Big Smiles Good Music

Our preschool music festival was last weekend and once again a huge success. This is #4's last year in preschool, so the music festival was especially exciting for him.

He was very excited to see his very favorite children's musician, Joe McDermott. All four of our kids have grown up listening to Joe and he has been playing in the background of so many of our very best family memories. What a treat to see him play live!

And once Joe was finished, he got to see the Biscuit Brothers up close and personal.

We had such a great time. I am so glad that I got to share this time with #4. Boy he is growing faster than I can even imagine.

P.S. Don't you love his rockstar glasses. He made his very own Elton John design. Worked on them for like 30 minutes.

Proud Momma Proud Wife

There is nothing that gives me more pride than to see my children happy and peaceful, and my husband participating in all of the aspects of their lives.

For the last few months, JC has been the coach of #2's basketball team. This has been a definite learning process, JC has never coached basketball before and #2 and her friends have never played on a basketball team before.

I could go on and on for hours about his great accomplishments or what an aggressive basketball player our girl is, but I won't.

Just enjoy the photos and think about how much joy it gives my heart to watch this happen every week!

Science Mania

As you have heard many many times, we had a bad case of the flu in January. 5 out of 6 of us got it. And with me being pregnant, it was a real bummer.

Well, the only person that didn't get the flu was #2. The same week that we were all sick, she was working on her science fair project. She came up with the idea and worked very hard on all of the steps pretty much by herself. The science fair was at school and we didn't even make it out to see it.

Sure enough, she won 1st place at her school and an opportunity to take her project to the Regional Science Fair here in Austin. What a huge deal! There were between 10-15 projects selected from our whole school and #2's project was the only project by a girl in the whole group!!!


So this weekend was the big deal Science Fair. I don't know who was more excited, me or her. We went and got her a new outfit to wear (which of course, I didn't get a photo of) and had a nice mother/daughter breakfast before heading to the big fair. She was taken into the huge judging room, where she and hundreds of other kids waited by their projects to have a judge come and ask them questions. I sat and waited in the parent's holding room with my friend Becky (whose son was also there) for her to walk across the stage for pickup. Once we were able to talk, she said it was really really scarey. She said that the judge was nice and asked a lot of questions about her project.

She ended up winning a second place ribbon for her project. I told her that my pride in her accomplishment is overwhelming. She is the first person in our family to have this sort of academic accomplishment - and it couldn't happen to a nicer, harder working, sweeter kid.


I am proud to say that she actually learned about her topic and completed her project on her own. I know that she is proud of her accomplishment and that makes this all even better!

P.S.

Our favorite local weatherman was the host. #2 took this photo of him. It is a good way to see how many gazillions of people were there.

Half Pipe Heaven

During the Christmas break, our dear friends Liz and Curt called wanting to make a special Christmas present for #1. Curt is a very talented home builder and wanted to (with our blessing) work with #1 and Jeff to build #1 a half-pipe skate ramp.

So, the day after Christmas, they went over to Curt's house and started the work. I have never seen a kid so proud to be working in all of my life. #1 had that little 'I'm really proud of this' smile on his face the whole time he was working.


Once we got moved and over the flu, the ramp was moved here and assembled for #1 to ride. There isn't a day that goes by that the kid isn't on the ramp. And most of the time, he is on the ramp with a heard of other kids over here to ride too!

Every time he rides that ramp, he owns it. He takes care of it and worries when the it rains that the ramp hasn't been sealed yet. I am so proud of that boy and his hard work. I am so proud that his dad had the opportunity to do it with him, and I am SO thankful for friends like Liz and Curt who do things outta the kindness of their hearts.

The Big Concert

The same week that we all had the flu, we also had tickets to see Hannah Montana. Our kids always work so hard at school, in sports and are very kind, sweet kids. So I had one of these parenting moments where I just couldn't say no and resist the urge to splurge.

Both of our girls have listened to their peers talk about going to see Hannah Montana. Each time, our girls come home and we talk about how we are happy for the great opportunities that others have. I'll be honest, sometimes it has been a tough and hard lesson, but one that our kids have always been very very kind about.

When the tickets went on sale in early December, we had family everywhere burning up the telephone lines and working the Internet to try and get the girls tickets for Christmas. No luck. The tickets sold out in 55 minutes and we didn't have any.

With JC's blessing, I started my ebay quest. We lost 4 bids over the course of a month. We had a budget and couldn't go over. The week of the show, I found 4 tickets on ebay with a very low starting big and no minimum sell amount. Well, sure enough, we won the bid just two days before the show. And the best part about the whole thing was that we only paid $6 per ticket over face value and that included overnight shipping. That ebay man in Chicago was surely sent down from Heaven because not only was he doing the right thing by not gouging us, but he was very very kind and excited that we were going to be able to go.

