My 4 day long Birthday!!

What a wonderful 33rd Birthday I had!! Fun times with friends, good food, and great fellowship. Who could ask for more?

Last Thursday was my actual Birthday. I was expecting just another day at work, but boy did I get surprised. One of my sweet friends, Lindi, whose children do not even attend my school walked in with a wonderful Christian CD she had burned for me with her favorite songs for my road trip later that day. It was such a thoughtful and totally unexpected gift. Then in walked another dear friend, Julie, with some delicious Starbucks coffee. What a treat!! It was just what I needed to start the day off right. Campbell's teacher Tiffani even sent me some miniature Snickers for a treat. The day then continued as normal until lunch when my friend Stephanie got me some yummy Chinese food for lunch. Next I walked into the media center and my Secret Sister had left me some thimbprint cookies. They are always delicious!
The roses were from my parents:)

Cary even sent me some beautiful tulips from the girls and arranged for us to get some of the biggest snowflakes I have seen in a long time. I love snow! Thanks to all of my precious friends I had a wonderful day even though I was at work on my Birthday.

Thursday night I left to go to Dallas to spend the weekend at the Prestoncrest Ladies Retreat. I listened to my new CD and munched on a few Snickers on the way to help me stay awake. After a quick trip to Wal-Mart once I arrived in Murphy and a quick peak at Amy's new son, Carter, I was at the Ownby's home. Stephanie, Mark, and I chatted for a little while before heading to bed for some rest before heading to Canton the next morning.

At 7:45am on Friday Stephanie and I were out the door to go pick up Nicole and hit the road. I have to say it was a little cold once we arrived in Canton, but it was totally worth it. There were not many people there so it was easy to look and manuver around all the booths. Thank you to my parents and grandfather I got to buy a lot of things I needed for the house. I managed to get most of the things on my list. We left Canton happy and ready to get to the Retreat. It was so nice being able to visit and catch up in the car.

Friday night Stephanie, Amy, and I headed to the Omni hotel for the Retreat. We stopped first to eat dinner at Chilis. Carter was such a trooper, he slept the whole time we were eating. Once we finished eating we checked in to the hotel and got ready for the first session with Divi Titus. I had never heard of Divi Titus but she was a very entergetic speaker who had a lot of practical things to say. She spoke on managing anger, sitting at the table for dinner as a family each night, and respecting others. The time seemed to pass quickly when she spoke. That night I got to chat with some more of my good friends until fairly late. The next morning we were tired but ready for the day. I even got a beautiful iron piece from Traci and Stephanie F. for my birthday. After a few more sessions we checked out of the hotel and went to lunch with Chelsea, Nicole, and Traci. Then I drug Stephanie and Traci all over Dallas shopping for various things on my list. We did manage to stop for a little bit for a chocolate fix though.

On the way back home Sunday I just felt so blessed by all of my precious friends who are my family too. We have been through so much together and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for these friendships as well as the new ones I have made. My cup truly overfloweth.

When I arrived home I had two precious angels, one sweet husband, and my wonderful parents waiting for me to celebrate my Birthday. We had some delicious Olive Garden and wonderful cake. Happy Birthday to me!!








These are the curtains my sweet friend Stephanie made for me. Aren't they beautiful!!

The dining room is almost complete:)

Wordless Wednesday (kinda)

Kaylee at 19 months.

Campbell at 19 months.

What was that???

I was flipping through the channels tonight and stumbled upon this new show from MTV,

engaged & underage.

The title is just what it sounds like. I could not believe they were promoting this as a reality. I sat and watched with shock and horror at the thought of the two immature kids they featured getting married. Let's just say since I am a Mother to two girls it scared me to death on many levels. (Before anyone blasts me too much I realize that some young marriages work, but they are in the minority and usually Christian based.) The two children (they were 18 years old) were planning a wedding during the show and got married at the end. Of course, they showed the girl trying on her wedding dress, having a bridal shower, and mainly just having a lot of fun. Her older brother told her he thought she was too young but the mother of the bride never said a word! Are you kidding me!! How do you support yourselves at that age? Well, they were living in a guest house on his parent's property...basically out the back door. The show ended with mother-in law calling early in the morning to see if they wanted to come up to the house for dinner that night. Wonder what their lives will be like?

A few of the thoughts I had while watching:

* What if I had married the guy I was dating and thought I was in love with at eighteen? We would definitely not have made it. This was one of the scarier thoughts.

* Will they do a follow up show in a few years?

* How long could we really forbid our girls from dating?

* How many high school girls are going to watch this and think...how romantic, I have to get married before I am twenty or half my life is gone, what more could be out there when he is so wonderful and here now?

* Could they not have shown the reality before they got to this point?

* Just another reason my parents did not want me to watch MTV growing up and my daughters will not be allowed to either.

* Will they just let anything on TV these days?

* What happened to shows like...I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, Father Knows Best, Andy Griffith, and the Disney movie of the week being shown on prime time television?

* I definitely need to pray more for my girls to be protected from all the things they will encounter and be exposed to on a daily basis as they grow up.

Now I am going to try to sleep without all these scary thoughts going through my head. I think I will say a prayer for this young couple from the show too while I am at it.

Wordless Wednesday

Just when I thought things were getting better...

Well I should know better than to think things cannot get any worse, right? Here is a breakdown of our last few days:

Friday night- Chester (our Yorkie) starts having diabetic seizures. The roads are icy, our vet is closed, and it is $75+ to even walk in the door of the emergency vet clinic in town. Cary talks to the Vet on call and is convinced that a little extra insulin will be the trick. Chester goes to sleep and does not act weird all night.

Saturday- Roads are still icy according to the weatherman and Chester starts acting weird again. Cary goes to a local vet (not our because ours is closed on Saturday) and they determine it would be best to put Chester to sleep. Have you ever tried to explain this to a 5 year old? Here are the types of questions I got...Did Chester's spirit go to Heaven? How will I see him in Heaven one day if my spirit goes to Heaven and it does not have eyes? Does Chester have family in Heaven? Of course, the whole time Campbell is standing at the back door going "Cheshure, Cheshure"! It was an image that would have brought a tear to anyone's eye. Things calm down a little and I promise Kaylee we will go get a fish as soon as the ice is gone. I escape to Wal-Mart for a few groceries. Cary is left to hold down the fort.

