Long overdue...

the past weeks have been pretty busy (between sick, cooped-up children, and getting ready to start one of my busiest months of each year), it has been hard to take the time to sit down and put together an update. i will say that i have been able to update a journey in the meantime as well.

i have a few minutes right now because i am waiting for piper to get back from some errands so i can go and get some tools from the church. my new project is fencing in our backyard (actually just putting one length of fence from each back corner of the house to the line where our underground fence is buried). this will allow us to keep the dogs in the backyard long enough for our front yard to recover. we love them, but they have certainly done a number on the front yard.

while there haven't been any real milestones in the past couple of weeks, i can say that we are all doing well. i think my being able to boast about going all winter without getting even a cold is about to come to and end...i kind of feel like i am writing this from somewhere near the bottom of a well; not enjoyable. a cold is certainly better than the flu though and i am thankful for having escaped without having to fight that fight.

we have seen some more spring-like weather this week and that has allowed us to be outside which we all LOVE. our new thursday afternoon ritual looks like it is shaping up to be this: gresham and i heading out to valle crucis park (if you are in the high country w/ your family and want to spend an afternoon at one of the most beautiful parks in the world, please make it a point to visit) to do a little fishing before piper and the rest of the kids come out (we usually include friends and/or family in this new tradition) to cookout and enjoy a spring evening in the high country. i'm trying to land some pictures from adam from our most recent trip out there and gresham's fish caught from the pond.

speaking of playing...some college friends of ours, chelsea and kelsey (who keep the boys at church on sunday mornings, sunday nights, and wednesday mornings-we're over there a good bit), bought gresham one of the greatest play-things we have ever seen. we refer to it as the 'jumpy-thing.' it is essentially a blow-up raft on steroids and the boys love it. i will say that it was a bear to inflate and it takes up most of bailey's room (we put it in there because she doesn't really 'use' her room right now), but it is so worth having...hours of entertainment! it is so fun watching the boys turn into 'buddies.' on the mornings that gresham goes to preschool while brayden stays home, piper says brayden goes to the door every 30 minutes or so, shrugs his shoulders and asks, 'where gresham?' pals.

on the bailey front, she continues to be such a delight. her brothers absolutely adore

her (of course, she isn't really a 'threat' to their stuff or their space yet). she is such a happy baby, and is always smiling and laughing. we are certainly blessed by her. and speaking of blessed, we were blessed recently by our friend jennifer perry (JT) who just sent us two very amazing little outfits for ms. bailey. she made them, by the way. what a gift. thank you jt. we'll put some pictures up soon of bailey modeling her new digs.

if you think about, pray for us in this month of may. work for me in may is crazy as we move from one end-of-the-year thing to another (all while trying to wrap of the school year and get ready for summer).