To: Great Aunt Cari

We had a photo shoot with Charlie and her cuteness while Grandma is visiting and had to post them so the rest of the fam could see how sweet she is. She is the BEST baby! She is sleeping and eating great! I'm knocking on wood, but she just has something about her that makes everybody smile.

Charlie Kate

She's here! Charlie Kate Balls joined our family Sunday, April 26th at 7:14am weighing in @ 7lbs 7oz 19 in long. Mandy started having contractions at 4, we headed into the hospital at 6:45 and barely made it there for her arrival. The kids love her, she eats with the best of them and seems content with life.

More pics to come................

Waiting....

It has been a long long couple of weeks waiting for #3 to arrive. Emotions are up and down and all sorts of around of wanting her to come soon and then thinking "Am I really ready?" I am officially saying that I am ready and can't wait to meet her. We will not have to wait any longer than Sunday but hoping she wants to come sooner than that. My good friend talked me into taking some maternity pictures, I am so glad I did it because I had not one picture of me and the belly, so for now I will look at them and reminisce in the good times while being pregnant.

Birthday and Easter fun....

We had a crazy fun week! Cam turned 29 last Friday, we went out with some really great friends on Thursday night and on Friday had a low key fun time with just our family. Me and the kids made him a cake and a cool candy bar poster. Our dad is the coolest and we hope he had a great day!

The Easter bunny came on Saturday and the kids thought it was so fun to get some things from him. We got them all excited about going to the annual Eggstravaganza at the stadium but who would have guessed that the only rain we have had in months and months we had a pour down Friday and Saturday so it was cancelled. BUT our friend Tammi had an awesome glow in the dark egg hunt at the church Saturday night and the kids thought it was awesome!

Jake was a little too into the egg dying, he thought he needed to do everything "mineself" and made a pretty big mess by the end of it.

The results......

I really only ask to take cute pictures of the kids twice a year, Christmas and Easter but the kids seemed to still want to be big stinkers when I asked to take their picture before church so the pictures aren't so great but they sure looked cute.

What a goofball...

Update.....

It's been a crazy start of Spring in our house already. We have been keeping ourselves pretty busy but have been squeezing in the fun also. Alex had a fun preschool field trip that just me and her got to go on last week. We went to the White Tank Mountains and did a nature hike, had lunch and some playground time. They made some binoculars in class and had so much fun using them on the trail. It was nice to spend some one on one time with her even though being eight months pregnant plus wasn't the most convienent time to go on a 2 mile hike.

Cam's boss gave us tickets to one of the Spring Training games, we didn't know that they were "high roller" tickets which got us some yummy catered food and rockin seats in a big tent. We forgoed the tent seats because it was full of older people who were really into the game and with two crazy kids that didn't go well, so we got our food and sat on the grass. It was also the only night of the month with fireworks at the seventh inning stretch.

Yes this is Cameron, he was in a funk at work and decided to grow his beard out, I FINALLY got him to shave it after a week.

Alex got her big girl shots for kindergarten and was the bravest girl! The nurse told her to look away but she decided she would rather see what was going on and didn't even blink a tear until we got out to the car and she shed a few but she was so great and now she is officially ready for kindergarten! AAAHHHH!!

Aunt Cris made her annual debut to our house! It was so much fun to have her around and the kids are still sad over her leaving yesterday. Jake woke up this morning asking where she had gone and told me he thought she needed to stay forever.

Last but not least it was my birthday this week and Cris made me my favorite apple pie!! I'm not a huge cake fan so this was extra special and very yummy!! Isn't it so professional looking?

It wasn't the funnest being extra pregnant on my birthday but Cam, Cris and the kids made it for a GREAT day. See the shrine for me on the sliding door behind me? Thanks guys for the awesome day!