So we called our Momo (my mom) and asked her how she would feel about seeing Hannah Montana with us. She got here an hour before the show started and showed up with new outfits for both of the girls to wear to the show.

We were all SO excited. It was such a fun night. Miley Cyrus put on a great show and we had the best girl time ever. Even though we were on the second to the last row, sitting kinda behind the stage and all still under the weather, we sang and danced our hearts out! Thank you Chicago man, thank you Miley Cyrus and thank you Jesus. We had the best time ever. We will all remember it forever.

#3 Turns 8

In January, our #3 turned the big big 8. Unfortunately, her birthday came at a time where we were trying to wrap up moving AND right in the middle of our family getting the flu. The really crummy thing is that Jeff and I were both so sick on the day of her birthday that we didn't even have a cake for her. She was SO understanding about the whole thing - but that could be because she was getting sick herself. As a matter of fact, she got really sick the day after her birthday and ended up missing the whole week of school.

I look at this child and marvel at how much she has grown. She has turned into such a kind, responsible, happy, free-spirited little girl - and I am SO SO SO thankful.


She loves High School musical and was so EXCITED to get a High School Musical throw pillow from her little brother.


Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Steve sent a big goodie box full of all of the things any good teacher needs. Including her own 'teaching' glasses. The birthday girl is so funny about taking very good care of her glasses and only wears them when teaching!


Her big gift from mom and dad was her very own acoustic guitar that 'isn't a toy guitar'. She has been strumming her heart out and 'writing' more songs every day. You might also notice in the photos that she received a pink polka dot basketball from her older brother and lots of new fancy underpants and a silky heart nightgown from her sister.

Her favorite gift came from Darlene and Dave. They sent her the High School Musical singing game for the Wii. She has been singing her heart out and all of her friends wanna sing as soon as they come over. (Unfortunately, it never crossed my mind to take a picture while she is doing it.) She has had so much fun unlocking new characters and hearing her own voice coming out of the TV!

I thank God everyday for all of these kids. I know that we are truly blessed.

A Little Nutty

Boy-o-boy, have I been a little nutty lately. I think it is the pregnancy hormones and the general craziness of our lives. At least I hope it is. I've been feeling like such a scatter brain. bleck.

Here is an example of my last 24 hours.

Sunday
Grocery shopping with #3. Went to two stores and forgot most of what I went shopping for.

Came home and was working on unpacking. Standing on a bar stool to hang something up and I fell off. Yep, fell right off that stool. Lucky that I'm not hurt more. Kinda hurt my pride though cause when I fell I pee'd all over myself. My hip and back are pretty darn sore today, but the doctor says that the baby is all good!

Today
Driving #4 to school. Ran a red light. Not a yellow gonna be red light...but a real live red light. Just didn't notice it. Drive down these roads a million times and just wasn't paying attention. Thank goodness no one was coming.

Go to the doctor's office and check in. After a little bit, they open the window say something to the tune of 'have you signed in?'. Of course, I say yes. They look and look. Well, I did sign in. Appointment time, arrival time, doctor to see...just forgot to put my name. ugh.

Then they call me back and I've gotta pee in a cup. Well sure enough, I drop the cup in the toilet. AHHHHHH!!!!!!

I wish I could shake this nuttiness. The bad thing is that it just seems to be getting worse.

Oh well, at least I am still happy and all my people know they are loved. In the end, I know that is all that really matters. :)

SPAM!!!

I've been a little frustrated...I keep getting Spam comments on my blog. Please please please, do not click on a comment if you do not know the person that posted it. One of our dear friends clicked on one of the comments on my blog (that was SPAM) and it ended up locking up/shutting down her computer. Good thing her virus scan software caught the virus before it infected her computer.

I have enabled all of the things that my good friend CG told me to. Sorry to say that if you wanna post a comment to our blog, you'll hafta go through a few steps. I wish it didn't hafta be this way, but I don't know what else to do...

A Little Love for Germany

As you know, my BFF lives in Germany. She also can't check out any blogs while she is at work. She knows that my blog has been updated, but can't look at it and it is killing her. So I thought I send her a little bloggy surprise for when she gets home.

Memories of the best of times. And aren't you so proud of yo' man!

Time For Sleep

Up late blogging cause JC is in Michigan for work. I don't sleep well when he is gone. I miss him too much. Tonight the boys get to sleep with me. Tomorrow night I'll share the bed with the girls.

I am about to try and fight for sleep. Right now though, I look at old pictures, blog a little and listen to #1 grind his teeth and #4 talk in his sleep.

Oh come sweet slumber.

