One down, a few hundred more to go...

In the words of Dora, "We did it! We did it! We did it, ya!" Kaylee was so excited when she got in the car and so was Campbell. My sweet girl said that she had a great day with a huge smile on her face, and that was before the trip to Cold Stone for an "after the first day" treat. I have to say that she look so adorable lined up against the wall waiting for me to drive up to get her. I wish that I could bottle up the smile on her face when she saw us and keep it forever. It made my heart smile.

Top 10 Things said by Kaylee about the First Day of Kindergarten:

1. "My favorite thing about the day was my teacher, I love her so much!! She is really nice:)"

2. "The music teacher said that I am a good singer."

3. "There are tickets for lunch if you want something hot and my teacher even showed us how to go through the line."

4. " A little boy sitting beside me at lunch was crying because he missed his Mom. I told him to think of happy times with his Mom. Then he stopped crying and smiled."

5. "Mom, you have homework every night because there is a folder you have to sign everyday. My teacher said I am suppose to tell you that."

6. "I met five new friends, but I cannot tell you their names. They were really nice though. I thought I would work on names after I get use to the school."

7. "I did not get my clip moved and did not get sent to the Principal's office." (said with much pride) If you know Kaylee at all you know that she is a strict rule follower so I would never think for a moment that she would be sent to the principal. I think she is just really unsure of the Principal's job.

8. "My friend 'R' had the same kind of backpack and lunchbox as me only in a different color. His Mom must shop at the same online store as you."

9. "Most everyone in class listened except for one child...I am sure they will do better tomorrow."

10. "I got to read a book to my teacher and she said we were all good readers. I also rested very quietly at nap time and the teacher was proud of us."

Thank you Lord for a great first day! It is such a comfort to know that Kaylee is so happy. May the rest of the year be as blessed as the first day.

First Day of Kindergarten

Here is my precious little kindergartner. Well the day started early for us. We were all four up, dressed, and out the door by 6:45am. Our tradition is that the first day of school you get to pick where you want to go for breakfast...well Kaylee picked IHOP. Who could blame her:) All she could talk about was the smiley face pancake and that is what she got. We had a fun breakfast as a family before the real excitement began.

We arrived at school in plenty of time for the first day picture with the teacher. (I really like Mrs. O she is so sweet.) Kaylee would not even talk to her the other night because she was too shy so I thought it showed some progress when she actually took a picture with her. She was all smiles in her classroom. We put the backpack, lunchbox, and nap mat in her locker right away which was very exciting for Kaylee. After making her suffer through about ten more pictures and attempting to get one of her and Campbell we left the classroom. I felt that little tug at my heart to stay but knew that it was time to go. I felt better after one last kiss and hug.

This is Campbell at about 7:55am...I wish I had a picture from about a minute later. As we were leaving the room and I was about to tear up Campbell started screaming and crying for Kaylee. When I say this I mean full on fit pitching mode when everyone turns to look at you screaming. We even had one of our sweet friends pass us in the hallway and ask if she was okay. Let me just say that was the longest hallway ever and I am so glad that my sweet husband and I got to experience it together. By the time we got to the car she was better but then the question of "Where did Kaylee go?" started and has continue through a lot of the day. She was more than happy to take a nap a little after noon because I told her when she wakes up it will be time to get Kaylee. I am so glad that my girls love each other and that Kaylee was so happy in her classroom. I will post about the day from her perspective once I get the low down.

Dear Friends thanks for all of the sweet prayers for Kaylee and the rest of us during this new time in our lives. They have been a great comfort...keep them coming:)

Meet the Teacher

Well Thursday night was just the beginning of a whole new chapter of our lives...we went to Meet the Teacher for our firstborn. I think walking in her school and then the classroom made all of it seem more real to me. The school looks so much bigger to me being on the other side of the teacher's desk. The classroom was full of so many fun things I remember having from teaching. We had fun touring the room and discussing the different things. Kaylee was most excited to see that she has a locker with her name on it. I enjoyed watching her eyes light up as she saw something new in the room or a friend walk through the door. Her teacher seems very nice and full of energy which is good with all those kindergartners.

