February snow.

I am just now getting around to posting some pictures of our Thunder snowman! We had a bit of now last month, in the early part of February, and of course the kids were super excited to build a snowman! I told them that we were going to wait until their daddy got home that day so he could help. Reid wasn't feeling well that day, and unfortunately, he kept getting sicker as the day went on. He fell asleep right as Jeb got home from work, so LilliAnn and I decided that we would surprise him by building a snowman just for Reid!

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I asked her what kind of snowman Reid would like best and she answered, "A ThunderMan!" So...we gathered up all of our Thunder gear, put on our warm clothes, and headed out to make our "ThunderMan."

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 LilliAnn got a little bored after we made the first big snowball for our snowman's body, and she wasn't much help. She preferred making her own little "baby snowballs" and eating bites of the snow. She did, however, like putting on our crazy Thunder hair!

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Reid woke up right as we were finishing and couldn't wait to join us! He was so proud of his "ThunderMan" that we had made him!

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We had the best snowman in the neighborhood... and I think K.D. would agree!

the BEST protein shake.

This is THUNDER. After doing TONS of research on protein and meal replacement shakes...this is the best one I have found. 

Thunder by ForeverGreen

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The following image is a picture of the old label, but the ingredients are the same. This shake tastes AMAZING and I mix it straight with water. It's also good with rice or almond milk, or with fruit as a smoothie! It contains 14.15 grams of protein, 4 carbs, and only 72 calories...as well as probiotics, vitamins, and digestive enzymes! Another plus about this shake is that it is completely ORGANIC. 

There is no artificial sweeteners that turn to formaldehyde in your body such as aspartame, sucralose, or acesulfame potassium, and it does not contain soy based protein or the emulisifier, soy lethicin. 

Because it only has 72 calories, it isn't quite as filling as some of the other shakes so sometimes I will use 1 1/2 scoops of powder. 

I decided to research protein shakes because if I was going to be healthy and pay for a meal replacement shake, I did not want it to include any unhealthy or toxic ingredients such as soy or artificial sweeteners. We sell this product at our vitamin shop at Seminole Medical Clinic, but it is also available online. The price is approximately $70 (includes 60 scoops/servings). 

For a information and a full list of ingredients click HERE.

a wonderful challenge.

He's bright, persistent, strong, focused, intense, perceptive, and sensitive...he's spirited.  This little boy challenges me daily. But I wouldn't trade any of the challenges, as these are the very things that make Reid absolutely AMAZING!

"On good days spirited kids prove to be more delightful than you ever imagined. They make you laugh, pull your attention to the bugs and bees you would have missed without them, give you an excuse to play, and encourage you to take naps. On bad days they refuse to do anything you ask, and rob you of your sleep with their demands and the worries they arouse. Often they make you cry. They may also leave you feeling a little crazy, even stunned, wondering how, if it's like this now, you will ever survive adolescence.
Spirited children possess traits that are truly valued in adults, but challenging to live with in a young child. Spirited...means lively, creative, keen, eager, full of energy and courage, and having a strong, assertive personality. So life with spirited children is really a love story, as we recognize their potential and help them to develop the skills they need to manage their temperament well an be successful."

My dad was a spirited child...I was a spirited child...And I'm ready to raise a spirited child. I'm ready for the challenge and all of the pride that come with having a successful, type-A, perfectionist, determined personality.

I love you Reid Jackson Rollins.

almost EaStEr.

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A couple of weeks ago we went to Norman to for an Easter mini session with the amazing, Angel Porch of Art & Soul Photography. The kids were in fantastic moods and they couldn't wait to play in the giant "egg pit!" Reid kept opening them and asking why there weren't any candy or surprises inside the eggs. 

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LilliAnn was extra silly that day. She was acting like she was sleeping in the eggs and then she would jump up and yell, "Surprise" or "Here I am!"

