The North Pole Express

Last weekend we made the trip to Fort Worth to celebrate Kaylee's Birthday with Cary's Mom (Grandma)and sister (Rae-Rae) as well as to attend a wedding. Since we were making the trip around Christmas we decided to go ride the North Pole Express in Grapevine. It sounded really neat and I was sure that the girls would enjoy it. I did make one mistake by telling Campbell before we left Abilene that we were going to ride the train. The whole trip she talked about the train. I did put the Polar Express movie in the DVD player to pass the time but that did not keep her from talking about riding the train every few minutes. Once we arrived the girls were so excited to be in their pajamas and ready to board the train. Lucky for us there were different activities for the girls to participate in such as making an ornament, seeing Santa, looking at different Christmas decorations, and eating a yummy carnival type dinner. Speaking of Santa both girls did so well sitting on Santa's lap this year. I was not sure about Campbell at first but she perked up and did great. Of course, I cannot post the picture because my scanner is not working so you will all have to take my word on the fact that it turned out really cute.

Before boarding the train there was a mini concert by an up and coming music artist. The girls really enjoyed the Christmas songs but did not want to join the other children on stage for a sing-a-long session.They were more than happy to just sit in their seats with the rest of us and sing there. When it was time to get on the train I thought both of the girls were going to explode with joy and excitement. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by the train ride. Each train car was decorated in different Christmas decor and there were a few people dressed up who sang songs from the Polar Express movie and danced in the aisle. Of course, before we started moving the conductor came around and stamped all the tickets and said a friendly word or two to the girls. Campbell had a huge smile on her face and I think Kaylee actually stopped being shy for a moment to say "hello" to him. Once all the tickets were stamped the train started to move. This is where the entertainment started. They asked the adults to stand up and dance in the aisle. Luckily for me Campbell did not want me to move but she was more than entertained by her Daddy's and Grandma's moves. I have to say we all got some good laughs in. Then there was a singing contest between the men and women. I think it ended up being a tie. Finally the big moment arrived when Santa came to our train car and shook all the children's hands and gave them a hug if they wanted. Both of our girls were thrilled to see him. After he left Campbell kept asking where he went for at least 5 minutes. After that the train came to a stop and we all got off. I am so glad that the girls got to enjoy the train and am sure they will remember it for a long time. I know that I will!

Party all the Time

After the big party we all returned home to celebrate another special birthday which happens to be PaPaw's Birthday. My PaPaw has always played such an important role in my life and it is even more fun to watch him play that same role with my girls. Most of my childhood memories include my Nannie and PaPaw in them from birthdays to graduations, to school plays. I admire my PaPaw so much for the wonderful Christian man that he is and the way he handles any situation with grace and love.
Just when I thought I could not possibly love him anymore I watch him playing on the floor with the girls doing whatever they want and my heart grows even more. Thank you PaPaw for being the wonderful grandfather and great-grandfather that you are to my family. We love you so much!!

Kaylee loved being able to open more presents with my parents and Papaw. Campbell even got a few things so that she would not feel left out. I would say that Kaylee's day long birthday was a big hit!

Pottery Painting Birthday

Well I am still behind so you may get to see a few posts in one day:-) This post will be about Kaylee's much anticipated birthday party. After changing her mind no less than five times about the kind of party she wanted to have we finally settled on a location. She decided to have a pottery party like her friend Kylie. I found the cutest invitations by Picture Perfect and we were off. Several of her friends were able to make the party, as well as my parents and grandfather so she was on cloud nine. Of course, since it was a painting party I commissioned the men to stay home with Campbell because a two year old in a pottery place just did not sound like a day of fun for me. All the children picked their own piece of pottery to paint which was so fun because you could see their personalities coming through in their choices. Some of the children were very meticulous about their painting and some were free spirits but they were all quiet for at least thirty minutes. Seriously you could have heard a pin drop. I had to keep from giggling at the sight of it. After they were all done painting it was time for some cupcakes! I got primary colored ones so they left some pretty interesting looking faces.

