Ready to Play!!

Whew! I can tell that summer is upon us because there are so many more things to pack into our week.

About three weeks ago my sweet husband finally agreed to the one thing I have been trying to convince him to get over the past two years. (My dear friends know what it is I am sure.) If you guessed the Sam's swing set then you are exactly right! We spent one weekend working on the swing set together and got most of the fort side built then it was time to call for some reinforcement. Papa came to the rescue to help this past weekend.As you can see they are hard at work:)

While the men were working the girls went to get Kaylee a Haircut, eat at a Tea Room in town, shop at Target, and attended a Cowboy Birthday Party. We all had so much fun!! Lunch was delicious and the girls were so good!! Target is always fun and Kaylee's summer cut turned out so cute. At the Birthday Party there was a hay ride, horse rides, a pinata, stick horse race, and yummy cake. Kaylee had fun participating in all of it. Campbell on the other hand was happy to chill out at the picnic table with her juice box. She did participate once in hitting the pinata though.

When we arrived home from the party this is what we found!! The girls were so excited they could hardly stand it. (I am including myself in that statement.) Kaylee immediately ran for the fort on top and Campbell was soon to follow. The first thing Campbell said when she got to the top was "Whoa". The reaction of our two angels made all the hard work worth it. I can already tell we are going to be enjoying our backyard a lot over the next several months. It is so nice to have a mini park in the backyard with big shade trees.

Bring on the Fun!!

We've Come Full Circle

We have now come full circle....this was the last week of school.

On Tuesday night Kaylee had her end of the year program. The 4's & 5's had the theme of space. All their songs had been modified to do with stars, planets, or spaceships. The most exciting part for Kaylee was that her shirt would glow in the dark and that Papa, Nana, and Great Papaw made the trip to see her final performance. She was a little bashful on the stage but very excited to see us in the audience. There were other children in front of her but I had to show you how exact she was with her spacing on the risers. I thought it was hilarious:) They really did a super job. I was sad this would be her last pre-school performance but excited about the future at the same time. Of course, next year will be Campbell's turn to perform and we can only imagine how that will go:)

On the way to school Thursday Kaylee did a lot of talking about Mrs. Becky. She has been such a light and blessing to all three of us over the past year. We truly do love her like family. Kaylee is sad to not get to see her each day. There are a lot of people who will come into her life over the next several years but I know that Mrs. Becky will always be remembered with great love and admiration from all of us.

Here is Kaylee on the first day of Pre-K this school year with Teacher Caren. She had a super time this year. Caren was wonderful with Kaylee, always showering her with love. If you know my daughter at all you know she thrives on this. Caren was the perfect fit for Kaylee. I am so excited that she and I got to be good friends and will be for many years to come.

Here they are on the last day of school. I did not realize how much growing -up Kaylee had done until I saw this picture. It must have happened when I was not looking:)

Here is Campbell on the first day of school. It is amazing to think back to all the things she has learned over the past year. (It helps that she started talking in January and has not stopped.) It was so hard to leave her in the class that first week. Her wonderful teachers, Mrs. Tiffani and Mrs. Lauren, were just the absolute best though. They were patient and understanding with the children as well as the parents and showered us all with love:) They both really have a gift for what they do each day.

Here is the best picture of Campbell I could get on the last day of school. She did not want to look at the camera for some reason. You can still see all the hair that she has gotten over the year and the way her face has changed into a toddler look. Her favorite thing right now is to say, "Where did ________ go?". Insert in the blank anyone's name or an object. It is really cute most of the time:)

Well as you can see we all survived the year and are looking forward to an incredible summer:)

Catching Up

Well, it has been so long that I do not even know where to begin. We have been so busy over the past few weeks. Last week was by far the busiest though. My sweet husband left town for 5 days to help his Mom and go to a conference in Irving so the girls and I were solo. It was fun to just hang out with my sweet daughters and have a little bonding time.

On Monday we went to a MOPS brunch. I have agreed to be a table leader next year so it was a little kick off for next year. I am really excited and know that it will be a lot of fun!

On Tuesday the girls and I had school as usual. As we were leaving for school I reminded Kaylee that today was Kindergarden Round-up. She quickly responded with, "Is it going to be lame?" That girl, I just never know what she is going to say next. I do not even know where she heard that word.

