Memorial Day

Callie and Cade were both staying the night with friends so Mark and I decided to take the little ones out for a drive. We really have some beautiful places really close to our home! This was Ellie and Cale's first trip to Jack Creek. We didn't swim..just took them to look, and Daddy let them throw a few rocks in the water! Just going to post some pics and call it quits!

God is Good!

Today was Callie's last day of school. My first child is now finished with 3rd grade and moving on to 4th grade. I am still in awe as to how fast the time is moving. I know that Callie will be grown and gone way too soon. All I can do is enjoy and make the most out of the time I am given with my babies!

Callie on her last day of school! She normally dressed a lot better. She asked if she could wear "comfy" clothes though and I couldn't turn her down!

Callie Grace---you are such a sweetheart. You love to design dresses and clothes on paper! (and you are pretty good at it!) you just might become a fashion designer! You also love to paint your nails and toe nails. You are so good at painting tips on your nails (people always think we have had it done in a salon!) You are a great girl for Ellie to be looking up to. She wants to be just like you! You love puppy dogs and I often times catch you looking at pictures of puppies on the internet. This year in softball you have done SO well! You are playing short stop and really hitting the ball great! You also go to tumbling class in Greenwood once a week. You have gotten so much stronger going to this place and you can tumble like crazy. We love you so much Callie! I pray you keep your sweet sweet spirit!!!

After we got out of tumbling and got back in to town, there was a surprise waiting for us. We actually saw it coming across the mountain, but it stayed long enough for me to get a picture when we got back home.

If you look close enough, you can see that there are 2 rainbows!! God is so good and this is just a HUGE reminder of His promise!!!

The kids asked if they could take their shoes off and splash around in this puddle so we let them. Mark asked me to get a picture of all their feet lined up! This was not so easy! Mark actually had to hold Cale in his place because he didn't want to be still! Left to right is; Ellie, Callie, Cade and then Cale!!

Time flies!!!

My how time flies!! This picture was taken the morning before your LAST day of Kindergarten! My second baby has now graduated from Kindergarten! I can hardly believe it. Seems like yesterday, I was getting him ready for his first day!

I know this isn't a very good picture! But, Cade..when you are nervous you put your hands in your pockets and make funny faces! I love it!

You are so proud! And so are we!!!!

Cade and Ellie with Nanna and Papa!

Cade with his Nanny and Pa!

Cade and Grandma!!

Brother and Sisterly love!

Cade and his Principal, Mr. Dyer.

That's more like it!!

Cade and Momma! Nanny took this and it's a little over exposed! Oh well though..it's still sweet. Daddy couldn't make it =( He was at their spring football game.

Cade and Mrs. Austin, his very first teacher. He loved her and I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual!

Sweet Cade!

On top of the school sign

A treat for after =)

Cade, you have grown up so much in this short year! I can not believe how much you have learned and how much you have grown. You love to read!! I never really thought you would care for it but you really do love it! You are still a snuggle bug and have such a soft heart! You really like the girls, which kind of worries Momma! Haha. I love you Cade Cambryn Smith!!! Congratulations baby!


Here are some pictures from your very first Peanut Patch Olympics also! You loved scooting around on the scooters.

Scootin' on your belly!

This is an action photo! This game was fun too. The kids ran to the center to grab stuffed animals to carry back to place in center of hula hoop. The team that collected the most won!!

I added tons of pictures to this post! But couldn't resist!

Decoration Sunday-even though I wasn't ready...

Today was decoration at the cemetery my Grandpa (Pappaw) is buried at. Oh how I miss him. It has been 77 days...11 weeks...sometimes I feel like he is so close. Other days I feel like I can barely remember. How I wish I could hear him say as I leave their house " y'all come back now" or how I could just sit near him and hold his hand. The night before Grandpa passed, mom and I each held a hand and just sat by his side. We stayed like that for hours. I miss him. I loved that man so much. I hope he knew that. As I wish and wish for those times to come back; I know he is in a much better place.

The kids are still having a pretty hard time. For now, Cale can still see a picture and point and say Pappaw. Cale--your Grandpa loved you a bunch even though he didn't get much time with you. He loved to hold your hand when you were around and you loved to give him kisses. He loved your smile. On Valentine's Day we were over there and they got you a card that had a puppy dog on it. You were so excited and walked from person to person showing it off and squealing (Grandpa was laughing!) Ellie asks a ton of deep questions..."Where's Grandpa?" "Who put Grandpa's body in the ground?" "That's just Grandpa's body cause he's in heaven" I'm not sure how a 3 year old can process so much. She always wants to know where Grandpa's bed is, when we are over at Grandma's house. He had a hospital bed that was taken back by the company after he passed. Sweet Ellie..I just want you to know how much you were loved by your Grandpa! He and Grandma used to watch you when you were a little bit..you loved to sit in his chair with him and play with his overalls. You were a wild little girl yet always seemed so content in his lap! Cade--you are also my little thinker. You cried so hard after you heard the news that Grandpa has passed away. But, you explained to the other kids that his spirit was in Heaven and that it was just his body left here on earth. You still get really upset about it though and you love to go "visit" Grandpa and leave things at his grave site. Grandpa loved how you were a "working man" and giggled at all the stories of you "fixing' things and working with your Papa. Callie--Grandpa loved you honey. He loved to watch you run and play and was so excited that you were learning to play the piano. He loved your freckles and used to sing a song to you. " She's got freckles on her, b u u u u t she's pretty just the same!" I'll never forget. I can still remember Grandpa holding you when you were a little bitty baby. He loved you sissy. He loved you all, kids. I am so glad he got to meet you all!

