O'Bryant Family

Anniversary

2012-01-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

TEN YEARS!!

I cannot believe Brody and I have been married for ten years. The best decision I've ever made was saying yes to that man! :) Normally, we just have a nice dinner out to celebrate, but since this was a big number, he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

This was my gift...love them!

dinner at Fleming's

(iphone photo...bad quality)

After our delicious meal we went to the Westin, La Cantera for the night.

the view from our room

It was a wonderful anniversary, and I'm thankful to my parents for keeping the kids! I am so lucky to have Brody as my husband...he is just the greatest! I'm looking forward to many many more fun anniversaries!

Christmas!

2012-01-07T20:12:00.000-06:00

We had a fun Christmas! I'm always sad when the break goes so fast and we have to get back in the routine.

We've started the tradition of making cookies for Santa. The kids had a great time this year and actually helped me decorate all of them! Clark was using Halloween sprinkles for this shot. ha~

our finished products

Christmas Eve we spent with Brody's parents

Kathi makes jewelry and so she pulled out all her Christmas beads and the kids got to make necklaces. They loved it!

I think Clark's favorite thing was this train. It went all the way around the tree, and he got to use the remote to make it go, reverse, and stop. He was in heaven!

The other favorite for Clark was this "ginormous gun". He had asked for one, and was so happy!

Scarlett asked for some Littlest Pet Shop Walkables, and was thrilled when she opened this treat!

Christmas morning was also a hit!

spin brushes

My three favorite people!

Christmas day was a little weird because we usually go in our jammies to my parents, but it was Sunday so we went to church first and then headed to mom and dad's.

It's always loud and chaotic over there on Christmas day, but the kids are beside themselves with all the fun.

sweet girls

my crazy boy~

Christmas Around our House

2011-12-22T13:18:00.000-06:00

It's been so much fun to decorate our NEW house this year for the holidays. There's still a lot that I want to add over the next few years, but I think we're off to a pretty good start.

dining room

stairs

I highly recommend a chalkboard wall somewhere in your house. They are so much fun!

This table has pictures of the kids visit with Santa every year.

My "fancy" tree again. I found a tutorial on the tree skirt from Pinterest.

Scarlett's tree

Clark's tree

Clark decorated his tree himself :) Notice the decorations he made out of pipe cleaners, and even added a lovely mini candy bar wrapper. ha!

Another decoration found on Pinterest. I don't know what I'll do with this space once Christmas is over, but I have a few ideas.

A great gift from my friend Jenn.

Our family tree in the living room.

My shiny centerpiece on the coffee table.

Blake, our elf has been having lots of fun every night...looks like last night he played a few video games. :)

Festivities!

2011-12-12T09:22:00.000-06:00

We're in full Christmas swing around here! Both kids have had their Christmas programs, Brody and I have been to a couple of parties, and there are still a few more to attend!

Scarlett was an angel at her program...literally :) They did a great job!

Clark was part of the choir at his program. I never know with that boy how he'll do...but thankfully he had a great time up there and was even keeping time of the music with his hand just like the music teacher. haha!

We are so lucky to have our family in town! Even sweet Jaime and Jemma came to watch Clark, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of them.

Scarlett's class had a field trip to the Majestic to see part of the Nutcracker. It was a shorter version since there were just schools attending, but it was still lots of fun. I'm not sure how much the boys liked it, but the girls were all in heaven seeing the pretty ballerinas!

We also hosted part of our bible class party (it was a progressive dinner and we were the appetizer house), and I had my annual Christmas party for the girls I used to teach with. We figured out we've been doing the party for 13 years!! I don't know what got into me, but I forgot to pull out my camera for either of those parties. Brody and I still have several more functions to attend, so hopefully I'll remember to take some pictures then!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T09:33:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Brody's side of the family this year. We traveled to Fredericksburg and spent time with Brody's parents, aunt & uncle, and his aunts brother and family.

They collected pine cones, or "cine cones" as Clark called them. :)

Scarlett and Clark had a great time with Patience (aunt Susan's niece) playing in the creek!

It was a nice, relaxing day...and to top the whole day off: the Horns won!! HOOK 'EM! :)

Halloween

2011-11-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

Do these kids look happy for the weekend festivities, or what?!

Friday night, Scarlett's school had a carnival. It was lots of fun and the kids had a blast with all the moon bounces and games. Mom and Dad even got to enjoy the night with us.

But the fun didn't stop there! The next day, we went to Trunk of Treats at church. The weather was beautiful this weekend. The kids got so much more candy than they could ever eat and it was fun walking around, seeing the creativity of everyone that decorated their cars.

look at sweet Miss Jemma Jane!

One of the kids favorite trunks was the "mad scientist" car.

Then Halloween night finally rolled around. We didn't actually NEED to do any trick or treating, but the tradition is fun. Brody's sweet grandma passed away and the funeral was this day, so he was in Dallas. So, the kids and I tagged along with the Bailey's.

The whole gang.

It was a great weekend and I love the memories we're making...these kids are growing up TOO fast!!!

Halloween decorations

2011-10-31T09:03:00.001-05:00

This is a picture heavy post, but I don't think there's any other way to show decorations! :) It's our first year in this house, so I've had fun finding places for old decor along with making new things. I have found a TON of darling things on pinterest...my new addiction.

new front door wreath

I've wanted a burlap banner forever. A few people have teased me that the "L's" look funny, but I really liked this font.

I made these containers a couple of years ago, and they've held up pretty well!

This little guy has been with me since my teaching days. He was a gift from one of my students.

I am loving my chalkboard!

These aren't my decorations, but I made them for the kids teachers. Again...pinterest! I also made the caramel apples and I can vouch for them...they were delish!

This is a new find from Junior League's Marketplace Ole. He has candy inside his head...but I think Brody would grab a hershey bar every night on his way to bed, so you can't actually tell there's anything in there.

And, my mom made the cute little pumpkin for me :)

Finally, my fun bats. They really didn't take long to make and add a lot to the entry.

Hope you're all having a fun and safe Halloween. More pictures to come soon of all the things we've been up to this weekend!!

Play date

2011-10-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

Scarlett loves her brother. And, she adores her boy cousins. But sometimes a girl just wants to play with another GIRL! Jemma is a doll, but still a bit too young to play games the way Scarlett has in mind.

One of Scarlett's best friends is Bella. We met Bella at Mother's Day Out when Scarlett was barely 3 and Bella was still 2. They were the only girls in a class full of boys! I don't have any pictures from that first year, but here they are the next year at their Christmas program. Bella is the cutie on the right.

They've taken dance together

(Scarlett has the headband on and Bella is all the way on the left with the bun)

They've enjoyed parties together

They graduated from Parkhills together

And they are still friends today! We don't see Bella as much as we'd like now that they're in school, but last week since there was no school she came to play. They were SO quiet, I didn't think to take any pictures until the end of her stay. She brought over necklaces to make and they wanted me to take pictures of them as "twins".

Cute twinkies...even wearing matching skirts!

being "pirates"

I am so thankful for friendships. I know how important it is to have great girls in your life and Bella is such a doll...I pray they are friends forever!!

Date night

2011-10-10T14:22:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, Brody and I had a date night with friends from church. It's been a while since we've all been out together and I'm hoping it doesn't take us as long to do it again!! We ate at Rosario's (their white queso is to DIE.for!!), and then everyone came back to our house for dessert and the movie "The Burbs". It's a funny movie, but watching it with Brody makes it hilarious...he cracks UP!

the guys

the gals

the gang

(minus Ben, our photographer)

Thanks to Jaime for the pictures! Let's do it again soon guys!!!

End of Summer Fun

2011-09-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

The last week before school started, Jaime and I decided to take the kids to the children's museum in New Braunfels. It is a great museum, and the kids had a wonderful time!

building with Beck

she's happy to be in control of all that money!!

painting

these costumes cracked me up!

We had a great time. Unfortunately when we got home I realized Clark had fever...it was later discovered he had Hand, Foot and Mouth virus. Scarlett got it a week later but thankfully all of Jaime's kids stayed well. I'm just happy we got a chance to have one final summer outing!