One of the highlights for Kaylee was opening all of her presents. She loved everything that she got and amazingly enough there were no repeat gifts. Kaylee is so blessed by all of these precious friendships which in turn blesses me because so many of thier mothers are good friends of mine. I just love all of these precious little faces.

Here is Kaylee's painted heart box. Good job sweet girl! I cannot wait to see what type of party next year will bring.

Happy 6th Birthday, Princess!!

Well today is the BIG day...Kaylee is SIX years old!! Cary and I are still in shock that our firstborn is already that old. I must have blinked and time passed by because I do not know how we got here already.

Here are a few things about Kaylee right now:

* She loves school and everything about it. We never have a problem getting her up in the morning because she is ready to go take on the day.

*Kaylee is a perfectionist (she did not have a chance otherwise with us as her parents), she does not like to make a mistake so she holds back what she thinks sometimes for fear that it might be wrong.

*She loves to play games of any kind. Some of her favorites are Disney Scene It, Monopoly, and Penguins.

*Learning to read is so much fun for her. She absolutely loves all books. She loves Thursday at school because it is Library day:)

*She adores Bible class. We always enjoy listening to her memory verses, retelling of the Bible story from class, and precious prayers.

*Kaylee loves her sister. She has really enjoyed learning new things at school and trying to teach them to Campbell when she gets home. When she is home, she is the first one to try to care for Campbell if she is upset. The feeling definitely goes both ways when it comes to their love for each other.

*She loves to help cook in the kitchen especially if it involves cookies of any kind.

*She has really started having a greater interest in Barbie stuff lately. I am loving it because I have such fond memories of playing with my Barbies as a child.

*Kaylee loves her musical theatre class. It does combine her two favorite things singing and dancing.

*She adores her family and anytime we do anything together whether it is riding in the car or going to the zoo. I love it too!!

Kaylee,

You are the light of our lives. In the past six years you have changed our life so much and we are so grateful. Our hearts still smile when you enter the room because we are so in love with you. You love the Lord, your family, and friends so much. We continue to be amazed daily by your knowledge of so many different things as well as the depth of your heart. May you always know how much we love you. We feel immensely blessed that the Lord gave you to us. You are our Princess!

Love you to the moon and back,

Dad & Mom

Christmas Parade and a Birthday all in One!

On the night of Kaylee's birthday we went to the annual lighted Christmas Parade downtown. She was so excited that they planned the parade on her birthday. The whole way there she wanted to know if we were going to have popcorn and hot chocolate again. I am so glad that they had it because I do not know what we would have done without it. Here are the girls all settled in for the parade action. We managed to get seats next to an orchestra that was playing so the girls were well entertained by the music until Santa

came along to start the event. Luckily we ran into our good friends the Perkins so Campbell was a happy girl to be able to watch a baby and the parade. Have I mentioned before how much my baby loves babies of anykind whether they be real or dolls? Nothing makes her smile more. She was pretty happy to be able to ride in her stroller too. It really was a great night for a parade and visiting with friends. We wondered what Campbell would think of the parade since she is two years old and you just never know what goes through their little minds but as you can see from this picture it was a hit.

After the parade was over we returned home to have a little birthday celebration with Kaylee. She got to open presents from us, Campbell, and my Uncle & Aunt. All the presents were a big hit and she said that she got everything that she wanted. I was glad since it took me till the day before to get out of her what she really wanted for her birthday. I still cannot believe another year has passed us by. We love you Princess!!

On Island Time for Thanksgiving

Well, before the business of the holidays set in around our house we took advantage of a little "Island Time" and escaped with Cary's office on a Western Caribbean cruise. We went the week of Thanksgiving while my parents took over caring for the girls. Our journey began on the Sunday before Thanksgiving at 5:00am when we all met at the Carter's home to pack all the luggage into two vehicles. Sweet Suzanne had coffee and zucchini bread ready for everyone:) We were all so excited that it did not seem to matter that it was so early. The drive to Dallas was so much fun because we were all laughing and having such a great time visiting with one another. Once we got to Dallas we checked in at DFW and boarded a plane destined for New Orleans. I am happy to say that the flight was very smooth and all of our luggage arrived on time . We boarded a big bus and headed for the port with a lot of smiles on our faces. Getting on to the ship was the most time consuming but it seemed to go fairly fast considering we were on a ship that would hold almost 2000 passengers. All of the crew was so nice and welcoming on the Norwegian Spirit.

