Kaylee's 1st Grade Favorites

Well the first week of 1st Grade is over and we all managed to survive. The car pick-up lane is still going to be the longest part of our day but seeing Kaylee's face when we finally pull up makes it all worth it. I know that there will be a time when she does not want me to wave and smile in her general direction when picking her up so until them I am going to savor all the memories I can of her wanting all her friends to know I am her Mom and that she is happy to see me. I just love the moment when she sees that her Mom is there to get her because her eyes light up and a huge smile forms across her face. The minute Kaylee steps into the car Campbell says, "I missed you Kaylee". So sweet.

I had to post this picture with one of the things Kaylee is most excited about adding to her wardrobe for the year...her Sketchers, thanks Nana, who knew they were so popular?

I have asked Kaylee about her week and she has not had as long a list as last year so I decided to ask her a few questions...

1. What was your favorite part of the day? "sitting at my desk"

2. What do you like about your teacher so far? "that she is nice and laughs a lot"

3. What new friend did you meet? "Madison"

4. Who were you most excited to see? "Mrs. O (kindergarten teacher from last year), she gave me a hug and told me I looked cute as usual."

5. What were your top 5 favorite things about 1st grade so far?
" I loved my yellow locker in the hallway, my big girl desk (no more tables), the huge gym (I guess they went to the smaller one last year), meeting some new nice friends, and my teacher."

She did tell me later that she was excited that Mrs. T has a treasure box, like Mrs. O did last year, that they get to pick something out of it on Fridays as long as they have not pulled their slip all week. I asked how you keep from pulling your slip and she said, "I do not remember everything you just obey your teacher and do whatever she says."

She loves that the first graders get to go in the gym in the mornings before school and talk to their friends, unlike last year when they went to the movie room and were not suppose to talk. She said the only thing you cannot do in the gym is run around like a crazy person:-)

Also When I asked her if she saw any of her friends and how they were she said, "Mom, I don't know because we cannot talk in the halls." That's my girl the rule follower through and through.

I have to brag for just a moment...on the third day of school her teacher brought her to the car and told me what a joy Kaylee is to have in class. I said "Thank you". Then she proceeded to tell me that Kaylee had gotten a special treat for being the only student quietly waiting for her instruction while the others were not listening at all. Mrs. T also said that Kaylee is very helpful and polite to others. That makes a Mom proud.

As an added bonus I found out on Wednesday thanks to my friend Leslie that Kaylee was on the front page of the newspaper...she was in the background, but hey we made the news:-)

First Grade here we come!

Well we are back on schedule around our house. It is amazing what a difference school makes. This morning Cary went into Kaylee's room to wake her up which normally takes a few minutes but not today. She had hopped out of bed and was dressed before we turned around good with a big smile on her face. This is what a First Grader looks like:) I still cannot believe last year is gone and she is in 1st grade. I know I will too soon look back on this year and it will be a distant memory. First grade is already very different because we already have a homework assignment that we got at Meet the Teacher last Thursday. Nothing major but still homework before the first day of school. The biggest deal to Kaylee is that she has a locker in the hallway instead of in the classroom like last year. I am always amused at the things she gets excited about.







After getting dressed we were all off to McDonald's which was Kaylee's choosing for a good first day of school breakfast. All the employees made a big deal about it being her first day of school which made her giggle. Both girls chose the nutritious pancakes and sausage kids meal with milk. Neither one ate like they normally do. I think Kaylee was nervous about school and Campbell was still trying to wake up.








She did wake up enough to give this face before we left. I though the people beside us were going to hurt themselves laughing. (Our little comedian)








We arrived at school in time to take a few pictures before the school day started. This picture is of Kaylee and her sweet teacher "Mrs. T". I think Kaylee's teacher will be a perfect fit for her because she always seems to be smiling, is very up beat, and nurturing. She has a daughter Kaylee's age so she will understand all the crazy stuff they do and say too:) I have prayed for the past year to place her in the right teacher's class so I know that God is taking care of her.










Once Cary helped her get her backpack in her locker we took a few more pictures and left her in her classroom to start her day. She was grinning from ear to ear!

You will notice that Campbell had to take her backpack in the school too just like Kaylee. She looked so cute being such a little girl among all these big kids with backpacks. I think I did a better job preparing Campbell for Kaylee being left behind this year and she knows what to expect from last year. At least she did not scream for her and cry out the whole way out of the building which is definite progress. Once we got in the car and were all buckled we did hear a little voice from the backseat quietly say, "I miss Kaylee". Of course we had not even made it out of the parking lot yet:)










SWEET SISTERS!








Kaylee,

Dad and I pray that you have the best year ever and you excel at whatever you try. We want you to know that even when we are not there with you God is and He will watch over you. May you meet many more new friends and be kind to all as you always are with your tender heart. Most of all may God guard your heart against words and actions that can sometimes be cruel when we are not there to protect you. We want you to grow in knowledge and in character throughout the year. May you be a blessing to all who meet you. You are our princess and we love you so much!