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Reid is wanting to grow out his hair, so it is in an awkward length right now. I don't really know how to fix it. I keep trying to get him to cut it, because I think it looks much better shorter, but he is insisting that he wants long hair. It's also getting so dark! I'm starting to think that LilliAnn's is going to darken up too. I came across a picture the other day of Reid when he was LilliAnn's age. His hair was so blonde! I'm hoping that it lightens up a little this summer...I want my little blonde boy back! 

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I was loving all the plastic eggs! I think this made for such adorable pictures! 

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This little guy rocks my world!

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Just chillin' in some eggs!

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My little model...she sure does know how to pose!

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Look at all of those eggs! What a EGG-cellent photo shoot!! 

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We're heading to the lake on Sunday after church for our Easter celebrations! The kids cannot WAIT to dye eggs! Stay tuned for an Easter post! 

something else.

If I could take a snapshot of LilliAnn right now to put in my mind to remember her...almost 3 years old...this is the picture I would choose. This is my Lil. All girl. Sugar...and spice. A blonde-haired beauty with a tiara. Princess dress on...Cinderella, of course. Not just one, but two babies in tow. She informed me last week that she wants to be a "baby pusher" when she grows up. She sings. She dances. She dreams. She twirls. She poses. She is smart. She is strong. She is confident. She is silly. She is independent. She is beautiful. She is curious. She is a joy. She is EVERYTHING that I ever dreamed of. She is my heart and soul. My song. My moon and stars. There is just something about a daughter...

As my great-grandmother, Lilliann McKenzie, would say..."She is something else."

measuring up.

Yesterday morning, I woke up in bed all by myself...no little ones beside me, and Jeb was gone too. I heard their voices in the playroom, so I climbed out of bed and headed that way. As I was walking through the living room I heard Jeb telling the kids how tall they were, so I knew that he was measuring them.
Then I heard the sweetest voice...."Oh daddy! Am I tall enough to be a ballerina?"
#priceless

a bit behind.

I cannot believe that I haven't posted in an entire month! I usually don't print off pictures and I don't do photo albums, so I use this blog as a family scrapbook...kind of like a photo journal for our family... And therefore I don't like to get behind. I already feel like a failure because I didn't do a post about our family cruise to Belize, Honduras, and Cozumel last summer or about our family ski trip to Keystone a couple of months ago. But then I guess that my blog is more than most people have time to do, so I must give myself some credit.

I absolutely LOVE pictures, so most of my posts consist of photos...and lots of them! This is the best way I have found to document our memories. I tried printing off a blog book, but because I post so many pictures, the formatting is off and the captions and spacing are not with the correct pictures. I tried re-formatting the blog book, but then it puts about four pictures per page and the book becomes hundreds of pages long (thus costing hundreds of dollars!). The blog book would be amazing...IF I posted mostly text instead of mostly pictures. Sooooo...if anyone has any suggestions or ideas for a blog book. I would really appreciate your input/suggestions. I may just have to purchase the digital copy of my blog on CD every year...to have for keeps (although I would prefer a hard copy, like a book).

Things have been busy the past few months. LilliAnn is becoming more independent, making for lots of bickering between her and Reid. Some days I feel like all I do is break up fights. I love that they are so close, but having kids two years apart sure does make for more arguing! Currently, they really enjoy working on letters and phonics. They both know the sound that every letter makes, and LilliAnn can write her name AND several letters on her own. Reid's strength seems to be math, and he loves playing NBA 2013 on the PS3 and adding the scores in his head. We're going to Walt Disney World in just two weeks for the kids' birthdays (I promise there will be a post on this!), so we've been watching lots of Disney movies...particularly Cinderella, Snow White, and Beauty & The Beast. I have everything booked and all reservations made (including Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, then dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table in the Cinderella Castle!)...we are ready to go!

I am mid-semester in the graduate level pharmacology class that I am helping teach, so all of my extra time is spent grading research discussions and narrating PowerPoints. I am really enjoying being adjunct faculty at the OU College of Nursing, but it takes a lot of time and it is really hard to work from home with two little ones. I would love to keep teaching, but I think after this semester I will hold off until the kids are older.