Clark's day

2011-09-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

Clark started back at his Mother's Day Out last week. He doesn't look super excited in this picture, but he was actually happy to go and see his friends and meet his new teachers. One of his teachers had Scarlett when she was at this school and she is the BEST. I'm so excited for Clark's year.

The good thing about this school is that the classes are by "old, middle, young". Clark is in the "old 3's" meaning that all of the kids in the class will be 4 by December. The only bad thing about doing things that way is that there about a million birthday parties before December...at least it feels that way! So...since Clark is already four, he got to bring cupcakes for snack on the first day of school. He's in the owl class and I saw these on pinterest and thought they'd be perfect!

First day

2011-08-30T19:56:00.000-05:00

Somehow, I neglected to post about the first day of school! The sweet little school that Scarlett attended last year closed after 30 years. We were so sad...mainly for all of the teachers that were out of jobs, and the high school students who had gone there since Kindergarten! We were also a bit anxious, as we were given about three weeks notice that we'd have to make other arrangements for this school year! But, God is always faithful and we think we found a great spot for Scarlett. She and her cousin Beck got the last two spots in first grade. :)

Ready to go!

sweet kisses goodbye from Clarkie!

I pray that this year brings her as much joy as her kindergarten year. I am praying for her heart to stay protected and pure, for her to make good choices and friends, and for her to learn academically. But I'm mainly praying that she learns God is always with her...no matter where she is, or what school she attends!

Scarlett's room

2011-08-22T12:54:00.001-05:00

We have finally moved to the upstairs portion of redecorating. The painter that we hired for the downstairs is going to be (hopefully) painting the hallway, bathrooms, and master bedroom, but Brody and I figured we could handle the kids rooms and the playroom. Scarlett's room was first on our list.

I am sorry that I didn't get any before shots because it was one BrIGhT room!! Brody primed it while I was out one day, and he didn't think of taking any pictures, but two walls were turquoise and two walls were purple. yikes!! We wanted a nice pale pink that will hopefully grow with her. We have mostly pink accents, but I'm thinking as she grows, she could easily change those to any color that will blend with the pale pink of the walls.

this is the wall to the left of her door

My mom is going to help me make a canopy to go over her bed, because Scarlett has been begging for that!

This wall looks kind of bare, but I'm planning on getting another canvas and having Scarlett paint something. She painted that heart, and I thought it would be cute for her to add a canvas every year or so.

She was so excited to have a "big girl" clock!

I still need to figure out some sort of curtains, but other than that and the canopy, her room is finished!

4 is fun!

2011-08-09T09:39:00.001-05:00

Today, sweet Clark Sullivan is FOUR!! Seems like just yesterday he looked like this:

newborn

one year old

two

three!

and here he is now!

Here are FOUR things about my boy~

1. He loves sports!

2. "Baby" (the monkey) still goes most places with him.

3. He is funny and FULL of personality!

4. Scarlett is his hero

Happy happy birthday sweet boy! You have made our life busier, louder, and better!!

Seven

2011-08-03T09:05:00.000-05:00

Today, my sweet girl is seven years old! Here's a little walk down memory lane:

newborn

1st birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

4th birthday

5th birthday

6th birthday

the big # 7!!

I asked her to tell me seven things she thinks people should know about her:

1. I like to play video games

2. I'm a good artist

3. I love my new kitty (a fur real pet from Mimi and Papa...it's as close as she's going to get to a real cat!)

4. I've lost 5 teeth

5. My favorite colors are pink, green, purple and all the colors of the rainbow!

6. I want to be a doctor when I grow up

7. I love my family a lot, but I love God the most!!

We love you Scarlett Ann!! I am so happy God gave you to us.

(thanks to Dphotography for this last pic...I have the CD, but haven't downloaded anything yet, so this is a picture of my picture. ha)

Catch Up

2011-07-28T09:32:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I updated on the house. We're pretty much finally finished with the downstairs. Here's the progression:

before it was ours

right after we moved in

now!

Living room before it was ours:

right after we moved in:

now!

I think it looks a lot more "like us", and we're happy with the way things turned out. Now, we just have to get the upstairs finished!

Scarlett has been busy with camps this summer! Tennis camp, golf camp, church camp. Poor Clark is just barely too young for all of those things. One day while Scarlett was gone, I took him to a friends neighborhood pool to do some swimming. He had a BALL playing on the water slide. It was a great time with friends, and I'm happy that I was able to do something just for him.

Fourth of July Fun!

2011-07-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

Tennis Camp

2011-07-05T15:47:00.000-05:00

Last week Scarlett went to tennis camp. She was so excited because this year she graduated out of the pee wee group and was a step up with the big girls. :) (she was still the youngest/smallest girl, though!)

I'm proud of her for playing in 100 degree heat for three hours every day! Clark was so sad because he was about a year too young to attend...he even snuck his racket in the car one day trying to convince me he could go. ha~

On Friday, they played a round robin match and had a little awards assembly. Scarlett was about 2 years younger than the other girls in her group, but she managed to win a match! She was happy about playing "tv tennis" as she calls it. (she played like they do on tv. haha), but she wasBEYOND excited to get a trophy. These pictures crack me up because I seriously don't think her smile could be any bigger.

Clark was a trooper and even cheered for his sister, despite the fact that he was a tad jealous :)

Proud daddy

Zoo!

2011-06-22T13:19:00.002-05:00

It was 127 degrees outside last week, give or take a degree...but we decided to have some fun outside anyway!

Briggs had to go potty so he couldn't smile :)

Scarlett is obsessed with her princess crown.

These kids are getting so big!

love this

I think the favorite thing of the day was the train...next time we may skip the stink and heat and just do the train!

Waving to the people

Clark's last day of school

2011-06-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Before I get into the actual post, I realize on my last post that I didn't really give too much info. We loved our first house. It was a good size for us, we had great neighbors, and we had worked hard to make it cute and "us". However, it was a LONG drive for Brody to get to work every day, and once Scarlett started Kindergarten it was a long drive for me too. We had the house on the market for ten l.o.n.g. months, but God is good! When we did finally get a contract on our house, we found a new one that had only been on the market for 8 days and was pretty much a steal. But the BEST part....it was one street over from Jaime!! We have already saved so much money on gas, and I love being by my sister. :)

OK. So, now to the actual post. Ha. Clark had his last day of Mother's Day Out a week ago. I was nervous about how my boy would do in school this year. He is a bit of a mama's boy :) But, he did GREAT and I am so thankful that he's at a great school and had teachers that loved him so much!

First day of MDO

Last day of MDO

My sweet guy had a wonderful year. He learned a lot, made new friends, and even went into class most days with a smile on his face. ha! Thank you Ms. Holly and Ms. Joanne for a wonderful year! We love you!

A few before and afters

2011-06-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

OK...so we've been in the house about a month, and there is still a TON of work to do. But, really, when is a house ever totally finished?!

the entry

(sorry about the bright glare)

before

after

the kitchen

before

almost after
*we are having the cabinets painted white and adding new hardware hopefully in the next week or two

dining room

before

after
*obviously we need a table. ha!
**and I need to buy more hooks for the curtains on the right

living room

before

after
*we have plantation shutters ordered and coming hopefully by the end of the month

So, there's still a lot of the house to see, and lots more to actually DO...but there's a little sneaky peaky. Come by and see us!

Kinder graduate!

2011-05-24T13:01:00.001-05:00

first day

last day

I cannot believe the year is over. My sweet girl has changed so much this year! She's lost teeth, grown inches, made new friends, and learned, learned, learned. I am so proud of the little lady she's becoming. She certainly doesn't look like my baby anymore! I am thankful that her little Christian school guarded her heart and mind while she was away from me and I am so happy that we were blessed to be there!

Graduation night

Scarlett's sweet class

Scarlett's favorites this year:

teacher: Mrs. Linscomb :)

class:PE

food: pizza

day: Wednesday (chapel day)

friend: Regan and Beck

memory: Children's Museum Field Trip

We've been a bit busy

2011-05-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I know it's been a while since I've given any attention to this old blog...but I have good reason. We MOVED!! It's another story for another day that was months and months in the making. But, until I get around to posting about the big move, I need to catch up on a few other posts.

