Why, Hello!

Why, hello, lil' ol' blog o' mine. It's nice to see you again! 

We shared some special news on social media last week, *something* that has been top secret for awhile now, and that *something* has been keeping me busy every minute I am not spending soaking up my family, spending time with friends, or completing the to-do's of everyday life. So. My little space here on the internet may be taking a backseat for a little while as we continue to work hard on that *something*. Regardless, I am hoping to keep blogging as much as I can find the time to squeeze it in over the next month or so. And more on that *something* in an upcoming post.
 

So. Because I use this space as a virtual scrapbook of our comings and goings, here's what we've been up to: 

Raleigh: Rals and I clocked in some girl-only time recently when I got to join her for her "Muffins for Mom" celebration at school. So special. 

Speaking of school, today is Raleigh's last day in the 3's class! Next year, she will rule the school in the 4's class and will be attending five mornings a week (while Harrison will begin his first year of preschool, spending two mornings a week with the 2's). We will celebrate a fantastic preschool year tomorrow, as we cheer her on in her music program.

Raleigh was able to sneak in some fun, girly cousin time with Addy, who, along with her parents, stayed with us for a night before jetting off to the Bahamas the following day.

And, saving the best for last: RALEIGH'S FIRST DANCE RECITAL. Oh y'all. It's hard to even begin to describe the pride and joy I felt watching my girl perform on the stage. I grew up being trained at a nationally renowned studio, Southern Strutt, spending most of my childhood performing at competitions and attending conventions all over the country. So, it was a dream come true when Rals expressed an interest in dance. Last night was her first ever dance recital, where she performed in dance and ballet numbers on a big stage with a big audience. Y'all? She was just awesome! Shy and sweet but so proud of herself. <3 Her daddy, big brother, and both sets of grandparents were in attendance to cheer on our girl, and we all loved every solitary minute. Way to go, tiny dancer!

Banks: A few weeks ago, Banks had his last flag football game, closing out an awesome season with a fantastic head coach (shout out to Coach P!) and a pretty handsome assistant coach. :) It was just so fun to see Banks in his element. He loves football like no other, often choosing to watch old football games rather than cartoons on Saturday mornings. :) 

Banks has now lost two teeth! And he has a loose one on top! Unfortunately, the tooth fairy was off her game and wasn't able to make it to our home the night he lost his second tooth (seriously, fairy?! You had ONE job). Fortunately, she made up for her absence by leaving a tooth-shaped apology and explanation note and extra coin for our toothless wonder. Let's hope she does a better job with Tooth #3. ;)

And finally, the end is near! Banks has just over one week of kindergarten left, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't ECSTATIC to have so much time with my oldest buddy this summer. I have missed him so much this year! We sure are proud of our awesome student-but more on that next week!

Harrison: Oh, sweet, joyful Harrison. My hub and I regularly say that "he's just happy to be here." Such a (mostly) happy-go-lucky little guy, one who is full of life, who loves his sleep, who adores his family. Now, that's not to say he doesn't have his "moments." This boy is stubborn and headstrong, and loves to shout, "NO!" when he doesn't feel like complying with our requests. Oh, Harrison. 

Our littlest fella also managed to get his first black eye last week when he got the bad end of the deal when closing the dishwasher door. Ouch! Luckily, he was quickly distracted by FaceTiming with his new cousin, Finn, who saved the day. Thanks, Finn!

He also had a good ol' time helping Momma complete errands and joining his big sibs and Daddy on a trip to explore the woods. :)

Momma and Daddy: As for us old fogeys? Outside of spending lots of fun family time with our kiddos (man, do we love beautiful Spring evenings outside!), we have been able to get in some fun times with dear friends, too. This included a Derby party last weekend (so fun!!), a tshirt party this weekend (think a tshirt version of an Ugly Sweater party. A blast!), and a welcome to summer party next weekend. 

Not to mention, we managed to celebrate Mother's Day with a fun day that included church, BBQ, naps for all five of us (!), and an evening at the pool. 

We also celebrated our Daddy's 36th birthday, which we closed out by having cookies and cream ice cream with M&M's, the birthday boy's request. 

Whew. And that's about it for now. I'll be back soon with a special post... <3