In other big news, my dad just expanded his business...meaning that as of May 1 he will begin operating all of the oil wells and managing all of the company. The office will move from Wewoka to Shawnee, and it is going to take all of us to help get things up and running. Since Jeb works for my dad and we own part of the family business, Kelly Cook Oil LLC, this is going to be a big deal for us too! It means lots more responsibility for my dad, but it is necessary to continue to strengthen our business. Most of our summer will consist of putting together an office and working out all of the kinks as we take on this new adventure! More on this to come later...

The next few weeks will be jam packed with Easter and packing for our trip, but I hope to keep up with the blog a little better this month!

a little spring break weekend.

Last weekend we celebrated the beginning of spring by spending a couple of days in Oklahoma City with our friends from Tulsa, Matt & Julie, and their two kids, Cash & Blair. We met at the OKC Zoo on Saturday morning and the weather could not have been more perfect! 

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Reid had a blast! He kept asking me to take pictures of him in different poses. Oh, and he informed me that his favorite animals were the tigers, lions, rhinos, snakes, and bears. 

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LilliAnn's favorite part was the playground! This girl LOVES to slide!!

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the BEST daddy.

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Reid gave me two thumbs up from the swan boat!

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precious boy...he's growing up so fast!

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This is my favorite image of the entire weekend. Her little curls were falling perfectly and I can just see the little wheels in her head turning through her eyes.

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"The knowingness of little girls is hidden underneath their curls."

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stylin' in her new Matilda Jane shorties

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"two cute" turtles!

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My best friend Kari and her niece Kylie spent the day with us as well!

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teepee! 

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He said, "Mom! Take a picture of me like this!"

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Of course we had to have a couple of souvenirs on our way out...Mr. Giraffe and Mr. Tiger are now members of our playroom!

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I loved getting to spend the day with two of my very best friends. The three of us have been friends for 18 years! We have stuck together through thick and thin...literally! 

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That evening we had dinner at Salt Grass and then headed to the hotel for some swimming. LilliAnn is doing really well in the water. She would go under water and try to swim a little and then say, "That was my very first lesson. Watch, mommy! I learned to swim in my very first lesson!"

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Buddies!

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Cannonball!!!! 

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Our little fish! Reid cannot get enough of the water and started swimming without floaties when he was just 3!  

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The next morning we went to Chuck E. Cheese's. The kids have been begging to got to Chuck E. Cheese for the past several months (thanks to all the commercials), so we finally caved and surprised them. They were ecstatic from the moment we pulled into the parking lot! 

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LilliAnn enjoyed the "rides," while Reid was more into all of the games...especially the one where you throw balls at the screen to hit targets (surprise, surprise). 

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While Reid and I were playing the ball throwing game, Chuck E. Cheese walked out. Reid's eyes lit up and he yelled, "Mom! Look!! Chuck E. Cheese is here! The REAL Chuck E. Cheese!" And he took off after him. He found LilliAnn and said, "Sissy! Look, it's Chuck E. Cheese! He will throw us free tickets like on the commercials!" Chuck E. Cheese played the "Cupid Shuffle" song and my kids immediately started doing the dance. I was shocked at how well they knew the moves. The were soooooo into it! 

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Our attempt at a Rollins/Rose Spreak Break 2013 pic!

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Next stop...The Science Museum of Oklahoma! I knew Reid was going to love the "Omniplex." We used to go here every year when I was in elementary school and I hadn't been in years. It was much smaller than I remembered (probably because I'm so much bigger now), and there were still some of the same exhibits. We went into the Planetarium to learn about the stars. Reid was in awe of the Milky Way and kept asking questions about it. Our favorite part of the Science Museum was the shadow room. The kids had a blast making all different kinds of silly shadows. And I liked taking pictures of them! 

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It was St. Patrick's day, so of course Lil and I would be wearing our green! 

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 Don't these boys make the cutest little astronauts?!

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Reid thought that this was the "best turkey sandwich ever!"

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What a fun, family weekend! I must say, we had a very successful SPRING BREAK!