A couple of weeks ago (I think...I've sort of lost track of time), Mom and Dad had us over for a "grown ups only" dinner. At an auction for the kids school earlier in the year my parents bid and won a dinner party for 8 with one of the Central Market chefs. He came to the house and cooked a delicious meal, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it again!

The yummy hors d'oeuvres.

I seriously could have been happy just eating this for dinner!

These shrimp were amazeballs!!!

Happy for a night out!

Happy for great food!

The salad was in a bowl of something...can't remember what it was called, but it was cheesy goodness.

Somehow I skipped the main course pictures. I was probably too busy stuffing my face! This desert was a strawberry mousse and it did not disappoint!

The whole evening was tons of fun, not only because of the food, but because I really love spending time with my family. We are so blessed!!

Easter fun

2011-05-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

We had a super busy but super fun Easter weekend. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but Friday we went out to Brody's parents house. They had my whole family and some other friends out there. The kids had a ball!

I made these chocolate covered peeps

before the egg hunt

Clark was so worn out. He NEVER falls asleep in the car!

Saturday was spent recovering at home and getting ready for the Easter bunny

Sunday morning looking at goodies

before church

We had a delicious lunch at my parents house. I brought these cookies.

Maegan made these darling and delicious cupcakes!!

egg hunt at my parents house

pictures with the bunny at church

Whew!! Lots of fun, but I was worn out!!

I-Jog

2011-04-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

When my brother was a student at CHS, they had a yearly fundraiser that was called the Jog-a-thon. Students would do a run and then there were activities for afterward. After several years of this activity, I think the school decided to take a break and do some other fundraisers.

But...this year it was back! There was a tshirt contest, and the winner designed these cute I-Jog shirts, so that was the new name of the day. The day started in the gym with a devo. What a great way to start the day!!!

Next, kindergarten was off to jog! Beck was going so fast, it was hard to see him!!

Scarlett and two of her friends

Then the fun began. :)

The bubble center was a hit for sure!

We had the tic-tac-toe booth.

Who doesn't love a game of twister?!

(looks like Scarlett is "cheating". ha)

Ms. Holly is awesome at face painting!!

And what fun party wouldn't have a bounce house??

It was a fun day and I was so thankful that I was able to be with my girl. If we hit you up for a donation, THANK YOU for supporting our little school! :)

Fiesta, and a wedding

2011-04-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already Fiesta!! Clark's school had their annual parade. Seems like just yesterday I was watching Scarlett parade around on her bike, and this year it was Clark's turn. Since he's in one of the younger classes, their teachers helped them make some "shakers" and the kids just walked instead of pulling a float or riding their bikes.

Here's Clark's sweet little class. One of the girls was out of town and two of the children only come on Tuesday's but it's still a small class this year.

Clark and his good buddy Drew

Another event this weekend was the wedding of one of Brody's coworkers, DJ. He and Lauren had a beautiful wedding. They were married at the Westin La Cantera and had to move the ceremony inside because it was so hot...it was still beautiful!

The reception was lots of fun! It was at the Arnold Palmer golf course and the views were spectacular! There was an indoor area with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and a FUN photo booth! We got some great shots. ha!!

Of course, Brody wanted a shot with his food! :)

the cute couple

all the tennis pros:

Brody, DJ, Trey, Zac

I even got Brody out on the dance floor!

Way Back When, I Had a Birthday...

2011-03-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

My birthday was March 12. I'm so old that I can barely remember the day...thankfully I have some pictures to help me out. haha

This is what I got from Brody on March 11th in an email:

JILL'S BIRTHDAY ITINERARY

7:30 - Rise and shine to Starbucks Tall Nonfat Caramel Macchiato (w/1 Splenda)

8:30 - Family Breakfast at LaMadeleine at Northwoods__________________

10:00 - Return home_________________________________________

10:10 - Leave Daddy and kids at home!!!____________________________

10:30 - Hair Appointment!_____________________________________

11:15 - Jill's FREE!!! LUNCH, SHOPPING, NAP, HAPPY HOUR, WHATEVER!_

8:30 OR 9:00pm.ish - Murder, She Wrote with your hubby, with the company of Champagne and Ice Cream and Strawberries :)

Weather Forecast for March 12: Mixed clouds and sun, warm, high of 80. Winds 15-25mph so dress appropriately!!!

Of course, schedule is tentative and subject to change :))))

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Have a wonderful day!!!

Including the weather forecast is so "Brody" and just cracked me up!

outside LaMadeleine

I got my hair done, met my sister for some shopping and later ended up going to eat dinner that night with some new friends I've made at Clark's MDO. Their kids are in Clark's class and we've really hit it off. The picture is TERRIBLE-the poor waiter at least tried.

I had so much fun out with these girls that by the time I got home Brody was fast asleep...so no ice cream or champagne for me. ha~

Somehow I managed to stretch my birthday out the whole week! :) Jaime and Jenn took me out to La Fonda. It was kind of a comedy of errors...Ben came home under the weather, the food menu had changed, the waiter was bad, and then Jenn started feeling puny and went home early. SO...we will definitely need a re-do!

another blah pic...it was with my phone

That weekend, Brody and I had a date. Jordan and Maegan were out of town when we had my family "party". I am using that word lightly because basically it was after church. We all got our own takeout, came over to our house, and let the kids eat some cake and run around in the backyard. Still fun, but very laid back.
Anyway...the four of us went to the JW Marriott. It was pretty busy because of Spring Break but we had a great time and enjoyed some yummy food!

I felt sufficiently spoiled on my ~~day~~ week, and have been working to burn off all the calories I consumed with so many fun dinners out!

In her own words...

2011-03-18T08:54:00.001-05:00

A while back, Scarlett told me that she didn't really miss me, but she didn't see me much any more. (cue my heart breaking into a million pieces!) So...I told her that if she could get "purple" conduct and finish all her work on time for one whole week, I would let her have a day off. Here is her day, in her own words:

Mommy and Scarlett's Adventure!

Mommy and I took Clarky to school. We walked in my old teacher's room. I hugged them because I miss them.

Then after I took Clark to school, I played tennis. I was REALLY GOOD!

Daddy played doubles and I was eating cheetos and watching. I love cheetos. Daddy is GREAT at tennis!!

I was with mommy and me.

I was eating Taco Cabana because Mommy said I could eat anything I wanted. I ordered chips and quesadilla and sprite. It was delicious!

After lunch, Mommy took me to Toys R Us. I got some Squinkie doo's.

Then I took a picture.

We went and got Clarky. It was fun. My day off was just like an adventure.

It really was a great time. I was trying to think back, and I honestly don't think that Scarlett and I have had a day with just the two of us since Clark was born. I mean, besides just running errands together on a Saturday morning. Wait...we did go to American Girl for her 5th birthday...OK, so it was the second time since Clark was born. But still...I want to do it more. I'm pretty sure I had as much fun on our "adventure" as she did!

Loves, lately

2011-03-05T10:03:00.001-06:00

I've been in a bit of a blog funk for a while, so I thought I'd post a few of my favorite things these days:

1. Date nights! OK...this picture is obviously bad and blurry...but Brody and I went to the JW Marriott for dinner the other night and I wanted a picture of the hotel in the background.

The pic below is what happens with the flash on, but the picture of me is blurry because we turned the flash off. I don't know what the solution would be on our little point and shoot camera. If you have pointers for me, please pass them along :)

2. Warm weather! I love afternoons out in the backyard.

3. Peeps :) I'm actually more of a Cadbury girl myself, but I think these look pretty on the table and the kids love them!

4. Samoas...need I say more?!

5. pretty nails. This is hard to read, but my new favorite brand is Essie. This color is "marshmallow" and I love that it's clean and light.

So, there you have it...just a few of my favorites right now. Share yours with me...I'm always on the hunt for a new great thing :)

Valentine's Projects

2011-02-21T15:52:00.001-06:00

Here are a few projects I worked on for the month of love :) I've seen wreaths like these in lots of different places, but my friend Andrea makes really cute ones, so I thought I'd give them a try. Scarlett and Clark gave these to their teachers.

