Blown Away

I am seriously missing Oklahoma...as in really seriously.  I was singing the Broadway Oklahoma main song to the boys and got teary...how sad am I. :( And then I was running an errand and heard Carrie Underwood's song, "Blown Away" (which is a great song!) and I heard the word "Oklahoma" and I was hooked...and teary again. I am so sentimental. You may send all your condolences as you feel necessary.

Florida

Last week we returned from a trip to Florida.

It was oh so needed and welcomed.

On the way down, (yes we drove...oy) we had the chance to stop in Hattiesburg, MS to see where Tristan's grandpa was buried since he'd never been. I'm glad I got to meet him a year before he passed away.

We stopped in Mobile, AL to see this submarine, USS Drum and the battleship (below), USS Alabama.

Tris trying to fit through the doors on the submarine...I sure hope no one had to get anywhere quick! You'd have bruises on both your head and shins.

Aren't those guns huge!! The ones on the ship are pretty big too! ;)

It was awesome!! This picture doesn't show the tippy-top, but we went as high as we could go. My arms were burning by the end cuz I was carrying Luke. There were only these teeny ladders to get from floor to floor.

Nearby was this cruise-ship still in port. I never realized how HUGE cruise-ships are.

And finally we made it to the beach. I can't imagine him being any happier.

Pretty much it was heaven...the biggest sandbox in the world and water water everywhere.

Of course, besides sand and water I guess we had other necessities like food.

And more food.

G thought we were really going to turn him into a mermaid/man. After a slight panic attack, he was okay with it in the end. 

Bocce ball on the beach beats the grass any day.

This was my FA-VO-RITE past-time. We'd walk holding the boys hands up and down the beach looking for shells or crabs on running away from the water.

We were successful in finding said shells...

...and a few crabs. I must admit that I may have done an eebie-jeebie dance after I thought I had found a huge shell...only to discover it was a crab, alive and kicking. And i may have done the dance again when I positioned myself in a safe place completely forgetting they crawl SIDEWAYS, not forward and backward.

What a goof!

Seriously love my chunky L

His favorite past-time was collecting shells.

Not one was forgotten.

There may be a shortage at your local craft store.

This was only the first bucket, with many more to come. 

Our mornings were beautiful. We were so close to the water!

G and Tris make a snowman.

We went out fishing one day.

We passed a replica of one of Columbus' ships. It was rather small. 

My lovely attire. Better than wearing Lobster-red for the next week or two!

We love to fish, but don't like to eat them...where we would usually throw them back, we decided to feed the to the dolphins. (You can see him just below the surface.)

I love this boys wind-swept hair! He told me on the way back that he wasn't sleeping. He was "thinking." Right, Got it.

My little dude turned 4, and despite oh-so-many-things going wrong with the cake, it turned out okay. He loved it, and that's what mattered. (L loved it for other reasons.)

Many shared gifts since their birthdays are so close.

And lots of smiles.

The boys insisted on helping. Why, thank you boys.

We stopped in Jackson, MS on the way home to see Tris' extended family. Besides the many many gnats, it was BEAUTIFUL. 

This is L fishing in their fountain. We start 'em young.

I think they had fun. We sure did!

Explanation

A few people asked me what my "worms" were made of...and how exactly Tristan pierced my ears.

The worm idea I took from this post. Mine didn't work out nearly as well. :(

As for my ears, I did not want to have a teenager punching studs in my lobes. But after reviewing the cost of a piercing at a tattoo parlor using a needle, Tristan assured me he could do just as good a job. And thanks to the fact he's a dentist, he could numb me up. :) Still, though, the thought of a hole going through my ear makes me a little sick. But I love having them...So cute!

Couponing

Sorry, no pictures!
While all the boys sleep I'm sitting here after church watching "Extreme Couponing" on TLC. I can't help but feel like this show has something in common with "Hoarding: Buried Alive". We just want want want. Even if we don't need it. Sometimes these people get so obsessed with things, they don't realize they are hurting those closest to them. :( I am impressed with some people on the show, though! They do all this work and then donate everything to people in need. How awesome is that!!
I have to say though, that it seems if I try to get into couponing at all, I end up spending more money on things I probably wouldn't have bought anyways and did just because it cost less...that seems ridiculous. Now I decide what to buy, and then try and find coupons after for those particular items.

I found these...

Pictures from Christmas and New Years.

Who DOESN'T try on Mr. Potato Head glasses?!

How we Shop

Superman style

This Week

This week was a little chilly, and that makes L so happy cuz he can wear his little red hat. He loves this thing and even naps in it. 

The boys are working on their shapes(L) and numbers(G)

I love to see them reading!!!

Or swiping my phone and deleting all things boring.

My boys picked me a bouquet...complete with rock!

Worms

For April Fools Day I made worms for dinner. I think I was the most grossed out...complete backfire.

Dinosaur Museum

Well, although we were at the dinosaur museum, I have no pictures of bones. But they did have a bug exhibit...creepy close-ups.

And a HILARIOUS...oh, I mean, terribly sad video of my scared L-boy. It is a really creepy spider! And the wind was blowing so those creepy legs were moving.

(Can I say creepy any more?)

Nervous G

Isn't this cute? When G gets scared or nervous, he just can't hold still. 

These are the moments before he begins bouncing and soon jumping up and down on the couch.

Water, Food and Popcorn

We seriously live off this stuff. Anytime anyone goes to a movie without all of us, the rule is to bring home a box of popcorn. I can finish a box by myself. Is that something to be proud of? I think so. :)

Dallas

We took a quick trip to Dallas a few weekends ago to meet up with our friend Doug. We spent the day at the Dallas World Aquarium. It was awesome!

 Can you spot the seahorse? He's that white skeleton looking thing in front of the plant.

Always a favorite, a shark tunnel!

One morning on Octonauts (a cartoon the boys watch) they talked about spider crabs...eek! Never thought I'd see them for real. I get the shivers when I think about those long legs...preferably on a crab than a spider though! 

I LOVE LOVE old buildings and this one was awesome. It was across the street from Dealy Plaza, made famous as the place where JFK was shot.

 That building is where the shooter was. This place was crawling with conspiracy theorists. I love seeing historical sights, but it did feel a little morbid. :/