The time has come...

I am ready to set my blog to private. I want to take all of my friends and readers with me. Even if you never commented before, I still want to bring you with me. Once I set my blog to private, you will have to sign in to view my blog. You do not have to have a blog to do that, just do a very quick register with blogger using your e-mail address. If you have problems signing in, please let me know, I will be happy to help you, as I want you to continue to read my blog.

**** Clay has reinstalled our computer, and I no longer have ANYONE'S e-mail address saved....and I am only good enough to maybe have 2 memorized. SO...even if you have previously corresponded with my by e-mail, PLEASE e-mail me and let me know that you want to be invited to view my blog. I will have to send you an invite via e-mail for you to be able to be approved as a reader. Please don't be shy....I know there a lot of people that have told me or my mom that you read this, and we will need all the continued love, prayers, and support from you guys!

info@maurydraper.com

Easter Morning

I just love he sleepy, swollen eyes, crazy hair look with a smile on their face of Easter morning!

Dyeing Easter eggs and an egg race!

Easter party at the Parker's

We had a house full of kids!! So fun! (in case you don't recognize one of those kiddos...she is Suzanne's niece...but I think either one of us will claim her to join our brood! So sweet!) We had 4 boys, and 4 girls!
My kids just love this little one!
Suzanne's mom was brave enough to join our party that day!! It was great to meet her.
I don't know the official name of this project, but we coated biscuits with cinnamon/sugar/butter, and then folded it over a marshmellow....after we cooked them....the marshmellow was gone...it was a very cool analogy to explain how Jesus wasn't in the tomb on the 3rd day when the diciples went to see him. (I am sure Suz could explain this so much better!) And oh so yummy!!!



Suzanne had all kinds of cool things planned for us to do that day...it deserves its own post in itself! She even sent me home with supplies to make some cool stuff that we have been working on today.

Random easter pics

ron the way to church

Eating at Catfish City...yum yum!

Happy Birthday

The kids sang Happy Birthday to me...if you listen real close, Noah says my age in there...if you didn't already know.

Leah Reading

My new camera does video that I can load to my blog! (my other camera did video, but I could never get it to load. Anyway, I was trying to record Leah reading...this is a short clip, but she cracked me up with her reaction whenever she got to a word she didn't know. But I think more of it was just at me b/c I was taping her...she is very shy with her reading. She is reading Junie B Jones, and does a good job with it, but she gets tired pretty quickly. If I leave her alone and she reads it to herself, she will read about a chapter at a time.

Let's go fly a kite!

It has been so windy lately, and the kids wanted a kite when we were at the store yesterday, so I decided that was a good idea. I think everyone else has had that idea too...b/c while were at the lake, we counted at least 6 kites that were stuck up in the trees! It was fun to watch it, but it ended up being a very chilly, dreary day.

BTW....these were all taken with my new camera. I am still getting used to it....but am really liking it.

More of our nature...

Here is my second one to grow of my petunia "mix"...it is fun not knowning what the flower will look like before it grows. The other one was pink, but it didn't have these stripes in the middle like ths one.

I love these little flowers...they are so CUTE!

I know these wildflowers are just a result of us not mowing the yard....but they are pretty to me, just the same.
Another shot of my bumble bee. There are also a lot of honeybees, but they move too fast. They are just swarming this plant right now!

Thank you!

I have felt so loved today! Thank you for all the awesome b-day wishes from all my great friends! I love you guys!

And thank you ROBIN!!

lucky shot

Look....a wasp, and a bumble bee...both landed at the same time. I was so excited about this shot!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

Well, actually tomorrow, the 27th, but Clay surprised me with this, flowers and a cake yesterday. Everyone has heard the fate my other camera has been through, and the thousands and thousands of pics it has taken. I am so excited to get me a new mommy cam!!! Thank you so much to my sweet hubby! Now, the old one is being passed down to the kids, and that should allow for some fun and interesting photos!

This was taken with the "text" mode of my camera...

Do you ever feel like this???

I was playing with my camera late last night, and I have been super duper frustrated with work lately, and I was talking about it last night and said....this is how they make me feel! And turned the camera around on myself....and I think I captured it perfect!

Our Easter family pics

Can you tell my eyes are swollen??? That is the result of being outside 2 days in in row with all the crud in the air these days. I didn't realize how bad it was until I looked at these pics....I should have kept my glasses on. Oh well, I am still happy to get them!

It was very windy and sunny!
Leah took this one
Leah told me to pose this way, and then later when she was looking at the pics, she said, "oh good, the ducks were in it too" Like she had planned it that way or something.

Our "Easter" pics

My bride Friday said/asked me..."I am sure you have taken your kid's Easter pics?" And I said, well, actually not this year. Some years I do, and some I don't. Well...you know that planted a bug in my ear. So...here are my "Easter"pics....The pictures I took of our kids on Easter. There will be some family pics to follow...that was actually our purpose this day, but these are just them....being them.

Yes, this is meant to be upside down...he is hanging in a tree


This was during a conversation she was having with her daddy. Something she said, and she just got tickled with herself!
She is not quite sure of herself...