FIRST PLACE

Yea Melissa!  She took first place in the "Run the Line" half marathon in Texarkana... in the Women, over 30, from Fayetteville, and born on November 26th Category :)  She got the coolest medal to hang around her neck.  She was still wearing it when she arrived on Sunday...she may be still be wearing it today...I wouldn't blame her....I would!

A weekend with the Pitts

Melissa and Kara ran a half-marathon this weekend and Kerry was an organizer for the Home Show in NWA, so Phillip, Mim and I got to keep the boys.  They were so good!  They started out playing legos on Friday night as soon as they arrived.  James Alan got them started at Christmas by constructing several buildings and vehicles and they add (and substract) from that.  Although it was rainy/cloudy/cool all weekend, we didn't let that keep us inside! 

We headed to the train station right after IPOP pancakes.  Although there is not much there, the boys always have fun playing and climbing on the caboose.  AND....the airport was abuzz with activity...airplanes landing and taking off about every 5 minutes.

We spent Saturday afternoon exploring the grounds...hiking and wading in the creek...that's right...they got wet even though the high was only 50 something.  Of course, the were not supposed to get wet, but these things happen....I didn't get a picture of this part of the day.  They had so much fun climbing up and down the hills and crossing the creek a million times.  Evan would be running behind yelling "wait for me, Jayden" and Jayden would come back and get him.  And Jayden would help Evan cross the creek...such a sweet big brother....it was sooooo cute!  When it was time to go in, Mim made sure that they took off their muddy clothes at the door and I ran ahead and prepared a nice warm bath.  A warm bath will warm you up quickly.  By the time they were all clean, it was time for dinner.  They ate like they had not had a thing to eat in weeks.  After dinner it was movie time and then to bed. 

Sunday morning they headed straight to the "Lego Room" (Auntie M's bedroom).

We had a little thunderstorm, so we had to stay inside for awhile... checkers in the Library:

In the two photos below, Pop is ahead and Jayden is worried:

Evan is having a serious conversation with Mim...

It finally quit raining, so we headed out to explore some more.  My plan...to totally wear them out so that they would sleep on the trip home with Melissa.  When Melissa got home we did the warm bath routine again and put them in their PJs even thought it was lunchtime.  They were tired, full, warm and cozy by the time we put them in the car to head back home.  Phillip, Mim and I felt the same way....

Crazy Weather

Around noon today, Phillip was outside working without a jacket.  By 2:00 we had snow again!  It is amazing...huge flakes...and it is even sticking.  It is now 5:30 and it has just stopped.  Crazy Arkansas weather!

Happy Birthday Miranda!

Twenty-nine years ago at 4:49 pm this was Miranda (she's mad because she wasn't ready, even though she was 10 days past her due date).  I thought she would never arrive (isn't the waiting terrible?).  Phillip was so nervous because we lived in Sparkman, but I was having her in Little Rock (1 1/2 hours away).  The doctor finally scheduled a C-section:

A couple of hours later, she was polished up and had a cute little red bow in her hair, so she was feeling a little sassy:

I think the waiting was even harder on Melissa - she was so happy to have a little sister to play with!

I found a few birthday pictures to share.  Birthday #1:

I remember birthday #2 because she was sick.  We had taken her to the doctor that morning in LR, but she still had fever....you can see it in her eyes...

I was noticing the cake in the picture above...pitiful....

Below is birthday #5 (Stephanie on the left).  Hey, this cake is a little better:

I don't know which one this is, but Anne is on the left and Stephanie on the right:

and just for fun (I can make fun of myself, too)...this is a picture of me in the parking lot of Baptist Medical center in LR on the way to deliver Miranda...

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!  Love, Mom

Snow Pictures

I took a few photos last night and early this morning of the snow in Arkadelphia.  We didn't get much, just a dusting.  Nothing on the roads either.  Mother and Mike have gotten much more snow in Shreveport!   What's the deal...snow to the north, snow to the south...not much here!

More snow...

I woke at 6 this morning to this..

We headed back to Arkadelphia at 9 am and arrived at 3 pm.  A normally 4 hour drive took 6!  It was beautiful until we got close to LR and then the road got slick and the traffic backed up.  It took us over an hour to get across the Arkansas River bridge! 

We passed a truck on I-40 and ice came flying off the top and hit the windshield.  Phillip made an appointment to get a new windshield...

Auntie M in Town!

Miranda had a meeting on Thursday and Friday at Corporate headquarters so she was in town, and Kerry was out of town, so the "Daily" girls and my favorite grandsons gathered at the lakehouse.  It was wild and crazy...it always is when the Pitts boys are around.  The weekend went something like this...bunking party, pancakes, Fast Lanes, McDonald's, Legos, Miranda's Birthday Party with a cupcake "christmas tree" (according to Evan), homemade ice cream, movies and popcorn, bunking party #2, Miranda on plane, more pancakes, exploring the lake, empty house.  Pictures below:

Kyler's Birthday Party

Although we celebrated on Kyler's actual birthday, we were up for celebrating with Kyler and his friends!  A few pictures of the birthday boy: