Thanks everyone who filled out an email survey and returned it to us. We also heard back from the Speedo Company and another company called Headcovers. No one had ever heard of her Swoggle idea. Here she is getting her trophy from Mrs. Z.
Just a closer look at the finished product. 
Abbey loves doing this invention contest. She has already started thinking about what to make next year! Way to go Abbey!!!
What a great morning we had today! It was my baby's first t-ball game. I cannot believe she is ready to start of this stuff!!! She is number two and is so proud of her uniform. She thinks the "H" on her cap stands for Hale instead of Hamilton...Anyway, the games were played on the new baseball fields in our NEW city park. Our small town has raised lots of money in support of this park. The men on the board have worked so hard to see TODAY happen. Will has served on that board. These men were also awarded the "Volunteers of the Year" Award at the annual chamber banquet last month for their dedication to this task. It was great to see the fruits of their labor this morning with all this little kiddos playing their hearts out ! There is not another place I would have been!
Miss Em and Denver we so excited before the game. Emiley told me I could only take one picture of her before the game. I am proud of the one pic she let me take!
Emiley got a hit every time off of the tee. She did not get mad when they chased her down with the ball to get her out at home once. She did argue a bit with the mother volunteering in the dugout about putting on her batting helmet the first inning, but she got over it and followed the rules... that is a big step. This is going to be so good for her. She was too hot in the outfield to wear her cap the last two innings so I gladly accepted it because I was HOT and the sun was in my face as I attempted to coach third base. 
Great shot taken by Aunt Amy.
Is she safe or out?!?!? That was the question many time during this game. Our little team did a great job. We are the blue team. Denver wants us to be the Blue Sox. Other players want us to be the Blue Dragons and even others want us to be the Blue Whales. I am not sure the debate will be won by anyone before the season is over. It is hard to make four and five year olds agree! 
Well, we have had lots going on! I will give you short recap. 
The girls in the bluebonnets with Jack of course!
Our beautiful baby Abbey... she is growing up so fast. I look forward to the summer to spent more time with her at home.
Lainey they beauty queen and model. She had to pose with her purse and a flower behind her ear.
Sweet Miss Em... what a blessing to our lives!
Before I begin this short story I must fill you in on two things. First, Ms. Em loves to eat. She is not a picky eater. She will eat anything and everything from peas to peanutbutter to oatmeal and olives. Second, I am anti-aspartame these days. I struggle with migraines and gave up all "migraine inducing" foods and artificial sugars about a year or more ago. Therefore no more diet coke! I also have take Abbey off of the aspartame products (which is anything with "sugar-free" on it because then it has aspartame in it) because she also suffers from bad headaches and you just never know. Ok... on to the real story. Last night we were eating homemade waffles, eggs, and steak. Emiley wanted another waffle with lots of butter. I told her to go easy on the butter. She said, "You never let me eat much butter, not even a spoon full of butter!" She often tries to sneak spoonfuls of butter from the fridge as a snack and I never let her eat that! She loves anything! So then Ms. Em says, "Mom, does butter have aspertame in it?" I couldn't control myself...Did she just say aspartame??? OK... I must be going a bit overboard with the aspartame issue. I told her it did not.... that just added to her confusion as to why she could not have a spoonful of butter or tons of butter on her waffle! I was laughing to hard at her way of thinking to tell her that butter had fat and cholesterol in it! Oh well......... She will learn soon enough... but for now she knows to watch out for the aspartame!
(The picture is just for fun!)
Sunday on my way home from picking the girls up from my dad, we made a grocery stop at the HEB in Waco. While we were in HEB I had 2 people ask me if the girls were triplets! Lainey and Emiley were riding in the basket and Abbey was walking. They all three had balloons and were acting GREAT in the store! They were not even dressed alike that day. One of the ladies stared at me for the longest time before she said anything to me. Then she finally asked. I then had to tell her their ages and the age differences between them. They are all getting closer to the same size. Abbey has not hit her growth spurt yet and Emiley and Lainey are almost the same size. The girls thought these ladies were crazy, but always love the attention! They are known around town as the Hale girls! It should be interesting to see them all in high school at the same time!!!