We made marshmallow pops for the kids friends. I LOVE to hand make the tags, but Scarlett wanted store bought this year. At least Clark is still too young to know any better. ha~

This wasn't a Valentine project, but it could have been. I made this as part of my sister's birthday gift. I think it turned out cute, and may have to make one for myself.

All That's Left are the Memories

2011-02-12T10:57:00.001-06:00

So last Friday it "snowed". I say it in quotes because I think we got 1/4 of an inch. BUT, when you haven't seen snow in over 20 years, it counts! Scarlett had been "yearning for snow" and she was beyond thrilled to wake up that morning to see her prayers had been answered. She even told me it that her half birthday wish had come true! ( I had no idea we celebrated half birthdays. haha)

Snow Angels

The kids tried throwing snowballs, but it was so fine and powdery we really couldn't make any. After about 20 minutes we were ready to come in and get warm. We are true South Texans!!

Hot chocolate with marshmallows really warmed them up :)

And this is kind of random, but after staying inside all day we needed a craft! I had seen these so Scarlett and I got to work. They were easy and fun, and I think they look so cute in her window.

Yee Haw Y'all!

2011-02-06T16:55:00.000-06:00

Clark had Rodeo Day at school last week. He had a great time getting all dressed up! At school they took pictures at the same backdrop that they used when Scarlett was there. I love that I will have pictures of the kids at the same ages doing the same things at preschool :) He came home with a pony the teachers helped him make out of a yard stick. It was so cute, and a really fun day for Clark and his friends!

Great Getaway

2011-02-02T13:43:00.000-06:00

...and all I have to show for it are these three random pictures.

Last weekend I went to our church Ladies Retreat. I love love LOVE this weekend. OK, so it's more like an 18 hour getaway and not a full weekend, but it's still great! I always come away feeling refreshed, which is ironic because we stayed up until about 3am and then woke up around 6:30. I was so tired I had to skip my Murder, She Wrote and go to bed at 8:30. Guess maybe Jessica is rubbing off on me!

Jaime and Jenny at the beginning of our night

Jaime and me...my eyes look so tired, but it was well worth it to me

this one I stole from Jaime (hope you don't mind girlie)

Jenn, Jenny, Martha, Mom, and me in front of our lunch spot

Brody and the kids had fun too...tennis, ice cream, trip to the park...fun for everyone!

100 days

2011-01-26T09:07:00.000-06:00

Monday was the 100th day of school for Scarlett. I don't think we celebrated this when I was in school, but it was a BIG DEAL for Scarlett and her classmates! :) We collected 100 hearts to put in a bag to share/count with the class, made a t-shirt with 100 glitter puffy princess stickers, and sent in marshmallows as our contribution to the 100 piece snack mix. I still can't believe that my baby is big enough to be in school (and over half way finished with kindergarten!!), but I love all these fun things that she gets to do.

Muchas Gracias

2011-01-14T15:39:00.001-06:00

I forgot to mention on my last post that my new fab blog look comes thanks to my sister Jaime. :) I had no idea how to change things and was just going to pay someone, but she stepped in and saved me.

*mmmm...chocolate sauce!

I know this picture seems a bit random, but it's HARD to find pictures of her alone. Also...this was taken one night when we went out for dinner and had the.BEST.dessert.EVER. Now that I see the picture I kind of want to go back. ha~

Thanks again Jaime Lyn!!

Dentist Trip

2011-01-12T21:44:00.001-06:00

Clark finally had his first dentist appointment last week. Scarlett went for the first time when she turned three, but for some reason I had to cancel their appointments this summer so Clark was a little past due. I was pretty nervous about how he would do because the last time we took Scarlett I tried just getting him to sit in the chair and he had a total freak out melt down. Brody even came with me this day so that if Clark freaked, I could just leave with Scarlett and he would finish up with him. It seems Clark always does better for Daddy anyway. But...he did pretty good! Scarlett went first and he watched closely and said he didn't want "that blue thing" (the suction) in his mouth.

Even though he does look pretty nervous in these pictures, he did great with x-rays!

The sweet hygienist took him back and looked at his teeth quickly but I don't think she wanted him to get upset so after a quick peek she just called the dentist over to "count his teeth". They didn't do an actual full cleaning, but it was a great first step and hopefully next time he will let them do a few more things. Overall, it was a great first experience for Clark. :)

Christmas...seems like forever ago!

2011-01-02T20:54:00.008-06:00

Here's our long overdue Christmas post. Clark was actually sick again the first week of our break. The poor guy never gets sick, so I don't know if he was just due, luck of the draw, time of the year, or being in school now...but whatever the reason he had what I'm pretty sure was tonsillitis. So...because of that he and I had to skip out on Christmas Eve at Brody's parents house. I was sad to miss out, but we have a brand new nephew named Breslin that we didn't want to get sick!

Scarlett and Emery with grandpa
with Grandma

Scarlett loves these pajamas! They are Tinkerbell and she feels very "stylish" in them. (our Fancy Nancy books are teaching her some great vocabulary!)

Brody got some good pictures of the night, but it wasn't the same as being there.

Christmas morning, Clark's fever finally broke and his voice was starting to come back. All he'd asked for was Thomas. He has a ton of Thomas trains, but Santa managed to find something he didn't already have.
just being silly. I tried getting a picture of Scarlett and Clark in these glasses, but he wasn't feeling it..all I got were grouch faces.
He was SO happy to finally have his own Buzz. I told him if he'd go potty I would buy him one, but it's been such a struggle that we were afraid Buzz would be LONG gone by the time he's potty trained. Thankfully, Santa stepped in and got one for him.

It was the year of the Littlest Pet Shop for Scarlett. She is obsessed with teeny tiny little toys. She got lots of these this year, and is in heaven!

After we finished gifts at our house, we headed to my parents house. My parents have two couches in their living room...one was filled with gifts for my kids and the other one was filled with gifts for Jaime's kids. It was crazy but so much fun!

The Little Mermaid
Scarlett had asked for a unicorn. And wouldn't you know, my mom found her one!
Look at these girls...I LOVE THEM! Every year, Mom buys matching PJ's for all the kids and they wear them over that morning. I love that tradition :)
Jaime and I were both spoiled this year. We each got new purses. love!!

Parties, Parties, Everywhere!

2010-12-21T18:47:00.004-06:00

December is the month of date nights! Brody and I go out more in December than pretty much every other month combined.

Sunday night Brody had his staff party. Not all of the other tennis guys could make it this year so we weren't there too long, but it was still fun.

Tuesday night Scarlett had her school Christmas program. Unfortunately, Clark got sick that morning so I had to skip out on seeing my little sheep, but I'm sure she "baad" perfectly. hahaThe next night one of Brody's tennis teams hosted a party. They have a white elephant game that's always lots of fun!
Friday Scarlett had her Christmas party. Jaime and I are room moms and Jaime had the brilliant idea for us to serve happy meals. It was a huge hit for the kids and super easy cleanup!!
And finally, this past Sunday night we attended a debutante dinner for a "girl" Brody used to give tennis lessons. He couldn't get over how everyone had grown up and we're still exactly the same. haha!!
I honestly think I've forgotten to include a couple of parties, but we do still have our anniversary on the 29th to look forward to. :)

My sister is awesome!

2010-12-15T14:30:00.004-06:00

Seriously, she is. She had been wanting to do a craft show for a while so when this relatively small show asked her to sell her things, she said yes. It was a great first show and now she has some experience under her cute little homemade belt. :)Maegan helped her set up her darling table and I came a little later to mainly just sit around and eat hor d'oeuvres. ha! I was so proud of Jaime because she not only had tons of adorable things that she somehow managed to make while taking care of a home, a husband and three kids...but she did really well and sold a lot of stuff. It was a great night!

Lately...

2010-12-08T12:59:00.004-06:00

It seems like lately I've just been lumping lots of things into one post. Considering I have mountains of laundry, projects, gifts, parties, etc going on the next couple of weeks, I really don't see things changing in the near future. Oh well...at least I'm getting things posted. :)

Last Friday, Brody and I took the kids to see Santa. Scarlett went with her list in hand and they were both excited to see the big guy.
Saturday morning I hosted my annual brunch. I think it's been about 11 years and what started as an ornament making party with my teacher friends to help fill up my Christmas tree has turned into a morning brunch with a gift exchange and lots of catching up. Anne left before she got in our picture and Layla couldn't make it this year. But in the picture below we have 11 children between us...9 boys and just 2 sweet girls. :) It is always SO much fun to visit with these friends!
Later that night, Brody and I got a date night! One of Clark's school friends parents actually had us over and it was fun to meet some new people. Jordan and Maegan came over with Paisley to babysit and the kids had a blast with that puppy!
Sunday after church my mom treated Scarlett and me to a showing of The Nutcracker. She LOVED it, and we had a great time. I'm looking forward to the day when Jemma is big enough that she and Jaime can join us.

And then, this past Monday, Brody's brother Casey and his wife had their first baby boy. Breslin is a cutie for sure, and I think Casey is just a little bit proud. ha!

November (in bullet form)

2010-11-29T13:47:00.009-06:00

I haven't been great at documenting things lately, but since one day I hope to make this into a book, I figure better late than never. So here's what's been going on this month:

* Daddy/daughter date to IHOP. They were going to watch a football game, but the weather wasn't great so they opted for food. Scarlett may have been a tad overdressed. :)
*Clark and I had our own little "stay at home" date and read lots of books...and made crazy faces in the camera.
* I made my turkeys some matching outfits
* Scarlett made festive paper costumes and hosted us for a Kinder feast of beef jerky, chicken nuggets and grapes
* We went to my parents for Thanksgiving...Mom decorated her house and it was so pretty it looked like it could be in a magazine.
* The kids table...with Uncle Danny
* Post feasting pics

* Friday we took the kids to Bulverde for the "Festival of Lights"
* Only in Texas are parade "floats" pulled by 1947 tractors

* Mom got me "The Elf on the Shelf". I've been wanting that book for a while now. Scarlett is having a blast looking for "Blake" every morning. I'm excited for this new Christmas tradition.

Halloween and Date Night

2010-11-07T20:08:00.003-06:00

I didn't ever post a picture of the kids from Halloween. Scarlett wanted to be Tinkerbell and she said she had to have a "prince", so Clark was Peter Pan. :) I normally make their costumes but this year they were on sale at the Disney Store so I decided to save myself some trouble and just bought them. I love that Scarlett is crossing her legs...she's done this ever since I can remember-I guess she was just born a little lady. ha

We also had time that weekend for a night out. I get a lot of girls nights with Jenn and Jaime, but we decided to invite the guys along with us this time and it was a lot of fun. These are the only pictures I got-we must have been too busy talking and eating! After dinner we went to Jenn and Jeff's for dessert and watched "Date Night". It was really funny!!

Pumpkins and Scaredy Cats

2010-10-27T08:26:00.004-05:00

We're enjoying the fall festivities even if it is still 90 degrees outside! Friday, Scarlett's class had an impromptu field trip to a nearby pumpkin patch. I was happy to go as a chaperone and see the fun things the kids got to do. There was a story reading:

face painting

a maze

(this was by far the favorite thing!)

cute little cut outs

even Briggs got in on the fun :)

Saturday, we met the Bailey's at a local nursery for the annual "pictures in the pumpkins". We love going somewhere big like the apple orchard or corn maize, but with Brody still kind of hurt we just didn't have the time to go too far this year. This little nursery has a great set up and even a bounce house...plus, it's free! The only bad thing this year was that it was kind of drippy outside, so the bounce house was wet. So, my kids didn't want to jump. We may try to go back, or more than likely, we'll just wait until Trunk of Treats at church and bounce there :)

This picture cracks me up. The witch in the background was scaring Scarlett.

It's been a fun month, and we're looking forward to Scarlett's costume parade, Trunk of Treats, and Halloween!

It's time for the tooth fairy!

2010-10-14T20:24:00.004-05:00

**ps~ Thanks to all who were/are praying for Brody. He got word from the Dr. that it will not require surgery and he should heal just fine. He is getting some shots and they have given him a lot of relief...so thank you!!

My guys

2010-10-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

If you get a second today, I would really appreciate a quick prayer. Sweet Brody hurt his back...we think it's a herniated disc. About 4 years ago it felt the same way and that's what it was. He was out of work for 6 weeks getting physical therapy and epidural shots and did eventually get better without needing surgery. I am praying that will be the case again this time...but Brody is really hoping it won't take as long. He can drive and walk this time (last time he couldn't really stand up without feeling like he was going to die). Right now he can do a few things, but pretty much has to lay around on the floor all day. He feels helpless and frustrated that he can't work. Thankfully we do have insurance so it's not a matter of being able to pay the bills, but I'm sure as the sole provider for our family he is feeling some stress about that, too. He loves his job, loves the guys he works with, and misses being productive every day. He does so much for us...SO much. I'm realizing that now as I'm picking up his slack...good gravy he's a great husband!! OK...enough mushy stuff. We are meeting with the neurologist this afternoon and will find out what the next steps are for Brody's recovery. Please pray that things go well and that Brody is able to go back to work and feeling good soon. Thanks so much!!

Darling Duo

2010-09-29T14:25:00.003-05:00

Obviously I haven't had too much to say lately. I need to download pictures from my camera to see what's actually been going on around here because my memory fails me these days. haha

Anyway, Jaime made this darling dress for Scarlett as a birthday gift and then made sweet Jemma a matching dress. Scarlett thinks they're twins...it's so cute. Thanks Jaime!!

Let's just hope they don't get matching lazy boy's

2010-09-17T13:16:00.004-05:00

Before I start my post I just have to say, y'all, that my kids are both in school on Tuesday and Thursday and yesterday was the first day I was ALONE in my house all day in six years. HOLLA!!!

OK, now on to the real reason for this post. My dad worked HARD for the same company for 38 years. He finally sold his business and things were final September 1st. So, to celebrate he took us all out to dinner :) (seems a little backward, but none of us are opposed to a free meal-without kids. ha!) ((and I know this sounds like I don't like being around my kids...I do. I love them dearly. But a grown up dinner is a luxury!!!)

Can you see the excitement on their faces?!

They don't look old enough to be retired to me!

This is blurry...sorry guys.

The food was delicious. I wanted to take pictures of all the goodness, but before I got a chance Brody's plate looked like this:

Cheers! Poor Jaime came down with strep the next morning. At least we got our night out before she felt like death. haha

We got Dad a gift basket...some funny things and some real gifts to celebrate.

I'd blame the wine for his expression, but I think he only had one glass and that's really just the way he is...now you know where Clark gets his funny faces for the camera. :)

It really was a wonderful night out and we are so happy that he and Mom can enjoy some traveling and time off.

Big Boy

2010-09-08T08:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a big day for my little guy. Preschool!!! Actually, it's just Mother's Day Out and he still has two more years until he's in the Pre-K class, but he calls it Preschool. Clark is a bit of a mama's boy and sometimes still cries when I drop him off at Bible Class so I was a little nervous about how he would do.

But because my kids like proving me wrong all the time, he was SO excited to go. He had been asking every day when it was his turn to go to preschool and when it was open. He woke up knowing today was the day!

It wasn't really the best day to get out and about because tropical storm Hermine happened to blow in right about the time we were heading out the door, but Clark didn't seem to mind. He did keep telling me to drive faster and hurry to preschool. haha

When we got there, one little boy was really missing his mommy and screaming at the top of his lungs. I thought for sure it would make Clark cry too, but all it seemed to do was cause him to stare open mouthed at the crying kid. After one more goodbye kiss we were off. I made Brody stand by the door and spy for a while, and when we were certain there would be no tears we left. I was FREE!! Ha! I cry for kinder, but Mother's Day Out is a treat and something I really feel like Clark needs so I didn't get weepy at all...I'm sure it helped that I knew he was fine.

As I got to the school to pick him up, I heard a weird siren going off. I was afraid there was a tornado around or something so I ran in the building, but apparently the power kept going off which set off their fire alarms. Lots of poor babies were beside themselves in the dark screaming for their mama's, but my guy was sound asleep. We had a trial run one time at home with him sleeping on his nap mat and it didn't go so well, but shock of all shocks...he took a nap at school AND slept through power outages and sirens. I guess he already feels right at home there :)

Puzzlemania

2010-09-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

I've never really been into puzzles. My dad loves them, and it seems like almost every time I went to my grandparents house there would be a puzzle on their card table...but it just never really was my thing. However- Scarlett got a 300 piece puzzle for her birthday and really wanted to put it together. As much as I like to foster self confidence and independence by having the kids do things for themselves, I was pretty sure this would have the total opposite effect. SO, I told her that I would help her and every night after Clark went to bed we worked a little bit on the puzzle. I have to say that it was so much fun! Maybe I just liked the time alone with her since she's gone all day, maybe it was because it seemed relaxing, I have no idea. But we had a great time, and after about 2 weeks we finally finished!!

I think this may become a new nightly activity. :)

Party time (a week late)

2010-08-26T10:16:00.007-05:00

Since the kids have birthdays 6 days apart, I am going to have one big party as long as they will let me! This year, I decided on an art theme since Scarlett really loves to draw. Clark is an easy going guy so he goes along with just about anything still. (I hardly got any pictures, but thankfully my family and friends did...thanks gals!)

When the kids first arrived, they decorated their goody bags.

Then the owner of the art store (and party coordinator) read the kids a book. I could choose any theme I wanted. Scarlett loves Fancy Nancy right now and Clark loves monkeys. Because I couldn't find a Fancy Nancy book about monkeys (ha), I opted for a gender neutral ABC book. The "teacher" read the book and then each child had a chance to decorate a canvas with their first initial.

After all the hard work, it was time to eat! We ordered pizza and it was so good! I think it was especially yummy since we were the first order of the day. The pizza came hot and fresh!!

Instead of a cake, I made cupcakes for the kids. Pink with Fancy Nancy toppers for the girls, and chocolate with monkey toppers for the boys.

I'd say it was a great party. There were a lot of kids, but the activity was engaging and I think everyone had fun. Plus, it was so easy for me...all I had to do was order pizza and make cupcakes...that's my kind of party! :)

He's got moves

2010-08-19T12:24:00.001-05:00

Big Day!

2010-08-12T10:09:00.004-05:00

Today was the big day...Kindergarten!! I resisted the urge last night to look through old baby pictures, but it really does seem just like yesterday that she was sleeping right beside me with that big green passy in her mouth. And now...enough of the sap. My last few posts have been full of emotion, so this one will just be fun! Scarlett was SO excited this morning!!

We made the decision this year for Scarlett to go to a Christian School. I know that's not for everyone and there are things we will be missing by not starting off at a public school but for us this year, it's what we felt was best for our family. I'm trying to just take it one year at a time so who knows what we'll be doing next year.

One funny thing she said this morning:

"Mommy, everyone is going to wear their red shirts and blue bottoms or bouncers."

Me: "Bouncers?"

Scarlett:"Yes, those dress things"

Me: "Oh, you mean jumpers!"

haha. I guess to her, a bouncer is the same thing as a jumper :)

I did get a little teary this morning when we all met in the gym to pray and sing songs before being dismissed for class. It truly made leaving her so much easier...for me. She was already so into being there that she hardly noticed us walking out!

My big girl!

Three

2010-08-08T17:22:00.006-05:00

My Birthday Boy,

I am in shock...you are THREE years old!! That's the same age Scarlett was when you were born. It's wild because I feel like these three years have gone super fast so you still seem like my little baby. However, you have told me on more than one occasion that you are a big boy. You love doing big kid things like your sister-she is your hero! Sometimes I sit and listen to you two playing together and my heart is just filled with joy. What a blessing it is to see your friendship grow.

I think one of your favorite things right now is playing games on the computer or my phone. You are your daddy's son and can figure any electronic game out in about 5 minutes. I think you will be an engineer one day...either that or an attorney because you are also SO persistent and try so hard to wear me down with your repetitive questions. You are giving me a run for my money :)

You are determined, strong, loving and hilarious. You have the very best laugh in the whole wide world and no matter where I am in the house, when I hear you laugh I have to join in.

This will be a different year for us...I hope you will adjust well to having Scarlett in school all day and that I will be a good substitute playmate for you. I am praying already that you enjoy your Mother's Day Out starting this fall. You tend to still have some separation issues and I'm just a tad nervous about how you are going to do, but I know it will be the best thing for you. I don't know what I will do with myself those two days that you are gone! I hope you make some great friends and that your teachers will find you just adorable as we do.

I hold you any chance you give me these days because I know before too long you won't want to sit in my lap. Thankfully for now, you still love for me to hold you after bath and sing you songs. You have my heart sweet buddy. Every day is better with you in it and I am so lucky to be your mommy.

Six

2010-08-03T14:33:00.005-05:00

Sweet girl,

Happy Happy Birthday! I remember my prayer all through my pregnancy with you. I prayed for a happy baby. I am sure I also prayed for your health, but I just remembered thinking that if you were happy everything would just fall into place. God answered above and beyond my wildest dreams. You still are such a happy, carefree girl and Daddy and I are SO thankful for you!

You have the most vivid imagination and are so very creative. I think you take after both your grandma and Mimi in that department. You can just sit for hours making up a story or drawing, or creating. In fact, that is really my only worry about school. I hope you can somehow channel that imagination and not be too dreamy while you are supposed to be working!
When you were a tiny baby you were always so calm and content. I thought that might mean you didn't have any spunk as you got older, but boy was I wrong about that. This year you have really blossomed in the personality department and love to crack us up with your silly faces and stories. I'm sure you get some of that from your cousin Beck...you sure do admire him! You also aren't afraid to tell me just what you think about something. I pray that you will always stand up for what you believe. (even if I have to bring you down a notch or two sometimes)
Even as girlie as you are, you love going to play tennis with Daddy. It seems you make friends easily (even on the tennis court) and are never too shy to ask someone what their name is and before I know it, you're fast friends. You see the best in everyone just like your daddy and I think it's one of your best qualities. Just yesterday you were asking me what made me love you so much and I just got a big lump in my throat because it's so many different things. Your pure heart sure is up there though as one of my favorite things.
You are loyal and kind and funny and loving. The other day we were talking about school and you said that you were going to find the loneliest girl and ask to be her friend. I hope that is always true. I pray that you will make friends and always BE a friend. As evidenced by your birthday list you don't seem to ever want to leave anyone out! I'm not really nervous about you going off to school because I know you are beyond excited, but I'll tell you that I will for sure miss you when you're away all day...and Clark will too!
Every year I think I will be so sad when this year is over and you are another year older. I thought that with five. I couldn't imagine saying I had a six year old...yet here we are, and it's better than I could have imagined as is always the case. Six is sweet for sure. I love you!!

Uncle Danny's Birthday

2010-08-02T08:47:00.005-05:00

My sweet Uncle Danny had his 51st birthday in July, and on the 17th we celebrated with a western bash at my aunt and uncle's house.

The Birthday Boy

the "grown ups"

yummy cake!

There were 11 kids...7 boys and 4 girls. I think the oldest was six and the youngest was 3 months. It was a houseful, but so much fun!!

catching critters

the food was SO good

some of the boys

Happy Birthday Danny Boy. We love you!!

Reading Camp

2010-07-25T20:01:00.007-05:00

Now that we're already having VBS at church this week, I thought I should get around to posting about Reading Camp. ha

We have never done Reading Camp at Mac and it was a lot of fun! Scarlett isn't one to give a lot of details, so I had to get a lot of info from Beck. Thankfully that boy pays attention to things!

The last day of Camp, I wanted to get some pictures of Scarlett's last day. There was a helper assigned to her class...a sweet middle school girl named Leslie. I asked if she'd take my camera and get some shots of the kids-and boy did she!! Here are just a few:

with the Book Fairy

her "mailbox"

where they would all meet every morning

doing crafts

this was her favorite animal that she would read with every day

I'm pretty sure this was some sort of game :)

more games-this was "doggy, doggy where's your bone?"

Scarlett LOVED playing this one

Ms. Berta-her teacher for Camp

The teachers put so much effort into these three days and it really showed. I think all of the kids had a wonderful time!

Two things I never got around to posting about

2010-07-13T21:00:00.006-05:00

Catchy title, huh? Sorry...I couldn't think of anything else to put. A couple of weeks ago Scarlett had "Princess Camp" at her dance studio. It was princess overload and she LOVED it! She got to wear a costume and dance around to princess music while wearing a tiara. What little girl wouldn't love that?!

Then on July 3rd, Brody and I went to a surprise birthday party for his boss, Dennis. It was at their house and we had delicious brisket fajitas and I got to chat with the other pros and wives. Afterward we went to dinner...yes, we had technically just eaten but I only ate a few bites at the party and Brody can always go for more food. We had dinner at Cappy's and I was too buys devouring my yummy food to take pictures. Oh well!

Dennis, Brody and I

the pros and office staff

DJ, Andi, Dennis, Trey, Brody and Raymond

This week Scarlett has been at Reading Camp at church. If I get up there tomorrow before it's all over I will take some pictures and post. She is having a blast and it is decorated SO cute!

Fourth Fun

2010-07-08T20:06:00.005-05:00

We had a great Fourth of July! It rained that weekend, but it didn't dampen our patriotic spirits. :)

the boys in their cute plaid shorts

(we didn't plan to dress them alike, but sisters must think alike. ha!)

all the kids before lunch at my parent's

the sweet girls

I don't know how I managed to not get any pics of the adults or the food, but I did snap a picture of the dessert. Maegan's parents were in town and they brought the fried chicken. We ate chicken, yummy salad with ramen noodles (can't remember the name right now), broccoli rice casserole, rolls, and this delicious treat with homemade ice cream.
Our plan was to spend the day at my parents, swim, and then head over to church for the 4th of July celebration. However, it rained earlier that weekend and some during lunch and so the celebration was cancelled. With nothing to do we started trying to come up with places that we could see some fireworks. I'm kind of embarrassed to say that my kids had never seen them. It may not work for everyone, but my kids go to bed early and a schedule really works for us. But...now that they are getting a little bigger, they're more adaptable so we thought we'd give it a try. Some friends called us letting us know where they would be that evening so we decided to meet them there.

the guys (minus Jeff)

the girls (minus Jenn)

The kids did really well and we never had a meltdown or fight. They were really excited to see the show and were pretty impressed. We didn't get home until 11:00 that night but it was well worth it!

Happy Birthday America!

Zoo Day

2010-07-05T18:56:00.006-05:00

Last week was an "off" week for Brody meaning that he didn't have any kids camps. While he wasn't technically off of work, he did have more time at home which we loved! The kids had been begging to go to the zoo so this was the perfect time. We got there right when they opened and only stayed a couple of hours before we all melted.

Checking out the bears

Clark's favorite: monkeys!

his monkey face

Clark really loved seeing his favorite animal and I think he would have been perfectly happy just standing there and watching them all day!

Brody and I loved the Africa Wild exhibit...mainly because it had air conditioning. :)

looking for Nemo

It was a great morning and I'm glad we all braved the heat. I'm even more thrilled that on Brody's time off he was willing to be outside with us, poor guy.

For Cohen

2010-07-01T08:41:00.005-05:00

I read this sweet Mama's blog and as they remember their boy today I am joining in the blogging "day of silence". Go to sendlovetocohen for more details.

It's all fun and games until someone's shoe breaks

2010-06-28T09:26:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday night a group of girls from church got together for ice cream. It was fun because #1, who doesn't love ice cream on a hot summer night?! and #2 these are not girls I get to hang out with all of the time. It's great getting together with people I don't always see or get a chance to talk to on Sunday or Wednesday. Sometimes with kids we're all just running in different directions after church...usually I'm in a rush to get out the door because my kids are STARVING!

Bonnie, Tamra, Julie

Melissa, Michelle, Ashleigh, Jill

me, Jaime, Lindsay

We had lots of laughs and told some funny stories...until poor Ashleigh got too excited in her story telling and broke her shoe. Sadly, (or luckily for her husband) we talked too long for any stores to be opened after we finished eating ice cream so she couldn't go get new sandals.

Friday was play date at Jaime's house and I didn't get any pictures. Jaime made delicious homemade pimento cheese sandwiches and it was a fun and fairly uneventful time...that is until the two little boys came down with a rather mischievous look on their faces. I won't go into details, but for your own future reference if your child sucks on a tube of toothpaste, as long as it's children's (like sponge bob for example) they should be fine.

Saturday Brody and I took the kids up to the elementary school to play basketball and run around some. I even shot a few hoops myself and am now paying the price. I can barely lift my arms to wash my hair. sheesh. The kids were so hungry after about 20 minutes of playing so we ran to Costco because we were out of milk/fruit. We just decided to eat lunch there. Everyone scarfed down hot dogs except for Scarlett who made me take her dog out of the bun because the bun had sesame seeds on it and according to her only birds eat seeds. That girl! Later that night we went over to my parents to swim and relax some. It was a nice time and I think we wore the kids out swimming. Overall, it was a great day!

Help me out

2010-06-22T20:59:00.003-05:00

I don't have any pictures today, but I do have two completely unrelated questions for you.

I am working VBS this summer and my booth is Jewelry. It's an Egypt theme and my partner and I have to decorate our booth and then come up with a craft. The suggestion was a big collar necklace type thing that the kids can decorate using paint pens and jewels. The kids are going to be in our center for about 20 minutes. Now, we were able to choose our booth and I thought jewelry sounded right up my alley :) However, I failed to think about the fact that I will have fifth grade boys. (kids will rotate and VBS is for kids 4 and up). Is there ANYTHING jewelry related that won't make them roll their eyes and basically goof off the whole 20 minutes? I was thinking maybe some sort of wristbands?! I need suggestions please!!

Totally unrelated, but I need help with some tunes. I admittedly am not a HUGE music person. I like listening to music and know what I like when I hear it, but I just don't listen to a lot. Here's my question: I've been walking in the mornings and need some new jams to get me excited about sweating it out in the 120% humidity. (the fact that I used the word "jams" makes me feel about 86 years old) Brody has been nice enough to loan me his ipod in the mornings but I've actually grown a bit tired of Def Leppard and don't really have the desire to start walking to Hall & Oats greatest hits or Tupac. haha. (he actually has an extensive music collection, but we have pretty different tastes as you can probably tell.)

Let me know if you can be of any assistance!!

Our week

2010-06-19T08:47:00.005-05:00

Scarlett spent the night at my parents house on Tuesday. I think it's safe to say she has a great time. ha!

Clark and I were not to be outdone, however. We really know how to let our hair down and have a great time.

This week Scarlett and Beck have had swim lessons. We are so lucky that we get to just go to my parents house. While the big kids have lessons, the little ones play. Here they all are cheering Scarlett on at the end of her lesson.

Sweet Jemma wasn't quite as into watching :)

Here's a little clip of Scarlett swimming. I think she's getting pretty good! I am very thankful she's learning some things because the girl has NO FEAR in the water and it freaks me out.

I even got to have a little fun myself this weekend. Thursday night I met my friend Cecilia for dinner. We used to teach together and still get together to catch up. Heather was supposed to join us but her husband had to work late at the last minute so she had to cancel. Jaime usually comes too, but she had to miss also so it's just a great excuse to get together again soon! Then Friday I went over to Jaime's house to just play with Jemma and hang out for some girl time. It was great! I was too busy having fun at both of these things to take pictures. Actually I do have a pic of Jemma on my phone but of course I don't know how to download my phone pics to the computer and Brody isn't home right now. But just imagine me having a great time stuffing my face and holding a darling baby. :)

It's Summertime, This is Random

2010-06-10T20:15:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen two cuter girls in yellow?! Precious~

Here are the boys last year at Briggs's birthday:

...and here they are this year. Wow!