At least that night we got to take her home for a little longer before the adventure really begins. Monday is going to come way too soon. I am very excited for Kaylee but a little sad for me. I am not sure who is going to be more lost Campbell or me? I do not think that Campbell understands that we are going to leave Kaylee there without her getting to go to class too. It should make for an interesting morning anyway. I know that Kaylee is going to have a blast because she is so ready for this, even though I may not be. Would I ever be totally ready? Probably not. I cannot wait to see how the new chapter in her life unfolds. We have moved once before so she has had to make new friends in a new place, that part should be easy. It is just all the other things I worry about. I keep reminding myself that she will be covered in prayer and watched over by Our Father, what could be better than that!

Thank you Lord for our precious daughter, may you guide her ways through the coming years and always protect her from those trying to tear her down. Help her to lean on you during trying times and be thankful to you during times of joy. May she never feel alone because you are there with her. Bless her daily with the knowledge, strength, and friendships which will build her up. Most of all give us the ability to let her go a little and watch her fly. ~Amen.

San Antonio Vacation Part Two

On our third day in San Antonio we decided to take it easy. We had a good breakfast at the hotel and then decided to go to the Alamo. The girls did not understand much at this age but we enjoyed remembering the events once again. We finally got a picture of both girls looking at the camera and smiling which was no small feat. Campbell did manage to fall off a step and skin her leg pretty good so she definitely remembered the Alamo.

The next stop was back to the Riverwalk for a good lunch at my parent's favorite restaurant. The food was good and the girls were entertained by the boats and ducks floating by. I loved this picture of Campbell holding Papa's hand. They are like two peas in a pod most of the time. My parents left after lunch and we returned to the hotel for a much needed nap. Then we went back to Sea World to see the remaining shows and let the girls play in the playland area. When we left the park we headed to Joe's Crab Shack which was a perfect way to end the day.

The next morning we woke up and headed back home. We did make a stop in Fredricksburg for lunch and a little shopping. It was a great way to break up the trip. We were glad to be home even though we had a wonderful time. I can honestly say our first family vacation was a success and we are looking forward to another one soon. Thanks again to Papa and Nana for taking us, helping so much with the girls, and making memories we will have forever.

San Antonio Vacation Part One

Well I am finally going to take the time to blog about our wonderful vacation that my parents took us on in July. We decided to try our first family vacation.

We packed up and left for San Antonio. The ride there was great! It is amazing how helpful a portable DVD player can be in the car. What did I ever do on all those trips when I was little? Once arriving at our hotel we decided to go to the Riverwalk.





Our first stop was the Rainforest Cafe. Kaylee and Campbell were both very excited and amazed at all the animated animals as well as the live fish that were inside the restaurant. Our food was delicious and the girls managed to eat despite all the fun going on. They also loved the huge Icee cups they got with a little surprise inside. I think next time we go I am going to just order an appetizer and the chocolate volcano. The dessert was truly delicious!




Next on the agenda was to ride one of the tour boats at the Riverwalk. You cannot go to the Riverwalk and not ride one of the boats. I thought that Kaylee would love this but she was not impressed. Our first clue was when she asked why the man kept telling us all those facts. I thought that was too funny. We did see several weddings taking place on the Riverwalk since it was 07-07-07. There were also several ducklings to be seen which Campbell loved. By the time we left it was bedtime for one little trooper who had not had a nap all day so we headed back to the hotel. Kaylee went swimming with my parents and of course slept in their room while the rest of us showered and went to bed for some rest before heading out the next morning.






Bright and early the next morning we were looking at the Sea World arch. Kaylee was so excited about the Coral Reef breakfast with the fish. I did not have high expectations for the food but it was delicious. There was a good variety of food for everyone. Both my girls were happy to see the french toast and eggs on the table. It was fun to watch the sharks and other fish swimming while we were eating.







After everyone was done eating we went outside to the dolphin tank to feed the dolphins before the park opened to everyone else. I have to say that this was a lot of fun. Campbell even managed to participate in the fun. I was a little unsure as to whether either child would hold a dead fish or touch a dolphin but they did. Kaylee loved seeing them up close and being able to really observe them.





After the yummy breakfast we hit the ground running to try to get to as many shows as possible. It is just amazing to me how people can teach these animals so many amazing things. Kaylee's two favorite shows were Viva and Believe. I have to say they were my favorites too.











