OUR EVER AFTER

six precious years

2012-02-02T22:51:00.003-06:00

for your viewing pleasure

2012-01-18T14:17:00.000-06:00

wordless wednesday

2012-01-18T13:25:00.000-06:00

Four!

2012-01-15T18:06:00.000-06:00

Four Year Old:

Bliss

Excitement:

Uncertainty

Confidence

Happiness

Fa La La La La.............

2012-01-15T17:32:00.001-06:00

Little bit late but here it is: Christmas! I finally found some me time (which quickly turned into me + two little girls with opinions) to download the pictures from the camera. So here ya go, our 2011 Christmas.
It was a wonderful Christmas even though it was just the five of us (5 of us! ~Love It). We were leaving for Michigan on Dec. 15 so we celebrated a bit early and had just a teeny tiny little tree. And no outside lights. I made up for it though by putting twinkling lights into the girls bedroom. It addes some Christmas magic to our home. I put a few little snowmen and hung a wreath on our door. Just enough Christmas cheer to spruce up our home and not cause me a lot of clean up for when I got back.

Anyhoo, here are a few pictures of our TX Christmas:

Here is Hannah and Kylie in the jammies that Daddy picked out for them. Good job Daddy!

Hannah's new game: Guess Who! We love to play this!

Best toy yet! Barbie News Reporter. They have a ton of fun with this and really get creative with their "news reports"!

Boxes are still a Huge Hit around here.

Drew just chillin' watching the commotion.

Mommy and Kylie snugglin'.

And the all important LaLaLoopsy Silly Hair Doll.

It was Merry. Cozy. Lovely. And so worth it to do it early cuz there was no way I was hauling all those presents to Michigan.

Hope your holidays were just as jolly!

Happy 4th Birthday Kylie!

2012-01-12T10:18:00.002-06:00

Dear Kylie,

Words cannot even begin to express all the love I have for you. You are such a little lady these days

and I am so proud of you! Four years ago God blessed me with you: a sweet, persistant, funny little

girl who has brought many smiles and giggles into my life. You are truly your own little person.

You love to snuggle, be it with me or Daddy or one of your many little stuffed animals or dollies.

You are truly a lover of animals. You don't meet a dog or kitty that you don't want to smother with

your cuddles and love. Daddy and I are sure you are going to be a veteranian when you grow up!

Although you constantly tell me you are going to be a Mommy. You make me laugh so much! You

are always coming up with the cutest little phrases that you repeat over and over. "I better...", or

"These....are ooey gooey..."....You crack me up kid! I pray daily that you continue to find happiness

in every situation and that you always have faith in God and that you continue your relationship with

Him and that you will be a woman of God when you grow up. You love God and love to go to

church......heck, you even wanted to name your baby brother Baby Jesus! I pray that I will continue

to be the example I need to be for you and that our Mother-Daughter relationship continues to grow

and flourish. I love you sweet Baby Ky-Ky....My Big 4 year old!!

Love,

Mommy

big

2011-12-05T22:07:00.001-06:00

My baby girl is just on the brink of turning six. Even writing that tears me up. Wow has she ever changed my life. And sometimes changes are scary. But sometimes they are wonderful, lovely, exciting, and exhilerating. Today? Things are scary and Hannah tells you why.

sometimes

2011-12-05T21:43:00.001-06:00

Sometimes Drew will play and play and play.

And his Big "Little" Sister? Ya. She loves him. And will hug him. And kiss him. And play with him.

But sometimes. Or maybe only once. So far. Has this sweet chubby little boy falls asleep. While playing. With no fussing. Or letting on that he is indeed Tired.

Pure sweetness.

who knew?

2011-11-16T21:30:00.001-06:00

who knew that this little guy

would absolutely

melt.my.heart.

and that this little girl

would make me laugh

like no one else.

and that this "big" little girl

would brighten up my day

with one of her famous smiles.

who knew that my heart

could hold so much love

that somedays it feels like its going to explode

for these three children God has blessed me with?

just another silly sunday

2011-11-07T21:06:00.000-06:00

my kids have great imaginations

I am not sure what they were actually playing but they were definetly in their own little world

having fun.

its all about love

2011-11-07T19:55:00.000-06:00

My days are filled with toothless grins, cheeky smiles, giggles,

diaper changes, outfit debates, tickle fights, swinging, stick fighting,

treasure hunting, and much, much more!

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

God has blessed me with three amazing, big hearted, lovable children.

And I couldn't imagine life without them.

To know that it is Danny's and I's whole responsibility to raise them is sometimes

overwhelming and confusing but I know with God's instructions we are doing Him proud!

And I couldn't do it without my loving, good natured, responsible husband.

I love him to bits also!

yummy things i hope to make this week

2011-11-05T18:23:00.000-05:00

Chicken Fried Chicken

Fiesta Chili Dogs

13-Bean and Sausage Soup in crockpot

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Bars

Chicken Pot Pie

Grilled Pork Chops

fall harvest party

2011-10-15T21:50:00.001-05:00

So we decided to have a Fall Harvest Party much to Hannah's persistant. We were originally going to

have it on Friday but I decided to do it on Monday due to Hannah having the day off.

Big Mistake. Huge. Why? Because my usual smiley pretty content little boy

was scheduled to have his

immunizations that morning.And boy was he high maintainence that day. And I don't blame him.

His poor littlecry clearly indictated that he was in pain. My heart was breaking for him. And I totally

stretched myself way too thin that day. Between trying to keep Drew comfortable and the girls

enjoying their Harvest Party without feeling stressed and not feeling neglected I

was exhausted by the end of the day!But there was dancing, apple bobbing, giggling, smiles, and of

course eating!

Here Is Our Menu:

Chicken "Don't Hold The Apples" Chili

Orange and Black Tortilla Chips

Caramel Apples

Candy Corn in Cupcake Liners

Orange Frosted Cupcakes (not pictured)

Pumpkin Mac 'n' Cheese (not pictured)

And A Video To End The Night!

upside down dinner

2011-10-07T14:59:00.001-05:00

Here it is folks: I know you have been on pins and needles waiting on the pictures from our upside down diner dinner night!

Here it is in pictures:

Here I am in Danny's shirt as pants and my skirt as a shirt (with a tank underneath...gotta be modest, ya know). Notice the pictures and balloons? All upside down.... :)

And Here is Hannah in her upside down appearal.......

And upside down in her upside down clothing:

Drinking out drinks at our table. Now if you don't forget (like I did) pick up some juice boxes atthe store and poke holes in the bottom to drink them upside down. I *thankfully* found these hiding in the back of our pantry and they were fun so they didn't question it. Whew.

Dinner consisted of pot pies, upside down, fruit (as upside down as you can get fruit to look) and upside down cupcakes!

And now I am like the coolest Mom ever!!!!

siblings

2011-10-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

Wow. I stumbled acoss this post and I was amazed at how much Drew is looking like Kylie these days!!

That is just incredible to me. I mean, I know they are siblings and all but Hannah and Kylie always

looked like, well themselves. And Hannah looks like Danny, and Kylie looks like me. At least that is

what I am told. heehe Even by complete strangers. Anyway............. We first thought Drew resembled

Danny and Hannah but now...I think he is starting to look more and more like Kylie. Only with big ol'

blue eyes!! I love my kids! And I love how they are all their little own selves. No matter who they

look like.

My cup runneth over.

smoky-flavored bbq ribs

2011-10-06T21:00:00.001-05:00

WELL....This was suppose to be done....oh, about a day or two ago. But with a newborn, a 3 year old and

a 5 year old time gets away from me. So here goes. This is a great recipe that my family has enjoyed for

a few years and we have made it for our family who has visited. Pretty easy, oh-so tender, and of course

delicious!! Hope you enjoy it Raechel!!

Smoky-Flavored BBQ Ribs

3 1/2 lbs. of pork loin back ribs (I prefer to use baby back ribs. But your choice)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons liquid smoke

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cola

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Spray the inside of a 5-to-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. Remove inner skin from ribs. Mix brown sugar, pepper, liquid smoke, garlic and salt; rub mixture

     into ribs. Cut ribs into about 4-inch pieces. Layer ribs and onion in slow cooker. Pour cola over

     ribs.

3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs from cooker.

     Drain liquid from cooker and discard.

4. Pour bbq sauce into shallow bowl. Dip ribs into sauce. Place ribs in cooker. Pour any remaining

     sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low setting for 1 hours.

You can serve with whatever, but we do rolls, potato salas and baked beans for an easy, old fashioned southern bbq dinner! :)

the one with the penguins

2011-10-04T20:42:00.003-05:00

So we decided to go to the zoo on a whim last Thursday. Kylie wanted to introduce Baby Drew Drew

(yes, this is what she has "nicknamed' her brother) to the Penguins. And yes, Penguins needs to be

capitalized because they are "berry, berry important" according to Kylie.

Drew meet the Penguins:

A sweet Daddy and Son Moment:

Kylie talking and looking for penguins:

I can't get enough of this sweet little face!

:::Sweet Photos Of Our Fun Day:::

It was a great day at the zoo.....even though we missed our Hannah terribly. Dumb school.

And yes, if you happened to notice that Drew is wearing two different pairs of socks, you are correct!

This is what happens when you have three children under the age of 5. At least to me.

its worth it

2011-09-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

Drew has been fussy.

And restless.

And cranky.

And inconsolable.

But the few moments I get this:

Make it all worth it.

As for the girls....

when they aren't agruing

or hitting each other

or pulling hair

or yelling

they are loving on each other.

I will take the good with the bad.

it is well with my soul

2011-09-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

Take up your cross and follow me

Take up your cross and follow me

I am repeating this phrase over and over to myself as I pour my heart out tonight. I am sitting here

sobbing and getting my thoughts out on "paper".

When Peace Like A River Attendeth My Soul

When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roar

Whatever My Lot Thou Hast Taught Me To Say

It Is Well, It Is Well With My Soul

You know what is NOT well with my soul? Having my babies and not having my Grandma being

here to snuggle them and love on them and dote on them. Not being able to share this wonderful

awesome blessing from God with her. She was my best friend growing up. I spent summers with her

and we would play cards from sun up to sun down. Swing on her porch. Go for walks. Sip iced tea.

Go to her garden club. Go to her church with her while sucking on certs. Snuggling up in her warm

soft arms. Breathing in her wonderful Grandma smell. Watching her soaps with her. Being pen pals

with her. Watching her study her bible. Yes, I miss her tremendously. It is NOT well with my soul

that I got cheated out of having her here with me. But her? She got the most awesome award. Living

with her Heavenly Father free of pain and worry. Yes, that IS well with me soul.

Something else that is NOT well with my soul? Being so far apart from my family. My blood

family. I vowed never to move my family across country because I hated that I lived in Michigan and

my Grandma lived in Ohio. And what do we do? We move. To Texas. For my husband. It kills me

not to have my family around. My children are growing so fast without their grandmas and grandpas

being close by to savor the little moments. You know what IS well with my soul? Having the means

of travel we do: airplanes and cars. Its the little things really. And the time off everyone is willing to

give up to come visit or put aside time for us to visit. That is really what is important: making the

most of what you have. Also...I have a great church family that I absolutely love. And without them I

would be truly lost.

It is well with my soul.....Pick up your cross and follow me.

I am learning that it IS well with my soul. And I am picking up my cross and following

Christ...wherever HE leads me.

And yes, everytime we sing this song at church I tear up (or flat out cry). Just pass me a tissue and all

will be well. With my soul.

Updated: Jar O' Lanterns End Results

2011-09-27T13:41:00.001-05:00

For the one or two who want to see the end results of the jar o'lanterns here they are:

I think they turned out pretty cute and so does Kylie!

Upside Down Day

2011-09-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

I am planning an Upside Down Day/Night later this week. Probably Friday. Perhaps Thursday. We will see how the week goes. It should be fun. And crazy. And super duper silly!! Can't wait. And thanks to my cousin Mark and his wife Tracey I now have a camera that I can take pictures with and post. Yippie!! Stay tuned for some Gallahar Fun to show up!!

Ongoing Upgrades....

2011-09-21T11:02:00.002-05:00

Sorry abt the pics...still under re-construction!~

What We've Been Up To

2011-09-21T10:34:00.000-05:00

Whew! What a whirlwind the last three months have been. But I am finally getting into a schedule. Hannah's in Kindergarden and Loving It! Kylie and I are slowly getting into a schedule where we *try* to do preschool each day. She is getting better at writing her "K" and she loves to cut and paste! She is so different then Hannah when it comes to learning. At this age, Hannah was already writing her name and her attention span was quite a bit longer than Kylie's. But I think when you add two more squirming attention loving children into the mix you realize you don't always have the flexible schedule you once had. All that being said....Kylie and I are beginning to extend our preschool sessions and I find that if I plan in advance (duh!) the session goes much better!

Today we are making Jar o' Lanterns. Yes, Yes, I know its a bit early to be pulling out all the orange, green and brown paint along with gathering all the fun Fall Crafts but I can't help it! I love the seasons!!! And I didn't hear Kylie complaining. :)

First We Gathered All Our Materials

Then I asked Kylie what kind of faces she wanted on her jar o' lanters...Here is what she showed me:

I tried my best to "capture" the "Kylie Faces"

Then we got to the fun part: Painting!!

And Here are the jar o' lanterns completely painted and drying.

Finished Project Pending! Will Post Later!

As for Drew...well he was a bit fussy which made for an extremely busy morning of multi-tasking. You know, helping Kylie not cut her hair and not paint the table or her clothes or herself along with a lot of rocking, singing, talking, rocking, feeding, rocking. Ahh...life is good.

{this moment}

2011-06-23T22:22:00.000-05:00

this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember (or just look back and laugh).
Inspired by Soule Mama

{this moment}

2011-06-17T17:53:00.000-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember (or just look back and laugh).
Inspired by Soule Mama

Boots Required

2011-05-25T16:58:00.000-05:00

While I was napping Danny put up a hopscotch slip n slide for the girls.

It started as this:

It ended like this:

As soon as I saw Hannah in her suit and boots she quickly exclaimed: You Need Boots Mom!

I think they had a lot of fun....especially after I convinced Kylie to change into her "babing suit"!

Litte Chefs-In-Training

2011-05-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

I know its just tomato soup but these gilrs love to help in the kitchen!!

I'M BACK!!!!

2011-05-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Hey Ya'll (Or Hey To Just Me...If Noone Else Reads, Thats Cool)!

Its been awhile since I last blogged. ALOT has happened. Greater Marriage, Greater Relationship With God, Greater At Doing Laundry (hey, its the little things, right?)....And New Baby On The Way!! Whoo Hoo!! As of now Baby Girl Has No Definite Name. Fun, huh!! One Day We Think She Will Be Named Something, The Next Day It Gets Changed. It Will Be A Surprise For Us Too! Ha! Ha!

Hannah just finsihed up a fantastic season of TBall...I was pretty amazed at my somewhat klutzy princess who got down and dirty out on the field. And amazed at my track star who stumbled/tiptoed her way around the bases during the games. Practice Nights? She tore up the bases....She gets "nervous" during the games she tells us! Too Funny! Kylie is going to be starting dance sometime this summer....we think. She has shown interet and wants to try it. I will keep ya updated!

Nothing else going on here. Just trying to keep my iron up along with my platelets with this pregnancy. And trying to muster up enough energy to enjoy playing with my kiddos. Whew...these days I get zapped doing the smallest things....perhaps I should give up houecleaning so I can enjoy my kids more? Hmm.........Until later!!

Five Question Friday

2010-12-10T22:43:00.000-06:00

1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

It has been my family's tradition to open up presents
from our family members on Christmas Eve and save
"santa's" presents and the BIG gifts from our parents
on Christmas Day. It works better for me my family
so we don't go bonkers waiting!

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie (or candy)?

Ohhh I have so many! I am a junk food junkie! I LUV Rocky Road and
little wedding cakes...Mmm!! Mmm!!! And I must profess my Mom totally
makes the BEST EVA Chocolate Fudge and Peanut Butter Fudge. And I have
had a ton in my lifetime. Honestly. The Best.

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?

Well.......I feel totally bad now and wish I would have treasured
this a bit more, but my Grandma Pyles gave me an embellioshed christmas sweater
with a cat on it. Totally embarressing. No way could I wear that. Anywhere. But now
looking back I am totally ashamed of the way I acted and should have
been grateful. We live. We learn. :)

4. Christmas song that you love?

Wow. Don't even get me started. I LOVE Christmas carols. Love them. My
~~family~~ Danny is probably sick of hearing them inside the home and in the van.
My favs? Hmm....Little Drummer Boy, Angels We Have Heard On High, Adam
Sandler's Hannukuah (haha), Winter Wonderland, Baby Its Cold Outside, etc, etc. I regress. I love them all.

5. How many trees do you put up?

How many do I wish I put up? One in every room...some little, some big. How many
do I actually put up? ONE. Lame, I know. But I have small children, a small budget. So there ya go. One day I hope to have one on my porch we decorate. Oh, and this year we "made" a cute tree to display on the table. So that counts right?

Hmmm.......

2010-11-27T17:23:00.000-06:00

I don't know if this

makes my job

easier or harder.

TREE LIGHTING IN DALLAS

2010-11-26T22:22:00.000-06:00

We fought the crowds but had a blast.

Because the smiles we got. Totally worth it.

It was all about looking cute

Being with your bff

The anticipation

And all about Santa scaling Neiman Marcus

And Mrs. Claus

Posing for Holiday Pictures

Walking hand in hand

Being with my family. Love.

CELEBRATING FALL

2010-11-24T21:26:00.005-06:00

It has been such a great week, so far.

We celebrated Thanksgiving. With lots of yummy goodies.

We watched The Grinch. And Elf. Tis the season.

Hung out as a family.

Had turkey sandwhiches for breakfast

Its been wonderful!

Naps happened.

We cranked up the christmas carols.

Brought out the christmas tree

and all the trimmings.

Tinkerbell set straight to work on

her "masterpiece".

Even before the tree was all theway up.

Thats alright.

She's a pro.

And we went to the park

for some much needed fresh air

(and two littlle girls needed to burn some energy).

And I was amazed at the

beauty of Texas.

Where did all these colors come from?

And how are we still wearing shorts in

November. Oh Texas...you confuse

me sometimes.

Kylie decided to do some rock climbing.

And exploring.

Its the little things that make

me smile. The biggest. "Cause

smiling is my favorite.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!

BRAGGING RIGHTS

2010-11-23T19:47:00.000-06:00

I Make No Apologies, I Cannot Get Enough

Of This Lil Face These Days

So, I decided to share all her

cuteness with you....She sure brightens

my day. :)

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY!!!

2010-11-19T14:01:00.000-06:00

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

Honestly, I LOVE every christmas song I have heard.

Thats not saying there is one, some, I don't like, I just

haven't heard them yet!

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

If you ask Danny than NO! Is the answer. (He's kinda

needy, heehee). But the REAL answer would be,

sometimes. Like the days when he doesn't come

home at 11:30 or later and I am not already

asleep, than yes, we might snuggle a bit. Than I make

him roll over so I can have my share of the bed...ya know 3/4 of the bed!

3. Have you ever had surgery?

When I was 2 or so, I had a hernia so yes, I had surgery.

Luckily, I do not remember it. And my Mom said I was

jumping off the stairs and running around right after it. I'm

tough like that.

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?

Golly, I am the worst procratinater in the world!

As of right now, my mind and body is going into overdrive

and you could say I am a bit of a stress ball. I do not have any

of my girls big presents...I do have some stocking stuffers. That counts for something right? And don't even get me started on family

gifts....yikes!! I have good intentions and I LOVE to give..its

the buying that stresses me out.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?

Ultimate luxury item? This probably doesn't apply to well,

anyone but me...but the ultimate luxury item would be

a big ol' house totally furnished in wonderful pieces that would be kid friendly and still modern. Yes, I am a nerd. Oh! It would totally have to have a big ol' fireplace also...and a wrap around porch. Total luxury baby!!

Stream of Conscience

2010-11-19T13:45:00.000-06:00

So, some of you may know, some may not...but with every marriage there are going to be ups and downs. And right now Danny and I are trying to come out of a down. Its just hard. Real hard. Especially when our priorities are completely different. I will not go into details about the what or the when or the who but just know we are working on moving forward. Together.

I read a blog the other day and it spoke right to me. It was about "faking it till you make it". Amazing insight. Basically this couple was having a rough time as well and well, they faked it till they made it. Two of the exercises they were to do were was to start by holding hands for one whole week..especially at the times when you did not want to be. The next week they were to hug...and hold on for at least 30 seconds. Again, especially at the times when you really did not feel like being by your husband. Sounds simple to married couples who have not looked at their spouse with disgust, resentment, anger, etc. Believe me though, it could be tough. We have not done the experiment, I am not 100% sure we should not do it, though I don't think we are that broken. But the closeness it might bring us, the renewing and opening of our love, the "totally in love with you" feelings its suppose to bring....that might be nice. And when I think of showing my affection to Danny...well, I have my reserves. Sometimes I don't feel like he deserves it....its the resentment again speaking. So ya, maybe we should try this exercise. Who knows? Maybe it would help us understand each other better if we felt "more in love".

I do believe that if we don't look to God first to please than other areas in our life will suffer. Mainly relationships. We need to come to God and satifsty Him first to succeed elsewhere. I do know I should not sweat the small stuff and have great grace for my husband. I know this. Its the doing part I have a hard time with. I know there is always going to be something that Danny will do to bug me, and I just need to have great grace for him. And likewise, I am sure I do things that annoy the snot of Danny but again, he does show great grace for me.
There is a scripture I have been repeating to myself lately and I am amazed at how it has transformed my communication with Danny:
"A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger". Proverbs 15:1
I know thru this I need to honor and respect Danny and through that he will honor and respect me. All the while looking to God to please him. I am not here to please Danny, but the Lord. And doing so, will indeed make my marriage perfect, in God's eyes. And I am learning to trust his heart and know that sometimes he means no harm when he says something or does something and I take it the wrong way. Again, I am working a lot on this. It is a life long lesson...one that doesn't end but always improve. Hopefully.

YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES ME SMILE.....

2010-11-18T20:13:00.000-06:00

This little face smiling up at me.....

Kylie has discovered the phrase "Just Kidding!" and boy does she

make us laugh with all her JK sayings!! I am going to try

to catch her on video and post it...fingers crossed she cooperates!

Hannah and her bff Jack!

Watching Hannah and Jack try to win tickets:

Watching Hannah get way excited over somebody else's presents:

Something else that makes me smile?

Learning to Crave The Word with this group

of awesome girls!

Having No Reservations by spreading the word of God with chalk

They Rocked That Sidewalk!

Snacks at Midnight? Don't mind if I do!!

These two playing Air Hockey...ya, that

makes me smile...Alot!!

And yes, this sweet little angel who

is growing up so much lately.....

she Definetly makes me smile!!

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

2010-11-05T20:23:00.000-05:00

1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be?

My special talent turned occupation would be Fashion Stylist/Personal Shopper. I love clothes, shoes, accesories and I would love to be able to go put together cute outfits for other people depending on their personality, attitude, and budget. Imagine being able to go explore fun accesories with outfits, whether its for everyday, work, or even better...a fancy night out. Fabulous!! So much fun...:) And I could manage my own hours and be pretty much stress free. Unless I get a picky client. But mostly, super fun.

2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods?

Hands down a house on the beach! Where my bedroom has a wonderful roomy balcony where the sun streams in every day to wake me up and the smell of the water wafting in thru my window and the waves crashing being the backdrop noise. Pure Heaven. I would definetly want a small path leading down to the water where I would have comfy chairs and a small table set up. Along with a hammock swinging in the breeze next to my jet skis and boat. Ahh...yes. That is the dream!

3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children?
Why yes there is! Before Danny and I knew whether we were having a boy or girl the first time, we had both instantly fell in love with the name Hannah. Which is kind of weird now that I think about it cuz while I was dating Danny I babysat for two seperate kids whose name was Hannah...anyhoo! So Danny and I choose Hannah and for her middle name we decided to go with the name Marie after both her grandmas...my Mom and his Mom both have the middle name Marie. Perfect!
As for Kylie..well, that girl was "named" quite a few different names. We would like one name one night than the next morning we had "naming remorse" and would instantly say um, no. At one point we wrote the name "Katelyn" in her baby book but Danny and I couldn't agree on a spelling so out went that name and book! We finally thought Kylie was perfect! And it definetly fits her!! As for her middle name, she is of course named after me..Elizabeth..although I really wanted to spell it like this: Elisabeth, but cuz I am so use to spelling it the way my name is I didn't spell it right on the birth certificate..I blame it on the sleepless nights in the hospital. Oh well. But she is definetly a Mini-Me! So we have two beautiful daughters with two beautiful names: Hannah Marie and Kylie Elizabeth.

4. What is your guilty pleasure? (I know we've done this one before, but I'm guessing people's "guilty pleasures" change frequently. At least, mine do!)

Right now, my guilty pleasure is this wonderful, amazing Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream. Oh. My. Word. It is way too good for words!! Another guilty pleasure that is not food would be going to the store alone. Oh, the little things.

5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened?

What is "deep cleaned"? What is that? I live with two little girls that are tornados and a boy. Does that cover that question?
For most of the time it is straightened up....although laundry is always a never ending battle, but I am working on that. And I keep it dusted, swept, vacuumed, etc regularly. That counts right?

MY SUNSHINES

2010-11-04T22:31:00.006-05:00

My girls make me smile. Alot. Especially when they

do the simplest things.

Such as...

When they play Make Believe...
Like feeding their puppy.

Or Making Funny Faces.....
Which Hannah finds hilarious!

Or just eating cheetos.
Who else looks this cute
while shoving food into their mouth?

Tickle wars are also hilarious. To Hannah.
She's such a ham.

And has one of the best smiles around.
Along with her best friend.
Kylie of course!

BFF's.

These two are having

so much fun growing up together.

And yes, those are christmas jammies.
Super comfy cozy Hannah tells me.

And I am soo glad I get to watch them laugh.
And giggle. And grow.
Physically and spiritually.
These two have hearts of gold.

Especially when it comes to animals.
Pretend or real.

I am so blessed that God gave me
these two angels to raise and love.
Being a Momma is the greatest.

REMAINING PRESENT

2010-11-02T21:04:00.003-05:00

     So......things are still a bit tense right now but I am working on all aspects of my life. I am trying to lay my burdens, my troubles, my anxieties at the Lord's feet. To be thankful for all blessings and all struggles that bring me closer to God, brings me into a deeper relationship with my Lord is truly challenging. I can accept that things will not always go to plan. But to have to endure the hardships, the rain, the pain that come with great outcomes, great benefits is hard. Very hard. But I am trying to put one foot in front of the other and keep my eyes locked on the Lord. And His Will. I know that his plans are always, always better and I don't see the big picture as He does. And I feel that not having control is one of the biggest obstacles I need to conquer. To let go and Let Him Have His Way. That is what I am working on. And so I blog and let out my thoughts and emotions to go streaming across this computer. Its a good release. I am thankful.

    On a side note, I have been trying to be more present in my life. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in trying to "capture" my kids' moments in life that I realize that I am not present. So I try to enjoy more. Which makes me and my kids much happier. And I have decided that a morning prayer or quick bible study helps my day start on the right foot a lot better. Instead of reaching for my phone or comuter I am reaching for my bible or bowing my head. And I am setting a better example for my children. And I plan on doing a mid morning bible study every day with my kiddos. Whether we read a bible story or just simply color a bible picture it is better than not doing anything at all. Small steps. Baby steps. Huge results.

   Alright, sorry I have no new pictures of my girls. We did a lot of projects, puzzles, and game playing today and I was present the whole time. Not behind the camera or behind a computer but active and laughing with my kids! It was a Great Day!!

BOO!

2010-11-01T15:45:00.001-05:00

A Witch and Her Batgirl Looking For Trouble

A Black Kitty On The Prowl For Some Fun

Racing Down Slides

Looking Cute While Flipping Around

Trying Her Hand At Ring Toss

Peeking Through

Partners In Crime

Double Trouble

Trick or Treat!!

PRESCHOOL DAYS

2010-10-28T14:59:00.003-05:00

LONG TIME NO SEE

2010-10-27T22:35:00.003-05:00

Well...it is fall and I am just now receiving internet service through an actual computer..and not my phone. Therefore, I am able to (hopefully) update this at least weekly. You're welcome.

So...things have been good, then really good, then bad. Who knows. That's how life works I suppose. I keep trying to tell myself that I am blessed and I should be on cloud 9 that I have a hard working husband, two beautiful healthy children and that I am able to stay at home with them and play with them, teach them, watch them grow. Life should be good. Life should be all I want. But I want more. I want the best of both worlds. To be near my family in michigan and ohio. To still have my texas friends. To have a best friend that I can call up anytime of day or night and know it will be okay. To just hang out and not worry how clean or unclean my home is.

Okay, this post is rambling and my thoughts are all over the place. My apologies. Its been awhile since I have sat down to type. I think my brain is thinking of too many things, too many memories, too many wants and needs and dreams. Too many everything.

Well...Hannah started preschool this week. Only two days a week, three hours a day..but it breaks my heart. I know that next year she will be gone five days a week..long hours...not ready for that baby girl to be "leaving the nest" quite so soon. So I am preparing myself with baby steps. Preschool. I know she loves it...me, not so much. I feel as though they are doing MY jog...but she does need the structure of a working classroom. Its all good I suppose. Kylie and I are going to start practicing her name, colors, shapes, etc. It will be good to do one on one time with my lil baby girl.

So.........not much going on. Had a wonderful visit in Michigan. Hoping for some changes to happen within the next couple of years. Only God knows our plans and our dreams. I pray that I follow His plans and not my own. Good thing God's answers are bigger and better than our prayers.

BABY MOZART

2009-09-27T13:51:00.003-05:00

THE MOVES

2009-09-26T15:57:00.004-05:00

***SORRY THE LIGHTING WAS NOT THE GREATEST IN THERE....

Daddy missed her tap (which included a Train Dance...and absolutely adorable) but he made it in time for some of her Ballet! This is the first time she has "performed" in front of everyone! I am soo proud of her!!

DANCE BABY, DANCE

2009-09-24T17:17:00.005-05:00

Hannah loves dance, absolutely loves it! Here are a few sneak peaks at what she has been doing, including playing around with Ms. Kaylee! She adores her teacher :) This coming Saturday I will be adding a video of Hannah doing some of her dance moves to share!

