2011

Looking back, this has been a long year!

January 2011-Marcus has his last birthday as a 20 something year old. : )
February 2011-The last of basketball games was played for little dribblers... Whew! It always seems like such a long season.
March 2011-I had a birthday and we went 4 wheeling at Red River and we won't say who had the most fun... The grown ups or the kids :-)
April 2011-school was nearing an end and the little ones were ready for summer. Marcus took a job in south Texas and it was our first month in our new house.
May 2011-Baseball was in full swing and school let out this month. Summer started with football camp for Drew and basketball camp for Macie. I also had my last day at HHSC and couldn't have been happier!  THANK YOU MARCUS!!!  YOU'RE TRULY THE BEST HUSBAND EVER!!!
June 2011-Aspen and I hung out and got the house in order, everything put in it's place in our new home. Little Bit (as I call her) learned how to swim with NO floaties! We packed for summer vacation!
July 2011-We went to the beach for a week :-) We went with Nana and had a blast. Drew got a mohawk, Macie's tan got darker and Aspen finally understood what the ocean was. We had a awesome time at Kemah and found a new favorite place to stay.
August 2011 - School started up and we had a pre schooler, 1st grader and 4th grader this year!!! Drew turned 9 this year... man I feel old!
September 2011 - Macie turned 7 and had lost several teeth.  I pulled one, she pulled the rest!
October 2011 - It marked our 1 year anniversary.  Wow!  That year went fast!!! : ) We got to decorate our house for Halloween and Marcus scared some kiddos in his costume. 
November 2011 - Aspen had her 4th birthday this year.  She is a big girl now, since she likes to walk herself into school like the other kids do. 
December 2011 - This month has flown by... school parties, kids out on break, running here and there.  It is cooler now, but no snow.

All in all.... 2011 was a good year.  The kids have grown and are all too smart for their own good... Things will just keep getting more hectic from here on out.

I love my family and couldn't ask for a better husband or children.... xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Back to School !!!

Well... summer is over and school is about to begin.  The kids have had lots of swim time and relaxation this summer.

We had a beach trip... went to Galveston for a week.
We have had 40 days of temperatures over 100 degrees... stayed inside as much as possible.
We have volunteered and delivered meals on wheels... great experience for the children.
We had bible school at our church... was fun for Aspen to experience.
We had several camps this summer... football for Drew and basketball and cheer camp for Macie.
We have had time to sleep in... Drew and Aspen slept in until 11am some days.
We have finished decorating rooms and getting moved in... We LOVE our new house!!!
We have painted toes and fingers several times this summer... and even bought fake nails to apply and wear.
We have ridden bikes thru town... very relaxing. : )
Macie lost a tooth, Aspen's hair has grown longer, Drew got to have a mohawk... we all have great tans!!
Most of all... I have gotten to spend time with my kids and have enjoyed every moment of it... thanks to my AMAZING husband!!!

Bye Bye Summer 2011!!!

School year 2011 - 2012.... Here We Come!!!

Love

There is no way to describe such a bond that exists between you and your soul mate. You know you've found that person when you can finish each others sentences, when you call them to see how their day is going and just by hearing their voice it puts you in a better mood, when you are thinking something and they say it, when they are gone for less than a day and you can't wait until they walk in the door and you are able to just be in the same room as them, when you know that they are always telling you the truth and there is 100% trust in that person, when you tell someone that you love them and you know that they are loved by you and you are loved just as much in return. Soul mates are your best friend, loving, provider, supporter, encourager, straight forward, protector, big hearted, patient, kind... And the list goes on....

Some people never find their soul mates... I'm so lucky to have found mine!!!

I love you Marcus!

Aspen went to VBS this year.... And LOVED it!!!

 At Vacation Bible School...

In the kitchen... she found her Daddy's gloves

and thought she would help while we were cooking!!

Aspen had fun at bible school and has been learning to swim this summer!

Just ask... she'll tell you, "I can swim with NO floaties!!!  All by myself in the pool!"

And she's right... she learned pretty quickly.  She goes off the diving board all by herself!

Aspen, You're Awesome!!!

I Love You!!

Connie

Drew at football camp 2011

 Gosh it was hot... He needed water!!!

 His awards...  He placed 1st in the 40 yard dash

Tied 2nd in the kick contest and his team

WON the championship game at the

tournament on the last day of camp!!!

He made a touchdown and was SUPER excited!

 In action....

 Waiting for awards and certificates from the coach...