Here is the famous Shamu!!!






Here are my two girls!! Kaylee enjoyed everything and really took it all in. Thee was a smile plastered on her face for most of the day. During the ski show after being splashed and not liking it at all Campbell decided it was time for a nap. She managed to sleep for about an hour and a half while moving from one show to another and all. This is my child who is a light sleeper and is not one to transfer once asleep. Can you guess how tired she was from this picture?




We ended the evening by enjoying a wonderful Dinner with Shamu. It was good to see the whales from the show up close and watch some of their amazing trainers in action. Campbell was not very impressed when the whale jumped out of the water and onto the platform. She preferred to keep a safe distance from the action. I highly recommend the Dinner with Shamu...it is definitely worth it to see the looks on your children's faces.




The first day at the park was super! It was not too hot or crowded. We were thankful that the car was very close to the gate though because we all had some tired feet:) Both girls left with smiles on their faces and souvenirs in their hands thanks to Papa and Nana.

Avalanche Ranch

I suppose I will pick up where I left off once again. About ten minutes after we arrived home from Dallas Kaylee and I were off to VBS (that is not the titile they used this year but I will always call it VBS) at our church. This year they chose the theme of Avalanche Ranch. The coordinators really did a great job!! There were even real goats, horses, sheep, and donkeys in the classroom that we normally meet in on Sunday mornings. Kaylee loved her two sweet group leaders. They were a lot of fun and seemed to really love being with their group. It just makes my heart smile when I see teens helping out with activities like this one.

Kaylee's favorite things about VBS were:

1. Getting to be with her friends for 4 nights in a row.

2. Feeding the goats and other animals.

3. Watching clips of Veggie Tales movies while eating popcorn.

4. Making fun craftsand playing games.

5. Wearing her cute VBS shirt and cowgirl boots. (Yes, I had to wash the shirt each day so she could wear it again.)

6. Learing more about the Bible.

Here is my precious Cowgirl!! I thought after this picture I might have a future at Olan Mills:) I loved being able to spend part of each evening with you sweet girl.

Fun Times in "Big D"

Upon returning from Waco we spent two days getting ready to leave again to go to Dallas...my other home. Kaylee was so excited to finally get to go see all her friends and I was too. After dropping Cary off at the airport to go to a conference we were headed for Murphy. The Ownbys were nice enough to share their home and everything else with us while we were there. Poor Trenton even got kicked out of his own bed one night because we thought Campbell might sleep better in there but we were wrong. (It was the first time she ever climbed out of a crib though. It is amazing what a determined, mad two year old can do.) Despite a little sleep deprivation we all had a great time. It was great to be able to catch up with friends in person.

Traci and Steph even went to the trouble of fixing us a delicious lunch one day. The girls had so much fun playing and talking. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear their conversations but I was too busy having my own fun. Campbell and Riley even found time to make their own fun in the bathroom sink...too cute.

Here are Kaylee and Kylie....do you think they like each other?

Cary got back on Friday night late and we all left for Cedar Creek Lake on Saturday to have a day of fun at my sweet friend Amy's family lakehouse. Campbell's face in this picture best describes all of our excitement. With the women in one car with two kids and the men in another car with two kids we all headed out. We also had a faulty map in hand. What would a trip be without a little adventure? Let's just say that it involved a poor map pulled off the internet by our husbands, a lot of U-turns, a few cellphone calls, spinning tires in the mud, and a nice man who had a chain which came in handy. I am happy to say that we did make it to the

lakehouse only a little while after our husbands, a little sore from all the laughing, and in time for lunch. The rest of the day was a blast. Campbell did not love all the waves in the water but she did pretty good. Kaylee was our real pro. She jumped off a 12 foot drop, swam all over the dock area, and even rode in the tube being pulled by the SeaDoo. It is so good to see how much she loves the water compared to where we were only a few years ago. It was a very enjoyable day at the lake. I even took a ride in the tube with two of my sweet friends who happen to be a little on the fuddy duddy side. (you know I love you girls) Thank you Smiths for your hospitality and to all of our other friends for making the week so special.

My big girl!!

Here are Trenton and Campbell saying goodbye to each other. I thought it was so funny to see the big smile on his precious face. We had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

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:)