Here is the only picture I took today. I really didn't intend to take any, but Cade dug a place to put our flowers that we brought and it just really touched me. After this, he found some tiny purple flowers with yellow centers growing nearby and he picked them and dug a little spot to put them on the grave. He was so proud and Grandpa would have been too. Not just of Cade, of all of you kids.

Tomorrow is going to be an emotional day..Grandpa's headstone is supposed to be set. I am going to try to make it back over. Try...

Peanut Patch Olympics

Callie Grace had her Peanut Patch Olympics at school this week. Pretty much it is just something they do for fun to compete in events to win ribbons. This year though, instead of individual or small group events, the groups were bigger. Callie didn't bring home any certificates, but she had fun and that is all that matters. This event goes way back here. I remember it as a kid and it was so exciting!! So glad that she is in a school that carries on traditions.

This is Callie and her best friend Maddie. These two went to the same sitter from age 3 until school and the only year they have not been in the same classroom is Kindergarten. I hope they can be best friends forever!!!! It is so cute to watch them.

Callie, I can not believe how much you have grown! The last 9 years have gone by so so fast! You are such a sweet girl. Right now you are in tumbling class in Greenwood and love it. You are playing softball and playing my old position, 2nd base. Your Nanna is giving you piano lessons and you love it!! I think you are pretty talented =) We love you Gracie!!

Just some sweetness

As you can see, this is some pretty serious stuff. Cale and Ellie are in deep concentration while helping Pa with the yard work! They sure love their Pa. Especially when he gives rides on the lawnmower. AKA--the "tractor"

These are some sweet times!

I'm not sure how I missed getting a picture of me with my babies on Mother's Day but I did. Thankfully, I have lots of sweet pics of the things I got that day though!! This below, is the card that was stuck in a plant from Callie. They did these at school. I love it!

I also got these sweet homemade cards...can't beat this kind!!

I just think this is so sweet. For the past two school years, Callie has written a sweet note to her teachers on each Friday's Spelling test. Both years her teachers have left her a note while grading the test! So precious, sweet and innocent!!!

Here within the last few weeks Cade has been "sounding out" words and writing his own thoughts down. Although I very rarely allow my children to watch this show this is what Cade wrote down before bed Saturday night!

It says: I will watch Sponge Bob Square Pants in the morning!! =)

Baby Names!

Well, our babies names are.....

Callie Grace..we honestly just found this name going through the baby name book. At the time it was not a common name, it sounded very girly and a little southern!

Cade Cambryn- my husband picked out this name long before we had children. I believe it was in 1996...there was a college football player by this name and he just really liked it. He also said it was a good "sports" name. Not sure about that part...guess that is a guy thing! His middle name does have some family namesake. CAMBRY was my cousins baby. She was diagnosed with cancer at 3 months old (while I was pregnant with Cade) and she only made it through one round of chemo before she passed away at 4 months old. This was so devastating. I know many people have had to go through the loss of a child. My mind can not even wrap around the feeling of that. We miss Cambry everyday. My husband and I found out that we were having a boy very close to the time of Cam passing and we wanted to honor her. So we asked my cousin and his wife if it would be ok and they were so happy. So hence the middle name Cambryn!

Ellie Maggie- where to start. As you can tell we have now left the "C" thing behind. We just could not find the "right" name for this sweet baby girl. I loved Ellie and hubby agreed so that is where it came from. Callie cried and cried when we told her we were naming her sister Ellie. When we asked why she said she wanted to name her Maggie. We couldn't turn her down so made that the middle name. We originally were going to call her "Ellie Maggie." Many of us do...but, she has a bunch of names (and doesn't seem confused) Ell, Ellie, Ellie Maggie, Maggie, Mags, Maggie Moo..She always says "my daddy calls me Maggie Moo!"

Baby #4, and our last is Cale Aaron..yep, we went back to the C name. We loved Cale because it was similar to his big brother and not a common name. Aaron is my husband and his father's middle name.

If, and it's not possible, we were to have another boy..............I love the name CAYSON!!! Different and a C name!

Check this out!

Go see the awesome giveaway Jenna is having right now!! I have been admiring these shirts for quite a while now! She will be giving away 5 shirts from www.ifyousaysew.com !!!

Fun times!!

Friday was the annual book parade at school. This is Cade's first year and Callie's last year to participate. It seems like yesterday I was helping Callie get ready for her first. Time flies!! Here are some pictures of the kids!

This is Callie's outfit..I cut out all the letters of the alphabet and taped them on her shirt..maybe it's not very creative but I thought it worked out just fine!!! This was a favorite of Callie's when she was younger. I still remember reading it to her! Chicka chicka boom boom, will there be enough room...........time flies!!!

Here she is walking in the parade with her book!!!

This is Cade's....he wanted to be Biscuit and we had this mask from a Christmas play he was in at my Grandparent's church. He also had a shirt and pants that went with it to complete the puppy dog look, but it was too hot to wear today. It was in the upper 80's today! I thought he looked cute!

Here he is!!!! Cade's first book parade!



And speaking of puppy dogs...check this out. This is Ellie and her dog that she named "Paws!" I thought it was pretty creative!! She also thought he needed to wear something....................check out Paws! She was so proud of herself!!

And one more thing........look what Cade has learned to do over the last few days! We are so excited!!!!!!!

He says "Hey, watch me ride my two wheel bike!" So cute!

How lucky we are to get to see all these sweet things our babies are learning to do. Each day brings something fun and new!!

No pictures of Cale this week. He has been so sick..on day 10 of his antibiotics for strep throat, he began running fever again. I took him back to the Dr. and he now has an ear infection. He now has a new antibiotic to take for 10 more days. Poor thing!