Spelling

Today we were in the car on the way to Lori's aunt's pool to swim with some friends (Our weekly ritual if we are in town.) and Kaylee was talking away. All of a sudden she asked if S-T-O-P spelled stop. Yes, I said a little surprised since we were on the highway with no signs around that said Stop. Then she asked if Z-O-O spelled Zoo. We had not gotten to the zoo sign yet either. She spelled three more words before we got to the pool. I am taking this as a sign that we should start practicing our reading for a little challenge. We will see how that goes.

Dallas Bound

Yes, you are reading this correctly I am finally blogging about the weekend. Well my parents came to Abilene on Friday afternoon so Cary and I could enjoy a kid free weekend with our precious friends. Luckily the Ownbys had shipped their children to grandparents too so we really did get to visit without interruptions.

My main goal on Saturday was to find fabric for curtains in three of our rooms in the new house and since Interior Alternatives was having a sale it was the perfect time. (The boys goal was to play as much golf as possible before dinner.) The best part is my sweet friend Stephanie is going to make them for me. She and I had so much fun going to the fabric stores. I even managed to get fabric for two of the rooms. Of course before any fabric shopping started we went to Super Target for shopping and Starbucks since I have been having withdrawals. Then we fit in lunch at Snuffers which appeased my cheese fry craving for now.(I am sure the 15 pounds I have lost is back now but well worth it.) We ended the shopping with a trip to Kohl's and a wonderful spa pedicure after being on our feet all day. The hot stones they use are Heavenly and I think my girl gave me an extra long leg massage. Saturday night I had arranged to get couples from our small group together for a late Birthday celebration for Cary. We went to P.F. Changs and sat with women on one end of the table and men on the other. The food was delicious especially my mongolian beef! It was so nice to be able to talk without distractions. Once dinner was over my sweet friend Amy asked us all to come over for cake and games. Of course we just ended up talking till midnight and laughing at the silly things in life. When we returned to the Ownbys to sleep I kept thinking that it was so nice to be "home" even if it was just for a little bit.

Sunday we went to church and got to see a lot of our precious friends in class. I expected to feel a little out of place since it has been a while but I did not. We sat in our usual back row seats and enjoyed the lesson. Good job Chris:) After church we went to La Hacienda Ranch with the Kniffens, Ownbys, and Mike before heading back to Abilene. It was so nice to catch up with them too. Their precious girl had gotten so big and with another baby on the way it just seems like time has flown. It was a great weekend with life long friends.

We were greeted by the girls when we got home. They were so excited to see us both. My parents even appeared to be in one piece and not look too tired. I am so glad we all had a good weekend.

Anyone have an extra $1 or $50,000??

I just saw this listing on ebay and had to blog about it. Matthew McConaughey's 1971 Corvette convertible is listed on eBay with all proceeds going to the Oprah Angel Network. Anyway I was thinking if a few hundred or thousand of us pitch in we could by the car and share it. I know it is a long shot but I just adore him as an actor and fellow Texan. Of course I am just kidding but wouldn't it be fun!! (and yes, my wonderful husband knows I adore Matthew)

A Wonderful Random Happening

On Monday I was sitting playing with the kids and the phone rang. On the other end was one of my bridesmaids and best friends from college Angie. I knew that her family lived here and had seen her a few times at PC but we had lost touch...one of the things I do not like about leaving college. She had seen in the ACU Today that we had moved to Abilene so she decided to look us up while she was in town visiting family. It was so good to hear her voice and catch up a little on the phone. We enjoyed it so much that I called her back to book a dinner date with her. It was so much fun to talk at Chilis and find out what we had both been doing over the past few years. There is something to treasure about the friends that you can not talk to every day, month, or even year and still pick up where you left off. I think some others have blogged about this in the past week and it is so true. This is definitely on the list of treasures I have gotten from the move here. I am looking forward to getting together often now when she is in town to talk, laugh, and just enjoy time together.

Thanks for calling Angie, Love ya:)

Quick Trip

Well the girls and I made a quick trip to Waco on Tuesday to surprise Nana for her Birthday. On the way we passed the movie theatre and Kaylee said,"I think Nana would like to take me to a movie for her Birthday". We will see. Then we continued on our journey. The look on her face when we walked through the door of her work was worth all the stops we had to make on the way. After making the rounds at her office and seeing all of her sweet friends Nana made a quick exit for the rest of the day at the urging of her co-workers. She really works with the most amazing people:) We went to Jason's Deli and Papa met us there so he could see the girls too. After Papa's afternoon appointment was cancelled the girls got to spend the afternoon with both of them while I ran a few Birthday errands. As soon as I walked in the door Nana and Kaylee left to go see The Wild, Kaylee sure knows how to get Nana to do anything for her. I am sure that My Mom had that at the top of the list for her Birthday. While Nana and Kaylee were gone Papa, Great PaPaw , Campbell, and I had fun playing and talking. That night we all went to Cotton Patch for a Birthday dinner. Poor Campbell who will only nap in her bed went to sleep in the car on the way. As soon as we entered the restaurant she popped that head up though and was ready to eat. Needless to say after a quick bath I had two girls that were ready for the bed.