Sunday- We wake up to find that our church is the only one in town still having service so we begin getting dressed. The roads are a lot better than the parking lot. After church we went to eat with some friends then Kaylee and I went to see High School Musical performed at the Paramount Theatre. She loved the performance by all the children and I even got to chat with Summer a little who happened to be sitting beside us. Once the show was over I figured that as long as we were out we mine as well go to PetsMart for a fish. Kaylee was so excited!! We came home with a small aquarium and two goldfish. She chose to name them Hoppers and Bubbles. Who knows where that came from? I have explained that fish do not live forever but they can be replaced. Hopefully they will at least make it for a few weeks.

Monday- Campbell woke up at 1:00am and stayed up till 3:30am with me. I decided she must not feel good..maybe an ear infection it is so hard to tell. Cary drove us to the doctor on the icy roads which I was so glad that the office is around the corner and not across town. We walked out of the office with a very sore throat, wet cough, runny nose, runny eyes, and the determination that I should give her the medicine I already have at home. UGH! I have already called in a sub for me at school tomorrow so I can stay home with Campbell...what's one more day inside when I am already going insane. The topper is that I somehow managed to chip a porcelain crown so a trip to the dentist will be on the agenda now! I am off to leave a message for the Dentist. Hopefully the rest of you are having a better time than us:)

"Chester"

Our beloved dog Chester passed on today. He was our first major purchase after Cary and I got married in 1998. Poor Cary, I hounded him for weeks about getting a Yorkie. He was a sweet little puppy. Easy to train to go outside and various other commands. He made the move from Abilene to Dallas without a hitch. He was my steadfast companion when Cary was gone or working late. Once we decided to have a baby we were not sure how he would react to Kaylee when we brought her home in 2001, but he adored her from the beginning. He was always close to where ever she was playing or wandering. He never failed to bark profusely when he thought she was doing something that she should'nt. Usually that meant she was climbing on the couch, bed, or getting into the bathroom cabinets. This trend continued when Campbell was born too. He loved to curl up in Kaylee's chair and sleep the day away. Unfortunately Chester became diabetic in 2003 and we had to start giving him insulin twice a day along with special food. He seemed to be doing great over the past few years. Still playful like a puppy, our fearless protector, and loyal companion. There were days when he got on my nerves like when he ate most everything in the bathroom trash can, but I definitely would not change a thing. He was one of a kind. We will miss you buddy!

Back on Track

Well today started being back on schedule around our house. I cannot believe that it is already 2007! I cannot believe that in August I will have a daughter in kindergarten! I cannot believe that my baby is already 18 months old! Where exactly does the time go?

I have to admit that I was a little worried about starting back to school today, not for the girls but for me! If you have ever taught school you know how the kids are the day after a long break or any holiday for that matter. You expect the worst but hope for the best. I am sure it was the prayer I said with the girls in the car! The kids were actually good! That is not to say I wanted to stay another hour or didn't leave tired:) The girls were both so glad to see their teachers. It just makes your heart smile to know how loved they feel even when I am not there. Thanks Caren, Tiffani, and Lauren for loving my girls.

Since we are in a New Year I have decided against resolutions. They just never seem to work out so I am just going to try to be more conscious of a few areas in my life that I need to improve. One of the major ones is prayer. I need to make it more of a priority and not get caught up in the same prayers each day that do not always come from deep in my soul. It felt so good to have a moment to pray with the girls in the car before school so that our day could start off right. It is so cute to see Campbell reach for someones hand and bow her little head then get so excited about the "Amen". Kaylee says such sweet prayers and really puts a lot of thought into it most of the time. Prayer time is something I definitely want them to remember us doing through out their life. I definetly want to be a prayer warrior.

Well I will try to include blogging more into the things I am getting back on track with. Tomorrow is Gymnastics, laundry, and church. I am sure it will be a wonderful day:)

The Many Days of Christmas

We are home from our whirlwind trip over Christmas. We all had an enjoyable time and got spoiled quite a bit. I am now trying to put up decorations, unpack, do laundry, and find a spot for all the fun toys. It makes me tired just to think about the list. Here are all the fun things we did.

Our first stop on the trip was to Grandma's house. We got there Thursday night after buying a new set of tires and what seemed like hours of loading the car. As we were getting ready to pull out of the driveway the power cord to the DVD player decided to break so we added a stop to Circuit City to the list and then we were off. We arrived in Fort Worth just in time to go to bed.

The next morning I went shopping with Landrea and Chiara (Cary's sisters) and escaped the mad house of children running around screaming and playing. It was good to spend some time with my sister-in-laws while doing one of my favorite past times. After arriving back home we loaded everyone up and went to see Cary's grandmother. She has not felt good for a while now and they have called in hospice so it was good to be able to visit with her a little bit. Lucky for us she was having a good day and managed to crack a few jokes with us. Once we left her house we headed to Red Hot & Blue which is one of my favorite places to eat. The sweet tea is delicious along with the pulled pork. We returned home in time to help get some food ready for the next day and put all the kids to bed. Once everyone was quiet the adults minus grandma snuck off to see We Are Marshall. I loved it of course because my man, Matthew McConaughey was in it. It was nice to relax before the real festivities began.

On Saturday we spent the morning getting food ready for lunch. After Tiffany and Tim arrived we ate a quick meal which was very good then got to the real fun part....the presents. We all got some great gifts and I cannot wait to go put my gift cards to use. I suppose that we were so busy no pictures of the girls or cousins were taken opening presents together. Around 6:00pm we left to head towards Waco to spend Christmas with my family. Once again luck was with us because there was no traffic and we arrived in record time. My parents, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, and PaPaw were all there to greet us.

