Laying low

Mason caught a strange virus which came with a fever and , apparently, every time Mason spikes a fever, he will also have a seizure because he suffered another one when his temp rose. The last time he had a fever, in the fall, he had one as well. This virus really took him down and he was pretty sick for several days. Those days were " lay low at home" kind of days.

Laying low with Mack....How did her legs get to be nearly as long as mine?

There's our boy! Back to eating and smiling.

My gorgeous girl is always so patient and helpful when her brother is sick.

Sazzy

 Honest to goodness, the way Mason loves my mom, Grams or " Sazzy" as he calls her, is just so sweet. I think because she was here so much when I had him and was dealing with my anxiety, he just bonded with her and that bond has only grown. This is similar to the bond that Mackenzie has with her Grammy and I am confident Mason will share with Grammy, too. My kids are both so lucky to know their grandmas and grandpa ( and even great grandparents!)  the way they do. And though Grammy is far away and they never got to meet their grandpa Ralph, we are always talking about them, sharing stories and plans and fond memories that carry us through until we see Grammy again.

The chicks are here!

 Each year my dad gets a dozen chicks to add to his flock. Each year, everyone goes nuts for them. Who wouldn't? They are absolutely adorable. But do you know what's more adorable than chicks? KIDS with chicks! So please forgive the photo heavy post but I had so much fun taking pictures of the kids with the chicks that I cannot decide which to post. So I'm posting a lot.

Kaleb with " his" chick.

Cameron the self proclaimed " chick magnet"

Mason had to be eased into holding the chicks. His first inclination is always to eat them!

Can you guess what happened next? Yes. That bird pooped on Mack's head. As Mack does, she wiped it off and continued on mothering these little babies.

Does this photo not just melt your heart? She tucked that little chick into her shirt and was in heaven, snuggling with it.

The most fun was had when Mason's chick escaped his grasp and jumped across to Macky.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Mike ( and his March Mustache- raising money for the burn fund at work) and the beach themed canvas my mom painted for him.

Mike celebrated the big 35 a few weeks ago. In true Mike Long fashion, he reported that 35 feels a lot like 34. We wanted to celebrate the man we love so much and call husband, daddy, son-in-law, uncle and brother-in-law ( to name the nice ones *wink* ) My mom and I put together a beer themed dinner. Also in true Mike Long fashion, he insisted on cooking his own favorite meal- ribs, of course! They were wonderful and there wasn't a single morsel to be found once the crew had their fill.

My mom baked a beer cake inside mason jars. They were a big hit!

See?

Kaleb

Spring break in photos

 Our spring break plans were to enjoy the days as they came. Mackenzie spent many  mornings in her jammies and we spent lots of warm afternoons in the sunshine playing at the park or at Grams and Papa's.

This is the pile of weeds I picked on the last day of winter.

The kids soaking in some sun on the last day of winter.

Lots of time for board games! Mack's technique for buying every property she lands on prevails again.

Mack was in "Need" of new high heels since her others were too small. They grabbed the attention of this little boy.

"Here's Mase. You can wear these"

More treasures mailed from Grammy

" What will we do today, Gunner?"

Spring break included LOTS of park visits. We did a park tour of sorts, visiting lots of different area parks.

And trips to Grams and Papa's. Mason is quite the climber.

A shadow heart we found at the playground