Rounding out April!

We made it!

The whole month of April we have been quarantined!

It has been the strangest of times...but we have made the best of it....and now...moving on to May to see what the new month holds!

Sooo....Governor Ivey issued a new order. We were under a 'Stay at Home'.....order...or what some have called it...a lockdown...well, starting May we are now in a 'Safer at Home' order. Basically it is the same thing we have been under but now only businesses are open at 50% capacity. Restaurants, hair salons, etc are still closed. We shall see when everything officially opens back up hopefully in May!
Sidenote................I am READY to get my hair done! Poor Sarah has had to reschedule me sooo many times. I was supposed to go...for the 4th time Tuesday but due to this new order, she had to cancel me. I cried! ha!

Meanwhile....
we are still in our groove!
Soccer did NOT want Lily to learn Math on Tuesday! ha! He looked at me like....pplllleeeaasssee dont make me get down! ha!

Every time Lily would write or move.......he would try and grab her pencil! :)

He was just trying to understand why she wouldnt play with him!

And...sooo....these are the days these days! Teams meetings are life now! ha! So.much.fun.said.no.one.ever.  :)

And...Alexis is working hard at cheer with her squad. They havent let this stop them!

Work-outs for the win! Then she had jump practice and then she works on her back handspring in the yard! Got to keep her skills up!

She's not breathing!

OH...

the day has come when it is time to see how much the two youngest have grown!

Each and every time we do this {every 6 months} Alexis and Lily get SO competitive! Just can NOT wait to see who has grown the most! It is soooo funny to me how they act!

This time around....Lily made me laugh SO hard!

She goes.........'Momma, Alexis is NOT breathing! She is cheating!'

Oh gracious me! ha!

Lily was up first! She stood tall....I think she wasnt breathing...actually...and...the results were in...

She grew 1 1/2 inches! She is just under Alexis at the same age! OH how I love to look at this piece of the wall and see how they have grown and how they are so close to each other at the different age stages!

Up next...Lex! She grew 2 inches! She has shot up! So....winner winner chicken dinner! Lex got it! WHAT I just can NOT wrap my head around....is the fact.....THAT...in 6 months when we do this again...if Alexis grows 2 more inches...in the next 6 months...when we check again...she will be as TALL is me! 2 more inches will get her to me! WHAT!?!?! 6 months from NOW! {Insert tears here......just WOW!}

They always sign their name and I love to see their signatures throughout the times too! LOVE! Lily has won the past couple of times so Alexis was pumped that she beat Lily this time! :)

The wall of growth! ha! My favorite!

Wordless Wednesday!

This cracks me up because....it is OH so true! Now....we all thought May would be the month where the world goes back to 'normal' however that wont be the case. Hopefully, one day soon, we will get back to our 'normal' lives with whatever we consider 'normal' with hopes that we have all realized that we have gained more perspective and hope and love and happiness!

A COVID-19 birthday parade!

You know...my birthday really wasnt a big deal...

you know....when youre old...another year just makes you older! ha!

BUT...

just think about allllll those birthdays that people are having....around the world...that are BIG!

Like BIG number 5!

Sweet 16?!?!

Happy 13th...youre a teenager!

So....those birthdays....it is just a sad and crazy time that those cant be spent the way they would be with big parties....tons of families and friends!

So yesterday we had a COVID-19 parade birthday for our sweet buddy Ford!

The new 'craze' these days are to have a drive-by birthday party since we are not allowed to gather with big crowds, etc and etc....

SO.....

it was awesome!

I would say....he had a great birthday and though it wasnt like birthdays are done in the past...I think this one TOPPED them all!

Sweet Ford had NO idea and was just soooo surprised and happy to see all the cars and all the fun just for him!

We decorated our car! We were ready to parade!

The biker gang started the parade! They were sooooo adorable on the video Ashley did of them riding down the street!
Love the line of cars ready to go too! We were allll decorated, had music playing, signs, silly string, confetti poppers...you name it!

I took some pictures from the video so they are not good quality but to give a gist of the action! Lily ended up leading the parade because she had a sign on her bike! ha!

Tyler and I! haha! Tyler drove and I stuck my head out of my sunroof! Oh...boy...ha! I had a football that I threw to him that he loved that had happy birthday from us on it! :)

Even Jville Fire came!

And policeman Trey came! So.much.fun.

The 'bigs' biker gang finished off the parade and I would say...it was a success!  Such a sweet memory and to Ford...he can look back and say...during this crazy time, he turned 5! WOW! :)

Pickin strawberries kind of Saturday!

We had to get out of the house! It was such a beautiful day and I have seen allllll the fun posts on picking strawberries...

so that is what we did yesterday!

So fun!

It was a perfection of a day and it was good for the soul to take a break from being at home but yet still get to be outside and make a memory!

