Necklaces

It is hard to tell in this picture, but the kids are modeling their new necklaces that we made. We found some seashells on vacation that had little holes in the top, so that is what is hanging in the center of the necklace. I let them decorate them however they wanted to with my beads, and they had a lot of fun. Rachel made her a bracelet, but as usual lost interest quickly, so she wasn't in the picture.

Disney Princesses on Ice

Noah's friend Asher.
All the Disney couples during the last song
Ariel and Flounder
This was during the finale, the fireworks were really cool, but a little scrary inside a building!

One of our neighbors invited us to attend Disney Princesses on Ice with them last Sunday. Now, I did not want to pay what it cost for me and 3 kids to go, especially since we just got back from vacation, but, I have always wanted to go, and since it is the first time anyone from Little Rock has invited us somewhere, I decided we could go. I really enjoyed it!! I am a fan of ice skating, and I have always loved the Disney movies. I just had my small camera in my purse, the battery was almost dead, and I couldn't get my settings to change to what I wanted, but I got a couple that turned out o.k. My only complaint....I bought the kids these snow cones during intermission, and they were making the BIGGEST mess, and I was so distracted by that, I missed a lot of the second half! I will know better if there is ever a next time!

Kids Easter pics....well sort of

We have not been very regular with attending church lately. It has been a frustrating and overwhelming search for us to find a new church home since we moved. We were on vacation on Easter, and then sick the next week, so this past Sunday was the first chance I have gotten to get the kids dressed up in spring dresses to go to church, and we actually got ready with time to spare, so we ran outside real quick to take a picture. As we were out there, my neighbor (that is Jewish) asked if it were Easter, and I thought a minute, and then said, well, yes for us, it is! So Rachel was all ready for the picture until I said for everyone to put there arms around each other, and then you see the result. Finally after a lot of coaxing, I convinced her to get back in the picture for one.

We were excited when we arrived at the new church we were trying out, b/c coming out of the earlier service was Clay's cousin and wife. We didn't realize they attended there, they used to go to church with us in Monticello before they moved. So, I thought, well, that is a sign that this will be the one, but I am not sure. It was huge, nobody spoke to us, and they had a guest speaker that we didn't care for. So.....I don't know. We have both been praying as we are both ready after living here for 7 months to have a church and attend regularly. It really makes me miss our church in Monticello. I had been so ready for a change, find one with a lot of people our age, but now I really miss the comfort of knowing everyone and them feeling like our family.

Sea World

Sea World....what can I say, was an absolute dream come true for me. I had this crazy obsession with killer whales all through high school and college. A.J....if you are reading this, I am sure you can remember how everything I did in Art class in college had a killer whale in it. I had to dig out all my old art work to show Leah when we got home. I just think they are beautiful animals. It was so peaceful just watching them swim around the tank. The THIRD time we watched the Shamu show, they were in a playful mood and were swimming around and jumping even before the show started.

The kids loved Sea World too. They really did well considering it was a huge place with a ton of people and lots of walking. I did have to CONSTANTLY grab Rachel's hand to get her to keep up with us, she just wanted to do her own thing. Leah was the most excited, and I loved seeing that in her. I was able to see myself in her, and excited to see us share that. Now, the first show, we sat high up b/c we didn't want to get wet with the camera with us....Leah was so dissapointed we didn't get wet. So, we went to the last show before we left, and sat pretty close, well the whales didn't splash as hard then, and we didn't get wet. Boy, she was mad! So, the next day we went back, and I must say, I was really wanting to get splashed by a killer whale too, so we sat really close. This was the time the whales were really showing off so that was really cool to be so close. As soon as we got splashed, Leah started crying b/c she didn't want to be wet!!! That girl, she would do that! Well, we all had a good laugh at her, but she really was unhappy, and complained awhile that she got wet!

So, yes there were other animals there too. I loved seeing them all. I felt like a little kid at the excitement I felt getting to go! We didn't have our camera with us during the dolphin show, but it was really cool too. They had incorporated an acrobat show in with it and the people were turning flips and diving into the water just like the dolphins. It is so amazing to me as I can barely swim!

It amazes me how the trainers swim so well and do all the tricks in the water with the whale.

All of the manitee's at Sea World have been rescued from the ocean after they were injured.
I love that Clay was able to catch a genuine laugh from Leah, that is so rare.

So, we told all the kids to "smile" and Rachel gave her famous look. There were people standing around waiting to walk by and they laughed at her! And, that is of course why she continues to make that face!

