form their chrysalises. The kids would come home from school excited to see if there were any changes. To find one making it's "J" was like watching a baby takes it's first steps :)

The kit was very easy to manage. Once the caterpillars formed their chrysalises, we removed the pad (shown above) from the jar's lid and hung it to the side of the butterfly tent. We would mist the chrysalises once a day and about a week later painted lady butterflies began to emerge.

The kit came with a sugar water feeder and we added some branches and flowers for them to enjoy. We held onto the butterflies for about two weeks. They seemed very content in their tent and the kids absolutely loved watching them flit around!

I asked Kris to take them to work and have one of his students (with a fancy camera) take some good pictures. I simply wanted some good shots of the butterflies doing their thing in their tent! But the guys had a better idea - they closed off the main office and let a butterfly free.

You would not believe how tame it was! This butterfly landed on the student's glasses AND hung out on Kris' finger :)

Kris was able to round them up and bring them back home safe in their tent. After the kids saw the pictures of the butterfly and it's freedom, we held onto them a few more days and occasionally let them fly around the house.

As you can imagine, our critter lover was beside herself admiring God's intricate creation!

Wordless Wednesday

Ann Elise (19 mo) and Wes (almost 4) - September 2006

Monkey Bar Queen

Ann Elise has fallen in love with the monkey bars! She had mastered swinging from bar to bar some months ago and then taught herself to turn around once at the end and come back.

Since being in Kindergarten she started seeing girls at school use the bars to hang upside down and wanted to join in the fun!


Once she mastered that skill, she could be found most afternoons in the backyard...being a monkey!

Wordless Wednesday

Wes, 13 months - USM BSU Missions Banquet, November 2003

Earth Day Goodness

I have a friend who has been thinning out the flower beds at her grandparent's house. Over the past few weeks she has given us many day lilies, irises, cannas, nandina, etc. It kinda forced us into "straighten up the yard" mode - for which we are grateful :) The new plants have brought such life and energy to our yard.

With the new attitude, we decided to add two more trees to our lawn. On Good Friday we planted a magnolia and a red oak. We can't wait (really, we're just hoping) for these trees to grow and provide even more privacy and shade for our house!

I mention Good Friday because turns out, Good Friday was also Earth Day! Kris remarked we were being hippies by planting trees on Earth Day...but it turned out the earthy goodness didn't stop with new trees! HA!

We also managed to see this snake


and this turtle in our yard!


The Easter Bunny found these cute Mini Greenhouses by Miracle-Gro.


So the kids got in on the earthy goodness! Wes planted sunflowers, Ann Elise planted zinnias, and Bankston Hays planted marigolds.


They have now sprouted and hopefully we'll even see a beautiful bloom!


And last but not least of all the earthy goodness...Ann Elise is carefully attending her caterpillars (also from the Easter Bunny).


We are anxiously awaiting them turning into butterfiles! They have all formed their chrysalis so we are making progress :)

Easter Portraits

We took the kids to Southern Miss' campus to snap a few pictures in their Sunday best. I couldn't resist posting a few. I really thought they turned out sweet!


They are just getting too big :(


I don't know that Ann Elise's days of smocked dresses are gone for good, but they are definitely fewer and farther between. But to see her happiness over this "big girl" dress and her delight as she looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but smile :)

Oh, how I love these children!