We actually put on some 'decent' clothes...meaning not just a t-shirt and running shorts....or a tank and leggings....and set out to Munford!
I had no idea that we drive past this every time we go to the beach...but we sure do! Now I know where it is!
Lily was on a mission! She loved picking and finding the 'best' strawberries!

Hard at work!

I only bought one bucket...and Alexis didnt care! She isnt in to 'manual labor.' She would rather go to the store and just buy the strawberries! ha!

She filled it up!

It was super weird being outside and having to wear a mask to pick strawberries...but that is what the times call for.
This was the first time the girls wore a mask............because they havent been anywhere...at all....not even to Wal-Mart, etc since all of this has happened so they didnt fully grasp that everyone is wearing masks now and that they had to. It was an eye-opening day...kind of like when I went to Wal-Mart with my mask on for them.

Us girls! We went to Chicken Salad Chick after! We went through their drive-thru and sat out in the parking lot and popped the hood and enjoyed lunch! YUM-O!

We had a great morning on a perfection of a beautiful day!

A girl's day!

So....

every day these days...

are girl's days!

Tyler has been a busy man...so us 3 girls have literally been together 24/7....7 days a week...every single day...and night...and night...and day....for everyday....and so.....yeah....we have...

not had a break from each other!

To say that we have been around each other for soooo many days...straight...and we can all still smile and are 'okay'.....then I call that a BIG win! :)

Us three have really bonded and I have loved seeing the girl's bond grow more and more!

Now...dont get me wrong...we have had some days. Some days where we have not gotten along so well. We have been short with each other. The girl's have pushed my last little bit of sanity for the day. They have pushed each other's max a time or two or so....

but...I have to say....I am super proud of us 3 thus far! :)

We have done pretty well and for those days where they havent been our finest, we are all learning to adjust our attitudes and apologize and know that we are still in it with each other! ha! :)

So today was one of those great girl's day that we have had yet!

It was such a beautiful day so we took off to the trail for a great.....great bike ride! I....ditched work today....well you know....I paused it {super perk of working from home!}.....and off we went! It did help that our power went out....and Alabama Power told me it would be out for half a day.....so, yeah...that helped too! {Yeah...that storm...yeah...it was something around here!} :(

We chatted the entire time. We rode longer than what we had planned just because it was just so nice!

We stopped and picked flowers and smelled them....and Lily picked a TON of honeysuckles....so she ate some and put some in my basket to eat as we stopped for some water breaks. We just strolled and soaked in the day! It was perfection! The only little...tiny...hiccup we had was while we were riding back...Lily starts screaming and almost crying. I ride up to her and realize she has a bug that hit her eyeball! ha! Well....it was funny...but not funny...and she was fine and laughing too {at that point} so I got it out and her eye was fine...so we continued home! :) As we continued home...the rest of the way...Lily did keep saying...'Momma, I think it had babies! I think it had babies in my eye! Momma, it had babies!' {It was hilarious...she was laughing too...but pretty sure she really thought it had babies in her eye!} bahaha!

Alexis told me alllll about what color flowers...what kind of flowers she wants for her wedding. Then she told me the style of wedding dress she wants....what month she wants to get married in. We just all had the best little chats!
Looking at this face....before I know it, I will blink and this little flower bunch will actually be her bouquet and her bike helmet will be a wedding veil! OH my...time slow down!

We havent been to Turtle Lake in months so it was great to be back! It's one of my favorite spots!

 

Us 3!

After our great trip we headed back home and loaded up and headed to Dugger MTN fudge for the BEST little treat to cap off the great day!
Today was a day for the memory books!

The rumble of chainsaws

Well....

I had hoped I wouldnt have to hear the rumble of chainsaws throughout our neighborhood ever again after the tornado that came through 2 years ago.

That rumble of constant sawing.....on and on....from a distance. It was like a dull hum everyday for weeks and weeks.

Well...

today...

that rumble started again.

We didnt have a tornado but my goodness at the storm!

We didnt even think the storm was bad....I mean...2 weeks ago, Easter Sunday....we had tornado warnings and stronger winds than this!

BUT gracious!

Trees everywhere!

We had a huge limb fall on the trampoline but thankfully it only ripped the netting so Tyler can fix it! Because...FOR REAL...the trampoline is LIFE right now! I dont know what I would do if we didnt have that trampoline during the time we are in!

We had some other big limbs come down but the saddest part is the tree in our front yard. A beautiful tree and it just literally split in half! So, Tyler is going to try and cut down the part that split but we are not thinking it is going to live long with the way it is.

And...we are trying to determine about the other big tree in the very middle of our front yard. I have NEVER seen a tree sway and the roots move like that tree did this morning. Tyler and I were both frozen looking out the window at it.......just praying it didnt fall over. The way it swayed, it would have fallen away from the house...but still...it is a huge tree and would have been bad to fall! Due to the way it did, we are now concerned for the future so we are thinking we are going to have to cut it down too!

Our beautiful front yard will never be the same!

