Gulf Shores!

Our first family picture of the year...lots of squinty eyes :)...during a beautiful morning in Gulf Shores!

It's hard to believe that our trip to Gulf Shores is over and done...all 15 days of it...especially when I look back to these pictures before we left!  I did go get a pedicure beforehand (and decided to take Liv with me for a little outing with her - as it's never just me and her)...we had a lot of fun :).  She, of course, picked out pink sparkly nail polish...and had to go to the bathroom in the middle of it all...haha.

And after the pedicure, we hit up Kroger for some last minute groceries...she had a blast with this little cart :)... 

Because we were going to be gone during Easter, we did a little egg decorating before we left...

Here's the Herman cousin crew we spent the first week with :)...

The girls on Easter morning...

For Easter, we had church with family at the pool and then a large Easter egg hunt for the kids...

 The rest of Easter morning was spent on the beach :)...

Emma was exhausted that morning to say the least!  Even a snack couldn't keep her awake on the way back to the house :).

Liv's favorite thing about Gulf Shores...finding shells :).  It just fed that inner desire in her to collect little tiny things, put them in bags, and carry them around with her for days.  Silly girl.

And Emma's favorite thing?  Playing on the beach and in the sand.  She still ate sand this year (I thought for sure she would have outgrown that at 21 months) :(.  But she just loved playing with it in shovels, pails, and or just running around on it!  Here she is doing "cartwheels"...trying to keep up with her big cousins :).

This photo was taken by Great Aunt Rachel...such an Emma face :)...

She also started talking a TON on this trip...to the point that one afternoon Livie commented, "Mom, Emma can talk!".  

Other funny thing about Emma that first week was she took quite a liking to the boys - Drake and Neiko.  If those boys were close by, she was right with them...loving their energy, drama :), and orneriness!  

One night some of us were sitting in the family room and we kept hearing something that sounded like rocks being thrown somewhere.  After a couple minutes I got up to see what was going on, and the three of them had found charcoal briskets from the porch and were pelting them into the kitchen from an outside door!  The smiles on their faces says it all...:).

Two of the days it rained that week :(...but we tried to make the most of it.  

One of those days, Livie went with the big kids and Grandpa and Grandma to see a 3D movie.  At the beginning she said real loud, "Grandma, why is the movie coming at me??". :)

Week two was just as eventful as week one...and we had a whole new crew to spend it with.  Here's the kids we spent the next week with!  Aka, the Posse.  All of the pics that are not "antiqued" are compliments of the Esterlings...thanks guys :).  

Digging a big hole on the beach with the dads :)...

I love this shot of Adalai :)...such a girly girl...

Everyday that week was perfect weather...so in an effort to stay out of the sun a little we hit the zoo one morning...

 Livie's favorite thing at the zoo?  Feeding the goats, sheep, donkeys.  She couldn't get enough of it...

 And Emma's favorite...the 50 cent merry-go-round :).

That second week we had a few more melt-downs from this one :(.  Not sure if it was teeth?  Or too much sun?  Or too much fun?

Morning walks on the beach...

Guys morning out...

Running from the waves...

Toddler races on the beach...

Even Emma took part!  Classic Emma running...with face down :) and arms going full speed...

Boogie boarding the last day...

We had a GREAT trip.  It was busy for sure, but the kids had a blast, we got to be with some of our favorite people, and we got a nice break from Illinois weather and our daily routine...  It was hard to say goodbye.

But getting home was nice too :).  Our beds never felt so good!!

This past week at home hasn't been the best week in the books.  The girls have been sick all week :(...fevers, coughs, runny noses.  Emma has been constantly saying, "Hold you mom, hold you!!".  Very clingy.  And with this 28 week pregnant body...well, holding her isn't getting any easier :(.  And the record rainfalls have kept Chad extra busy at work.

BUT...we'll take it.  One day at a time :).

training

Not long ago, I read a post on feminagirls.com...a blog I read frequently :).  It was on Proverbs 22:6, 

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Great read for me...and hope it is for anyone else out there who is training up their kids for Christ!  Check it out:  http://www.feminagirls.com/2013/03/12/march-11-proverbs-226/#more-5286

So, I'm going to kind of be cheesy and stay on the "training" theme because I'm like that ;)...and it seems like a theme in our lives the past few weeks.  

Livie finished swim lessons with Adalai not too long ago...they LOVED doing them together.  After 8 lessons, can they swim on their own??  Haha...no!  But they are REALLY comfortable in the water now and ready for our big vacation to Gulf Shores coming up in just 2 weeks!!!  

Chad has started some training too in the past 3 weeks.  It's called Creo-fit.  But I like to call it "healthy lifestyle training" :).  Along with his two brothers, mom, and dad, he's started meeting with a personal trainer 3 days a week.  And this guy is hard core.  He has them on a strict detox diet (for now) and has them do some crazy workouts 3 days a week.  

The first week was kinda scary.  Chad came home from the workouts and had to just lie down :(.  The first day Livie was a pretty concerned when he came home and said, "What's wrong Daddy???".  And the girls immediately just came and gave him hugs.  They can be pretty sweet :).  

He's been kinda sick through it all :(...but he's seeing some good results too :).  And we're all trying to eat healthier with him.  Emma, in particular, loves his smoothies :)...

And there's nothing wrong with a good ol' banana!  We go through a lot of them in 1 week :).

Emma was showing some interest in the potty, so we did try a morning with "big girl" pants on.  After 5 accidents, one of them a large #2 on the floor, I decided that we'll wait a little longer to make this a reality for her ;).  Turns out, she's a lot like Livie was...could care LESS about pee running down her leg, or wet panties, or the fact that there's rewards for going IN the potty!  Silly girl.  She was pretty cute though in those big girl pants :).

Other news on this home front?  We've been busy!  Some babysitting, playdates galore, and lots of errands have filled our schedule to make days like today (where we didn't leave the house or have anything planned) a nice break!  

The girls have loved being with other kids though...especially when the kids are as cute and little as cousin Crosby :).  

 Or as fun and busy as Neiko!! :)

We are so ready for vacation though.  And when we return, we'll only have 3 months until we meet our  baby girl!  Time is flying by...