Sunday morning we all got up and went to church. It is always so nice to go back to Crestview and see old friends and enjoy the service. Kaylee was grinning from ear to ear sitting next to Uncle Don. (We did miss Mr. Jim though because he always preaches such a good sermon, but he was in Alabama so we will let it slide this time.) It was so nice to sit in church with our whole family and sing songs that we associate with Christmas. After church we enjoyed a wonderful Mexican Feast that my Mom prepared and a lot of wonderful visiting time. After lunch my Mom, Aunt, Kaylee, and I went to see Charlotte's Web. We all loved it. It is one of the books I remember reading the most in Elementary School. Julia Roberts was super in the voice of Charlotte too. All of us left the theatre satisfied and ready to eat again. That night we carried on the tradition of the women going to look at Christmas lights. There was one man who had really out done himself singing reindeer and all. I do not envy him having to take it all down but we enjoyed the display. Kaylee managed to keep us entertained especially when referring to Nana's driving up hills. She said that it felt like we were going out a blowhole. Then she told us a blowhole is on top of a whale. We all laughed until we cried. Once we got home I dressed the girls in their Christmas pajamas and tucked them into bed for the night. Kaylee was so tired she was asleep within minutes. I have to say I was excited about the next morning too.

Christmas morning was great! I tried to limit the gifts from Santa this year. I started with three but somehow they each ended up with seven.

Kaylee's favorite gifts from Santa were her Molly American Girl doll and her Courtney Barbie. After the Santa gifts we opened family presents too. Kaylee's tops on that list were the electric guitar, horse stable, Barbie RV, Barbie car, Vegetarian (veterinarian)Barbie and her snow globes. She really got into the whole Christmas experience this year.

The gifts from Santa that Campbell loved most were her Bitty Baby and the stroller.
Campbell's tops from family were her Leapfrog activity table, the anywhere chair, magna doodle, cozy coupe convertible car, and Kaylee's electronic Barbie guitar. She would not get out of my lap for most of the morning so you will have to overlook me in the picture.


It was definitely a Christmas full of fun and family. We are so blessed!

GG came over for lunch and we had a wonderful traditional meal. My Mom had all kinds of food and candy fixed for us the whole time we were there. I am sure that I gained at least 10 pounds. After my Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, and GG left the women went to another movie. Kaylee wanted to see Happy Feet so of course Nana had to take her. It was really a cute movie too. Kaylee was in Heaven with all the movie time. It is so much fun to watch her enjoying the movie. I look forward to being able to sit through a movie with both my girls one day.

On Tuesday morning my Mom and I got up to shop all the after Christmas sales which is a tradition of ours. It was so much calmer than the day after Thanksgiving had been. We just zipped in and out of every store on our list. I managed to get a few teacher gifts for next year, our Christmas cards, and a table cloth for my dining room table. (My parents surprised me with a dining room table for Christmas...I think they were tired of my complaining:) Just kidding) We ate some delicious quiche at Panera Bread and then were off to a few more stores. Once we arrived home it was time to pack up for our trip home. I think Cary spent half a day trying to figure out how to get everything home. We arrived home tired, safe, happy, filled with love, and glad to be in our own beds, especially Campbell.

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!!

Where have the past 18 Months gone?

Well I cannot believe it but my sweet baby is 18 months old! Where has the time gone? Why do I still ponder that question daily? Must they all grow up so quickly? Today at the doctor she was 26.4 lbs and 331/2 inches tall. There are so many fun things that Campbell is doing right now, but I will not bore you with all of them so here are my Top 10:)

1. The jabbering has turned into talking. I actually understand a lot of the words she is saying now. Some of her favorites are "bye-bye, Momma, Daddy, Kayeee, Santa, Amen, duck, dog, and go". If in the right mood she will repeat almost anything I say at least once.

2. She loves her Big Sister! The smiling does not stop when Kaylee plays with her. She cannot wait to be Big enough to do the things Kaylee does, but I can. When Kaylee tellls her "no" she even tells her "no" back with some more jabbering and finger shaking at her. In the end there is always a hug though.

3. She loves to talk about the parts of her body: eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, hair, nose, hands, feet, and tummy...especially the tummy which she shows us everytime with a big grin on her face.

4. Schedule should have been her middle name. As soon as she gets up in the morning and has a diaper change she is ready to eat. She runs to her chair and starts trying to climb into it. The same routine for dinner. At 6:oopm it is time for her to eat so you better be ready. When it is time for naps she goes and gets her "lovie" out of the bed and starts pointing for me to put her in it. we are still on a 2 nap a day schedule. Yeah!

5. The fork and spoon are her new favorite things. There is no helping this girl eat. The independent, "I can do it myself" attitude has already started. Poor Cary he has three of them in his house:)

6. When we pray together she loves to hold your hand, bow her head, and say "Amen" with a big smile when we are done.

7. That fourth tooth on the bottom finally popped through. She now has a total of 12 teeth including the big ones in the back. Through all of the teething she has remained happy so I hope that continues.

8. She loves her classes at school and church. I sometimes sneak a peek and see the singing and hand motions she does with all the songs. Too cute!

9. She loves to make animal sounds for the dog, cat, lion, bear, and duck. The duck is still her favorite animal though.

10. She loves to be cuddled:) It does not matter when, but her favorite times are when she wakes up from the night or a nap, when reading a book, before bedtime, and after a bath when she is still in her towel. I love that I was blessed with a baby who likes to cuddle this time.

Campbell is a pure joy. The way she runs to you with open arms or just smiles melts your heart. She has such a sweet way about her, most of the time:) I know in 6 more months she will have changed even more so I am going to try to hold on to today very tightly.

It's the Bis, Busiest Time of the Year...

This past weekend we tried to pack it all in and live every moment to the fullest.

Friday night we had some sweet friends over for dinner. Our children had so much fun playing and we loved having a little adult conversation. There was a lot of laughing too. It was a wonderful start to the weekend.