The penguins were a blast to watch! They were really noisy, sounded like a bunch of ducks!


This ride was a blast! I felt like a kid again going down that steep hill and getting wet. It was even more fun getting to ride it with Noah, and he had as much fun as me.

Back from Vacation!

These are all seashells on the beach as the tide went out, it was really cool!

Love this picture of us...you can see Rachel and Clay holding the camera in the reflection of his glasses! I also like that I am behind him and I look smaller! LOL The closest anyone will see of my bathing suit!

Wheh! So glad to be home! This apartment never looked better than when we walked in the door from driving for 2 days! I had a blast, and am so glad we went. I just don't sleep well away from home especially in a queen bed when we are used to our huge king bed (I like lots of space when I sleep!) and then a night in a double bed with Noah....he is a horrible sleeper and literally was knocking me out in his sleep!! Rachel was in the bed with Clay, and he said she was just as bad! Leah is the good sleeper, and she was in the floor! On the way home we stayed in a town, don't even know the name, at a brand new Comfort Inn and Suites, and I said, "I must have a king size bed!!" Then I also asked the lady if the room had a bathtub and she looked at me like I was stupid, but the other 2 hotels we were in were handicap rooms with showers, not an easy task with small children!!! There was a fold out couch for the kids, and it was the best night I slept the whole trip!

So, our original plan had been to go to San Antonio, but we realized it was going to be cold and rainy, so changed plans at the last minute and went to Orlando. Now, we are very spur of the moment people, and it wasn't until Thursday morning that we decided to switch locations, and then Clay said, lets just leave tonight at bedtime so the kids will sleep in the car, so we did! Now, switching to Orlando, also meant we would be going to the beach as well, and more days, so I was frantically packing and washing clothes, as Clay was planning the drive on the computer....(which ironically seemed to take just about the time it took me to pack.....Hmmmmm) He did thankfully clean the kitchen before we left so we wouldn't be greeted with a stench when we got home!

So we droved all night, and watched the sun rise as we drove into Atlanta....with over 7 lanes of traffic going one way, it was WILD! A couple of hours after that, Clay was exhausted, so we pulled into a cheap $30 hotel, took a shower and a quick nap, then headed on to Cocoa Beach, FL. We thought we would never get there! By then it was dark, so we didn't get to see the beach until the next morning. I have only seen the real ocean (we've been to the gulf a few times) once, and Clay never, so this was a real treat!! Like a dummy, I sunburned the first day, so that added to the nonsleep factor. We spent 2 days on the beach then drove about an hour to Orlando go to Sea World. That was so much fun, the next day we just packed up and went back to Orlando to go to Sea World again.

The sand there was much darker than the sand on the Gulf, and Noah wollered all in it and looked like he had been playing in the mud! Rachel was my little photo model when we were on the beach, it was hard to get the other 2 to smile. The picture of The Draper's in the sand is the extent of our family photo session on the beach. We got down there ready to do it, as we do every year, and nobody would cooperate, and I just gave up! Then by the next day my sunburn had showed up, and I had begun to swell....(I always swell when I travel, by the time I got home, I had gained 15lbs!!! Luckily it has all come back off now, but I was miserable!) so I did not want my picture taken!

I am really glad we went! We thought that this time of year would be after Spring Break and before Summer, but there were a bunch of people everywhere, even after the Easter weekend was over.

So, I have written so much, I will do a new post later about Sea World. It was my dream, so it deserves a post all in itself!!

On my way to Sea World!

I am so excited to say that we are leaving Saturday to take our family vacation to Sea World. This has been a dream of mine since High School. My very favorite animal in the world is a killer whale, and I can't wait to meet Shamu! I feel like a little kid in the excitement I feel about going!! I can't wait to take pictures, OF COURSE, and share them! As I have already said....I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Noah gets a yellow belt

Noah graduated to the yellow belt a few weeks ago, and I never got around to posting it. It is not as exciting to me as it first was, as I see now that they graduate everyone, no mind the level they are really at. I see kids at belts higher than him that can't do anything. This is all a money thing to them, and I would gladly pull him out, but he doesn't realize that, and tries very hard all the time, and looks foward to Karate class every week. But, if he ever does get to the point where he doesn't try his best, and is graduated to the next belt just so they can collect another $50, then we are moving on. But, he has a great teacher that really seems to enjoy what he is doing, and is great with the kids.