We are still here... but we have had a really busy week! T-ball has started (See Ms. Em with her ball shoes, pink glove,etc...), Invention Convention is underway(Thanks to everyone who completed Abbey's survey. She is expecting first place and the two foot trophy again this year), we have Spring Fever( and have been spending lots of time outside), and tax season is almost over(YEAH!! I will have a husband again). On Thursday, I had to register Lainey for Kindergarten. You would think it would be no big deal... since we have been done this road with Abbey, but I left the school in tears. My sweet, specail Lainey is growing up. I have been through so much with her from the sensory stuff, to her passing out spells, to the cardiologist, neurologist, and occupational therapist. She makes me so happy! I have prayed for all my girls al their lives, but now I am in eager prayer for Lainey's school years and her teacher. I also requested that Lainey have Ms. Golson. She is an amazing woman. I hope that my request will be granted. We enjoyed some rain the first of the week and look forward to some more this weekend, but the hail and tornadoes can stay away. The girls are going to spend the weekend with their Poppy and I am headed to Dallas tomorrow with some girlfriends for a trip to Sam Moon! I am looking forward to it..... Hope you all have had a great week! 
Hope you all had a very blessed Easter... "Christ has risen. He has risen indeed!" We had a great weekend and lots of surprise snow. The weatherman kept saying there was a chance, but it never really showed that the snow would come our way. It seemed we were going to miss it. Well, we didn't! It snowed and snowed most of the day on Saturday. We had a great time just being at home, enjoying each other, and the snow. We had a wonderful spaghetti supper on Saturday night and then read the Easter story from the children's Bible. We did have a few troubles over the weekend... On Saturday, we had trouble with our tankless hot water heater. The repair man came today and thinks there may be something in the vent on the roof causing the problem. I wonder how that could happen!!! With all this rain and the TREE that almost hit our roof! It would beep at us and not get the water hot. Saturday night, our satellite went out... probably because there was so much snow in it outside... because it worked last night after the snow had melted. Then sometime during the night Saturday night, while we were all asleep... we lost electricity until 9 o'clock Sunday morning. None of this stopped us from making it to church though. We loaded up right on time with no bath for any of us and no electricity to fix hair or put on makeup in the light or iron the Easter dresses. I thought the girls still looked adorable!!! I was not able to put the Easter lunch in the oven like I had planned so we ate Storms burgers instead! We prasised God for the life of His Son Jesus and for His death and resurrection! It is so awesome to be a child of God! He loves us so much. We should celebrate Easter evey day of the week, month, year! 
Will and the girls had a great time building this snowman while I cooked dinner Saturday evening. The girls were so sweet in their prayers this evening at dinner. They thanked God for daddy and him helping them make the snowman and also for momma who wanted to stay in and make the hot supper for them! 
Saturday afternoon Will pulled the girls and Denver on a sled behind the truck. This is the same type of sled ride we had in December but without the snow. The girls decided it was much more fun to do in the snow!!!
Abbey lost a tooth Easter afternoon! She was so excited! She and Lainey had a bet going on who would lose their loose tooth first. Lainey had been tying a string to her tooth to try to get out, but Abbey won! Lainey was not happy!!! 
There were the same bluebonnets I took a picture of on Friday... just one day later... Saturday afternoon. We had a great weekend. Hope you all did too! 
I am with Summer... I just love Texas Bluebonnets. These are some bluebonnets that are in our side yard, right outside our master bedroom window! I was hoping to take the girls picture in them on Easter Morning... now with the cold temperatures and chance of snow or freezing rain this weekend... I am just hoping that the cold does not kill all our Spring blooms. 
We have had lots of things going on... After nearly seven inches of rain, our tank that has not held water since we have lived here... now has water in it! The girls have spent almost every afternoon down at the tank. Abbey and her friend Lauren found a turtle at Lauren's house and brought it to our house to let it out in our tank. Of course... they first had to take it to school and show it off to all their friends and the office staff. The girls come back from the tank covered in mud and water. I have washed more clothes and SHOES in the last week than I have in a month! I finally got all the tennis shoes, flip flops, sandals and boots washed. I even cleaned my tile floors some today....... I think the rain is over for awhile and the dust and mud was driving me crazy! 
Lainey and Emiley had their Easter programs this Monday and Tuesday. Lainey did a great job! I was not able to go and see Emiley because Abbey had a zoo field trip on the same day, but Will and Marilyn said that Emiley did great singing her songs, too. They sang songs about flowers, gardens, God, Easter, and some about their letters and colors. All the kids were so cute! I love their little programs!
Abbey's class took a trip to the Waco zoo on Tuesday. I rode with two other mothers and had a wonderful time. We followed the bus there... spent about three hours walking around the zoo with 60 first graders... then had a sack lunch at the park. It was a great time, but I was tired when we got home! I hated to miss Emiley's program and party, but Abbey informed me that I had quit my job so that I could go on field trips with her! I told her she was right! So I went with Abbey this time, but if I ever have to choose again...... it will be Emiley's turn! 