Saturday I picked up the proofs from our Christmas picture. (the reason none of you have cards yet:) After returning home to get a few opinions on the best one for our cards I returned to the Photo Imaging Center to order them. I did return home briefly to pick Kaylee up for a Birthday party at the Skating Place. Once we got home Kaylee and Campbell took naps before going to the church that night for some babysitting so Mommy and Daddy could go to our class Christmas party. We had so much fun at the Aldriedge's home for our party. Everyone brought their specialty for dinner and we feasted till we almost exploded. The laughs were a plenty too. We departed early so the girls (along with their parents) could get some rest before church the next day.

Sunday we went to church, I helped hostess a baby shower, and Cary took the girls to yet another Birthday Party at the Gymnastics Sports Center. By the time we left our small group that night there were a lot of tired people in the Beard house.

The week and weekend ahead hold even more events of the season. We are thankful for all of them:) Unlike my friends who seem to have it all together I still have some Christmas shopping to do also. I must plan ahead more next year:) Hope you are all enjoying the joys of the season.

Winnie the Pooh

Tonight we went to see "A Winnie the Pooh Christmas" at HSU. My sweet Mom saw the advertisement and bought the tickets so we could go. It was set up as a dinner theatre. I was a little nervous going in because I knew that the audience would be close to the actors and I wondered if Campbell would even make it through dinner before being tired. Much less not scream at the sight of costumed people since the Santa visit at school had not gone well earlier in the day.(some of my friends will remember Kaylee's phobia of people in costumes until last year, especially Chuck E Cheese) Well the dinner was delicious and both the girls sat and ate like little ladies.(at least as much as a 18 month old can) We got to pick our seats before dinner so I positioned us close to an exit, but on the front row. Campbell started off in her own chair until the Rabbit hopped on the step next to us. She shot out of the chair in a flash and was glued to my lap. She did not cry though. The rest of the performance, which lasted 50 minutes, went great!! The story about friends was very sweet. Both girls enjoyed the show and we did not have to leave once. Kaylee continued to talk about the play the whole way home. It was a fun night for all of us. We will definitely have to add that to our holiday list for next year:)

First Snow, Birthday Party, & a Little Marriage Enrichment

Last Thursday morning we got our first snow since we have been here and our first school snow day! Kaylee was so excited to see a blanket of snow on the ground. (*even though it was a very thin blanket) As soon as Campbell went down for a morning nap Kaylee and I enjoyed some fun in the snow. Our minature snowman was pretty cute. The funniest thing happened when I came inside to start lunch. Kaylee came runnning in the house saying that she was not doing it right. I asked what that meant and she replied with a "snow angel". I had to then explain that there was not enough snow in the grass for a "snow angel" but that maybe it would snow again soon and then she could make one. Too funny. Here are my little snow bunnies. Campbell just went outside for a minute to see her First snow because she had been fighting a bad cough all week and I did not want it to get worse. All in all it was a day full of good memories, hot chocolate, and fun.


On Friday we all bundled up and ran some errands before the Big 5th Birthday Party! Kaylee was so excited to finally be on the day of her party.
We decided to have it at the Gymnastics Sports Center so she could ask all the friends on her list.(I think there were 30 total at the party.) My sweet friend Lindi made some precious cupcakes which were delicious. Kaylee could not wait to get busy playing with her friends. Her favorite thing was to just run around from area to area. All the children seemed to have a super time. They even wanted to help Kaylee open all her gifts. It was cute to see how excited they got when she opened their gift. So sweet!
Campbell just liked being able to go in the big kid area for a change since normally she just gets to watch Kaylee. The trampoline was definitely her favorite because she would jump and fall on her bottom then laugh out loud.
After all the fun had come to an end we returned home for a few more gifts from family and to celebrate my grandfather's birthday which had been the day before. Then Cary and I were off.

We decided to go to The Marriage Enrichment Seminar given by Dr. Carl Brecheen and Dr. Paul Faulkner for 32 years now. This had been on my list of things for us to do since we got married. For one reason or another we had not been able to attend till now. This past weekend was there last one and it was here. It was such a well spent weekend. They had so many words of wisdom, encouragement, and love to pass on. It was nice to see such a variety of ages there. The couple we sat next to most of the weekend has been married 50 Years. I hope that we are still refreshing our marriage when we have been married that long. We walked away from the dinner Saturday night feeling very blessed for being able to be with such amazing examples of Godly couples in Godly marriages.

Much thanks to my parents and Grandfather for taking such good care of the girls while we went:) They made a gingerbread house, played games, watched movies, learned to play the harmonica, and Dad got to put together the Barbie Dream House they bought Kaylee for her Birthday. (I am sure that was fun with two girls up under him.) We have all had fun playing with it though.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!!

Happy 5th Birthday!!

Kaylee at One!

Kaylee at Two!

Kaylee at Three!

Kaylee at Four!


Today is Kaylee's 5th Birthday!! I cannot believe that the Lord has blessed us with 5 wonderful years with our big girl. The time has passed so quickly. My heart is so full of pride and love for the special person you have become. Each day I see your sweet spirit towards others, love for the Lord, and the amazing job you do as big sister. Here are a few of my favorite things about you right now...

* You want to be everyone's friend and for everyone to be your friend.
* Each day is wonderful to you especially if it is a school day.
* One day at school you told your teacher that you were sorry the other children did not understand what she was trying to explain.
* You cannot leave school without giving Mrs. Becky a big hug:)
* One day Mrs. Gayla took you to school and you were sure to tell her that you had to say "Hi" to your friends in the two year old class. Mrs. Gayla told you how proud she was of you for having all ages of friends. You then informed her that you even had old friends like her. (Mrs. Gayla is around my Mom's age)
* You like to have a plan ahead of time...very routine girl. You prefer one that involves getting out of the house.
* Every morning you are so excited to see your sister that you would think the two of you had been apart for days.
* You are always trying to teach your sister new words. It is evident already the love the two of you have for each other. Campbell definitely has a good example to follow.
* Your smile lights up any room.
* If your sister cries you are there to comfort her.
* Bible class is your favorite place to be. On the way home from church we always get the whole Bible story. Sometimes I think you know more about the Bible than me.
* You do not miss a beat. You even tell about things that happened when you were three years old with great accuracy.
* Everyone is your Best Friend.
* The most upsetting thing in the world to you is to see blood, even if it is just a prick.
* You love to play games of any kind. Right now your favorites are UNO, Disney Monopoly JR, and Memory.
* You are happiest with a plain piece of paper and something to color with. You are a super artist.
* You are very interested in learning to read and spell words correctly.
* The joy you have for all holidays is a treasure.
* The sweet prayers you say each day which reminds us to be thankful for the simple things.
* You love your family and tell us so several times a day. We love it!

