March Randoms…

- We went to UF’s FCA banquet this year and the keynote speaker was Steve Spurrier. That was super exciting, especially for our Gator loving men.

I’d painted my toe nails that afternoon with gel polish and had forgotten to swipe them with remover to get the sticky off. The venue was a barn and you had to walk through basically a pasture to get to it. My toes were grey with dust that had stuck to them by the time we’d made it up to the barn. It was terrible. I tagged along with Lauren & Kellee to the restroom to see if I could do something to fix them. The restrooms were in a narrow hallway and it was just us in there. Just before we opened the door to go in the bathroom, the hall door opened and there stood Steve Spurrier right in front of me. I’m sure my mouth flew open and I said, “Well, Heeeeeyyyyy!” and before I even knew it, I side hugged him and said, do you mind if we get a picture with you?” He smiled and said, “of course not.”  We exchanged “Go Gators” and ten seconds later I was in the bathroom with some hand sanitizer cleaning my toe nails and hoping the ole ball coach hadn’t looked down and seen what a mess they were. ;)  Funny how quickly things can change. ;) The banquet was a great night and we really enjoyed hearing Coach Spurrier speak. And for the record, hand sanitizer totally worked at taking off the sticky dust! ;)

- When the weather is nice and we have nothing going on, the kids love going to what they call the “pizza park.” It’s in Cross Creek and we always hit Blue Highway in Micanopy for lunch, which is why they call it the “pizza park.”

- The girls, Kels and I got to see the Jordan Glen spring play again this year. This year the drama department did “Matilda.” It’s fantastic every single year and I think this is our 3rd or 4th year going. One of DW’s cousins’ children attend school there and they always do such a great job with whatever roles they play. We’re always so proud to get to see them perform.

- Speaking of performances. The Whitehurst girls are ALWAYS working on one.

- Bubbles always have been and always will be a hit with our crew.

- I haven’t had this view for MANY years. It used to be a fairly regular one in my pre-married/ pre-Momma days. I’m pretty sure I hold the record for talking-my-way-out of speeding tickets. Thankfully, Momma still has a little magic left and I got off with a warning. If it hadn’t been, like I said on my Instagram, I wouldn’t have taken a picture, I would be hiding the ticket and taking up a love offering from my Dad to pay it before DW found out. Ha! Ha!

- “Wook at me, Momma. Watch ‘did!” And just like that he’s mastered how to get across the cattle gap.

- Juddy-boy is still around. He spent a couple months at my parents’ locked up since he didn’t want to stay home and kept getting into trouble. But we finally got a pen and brought him back. He’s happy to be home.

- Monday Mornings

- This girl is straight sunshine. She’s always doing something to make us laugh.

- On a recent trip to Tractor Supply, Tucker grabbed a few things he NEEDED. Three little tractors, a tiny lawn mower and a pair of Mickey Mouse work gloves. How could I say no?

- The kids saw the light-up Rocket Copters (as seen on TV) at Joann's last week. In a moment of shopping-with-three-kids weakness I threw them in the buggy. They turned out to be super fun – we took them over to my parents’ house one night and everyone had the best time trying to fly them the highest.

- It’s time to start yard work again! This guy loves to mow with Daddy.

Monkey See – Monkey Do (this makes my heart a puddle).

- The bond between these little cousins is a sweetness like no other. They are the best of friends and just the other day Tucker was asking me something about “Parker’s Daddy”, I said, “Uncle Adam? You know Uncle Adam is your uncle because he is your daddy’s brother.” and he said, “Yep! Just like Parker is mine brother.” I’m so glad they’re getting to grow up close. Since Tucker won’t get to grow up with his own brother, I’m so glad he has Parker, and I hope they’re always super close.

- Driving Miss Belle-Belle

- Sometimes I snap a picture that I know will be a treasure some day, because it’s captured the every-day ordinary routine stuff that will all change as our kids grow up. Its the things I know I’ll look back on and miss seeing the most.

- Things aren’t looking good for my summer slim-down goals. Ha. I’ve already had my first Cadbury egg. I never buy that first one that I don’t think about my Granny. The minute she’d see them in the store, she’d get one for her and one for me, and I’d do the same. Some years she bought the first ones, some years I did, but we never bought our first of the season without buying one for each other. They are my favorite, and so was she.