So Many Photos

Our camera has almost 250 photos on it right now. I don't know where the cord is to plug it in so I can't share them with you. Soon I'll blog about the move, #3's birthday, 5 people getting the flu and the Hannah Montana concert. Until then, I'll share some of my FAVORITE times with you...hope you enjoy!


Snow Day Jan. 2007. Me pushing the kids down the hills on our homemade sled.


Anniversary Day hike at Pedernales Falls - Feb. 23, 2003.


Grand Canyon - August 2004

7th Heaven

The other day I was thinking about the number 7. The only odd number I've ever really liked has been 23 (JC bday, our anniversary, #2 bday). Lately, seven has really grown on me. Here are a few of the reasons...

I am 37.
We've been married 17 years.
I am pregnant for the 7th time.

Wow - 7 pregnancies. Hard to believe it when I say it out loud and even harder to believe when I read it here in black and white!!! 37 and 17 are really no shock to me - I always knew those things would happen. Seven really fills my heart with joy and is also a little sad.

Our love that started when we were so so young has made this beautiful family. Our love is still rock solid and so so strong. The kids are thrilled. I'm a little tired (of throwing up that is). I think that JC is a little proud.

We are 15 weeks. Almost half way through. We all went last week and saw the bundle swimming around, sucking a thumb and we tried our hardest to figure out if it is a boy or girl. No luck with that yet. All the kids have their own picture of the bundle. We let them start telling people last Friday. Within hours, I'm pretty sure the whole school knew. Funny how many casual friends have come up to us on separate occasions telling that they heard from the school janitor, or the lunch lady or their kid told them and they just couldn't believe it was true.

Only a few folks have not been so positive. It's okay though because I've wanted this family my WHOLE life and there is so much love here - even for the negative folks.

#4 told Momo that if the baby is a girl, she can have it. He's sticking to his story too!

The kids and JC are taking good care of me. I am SO thankful.


P.S. And no, we are not gonna name our kid Seven. And not Soda either.

Greetings From Austin

I know a few friends will want to click on the new sidebar picture. So here it is in big clickable form! :)


January 2003

On Perspective

Lately, I've been very aware of people all around me that are very stressed about life and the world around them. Some are people that I care about, others are complete strangers. I watch these people move through their day to day duties and wonder how they feel. I am not stressed about being 5 minutes late to a practice, a lesson or even school for that matter. I am stressed about bills, my children having warm loving memroies of their childhood, and being able to take a family vacation to Germany next summer.

I use to get VERY worked up (back in the day when there were just 2) about kids having clean uniforms, being early to games, practicing their instruments a set number of minutes, having the most delicious snacks, etc., etc. I just can't do that anymore.

The people that run around crazy like are not wrong. I am not wrong. I have this little plaque that is a daily reminder of my quest to 'simplify my life'. I don't mean in terms of the calendar = for goodness sakes, we have six games this Saturday. I mean in terms of how I handle all of these things. I know that my laid back attitude is a turn off to many people. Apparently it seems that some even think that I don't care or am not committed.

I've been praying and even meditating a lot lately for peace. Peace in the world would be great. Peace in the hearts of each one of my children is my ultimate reward. Peace for my own ability to function in this daily life with a cool head, clear perspective and for the world to know the love I have is a daily goal.

I hope that my kids don't grow up to be lazy adults that don't care for their home or the world around them, based on how they have seen me move casualy through each day. Somehow I believe that they will strive to keep their home in order and live life to the fullest - every single moment - because of what they see us doing.



P.S. Sorry for any mis-spelled words - the spell checker isn't working and the monitor is too far away for me to read what I am typing. The good news is, this all comes from my heart.

No Witty Words

Well, I've been sitting here for a good 10 minutes trying to think of some witty title, but cannot think of anything for the life of me!

I am happy to say that our computer is FINALLY hooked up! Now keep in mind, the monitor is sitting on top of the CPU and I am using a little plant table to hold the mouse and keyboard. We are really and truly living outta boxes right now - and it is so so so okay.

The move has been diffcult, to say the least. Our move date was pushed back just a bit, 5 out of 6 of us got the real live flu and missed about a week and a half of life and we had all of our day to day stuff still happening.

We LOVE the house and know that we made the best decision for our family. Last week I realized that on ONE day, I gained over three hours at home (compared to lving WAY down south). Our kids have been walking home from school each day. I am already a part of multiple carpools for basketball and soccer. #1 and his friends have been riding their bikes all over the neighborhood and have even met up at the school to play football a few times. #2 and #3 have been able to walk over to play with their girlfriends or meet at the basketball goal to shoot some hoops. #4 finally has a few friends that he can easily have over.

Hopefully we will start getting things inside the house more in order and we will be able to find the camera cord so that I can post some pics. on the blog of the house, the kids and all of our fun adventures.

Getting sleepy now, but will try to post more tomorow! :)