As always we boarded in time for the safety drill. Aren't we cute? (You can see my newly highlighted hair. It is the first time in my life I have ever had highlights.)

On our first day at sea we all just relaxed and enjoyed the sailing. Except for one of us who was working hard at earning the title of Mr. Sexy Legs. With a little extra help from Mrs. Guatemala he took home the title. We were all so easily entertained by this that the jokes lasted the rest of the cruise.

On Tuesday we arrived at our first port which was Honduras. I have heard that there is a nice vacationers side of the island but we were on the third world country side of the island. It really was heartbreaking to see such small children walking around barefoot in the rain trying to earn some money by holding an umbrella or offering tours of the island.

Our group lead us to this shop. I thought the name was so funny.

On Wednesday we ported in Guatemala. On this island they had built a nice tourist facility with all kinds of homemade crafts. It really was interesting to see the many talents of the people there. They even had some live entertainment for us to enjoy and evidently they are home to one of the largest jade mines. There were a lot of beautiful jade pieces. I did not find anything I had to have but all the other ladies managed to find something to bring home.

Thursday we ported in Belize and Cary went with Phil on a repelling and zip line excursion. I decided to try something a little calmer and went with Karen and Doug on a snorkeling and beach excursion. I enjoyed doing a little jewelry looking at all the great shops followed by lounging on the beach. The weather and the scenery were both beautiful. We both had a successful day!

Our last port was Cozumel and we were so busy shopping that I did not take a single picture. Cary and I spent the morning looking for a few things on my list for the girls. At noon we met up with the rest of our friends for lunch at a great Mexican restaurant. Then we were off for more shopping. I found a lot of jewelry that I would have loved to have taken home but alas they were not willing to bargain as much as I would have liked. However, after we boarded the boat I went shopping in the lobby and found the bracelet I had my eye on for a lot cheaper that it had been in port. Yeah!

We spent the last day at sea relaxing. I was going to work on a little tan until we walked onto the deck and felt the cool temperature and rain. Suzanne, Karen, and I then decided to go play Bingo for something fun to do. We did not win but that did not keep us away from the jewelry counter:) We even managed to eat at the midnight chocolate buffet. I do not know how they carve so many things out of chocolate. There were roosters, lighthouses, castles, roses, and dragons to name a few.

All the food on the ship was delicious especially the creme brule and the lobster. I walked four of the days we were on the ship for exercise but still managed to gain a few pounds. This post would not be complete without our favorite Supervisor in the dining room Daniella and her biggest fan, Larry.

I have to say that we all had a wonderful week together and I enjoyed getting to know everyone much better. Thank you Phil & Mendy, Larry & Carolyn, and Doug & Karen for being so much fun! Most of all thank you to David and Suzanne for making the trip possible and full of such wonderful memories. Cary's office really is like having another family which is something to truly be treasured. We are so blessed!!

Thank you also to my sweet parents and grandfather for taking such great care of the girls while we were away and for the early Christmas treat to spend on the cruise:) We were ready to see these two precious faces by the time we got home on Sunday night. Our trip home was a little longer than expected due to snow falling all around us and a wreck on the highway but we all made it home safely which was an answered prayer. What a great gift to come home to snow!!

Notice anything different?

This sweet face just makes me smile and giggle a little too.

Halloween Night

I had to post one more Halloween picture when I saw this one from Halloween Night. It brought tears to my eyes to see how Campbell is looking at Kaylee. Pictures do speak volumes at times. I am so in love with these two girls!!

Happy Halloween Times 2!!