- Softball and T-Ball are in full swing and they’re keeping us busy. We have practices on Tuesday and Thursday nights – we got lucky and the girls’ fell on the same night- and games on most Saturdays.

- While the girls are in school, I’ve loved the one on one time I’ve gotten to have with Tucker. I love his imagination at this age and how everything somehow turns into a sword, or a gun, or “‘noculars.”

He can’t help but pick up any stick he sees and the other day he got a big one and told me to “fowwo me, Momma – we goin on a ‘venture!” I love his adventures. ;)

~amw~

Pre-K Field Trip

Mamie’s field trip was the Friday after our Spring Break. She has been looking forward to riding the school bus all year long!

When the bus got to the zoo, I asked her how the ride was. She didn’t seem too impressed and I think she was glad she would get to ride home with me after the field trip. ;)

We had the sweetest little group from her class.

The teachers had split each of the classes into two groups. One half of each class played on the playground first and the other half did their zoo tour first. Our group played first, which ended up being the kids’ favorite part of the day. Typical. :)

Our zoo tour was fun and the kids loved seeing all of the animals. However, our tour guide was probably not best suited for pre-k aged children, as she informed the kids that the alligator only had three legs because one got chopped off in someone’s boat motor, one of the hawk’s only had one eye because someone shot his other one out, and the monkey’s were yellow because they pee-peed on themselves. That’s just THREE examples.

All in all, it was a really fun first field trip for Mamie, though.

~amw~

Suwannee River Fair

We went over to the fair on Saturday to check-in AB’s creative life skills entries. This year she had the apron she had sewn and she made peanut butter fudge.

While we were there, we checked on Taylor & Warren and their steers.

On Sunday, our 4H Club worked the concession stand. It was a long afternoon of deep frying everything from oreos to corndogs. We designed club T-shirts and had them made and they came in just in time for the fair!

Tucker and I went back over on Tuesday while the girls were in school and met up with Pappy & Nie-Nie and Uncle Adam, Nen, Parker & Quinn to see the steer show. We were glad to see so many of our 4H kids showing their animals. But we were really there to see these three:

After we’d seen what we wanted of the steer show, we went over to see Annabelle’s entries in the creative life skills room.

Tucker talked Nie-Nie into walking him over to see the hogs.

That evening, we had to be back over at the fair for AB to model her apron in the Fashion Revue. We added some props to the girls’ ensembles this year and it was super cute. She and Emma were both adorable.

I couldn’t believe the change in her confidence from last year to this year. She walked out there like she knew exactly what she was doing and smiled and strutted and was absolutely adorable.

The grands came all the way over there to see the 10 minute revue. They’re awesome like that.

Mamie cant wait for next year when she gets in on the action, too.

AB is super excited for next year when she’ll finally be a Junior division 4H Member and can work for blue, red, and white ribbons instead of the green participation ones. I think she might have a little competitive streak.

~amw~

American Girl Bistro

It’s spring break here and we have no big plans. The weather turned back cold, so that puts out going to the beach. Mom had promised the girls lunch at the American Girl Bistro when we couldn’t get in at Christmas, so that was our big Spring Break plans.

It was enough though, because it was precious and the girls had the very best time. 

Nen had suggested I let Tucker take Woody so he didn’t feel too left out.

We let the girls shop first and if they looked at every thing once, they looked at it ten times. We covered every square inch of the AG store and they just couldn’t make up their minds what they wanted.

The rest of us just waited…and waited….and waited….

FINALLY they chose matching bathing suits for themselves and their dolls. After shopping, it was time for some lunch!

Tucker seemed to steal the show when he walked in with Woody, and the hostess insisted on hanging a chair for Woody, too. Tucker wasn’t impressed. He also didn’t like that everything was PINK, but when they brought out the lemonade, he decided he’d bite the bullet and participate in our luncheon, if for nothing more than the lemonade. ;)

The girls on the other hand were in heaven. I mean seriously – high chairs for their dolls, and their own cups, pink and girly EVERYTHING, and even the napkin rings are hair-ties for you to take home.

Shelby and Willa enjoyed lunch, too.

Things got a little hairy with Tucker & Woody and we had to bribe Tucker with a promise of playing on the playground that’s right outside the AG store once lunch was over.

It’s a darling little experience and I’m so glad we got to take the girls.

and Tucker enjoyed the playground after we’d bid farewell to the land of pink and doll- everything!

~amw~