New Orleans

This weekend we took the whole family to New Orleans to spend time with Aunt Bean, Silly Uncle Martin, Tripp, Ashton and baby Liam.  To say that we had a great time would be an understatement.  The kids got along great and I rarely heard a cross word.  The adults got two nights out on the town and I think that I gained at least 5 pounds from the amount of food and drink that I consumed!

Friday night was special because my dad's sister, Aunt Ginger, and her husband, Uncle Tom, were in town for a convention.  They came to the house, played with the kids for a bit and then we had a great dinner catching up and hearing old stories as well.

Saturday was a bit rainy but that didn't stop us!  We headed down to the aquarium where the kids had a blast!   I took a couple of pictures on my phone (so excuse the quality):

everyone is in love with Ashton!!

waiting patiently for the aquarium to open

Loving Tripp's pose here!

  The shark tank (you can kinda see one of the sharks in the back).  Cheese!

Where is the shark?

We love New Orleans!!!

After the aquarium, the kids and moms rode the street car (a fun, but long ride because of all the stops!) to Tripp's favorite place to eat - New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood.  I can't speak for the seafood, but the hamburgers were great!  Martin's dad met us for lunch which was also a special treat for everyone.

Ann Park on the street car

Sam on the street car

Woo hoo!

Tripp and Ann Park eating at a table by themselves!  So cute

Ward loved just about everything and is already asking me when we are going back!

Also on Saturday, Ted's sister Julie was sweet enough to drive over with her two kids (they live about 45 minutes away) and spend some times with the kids.  Ward loved seeing John Benton and Ann Park wants to be Ann Margaret, I think!  I just hope that she is as sweet to the younger kids as Ann Margaret is!

Saturday ended with a walk down Bourbon Street (adults only!) and an amazing dinner at Irene's.  I will go out on a limb and put that dinner in one of my top 5 favorites.  Delicous food, great wine, and the company was okay too!  This morning we packed and played at the park before we had to come back home.  A quick trip, but well worth it to see the bonds between cousins expanding and the wonderful memories made.

Soccer

Ann Park had a great time this weekend at the soccer festival.  Ted is her coach and she is really starting to understand the game.  Her skills are improving each time I see her play.  Like father, like daughter.  It is so great to see the two of them spending such quality time together too.  Another mom took some great pictures of the last game and I thought that I would share a few!

About to start the game

Dribbling to the goal!

taking it by this girl . . .

one more girl to pass!

and she scores!!! (although you can't see it in this picture, she did!)

running to give daddy a high five!

yes!

Awake

Ann Park woke up crying about an hour and a half ago.  I guess she had a bad dream . . . I couldn't really understand what was wrng, but she went back to sleep.  I, on the other hand, am still awake.  So many things running through my mind.

Of course the adoption is always at the top of the list.  As you all know, this week has been hard for me.  And hte last two days I have had a bunch of tennis matches and my sweet teammates have been asking me about it, so I have been talking a lot, which always brings it to the forefront of my mind.  When I don't have people ask about it, I can kinda put it in the back of my brain and just let it go.  But when I talk about it a lot it seems to consume my thoughts.  And then I read on Facebook that the family that was ahead of us in line left for Russia today to meet their little girl and another family is coming home with their son.  I know that I should be happy because that means that we are only that much closer, but I don't want to get my hopes up again.  I mean, it has been almost EIGHT months since we were registered in Vlad.  The normal timing for a referral is six months.  I guess there is really nothing normal about adoption though.   Thinking about all this just depresses me.

Instead, I am really trying to focus on my faily right now and especially on Sam.  He has been sick fr about 5 weeks with a bad cold and has been really needy.  He started running a fever yesterday and after a trip to the doctor we got him on some meds for a sinus infection.  After only three doses of medication, I can tell a difference which is good.  But even without the cold, he is all over me these days.  He doesn't want anything to do with Ted and is being very jealous of Ward and Ann Park.  Last night he even pushed Ann Park out of my lap and told her "No!  My mama."  Of course, this is just another confirmation that God knows what he is doing.  Sam is clearly not ready to be a middle child.  It is going to be a hard adjustment for him and the older he is, the better.  And it doesn't hurt that I am putting him in MDO five days a week next year!

Also running through my heads are thoughts on our construction.  I love it all and am so excited.  I will try to take some pictures over the weekend to post.  Hampton and I went shopping yesterday for porch furniture and some bedroom furniture and things are really coming together.  I am starting to see it and I can also see hw our family is going to use the space and it makes me happy!

Alright, I am going to try to get some sleep.  Hope no one else is awake right now.  Maybe Angela is up feeding Landon and I provided her with some reading material!

Easter Weekend (WARNING: Long post)

We had a great Easter.  It was jam-packed full of activities and the kids had a blast.  They were out of school on Thursday, Friday and Monday so that made it extra fun for them.

On Thursday morning I took the kids down to Grey Rocks.  Both my sisters and their families were down there for the entire Easter weekend and I could not resist getting together with them for a few days.  We had to come home on Friday afternoon, but they all had a great time together.  Definitely a preview of what is to come on the Upchurch family vacation to Palmetto Bluff at the end of next month!

Ann Park and Tripp have the best time together!

But she also loves herself some Ashton!

Sam and Tripp singing some tunes

Ashton and Sam playing

Cher Cher feeding Billy

Ward and Louise

Sam and Sampson

Tripp driving the mule!

Hope in the pick-up truck

Pushing Ashton on the four-wheeler

The beloved rock pile!

Louise in her favorite attire - her chicken costume!!

Ann Park loves posing in hats!!!

Sam in Louise's chicken outfit

After we left on Friday, we rushed home and had dinner with Grandmom since we would not be with her over Easter.  (She went to visit Julie in Louisiana.)  Saturday was pretty typical - it started with soccer for Ann Park and then for Ward.  But then we had to rush to the Mountain Brook Club for the annual Easter Egg hunt.  The kids had a blast and Sam even took his picture with the Easter Bunny!

Saturday afternoon we rested and then had some of our cousins over for dinner.  Sunday morning we woke up to goodies from the Easter bunny.  Sam didn't really know what was going on, but he sure loved his candy and his Toy Story toys!  Oh and I promise that I feed Ward.  He truly looks like he is starving in the pictures without his shirt on!!

Star Wars clock!

Legos!!!

Peeps!  Ward's favorite (and they make me gag!!)

Look! Look!

After some quick showers, we headed to 8:30 Mass.  It was packed (as to be expected) but we got our usual seat on the third row.  Mass is a little longer at Easter but the kids did remarkably well for an hour and 20 minute service.  After Mass they had the church Easter Egg hunt, with more candy (but also a lot of stickers, rings, bracelets and other trinkets).  Then we came home and got some pictures of the kids in their nice outfits.  (We tried to do this after Mass but Ann Park would not cooperate - go figure.)    Ann Park wore a gorgeous handmade gown passed down to her from her godparents.

Sam's face in this picture cracks me up!

Ann Park and her beloved Abagail!  Thanks Cher Cher for a great Easter gift!

We ended Easter on a high note as well.  We had an Easter egg hunt at Lynn and Bryan's house.  The younger cousins got to play and the adults watched (or should I say tried to watch) the Masters.  Everyone had a great time.  The kids were so exhausted (as was I) and I was really glad that they got to stay home on Monday and just get things back to normal! 

We had to get a couple of group shots before the egg hunt!

Counting Sam's eggs (not sure what Ward is doing in this picture!)

Mama and Sam (who is never far from my feet these days!)

Ann Park and Katelynn