Willa’s Preschool Program

If you’ve been within a hundred yards of Willa Kate over the last month, you’ve been invited to her preschool program. That girl has been recruiting hard for an audience, and now we can see why!  She even lobbied so well that I even let Harper skip school to support her sister.  That girl is gonna be a heck of a salesperson.  

This year finishes our sixth year at Cave Spring Baptist Preschool. Bless them. Six years of Fertittas. I congratulated them on a two year break before our little guy pops on to the preschool scene. 

This year has been my least involved, most forgetful year (when was I supposed to make Play Doh?  Can I make it in the hospital sink?), but we were met with nothing but grace. Mrs. Caldwell loved our Willa and our family so well. She hugged me tightly at the Christmas program, where I sat in tears after a scare that morning with Brother, sure we’d be losing him soon. In the same fellowship hall, we both hugged again remembering that day four months before, wishing I could go back and tell that devastated mama that she would be at the spring program, holding the hand of her oldest while smiling at her five-year-old and pushing around a stroller with everything but a crib for her precious, perfect boy. God is so good. 

I don’t have pretty pictures from the day.  I think some parents may have camped out the night before to save all the seats for their 47 extended family members coming so space was limited, and I wanted to hide Dex a bit to keep him out of the crowd. So my iPhone pics from 50 yards away may not be the best. Sorry, Wills. But, I promise, we are just as proud!  Kasey and Mimi rounded out the WKF Fan Club, and she was so glad to have them there.

 After the program, we didn’t do the picnic at the church pavilion afterward (5 person family + 3 hours sleep= 0 desire to pack a picnic lunch). Instead, we went over the Macados for a celebratory graduation lunch. While we were eating, I bragged to her about what Mrs. Caldwell share with me about her. She’s the class leader— the first to try something new, the first to follow directions. She’s obedient and is kind to her classmates. Even though I wondered where that girl goes at home 😆, I told her how proud I am of her working hard and being kind. Work hard and be nice to people. That about sums it up!

'Til Next Year, Grizzlies!

The last day of school just happened to be the Grizzlies last softball game as well.  Oh my word, I have loved softball.  It's been fun to watch, to get to know the other families, to sit outside in some pretty weather.  And Harper has seemed to really like it as well, especially batting.

this may best illustrate her focus level (visor completely over eyes)

 

 

in the dugout with one of her best friends Mya

Her team went out on top, winning their last game.  The last two innings, Harper got to play second base, and she even fielded the ball to tag a girl out. 

chatting up the runner on second

 

 

After the game tonight, we went to Katie's Ice Cream to have a year end celebration.  Coach Dave was so sweet to say a few words about each player as they accepted their award.  No one had to guess whom he was talking about when he starting saying words like "Spark Plug" and "Firecracker."  haha!

"What's a spark plug?"

Grizzlies 2016

See ya next year, SCSL Grizzlies!

The Snowstorm of 2015 {Outside Fun}

I am calling this the Snowstorm of 2015 because I am hoping this designation will mean that there won't be anymore of this snowed-in-with-no-school-for-a-week weather for the rest of 2015. Maybe I should call it the Snowstorm of the decade just to be sure.

It was almost this exact time last year that Roanoke was slammed with 18 inches of snow...how kind of nature to repeat it this year.  I'm not usually one to watch much about the weather (I know.  That's bad when I have kids.), but I couldn't miss that forecasts were calling for another snowstorm.  We have had such a mild winter to this point, so as much as I hated to think of it, we've been due.  I left early on Monday morning to eek out some work in Martinsville before heading back to Roanoke at lunch to be closer to home when the snow started falling.  Sam left for work by 6 (as usual), and was supposed to be going to West Virginia for the week for meetings.  I have never been so glad to hear about rescheduled meetings!  All I could imagine was us being stuck in over a foot of snow, with no power or heat, me trying to shovel our long, steep driveway in the dark.  Scared to death.  Ugh.  Makes me glad all over again just typing that.

Harper on Monday afternoon-- first inch of snow!

All Monday evening it snowed.  And snowed.  And snowed.  Big, pretty, wet, sticky snow.  No school tomorrow kind of snow.  I hadn't taken a 'snow day' for work since we moved to Virginia almost five years ago.  But, this called for it.  Offices were closed, roads were nasty, and I had a foot of snow to help shovel off my driveway in hopes of getting out tomorrow.  

The snow shoveling ended up being a family affair.  These two little cuties insisted on going out to help with the excavation.  Well, at least for the first 7 minutes.  

 

Our house buried in snow

It wasn't long before these two were snuggled up on the couch with hot chocolate, waiting for some warm breakfast.  

