Happy Day

Restful Weekend

2012-01-16T12:02:00.000-06:00

We had such a fun, easy weekend.

Originally the plan was to have our good friends The Johnston's in town since we haven't seen them in forever but after three days of the "bad kind" of throw ups I decided to cancel and just recoop. So disappointing but in the end probably the right decision since Jason is also suffering from some crazy cedar allergies that have completely worn him out. We're a mess over here!

On Saturday we made banana pancakes and then I took the girls to a ballerina birthday party for Morgan's best little friends - twins, Hayden and Reese. Aren't the birthday girls adorable in their special tutu's!?! It was so sweet and Morgan and Samantha absolutely loved it!

Other than that, J and I just lazed around, went to church, played Yahtzee with the girls, napped, and puttered around the house.

It was heavenly.

After the girls went to bed we stayed up late watching episode after episode of Homeland.

Have you seen it?

We're soooo addicted!

Here's to a restful weekend in prep for another crazy week!

Happy Day

Christhanksmasgiving

2012-01-05T15:06:00.000-06:00

I'm back in the land of living - hurray!

Although the throwups still persist, they are nowhere near as frequent, or violent for that matter, so needless to say I'm feeling tons better.

Christmas break was fun, but a little rough as I wasn't really feeling as much in the holiday spirit as I normally do. We had lots of wonderful company including the whole Churchill clan for a "Christhanksmasgiving" extravaganza. I barely took pictures (and the ones I did take were not good at all!) but it was super fun with lots of games, food, and whiskey for the boys.

J&B - Bein' awesome

Uncle Santa - I mean James

Girls getting spoiled - the Aunts and Uncles had a competition to see who could give the most awesome gift. Sorry Aunt Birdie but I think it was a tie!

Jason looking stressed - where are we going to put all these toys?!? Ha!

The Aunts and Uncles contemplating "Oh wow, this is going to be our life someday!"

It was such a great time and I'm so grateful for so much wonderful family in my life.

Oh and I'm also grateful for this video. Sammy is the little lamb on the left side but also keep your eyes on the the shepherd in front of of her.

Makes me smile every time.

Happy Day

All I Want for Christmas

2011-12-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

It was so funny doing the girls Christmas Lists this year. Samantha told me two things she wanted (a guitar and a scooter - check, check) then told me she didn't need anything else because she didn't want to have too much stuff! That is definitely daddy's girl right there.

Morgan on the other hand told me she wanted a guitar, a scooter (check, check), drums (NO!), a piano (I wish), pink cowboy boots (after scouring every store in Austin - check), and pretty much EVERYTHING she saw in EVERY commercial on TV. Um no.

Cartoons sure are dangerous this time of year!

I on the other hand only have one request to Jesus, or Santa (ha ha), or whoever is listening...

Please, please, let the throw ups be over. Not to go into too many terrible details but my whole family is in misery! I haven't cooked in months, our fridge is empty since the grocery store is like torture to me, and I am pretty much in bed around 4 o'clock on my bad days - which (to me) seems like most days. My stomach muscles ache, my throat is hoarse, and I live in fear of eating the wrong thing. In fact, I'm not even sure what is the right thing anymore since last night I couldn't even keep down water!

Okay, that sounds like a lot of complaining (because it is) and I would definitely RATHER be sick than not pregnant at this point but I think I'm hitting my all time low, desperation point. I'm officially at my 12 week mark so surely, (surely!!!) I'm almost done with this part. I'm so ready to be a healthy, active, fun mom and wife again!

Until then I have (unfortunately) had to ban myself from my orange sherbet craving.

Delicious going down... not so much on the flip side.

Ouch!

Kids Tree

2011-12-09T12:03:00.000-06:00

This year the girls got to decorate their very own Christmas Tree up in their playroom.

They are so proud of their handiwork.

Every day they redecorate by moving ornaments around, and they also pick new favorites to love.

These are my current favorites!

So far, Morgan has only broken four ornaments which she cleverly hid by throwing into the guest bedroom.

Good thing Daddy is a superglue genius!

Happy Day

November in a Nutshell

2011-12-06T11:32:00.000-06:00

On November 29th I turned 31 and I also got my very best birthday present ever! I got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time!

Meet our little peanut!

We are beyond excited although I have been horribly, ridiculously sick with the throw ups since about week 5. I'm glad I always get pregnancy amnesia because I NEVER remember how bad this really is. I'm finally at the stage where I can laugh a little about how crazy my life is right now. Everything sets me off - from watching Jason eat a bowl of cereal to seeing some dried applesauce on a spoon. Opening the pantry door almost always ends in tragedy. And lets not even talk about my last adventure to the grocery store!

I have to keep reminding myself only a few more weeks of misery THEN we get to the good parts. Feeling those first kicks, decorating a sweet little nursery, buying teeny tiny shoes, and just generally feeling like a wonder woman because I am harboring the miracle of life inside of me! That I am way excited for.

Until then please don't eat in front of me.

Or talk about eating.

Or watch TV where people are eating

Or watch TV where there are commercials of people eating

Or show me pictures of people eating...

Happy Day

The Day Before Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T15:17:00.000-06:00

Here's what the girls and I have been up to on this lovely day!

Making pumpkin pies. I used Sarah's Silky Pumpkin Pie recipe from Better Homes and Gardens this year - can't find a link to it but I think it's going to be good!

I also prepped the Sweet Potato Casserole (Soul Sweet Tators) from THE woman herself - Pioneer Woman. I usually don't even use a recipe for this and just kind of wing it (and it's always so yummy) but I thought it would be fun to try hers out this year.

I love that lady!

We also got the house all ready and clean. Well, with two active kids it's only mostly clean.

The girls also made some lovely art work for our guests to enjoy!

Tonight I'm making the house favorite - Chocolate Bourban Pecan Pie and watching KU hopefully beat Duke! Oh that would make my day!!!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Go Cowboys!

Yay Thanksgiving!!!

How to Cook a Turkey

2011-11-21T18:41:00.000-06:00

1. I catch it.

2. My dad shoots it.

3. He puts it in a cage.

4. He cuts its eyeballs off

5. We eat it!

Samantha, age 4

Happy Turkey Week Everyone!

Pounce or Scurry

2011-11-09T11:23:00.000-06:00

We rented this Bella Dancerella DVD from the library and it is hilarious watching the girls do the dances together. I snuck in with my camera to capture the action!

The best part is when Samantha "freezes". Classic.

This makes me really, really, happy.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T14:09:00.000-06:00

We had Supergirl

and Strawberry Shortcake

Our buddy Nathan joined us and yes he confirmed that baseball players really are the cutest athletes!

The kids were out in our neighborhood in droves plus a lot of our neighbors went all out on decor and candy! I have never seen anything like it. It was madness, but really, really fun!

When we got back the girls and I sorted through all the candy. We put 3/4 of it in our huge candy bowl and saved the good stuff just for us. (By good stuff for me I mean Twix - yum!) I set the bowl out and literally two seconds later one of the massive groups of teens came by and dumped all the candy in their bags!

Good Riddance!

Previous Halloween posts here and here!

Go Rangers!

2011-10-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Jason and I got to experience something absolutely thrilling - Game 3 of the World Series!

It was an unbelievable experience - and despite the final score we had an awesome time with new friends and old. We were so grateful to be there!

Bucket list.

Check!

Happy Day

FrankenMorgan

2011-10-20T17:24:00.000-05:00

There is nothing (nothing nothing) more heartbreaking than seeing your kids sick or hurt.

A nasty slip in the shower last night took us straight to the ER where my poor baby had to get 4 internal and 8 external stitches.

She was a trooper the entire time but I don't know who wanted to cry more - her or myself.

We both kept a brave face.

She's recovering nicely today although abstaining from playing outside has been the roughest part.

Stitches come out Monday but for now we have told her she has the coolest Halloween boo boo ever.

Although it could have been better, I keep praising God that it wasn't worse.

3 years old and two bouts with stitches. I'd say we're DONE!

P is for...

2011-10-19T14:22:00.000-05:00

PUMPKIN PATCH 2011!

There were Pumpkins (of course)!

which meant Photo Ops Galore

Painting (of the faces) is always fun

And nothing beats time spent with Precious Friends!

