Busy weekend

Friday I worked late but came home to find Betsy teaching Ella how to eat big girl food. Of course Ben was involved a bit in the process, but Ella was intrigued by Betsy's spooning skills. We loaded up the girls and headed to Belton to get some documents from the courthouse, renew my car registration, have barbeque at Ben's favorite place AND go watch some lady Tiger softball! I got to visit with my friend Amy who I don't see nearly enough and Ben played with Betsy on the tennis courts. She really loves throwing, catching and hitting. Ella napped in the infant carrier for most of the game.




Saturday morning I worked for a few hours but made it home around lunch time. When I returned home from work Ben and JD were getting ready for a golf tournament. They didn't play great but I'm told they were the best dressed gents there...


I kept nephew Hudson for a couple hours and it's so funny how he and Ella are in the same developmental stages. It's like having twins. They are going to be best friends pretty soon. Betsy and William are best friends and I never tire of seeing them run to hug each other when they see each other at daycare or when it's time to head home. The two little ones are both teething and it went pretty well. Ella happily swinging while Hudson needed some attention, and Hudson in the bouncer when Ella needed a bottle. Sweet Betsy entertained herself in the playroom which was wonderful.




Sunday we went to the contemporary church service then out for lunch. It was Palm Sunday and Ben really prefers the traditional service but we wanted to try the contemporary (my preference). Bets was in the nursery where she saw one of her old teachers who made all over her. Ms. Darla said Betsy was great. Ella was great at church, but I used the cry room for a while to change her diaper and rock her to try to get her to burp post bottle. I love the cry room, it has speakers so I could still hear the sermon, it has rocking gliders, and a nice changing facility.

After church we headed home, the girls took a nap (so did I!) and Ben went grocery shopping. When he got back we decided to *finally* go take Bluebonnet pictures. I had been talking about this for weeks and I waited too long because when we headed out to find the blubonnets they mostly had been cut down *cry!* Since I had the girls dressed we headed to the park by our house and let Bets swing, slide and climb for a while. It was fun taking some 'action shots' of the big sister. We headed home and I took a few pictures of the girls on the back porch swing.

Ella Stats!

Ben is at the doctor for Ella's 4 month appointment and shots. The big girl is 24 inches long and 14 lbs even. Sister Betsy was 24.5 inches and 13.5 pounds at 4 months so the girls are pretty similar in size!



Here's a picture of sweet Hudson and Ella being best friends and grandparent's house yesterday!

Ella Coy

This little angel got baptised on Sunday. I have many more pictures and lots of details that I'll blog later tonight, but I couldn't wait another minute to share this sweet picture :)

Super fun weekend ahead!

I have so much to look forward to this weekend!

After work I'm picking up Ella, and we're going to lunch with a dear friend I haven't seen in AGES! I'm so happy about this. Then I'm picking up some baking supplies, and Big Sister Betsy and heading home. Tonight SIL Mary and Nephew Will are coming over and we're going to do some baking for this baptism brunch! We need to wrap up the cake pops, and make the cupcakes. I'm also going to do a makeover on Mary, and I think this will be SO fun.

Tomorrow morning...we'll do a quick house cleaning (it's in pretty good shape) and Betsy MUST have a nap because around lunch time cousins Jonathan and Christi are coming to town with baby Abby! Betsy and Abby are partners in crime. We're going out for lunch (because Christi loves Texas Roadhouse and doesn't have one close by in her area) then we'll bring the kiddos home to play. That night we're going over to my MIL Jane's house for Lasagna (my favorite...SO GOOD!) and we'll see Grandma Butler!

Sunday morning Ella and Nephew Hudson are getting baptised at the 10:30 church service. Afterwards we're having a lunch reception at Pluckers Wing Bar where SIL Tiffany works as the catering manager. There will be wings, tenders, macaroni, cupcakes and kids everywhere. How can that not turn out fun?

I feel so blessed we have all these family and friends who are close by, and who are making the trip to see us this weekend. I'm praying for their safe travels.

Love my girls

I enjoy working. I enjoy the adult interaction, and my coworkers, and the paycheck that comes from my job. But I do miss my girls when I'm away from them.

Today I started thinking about Betsy and I close my eyes and I think about how soft her skin is when I give her a kiss on the cheek (all the time), and how she smells like Betsy, a combination of strawberry suave kids shampoo and goldfish crackers, and how her hair is so fine it doesn't lay down when brushed. Betsy's new favorite thing to do is find all the candle's in the house I've lit (cannle) and ask to blow them out. "Betsy blow out cannle now." She counts to three, blows out the candle, then claps for herself. She thinks she's the boss in the house, telling us what to do (Put make up on, Mommy) (Bem! Feed Ella! Ella hungwee! She cwying!). Betsy is tough! Our neighbor who works at the church says Betsy knows how to stand up for herself. I don't get a fuss when I drop her off in the morning, and I love that she loves to be there. But when she's tired, or when she gets a 'hurt' she climbs right in our laps, and attaches to us. She squeezes us and we squeeze her right back!

And I think of Ella and how she is so good and quiet until she gets hungry, and then you'd better find a bottle pronto. She gets the biggest smile when she first sees me after work. I think about what it feels like to hold Ella and how some days I feel like she's gained a pound from when I leave her in the morning and when I see her at night. Ella's hair doesn't stand straight up anymore. Ella sleeps mostly in her own bed now, but sometimes if she wakes up cold I'll bring her in my bed and let her sleep on my chest and she squirms until she finds the nook in my shoulder where she likes to put her face. And I feel her mouth move like she's drinking a bottle in her sleep.

I am so, so blessed that God gave me these girls, and their father.