At this graduation, they showed off some of their self defense techniques. It cracks me up to hear them yell "Get back", and then put their fists up, but I am also excited to see him learn that. He has been coming home trying to teach it to Leah too. My sister was visiting from California, and Noah was so proud to have her come watch him!

The Hot Tub and Siblings

So, my #1 rule in the hot tub is no jumping, but I let is slide a little bit to see if I could capture the kids in mid air with my slow mommy cam! I know, I am a hypocryte.....but what can I say...I did it for pictures!

On another note....anyone that has more than one kid, knows all about how they fight! It is always something around here. But, through it all, I just hope and pray that my children remain good friends thoughout their life. As you know, I had my children VERY close together. People ask me if it was planned, and I answer yes, and no. No, I didn't plan to get pregnant with Leah when Noah was only 2 months old, and I fretted the whole time I was pregnant. She was such an easy baby, and a blessing. Rachel was a little more planned in my mind, maybe not Clay's as he was content with the 2, but, he wouldn't have it any other way now. Rachel was born just one month after Noah's 2nd birthday, and Leah was 15 months old. It was tough going for a while with 3 babies in the house...but I also miss those days so much! But, yes, I did plan it, as I always said I wanted my kids close in age so they would always have a playmate and could grow up together. Anyway, I am steering away from my point. I was an only child until I was 11 yrs old. I prayed for as long as I can remember for a baby sister, and I finally got one. I was overjoyed when she came along! Honestly, I was never jealous of her, and played with her and took care of her all the time. In high school, all my friends knew my little sister that I took with me everywhere. When I see old friends now, they always ask about her. Reflecting on my lonely years as an only child, I look at my kids together, and wonder if they will ever appreciate the fact that they always have someone there. I pray that they see their siblings, not as the person that they fought with or was always irritating them, but a friend and a blessing.

I look at these pictures of the kids hugging each other and having fun playing...they are so lucky to have each other. They will never be alone and will always have someone on their side. I see them now looking out for each other. The other night in the hot tub, Rachel was driving me crazy jumping on me, and I jokingly said I was going to drown her if she didn't quit....Leah burst into true tears, and crying, said, "No, momma, don't, she is my sister, and I love her, and don't want her to die!" Well, I felt bad for sure for even saying that, even though Rachel could have cared less, but to see the worry in Leah's eyes for her sister that is often mean to her and drives here crazy, that was priceless to me!

When I look at their tender moments with each other, I am overflowed with happiness and pride. I also love how Noah refers to them as "his girls", and is often inviting them to their room for a sleepover. Granted, at least half the time the sleepover is broken up b/c of fighting, but then, he will be sad that they aren't in his room with him.

Apartment life....has it's perks!!

So, anyone that talks to me very much knows I am a big complainer. Seems like lately I have been overflowing with it! This is something I have really been praying about in my life....quit complaining, and learn to be content! When we found our apartment and were moving to LR, I was SO excited. I soon though, realized that even though our apartment was brand New, and had a garden tub and huge master walk in closet....(my favorite things about this place!) this place is very small when you have 5 people living in it, running a business and trying to have school. These walls are closing in on me, and I complain about it a LOT! It drives Clay crazy, as he likes living here and doesn't think it is small at all. He is really just concerned with the fact that he doesn't have to mow the yard or fix anything! I think he could stay here forever! Anyway, I apologize to everyone that has had to hear my petty complaining. I know that things could be WAY worse, and I am really complaining over nothing.

There really is a lot of good things about living here. The number one thing my kids love is the "Cold Tub, and the Hot Tub", as they call it. Yes, it is a huge, nice, and inviting swimming pool, with a hot tub right beside it. I know I am going to be grateful in the next few months, as Clay doesn't mind at all taking them to the pool while I stay here and get an hour of peace. Clay took his camera with him yesterday, and I love this picture of Noah that he captured!

Party!!

Saturday we went down to my friend Robin's house for her daughter's birthday party. The kids always have a blast at her house. I know most of the people that were there, and I have fun taking pictures of them. I love photographing Birthday Parties, that is one of my favorite sessions to do! Of course, I had to get pics of my own kids too. Leah LOVES horses these days, and was so excited to get to pet her horses! Also, my kids havd a fun time on the trampoliine. This is one of the few times they have had to jump on one, and I love catching them in action! I love the bottom one of Rachel. She was in some kind of mood that day, so this was really a rare moment!