Planes, Trains and Automobiles

As I was cleaning up one day, my mind was racing as always-what's for dinner, grab gymnastics clothes, get snacks, get the clothes out of the dryer (my checklist in my head because mama doesn't write down what she should!). It was one of those hurried, frenzy kind of days! What day isn't with 3 little ones?! Something caught my eye...I completely stopped in my tracks. It was one of those take time to smell the roses kind of moments. As I was picking up toys, I noticed that there were cars EVERYWHERE! They were in every room downstairs and in every sort of nook and craney! I couldn't help but smile and get a little sentimental. Daddy and I never imagined that we would be able to pick up cars and tractors. The first year of your life I was still in disbelief at our sweet, complete family. You were the missing piece! Although Olivia is as rough and tough as they come, she's still not a boy. There's just something different! I never thought I would be so in love with cars! You definitely hold my heart in your tiny, dirty hands!

XOXO, Mama

Tractor!

This Saturday, while daddy was at the Georgia football game, we went to the Cotton Gin Festival in Bostwick, GA. Nana was not too excited because it was FREEZING! It was the first really cold day of the year so we weren't quite used to it yet. I wanted to be there at 10:30 because that is when the tractor parade started (I didn't want Lane to miss it!) I quickly learned that the parade is an hour long! Although we got there a little late, there were still tractors to be seen. There were green tractors, red tractors, orange tractors even a PINK tractor! We saw old and new tractors and big and small tractors! Lane your sweet face was so priceless to watch. It's so neat to get to experience "boy"things. I mean, Olivia wanted to do boy things but we never pursued too many "boy" activities. After the parade, we walked through the vendors and made our way over to the parked tractors. Lane you had so much fun pretending to drive. We had so much fun that I decided Gandy should drive the tractor in the parade next year!

XOXO, Mama

I thought the pink tractor was pretty neat considering it was Breast Cancer Awareness month.

long line of tractors

You 3 convinced Nana to get you homemade lollipops!  Lane and Olivia got the tractor and Hallie Beth got a flip flop.

The trees were gorgeous!

Lane, you decided to test drive a few.

Tricked and Treated...OUT!

Another year another fun-filled Halloween! This fall has been quite busy with many field trips, festivals, and everyday happenings! I still look at you 3 every minute of everyday in amazement at how different y'all are! It sure makes life interesting! While decorating for fall, I was pulling out all the Halloween pictures over the years and the costumes y'all choose tell it all. I suggested a Wizard of Oz theme for you 3 and y'all quickly jumped on board! I only got one picture of all of you, but it's still a cute one!

We went on our annual trick or treat adventure in Reynolds Landing. We like to load up in the back of pickup trucks pulling trailers full of hay. This year we forgot a trailer...oops! I've had a hard time getting my act together this school year. Just trying to keep our daily lives in check is a chore. Anyway, we had a great time with our sweet friends, The O'Neals. We love this sweet family. Daddy and Mr. Pete grew up down the road from each other so I know they enjoy raising their kids together. I do anyway! On our ride we had a few tears but mostly laughs! Hallie Beth you remembered the houses that were scary from last year. You made daddy carry you. The fog machines were another tear jerker. Don't ask me why! As soon as you saw smoke you had a death grip on daddy! You should've been a scaredy cat! Lane after the first house you got your groove. Once you saw you got candy, you had a blast. Nobody could carry your trick-or-treat bag but you! On the ride from house to house you got to sample everything!  Olivia, what can I say?  Youare at the age where you led the way.  What a fun night!

XOXO, Mama

The Rhodes and the O'Neals-Ya'll love playing together!

Lane, you figured it out after the first house!  You grabbed daddy to hurry to the next house.

Two peas in a pod.



Hallie Beth, Dylan, and Ike at their school character parade.



Lane, A.K.A. Scarecrow, had to jump in the picture.



How sweet!

Olivia and her sidekick.  You love showing him off.