Except maybe Pony Rides

The Pumpkin Patch this year was Plenty of fun all around!

Pumpkin Pie icecream anyone?

Yes Please.

Previous Pumpkin Patch Posts here and here

HaPPy Day (you know I couldn't resist)!

Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary

2011-10-18T16:32:00.000-05:00

On Friday we took advantage of the gorgeous weather by taking the girls on a quick trip to the Austin Zoo. We quickly learned that this wasn't going to be the "typical" zoo experience as the Austin Zoo is a non-profit organization whose primary focus is rescue and rehabilitation of unwanted or uncared for animals.

Morgan wondering "where are the giraffes?"

Here is Cesar - a former pet lion recently donated to the sanctuary. I still can't believe people try to keep these wild animals as pets!

Two more lions - one was a former pet and the other a performing circus lion. It was amazing (and a little intimidating) how close we were to them.

My favorite animal of the day was this giant turtle. He got all excited when we came to see him and started trying to climb up on the fence. I swear he had personality! Isn't he cute eating his little blade of grass?

Samantha's favorite animal - the pink potbelly pigs

Morgan's favorite animal - the "silly"snakes

Speaking of silly - the girls with their buddy Nathan.

Snacktime on the train was the perfect way to end our adventure.

Happy Day!

Morning Light

2011-10-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday

33

2011-10-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we celebrated Jason turning the Big 33.

I made a ginormous and quite delicious four layer dark chocolate cake to celebrate.

I made extra layers this time since I usually ruin a layer but can you believe it - they all came out perfect!

We also had a bunch of friends and their kids over to feast and celebrate which was so much fun.

We even busted out Balderdash so you KNOW there were some laughs.

Jason helped me all day long (on his birthday) - going to the grocery store, chopping fruits and veggies, picking up stuff, entertaining the kids, getting all the platters ready AND he even cleaned all the bathrooms for me!

Just another reason I truly believe he is the most amazing guy around!

Happy Birthday to my very most favorite. Every day I feel so lucky to be your wife!

P.S. If you come over to our house anytime in the next couple of months you most likely will be subjected to the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Blu-ray I just got him. It's so awesome! (Sorry John and Brenna - at least it wasn't Mick Jagger, wink!)

Reasons to be Happy Today!

2011-09-30T11:32:00.001-05:00

There's a bat in the cave but hey - she's happy!

There are so many reasons that I woke up today happy... gloriously happy!

1. It's Friday and J will be home soon from his first ever dove hunt. He's happy so I'm happy - let the weekend begin!

2. My car is clean and detailed for the first time in like four months which makes it just a pleasure to drive.

3. I'm getting my hair cut this afternoon finally, FINALLY!

4. We have a babysitter lined up for a date night tonight. Dinner and a movie baby. Oh bliss!

5. It is NOT 100 degrees. I repeat NOT 100 degrees. After a record shattering 90 days of 100 degree temps (all pretty much since we have moved here) I think we are finally done for the year.

Oh and did I mention it's almost October? I love October!!!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Long Time, No Blog

2011-09-29T23:09:00.001-05:00

Makin' cookies in the new kitchen - love that face!

So sorry I have been such a bad blogger these days!

My only excuse is that life in the new house has been incredibly busy.

There's the regular stuff (keeping up with laundry, cleaning, working out, cleaning, taking the girls to school, oh did I mention cleaning?). Honestly I LOVE our new house but it has definitely been a shocker at how much more it has been to keep it clean. I have decided to balance that out by not cooking anymore... oh wait. Whoops! That's probably not a good solution, but I'll figure it out eventually.

The girls job - dust buster duty! They love it... for now.

There's also been all the fun stuff that's keeping us busy (Mom's groups, kids birthday parties, gymnastics, hanging out with new friends, the grand opening of Jason's new company, and my parents coming down for a wonderful weekend visit). Austin is probably the most social place we have ever lived! People are friendly, active, and so amazingly laid back and welcoming. I think it will certainly be an art to keep the balance here as it's easy and tempting to just say yes to every invitation and activity.

Lastly there is my new "occupation" of turning this house into a home (meeting with the fence guy, the ac guy, the security guy, sorting through and purging everything that was in our old attic, selling things on Craigslist, and of course furniture shopping and decorating like a madwoman). It's a little overwhelming to say the least. I have a certain vision for how I want my home to look but unfortunately I'm super picky and I'm one of those people that wants to see everything before making my final choice. Slowly but surely though, it is all coming together.

My new entryway table from one of my favorites - Drexel Heritage. Isn't she lovely?

Despite this busy season I have to say that life is amazingly sweet, God is good, and I'm definitely (definitely, definitely) in my element.

Happy Day!

On a boat!

2011-09-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

On Saturday some friends invited us out to their boat club for a little afternoon ride around.

It was the girls first time on a boat and guess what - they loved it!

Ready for takeoff

Sammy = smile

Morgan = traumatized (but only slightly)

Sammy + Keira = a wild pair

This is what 4 hours of the swimming and the sun will do to a three year old.

Mission accomplished!

And here's Jason contemplating:

Why oh why did I jump in the lake with my $200 sunglasses on?

Whoops!

Happy Day

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-01T15:28:00.000-05:00

The first day of school was a total success! Both of the girls were super pumped... despite the fact that Samantha was not wild about all the picture taking.

She did love her dress because it looked "just like mommy"! And it's true I have a striped t-shirt dress that I have been living in this summer. They truly are my little "mini-me's" and I love it!

I wanted to get some pics of the girls on their own... Samantha wasn't having it!

Post picture glare = awesomeness!

I thought this was Pre-K not high school?!?

Happy Day!

Walkthrough

2011-08-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

I so enjoyed our final walk through of the house today. It was great to see it empty, clean, and to start dreaming of all the future projects and imagine just how different it will all look a year from now!

The previous owners took amazing care of this house and pride of ownership definitely shows throughout. I was so excited to see some things I didn't even notice before - prewired surround sound in the master bedroom almost made me scream, not to mention all the great closet space that seemed so magnified now that home was empty. There are a couple changes I want to make here and there, and one huge change we hope to make (someday) when our budget allows.

These pics are going to make for some fabulous before and afters!

I would love to paint these walls - I'm thinking Sherwin Williams Palladian Blue or Light French Gray.

Hmm - perhaps a built in TV cabinet here? There are tons of fun (but a little challenging) decorating spots here - all that room over the fireplace and the huge nook will definitely take some thought.

I think a gorgeous french looking chandelier over the island would look fab. Or maybe a big pot rack with copper pots? Or a couple of pendant lights? Decisions, decisions.

Ladderback counter stools for the island? Yes please!

I'm hoping this will make a sweet playroom however the girls are insisting on sleeping here. And to bunk their beds or not bunk their beds?

The upstairs game room was used as a dance studio for the mom and daughter who lived here! Apparently they were amazing dancers so this is such a great idea. I'm thinking for us this will the spot for movies, games, crafting, playing on the Wii, and doing homework. I've got tons of ideas for this space (although I am tempted to do some yoga up here before I redecorate).

Carpet? Big area rugs?

Black and white picture collage?

China plates?

A bird or two?

This wall I'm keeping the exact same.

Love it!

Just doing some laundry...

2011-08-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Anticipation

2011-08-17T20:43:00.000-05:00

My first glimpse at our new house - that L shaped patio had me at hello!

We are nearing the end of our time in the "apart-a-ment" (as Samantha calls it) and really it couldn't come any sooner. Although certain aspects of our time here have been sweet, something about living in an undecorated, unorganized, unlovely space has definitely made me feel like I've lost a bit of my mojo. I find myself not wanting to cook, not feeling creative, and not doing things I love like taking photos or keeping up with this blog.

There are so many things I'm excited to experience in the new home and it's all coming to fruition during my most favorite time of the year - fall!