Love,
Dad & Mom

Mini-Vacation Day 1

Well we just got back from our Mini-vacation before school starts for both of the girls and things get a little crazy around here. We left on Wednesday morning and drove to Fossil Rim Wildlife Park which was only about a little over two hour trip. The girls were so excited to be going on an adventure.

It was so much fun to drive through the park and look at the girls' faces as each animal came up to the car begging for food. There were so many beautiful animals to see. Kaylee enjoyed reading the names and description on each animal from the brochure as we came upon them. This turned out to be a fun game for us all to play. It is breathtaking to see so many things God created in this setting. From each animal to the views, it is all a true treat for the eyes.












I think this ostrich wanted to stick its neck in the car and take a ride with us.









There were a lot of different breeds of deer a long the path. Some were even tame enough to let you touch them.























We thought this picture was too funny. The car had their sunroof open and the giraffe was just making itself at home to get some food.









After about 1 1/2 hours of driving we got to the midway point and ate at the restaurant called The Lookout. I am sure you can see why from the picture. The view is so pretty!


Next we decided to go check out the Petting Zoo. There were turtles, goats, birds, and sheep. Both girls enjoyed brushing the hair on the goats and petting them a lot. In this same area there is also a Gift Shop which had very reasonably priced souvenirs. Kaylee got binoculars and a stuffed cheetah and Campbell got binoculars and a stuffed monkey. (Campbell's favorite movie to watch right now is Monkey Trouble which is an old Disney movie I happened to record off the TV about a month ago, thus the monkey choice.) All that to say we spent less then $20 total in the gift shop Yeah!!


After that brief intermission we were off again to take in the rest of the park. There is an amazing cheetah reserve at the Wildlife Center also. It was so neat to watch them interacting with each other and just roam around.





















The Rhino was our last stop on the tour. We did get to see an ostrich scare off a few deer because she wanted all the leftover food to herself. Who knew an ostrich could make such a scary noise.

We next left the park and headed to Granbury to buy Kaylee a life jacket since I did not realize hers did not fit till the night before and we were planning on going to the river the next day:) On our little drive around town we happened upon one of our favorite restaurants, Babe's, so of course we had to stop and eat dinner there before heading to the Inn to check in for the night.

Today was a wonderful day that I think the four of us will remember for a long time. We could not have asked for better weather in August or better behaved daughters. Thank you Lord for letting us enjoy the wonders of your creation and make wonderful memories together.

Scroll down for Day2...

Mini-Vacation Day 2

I have to start off by saying that my sweet friend, Lindi, recommended the Country Woods Inn
and she was right on the money! If you ever spend the night in Glen Rose, TX you must try to stay here. I picked the Saddle House for us to stay in for two nights since it was near the animals. We loved it!! They warn that the ceiling is low and they are right...if you are over 6 feet tall you will probably want to stay in one of the other options, there are several to choose from. Upon our arrival Wednesday night we were surprised to find all the things that the owner had thought of. There was a children's book about the local Dinosaur Valley State Park on the girls bed, several family board games to play, a television
with Direct TV which we turned on at night to watch the Olympics, a full kitchen, our own outdoor fire pit, a brochure on the names and description of all the animals in the barnyard (along with food to feed most animals at the barnyard area), and a list of several outdoor games at the main house you can play in the yard. Can you say wonderfully accommodating for families? Amazing! The girls had to immediately go feed the horses the minute we got there the night before. (Thanks again Lindi for the tip on taking carrots.) Kaylee was so excited to be able to pet and feed the horses up close. Campbell was just happy that there was a Momma horse (Gracie) and a baby horse (Grayson).















On Thursday we decided to have no real schedule and sleep as late as the girls would allow and relax. Since the Inn only offers breakfast in the Barn on the weekends we took our own food to enjoy. By the time we all got ready to go to Dinosaur Valley State Park it was almost 11 o'clock so we made a stop by Subway for some sandwiches and packed a few other snacks to take with us. Kaylee and Campbell both loved exploring for dinosaur tracks along the riverbed. I could not help but think of Kaylee's friend, Emma, who has always loved dinosaurs while we were there. (Especially when we passed the Dinosaur World Museum on the way to the park.) After finding several tracks in one area we drove on to another where there was a park and a little easier access to the river.






Kaylee could not wait to get in the river. Let's just say that I am glad I did not take the camera with me because it probably would have been broken one of the times Cary, Kaylee, Campbell, or I slipped and fell in the river. Who knew those river rocks were so slippery? At least no one else saw us because we were the only ones in our area of the river. We did manage to get a few good laughs at ourselves though. It only took Campbell falling once to determine that she was not very good at the river...which she repeated any time we were walking through the water which was a lot. Once we had our fill of slipping, exploring the tracks, and a little swimming we went back up to the park and had a wonderful picnic lunch. There was a great swing set and climbing rock wall for the girls to play on along with plenty of shade for the picnic.

Once our fun was over at the park we went to the local sno-cone stand for a nice cool treat. On the way back to the cabin we took a quick detour to the chapel located on the property for all guests to use. This picture is the view as you walk in the front door. It was such a hidden gem in the woods. I could imagine really feeling the hands of God upon you in this place.














