Spring Break Fun

ZOO TRIP

Our favorite time of the year to go to the zoo is late winter early spring. The animals are feisty and full of energy before it gets too hot. Going to the zoo is one of our favorite day trips to make. Our sweet family has such a huge place in our heart for animals! Ella Jo, when mommy asks what you want to do when you grow up...your answer has always been a zoo keeper! Awesome Fun for Spring Break!

What better way to end the day at the zoo then a train ride around the park! It was an amazing day at the zoo! Your mommy couldn't have thought of a better way to kick our Spring Break off! 

Flowers in Bloom

Your mommy can't keep flowers alive. I know it can't be that hard but for what ever reason they always die! Well, I believe if at first you don't succeed? Try Try Again....and try again I do!

I decided this Spring Break our back porch needed some beautiful color and what better way then with flowers? So, we made it a day, we bought our supplies and had a mommy daughter lunch then headed home ready to decorate our pots and plant our flowers. 

Even Alexa Rae decided to plant some flowers but wished to not be photographed. My posting on our blog is a little late. We planted our flowers in March but they are all still ALIVE! I'm so excited! I keep our blinds open in the house so we can see outside at all the beautiful colors standing on our porch!! I know baby steps with learning about plants and flowers but I'm praying this is a start to something awesome and I can keep it up!! Happy planting my angels....can't wait for more!

A night on the Boardwalk

Alexa Rae, you took your SAT test the last Saturday of Spring Break and we decided to take an evening trip to Kemah to say goodbye to our relaxing and awesome spring break 2013! I love our day trips to Kemah but night time just makes it seem like a whole new place. The lights are bright, the crowd seems to lessen, the air is cooler, and so much fun! We rode rides, ate dinner, face painted, ran through the water spouts, carriage rides, mommy shopped, and like always....ended with ice cream!

Like any mommy we always have busy overwhelming days, but moments like this picture is when mommy takes a step back and lets everything else just wait! So many times I catch my self (even out loud) ask God...Do you see this? Look how awesome they are! And You loaned them to ME!! Sweet Sweet sisters sharing secrets and growing their beautiful friendship that they will cherish for all the years of their life! Beautiful moment on a train ride in Kemah, Texas! 

Wow! What a year makes! This ride is called the bounce, and just a year ago you cried and had to stop the ride and swore both of you would never ride this ride again...even riding it with big sister, Alexa! This night y'all both were feeling grown and wanted to ride this awesome ride...mommy and daddy didn't mention that last year it brought tears. After riding it one time neither of you wanted to ride anything else! I think y'all rode this ride at least 10 times. Mommy and Daddy laughed and laughed at all the little giggles. Y'all both even raised up your hands to add a little bit more excitement! Just goes to show how big y'all are getting and how much of a difference just one year can make!

 Sweet Spring Break Memories Girls!! Ready for warmer weather and fun spring time crafts! We had a lot of fun with our day trips and flowers. The Russell's are ready for all Spring has to offer~

Just Love

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, 

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Valentine's Day...My absolute favorite! The only reason I can think of why I love this holiday so much is that it's all about LOVE! Of course your mommy loves the colors too...red, pink, and all the colors in between. The chocolates, candies, crafts, and love letters are other reasons I can think of. But a day dedicated to love makes your mommy's heart almost beat out of her chest the whole day! Ever since I was a little girl I would play with babies and pretend to have a family and a beautiful home to live in. God has blessed me with all of my dreams as a little girl! I love my family so much! Family is such an amazing thing...your extended family with grandparents, cousins, and aunt and uncles not forgetting awesome friends we consider family but my beautiful family that God has given me is what keeps my heart beating. Daddy, Alexa, Addi, and Ella! I love...love and everything about it...so why wouldn't this day of LOVE be my favorite?

Addi Grace, at school you didn't have a party that parents could go to, but mommy went to your class to help participate with a craft. We made love bugs! We also brought your awesome teacher her Valentine Gift. Mommy went to lunch one day and asked every student in your class why they loved their teacher? I told them it was a very special surprise for Valentine's Day and to my surprise no one told our secret! So it was a huge surprise! I wrote all the reasons they love your teacher on a heart and signed their name. We decorated a box and called it a "Heart Attack"! She loved it so much she cried!! Mommy cried too and so did your principal who peeked in to watch!! 

Ella Jo, we gave your teacher the same gift but mommy didn't upload any pictures to computer. I will save them in our family album...

I don't think I'll ever forget this moment!! We all LOVE this amazing teacher....what an awesome job!

Our beautiful LOVE BUGS

We made heart shaped bird feeders and gave them to your principals and counselor for this amazing day filled with LOVE! I sure do hope they all know just how much we do LOVE them! Your wonderful school wouldn't be what it is without them all....