Homemade IHOP Rooty Tooty breakfast

We learned the hard way last year that we do not have a very good hill for sledding.  I know right now as Sam is reading this, he is saying "Thank Goodness she did not have a blog last year!"  Good news, honey, I'll do a recap for posterity's sake.  ;)  Harper managed to talk Sam into letting her go by herself down "the big hill," which ended with her running into a big bush and getting leveled by one of the low branches.  She loved showing off the shiner she had for the months to follow.  Sheesh.  So, Sam suggested we go over to Sue & Dave's so that we could take the girls sledding.  Down a good hill.  With a safe landing.  

Our Road

Sam and I spent the rest of the morning packing down the snow to carve a sledding path for the girls to ride down.  Y'know, putting that big mom-of-two body to good use.  ;)  Harper and Sydney had fun making snow angels while they patiently waited.  Willa loved the snow, unless you actually asked her to touch it.  Then, all bets were off.  

It didn't take long for my two girls to grow tired of the cold, and want to go inside for some Mimi snuggles.  They hadn't seen her in a few weeks, so that sounded like a lot more fun to them than trudging through the snow.  But, Syd was so excited for some new playmates.  She stayed outside with us the whole time, and even kept playing with Samantha and her friend when Sam and I left to go get a few pizzas for a late lunch.  Sam and I enjoyed making memories with all the girls, and getting to be kids for a bit ourselves.

5 Days of Christmas {Smith-mas Eve}

Smith Family Christmas Eve

After Christmas Eve morning manicures (isn't that a fun new life-with-girls tradition?) and some good long naps (maybe an even better tradition? ha), the girls were ready to head over to Salem for the Smith's Christmas Eve.  

  

  For the Smiths, Christmas Eve is hosted by one of the three children (Susan, Paul, or David) and each year it rotates. This year, it was Paul and Beth's turn to host, and I love the sweet words my mother-in-law Susan wrote about our fun and fellowship together.  Here's what she had to say:

Our Christmas Eve tradition was started by my parents years ago. We'd gather together as a family, first every year at their home. Then when Dave and I got married and moved to Maryland in 1977, we'd still come back home and spend Christmas Eve with all our family. Eventually when my brother's married and had their own families too we still practiced this tradition. Now we take turns going to either our home or one of their homes to celebrate! Two years ago my sweet daughter-in-law and Samson graciously took my turn at their lovely home. Last year I was blessed to be able to have everyone at our home. It was really special, because we had the entire family present, but this would be the last year Tyler would be at home before getting married and starting his own tradition. This year it was my brother Paul and Beth's turn to have us at their spacious, beautiful home. Everything was decorated so festively, and I enjoyed looking upstairs at all the beautiful wedding photos of Tyler and Christy before going downstairs to join the family!

Aunt Kim meeting Alston

Our family keeps growing! My Mom has 4 children, 7 grandchildren, and with Alston Fields Cromer arriving Oct. 09th, her newest great grandson, that makes 5 great grandchildren!! I never really realized just how important these family gatherings were until my eldest granddaughter, Samantha Grace, wrote a paper about her favorite Christmas traditions. She wrote, " My family's Christmas traditions are going to my uncles' homes or our home and eating home-made dinner. Then we like to play games. We always look at the lights on the way home..." I love hearing all the laughter as my son and my brothers keep everyone laughing with their funny stories about growing up in our family. The food is delicious, as everyone brings their favorite dishes to share, whether it's Kim's delicious pin-wheels, or Beth's famous hot ham rolls, or Sue's cheesy squash casserole, or Mom's coconut cake!! I loved having all 5 of my grandchildren there and watching them play together on Beth and Paul's stairway. Harper Mae and Sydney were so sweet to sing "Happy Birthday to Jesus"...so precious!! I loved hearing my brother Paul read the Christmas story from his Bible in Luke 2, and how Mama recited a large portion of it by memory .For after all, this is what Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the only one who can give real peace, joy, love, hope, and new life!! I like to think that "Our family is a circle of strength and love. With every birth and every union, the circle grows. Every joy shared adds love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger." I hope my family knows just how much I love and treasure each one of them!!

 

Sleepy girl ready to go home

Ready for Harper and Willa!

Our ride home from West Salem is about 35-40 minutes since it is the total opposite side of Roanoke county.  I pulled up a picture that had been posted of Santa and his reindeer flying past the Roanoke Star, so the whole way home the girls were peering out the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse.  It also served as motivation for them to get in bed ASAP, because Santa can't leave presents if little ladies are still awake, so they just had to rush to get on PJs and get to sleep.  ;)  The benefits of a simple Christmas is that it only took us about 15 minutes to prepare the girls' gifts for Christmas morning.  (The chairs are theirs from their rooms, and their presents are the ones on the fireplace.  All the others around the tree are for our extended family.)  It sure beat scrambling to assemble things at 11 p.m.

If you'd like to read about the rest of our Christmas, check out these other posts:

5 Days of Christmas {Our Merry Little Morning}
5 Days of Christmas {Tennessee Christmas}
5 Days of Christmas {Christmas Dinner}
5 Days of Christmas {Smith-mas Eve}
Christmas with Kasey
Christmas Pictures 2014