Some things I'm looking forward to are:

Parking my car in a garage
Decorating like a crazy woman
Meeting new neighbors and friends
Having dance parties in the living room
Watching the Cowboys (hopefully win) on the big screen
Hosting friends and family for weekend visits
Seeing all my "stuff" again
Having a garage sale to get rid of a bunch of said "stuff"
Creating a quiet nook to read, study, write and meditate
Sitting on the patio with a cold beverage
Backyard camping and s'mores
Gardening
Cooking big family meals
Letting the girls play outside for hours
Buying in bulk from my favorite place Costco
Organizing every nook and cranny
Having family game nights in the kitchen
Making cookies with the girls on my wonderful island
Going for a long walk in the neighborhood
Hosting big holiday gatherings
and
just feeling like myself again.

I truly am a homebody who's ready to be at home!

Happy Day!

Awful August

2011-08-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

This is how I feel about August exactly!

There are so many reasons why I loathe August, and especially August in central Texas. Do you know that we have hit triple digits 57 times this summer!?! And that 25 of those times have been in the past 25 days. It really is brutal. It's gotten so bad that today I was thinking - "wow, it actually feels kind of cool out here" only to realize "well of course, that's because it's only 101 out and it's normally 105 by this time".

I can't think of all of them but here are a few more reasons why August makes me so grumpy:

No major holidays which means no three day weekends

Terrible television

The sports are boring (regular season baseball, golf - yawn)

Can't buy ice cream at the grocery store since it will just melt on the way home

The back of my legs constantly get burned on 120 degree leather seats

Stays light outside forever so my kids don't want to go to bed on time

I can't keep any flowers in my pots alive

Haven't seen rain in 3 months

All the "older" kids taking over our normal spots (library, chick-fil-a, gym)

Awkward to dress since it's burning hot outside then below freezing inside

Already exhausted all of our summer "fun" activities
Scary electric bills
Bad hair since I don't want to blow dry it

and
I still suffer from back to school blues

I know, I know I really shouldn't complain so much but come on! Record setting heat was not the way to win my affection August.

Sigh. Is it September yet...

Sisters

2011-08-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Ready for gymnastics!

Chillin' at the new house during our inspection

About to watch a movie with all their princes and princesses aka "the friends"

Fun at the splash park

Having a "sleepover". Why is this better than their beds?

Happy Friday!

Adventures in House Hunting

2011-07-26T16:26:00.002-05:00

House hunting with kids. How do I describe it?

arduous |ˈärjoōəs|adjectiveinvolving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring : an arduous journey. See note at hard .

Yup. That's about right.

I had this grand idea of making my blog super fun with lots of house hunting pics - you know, capturing all the good and bad and posting witty comments underneath. However, instead of taking my time evaluating homes and shooting pictures I was mainly trying to keep the kids from destroying things, jumping on furniture, running up and down stairs, and just generally being crazy. Something about all the new stuff to touch put the girls on a different level of high maintenance.

For example if there was any musical instrument anywhere in the house...

Rock on Morgan!

House hunting has also been an emotional roller coaster.

emotional |iˈmō sh ənəl|adjective• arousing or characterized by intense feeling : an emotional speech.• (of a person) having feelings that are easily excited and openly displayed : he was a strongly emotional young man.

Number one on Samantha's list - a swimming pool of course!

We would get excited about a house then hate the lot. Or we would absolutely love the lot, but the house would need tons of expensive renovations and updates. Or we would love both the lot and the house but would fret over how scary the price was.

One of my favorite houses as far as interior finishes go but with a view of commercial construction and a bunch of highway noise. We just couldn't do it!

Another great house but this one with a huge drain in the yard and the telephone pole view. Such a disappointment!

So finally, after forty something houses, a million pictures, several sleepless nights, two rejected offers, lots of prayers, dozens of spreadsheets, a hefty wish list, a less hefty "needs" list, some more prayers, a couple heated "discussions", and a lot of dreamy conversations the right house finally came on the market yesterday!

The house reminds me of my favorite season, fall! Can't wait to decorate the wraparound porch with buckets of mums and fall pumpkins!

It's in a great neighborhood only 5 minutes from Jasons office, has a good sized backyard with a greenbelt, and was priced to sell! We made an offer within hours of seeing it.

Lovely front porch! Can't wait to enjoy my morning coffee here.

There was one other offer on the table and three more right behind us... Eeeekkk!

Kitchen with a painted island and chalkboard pantry door. I'm excited to cook here - so homey and cute!

Yay, my dining room furniture will actually fit! Half the houses we looked at there was just no way.

The house has a great feel to it. Sometimes you can just walk into a house and tell that someone has loved, enjoyed, and taken great care of it. We automatically felt at home.

The master bedroom is lovely with hardwoods, pretty windows, and a great view of the gorgeous Spanish Oak tree in the back.

A little ballerina room. One of the smallest rooms so it will be perfect for a playroom. The girls loved this room!

The laundry room had cabinets, plus a sink, plus room for a fridge! One of the only homes we saw with all three - LOVE!

Sorry Sammy no pool... yet!

Needless to say we are thrilled that we are finally under contract! I am already dreaming about birthday parties, barbecues, late nights hanging on the patio, homework at the kitchen table, family movie nights, and of course hosting lots of friends and family!

The doors officially open in September.

Happy Day!

Threebird

2011-07-19T15:27:00.000-05:00

We had such a sweet time celebrating Morgan turning three this year!

There were cupcakes, swimming, and lots of fun presents. A music theme dominated the gifts this year with several new CD's (Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and Minnie Mouse), a new little CD player, a keyboard, a microphone, a singalong DVD, and a little piano book.

This girl was in heaven!

Other favorites were new shoes that LIGHT UP from Nina and Papa Mac, a Tinkerbell toy from Samantha, bubbles and a fairy doll from Uncle John and Aunt Brenna, a puppy from Uncle James, an adorable outfit from Nana and Papa - and gosh - the list goes on and on.

Can you tell this girl is loved?

With the recent move it really was a simple birthday but Samantha still proudly proclaimed it to be "the best birthday party ever!!!" Believe me, that's true praise indeed from a certified birthday expert who is already planning the minute details of her next birthday party.

You've got 250 days to go girl!

Happy Day

My Life Would Suck

2011-07-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

Kelly Clarkson's song "My Life Would Suck Without You" came on my running mix the other day.

Something about the beat of the song, my mood lately, and the fact that I'm missing my hubby so much made me crank up the volume and my pace simultaneously.

It's corny I know but Kelly singing at the top of her lungs really got my blood pumping. If I were in a movie, this is where a group of my girlfriends and I would have sang into our hairbrushes while dancing around in a circle clad in pajamas. With masks on our faces and really high ponytails. Hmm, I think I've maybe been watching too many chick flicks lately...

Luckily my "anthem" is about to change to something a little less dramatic. Jason gets in town tonight FOR GOOD! I probably don't even need to say it but this makes me sooooo happy!

Until then rock on Kelly.

Perspective

2011-06-30T11:46:00.001-05:00

"We must meditate on what God has done in our life rather than on what we are still waiting on Him to do" ~Joyce Meyer

It is no secret that I am in a waiting place right now so this is just my attempt to keep some perspective

(since all I really want to do is complain).

The real truth is that even if nothing about my situation changed,
and I remained in a two bedroom apartment for the rest of my days
with a heavy footed upstairs neighbor,
terrible cell reception,
and bad coffee due to the fact I can't get the proportions correct without my favorite coffee scoop (which is located somewhere deep in the recesses of my storage unit).

Even if it's always 100+ degrees outside,
and my kids constantly embarrass me at the grocery store by acting crazy.
Even if I get all the way home only to realize I bought the wrong orange sherbet (sugar free - gross!)
and that was the one thing I had been looking forward to all day.

Even if I always feel a little lost
and I never make another close friend
Even if I never find a great church or place to belong
And even if home never quite feels homey

Even if my husband is always three hours away
and I only get to see him on the weekends for the rest of my life.
Even if I constantly live in a state of missing my family and friends.
and even if I never bear another child.

Even then...

When you really look at it all.
I'm talking the BIG picture
then you can see

That this life, my life (your life) is really quite amazing.

My children are a miracle.
My relationships and the love I've witnessed firsthand are a tremendous gift.
The joy I get to experience every day is a blessing from above.
And I get to know my Creator as my friend.

Instead of making the "waiting place" a "complaining place" I will make it a time to marvel at all the good things He has already done for me. He will come through again because that's just the kind of God that He is.