Kaylee and Nana had a funny conversation on the way home from dinner and it went something like this...Nana, "Kaylee why are you sad?" Kaylee, "You are going to go to heaven soon and I do not want you to leave yet because I love you." Nana, "I do not think I am going anywhere right now." Kaylee, "I think you are." ( with a very sad face) Later that night Kaylee and I had a little talk. Me, "Kaylee why do you think Nana is going to Heaven soon?" Kaylee, "Well every year she gets older and when you get old you get sick and tha only way to make you well is to go to Heaven and be with God." Me, "Kaylee we never know when God is going to call us home to be with him but it is a happy place and our family will be there too." Kaylee, "That's good Mom." I never know what is going to come out of that sweet little mouth of hers. A lot of times like today I am amazed:)

On Wednesday We enjoyed some time with Nana and Great Papaw before Nana had to go to work. She even went to Burger King and got Kaylee some Cini Minis for breakfast. A little before lunch Papa came home bringing Lunch from McDonalds for the girls and Burger King for us. Right after lunch we began the journey home. What a great 24 hour trip!

On the way home I noticed the hospitality of the country. On the drive from Abilene to Waco you are on a highway that consists of two lanes. It is nice to see all the farmland and realize that there still are open plains and rolling hills. Living in Dallas you feel like every inch of land is being used and we are running out of space. It was nice to be reminded of the country. (Not that I do not love every inch of Dallas when it comes to shopping.) Also you pass cars and they wave at you, therefore you have to drive at all times with one hand on top of the steerring wheel to be able to wave. Something about that is comforting. The best is to see an old farm truck or tractor with an older gentleman in it and know that they have farmed their whole lives and have such a sweet way about them. It is also nice to have people pull over to let you pass. I suggest a little drive in the country to make you relax and see the beauty anytime. There are a lot of cute Texas towns off the beaten path. Just a little bit of hospitality in the country.

Birthday Weekend

It has just been a nice weekend. It has been a while since we have really had nothing to do so it was good to rest some. Notice I said "some". Cary was suppose to go fishing on Friday and Saturday with some guys from church but decided not to after considering heat and having to drive by himself since his friend Lance could not go at the last minute due to work. So instead of fishing on Saturday Cary worked on his old car (yes, it made the move), put latches on some of the cabinets to keep Campbell out, and mowed the yard. I think he should have gone fishing. I went to Sam's and Wal-Mart with Kaylee in the mean time and Campbell took a long nap. After returning home Lyndy called to see if I wanted to go to a movie with her...of course. We saw the Lake House which I thought was very good. It was so nice to just enjoy an adult movie with a good friend. Since I got home at 9:30pm Cary and I decided to watch Two for the Money that I had rented on Friday. It was pretty good, but anything with Matthew McConaughey is never bad.

Today we have enjoyed church and My Sweet Husband's 30th Birthday!! I can finally say we are both in our thirties. I cooked roast for lunch so we could have a quiet family meal at home. Of course, Kaylee helped me pick out a cake yesterday at the store for her Daddy and was very upset with me when I did not get the Bakery to put "Happy Birthday Daddy Love, Kaylee Nicole Beard". I thought that was too funny. I tried to explain that all those words would not fit but there are times when you cannot reason with a four year old. I think by the time we got home she had forgiven me though. Anyway the cake was delicious. It was great just to be together on Cary's special day. Of course the girls enjoyed it almost as much as Cary I think.

Kaylee loved helping Daddy blow out the candles.

Campbell enjoyed the cake...my baby has one sweet tooth just like her Big Sister and Daddy:)


Well I am now going to mop the floor from Campbell's fun and watch a sappy Lifetime movie while the girls are sleeping. Cary is reading his birthday present which was Jamie Newberg's Baseball books he publishes each year about the Rangers and their season. The 1999-2006 editions should keep my husband busy reading for a while.

Cary-
Happy Birthday!! Thanks for being such a wonderful husband and father to our precious girls.I cannot wait to celebrate many more milestone birthdays with you. We love you more than words for the Christian example you are each day and for just being you.

~Your Three Girls~

I am so excited Blogger actually let me post three pictures!

Overdue Post:)

WARNING: This may be a long one since we have been too busy to post lately.

