Fall Days

Livy is loving Wee School this year. 

She has really come out of her shell since starting school and I'm very proud of her.  I'm thankful she loves it and I think going to school next year will be an easy transition for her(and me)!

I'm trying to savor every moment with her before baby brother arrives.  In a little over three months, he will be here and our household will change drastically. Is going from 1 to 2 kids hard? I've heard different opinions. 

Livy seems ready for him to arrive.  Mommy and Daddy are frantically trying to prepare for his arrival.  Gotta get that nursery done and our insurance straightened out. 

 INSURANCE!! Ick. We've had the worst time with our insurance this pregnancy. I'm praying the Lord has control over it from this point on.

Livy had her first field trip this past week. A trip to the pumpkin patch with her class.  She had a lot of fun and I loved seeing her with her classmates.  Thankful for this school and all the activities she's involved in. Fun year for Miss Olivia.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Livy's first day of school

Livy turns 4 next month. We decided to enroll her in a wee school 2 days a week this school year. She's been excited all summer for school.


I was very apprehensive how the first day would go. She's very shy and gets scared of new people and places. I've covered her in prayer for this school year.


Her first day couldn't have gone better. She waltzed right in...gave me a kiss and said " I love you mama, bye!" I stood there in shock then exited the school.


I was crying because I was so sad she was in school, but also crying tears of joy because she was so brave.
She LOVED her first day of school. She loves her teacher. I'm excited for a great school year for her.
Good luck to all you mommies who send your babies off to school this year!:)

Nutshell summer

Why hello long lost friends...
A lot has happened this summer. So here it is in a big nut shell;)
We're having a baby at the end of January. Looks to be a boy! Pregnancy is going great and Livy can't wait to be a big sister. She never fails to tell me that my belly is getting bigger EVERY day. Currently 16 weeks and feeling all kinds of flutters.




Livy completed level one on swimming lessons. She jumps off diving board and swims in DEEP water like a pro. So thankful she can swim well (being we have a pool in our back yard).




We visited my parents this summer. Nanny Bea spent the whole week with us too. It was one of my favorite weeks this summer.




Went to Branson with my sister and all the kiddos. Our last hoorah before Jennie started nursing school this fall.












We also celebrated lots of birthdays with family this summer. 3 nieces and 2 nephews! Oh, and I gained a new nephew in July. London Stokes.




We are nearing the end of summer. Sad to see it go but this pregnant mama is ready for fall:)
Livy starts wee school on Tuesday and she can't wait. I hope I'm as excited as her come Tuesday morning as I drop her off. :-/
I will be back people. I have a lot to document these next several months,

Kickin' off April

Several years ago, the Stokes' boys started a tradition. Wake boarding at the lake on April 1. No matter if it was raining, snowing, or the sun shining.

Turns out, Sunday was a gorgeous day for the lake and it happened to be April 1. We loaded up after church and headed to the lake.

We threw the girls on the tube and Livy was hysterical. That made Tatum nervous as well(even though Tatum was not scared at all). We finally pulled my screaming child off the tube and all was well on the boat again:)

After we pulled her off. Lol

Marcia and I went out for a spin.

Cuties in their swim suits

Livy and I had Ellie all day yesterday. We had so much fun with her. I was curious to see how Livy would be with her. She's interested in babies, but I didn't know how she would react to her at our house all day. She's a handy little helper and Ellie is one of the easiest babies I have ever watched.

Getting some snuggles in before naptime.

April has just begun and it has been crammed packed full of fun.

Bedroom Re-Do

We remodeled/added on to our home over a year ago.  We added on a master bedroom and bath.  It's a large space(basically because we had a tiny bedroom for 3 years).  We needed space, people! ;)
I had specific ideas for color schemes and decor.  I wanted grays and blacks. When we painted it, I was a little disappointed how light the gray went on.  I, however, did not have the heart to tell my husband I wasn't thriled with the color. 

However....

My bathroom turned out great.  I had blacks, grays, and some reds.  I was very happy with how it turned out. 

The rest of my house is done in different shades of blue(inspiration from my mama's house). I fell in LOVE with it.  Never thought I was a "blue" girl, but I love every room in my house.  Paint makes a big difference to me. There's something peaceful about soft blues:)

So, a year later, I start becoming brave and telling Derick I wanted to re-do our bedroom. Derick-"Seriously, Katie??? It's only been a year!" But, I had a brilliant idea...my mom and dad came in for spring break and my dad is a PERFECTIONIST! I knew he'd be the perfect man for painting my bedroom. When I asked him if he was willing to help, he graciously accepted. So, I bought a new bedspread(I wanted something simple) and I got all my paint bought.  Last Wednesday, my dad and I painted all day.  It was my favorite day of Spring Break.  I spent the whole day alone with him talking and laughing. 

Thanks dad! You did great.









Now, which room should I tackle next?
Just kidding, maybe!

Nanny Bea turned 80!

We celebrated my Nanny Bea's 80th birthday on Sunday.  She looks FAB for 80, seriously, it's unreal!

She had the sweetest birthday party with her family and friends surrounding her.

My Aunt Brenda made these "B" cookies and my mom made her "BEA" letters.

Mom made these mints.
I can't quit eating these delicious mints.

It was a great birthday party.  I hope I'm as blessed as my Nanny Bea at 80!

Sunny Spring Days(Uh, where did ya go?)

Did anyone else enjoy last week's temperatures? 80's? Yes, please.

 

 Now, we are drowning over here in our neck of the woods with RAIN, RAIN, RAIN. I'm all for rain, but I like my sunshine. Come back please(Especially since it's spring break over here and we have four kiddos to entertain all week).

See, the sunshine agrees with us much better :)