Thankfully there wasnt any major damage like what we had during the tornado! THANK goodness so the rumble of chainsaws wont be as long as 2 years ago! Praise!

I drove around our neighborhood and WOW at all the trees and damage! NOTHING like the tornado but it was shocking at how much nonetheless! Trees on homes and cars and just a mess!

Crazy!

Between all of the COVID mess and storms we have been having....God is telling someone something...and we allll should be listening! Grateful we were okay during the storm today and pray we are in storms to come....including this pandemic!

 Our front yard view. Those two trees in this picture....will no longer be there. BOO! BUT...maybe the one in the middle will be able to stay...we shall see!

Poor thing...just split!

The deep pocket inside the tree! Crazy!

Our backyard view! I moved the big limb from the trampoline before I took the picture.

This branch is HUGE! We are so thankful that we didnt have big damage!
 
 Tyler pulled the huge.....side of the tree.... with his truck and then got to chopping it up!

  And....we got some helpers! They actually really helped alot and we got it done pretty quick!

 Dont worry...Sydney came to check on our yard....well....she was just being nosey...:) and so we put her to work! They stayed branches apart so they social distanced!

Birthday anti COVID-19 style and one priceless high school pic!

Yesterday marked my birthday!

I have to say....never had a birthday like it in alllll my 38 years!

For sure a birthday for the record books and goes down in History!

Tyler and I celebrated our birthdays, together, on Monday, by grilling out some awesome steaks since we both had been wanting to do that! OH...it was a beautiful afternoon spent outside soaking up the sun and smelling the grill!

My birthday day was spent doing all the 'new normal' things such as school...laundry....you know... but it was a great day and so very thankful and blessed to have another year under my belt!

Aunt Pam stopped by Tuesday afternoon and surprised the girls with a little goodie bag! They were so excited to see her....and get the goodie bag!

Tuesday was full of this! Alexis is trying to gain her back handspring again...since she has missed gym...she has lost it! Thankfully I have spotted a TON of girls in my lifetime...so spotting her to help get it back is on the agenda! She is getting her confidence back with it! Lily has mastered her cartwheel! She is working on perfecting it and keeping her legs straight!

While we did that...Tyler did this! OH...it smelled sooooo good!

And Wednesday! HOORAY....my birthday! Hello 3-8!

#stayawayCOVID-19!

And....Misty posted this to my Facebook page! WOW...at the flashback! Our Senior year 'friends' picture! I wish Jacksonville would do this for the girls because this picture is priceless to me! OHH...we were soooo young! Love these ladies though we have all gone our separate ways. Thankfully...I still keep up with most and still see some!
Misty did a sweet post about how I am still just as 'young and sassy' now as I was back then.....
Im not so sure about that! :)

Alexis and Lily made me the sweetest cards for my birthday! Nan made a quiche and Gran brought my favorite candy! Lily made me the cutest Lego piece of two girls talking...one girl is me and the other is her. Made my day! My heart is full as I am now 38! Cant wait to see what this year holds....once we are ever able to get back to 'normal!' :)

Wordless Wednesday!

Yes....whoop whoop! Today is my birthday....my birthday is today! :)

Love this!

Back at it with Daddy's birthday and the girl's school picture proofs!

We are back at it today!

Rocking and rolling!

Rolling and rocking!

We celebrated Tyler's BIG 3-8 Quarantine birthday yesterday!

Cant believe we are both 38!.......it feels old! ha!.........but I really cant believe how our birthdays are this year!

Never would have thought in a million years we would be stuck at home....the government telling us we can go nowhere and do nothing and have no friends or family over for our birthdays!

Strange! So strange!

But....we made the best out of his day and celebrated him big! Nan brought Top of the River to our porch so we ate a great lunch...and finished it off for dinner! We had Gran and Andrew and Ben stop by to wish him happy birthday with a giant bag of his favorite beef jerky and the Messer's did a porch drop off of Krispy Kreme donuts so we.....................ate WELL yesterday! :) It sort of helped that it stormed alllll day yesterday so we put it in our minds that we couldnt have done anything 'really' if it were a 'normal' birthday...so that helped! We watched movies, binged on Netflix and played Candyland!...........oh....and ate...and ate...and ate! :)

His LOOT! This doesnt even show it all! German Chocolate cake!..........chocolate gnash cake.....and the donuts too! OH YUM! :)

This was our view on this Monday! Rocking and rolling baby! :)

So...this is how the girl's looked the year that essentially 2020....'didnt happen!' Look at her! Just growing up! Lily's 2nd grade year didnt end like we thought it would ....AT ALL...but she rocked it and is doing so well with the new virtual learning too!

Alexis' 6th grade picture! WOW....just cant believe it! Her year didnt go as planned either. No 6th grade graduation....no end of the year bash for the 'Seniors'........you know...she missed out on all of that but she is SO excited about starting HIGH school in the Fall! LIKE WHAT?!?!  :)