Kaylee got back from a few days of spoiling with my parents and grandfather last Saturday. She managed to talk Papa into going to see CARS with her on Wednesday and they both had a lot of fun. Kaylee said they got all kids of treats to eat while watching the movie. I love watching the two of them together...it really takes me back to when I was small. I believe it was the next day when she talked Nana and Great PaPaw into going to see Ice Age the Meltdown. Nana said she and Great PaPaw had fun laughing at each other and the movie. I would have given anything to have been there to watch them. I remember doing so many things with my grandparents like vacations, getting picked up for an ice cream treat, and just being the center of their attention for a while. It is nice to have Great PaPaw around for the girls to enjoy too. Another day I called and Kaylee and Nana were going swimming at a friend's house. I would love to know how she got Nana to get in the pool. I suppose with her all it takes is a little begging from the right person. Nana also informed me that Kaylee would not get anything for herself unless they got something for Campbell too even though Campbell was not there. I think someone adores her sister. The feeling is mutual though. After lunch on Saturday at the Dairy Queen we went back home to get some rest before a week of church and VBS started.

The VBS here started on Sunday night and was every night through Wednesday. Kaylee had so much fun! They studied the story of Bethlahem. She was a little confused as the why they heard the same story every night when she could remember it. I thought that was too funny. . One of her favorite things they did was the stick horse races. She said that she beat everyone that she raced. I think she gets her competitive streak from her Daddy which is good most of the time. She is also very determined which I think comes from me and is good most of the time too. As you can see in the picture she is running her little heart out. The next thing she talked about was the Marketplace and making things in the different booths. Her favorites were the wooden hammer, the colorful star shown in the picture, and her leather headband also seen in the picture. Each day she woke up excited to go back. I pray that she never looses her zest and love for the Lord. What a wonderful few days for her. She remindes me each day that the Lord blessed us with each other and our family. So sweet:)

Before VBS wednesday night some of my friends and I went to the park for Dorothy's 30th Birthday. Her husband was out of town so we let the kids play while we talked a little and ate some pizza and cupcakes. All the kids had a wonderful time and I actually found a park in Abilene with shade so you do not burn up. We will definitely be visiting this park again.

On Thursday Kaylee had her last gymnastics lesson for the summer but will start again in the fall. It is so fun to see her trying to learn everything while she is there. Campbell has done really well too considering she justs sits with me and watches for the hour Kaylee is performing. You are allowed to leave them but I wanted her to get use to the surroundings and teachers first. I may leave to get a drink next year we will see.

Last week went by so fast...I cannot wait to see what this week brings.

Fun Times:)

Tonight was great!! I finally got to see precious baby Ella when I took dinner to Matt, Melissa, and Aidan. She was sleeping so peacefully. (kinda like Campbell the past few days) It is already hard to believe that Campbell was ever that small and even harder to remember Kaylee being that little. Where has the time gone? I find myself asking this question more and more each day about both of my girls. Before I turn around good Kaylee will be in school...I cannot even think about that.

The next stop was BUNKO at Lori's house. I must say that I did much better than the last time. Somehow I came home with the most BUNKO prize which was money, a pretty cup with scripture on it, and some of the delicious leftover salad. I will have to go to Lori's more often:) The cup and salad were not part of the prize. Thanks again Lori for being such a gracious hostess. It is so nice to get together with a wonderful group of Christian women to have fun and be uplifted.

Reunion & Home

After a very long trip visiting Cary's Mom"s side of the family we are HOME!! (Well all except for Kaylee who went to Nana and Papa's for a few days of spoiling.) We went to a family reunion and lets just say I have every tumbleweed, mesquite bush, and Dairy Queen memorized. It was good to visit with Cary's grandmother and great- grandmother along with his 7 other aunts and uncle along with their families. There was a lot of eating, visiting, picture taking, and card playing during the 3 days we were there. It is always nice to catch up if only for a little bit. I tried to post pictures but blogger was not cooperating.

Here are a few tidbits from the trip:

1. While we were driving through Clarendon we wondered where our friends from Dallas were staying. Right as we were driving by the only decent hotel (unless you count the It'll Do Motel) in town we saw the Ownbys coming out of the hotel they were staying in for their family reunion. What are the odds? God must have known that I really needed to see my friends and get some hugs if only for a moment.

2. Campbell did not sleep much at all on the trip. (Let's just say my daughter loves her bed and sleeping without her parents and sister in the room.) Since we have been back she has slept about 19 of the 24 hours in a day. I think someone is tired.

3. Cary had to drive his Mom to the emergency room due to infected ant bites which the EMT thought were spider bites at first. She is okay now.

4. When you have ten children it makes for a huge family reunion.

5. Dary Queen is the slowest restaurant in Aspermont, well I think it is the only restaurant in Aspermont.

6. With a DVD player in the car and Landrea (Cary's sweet baby sister) a 12 hour round trip is bearable.

7. We finally got to meet our new neice Chenna...who already seemed so big to me at 4 months. Kaylee had a great time playing with her cousins too.

We were driving back on the Fourth so no exciting plans for us. The girls barely ate they were so tired and went straight to bed. There really is no place like HOME after a trip. Of course now I am doing laundry and putting things away.

Blogger finally let me post one picture from the weekend.