After school we came home and sweet Heather, the babysitter, came over to watch Campbell so that Kaylee and I could go to Kindergarden Round-up. It was a little surreal being there and realizing that in a few short months Kaylee will be starting big girl school. It was fun to see all the children she will be in school with, many of them are familiar faces from pre-K or church. The kindergarden teachers even tok the new students back to the back for a skills test to make sure they were ready for school. Kaylee was so excited that she passed with flying colors. After turning all the paperwork in we took a trip to the teachers' lounge to look at cheerleader outfits. Evidently at her new school all the girls wear a cheerleader outfit on Fridays during football season to show their school spirit. I think that is going to be really cute:)

Once we were done spending money at school she and I went to Red Robin for a little celebration dinner. It was so fun just to have a little time alone with Kaylee. We had the best conversations. I pray that we are always able to talk to one another.

On Thursday night it was my turn to host the Bunko Babes at my house. There are 16 of us so it makes for a great time. My friend Julie and I teamed up together so I did the cleaning and she did the cooking. We made a great team. Julie even thought of doing a Grey's Anatomy theme since it was Thursday night. Since her husband is a pharmacist he even printed special labels on medicine bottles which we put candy in and placed on the tables. We had so much fun!! Somehow we even finished in time to watch Grey's Anatomy on the DVR while we ate some delicious cake.

I will have to post about the weekend another day. Hope you enjoyed my mini novel.

Do I have a 16 Year Old?

A conversation in the car on the way home from school with Kaylee.

Kaylee, "Mom do you want to hear all about my day?

Me, "Kaylee, I would love to hear about your day!"

Kaylee, "Well a lot happened. I first had to break things off with (insert boy name here)."

Me, "You had a boyfriend? And what exactly does "break things off mean"?

Kaylee, "You know Mom, he was my boyfriend." (said with a little frustration in her voice)

Me, "How long have you had this boyfriend?"

Kaylee, "Well I guess since the first day of school this week. He would not take no to going together for an answer on that day so I finally got through to him that I just wanted to be his FRIEND today."

Me, " You need to tell boys that you can only have boys as friends until you are in High School. Do you understand?"

Kaylee, "Yes, Mom." (with a lot of giggling from the backseat)

After the shock wore off that I was having this conversation with my five year old, I talked to her father. Evidently when he took her to school this morning they had a similiar conversation where she told him about the boyfriend and he told her to just be friends with boys right now. At least I know that she listens to her father for now. I just need to pray that she will always talk to us about things going on at school and actually take our advice till at least Junior High.

Happy Easter of sorts!

Who knew that the pictures I took of the girls Easter Egg Hunt last Thursday would be the only Easter Egg Hunt they would have this year?

Campbell did really well on her egg hunt. Of course, her big sister had been practicing with her in the yard for a week. Kaylee did not want her to miss out or be confused when the time came. It was so fun to watch her class hunting for the eggs. You could definitely tell who had been practicing. It did not stop Campbell from each time picking up an egg, smiling, saying "egg", putting it in her basket, and waiting to be instructed to go find another one. She did not even care what was inside till she got in the car at the end of the day and saw Kaylee opening hers.

Kaylee loved hunting Easter Eggs. Of course, what five year old doesn't since they know what to expect inside the eggs. It was so funny to watch all the fours and fives running all over the place like a bunch of ants. I think the hunt was over in a matter of a few minutes. What fun! I can still remember the year Kaylee thought she was only suppose to find the eggs that she brought. That seems like so long ago now.

The rest of our weekend did not go as planned. We got snow on Saturday! I can remember one time when I was at ACU and it snowed on Easter weekend. I love snow...I just wish we had gotten enough to build a snow bunny. The easter Egg HUnt our church was having got cancelled due to the snow and 35 degree weather so we went to a movie instead. Kaylee was very excited to see Meet the Robinsons in 3D. It was a cute movie, it will not be winning any awards, but at least it did not have any adult humor or bad words in it. We spent the rest of the day enjoying family and eating way too much. (I am definitely going to have to get busy with the diet again on Monday.)

Sunday the girls wore their dresses with their white sweaters as planned. We were not going to let a little cold weather ruin our Easter attire. It was so good to be in church on Sunday morning knowing that Jesus had risen on that day so long ago. May we always remember the great sacrifice that was made for us. Kaylee came home and told me the whole story of Christ being raised from the dead. I just love to hear her tell me Bible stories in her own words. So sweet! They managed to get a lot of fun things for Easter. My parents got them each cute stuffed dogs, movies, books, and a little candy. The Easter Bunny left them some fun toys to play outside like Frisbees, bubbles, balls, jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, and also two chocolate Easter Bunnies. I would say that they were well taken care of.

Here is the best picture we got of the two of them. It definitely shows their personalities. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter full of lasting memories.

May Farm in April!

What a fun day! Today at YCW May Farm came with some adorable animals for the children to enjoy. There was a llama, donkey, sheep, and several goats.

Campbell's class was up first. I went out there and she was not so patiently waiting for another class to finish so she could get her hands on the baby goats. They were just precious. When her turn came she sat beside me and held one of the baby goats for several minutes. However, when I tried to take a picture she wanted to put the goat down. So this is the only picture I have of her actually touching one of the animals. If you have ever been around Campbell you know she is a little cautious especially when Mom is around. Notice the one finger touch that we have been working on when trying to be gentle:) Campbell had fun but when it came time to go I think she was ready.

When the time came for Kaylee's class she was more than ready. If you know my child at all then you know how excited that she gets about things. I love her zest for life. The minute they got out there she was ready to check everything out. She had fun feeding the donkey and the llama. I think you can tell from the picture which animal was the biggest hit. The baby goats of course! We had a long conversation on the way home about why we could not have a baby goat at our house. I do not think I have her convinced yet that it would not work. Of course, we are in the city limits so a goat is against the law...I think. If you notice her capris in the picture she wanted to wear them because she felt they made her look like a "farm girl". I guess the red and white gingham screams "farm girl" to her. I thought that was too funny.

It was a fun day for all! I cannot wait to see them in action at the Easter Egg Hunt on Thursday at school.

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin on the River

Let's just say we have had a lot of rain the past few days. This was the view outside our front door. I thought for a moment that we had been transported to another place. There was so much water that we could not even see the road. I thought I was going to have to borrow a boat to pick Cary up from work:) Lucky for us it stopped raining around 4:00pm on Friday in time for things to dry up a little and Cary to make it home. We were so thankful for the rain because we know how dry the summer months can be around here so it is nice to get a little jump on things.

Much Improved!

Well here is the post I have been waiting for! The two ugliest bathrooms in our house have finally been redone.

I took the former bathroom pictures when we came to look at the house for the first time, so they are not the greatest. You can definitely get an idea though. This was the guest bathroom Before. The crazy paisley wallpaper had to go. What you cannot see is that they had a burgandy stripe wallpaper on the opposite wall, it was a lot better than the paisley. Still not Great though.

Here is the guest bathroom now. We put up a paintable wallpaper with a fun swirl pattern and painted it a deep red. It looks so much better. Sorry to all the guests we have had who got ready in the old one. We are now new and improved and ready for company. Those of you who went to Canton with me will notice the towel holder.

Here is the Master bathroom as we first saw it. The former owners had spent a lot of time faux finishing these walls with no texture on them. They were a purply-plum with a white faux pattern all over them. Let's just say it did not make me want to get up in the morning. The green tile is not my favorite but as you will see it is better now.

Here is the Master bathroom now! I actually can say that I like it. We put in new fixtures and hardware. What a difference some texture on the walls, paint, and updating make.

Here is the wall above the bathtub. Another Canton purchase at work. The old owners had a silver framed mirror here. So not only were there mirrors on each side of the bathroom with the his and her vanities but you could also see yourself getting out of the bathtub or shower. Lovely! I much prefer the iron piece. Notice how the green tile now blends with the bathroom. Yeah!

I will have to show you some of the other before and after pictures of the rest of the house on another day.

Whew!!

Well the Big Day finally arrived today! I have been planning my friend Julie's Baby Shower for a few months and today was the day. I have planted lots of flowers, cleaned the house from top to bottom (including baseboards), completed the dining room, and semi-remolded two bathrooms. It was all worth it because the shower was a success and I had so much fun visiting with everyone who attended. Each of the hostesses were so creative in one area or another...it is amazing. Not to mention all of the cute baby girl gifts that I got to look at. (Denise made the cutest blanket.) We even got to have a semi celebration with my friend Kelly who as of today is off bedrest. The house was full of good friends, good food, and good times. Just the way I like it!

As I sit here typing with a clean house I am looking forward to a week of having fun with the girls and being back in our normal routine. We did enjoy our Spring Break with some spoiling in Waco for a few days though. Thanks again Nana and Papa for all the goodies:) I will try to post pictures this week of the two redone bathrooms. Hope you all had good weekends.

* I almost forgot I have to add one funny Kaylee story from the weekend. On Saturday we were leaving the house to go to a Birthday party for Campbell's boyfriend. As we were backing out of the driveway Kaylee glanced over at our neighbor's house. She and a friend of hers were working in the yard with bikini tops on and the 80's short shorts. (Our neighbor is probably in her early forties.) Kaylee says, "What is our neighbor doing?" I say, "Well it looks like she is working in the yard with a friend of hers." Kaylee, "Why is she kinda naked?" I say, "Well I think she is just trying to get a little sun." Kaylee, "Well I think she needs some more clothes on." I say, "Please remember that when you are a teenager." Kaylee, "Okay Mom." Out of the mouths of babes.

A Makeover

Well I finally jumped on the band wagon! A sweet friend over at Splat Designs made me a new template and I love it. I highly recommend her services if you are looking for a fun change in your blog. Hope you are all having a wonderful week.

What a week!

What a wonderful week!! Our week started off great and has only seemed to get better.

Last weekend some of our good friends, Chris and Holly, came in town for Sing Song. It was so nice to be able to visit and catch up on our lives. They are the kind of friends where the conversation can just be picked up as though you have never been apart. Cary nor I had been back to Sing Song since graduation so it was a real treat! Just this flood of memories came flowing into my head the minute we walked into good ole Moody. It was as if for a few hours I had stepped back in time. The acts were great and we enjoyed many a laugh together. it was so nice for Chris and Holly to bring us a little bit of home with their visit. We have enjoyed their visits to see us and look forward to them making another reservation anytime.

On Wednesday after Gymnastics we made a quick trip to the Zoo. We met some friends there for a picnic and enjoyed the 75 degree weather. It was so beautiful and the best surprise was that there was no one there. The children had so much fun playing together, feeding the giraffes, feeding the fish, and roaring like the lions. It was so nice to take a break from the daily chores that seem to weigh us down at times and just enjoy the glorious day that the Lord had blessed us with. The girls had so much fun together. It was really fun to watch Campbell comprehending that the animals we see in books were right in front of us. I think the biggest hits this trip were the turtles and the giraffes. I am already looking forward to many more fun trips to the Zoo with my girls.

On Thursday Kaylee had Pajama Day at school. She thought that it was very silly for them to be having breakfast foods for lunch. It was so cute to see the classes dressed up in their precious pajamas. Every time I saw her today at school she was smiling from ear to ear and having the best time with her friends. It is so good to be able to have fun days like this before she starts kindergarten next year. I am trying to treasure all of the special moments at school when I get to see her. I am definitely going to miss my many hugs during the day next year along with so many other things about my big girl. I love you sweet princess.

Today I am going to the Ladies Retreat that our church has each year. If you are counting, yes that makes two Ladies Retreats in one month. This one is in town so I will only be away from home one night. I am really excited because Judy Thomas is the speaker and I treasured her so much as a professor I had at ACU. I always felt blessed and excited when I entered her class. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy V-Day!

Nothing New!

I figured that you were all tired of looking at the flowers and the dining room but I really have nothing new. We had a pretty uneventful weekend.

Kaylee did get to have a Daddy/Daughter Date Night on Saturdaynight along with an afternoon of running errands together. I love to see the two of them have some special time together. I feel it is so important for her to form a close relationship with her father. There are so many times that I remember spending time with my Dad and feeling so special. I know it had a lot to do with me marrying someone a lot like him. There is nothing like the love a father can give his daughter. Kaylee came home with the biggest smile on her face and a play by play of all the things they had done. My heart overfloweth with love for my wonderful husband who looks forward to spending time with the girls by himself and for our two precious daughters. I am looking forward to sending them off on many more Date Nights.

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!!