This too shall pass.

Happy Day

Fathers Day Fishin'

2011-06-28T14:02:00.001-05:00

Fathers Day was a hit this year!

The girls and I surprised Jason with some new fishing poles for the whole family. We are always doing such girly things so I thought it might be a fun change of pace to do something decidedly more masculine - you know ripping worms apart with your bear hands then threading them on a little hook is about as boyish as I could think of.

We had such a great time and were amazed by all the fish we caught. In the end, it was really only the girls that got to fish since Jason and I were so busy baiting, casting, and unhooking fish the whole morning.

Jason thought it was pretty hot that I could bait a hook.

Score!

Samantha got the first catch! That was one excited little girl.

This was the biggest catch of the day! Samantha caught five fish and Morgan caught two. Morgan actually hooked at least four fish but a couple got away.

Nonetheless, she was so proud!

This was hilarious. I caught some bait!

Morgan's second catch! She actually threw this one back in all by herself.

Speaking of catches, I am so lucky to have Jason as my partner in raising these girls. There is no one I know who leads his life with more integrity or self sacrifice than he does on a daily basis. He has the best heart of anyone I know, he genuinely loves people and would do anything for his family. I love that he is setting the standard for the men that will be in our daughters lives someday. Wow that bar is set high!

Happy Fathers Day J. Your girls absolutely love and adore you!

Me especially.

Days of Summer

2011-06-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

Cocoa Beach - the girls loved the waves and sand

So far our summer is consisting of:

Morning visits to the library

Afternoons at the pool

Making tents in the living room

Putting together puzzles on the kitchen floor

Movies and popcorn at random times of the day
Playtime at Chick Fil A (with every other kid in town)

and also

Celebrating our anniversary at The Four Seasons last weekend.
For 9 years I've been married to my best friend
and very favorite person.
That makes me so happy!

and lastly

Putting our house on the market in DFW
Having it sell in 5 days and close in 18 days.
(That is unheard of in this economy by the way!)

Going into a bit of minor shock over how fast this all is happening.

and then immediately

Packing up our house (well - hiring people to pack up our house)

Moving into a two bedroom apartment with the girls

Unpacking half our stuff and putting the rest in storage.
Realizing it's kind of a nightmare only having half your stuff
Learning to enjoy scavenger hunts (hmmm - where in the world could the envelopes/printer cord/coffee scoop be?)
Realizing the combination of evil concrete stairs + kids + groceries + 100 degrees is not good for my state of mind right now

So I am thus desperately

House Hunting
Preschool Hunting
and
Margarita hunting.

(I'm determined to find the best one in town... on all counts)

Yes that is our crazy news. I have been dying to spill the beans for a couple of weeks now and it is finally the right time. We're praising God for how he has orchestrated this whole move and provided for us in the meantime while we are waiting for things to all come together. I am excited to see what He brings to us and can't wait to blog about all our adventures in our new city!

Happy Day!

Animal Kingdom

2011-06-20T11:09:00.001-05:00

We had a blast at Animal Kingdom in Florida. We started the day at Tusker House and had breakfast with Donald, Mickey, Goofy and Daisy. The girls were in absolute heaven.

We did a really fun animal safari that the girls loved. Sammie still talks about how we saved the baby elephant from the poachers!

We loved how hands on this park was and of course all the details were extraordinary.

We saw a bird show, a bug show, played in dinoland, rode some rides, got faces painted, ate ice cream and watched the parade. We literally closed the park down!

Once again, the girls were in absolute character heaven. Seriously it was like they were meeting movie stars! We waited in lines to meet some characters longer than we waited to ride rides.

And it was worth it!

Terk from Tarzan

Lilo and Stitch

Pocahantes

Thumper

King Louie

Brer Rabbit. I had no idea who this was and had to ask!

Safari Minnie

What a great day!

Poolside

2011-06-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

People watching poolside is always a lot of fun for me. It's like watching a great episode of Saved by the Bell or something. Here we have:

The Fashionista

The Big Man on Campus

The Artsy Girls

The Hunky Lifeguard

Little Miss Popular

and of course...

The Hot Couple

Well - maybe its more like watching Baywatch with these people!

Happy Day

More Magic Kingdom

2011-06-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

Want to see a million pictures?!?

Here are just a handful of some shots I got during our day at Magic kingdom. It was SO MUCH FUN!

Mary Poppins!

The Dumbo Ride - a classic

Waiting in line for the Winnie the Pooh ride.

Teacups!

It's a Small World - hope you don't get that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Tom Sawyers Island

Watching the parade... which was awesome!

Samantha was so excited and couldn't stop waving at all the characters!

Me and my Prince Charming

Another highlight of the day was taking the girls shopping for their new special princess dresses so we could go meet the princesses again. Samantha chose her new favorite, Rapunzel while Morgan stuck with Sleeping Beauty.

Meeting the princesses was so special. They spent time talking to each of the girls and gave them princess words of wisdom before posing for pictures.

Papa Mac and Nina were troopers. We could NOT have done it without them!

Before we left the park we ran into Pluto who gave the girls a sweet kiss. They talk about that "silly" kiss at least once a day!

And then it was all over...

A million more Florida pictures to go!

Be Our Guest

2011-05-28T09:50:00.001-05:00

The girls with Nina and Papa Mac - it was early.

We had such a great time last week in Florida! The highlight definitely was taking the girls to Magic Kingdom. We started our day bright and early with breakfast at Cinderella's castle!

Us with Sleepy and Grumpy!

Of course I had been pumping the girls up for weeks about seeing where Cinderella lives! It was a pretty magical moment.

Once we were inside we got to meet Cinderella and take pictures with her. At this point I think the girls went into a form of mild shock!

I had to scan this one in - pardon the quality

During breakfast we began to see all the princess characters walking around greeting the kids!!! It was so funny since they were "in character" talking about various things from their storyline. Snow White was the most impressive talking in her high, strange voice about picking flowers with Dopey. It was hard to keep a straight face as all the kids were awestruck.

Okay, I was a little awestruck too...

Samantha really perked up when meeting her very favorite princess, Ariel!

Funny since we do not own, nor do I allow Samantha to even watch the original Little Mermaid for a multitude of reasons, the main being I think Ariel is a little too sassy and disobedient to her Father.

Hmm.... interesting

Here are the girls with my favorite princess - the lovely, gracious, book loving Belle!

I may or may not know every word to every song in Beauty and the Beast.

"There's something sweet and almost kind..."

Here is how Samantha spent the rest of her breakfast.

On Princess watch.

It was sooooo cute.

As you can tell, we absolutely loved this experience and have talked about it every day since getting back from Florida!

Even today Samantha said to me,

"Mom, I would like to go have breakfast with the princesses again today."

My response was of course the exact same as yours would have been.

"Hmm... well, go tell your Dad."

(I have a feeling we are going to be doing this again someday.)

Lots more Florida pics to come!

Happy Day!

Bad Blogger

2011-05-26T20:28:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack in posts but things really have been crazy.

Crazy exciting.

Crazy hectic.

Crazy fun.

Crazy magical.

and just well

Crazy!!!

God is doing big things and I can't wait to share but first things first.

Disney pics coming soon!

House Tour

2011-05-10T17:07:00.001-05:00

I realized after all my years of blogging, I don't think I have officially done a "house tour". Most of the time, my home is just in the background - quite often looking like a disaster. So, since today my home is about as clean as it will EVER be, I decided to take some pictures of my favorite places and things in my house.

The Master Retreat

My wonderful Mom (who has decorated at least half of my house) found those amazing bird pictures at Tuesday Morning of all places! They were a total steal and in my opinion they make the space.

I'm a big fan of making windows seem bigger than they are by hanging curtain rods higher and wider than they are supposed to hang.

The Office/Playroom

This was Samantha's original nursery. I didn't really want to repaint it, so I decided to just go with the pink when I converted this room into a study/playroom. I love how bright and cheery it is!

The Living Room

We had these bookshelves built about two years after we moved in and I absolutely love everything about them. And that mirror above my fireplace may be my very favorite accessory in the house!

The Breakfast Nook

Um, I'm obviously a bit obsessed with decorating with birds...