Well I feel like we have really experienced Halloween this year. We kicked off the holiday on Saturday night at the Wylie Fall Festival. The event is a big fundraiser for Kaylee's school so it was great to see so many people come out to support the event. I had baked all day Friday for the kindergarten cake walk so I was glad to just enjoy the festival with my sweet family. This is the only picture I had time to take so we must have been having fun, right? The girls loved participating in all the booth activities. Kaylee's favorites were popping the balloons with darts, cake walk, and the sports themed booths. (anything from hockey, to batting, to basketball) She loved them all! Campbell was happy with participating in the sucker tree and the duck pond. I lost count of how many times we repeated those booths for her. It was nice to just have some family time together. The girls were pleased because they both took home big bags of candy.

Last night we participated in Trunk or Treat at our church. My sweet friend Melissa came over with her two children to eat dinner and then we went to the festivities together since both our husbands were unable to make it. In the first picture you have a Cheetah/Leopard, a Cheetah Girl, and a ghost.

In this picture is precious Ella who was too busy to be in the first picture. I thought all the children we saw were precious!

This was my favorite picture of my up and coming Cheetah Girl!

Followed by the cutest baby Cheetah around!!

Both girls had a good time Trunk or Treating with their friends. Here was the scene by the end of the night. I think we are heading out for more fun tonight. Hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!!

ACU Homecoming!!

Now that it has been almost two weeks I thought it would be a good time to record our Homecoming Weekend Happenings! Well our good friends Mark, Honey, Trinity, and Trenton came to stay with us and enjoy all the festivities. We had a lot to cram in since it was a reunion year for both Honey and I. The fun began on Friday night for the kids because we went to the Homecoming Carnival which is always a pleaser for the children. Don't the girls look thrilled:) They really were so excited to be with each other. Kaylee had been looking forward to it all week. I had to show off Honey's handy work with the T-shirts. She is so talented and sweet that she brought each of my girls these cute shirts she made. Of course, Campbell was too busy to pose for a picture.

On Saturday morning we went to the Siggie breakfast and caught up with some dear friends. It was so good to see the precious girls that I pledged with so long ago and hear about their sweet families. I feel like we have all aged pretty well too:) There is just something about sisterhood that leaves you with a common bond even if it has been ten years since you caught up with each other. I love these girls!!

After breakfast we were off to the parade on campus. The girls always enjoy this activity and this year was no exception. Here they are in their annual cheerleader picture. Campbell loved being in her stroller over the weekend. She had been asking to ride in it for a month but we had not had the opportunity so she took advantage of all the stroller time she could this weekend. Once the parade was over we went to Homecoming chapel and heard a wonderful talk by Mitch Wilburn. He is such a motivational speaker and worker for the Lord. It was truly a blessing to be there and the girls sat like little ladies throughout the whole service.

On Saturday night Cary and I went to my Reunion Dinner. It was so much fun to be able to catch up with so many friends. This picture is of me and my precious friend Angie, we do not get to talk very often so we were so excited to be able to talk in person for one night. I am so glad that we went!!

Campbell's favorite part of the weekend was getting to play with Trenton. I do believe he is still her favorite boy. From the time they arrived to the time they left these two giggled and chased each other. As you can see in the picture Campbell is laughing about something but who knows what because they would just look at each other and start laughing. I loved watching them! We had the best time being with our dear friends and just enjoying some time on The Hill. We cannot wait for the next time our friends come knocking.

Campbell's Open House

Well it has been a long time since I have blogged about my baby so I( thought I would try to write about all the things she has been up to lately. We went to Open House at her MDO on Monday night and once she decided to participate in the craft and get out of my arms this is the best picture I could get for a while. Can you tell she likes to concentrate like her sister? She was very intent on her doodling. Of course, in true Campbell fashion she would have nothing to do with getting a picture with Mrs. Lauren and Mrs. Leslie.

Her new favorite phrase as of about two weeks ago is "I don't want to" and she says it in such a sweet voice with a big smile on her face. I am in so much trouble! Her precious teachers say that she is a big talker, especially to her favorite boy Jaxton. They always report that she is good in class and listens well. I am so glad that she is in such a wonderful class with such great Christian women teaching her.