Fall Break

We actually got away this year for fall break! Yeah! We got to go with some sweet friends Bob, Joy, Kenzie, and Maddie Dykes. Double yeah!! We never get away with friends so this was a super fun opportunity to take a beach trip for the moms and kids and golf trip for the boys. So we thought. We got down there on a Thursday and went shopping at the outlets. On vacation and Christmas are the only times I don't have to beg your father to go shopping. Sometimes he goes crazier than me! It was a beautiful day, so our weather reports of rain began to look better! We started to feel a little optimistic about the weather. Well we got about 3 fun-filled hours of the beach in before the tropical depression hit! Crazy! Most of the trip we sat inside in our pj's. We took you guys to the indoor pool and y'all had a blast! You didn't miss a beat! In your precious eyes, y'all were on vacation, and you were not gonna let the rain bring you down. I guess looking back it taught me a lesson. As adults, we seem to find the negative in so many situations. We've had a few more tumbles in life. Y'all haven't felt the wrath of no's, the slap of defeat, and the hurt of neglect to the extent of an adult. The impossible is still possible. This positive life-living is something we haven't been experiencing much of lately.

Time for mommy to be positive for a bit. We had a great time relaxing with friends. Daddy got to play golf on one of the most beautiful courses ever. Playing with you guys on the beach is always amazing! Hallie Beth you have a ball searching for shells and digging in the sand, just like me. Of course you don't get too dirty! (just like me!) Lane you're still discovering your surroundings. A little unsure about what things are and what you like the best are still a mystery. Olivia, you could live at the beach. You spend so much time in the water jumping waves, diving, flipping, splashing...I love watching you so free and happy! Being outside is definitely your happy place. It doesn't matter where as long as it is outside. I wish daddy could have spent a little time with us!

Lane, you were not in the mood.  I think the wind was making you mad...or scared.

The biggest waves I've ever seen!



My little fish!



Sundays at Nana and Papa Coach's

Getting ready for church I asked daddy if he wanted to play golf with Papa Coach today. I knew good and well the answer would be yes. Well it was! The boys played golf and we stayed with Nana. I knew my work was cut out for me. Olivia you had to finish reading a book and practice regrouping (subtraction). To avoid a fight, I let Nana help you. Nana is a special angel in our lives. Without her mama would be a little cooky! Something about grandmothers having patience...well my mother just makes the best out of every situation! (I did not get this fabulous trait from her!) Olivia, you read just a tad but mastered the math! It was such a beautiful day that we were painting and riding plasma cars. Carolyn, Mary Cate, and Davis Strickland came to enjoy the fun! They brought their Power Wheels 4 wheeler...Lane I wish I had a camera to capture the expression on your face! Priceless!

                                Lane, this is Uncle Bo's old Tonka truck. Nana keeps everything!

Hallie Beth, you were just chosen as the star student! We were working on your poster.

Hallie Beth, you're not much of a dare devil, but you try to tag along and make sure everyone is safe!

I love my 3 monkeys and our sweet Sundays as a family!

Xoxo, Mama

Feed Your Brain Everyday

Recently, mama had a sweet friend move back to her home state of Kentucky.  Olivia and Hallie Beth, ya'll may remember Miss Laura.  Anyway, Laura and Mr. Kevin were sweet friends of ours who we miss dearly.  In fact she's the one who got me into blogging.  While reading her latest entry, I fell in love with a link she posted.  The concept of the post was so eye opening to me.  It was  telling one how to feed your brain everyday.  Wow!  Do we do enough of this?  No.  Right now ya'll are so inquisitive of the world.  You're filling your little brains with as much new knowledge as possible, but somewhere amongst all that growing and learning it stops.  It did for me anyway.  Other things took presidence.  As a teacher, my goal is to always be a lifelong learner.  This is so hard to follow when you become a mommy.  I'm not blaming you guys, but the every day, on the go, gives a mommy no time to herself!  Off subject..... My little message today is to NEVER stop learning!  There will always be something out there that you don't know.  The world is constantly evolving.  I know this is so self-explanatory, but sometimes we need to be reminded of the little things.  Here's a link with new "food" for your brain everyday. No excuses!

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

xoxo, Mama

Olivia...cont.

After reading my previous post and looking at some old pictures made me think of something I want you to never forget.  SHOES!!!!  Olivia, I don't know how you do it, but you can't make it past a month in a pair of brand new tennis shoes!  The tongue is ripped out, the toe is torn off, the bottom is worn down, the sides are missing pieces, the laces are unravelling, or they look just plain pitiful!  Daddy and I can't for the life of us figure out how you do it?!  You just go hard and play harder. 

These shoes are made for walkin'!

XOXO,   Mama