Halloween '09

Princess Ellie, Rocky Balboa and Elvis...



SCORE!!!


Hanging at the Brinkman's afterwards!
Fun, family, and friends-doesn't get any better than that!!!

Happy Fall!

I've been trying to get motivated to update this blog for weeks now, but every time I thought about it, I also thought about how looong it had been, and all of the things that we have done since school started and quickly became overwhelmed! I am still not sure of where to begin, but we'll just see where this post takes us...

First, Ellie started her second year at KK! She loooooves it! She loves her teachers, her friends, her backpack, her lunchbox, and on and on it goes! We'll see how long this love affair with school lasts....she is my social child, and I have a feeling as soon as she realizes that not every teacher is going to give her a skittle for cleaning up or doing her work, she might be over it pretty quick! :)


Next, Trent turned 7!! We had a great time at his Carnival themed party! It threatened to rain all day, but held off until the party was over! I can't believe he is 7 years old!! Where have the years gone???

We had bat-spin races...

a water balloon toss.....
cookie cake...
and a jump house!!


The very next weekend we headed to Austin to watch the Longhorns play the Red Raiders! It was a fun time with the boys! We ate some yummy hamburgers at Hut's, then headed to the stadium to watch the players warm up and then up to our seats for the game! It was a really good game, which made it even more fun! :)
Posing in front of Tower! The boys were sooooo tired, it was after 11pm, extremely humid and crowded-but still a fun day.


So, that gets us through September....

October so far, has been a mix of weeks full of rainy, lazy days with not a lot to do - to crazy busy weeks full of Flag Football, Family Reading Night at school, Harvest Festival, Tyler Lee Football games, and the dreaded Flu (we think)...still to come this week - Costume Parade at KK, Pumpkin Carving, and Trick-or-Treating!!!!! I can't believe it's almost November!

My goal is to post our Halloween pics before Christmas! :) ha!
Happy Fall y'all!

Back To School

Today was the big day for our family...first day of school! Everyone was excited and up early! The hallways were buzzing, full of kids and parents shuffling their kiddos to their new classes. When I got home, a wave of emotion came over me-time is passing-quickly.

As the Lord would have it, my devotionals for the day were all about trust...and releasing the ones we love into the Father's care. He gently and lovingly reminded me that they are much safer with Him than in my clinging hands and that when I release my children into His care, I free my hands so they can hold tightly to Him. The same presence that comforts me, comforts them. What a wonderful reminder-because they belong to Him, His presences goes with them.





Happy First Day of School Jake and Trent! It's going to be a great year!!!

I'm Out...

Okay, I'm officially out...out of ideas, out of energy (thanks to the 100+ degrees temps), out of patience, and out of plain ole' "umph", the kind of "umph" that makes you get up and actually want to DO something!!

This is our last week of Summer (boo, hiss!!!), and while I really do hate to see it go, part of me welcomes the new school year...so in honor of the new school year ahead, here are some of my favorite things about school!

*new school supplies
*a routine
*new school shoes! (do I still get some even though I've been done w/ school for quite some time now???!!!)
*new friends
*college football
*getting closer to my favorite season of all...FALL!!!


And in honor of our FABULOUS summer, here are just a few of my favorite moments from "The Summer of '09":

*swimming at MeMe & Poppy's
*visiting with the Cassels!!!!
*movie nights
*family bike rides
*our "rained out" Rangers game with my family
*the "Kacoons"-that's right I said "K-acoons" ;)
*movie day at the Glenney's
*playing Spades at my in-laws and kicking SERIOUS bootay!
*my weekend in Austin w/ B!!!
*Florida!!!!

I could go on and on...but like I said, I'm too tired!!!!

Happy last week of Summer!!!
(whew...I need a nap! hee hee...only in my dreams!)

Slow Down!!!

This morning I was talking with a dear friend of mine who lives out of state about our Summers and what all we have been busy doing...and it hit me-Summer is almost over. I hate even typing those words. In a few short weeks, we will be school supply shopping, buying new school shoes, new school uniforms....and I will officially be the mother of a Forth and First grader, and a 3 1/2 year old who will be starting her 2nd year of pre-school.

How did this happen??

The realization has come at the perfect time...these past two weeks, we've had no plans, just long Summer days, full of fun, sun, playing, swimming, reading, resting, watching movies....and if I'm honest- arguing, boredom, attitudes, impatience-ALL of us-which is a part of it...but a hard part, and a part I was growing VERY weary of. Realizing that sooner rather than later, I will be sending 2 of my 3 off to school for hours each day, is forcing me to stop and change my perspective. How many times did I hear it when they were babies??.... "Enjoy this time, it will go so fast!!" THEY WERE RIGHT! It DOES go so fast. Too fast.

So, thank you Lord (& Amy) for reminding me of that, and help me Lord, to keep that perspective when I'm breaking up the next argument, or hearing "I'm hungry" 5 minutes after I've just cleaned up breakfast...this will pass....all too quickly I'm afraid.

Summer Days

Happy Summer!!

Miles of Piles

Lately my house has been overtaken by piles...

Some are mine, most are not.

So today I decide to combine all of the little piles that I found in my kitchen/breakfast/den area and make one big pile.

Here is it...


And that doesn't even include the 4 bedrooms, hallway, dining, living room and bathrooms!
The kids will be thrilled when they see this waiting for them to go through and put up! :)