The Media Room

We kept our media room plain and simple and I really love how dark, comfy and spacious it is. It's also perfect for sending the menfolk up to watch boring golf so the girls can watch something more entertaining downstairs.

The Backyard

This view was honestly one of the main selling points of the house for us. I could stay out there for hours!

The Girls Room

I love the girls room and can't wait till they are big enough to bunk their beds so we can reclaim some of that floor space.

My favorite part is that feature wall that my dear mom slaved for an entire day on. I can't tell you how many complements I get on that wall!

The Kitchen

We installed granite last year and it was worth every pretty penny!

The Dining Room

So I bought the most gargantuan dining room set known to man. This is totally one of those cases where it looks tiny in the showroom, then ginormous in your house. I think it's fabulous though!

The Hall Bathroom

This is the girls bathroom and I absolutely adore that Anthropologie shower curtain. It was definitely a splurge but I love it every time I come into the bathroom. BTW I saw a knockoff at Bed Bath and Beyond last week for almost half the price!

The Master Bath

And this is my favorite place to end my day! Fill it up some lavender L'Occitane foaming bath and that is seriously my happy place.

Thanks for visiting. Come again soon!

Note to Self

2011-05-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Future Self,

After slaving in our closet for several hours on this Saturday morning I want us to remember a couple of things!

1. Being able to see the closet floor really is a delightful thing.

2. If you didn't wear it last year, you're probably NOT going to wear it this year.

3. Folding is fun!

4. Please discontinue hoarding shoe boxes like a crazy woman. When did you start doing this and why?

5. These shoes really are fabulous - even if they do pinch your feet.

P.S. How many black t-shirts does one girl need?

Just sayin'

Happy Saturday

Exciting Times

2011-05-06T06:22:00.002-05:00

The other day I stumbled upon a video scrapbook I made at the end of 2006. It was a huge year for us, full of big moves, my graduation from pharmacy school, new jobs for both of us, buying our first house, and getting miraculously pregnant after a year of infertility and discouraging diagnoses. Looking back on this video I remember all the crazy emotions I had swirling around me that year. Sadness over leaving all our good friends we made in Houston, relief at finally being done with school, excitement over our new careers, and elation over finally being pregnant.

Five years later, and I feel like we're heading into a similar season. God has been preparing us for quite some time and the changes are finally coming. It's an exciting journey of faith, to see where He will take us and our hearts are so expectant for all the new things that He will bring in the coming months.

I can't help but wonder what the video will look like at the end of this year!

Stay tuned...

Pardon the terrible quality of this video. I remember just being thrilled I could put it on to a DVD!

I can't stop watching

2011-04-27T14:47:00.001-05:00

I know everyone has pretty much seen this by now, but I've got to say, I can not get over this performance! It just takes my breath away every time.

Way to go Carrie!!!

Easter Picture Extravaganza

2011-04-26T10:02:00.000-05:00

We had such a wonderful Easter Sunday with our family. Since we went to Easter service on Saturday, we spent the morning enjoying coffee, worship music, our bibles, and just talking about all the ways the Lord was good to us and how amazing His sacrifice really was. At one point we went around the room and said why we loved Jesus.

Morgan said "because Jesus saved us"

Samantha replied "because I pray to Him"

Jason said "because He sustains us

and I said, "because He calls us friend".

It was such a sweet moment.

That afternoon, we headed up the road to spend the rest of the day with Nana Connie and Papa Jimmy. We arrived a little early so I made Jason hunt out a place where I could get some pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses.

These pics desperately need some editing in photoshop, but if I waited to post until then it would be next month before these hit the blog and I could NOT wait that long!!! So imagine these shots a little brighter and the lake behind a little richer and you'll get the point.

After the photo shoot we went over the Nana and Jimmy's and enjoyed a wonderful Easter feast and some quality family time. Afterwards, Nana and Mimi surprised the girls with an Easter Egg hunt (I can't believe I forgot their baskets!!!) They had a blast!

By the way - this is me and my granddad Leland! One of my favorite people in the whole world.

And oh yeah - I finally got to meet my cousins little baby Caden. Oh wow... this was NOT good for my baby fever!!!

Eek - he's cute!!!

Happy Easter!

Camera Shy

2011-04-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, Samantha had her Easter party at school. I could not for the life of me get her to look and smile at the camera.

Could have been really sweet!

With her buddy Mason who obviously knows the drill!

Sammy - look over here!

Okay - really???

Hopefully I'll catch some better pics this weekend! I'm hoping the weather cooperates for some backyard portraits in our dresses, some more Easter egg hunting, and some lovely family time together reflecting on our wonderful Savior and all He has done for us.

He is Good!

Happy Weekend

Rainy Day Reading

2011-04-21T17:48:00.002-05:00

When I was growing up I was a certified bookworm! I carried a book wherever I went and my very favorite place in the world was a bookstore or the library.

I'm still very much the same way. In fact, Jason often groans when he can tell I'm about to get into a new book or (oh no) series. I usually will get obsessed and read like a woman gone mad! Before the girls were born, I would often finish a book in one sitting and for a time I was banned from taking a book with me when we traveled for fear that I wouldn't talk to him the whole trip.

The girls and I like to visit the library at least once a week. I usually am voraciously reading at least one non-fiction, one christian living, and one fiction book at a time.

Want to get lost in some fiction? I do admit that I enjoy almost any genre (including young adult - I know, I know!) so I'm kind of all over the board with my recommendations. None of these are really new and just a scattering of some books that I literally could not put down!

Jane Eyre - One of the best heroines of all time - I can't wait to see the new movie adaptation!

"I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me"

Pride and Prejudice - my absolute favorite love story. Of course I love almost anything Jane Austen. I read this one at least once a year. So clever, and charming, and wonderful in every way!

"She was suddenly roused by the sound of the door-bell, and her spirits were a little fluttered by the idea of its being Colonel Fitzwilliam himself, who had once before called late in the evening, and might now come to inquire particularly after her. But this idea was soon banished, and her spirits were very differently affected, when, to her utter amazement, she saw Mr. Darcy walk into the room. In an hurried manner he immediately began an inquiry after her health, imputing his visit to a wish of hearing that she were better. She answered him with cold civility. He sat down for a few moments, and then getting up, walked about the room. Elizabeth was surprised, but said not a word. After a silence of several minutes, he came towards her in an agitated manner, and thus began:
"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

The Hunger Games Trilogy - I really am a science fiction geek, and post-apocalyptic stuff is my absolute guilty pleasure. I tore through this series - think Bachman's The Running Man + Orwells 1984. Throw in a strong female lead and I was hooked. It was dark, creepy, creative, and addictive!

"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen.”

Graceling and Fire - I don't always love fantasy, but I really enjoyed this new world that Kristin Cashore has created for her readers. These are full of adventure, love, and heroines brimming with courage and beauty. Hmm - are we sensing a theme to my picks? These would be great for relaxing on the beach or sitting on a park bench. I read both in a day (and didn't want them to end)!

"Something caught in her throat at this second thanks, when she'd threatened him so brutally. When you're a monster, she thought, you are thanked and praised for not behaving like a monster. She would like to restrain from cruelty and receive no admiration for it."

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum Series) - I'm sorry but these books are actually pretty awful! BUT they are also incredibly funny and you really can't help but laugh out loud while also rolling your eyes at the antics and slapstick humor. Plus it really made me want to be a bounty hunter and bake pineapple upside down cakes with equal affinity. The beginning books in the series are certainly better than the later ones. I recommend them... sort of!

"There are some men who enter a woman's life and screw it up forever. Joseph Morelli did this to me - not forever, but periodically."

Redeeming Love - I have yet to meet a woman who doesn't love this book! Based on the book of Hosea this one will have you swooning... over how much God loves you. Highly recommended.

"my love isn't a weapon, it's a lifeline, reach out and take hold, and don't let go!"

Happy Reading Everyone!

Sammy's Favorite Gift

2011-04-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun opening up family gifts with Samantha on her birthday. She loved everything she opened, but there was one gift in particular got her heart this year.

It was her new BUZZ LIGHTYEAR KITE, from Morgan!

Cutest moment of the day, right here...

Now every time she sees her kite hanging in the garage (at least twice a day) she says, "thank you sooooo much Morgan. I just love my kite"

To infinity and beyond...

Perfect Saturday

2011-04-16T15:21:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness where have I been the last couple weeks?

One silly word that I'm not too fond of - BUSY!

Between Samantha's birthday party/Nina and Papa Mac visiting then Pink Impact starting the following Wednesday, plus John and Brenna coming to visit and not to mention my to do list/spring cleaning/organizing craze as of late. Whew. Catch a breath. The bottom line is my blog has totally fallen by the wayside.

But my closet is looking fabulous!

And also there's good news - I'm back! And because of that, I'm coining today the perfect Saturday.

Actually not just because of that. More because I have been doing all the things I love all day long. Cooking, listening to music, playing with the girls, getting my garden into shape, taking pictures, and now blogging. Plus tonight we'll be at church to hear the amazing series Pastor Robert is going through called From Dream to Destiny. You should check it out!

So the perfect Saturday started with hot coffee and Pioneer Womans Sour Cream Banana Pancakes. Do you see where I'm going with this!

Then I finally got to my front beds that have been SCREAMING for my attention for the past few weeks. Weeds, dead daisy bushes, and some pansy's that had seen better days.

Before (click on the photos to see the horror)

After!

I'm in love with pink, yellow and purple right now! I love those marigolds with the roses so much. I also can't wait for my purple bushes to pop in early June. My color inspiration was taken from my new wreath my mom made me. Isn't it lovely (and yes I need to restain my front door desperately)!

Morgan actually took a nap... in the middle of the living room floor. Hey - still perfect!

While Sammy helped me pull weeds out back and then watched The Great Mouse Detective

Even this guy had a great day! He loves knocking stuff off the to do list like nobody I've ever known. Don't talk to him. He's focused!

Are there any more happy things to say? Starbucks before church, pizza tonight and then a Dexter date with my honey after the girls have gone to bed.

So not to state the obvious but...

Happy Saturday!!!

Party Pics

2011-03-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

We did Samantha's birthday party at our local jump place this year. She and her friends had a wonderful time - thank goodness since she has been talking about her birthday party (and praying about it daily) for over 6 months. Talk about the pressure!

Unfortunately, my pics this year were absolutely terrible! It almost made me laugh when I saw them and truly goes to show that taking good pics is not just about good equipment. Out of focus, poorly lit, lots of heads cut off etc. I think it was a combination of me being distracted, my fear of using a flash, and the kids moving around a million miles a minute. Excuses, excuses I know - so much for my photography lesson a couple weeks ago! Anyway, here's what I managed to capture.

The kids obviously had a blast!

Sam and her best friend from school Mason. These two are inseparable, and I think they even get into some trouble together. So funny!

I made cupcakes this year - strawberry with strawberry icing and vanilla with dark chocolate icing. For the party favors I filled flower pails up with colored bubbles, rainbow twizzlers, a silly straw, some flower seeds they could plant in the pail, and a pinwheel to represent the flower. The theme was "Spring".

Can you tell I had fun!

My favorite moment was watching Samantha as all the kids sang to her. She got super sweet and bashful. Later she told me she was just a little scared but she liked it.

That's my big girl!!!

More birthday pics to come...

My New Favorite Word

2011-03-23T18:06:00.003-05:00

Remember when I planted these? How lovely!

I am so happy Spring is finally here.

I am doing all sorts of springy things lately! Planting flowers, cleaning/organizing/purging every room in my house, drinking iced tea, making cupcakes, leaving the windows open, reading on my patio, sending the girls outside to play and be loud, blowing bubbles, and vacuuming my house daily of kid sand and dust. There is a lightness in the air and in my spirit that I'm so thankful for after what felt like such a long winter.

Speaking of reading, I started One Thousand Gifts by one of my favorite bloggers and authors, Ann Voskamp.

I am savoring this book, literally forcing myself to read slower so I can take it all in and really get it.

Eucharisteo. I think it might be my new favorite word...

"The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning "grace." Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be a gift and gave thanks.

But there is more, and I read it. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara , meaning "joy". Joy. Ahh... yes. I might be needing me some of that."

One Thousand Gifts p. 32

She goes on later to say

"Deep chara joy is found only at the table of the euCHARisteo - the table of thanksgiving. I sit there long... wondering... is it that simple?

Is the height of my chara joy dependent on the depths of my eucaristeo thanks?

So then as long as thanks is possible... I think this through. As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever, meaning - now; wherever, meaning - here. The holy grail of joy is not in some exotic location or some emotional mountain top experience. The joy wonder could be here! Here, in the messy, piercing ache of now, joy might be - unbelievably - possible! The only place we need to see before we die is this place of seeing God, here and now.

I whisper it out loud, let the tongue feel these sounds, the ear hear their truth.

Charis. Grace

Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving.

Chara. Joy.

A triplet of stars, a constellation in the black.

A threefold cord that might hold a life? Offer a way up into the fullest life?"

One Thousand Gifts p. 33

This book is a challenge to live a life of joy, a life of thanksgiving, and a life in the fullest of God's daily graces. It's simple but it's also profound. She doesn't skimp over the hard stuff - joy in the midst of real pain and loss, but causes you to think and wonder. Am I really living and experiencing this life the way God created me to? Or am I missing it by constantly basking in my discontent and waiting for the next little empty hit of pleasure?

I'm only on the fourth chapter - but I definitely recommend this book and of course her blog too!

Oh, and this made me smile today.

Happy Spring!

Spring Break and the Stomach Flu!

2011-03-20T10:40:00.001-05:00

I was totally expecting to have all sorts of cute "what we did over Spring Break" pics to post today but let me assure you... you don't want to see ANY of those pics.

For the past 10 days our entire family has been ravaged by the stomach flu.

It started with Morgan and is ending with Jason, and let me tell you this little virus did quite a number on our family!

No fun park days (even though the weather has been gorgeous), no weekend trip to Brenham like we had originally planned, no planting my flowers or weeding my beds, and no sitting on the back patio sipping a cold beverage while watching the girls frolic in the yard. Instead it has been a week of lying in bed watching Disney movies, taking mini catnaps while half heartedly trying to keep the girls entertained. All between hourly trips to the bathroom. Yuck!

Not to mention we are potty training Morgan. Double yuck.

And especially not to mention that the girls aren't quite pro's at making it to the bathroom when they get sick. And the doozies always seem to happen in the middle of the night! Triple and Quadruple yuck!

I am so glad it's almost over...

Happier posts coming soon. It is after all a very special BIRTHDAY WEEK for miss Samantha. I can't wait to celebrate her and the joy that her life brings us all.

My bug on her birthday. Oh I love her!

The sun is shining and my stomach isn't painfully churning. Things are definitely looking up!

Happy Day!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2011-03-09T10:20:00.000-06:00

Thanks Uncle James!

Wedding Love

2011-03-08T11:43:00.000-06:00

Samantha and Morgan absolutely loved being flower girls for John and Brenna's wedding over the weekend.

They loved being the center of attention as they perfectly dropped flower petals along the bridal path.

They loved their pretty dresses and fancy shoes.

And they loved being surrounded by so many people that loved them too!

Everyday I count my blessings to be part of a family that has so much love for one another!

Speaking of love - the girls loved everything to do with the wedding. From the fancy glasses to the all night dancing my girls quite possibly had the best night of their young lives!

Samantha was thrilled when A BOY (one of her cousins!) asked her to dance. In the bathroom she said he liked her because of her pretty, pretty dress. Oh my!

Needless to say, she loved it!

And then there was this love.

Congratulations John and Brenna!

I wish you a lifetime of contagious happiness, unrelenting joy, and deep, abiding love just like the night you were married.

Mmm. I love weddings.

Happy Day!

Excuse Us

2011-03-02T16:07:00.000-06:00

We're potty training!

Dress Rehearsal

2011-03-01T15:24:00.000-06:00

We had a mini flower girl rehearsal to make sure everything fit before the big day this Saturday.

Now if we can just get them down the aisle without any drama we can count this thing as a success. Or at least keep them from constantly twirling...

Happy Day!

Casual Hobby to Obsession

2011-02-21T11:45:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I took my first ever photography class at The Spot Studio. I was absolutely amazed at the wealth of information I learned and how concepts I had never really understood all seemed to click at the same time.

Exposure, f-stops, ISO, shutter speed - it all makes sense to me now! Not to mention that I finally get what a lot of the buttons on my camera actually mean. Not all of them - but at least the majority.

My favorite part of the class was getting to shoot an actual model. I am amazed that these are my straight out of the camera shots! No editing peeps - and that is just a white backdrop. Isn't it amazing the effect that lighting has on an image? Not to mention I was in manual mode the whole time - hallelujah!

Here are some of my favorites.

Can you tell I was in heaven?

I'm already looking forward to taking the second class and (gulp) starting to learn photoshop and lightroom.

I think I may have found my happy place!

It's tough being a princess

2011-02-16T22:07:00.000-06:00

How to Become a Better Lover

2011-02-15T11:13:00.002-06:00

I've posted before how much I learn from the simple faith of my children. Especially as they are now getting old enough to have little conversations about what they know and believe about Jesus. The other day I asked Morgan, "what do you know about Jesus?" and her little eyes lit up and a smile entered her face and she said, "Jesus loves me!"

I smiled at this seemingly simplistic answer when all the sudden the truth of it hit me hard.

Jesus loves me.

Jesus LOVES me.

Jesus Loves ME!

Everything about Jesus, what He has done for us on the cross, and who He is in our lives today is all about love. And more specifically, it is about His love for us. He is the epitome of love. His love is the embodiment of kindness, the foundation of compassion, the wellspring of blessing, and the cornerstone of our entire faith.

It's an unexplainable grace this love. It isn't based on our merits, we aren't qualified to receive it, we haven't done anything worthy to deserve it, we can't increase it, and we can't lose it. It is the most constant thing in all of our lives.

Jesus loves me. Jesus loves you. And he does it all the time.

This is the song my girls have been singing for the last month. They sing it while they are playing with dolls, while they are coloring, and even when they are going potty (Samantha!).

I think that when we get this, like really get it, our lives will change. His love labors on our behalf and it transforms us. We ourselves learn how to love like Him. With kindness. With grace. Without expectations. And regardless of merits.

We become better lovers.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:7-11

Be loved!

Happy Valentines Day

Our Family Portrait

2011-02-09T16:01:00.000-06:00

Clockwise from the top left: Samantha, Morgan, Mommy, Daddy (with the long legs)

Great job Sammy!

Snowed In

2011-02-06T11:08:00.001-06:00

So we survived FOUR days of being snowed and iced in!

Schools were closed, streets were covered with sheets of ice, and we experienced some of the coldest consecutive temperatures in the history of Dallas. Of course, since we never get weather like this here the city was a little, ahem, "unprepared". There are no such things as snow plows or salt trucks in DFW, and most of us don't even own shovels or ice scrapers.

After ice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, on Friday morning we were surprised to wake up to even more snow. This was the fun stuff, perfect for snowballs! The temperatures had also warmed to a balmy 22 degrees so the girls could actually get out and play.

And then as soon as it came, it all was gone. Saturday brought us sunshine, 55 degrees and the sound of melting snow dripping off the rooftops.

Goodbye snow. Come again next year!

Why I'm lucky in love

2011-02-04T08:56:00.001-06:00

Me being silly. Jason being cute and awesome.

There are so many reasons why I wake up everyday and feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Jason.

Since it's February aka the month of love, I thought I'd post just a few reasons off the top of my head.

1. He likes my crazy.

Probably every woman has some "flavor" of crazy in them. Sometimes it's driven by insecurity (hello!), sometimes by the need to be perfect (who me!?!), and sometimes it's just plain old fashioned hormones (can I get an amen!). I always feel sheepish after displaying my crazy to Jason but for whatever reason he likes my passion and thinks it's all part of my charm. Maybe that makes HIM a little crazy!

2. He protects me.

When I am in an intimidating situation there is nothing more comforting or natural to me than to lean into Jason's protection. Whether it's a crazy weather situation we're driving through, a new venture we're taking on, or just something that puts me way out of my comfort zone (like hosting three holidays in a row), I know that Jason is my safe place. He does not expose my weaknesses but encourages me in my strengths. He takes on extra load when I am not able to, but never calls me out on it. He doesn't use guilt or manipulation to shame me when I fail. And when I do fall (and oh I do!), he covers me with grace and mercy. Kind of like someone else I know...

3. He takes care of me.

Okay this is old-fashioned I know. But I love that Jason is truly "the man" around the house. He fixes stuff when it breaks. He goes to his job every day and works hard to provide for us. He tackles a honey-do list with gusto. He wants me to have every luxury in the world (within reason!). He plans for our future. He spoils me and the girls and enjoys doing so. He also sometimes puts his foot down... and I love him for that too!

It's not that I'm helpless or that I couldn't go back to work if I needed to. We have just fallen into roles that work well for us and allow us both to thrive in our environments. It's such a good place to be at this point in our marriage!

4. He's my best friend.

This is where I may feel the luckiest. When I first met him at 15 we were absolutely inseparable. Honestly, it might have been unhealthy for two teenagers to be as attached at the hip as we were! But that has grown into something really wonderful throughout the years. Even in our worst of times he's still the guy I want to spend my days with.

His crazy observations make me laugh, his political perspectives intrigue me, his determination and driven nature challenge me, his capacity to love people fascinates me. He's the best person to have fun with, the best to get serious with, and the absolute best man to wake up next to. He's fun, he's silly, he's understanding, and he's my favorite.

5. He knows it's a choice.

I used to think that love was a feeling. Either you felt it, or you didn't. Either you stayed in it or you wouldn't. I was so wrong, especially when it comes to marriage, but really when it comes to every relationship where you're called to love.

Love is always a choice. Every day we get to relive that choice. You choose to be kind, you choose to respect, and you choose to express love even when you may not feel like it. It isn't earned and it isn't forced. It's always a choice. There are seasons of passion in a marriage, seasons of romance, intimacy and excitement and I treasure those times too. But I no longer mistake those for love. Love is always a choice and it exists regardless of our exterior circumstances.

Jason gets this. And no matter how rotten I'm being or how crappy he's feeling he always chooses to love me through it. I'm not always easy to live with, I don't always do the right thing, and sometimes I'm (gasp) really selfish. But he makes the choice to love me despite - well - me.

Aren't I lucky!?!

Happy Love Month!

P.S. He hates when I post blogs like this. Another reason I love him. He's humble!

Ice Storm 2011

2011-02-02T15:34:00.001-06:00

So unfortunately that weather forecast was right.

Hence the 13 degrees outside.

Of course the girls were SO excited when they woke up yesterday to all white "snow" which was really some combination of sleet and ice. After begging me all morning to go play outside I finally conceded!

There really wasn't a whole lot we could do since it was so cold and slick outside. Samantha insisted on making an ice angel - she barely made a dent!

And skating proved to be way too hazardous!

Despite the fact that I had them triple layered, this gear made for our typical 40 degree winter really wasn't cutting it with the -6 windchill.

Time it took for me to get all three of us bundled up and ready:

25 minutes

Time it took before the meltdowns began:

9 minutes

Back indoors we go!!!

We really are Texas girls here...

Temperature Swing

2011-01-30T15:39:00.000-06:00

Three weeks ago January brought us this

And this weekend we had this!

70 degrees with sunshine felt amazing, especially after all the gloom we have had this month. I took the opportunity to plant some daffodil bulbs around my trees in the front (forgot to do it in December), went for two long runs outside, and wore short sleeves all weekend.

Good thing I did since I just saw this article.

If you don't want to click let me give you the highlights. "Arctic cold front", "winter storm watch" and "some of the coldest temperatures in years."

Yikes.

Off to the grocery store to stock up for the week. I really don't do cold well!

California Love

2011-01-28T09:28:00.001-06:00

On our last day in Cali we headed down the coast to Newport beach to attend the wedding of our good friend from high school, who later became Jason's college roommate at KU.

They had a sunset wedding on this triple decker yacht aptly named The Destiny. It was awesome!

The gorgeous bride! Love that bouquet.

The wedding itself was intimate, romantic and full of love. Just like the beautiful couple!

Our friend Nick was also in the wedding party. Looking good dude!

Red Velvet Cake

There's nothing like a wedding to bring out the romance.

Or even the bromance!

Happy Day!

Santa Barbara

2011-01-26T00:23:00.000-06:00

On Day 2 of our Cali trip we headed two hours north along the coast to Santa Barbara. From the beautiful drive to the deliciously, sunny weather to the amazing food and shopping - it was absolutely perfect in every way!

This is what I'll be dreaming of for the next 53 days of gray Dallas winter.

Yes, I made Jason promise me we could live here someday!

(Wedding pics tomorrow)

Happy Day

So Cali

2011-01-25T15:52:00.000-06:00

Pasadena City Hall

Over the weekend, Jason and I attended our 5th out of town wedding in the last 8 months. Honestly they keep getting better and better! This one took us to California where Jason and I decided to turn it into a little romantic getaway.

We spent our first night in Pasadena to meet up with all the wedding party and guests, our second night in Santa Barbara (my new favorite place), and our last night in Newport Beach for the wedding.

It was amazing!

Here are just some of the things we did that were so Cali:

1. Listened to Tupac Shakur while driving through South Central LA

2. Saw a guy walking a pit bull wearing yellow aviator sunglasses. Man I wish I would have had my camera!

3. Asked by a group of modern day hippies if we cared about the environment and to come sign their petition. To which Jason replied - "Uh - I work for Big Oil and I'm from Texas!" Apparently that canceled out our concern for the environment.

4. Watched The Big Lebowski in our hotel room about our favorite LA slacker aka "The Dude".

5. Talked vegetarianism verses pescetarianism versus veganism with our wedding table.

6. Drove the Pacific Coast Highway

7. Watched the sunrise and sunset

8. Took a long walk along the boardwalk.

9. Saw two guys publicly toke up on the beach.

10. Woke up to the sound of waves crashing, the buoy clanging, and seagulls calling and never wanted to leave.

Santa Barbara pics coming tomorrow.

Happy Day!

Samantha in Pictures

2011-01-17T13:00:00.000-06:00

There are so many reasons why I treasure this little girl.

I love her smile and funny sense of humor!

I love her chocolate brown eyes. They are so warm, just like her.

I love how smart she is, and thoughtful she is becoming

I love how silly she is. And how she'll do anything for a good laugh.

I love how much she loves all her family and friends. And how she prays for them every night.

I love her contagious happiness. She is like sunshine!

And I love how much she loves her daddy.

(Me too!)

Happy Day

Props

2011-01-14T10:31:00.003-06:00

Last year my husband set a goal for himself, one that I thought was totally crazy and that I would have doubted could be accomplished if it would have been anyone except Jason.

Before I tell you what it was, let me just say to you - this man is impressive!

In the year 2010, my husband succeeded in (drumroll please) not buying ANY new clothes for the year.

Did you get that. No clothes.

There were a couple of exceptions - for our family pictures I insisted on buying him a new shirt, and he also needed a new suit and tie for the four weddings we attended but other than that - nothing new.

Can you believe it?

This year, I have been inspired to set a similar goal for myself. Nothing to do with clothes (are you crazy) or even shoes (that's insane), but for 2011 I am going to try with all my might to not buy a new phone. My phone is a fairly generic flip phone from the 80's - just kidding - from 2008. The darn thing won't break, won't die, it just keeps going and going. I can drop it on concrete, spill water on it, Morgan can slam all the buttons - no problem! I have had some major smart phone envy as of late so I did some research on the service plans and oh my word!!! Is that how much phone service costs now!?! Apparently, as long as I don't use the upgrade discount for a new phone, I can keep my old "el cheapo" plan.

So - do you think I can do it? I'm really not sure. I do feel a little like Zack Morris every time I pull my phone out of my purse. And if you saw how long it takes me to text using those tiny buttons, well - you'd definitely laugh at me.

Just please, don't show me all the cool things your IPhone can do, I'm obviously hanging on by a thread here...

Happy Day!

Happy 2011

2011-01-12T22:31:00.000-06:00

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank.
We are going to put the words on them ourselves.
The book is called "Opportunity" and its first
chapter is New Year's Day."
~Edith L. Pierce

Here's to a sparkling new year brimming with possibilities!

Happy Day!

Christmas Morning

2011-01-10T19:02:00.000-06:00

As evident from my lack of posting, I've been taking a little hiatus from the blog but I thought I'd go ahead and post some pics of Christmas morning! Pardon the bedhead - we have kept up the tradition from Jason's family where we wake the girls up with caroling by candlelight then go straight to gifts, so I hadn't had time to brush the girls hair yet.

Samantha was so cute this year! She immediately ran into to retrieve her camera that she had received the night before from Grandpa and Mimi and made sure to capture all the exciting moments of the morning. She rushed to see if Santa had eaten her cookies then even wanted to go outside and check on the reindeer food (oats + glitter) that we had left on the back patio. Thankfully - some animal had a glittery midnight snack because the food was all gone (despite Mommy forgetting all about it.)

It was a magical morning and we all got wonderful gifts! Morgan was so excited over everything and had a great time showing us all her loot.

I got a Jayhawk decal for Jason's car.

I'm really hoping he puts it on the Volvo though (hint, hint)

The girls loved their pillow pets from Geema and Gramps! They sleep with them every night now.

Princess dresses from Uncle James were another favorite. Perfect outfits to play with their new barbie house!

Check out all the chaos. It was fun!

Another favorite is the shopping cart and cash register from Nana and Papa. Morgan especially loves pretending to shop... which is a little scary considering she is such a mini-me!

It was such a great morning. Regular posting to resume soon!

A Sweet Tradition

2010-12-30T08:00:00.002-06:00

Making Christmas cookies with Nina was such a treat. Next year we'll have have to start them earlier so we have time to decorate them too.

But really, I think Santa was okay with what he got!

My favorite picture of the night - these trays are just a little heavy!

ICE

2010-12-29T16:14:00.000-06:00

The week before Christmas we met up with Grandpa, Mimi and Uncle Lane at the fancy schmancy Gaylord Texan.

The girls loved all the Christmas decor throughout the ginormous lobby area!

They had a whole gingerbread making station that the girls loved. Hmmm - maybe next year?

I asked the girls if they were excited to see Santa Clause. I think you know the answer to that one!

Inside the hotel there is also an exhibit called ICE. Everything inside is carved out of ice - it is incredible! It is so cold inside you have to wear these huge parka jackets (especially if your from Texas and you consider cold to be anything below 55)!

The theme this year was Charlie Brown Christmas!

Sam went down the ice slide!!!

My blanky babies with a fellow blanky lover!

So cute that Morgan could barely walk with her big parka!

Although the lines were dreadfully long and we were exhausted by the time it was all said and done, this really was a cool way to kick off our Christmas week!

More pics coming soon!!!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T22:00:00.000-06:00

I have lots of fun Christmas eve and Christmas morning pics to post when I get the energy to weed through them all.

What a great day!

Petting Zoo Party

2010-12-18T15:02:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I took Samantha to a birthday party for one of her favorite classmates.

It was a really fun party - especially since they had a petting zoo set up in their front yard!

Samantha absolutely LOVED it. Of course she was completely fearless the entire time. While some kids were afraid to even touch some of the animals, she was racing around picking up chickens and bunnies like a little farm girl.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the day.

I think I may have an animal lover on my hands!

Happy Day

Work

2010-12-14T07:05:00.005-06:00

Jason invented a new game for the girls. It's called "Work"

Here's how it goes.

1. He invents a "project" for them. Maybe it's putting together a puzzle, picking up a little mess, or drawing a picture but after the assignment the girls must go to work.

Periodically they must call "the boss" to give a progress report. In the 30 minutes that this game lasted, Jason probably received about 45 phone calls. Apparently they had much to report.

After their work has been deemed satisfactory - they get paid.

Like any good worker they know to count all their money to make sure the boss isn't cheating them.

Next it's off to the bank. Got to wait your turn!

Apparently this was Morgan's way of asking for a raise. I think it actually worked!

Happy Day!