a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet?

I love roses! I always have. I think I get it from my mother and grandmother who also love roses. My grandmother has the most beautiful roses at her house. She has since passed away and my mom and I are keeping up the grooming of her roses. My mom and I both agree that this year they are the most beautiful they have ever been. Last time we were over there Ellie was smelling all the blooms and my mom picked one and gave it to Ellie to take home. It's in a vase on our windowsill. Maybe Ellie will love roses when she grows up too?

One of my grandmother's GORGEOUS rose bushes!

The bloom I get to look at everytime I go into my kitchen:

Giddy Up!

Okay, only have a few mins to post this....but I wanted to share how cute Rett looked this morning when I got him ready for Rodeo Days at his preschool.

Arboreteum

A few pics from the Arboreteum today. It was "tiny tots" Tuesdays so they had lots of activites geared towards preschoolers. Rett got his face painted shortly after we arrived so it kinda ruined my chances of any good springtime pictures of the kids...but there was NO LINE for face painting...so how could we pass that up?

Double Batman's-Collin and Rett



Throwing our pennies in the fountain and making a wish!

Play Ball!!!

Rett had his first T-ball game today and he did AMAZING considering he is only three years old and is playing on a team with four and five year olds. He hit the ball way into the outfield everytime he was up to bat and sprinted around the bases! He also played catcher today and did a pretty good job at that too. :) Baseball really is HIS sport. He loves watching it, playing it, and talking about it. He can tell a whopper of a story where he "hits a home run and slides into home". Which he also did today (slide into home)....just wish I had been able to get a picture of it.
Short video:


Ellie, just before we left for the game



Rett's very first up-to-bat

A BIG HIT

Running Home:

The catcher


Ellie watching Rett

The two Ellie's watching their big brothers

Good game, good game

Jones/Auden Wedding

Friday night Troy and I went to Katelin and Phillip's wedding at Winfrey Point. The setting was beautiful....overlooking WR Lake. The bride and groom were married at sunset during a beautiful ceremony. THEN, the party began. Let me tell you, a par-tay it was!!!....it is not fun going to a wedding 6 months pregnant, wearing super-uncomfortable heels, and watching people drink till they are silly.
After snapping a few pics, and bee-lining it for the dickey's BBQ buffet line I couldn't stand my shoes any longer....so I made a quick trip home and switched to flats. An excellent choice.
The pics:
I took this as Katelin was walking down the isle and I love the expression on her face!

One of my oldest and best-est friends, Shanna, and her boyfriend, Dillion.

SarahLyn and Lauren

SarahLyn, Lauren and I

SarahLyn and I

Lovin' the Lake

Last weekend we spent the weekend at the lakehouse with my parents, sister, brother and his girlfriend, Lauren. It makes me yearn for summertime!
A few of our activities:

Rett went fishing with Daddy and Mason:






Rett and Ellie and Bodie waded in the water....it was COLD..but they didn't mind:







We walked to the community playground:



And we played with Bubbles :)

Top of the mornin' to ya!

Today Wendy had us over for a St. Patricks Day celebration. It was SO.MUCH.FUN! In perfect Wendy style, she really got into the theme of St. Patricks day! After a "green" lunch, our little leprechauns played a game where they followed the rainbow to find a treasure...a pot of gold! They also planted four leaf clovers and ate rainbow cupcakes! The weather was beautiful and the kids played quite nicely together. I am so lucky to have such a great group of mommy friends.



The Little Leprechauns:


Following the rainbow:


Yummy HOMEMADE rainbow cupcakes: