Swimming, More Birthday, and some sweet Fathers

So much has happened since my last post that I do not even know where to begin...that is a warning that this will be a long one.

I suppose I will try to sart at the beginning which happened to be the end of swimming lessons. I was so excited to see what Kaylee would accomplish this year with the help and love of her wonderful teacher and I was definitely not disappointed. Let's just say I was amazed at how much she remembered and how far she came in just two weeks. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. I was a little worried about Campbell being still while we waited each day but as long as I brought enough to snack on and entertain she did great!!

By the end of the first week Kaylee was really swimming by herself. She had become a pro at coming up for a quick breathe and placing her head back underwater. She even managed to swim without the goggles most of the time. I now can say that if she fell in the water by accident she could definitely get herself to the side of the pool and out of the water. That was my goal and she passed with flying colors. I am already anticipating all the techniques she will learn next year.

Last but most definitely not least her wonderful teacher who is so encouraging and patient. We just love her. Thank you Teacher Sherry!!

Friday after swimming lessons were over we packed up and went to Waco to celebrate Father's Day with my Dad and Grandfather. The girls were so excited to be going to see Papaw, Papa, and Nana that their names were all we heard on the whole three hour trip. I did manage to get a few of my errands accomplished on Saturday before our little celebration for Campbell's actual birthday.

Nana had one of the local stores make her a Nemo cupcake cake and she loved it! I do not know which she enjoyed more eating the cake or blowing out the candles. Kaylee gave her a cute little doll she had picked out for her and we added another charm to her charm bracelet.

We enjoyed a great afternoon with the men in my life. I am blessed beyond measure with the three men in my life. Cary, my Dad, and my Grandfather are the most wonderful men you could ever meet. It was so nice to be able to share the day with them.

Papa and Nana even got us a gift and watched the girls while Cary and I went to a movie. We got to eat a PeiWei which is one of my favorites and then went to see Ocean's Thirteen. It was so nice to be able to spend a little time with my sweet husband alone.

I think I will stop here for now and continue with more updates later.

Campbell's 2nd Birthday Party!!

Last Saturday was a big day for Campbell because we celebrated her 2nd Birthday with a fun outside party! (This is the only picture of her actually being still and looking at the camera that I captured.) Several of her friends from church and YCW were able to come enjoy the fun along with grandparents and her great grandfather. We decided to cook out for everyone which was a great idea until our refrigerator decided to go out the day before. Luckily my sweet friend Lindi came to the rescue with an extra refrigerator so we were able to cook as planned. Thanks again Lindi! The party started at 11:00am and I do not think we stopped for a moment until it was over two hours later just the way two year olds like it:)

I think Campbell's favorite part was when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She just sat in her seat grinning from ear to ear and actually waited till we were done to blow out the candles. She was so proud that she could blow them out all by herself. As you can see she did not waste much time digging into the cupcake.

Judging from this picture I think she really enjoyed her cake:) I just love that little face.

After the cupcakes were all done all the children went to pull the strings on the pinata. Talk about an energetic group. They loved scooping up all the goodies. I think everything was gone from the ground in about a minute. So fun!!

The whole party went just as planned which was so nice. Thank you to all of our sweet friends and family who came, were so generous with their gifts and time, and made the party so special for our baby girl.

After everyone had gone Campbell got one more surprise from Papa and Nana. Here is her new favorite toy. I thought it was so cute and it even has a small storage bin in the back and a cup holder in the front. I am sure that many hours of fun will be had for a long time coming:)

Of course Nana and Papa did not leave Kaylee out. They got her a fun T-ball set which she and Papa had a lot of fun with. I have to say that she is pretty athletic which did not come from her mother. Kaylee was such a big helper at the Birthday Party and I am so proud of the sweet heart that she has already.

Where has the time gone?

Well it looks as if two weeks have come and gone and I have failed to blog. Here is a little catching up.

Lots of birthday parties!! Kaylee went to a pajama birthday party one night for a sweet friend of hers from church and school. They enjoyed eating pizza, getting their toenails painted, dressing up in girly costumes, watching a cute movie, and eating cake. Kaylee had so much fun!! Denise really went over board when she decided to take a picture of all the girls and iron it on a really cute pillow case as part of their party favor. I thought that was so clever. All the girls then signed their names on the pillowcases. Too cute!!


On that Saturday Kaylee went to the Birthday Party of one of her favorite boys. They went to the indoor batting cages at ACU and had a blast. I let Cary take her to this party since it involved sports and there are only a limited number of those types of parties in his future. He said that Kaylee did a great job hitting the ball and pitching. I am glad that she already seems to have more athletic ability than her mother. After the party they watched some of a high school baseball game that ACU was hosting. It was fun to get a play by play of the party when she came home.

Then we spent Memorial Day with some of our best friends who are about to move to Tyler. They were both in our wedding and are so much fun to be around. They have a daughter the same age as Kaylee so the girls have a lot of fun together. There was a lot of laughing and good food. We made our first batch of homemade ice cream so it really feels like summer now.

The rest of that week I spent trying to get things together for Campbell's upcoming birthday party and hosting our Shepherding Group at our home. At our new church they have Shepherding Groups which meet the first Sunday Night of the month either in the homes or at another location. Since our class has grown so much over the past year most of our class is in the same group. That means our group could possibly have 60 + members including children if everyone shows up. We decided to grill hamburgers and hot dogs and had people sign up to bring other things. Our turn to host was last nigh and I think the final count was about 54 people counting all the children. I was so thankful that the rain waited until later that night so that everyone could enjoy the outdoors as well as indoors. Of course, I have no pictures of this evening because Cary and I were too busy hosting. We had a wonderful time with everyone and the girls had a blast!

This morning I got up at 6:45am and walked my two miles with my friend Candice. It is amazing how much faster the time goes by when you have someone to talk with. I am looking forward to my walks now that I have some company:)

Kaylee started swimming lessons at ACU today. She is taking tham from the same sweet lady who gave them last year so we are really excited around here. Ever since the weather warmed up I have been getting the question of when swimming will start...I am glad it is now. As you can see Kaylee is ready to go and so is Campbell. She cannot let her sister have all the fun. Since Kaylee's lessons are only 30 minutes Campbell and I walked over to the ACU Bookstore to purchase a book for our Sunday morning class and I even got a cute T-shirt for $5.00. You cannot beat that:) Of course we had to get some Starbursts too for bribery to last the remainder of the lesson that we watched. Kaylee did a super job and really remembered a lot from last year. Yeah!

The remainder of the week holds more lessons, swimming at a friend's home, church, our anniversary, and Bunko. Fun times!

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:)