I love our church. I've grown up there, so obviously I think it's a great place. But I really love the Children's Ministry. They offer lots of fun activities for the kids all throughout the year and really work to get everyone involved. Scarlett has been SO excited about promotion Sunday. She couldn't wait to be in Kindergarten and get to go up to the second floor with all her friends. They have shirts in the summer that they are supposed to wear every week and she was just a tad bit excited about it, as you can probably tell. :)

Memorial Day

2010-06-03T08:38:00.008-05:00

Monday was a great first day of summer! Scarlett's last day of school was the Thursday before and what better way to kick off the summer than with family around the pool.

The big kids are so easy now in the water! They take swim lessons every summer and can swim without the life vests, but I think it makes us all feel a little better when we have lots of people in the pool for them to wear the jackets. I think you can tell they had a ball and I know where we'll be all summer!

Uncle Jordan was nice enough to take Clark for a while before I got in the water. Clark actually mellows a bit in the pool, so needless to say I tried to keep him in as long as possible. haha. His poor teeth were chattering but he's another water bug and did NOT want to get out!

Sweet Briggs didn't want to get in this time, but he did enjoy shooting us all with his bubble gun.

I didn't get any pictures of my parents the hosts...probably because they were inside taking turns holding Jemma. (they're kind of baby hogs. ha!!)

I am very thankful for our free country and for having the day to spend with my family. I am lucky that we are not only close in distance but also with each other. It was a great day!

A post heavy on pictures...and blush

2010-05-26T16:06:00.010-05:00

Scarlett has had a busy month. Tuesday was her Pre-K graduation. I did get a little teary when they were singing, but we have just had the best experience at her school and she is SO excited about kindergarten that every year really does get more fun than the last.

After her graduation and plenty of pictures from the "parent paparazzi", we headed to the gym for a little reception where more pictures were taken and cake was eaten. There's nothing like having cake, punch and mints at 10:30 in the morning. Bless those poor teachers and the sugar high they were going to have to endure!

The weekend before her graduation, she performed her end of the year dance recital. She was really excited and did a great job. She kind of danced sideways because her teacher was offstage and she was watching her the whole time, but it was cute. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures during the performance. Apparently, so that people wouldn't be standing up and videoing and blocking our view, we had the "opportunity" to just buy a DVD of the whole show...I smell a racket going on-but whatever. It was only $10 and I'm pretty sure we won't have motion sickness watching it, like we would if I was the videographer.

Scarlett really loved the stage, the performing, and the makeup. Which is a good thing considering what she wants to be when she grows up:

Girls Night Out

2010-05-22T19:11:00.002-05:00

Once a month, I get together with some friends for dessert and catching up. This month, two of the girls couldn't make it, but Jaime and I still wanted to do something so we decided on a night out.

Heading out~

Footloose and fancy free-Jaime even left Jemma at home! :)

The first stop was TJMaxx but I didn't get a picture of Jaime trying on clothes. ha. She found a really cute top and denim skirt. After that, I had heard of a place called Charming Charl*e that I wanted to check out. OH MY WORD! Honestly there are just no words to do it justice. It may be my new favorite place. They have jewelry, candles, purses, shoes, clothes...

darling shoes for Jemma...

beach hats...

and funky glasses :)

We had the best time, and I can't wait to go back and do a little more shopping!! And what ends the night better than a little coffee?!

It was a really fun night and I got to spend alone time with my sister, which doesn't happen too often these days. Thanks girl, it was fun!!

My Little Monkey

2010-05-18T16:24:00.005-05:00

I don't know if I've ever written before about Clark's love for his sock monkey. He sleeps with the little animal and carries him around all day. He would take him everywhere we went if I allowed the monkey out of the house. I know I blogged about the kids enjoying the "photo booth" feature of this computer. Apparently Clark wanted Monkey in on some of the photo action!

These next ones crack me up. Clark is trying to make his monkey face, but I think every time he would see himself on the camera it would make him laugh. :)

Mother's Day Tea

2010-05-11T18:46:00.021-05:00

Scarlett had a cute Mother's Day Tea at her school last week. I thought I might get really emotional, and I did get a bit teary, but they were just so cute up there singing that all I really felt was happiness and thankfulness that I get to be a mommy. I think I have wanted to be a mom my whole life and while it's a very tough job, I love it!

(Scarlett is in the hot pink dress in the middle and Beck is in the top left corner)

Scarlett said it was "the best Mother's Day ever!". I'm pretty sure it was because of the donut holes and muffins she got to eat after her little performance. Ha!

such big kids now!

Scarlett with some of her good friends from school:

a little bit of the "show":

It was a fun morning, and I couldn't have done it without Mom and Dad!

Looks Familiar

2010-05-05T09:19:00.003-05:00

Lately Clark has become a fan of washing dishes, or as he appropriately calls it, "smashing water".

It reminded me of a time not so long ago that Scarlett enjoyed it as well.

Funny how kids around the same age like doing the same kinds of things.

The Story of a Girl and an Ant...

2010-04-27T20:19:00.006-05:00

What follows is a true story as remembered by the author/illustrator.

Fiesta Fun~

2010-04-23T12:28:00.005-05:00

This is Fiesta week in San Antonio. It used to mean going to events like Oyster Bake and NIOSA, but now it just means projects like making floats out of shoe boxes or putting as many paper flowers on a princess bike as humanly possible.

Scarlett's Mother's Day Out had their annual parade and this was the big year. She had moved on up from noisemakers and shoebox floats to the fantastic bike parade.

Clark was so upset that morning because he wanted to bring his bike too. Never mind that he can't pedal and steer at the same time, he really wanted to do what Sissy was doing. In an attempt to make him happy, I let him bring his maracas. Uncle Ben helped him entertain the crowd while we waited for the show.

getting a little cheer from Daddy

so happy Mimi got to come

I told Scarlett not to wave at us because I was afraid she might crash. Thankfully she stayed up the whole time, but there was a little bump toward the end.

(it starts out sideways, but I quickly realize it and turn the camera)

At least he's not pointing at my rear...

2010-04-20T20:19:00.002-05:00

Every time this cutie pie sees my cleavage (relatively speaking of course), he points and says "Moo" and then cracks up. It should probably be embarrassing to me, but thankfully I lost all humility years ago.

Oh Happy Day

2010-04-16T09:46:00.003-05:00

Scarlett finally got to see sweet Jemma in person!

I hope and pray they grow up as close as sisters.

a niece

2010-04-12T22:15:00.004-05:00

My sister had her third baby and first daughter today. God has blessed our family! Jemma Jane was born at 3:45pm. She weighed 7lbs. 8oz. and was 19 1/4in. long. She is a living doll, as my paw paw used to say.

I am one proud aunt!

welcome to the world little girl...we're all waiting to love on you!

You have no idea what you're in for sweet thing...but I'm pretty sure you will never EVER have to be put down!

Easter

2010-04-08T11:47:00.012-05:00

I know it's a bit late, but I wanted to get our Easter down in "the books". We had a very busy but great day! (let me also say that there are about 100 pictures posted...I'm sorry)

It started with Easter baskets and bed head:

Then it was time for church. It may seem cheesy to you, but I love the kids matching and it is HARD to find boy/girl things. Clark isn't really a knee sock and romper kind of boy so when I found these outfits I thought they were perfect.

After church:

Then it was time to go to Brody's parents for some Easter egg hunting and delicious barbecue:

And our final stop of the day...the church egg hunt:

After this egg hunt we went by my parents for more food and to get more treats. I actually didn't take any pictures over there...I don't know why I forgot...probably because I was worn OUT :) Nevertheless it was a great day celebrating Jesus and being with family and friends~

Great Reminder

2010-04-03T21:19:00.002-05:00

I saw this on someone else's blog today and just wanted to share. I try to appreciate every day...but this was a great reminder! Have a wonderful Easter tomorrow!!

My sweet nephew

2010-04-01T21:24:00.003-05:00

Is it just me, or is this picture a preview of how this cutie pie is going to look in about 14 years?!