We all love you sweet girl! Happy 5th Birthday! You are a great blessing to our lives each day:) May all your wishes come true.

Washington DC

A lot of catching up to do...Well we went to Washington DC. The girls got to enjoy some fun with my parents while Cary and I got away for a week. Since my sweet husband had a conference to go to I decided to tag along. We left on Saturday morning and enjoyed a very relaxing plane ride. Once we arrived in DC we checked into The Mayflower Hotel (highly recommend it) and serched to a place to eat dinner.

On Sunday morning we got up and went sightseeing a little. It was fascinating to see the White House.(it looks so much bigger on TV)
I was a little sad that President Bush was not in town to have us over for breakfast but I understood with it being an election week and all. Next we were off to the Washington Monument.
I stood in awe for a little bit. Next we stopped at the Museum of Natural History. Kaylee would have loved it with all of the stuffed animals and I loved getting to see the Hope Diamond. Then we were off to the Convention Center to get Cary checked in for the Schwab Conference. On the way back to the hotel we were able to take in some beautiful scenery. Then it was time to get ready for our dinner with some of Cary's business associates at the Charlie Palmer Steakhouse. At the dinner we met the loveliest couple from Houston. They talked about their grandchildren and we talked about our two sweet girls. The food was delicious and the company just as good. I did feel sorry for the poor guy from Dallas who got suck with three women talking, but he did not seem to mind. Once we got back to the hotel we were ready for some sleep.

Monday morning Cary left for his conference and I wandered down to the closest Starbucks for my breakfast of choise, a carmel machiatto. Then I was off to the Convention Center to go on one of the wife excursions to Alexanderia, Virginia. Two of my precious friends lived there for a little while so they told me just where to go. I even stopped in the flower shop my friend Stephanie use to work in and told her former boss "hello" for her. The most interesting part of the "shopping trip" was the information I learned at the eand of the day. We noticed when our bus arrived that there were a lot of television cameras set up. There was also a big banner for Jim Webb. Of course, I had no idea who he was so I asked the nice gentleman sitting on the bench with me a few questions. I found out Jim Webb was a Democrat who was running for the U.S Senate and the cameras were around because former President Bill Clinton was to arrive at the rally later and offer his support. I decided I was in the wrong place and went to see if the tour bus was back yet for us. As we were circling the block to pick up a few stragglers I saw The former President shaking hands at the front of the podium. I arrived back at the Convention Center in time to get on a bus back to the hotel to change for dinner. We went to Old Ebbitt Grill for another company sponsored dinner. I must say they have the best crab cakes I have ever tasted. While there we met a nice couple from Austin who have children our girls ages. It was good to get to know some more new people too. After dinner we all went on a night time tour of Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, The White House, and the Capitol.

On Wednesday The friend I met the night before at dinner, Jessica, and I walked around Georgetown. I though it was nice but a little overrated. A lot of the shopping was just what I could have done in Dallas. It was nice to have someone to talk with while shopping though. That night was the big Gala which just showed me how old we really are. The music was very loud and we were ready to leave shortly after finishing the meal.

Thursday and Friday we managed to fit in the Holocaust Museum, Air and Space Museum, the Spy Museum, and Arlington Nation Cemetery. I must say the last stop was my absolute favorite. It was such a beautiful and peaceful site to see. The changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier was so respectful. I could have stayed there all day but we only had an hour before it closed to look.

By the time Saturday arrived I was more than ready to get back to my precious girls and Texas. It was wonderful to have a much needed vacation with my husband though. (The week off work was nice too.) Blogger will not let me post anymore pictures:(

Happy Halloween!!

Well we have all had a wonderful Halloween! The girls both got to wear their costumes to school for the day and have some carnival fun too. There were all kinds of games to play and lots of candy given out. I even had to wear a costume to work. Of course I took the easy way out and was a doctor, scrubs are very comfortable. I am sure that Grey's Anatomy will be calling any time now after seeing such flattering pictures of me in scrubs.(just kidding)

After school we went by Cary's office to see all his co-workers. On the way over there Kaylee was already picking out candy from her sack to give all of the people Cary works with. I thought that was very sweet of her. They just loved the costumes and made a Big deal out of us stopping by which Kaylee loved. Kaylee told Mr. David the whole story of Ariel and he listened very carefully. It was a real priceless moment. Campbell just enjoyed showing them how she could run around since they had not seen her walking yet. (Most times we visit she is attached to me.) Once we said a quick goodbye we were off for some short naps before Trunk or Treat at our church.

We had never done Trunk or Treat before so it was a new experience for all of us. My Princess Ariel was not sure of what we were doing at first but it did not take her long to figure out the routine. It was so funny to watch her say "Trick or Treat" to the people that we know and them not recognize her with the red wig on. (In case you are wondering what is on Ariel's cheek it is a flower from the carnival at school and the cheerleader has a pumpkin sticker on her cheek.)

After she got tht hang of things we could not keep up with her pace. She was not hard to spot with the bright red hair though. At the end of the night Kaylee only asked for two pieces of candy before bed and then was happy to share with her Daddy and me. I would say it was definitely a wonderful night for Kaylee.