Then we went back to the cabin to shower and play some games together. Right as we were about to roast hotdogs in the fire pit it started to rain so we had to settle for some microwave hotdogs instead. Luckily we had made smores on the fire the night before so we did not miss cooking outside all together. The rest of the evening was spent giggling, watching the olympics, and enjoying Nim's Island on DVD. Both of our girls went to sleep very quickly tonight because they had worn themselves out with all the adventures of the day. Thank you Lord for another wonderful day together to take in all of the wonderful family moments and especially the sounds of Kaylee and Campbell giggling with delight.

Scroll down for Day 3...

Mini-Vacation Day 3

Waking up the last day was a little bittersweet. It was sad to leave our private farm where we had encountered so many wonderful things. The only thing that got the girls to leave with no tears was the promise of a circus waiting for us in Ft. Worth. After having a quick breakfast we all went to feed the animals one more time and say a final goodbye to the geese, goats, sheep, rooster, hens, cat (Peanut), and of course our favorites Gracie and Grayson (the horses) we were off.
















The drive to Ft. Worth was only a little over an hour so it went by very quickly. I think the longest part was Cary trying to find a parking space in downtown Ft.Worth on a Friday morning. Luckily he let us off at the Convention Center so we could get to our seats. Let's just say we had taken a bathroom break, gotten popcorn, drinks, cotton candy, and clown hats long before Cary ever entered the building. He only missed the first 15 minutes which I suppose was not too bad. Campbell had never been to a Ringling Bros. Circus so I was very excited to see what she thought of it. She loved it! There was so much action going on that she did not even move much. Kaylee of course loved it too because she remembers going before so she knew what to expect. From the moment we hit the door Kaylee was looking for Bello the Clown. Speaking of clowns, here are my two cute clowns. They both have really enjoyed these hats. The circus was wonderful and always makes you feel like a kid again no matter what your age. This is one of those things that I always look forward to as a parent...the magic of the circus.







On the way to the car we walked by the Ft. Worth Water Gardens so we took another opportunity for a picture of our precious girls.
Then we went to the Purple Cow for a bite to eat before making the trip back to Abilene. The girls were so quiet on the way home so I know that meant they had a great vacation and so did Cary and I. We are definitely looking forward to going back to the Country Woods again, maybe in the Spring. This vacation was a true gift to each of us and I look forward to many years of family vacations in the future.

Wonderful Weekend!

On Saturday our friends Traci and Kylie finally came to A-Town for a long overdue visit:) I do not know which girls were more excited to see each other me and Traci or Kylie and Kaylee. We ran out the door to greet them as soon as they arrived. After a quick tour of the house kaylee took Kylie on a more indepth tour of her room and the playroom with Campbell following along of course. She loved getting to play with Kylie too. Once they got a chance to breathe Kaylee and Kylie stayed with Cary with the rest of us girls ran to the local United for a few things for lunch and dinner. Campbell loved having Traci along for the ride because she let her take her backpack along with attached lunchbox and baby doll in the store with us. We returned to find our daughters laughing and talking away just like old times. Seems like they got that from their mothers:) After a great lunch prepared by my sweet husband and putting Campbell down for a nap we ran around town to show Traci and Kylie some of our favorite spots.

Our first stop was to Cajun Cones to show them what a truly delicious sno-cone tastes like. The girls had so much fun deciding on a flavor since there are about 50 to pick from. After that we went to the Jacob's Dream sculpture at ACU which is amazing to look at. There are so many details that went into this exhibit. The girls especially enjoyed dipping their feet into the waterfall which can be used as a baptistry:) That is allowed right? Once we were done exploring the sculpture I took Traci by the famous Sonic referrred to by my friend Courtney in one of her recent entries. Next we were off to do some shopping at a few of my favorite spots, Under One Roof, Steinmart, and Junk Warehouse. Since the girls had been such good sports we took them to the mall only to find out that our Build a Bear knock-off store had closed so they graciously settled for a Webkinz from the Hallmark. Thus concluded our brief tour of Abilene.

The girls spent the rest of the evening swimming and having fun together, they were even nice enough to include Campbell. I just loved these two pictures of the girls because they were having so much forth to each other one at the top of the slide and the other one in the water. Pure joy!

After all the swimming it was time for bed...the girls were so excited to be having a sleepover together. Can you tell from the picture? Such cute friends. They must have been really tired because they went to sleep with minimal talking and giggling:) Of course, Campbell really wanted to have a sleepover too but she settled for me taking a picture of her instead. What a sweet little face.

The next morning we all got up and went to church. The girls seemed to have a lot of fun together in class. One of our good friends sat at the table in our class so of course I introduced him to Traci and he said, "You must be from Sachse!" To which Traci replied, "Yes" and he went on to say that Kylie had told them in children's church that she was visiting from Sachse which we thought was too funny:)

Thank you Traci and Kylie for making the trek to Abilene to spend some time with us. We all enjoyed your visit and are looking forward to you bringing the whole family in the Fall sometime. We have to go to the Children's Museum and the Zoo just to name a few spots. It is so nice to have friendships that you can just pick up where you left off last as if no time has passed at all. We love you!