April 2018

Wow! April felt like it went pretty fast. I think the reason is because the first week was Spring Break for Kimri and Garrett and Rick was even able to take a couple days off so the first week went by super fast! We decided to make a trip to Columbia, South Carolina and attend the temple one last time before this baby makes his arrival. It's about 2 hours and 45 minutes from us so any longer into this pregnancy and it will be much more difficult to go. The Raleigh Temple is currently closed due to reconstruction. I think I heard it won't be back open until sometime in 2019. Anyway, I was about 35 weeks at the time we made the temple trip.

Cosette was able to come with us which was a huge blessing! When she and Rick got off work, we hopped in the van and drove down to South Carolina. We grabbed some food at a place called Rush's and then Cosette attended a session that evening. Meanwhile at the hotel we took the kids swimming. Well, it was more like Rick got in the pool with all 3 of the kiddos and I sat on the side with my legs hanging in because one, I forgot my maternity swimsuit, and 2 I just didn't quite feel up for swimming that pregnant, haha. 

The kids had a BLAST in the pool. They didn't want to leave! I'm so glad they had so much fun though because the rest of the trip wasn't that exciting for them. After swimming they all zonked out. Rick and I woke up the next morning and attended an early morning session together while Cosette stayed at the hotel with the kids. Before we left we went downstairs to the continental breakfast area and took back a ton of food to the hotel room so they could have a fun, lazy morning eating breakfast and watching cartoons while we went to the temple. 

Kimbri zonked out on the drive to SC.

Dinner at Rush's. Kimbri loooved the hotdogs! 

Brenna snoozing in the pack 'n play at the hotel.

Columbia, South Carolina Temple

Also during Spring Break it got up to 84 degrees and to celebrate finally getting some good weather, at least for a few days, we made our first batch of homemade ice cream of the season! And we added delicious strawberries on top, yum.

I don't know what was going on here. This was a probably a pic
Kimbri took, haha. 

They love doing FT with Gma!

Kimbri often loves getting her picture taken, if
you couldn't tell already from how many pics we
have of her, haha ;) But I love her little uniform
look & her cute glasses. She's looking so grown up!

Brenna, Grey, Kye, Kimbri, Garrett
I babysat for my friend Kelsey. Between them all there were 6 kids,
ages 6 and younger. It was no joke. But they all got along well
and had a ton of fun so it worked out great!

Silly faces!
Garrett, Kye, Kimbri, Brenna, Grey

I had to put Tenlee in the high chair while I
helped kids get in swimsuits, set up the sprinkler
and get popsicles handed out to everyone. 

After water fun outside they all watched an episode of Octonauts
and ate PB&Js with strawberries, bananas & string cheese for dinner.

Brenna wanted her nails done and Rick made her wish come true.

I was so tired one afternoon so I let Garrett watch
a movie and Brenna and I fell asleep in bed.

Her favorite way to drink milk. She has to lay down on a pillow,
on the couch and covers are a necessity! She's such a diva sometimes.

The note Kimbri left under her pillow when she
lost another tooth! I thought it was so cute.

Sporting a new smile with another missing tooth!

Brenna totally loves doing puzzles. She will seriously spend so much time working on puzzles. And she's getting good at them! The Dollar Tree has some really awesome puzzles that are perfect for her, along with a bunch my mom gave me of ones that I played with growing up.

She sat and worked on these for so long while
I got some cleaning done in the kitchen.

Kimbri has actually been wanting her hair done more recently. Most of the time she wants a quick ponytail or braid and is too busy with wanting to do other things than to sit and get her hair done. One day she came home from school adn wanted to dress up like a ballerina, paint her nails and get her hair done in a "princess bun". So we did just that :) It was fun and Kimbri has such long, beautiful hair that I love when she lets me do it!

One day for school Kimbri wanted a "ponytail and braid". Usually that means I braid a little bit of hair back into the ponytail but she insisted on wanting the braid left out of the ponytail, just left hanging by her face. I asked if she was sure and she was totally set on it. So I reluctantly let her have her hair like that, ha! I'm really trying to let her be her own self and to express herself in her own way. I guess if that means with a hairstyle I think is a little on the funny side, then so be it :) She said everyone at school thought it was cool, so I guess it was a win, haha!

Garrett playing "storm troopers" with Brenna.
The missionaries gave a bunch of legos to Garrett
at church because apparently they were left in the
house they moved in to. Garrett is totally obsessed
with legos so it was so awesome!

Just a girl and her Pooh Bears.

Garrett at kindergarten registration.
I can't believe he's gonna be in kindergarten!!

Brenna wanted a picture too, haha.

Cosette offered to watch the kids so Rick and I could sneak in a date before he started a couple weeks of night shift. Night shift totally stinks! So it was amazing to get in some time together. We went to a restaurant we'd never tried before called Old Chicago. I got a pesto chicken sandwich and Rick got something called stromboli. It was yummy! 

Then we went and took a tour of an old Victorian home called the Poe House. It was a beautiful home that only one family and ever lived in. He was a brick maker here in Fayetteville. His last living child, Lily, gifted the home to the state so it could become a museum. Most of the family's original furniture and such are still in the home today! It was so amazing and a really neat experience. I should've taken more pictures! 

This was from the Cape Fear museum right next to the Poe House
that we toured right after. It had neat exhibits from what life
would've been like back in time.

The backyard of the Poe House.

Garrett broke the decorative flowers that I had
in a vase in the living room. Kimbri gathered
up the petals and put them in an empty jar with
pencils inside and made me a homemade pencil
holder along with a sweet note. She's a very
thoughtful little girl.

This girl looooves getting her hair done and often requests
"cully hair"

So sad that her popsicle melted off the stick.
Such a cute sad face though...

At Kimbri's Success Day award assembly. 

Kimbri made a butterfly trap with all sorts of stuff to try and
lure a butterfly in. It included shells, a butterfly chalk stencil,
flowers, rocks, etc.. She sat there for sooo long waiting to catch
a butterfly. I told her that probably no butterflies were out yet
(it was early Saturday morning) and she said, "Well, its' a good
thing it's Saturday and I don't have school. I have tons of time to
wait for one!" Unfortunately, she never caught one that day...
but I was impressed with her determination! 

She's off to school!
Also, I love her pigtail braids! 

Garrett wanted a picture too. He stood there and
waved goodbye to a bus full of kids in his
Incredibles costume. He was excited to wear it to
preschool for Superhero Day.

One morning Kimbri woke up early for school, came and woke
me up and said she really wanted me to do her hair in a "princess
bun". So we did! And I think it turned out super cute.

Garrett's preschool has been working on a song called, "66 Books of the Bible". Garrett seems to remember things so easily and has done a fantastic job at learning this song! He can now officially name all 66 book of the bible. Anyway, since he goes to St. Andrews preschool that is affiliated with the St Andrews United Methodist Church, they had their performance of the song during their church on April 29. It was really fun to see him up there singing and doing all the signs they came up with to remember each book. Nice work, Garrett!

He's right in the middle toward the bottom.

Well, as April is coming to an end, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest member of our family. Hopefully he'll make his debut soon!!! Everyone is excited to meet this little baby boy. I can't wait to snuggle him in my arms instead of my belly, haha :)