Campbell on the other hand was not too sure about anything until she got her first piece of candy. She immediately dug for it in her pumpkin and held it tightly in her hand. Each time she got a new piece of candy she would put the old piece back in the pumpkin and hold firmly to the new piece. It was so funny to watch her little brain processing all that was going on. Towards the end of the line she got a little brave and actually started walking by herself and dragging her pumpkin. Our little cheerleader seemed to end the nigh happy with a sucker in each hand. One of the suckers was even gone before we got home:)

My smiling Ariel and ACU cheerleader with all of their loot. Funny how a little candy makes the world a much better place.

But it started off so good...

Well the week started off great! I was over the horrible virus I had the Thursday before and both girls were still well. On Monday we went to the Pumpkin Patch with the MOPS group. It was quite a challenge to get a picture of the girls together since Campbell was not real sure about sitting near the pumpkins. She warmed up to the idea a little once she picked out her little pumpkin to take home. They both had fun decorating a pumpkin sugar cookie and listening to the storyteller at story time. It was such a cute place. I never even knew was there when I was in college here. Kaylee had a fun time with her friend Ethan. They chased each other and played a little baseball too. After a quick lunch we were ready for naps and a calm evening.





"I really do not want to be here."



"Is this good enough? I really want to go play."



"What am I looking at?"
"We really like the little pumpkins:)"



Of course that night the virus hit Campbell at around 11:00pm. I felt so sorry for her because she has never been sick like that before. She did not know whether to cry or just sit there in shock. Around 1:45am she went to sleep in her bed. At 7:00am the next morning I called in a sub for me and sent Cary off with Kaylee for school. Campbell seemed to be fine all day so at least she had a quick virus.

Cary went to San Antonio for business on Wednesday night and as things go around here Kaylee got the virus at around 11:00pm. Unfortunately she had the worst virus so far. She was sick every hour on the hour till 7:00am. By the time morning came I was dragging but Campbell was ready to eat and play. I once again called in a sub and then called my sweet friend Lindi to take dinner to some friends of our since I obviously could not. She came by the house to pick up a few things I was suppose to deliver with the food and even brought me coffee and a doughnut. Let's just say that I was really missing my husband. It was a very long day. Lindi again came to my rescue by bringing us dinner too. (Thank you so much sweet friend.)

I was so excited when Friday got here:) Cary returned home, I got to get out of the house for the first time since Monday, and we all got some sleep.

ACU 101

What a wonderful but busy weekend! This past weekend was ACU Homecoming so there was a lot to do.

On Friday night Cary and I took the girls to the Alumni Carnival up at ACU. There were lots of inflatables along with games, food, and music. The girls were decked out in their ACU shirts and looked so cute. It was good to catch up with some friends we have not seen in a while along with friends we see more often and watch our children play together. Kaylee had the best time with Kaitlyn and Ethan,who is her boyfriend of the week.
They even played laser tag together in a space ship inflatable. I would have loved to see what went on in there. She came back with 40,000 points so who knows what went on. She also tried to climb the rock wall with Ethan. Unfortunately she was a little too small to complete the wall but is ready to try again next year. Campbell got to meet Presley and a few other friends. She was just happy hanging out. After we left the Carnival it was time for the Grubbs to arrive at our home for the weekend. It was good to talk and catch up before bedtime.

Saturday was a slow morning for most of us because Cary was the only one to get up and go to his club breakfast. Once we got moving it was time to go to the ACU Homecoming Parade around campus.
Kaylee was so excited about our guestes, as she calls them, to come with us. She also was excited about the Big Purple Band playing in the parade. It was so much fun to see her watch all the floats too. Galaxy and Siggies did a good job on their floats we thought. Campbell flirted with her friend Ryan a little at the parade and gave Amy some love too. It was good to see soem more friends and catch up again too. Once the parade was over we went home to fix lunch instead of trying to fight the crowds at a restaurant. Cary cooked steaks while the kids played.
Kaylee had a lot of fun driving Wyatt around in the jeep along with a lot of other backyard fun. We enjoyed just relaxing and visiting with the Grubbs.
Shortly after lunch I fixed some cookies for our precious friends the O'Rears to have when they came over. It was so nice to see them and look at how much the girls have changed. Kaylee had so much fun with Lauren. They even watched a little Mary Poppins together which Alyssa and I agreed was one of our favorite movies growing up. It was good to laugh together and catch up a little but as is true with all good friends you wish there had been just a little more time. Later that evening we put all the kids to bed and found some time to play spades and do a lot of laughing with Chris and Holly. Another great end to a great day.

Sunday we all went to church together before the Grubbs headed home. We managed to catch up with the Jacobs briefly in class then were off to lunch. After lunch with the Connallys we returned to an empty house wishing that we just had a few more moments together with the Grubbs. We are already looking forward to seeing them again soon.

All in all it was better than we had even thought. ACU has given us so many wonderful friends old and new. The bond to ACU is something that can only be experienced, not explained. "O Dear Christian college we love you..." We are already looking forward to good times next year.

A Super Weekend!!

We had a Super weekend!! I just love a weekend that is packed full of fun times for the whole family.

On Friday afternoon my parents and grandfather came to visit. The girls were both very excited to have them here. Of course who wouldn't enjoy eating at Burger King and getting presents for no reason at all. I also found My Dad and the girls all playing a game together including Campbell. It was a priceless image that I will treasure forever. My Mom and I went shopping at Steinmart and I found some really cute things. (Thanks Mom and Dad.) Cary and I managed to get a little spoiled too,thanks to some great babysitters. We actually went to a movie on the first night it was released. The last time that happened we were without children. I highly recommend The Guardian, it is a little predictable but very good. I am definitely going to have to buy it when it comes out on DVD. That is all I am going to say so that I do not ruin it for anyone:) It was so good to have an actual date with my husband, I felt like a teenager all over again.