After school my sweet Valentine's came home to a decorated sidewalk and porch filled with hearts and came in to a Valentine dining room filled with balloons, chocolates, cookies, and cake! I hope all of your days are filled with the most beautiful thing we could ever offer....LOVE~

Let The Good Times Roll

Mardi Gras 2013

We used to always go the Mardi Gras festivities but as the crowds get larger and a little crazy we decided to wait till the little girls got a little bigger. What fun we had this year and I don't think we will miss another Mardi Gras. Ella Jo, a few days after we celebrated you asked if you could go back to Mardi Gras. It was so cute because you thought Mardi Gras was just a cool place to ride rides, face painting, yummy food, and catch tons of beads from beautiful floats all lit up playing fun music to dance to in the street!! Mommy had to explain the importance of Mardi Gras. It is a fun time to be had but there is a beautiful reason behind it. Preparing for the biggest sacrifice ever made. 

Alexa Rae, you ate with us but stayed with a friend to have your own teenager fun! You stayed for a concert and from the stories you came home and told me you had a ball. 

THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER...

Addi Grace, your momma couldn't believe how you let go of all your shy bugs! You jumped up and down, danced to the music, yelled at the floats, and simply had the best time! Next year we will have to bring a back pack for all our awesome beads. Fun Fun Fun is what we had on this night! Can't wait till next year. Thank you Lord for the most amazing gift you could give us. I promise as a mother to raise my girls understanding completely the significance of this beautiful time~

One Act Play and Fifties Day

SMASH

This year my talented Alexa was chosen one of the leads for UIL One-Act Play. The name is Smash, a British comedy set in 1910. You play the part of Henrietta and couldn't be more excited and honored for this role. Your mom thinks it's pretty cool because your great grandmother's name was Henrietta. What a beautiful name! The last part of your Christmas break you decided to have your cast over for some pizza and brownies and a little rehearsing. After going over the script you all piled in the living room and watched My Fair Lady to practice on your British Accents. 

After school practices several weeks of critiques and Saturdays in the theater paid off! Y'all prepared for this from January to April and advanced to Area! The first zone my angel you knocked the judges socks off and was awarded UIL Best Actress! Mom cried for days....I think you did too! When advanced to District you were awarded All Star Cast! So very proud but I always knew you were an actress! You are getting ready to show the play to the public and I can't wait to post pictures! 

The Hippo Hop

Celebrating the 100th day of school your class had a Hippo Hop! Mrs. Williams had Fifties music playing, you danced, and of course had root beer floats! Fun times at this awesome pre-school! I have enjoyed this year so much because mommy knows that after this year when you move up to Kindergarten we are thrown in the real world of public school. No prayer before lunch or snack, more kids in the class, and state testing. Right now we are simply having fun and learning while playing. Mommy is excited for every new chapter and looking forward to all the fun we will have but I'm just enjoying the more simple times we are having this year. What an amazing pre-school you have been in and I'm soaking it all in~

Goodbye to the Season

Wrapping up our Christmas Season

For several years now we have ended our Christmas Season going to the festival of lights. Ferry ride, going to our favorite restaurants, bundling up, hot chocolate, smores,  and beautiful lights just to name a few things we look forward to each year. 

My angels, you have asked me what my favorite holiday is and I love every holiday but my most favorite is Valentine's Day! How can that beat Christmas? My answer to that is simple, I think of Christmas as a season! Not just a one day holiday to celebrate. We start the day after Thanksgiving and our season goes into January. We consider our Christmas Season over once we celebrate with the Festival of Lights! 

Daddy and his girls walking on the Sea Wall headed to Bubba Gumps

Lex and Ella Jo

My sweet girls had so much fun on the ice sled! Ella and Lex, y'all both immediately wanted in on the fun. Addi Grace, you were a little hesitant on the ice sled. You waited until you saw how much fun your sisters were having and then decided you could handle that! I'm glad you did my angel...each one of you had a blast!

BEAUTIFUL LIGHTS

Mommy doesn't know what's better? The way smores taste? Or the way they smell?

It sure is fun making them though....

One of the best parts of the cold is snuggling together. Holding those cold little fingers, trying to warm them, is one of mommy's favorite parts! 

Once again we had so much fun at the Festival of Lights! Sweet Russell family memories that I will lock up tightly in my heart. I have to admit though that when we walk out of the festival and into the parking lot my heart gets a little heavy. I know that we will go home, pack away all our Christmas decorations, and wait till next year. Although I can't wait for every Christmas season it seems it's coming faster and faster every year. I do wish that would slow down a little. Saying goodbye to the festival of lights and Christmas...Looking forward for what's to come~