Drew had so much fun!  I am proud of him for

trying something new and letting him decide if he

liked it!!  All in all... I think he loved it!

I love you Drew!!!

You make me proud!

Mom

Macie in action at basketball camp 2011

 Group Photo

 Macie In Action!!

In the yellow jersey....

On the second day of camp, she got the award for "Camper of the Day"!

Not bad for an incoming 1st grader : )

I'm proud of my little dribbler...

I think she's AWESOME!!!!

I Love You Macie!!

Mom

The Best....

I just want to say that I have the BEST husband in the world!!!  I am so lucky that I found him!!!
I just wanted to post a shout out to you babe! 

XOXOXOXO

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Thank You!

Thank you for the beautiful flowers babe!!  I love them and I love you too!!  : )

2 Girls and a worm...

This past weekend it was so nice and sunny outside.  D was digging a "tunnel" in the yard and was bound and determined that it was going to end up on the other side of the privacy fence so he could spy on the neighbors.  Well, I guess the digging looked fun, because the girls decided to join in.  Everyone was having a fun time playing in the dirt.  I had to open my mouth and say "Hey, there's a worm!"  This was not a small worm, he was about 5 inches long.  So the girls got antiquated with "him" and put him in a cup.  They were holding him and showing him their sidewalk chalk, brought him in the house and he saw it all.  They wanted to give him a bath, so I had to explain that he is an "earth" worm, not a "water" worm.  He likes the dirt and that is how he lives. 

Fast forward 2 hours... I was not feeling well... (I had the stomach bug that has been going around) and started to get sick.  In between instances, I was sitting on the couch and could see into their bathroom that A was holding the cup the worm was in and was filling it with water.  I asked M, "Where's the worm?"  The response was, " We put him to bed."  (thinking that they put him back in the yard, I said OK and sat with my eyes closed and tried not to be sick again)  Then I asked, "Where'd you put him to bed at?"  M shows me that he is lying on the pillow of the bed nicely covered with their baby blanket.  "Ssshhh Mom, he's taking a nap!"  The worm was in the bed, stretched out on the pillow, covered with the blanket taking a nap! 

I love it that they have an imagination and I love it that both girls are interested in all kinds of animals and insects.  They used to be scared of spiders and flies and worms... now, they like to "baby" them and play with such things.  It is fun to watch them grow and to have stories like this to tell on them!  :)

Sharing Old Photos...

I cleaned my pictures out of my phone so I'd have room to take more...

These are just some of what was on there.

 Last summer on a very hot day!!

M and A riding the neighbor's horse "Nine"

 D in the tree at the State Park...

On the slide at Pepaw and G's house after a day of swimming.

M on "Nerd Day" during the week of Homecoming festivities.

A and her Daddy on his motorcycle.

A and her makeup!

For Christmas, the girls got makeup from Santa.  They are constantly wanting to put it on, so when I say "Yes", I have to be sure that we aren't going anywhere for a little while.  Every color is used and when they do each other's, it can look like they should be working under the Big Top.

This day, A was putting her make up on all by herself.... and well, you can see for yourself. :)

She was really into pink that day.

So pretty!

Some days she likes to use blue and that gets hard to clean off.

I don't have any pictures, but the girls also like to paint their nails.  So, I put a towel down on the floor and tell them to have at it.  I have about 20 polish colors and they are usually occupied for 30 minutes or so.  They paint one hand one color and the other another.  They stripe and glitter and take off and redo.  I like having them enjoy girl time and do girly things.

Having fun and being "So Pretty"!!

Losing Teeth...

M was so excited to lose her first tooth back in October.  She actually pulled it herself!!  Then she lost her second tooth in January, so about everyother day, she is saying that one of her other teeth is loose.  A has asked several times, "When I'm M's age, I'm gonna have a loose tooth and pull it too.  OK?"  These girls keep me busy...

 First Tooth Gone

Second Tooth Gone

Just waiting on the 3rd...

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Marcus!  We love you!!! 

Today is my husband's birthday.  He is 29!  Last year to be in your twenties babe... but I'd have to say from experience, my 30th birthday was much, much harder for me to overcome.  Now that I've past that point, I don't think I'll have a problem again untl 40!  : )

We hope you have a fun filled day and a GREAT 29th year!!  Love C, A, M and D

I'm Back!!!

I've started a new blog... stay tuned for updates.  I'm going to have to remember how to do this!

Hope everyone is having a great 2011!!!