Saturday we all got ready for the big soccer game. I can tell that Kaylee is not as into the game as she was last year. Here are the big clues; she is more concerned with her shoes than the game, she skips everywhere, and when the ball is at her feet she could care less about kicking it. There is no pro soccer playing in her future. That's okay though, I mainly just want her to be exposed to different activities until she finds something she loves. After soccer Dad, PaPaw, Cary, and I went to a fish fry in town while Mom stayed home with the girls so Campbell could nap. The fish was great and the entertainment was fun. The family left around 4:00pm and we rested before the party. A little later we went to Andie's Birthday Party. Kaylee and Campbell had so much fun! Kaylee was having so much fun she did not even stop to eat.
Campbell on the other hand ate everything in sight. Who knew that my sweet baby liked corn on the cob? Well we do now. She spent quite a while sitting in the playhouse eating away on her corn cob even after most of the corn was gone:) Too funny!

Sunday was Celebration Day at our church. Everyone is suppose to invite their neighbors and wear casual clothes to church for the festivities afterwards. There was a lot to do during the celebration. We ate free hotdogs and hamburgers along with some delicious cookies. There were train rides in a barrel car, horse rides, and an inflatable bounce house and slide. The best part was the dunking booth. The elders and ministers took turns sitting in the dunking booth while people paid for balls to throw. Talk about some good sports. All the money raised went to the Children's Ministry. I walked away knowing that these men really love our kids to put themselves out there like that. Afterwards we went home to rest before Shepherding Group that night. Talk about four tired people, that was us after finally getting home to stay. You cannot beat a weekend full of family, fun, and friends:)

Is this Week over yet??

Our week has not been a great one. Here is the timeline for our week so far...

Sunday- Campbell seems to not be feeling well. Noticed a few issues with her but chalked it up to teething. Changed her clothes three times due to accidents. Our friend Richard arrives for the ACU Lectureship.

Monday- I am having issues. Maybe now I am thinking Campbell has a virus. Hopefully we will be better before school tomorrow. Hopefully it is something I ate and Richard will not get it.

Tuesday- Sub in the Two's class because there were not enough subs. Little boy has bloody nose. I feel fine. We enjoy chatting with Richard and eating a good dinner together.

Wednesday- Everything seems to be good. Then comes 2:30pm when Kaylee starts throwing up. Unfortunately it was on the couch so the cushions and the remote managed to get the brut of it. I then clean Kaylee up, put Campbell down for a nap, have Kaylee lay in her bed watching a movie with a trash can close by. Richard picks up a few things for me at the store and makes a hasty retreat back to his home. I cannot say that I blame him. Next I call a sub for me on Thursday. Around 4:00pm I am watching Dr. Phil on the DVR and the remote stops working. HUMMMM! I suppose it is not made to withstand throw up. I am stuck watching the game network till Cary gets home. My husband figures out how to change the channel on the dish receiver. Yeah! However we have to now order a remote off eBay to replace the ruined one. I am now stuck watching commercials which I have not watched in a long time thanks to DVR. Oh well, it could be worse right?? The girls go to bed and we go to bed very tired and ready for a new day.

Thursday- Take Campbell to her 9:00am 15 month well baby visit at Dr. Steadmans. Campbell screams the whole time the Doctor is examining her. I do not know how he heard a heartbeat through all of that screaming. Calm her down a little. Talk to the Doctor about Kaylee's umbilical hernia. Campbell gets four shots including the first part of her flu shot. She weighs 25.5 pounds and is 33 inches tall. After getting her calmed down for the second time the nurse gives her a Good Night Moon book and all is well with the world again. (I love that they get a book each time they go to the doctor. It's the teacher in me I think.) I make a second flu shot appointment for Campbell and a flu shot for Kaylee along with a consultation about the hernia. My sweet husband will be making the next appointment with me:) So far Kaylee is doing good:)

I just hope tomorrow is better than the rest of the week has been:)

Good Friends + Good Soccer = Good Times

Last weekend the Grubbs and Michael Taylor came to visit us. Well they really came to got to the Mesquite vs Abilene High game but I am going to think they just came to see us. Friday night Kaylee and Cary met them at the football game and had a blast. She loved Wyatt so much:) Of course Kaylee went to bed while we stayed up talking and catching up on life. There was a lot of laughing going on.

The next morning the crazy boys got up early to go hunting while the smart women slept in and ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Cary, Chris, and Michael arrived home in time to get cleaned up for Kaylee's big soccer game. We were in charge of the after game snacks so we let a little early for practicing before the game and to get things ready. Kaylee had a great time playing and was so happy that all of our "guestes" (as she calls them) came to her game.Kaylee played her little heart out. We were so proud of her! She fell down several times trying to get the ball but each time she got right back up and went to the ball. I am so glad that she has her father's athletic ability:) We did not win the game but the team we were playing had girls that were a year older than ours so I do not feel we did badly at all.
Campbell even went to "Tay Tay" (aka Michael) long enough for me to get a picture. She had fun trying to run on the field and laughing during the game. We definitely all had a fun time. After the game we all went to Sharon's for some delicious BBQ before our sweet friends had to head home. We are so glad that they came to see us and look forward to them coming again very soon:)

Kaylee's thoughts...

My oldest daughter has come up with some funny things lately. I just wanted to record them before I forgot. Here are a few of my favorites:

* While riding in the car with Daddy. Kaylee,"Did you know that the moon is God's eyeball?" Daddy, "No, why do you say that?" Kaylee (in a very matter a fact tone), "Well he is watching over us even at night so the moon is his eyeball looking at us and watching over us." Daddy, "Where did you hear that?" Kaylee, "I just know."

* In the car on the way to church. Kaylee, "Did you know God talks to you in your head?" Mommy, "Really, who told you that?" Kaylee, "I just know because he talks to me all the time." Mommy, "Good to know."

* Talking about friends at school. Kaylee, "Mommy you know my very best friends Parker and Chloe?" Mommy, "Yes, Kaylee I do. Why are they your very best friends?" Kaylee, "Because they are mature like me." Mommy, "What does mature me?" Kaylee, "It means that you act older than you are, you know that."