Here is the picture I worked for about 15 minutes to get. It captures her personality perfectly!!



A few things about Campbell:

*She loves to cuddle and when I leave her in a classroom I always have to pass her off to someone she can love on before I leave.

*Her favorite things right now are yellow school buses, puzzles, pushing her baby in the baby stroller, putting a diaper on her baby, laughing randomly with her friends, brushing hair, cleaning up, stickers, and coloring.

*Each night before bed she tells me the exact book she wants to read. We read it once and then she bows her head, puts her hands together, and starts praying for everyone and everything she can think of.

*She does not like for her clothes to be wet or dirty.

*She can count to 10 but we are still working on identifying colors.

*Her favorite things to say are; "I don't want to", "Kaylee get it", "hold me", "I am ready to go", "Those are cute_________ "(fill-in-the-blank with shoes, clothes, jewelry), "________at work" (we go through the list of everyone in the family who is at work), "___________coming back?" (again fill in with everyone in the family), "I love you", "There is ___________Mommy!" (she knows which Mommies belong to which friends) , I am sure there are more but those are the phrases I hear most often.

*She has a temper which is usually reserved for the house but occasionally creeps out in public. I have never seen a child go from happy to screaming so quickly. This does not happen very often but when it does boy, watch out. Usually the fit occurs because she does not like the clothing choice I have picked out. ( The first thing listed more than makes up for these moments though.)

*She loves to go. She does not care where as long as she can go with whoever is leaving the house.

*She adores Kaylee and gets so much joy out of being with her after the school day is over.

*She loves to be wherever Mommy is no matter what I may be doing. One of her favorite chores is putting clothes in the washing machine. I love my little shadow.

We just love this little bundle of joy! We pray that as the year goes on she will continue to show us the fun in the simple things in life.

An Elementary Open House

Well I think I am about two weeks past due for an update so here goes...

I am going to start with Kaylee. Here are three of my favorite people before we left for Kaylee's Open House. Kaylee could not wait to show us all her work and her sweet friends. When we walked in the door we found her seat along with this cute little girl in it.

What you cannot see in the picture is that Kaylee had colored the girl's outfit to look just like the outfit she had worn that day with flowers on the pants and all. I just love to watch her draw and see how her little mind sees things. Too cute!! Along with the person were some papers she had colored and written on. We knew exactly what everything was on each page. It was fun to get to see some of the friends that we hear about all the time.

I am going to end this post with a few thing Kaylee has been doing lately:

*As you can see in this picture she lost another tooth and we now have a top tooth that is loose too. I am thinking that all she is going to want for Christmas are her four front teeth!

*She has been loving her Musical Theatre class that she takes once a week. I think it helps that two of her sweet friends are in there with her.

*She thinks her teacher Mrs. O is the best but she informed me the other day that her real name was Kelly. I have been trying to explain that her real name is Mrs. O too. That might have sunk in a little today.

*Each day she cannot wait to see her sister in the car and tell her "hello" first before anything else. She also asks Campbell about school then gets a little frustrated when Campbell does not share as much information as she did.

*She loves everything about school including Music, PE, Library, and buying lunch in the cafeteria. The whole experience is wonderful to her and I am so thankful.

*I do not know who is more excited at the end of the school day when she gets in the car me, Campbell. or Kaylee.

*She was given the Good Citizen Award for her class this 6 Weeks and we are so proud of her. She was excited about the candy and pencil.

*On her first report card it said that she could count to fourteen, when I asked her why only fourteen she said that she was too busy to count any further and needed to go back to her seat and finish her work.

* The school is having a Fall Festival and they need baked goods for the cake walk. I had already sent a form in saying I would send some things. Kaylee got in the car one day last week listing all of the things they needed me to bake. Evidently Kaylee took it to heart when they said they needed lots of goodies. I explained that they were just giving examples and did not expect me to bake everything they listed.

*We are having such a wonderful year and I pray that it continues.

I will blog about my other daughter tomorrow.