Spring 2014

We have been busy busy busy in the Ratliff house!  Lots of fun and exciting things!  Connor and Cole are in their last month of school for the year and Caroline is growing every second of every day!  We do have some big news…and NO it’s not another baby!  LOL!  Jason received a full scholarship to Chandler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta to complete his Master’s of Divinity Degree.  We are thrilled, though very sad to leave our home in Bristol and all the friends and family that we love.  We are projected to serve a United Methodist Church in Toccoa, GA, called Prospect UMC and we could not be more thrilled!  Jason’s program is 3 years long and then we will return to the Holston Conference (where we are now).  We will miss everyone so much, but are so excited to see what God has in store for us!  He is CERTAINLY making the way very easy for us.  Our last day at Munsey will be June 15th.  Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on this crazy journey, called life, in which was have already been blessed beyond measure!  Praise the Lord!  (Oh and for those of you who know how much I love it up here and are thinking I’ll be sad to leave the mountains…Toccoa is in the most mountainous area of Georgia and you can see them from where we will be living!)  WOO HOO!!!!!!  We have been praying about health insurance and a solution to Jason’s vehicle issue and God has already answered our prayers about insurance – what a blessing!  Ok…Enjoy these pictures…

The Ratliff Kids on 3/19 at Daddy’s Office

This is Caroline and I at Bristol Bounce on 3/20

 

After bouncing, I took the boys to eat Chick-Fil-A and Cole decided to join his friends (who we didn’t know) for lunch.  That boy LOVES making friends

“Angry Sissy” on 3/20

3/21

3/21 Sissy and her Daddy

3/22 with Miss Dreama and Miss Judy at Bounce

Fun with hair bows

3/23 with their cousins at Mamaw’s 80th Birthday Party

3/25 at 29 weeks old

3/26

With Miss Renee (my co-leader of life group)

This next one is a comparison I did – Caroline on the left and me, at the same age, I think – on the right (with my grandpa)

This one is me on the left and Caroline on the right

My grocery-shopping buddy on 3/28

3/30 – 7 months old

Selfie

3/31 Mommy’s Gator Girl

4/1

Cole at 2 years and 7 months

4/1

Another comparison shot – this is Cole on the right and Jason’s Uncle Randy, at about the same age, I think – on the left

Happy Sissy on 4/4

On 4/5 we headed down to Toccoa, GA to check out our “prospective” church and church family!  This was sissy’s first hotel stay!

She loves her Connor

At church on 4/6, at 31 weeks old

4/7 – she started eating her feet…

4/8

4/10 – this is how I found Connor when I came out of Cole’s room….

4/11, playing with JoJo, after dinner

4/12 at Camden’s birthday party – Connor, riding the car with Camden and Lincoln from his class at school

Party Princess Caroline

Spring is here!

Cole, dancing with his palm branch on Palm Sunday

Sissy on 4/13 at 32 weeks old

Palm Sunday is exhausting!

All of my babies at 7 months old

On 4/16 I went with Connor on a special field trip, with his class, to a farm!

Harper on the horse!

Connor’s first horse ride!

Mrs. Jones’ Fabulous 4’s!

On the hay ride!

Shopping with Mommy & JoJo on 4/17

Annual Egg Hunt at Munsey! 4/19

Cole was VERY concerned about the big scary Easter Bunny he kept seeing, walking around….

The boys, all dressed for Easter Sunday 4/20/14

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL Holy Week services at Munsey!  I am going to miss our church family SO MUCH, but am SO excited to see what blessings God has in store for us at our next church!

Sissy in her Easter dress from Miss Amy (Amy sent me this from Italy when I found out Caroline was a girl!  It was the first dress I ever received for her and she was BEAUTIFUL in it!)

After church on Sunday, we headed to Papaw’s house in Big Stone Gap to celebrate Easter with the Ratliff’s.  Sissy realized that her new favorite person is Uncle Nick.  I have never seen her take to anyone like she took to him.  She just coo’d and goo’d and LOVED on him the whole time we were there!

Caroline and mamaw at the Ratliff Egg Hunt!

Cousins

Connor and Cousin Ashley!

Just a little over a month until she’s officially “Aunt Ashley”!  We are SO excited!

Sissy and her Papaw

On 4/21, Daddy surprised us and took us to Dollywood!  We had a fabulous time!

Sissy and I waited while Daddy took the boys on their first water ride, EVER!

Apparently, every time Cole got wet he screamed, “NO! My Captain Merka’ shirt is ruined!”

Connor and I decided to brave this ride and he LOVED it!

Playing with their Jesus and the Disciples figures they got for Easter. 

Well, there you have it, friends.  The Ratliffs’ last 2 months.  Hope you are all well and please come see us in Toccoa…we met some of the sweetest people EVER when we visited!