* Kaylee came home from school on Tuesday saying, "My teacher said I am as smart as a cookie." The teacher has already told me that Kaylee keeps her on her toes at all times. What teacher Karen actually said was that Kaylee was "one smart cookie" because she knew how to spell a few words in class. Too funny:)

* Today at chapel one of Kaylee's friends was asked to lead her favorite song. Her friend was not singing loudly or where anyone could understand the song she was singing. Mrs. Becky asked if anyone could help the friend lead the song and of course Kaylee rose her hand since she loves to sing all the time. Mrs. Becky said, "Kaylee why don't you help your friend sing her song, you can start it for us?" Since no one understood what the little girl was singing including Kaylee, she said, "I think she should start the song since it is her song." (My daughter already knows how to get herself out of a sticky situation:)

Parade, ACU, & a Birthday

Well this pasweekend was jamm packed with all kinds of fun! My parents came in town Saturday morning just in time to go to the West Texas Fair and Rodeo Parade. The girls had never been to a parade before so I thought it would be fun for all. We got great seats across from the parade announcer. Before the parade had even started Kaylee talked Papa into finding her something to drink. Kaylee's favorite part of the parade was the Big Purple Band. Too funny:)
As you can see from the pictures both girls were very comfortable with their spots. The parade ended up lasting for an hour and a half. I was quite surprised since I was expecting a 45 minute parade.
Both the girls did great! After the parade we went to Sharon's BBQ to pick up lunch and the proofs from the girls pictures I had gotten taken the day before. (I will post those when I have time to scan them in.) They turned out great though:)

Once everyone had rested a little we loaded up again and headed to ACU for the final 150th Birthday Celebration for ACU. They had a precious carnival for the kids to enjoy. Of course Kaylee's favorite was the games where she could win a prize. It is amazing how much joy a ten cent prize can bring to a four year old girl. Next came the brief speach from Dr. Money and then time for the cake. They had several hundred purple cupcakes for everyone to enjoy. Of course we all had purple frosting on us by the time we were done. I was so excited that Kaylee let me take a picture of her with Willie the Wildcat.
(I am sure that most of my friends remember her aversion to any kind of dressed up animal. She still does not like Chuck E. Cheese) Anyway if she ever decides to go to ACU one day I thought this picture would be fun to have around. After a little more playing and a brief trip to the bookstore we were loaded up and heading towards the house again. We got there just in time for Cary and I to change and be out the door again. We actually had a date night:) We went to Lytle Land & Cattle for a delicious steak dinner then to the Paramount for the ACU musiacl. It was so much fun!! I love the Paramount theatre and downtown Abilene at night. It takes me back to college.

Sunday we went to church and celebrated my Dad's birthday. We even went to Rosa's for lunch which was great! Once we arrived home Dad opened his gift and they headed back home while we all headed for the bed for a nap.

First Day of School x 2 & Out of Retirement

Well today marked a new year of school for both of my girls! (and me too)

A few weeks ago the opportunity to work at Young Children's World fell into my lap. I was asked to be the helper in the Three Year Old Class. This meant both of my girls would be in a different class from me and I could buy the dining room table I have had my eye on a little sooner. At first I thought "No way!". Then I remembered how attached my youngest sweet baby is and thought it would be a great opportunity for her to get use to someone else and realize that when I leave I will come back. Thus began my venture into the workforce two days a week.

Today we all got ready for school and work. I have to say it went smoother than I had expected. We started off with our tradition of breakfast at McDonald's with the girls. It is a time we all look forward to since it is rare for us all to be out the door before 8 o'clock. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their pancakes. They managed to finish in record time and even be able to play on the playground a little.
It was nice to have the place basically to ourselves. As you can see in the pictures the girls had a great time. Campbell even tried her had at some video games while Kaylee was sliding down the slide. I left the fun a little early to get to work and Cary was sweet to bring the girls a little later so I could get a few things done at school without interruption. Now for the synopsis of our day.

Me- Let me start by saying all the children were very good. I will give it a few weeks to see if it is their regular behavior or if they are just getting use to us. They really are a precious group. Most of the day is a blur, I do not remember sitting down much at all. There were a lot of things to be done as the helper which is good because it helps the day go by quickly. (I was good and only peeked in on the girls once.) I love all the ladies that I work with and feel like it will be a fun year. (The jury is still out on whether their will be a repeat performance though.) On the way home I treated myself to a Big Sonic peach sweet tea and instantly I felt good at least for a little bit. Once I got home I realized just how sore and tired I was after all. Good thing I have tomorrow to rest up before the fun begins again.

Kaylee- My sweet big girl is in the 5 year old class this year (they put older fours in the fives class) and I am realizing that this is my last year to have her every day. I am so glad that her class room is around the corner so I can have these memories of her playing and learning. She was so happy to see her friends today. It was as if her whole world was complete again. The smile was literally stuck on her face all day. She could not wait to go get Campbell and tell me all about her day. The first words out of her mouth were, "I love school and learning. My teacher is so nice she taught us lots of stuff. I cannot wait to go back tomorrow. One of the best parts was meeting new friends and seeing some of my best friends." I pray Kaylee always has such a zest for life, school, and friends. I could not have wished for her to have a better day if I had tried. What a comfort to have your child surrounded by those who love her and want her to achieve.

Campbell- I need to start by saying that my sweet baby had a great day! I was so worried since Campbell is so attached to me but things went really well. She did cry a little in the beginning (therefore there is no picture of her with her teachers) but once the routine started her teachers said she was fine. The Director even went to check on her a few times and said that she was ruling the roost in her class and having a big time. She only slept 30 minutes at naptime but that is thirty more minutes than I thought she would sleep. It worked great for me because she went down for a nap when we got home:) When I went to get her she was walking around carrying her luch box and continued to carry it all over the building, to the car, and the whole way home. Too cute! In class she made the cutest little ladybug with her thumbprints which is a keeper. Also she had on her note that the teachers loved her sweet smile. Yeah! Teacher Tiffany and Teacher Lauren are a perfect fit for Campbell so I think it will be a super year:)

Thank you Lord for placing sweet angels in our lives and for giving my sweet girls a good day.