She will do all the dance steps while the parents aren't in the room (did I mention that we are not allowed in there?). I know it helps Hannah who acts all shy once the parents do come back in). So I plan to "sneak" a video through the window while Hannah is not paying attention.

For now enjoy these!!

MAKES YA KINDA WONDER

2009-09-22T17:05:00.001-05:00

I am currently missing three toothbrushes. Yes, thats right. Three. Two of which are the girls and my unfortunate one. Sigh. The girls have a habit of taking their toothbrushes and walking around with them after they are done spitting and rinsing. Really, who is watching these kids??

So Hannah tells me that after she lost her toothbrush and since Kylie's is nowhere to be seen she just went ahead and used mine. Gee, thanks. So....today I used Danny's toothbrush. Yes, yes I can hear ya'll saying "eww" and "gross", but honestly I kiss the boy so really its not that different. Kinda.

But anyway, I need to find the girls' toothbrushes and probably buy myself another one. Because you just don't know where or what mine has been through or on or put into.....ewww..........I'm not going to think about that right now. Neither should you!

KYLIE LIZ

2009-09-18T16:18:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of pictures to sweeten your day.......

well, they sweeten mine up!

MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT

2009-09-17T19:12:00.001-05:00

Hello my dear faithful readers ;)

Just as I got back into the swing of things here on my blog I might be taking a haitus from it. I know, I know...BOOOO!!

Times are tough, baby, times are tough!

We are trying to eliminate our debt and reduce some of our costs of living and internet right now is not a priority. And it has become quite expensive so we are cutting back to basic cable and no inernet. However, we will be checking our hotmail and facebook regularly so keep in contact with us through that. And there is a chance we will be able to pick up wifi so who knows! But for now this might be my last official blog for awhile. I know I will miss it and will miss updating ya'll on our lives.

So until next time...............

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2009-09-16T15:29:00.000-05:00

A sneak peak at whats to come.

TASTY TUESDAYS

2009-09-15T21:26:00.001-05:00

This is my attempt to share with my handful of readers a yummy recipe each week, cleverly (sarcastic) named Tasty Tuesdays. Enjoy! If you try it or will try it let me know how it turns out! Thx :)

Some of these will be my own creation, some will be passed down from close friends and Rachael Ray!

Southwest Chicken Salad with Basil

a bunch of shredded chicken

the corn off two corn on the cobs

1 can of Ro-Tel with cilantro and lime

1 can of black beans

the juice of 1/2 lime

salt

lots of torn, fresh basil

1/4 cup sour cream, plus an extra dollop

Mix all ingredients together, except the dollop of sour cream. Chill. Serve with more torn basil and the sour cream dollop on top.
Fight your children or significant other off, because they will want some and you will not want to share.

RAIN RAIN ON MY PARADE

2009-09-15T17:01:00.000-05:00

For the past fourish maybe five days, I have lost count, it has been raining. Thundering. Lightning. Pouring. Pool overflowing. Kids going crazy. Mama going crazy. Raining. So I have had to pull a few tricks out of my sleeve to keep myself and the kids from going stir crazy. One of these things is making our own fingerpaint. Fingerpaint that smells grapelicios!! So we have literally been up to our elbows in paint projects which we all love!! Without these gray, gloomy, rain-filled days we would have never had experienced the grape-tastic days.

Since we have been inside so much these past few days we have had the chance to explore our "once old now new" toys. Welcome Barbie!! Wow, who knew a 3 1/2 year old could get so wrapped up into Barbie??!! I certaintly would not have put any money on my daughter to play with any said toy for a solid two hours. Thats right. I said TWO HOURS!!! Thats amazing!! And did I mention for a good part of that two hours she was playng by herself?? To me, that is mind blowing! We have been dressing and undressing barbies. Taking them to the "beach" in their barbie car. Giving them baths, washing their hair, and taking them to "parties"! Its great fun really. Kinda weird since I never played barbies as a kid. She must get it from her Aunty Auty!!

We have also been paying more close attention to the garbage can. We have noticed that Kylie has been throwing away quite a few things. Just for the fun of it. Yesterday I alone found her wipe box, the t.v. remote, a necklace, a spoon, her sippy cup, and a shirt just to name a few all in the trash. Fun times picking through the trash! Really breaks up the rainy day.

Well,I am off to go play playdough (another activity that has saved our sanity, listen to a children's book on tape with Hannah, and probably dress some barbies and do some garbage picking. I know you are so jealous!! Peace Out!

WE'RE GOING TO THE MOVIES ♥♥ HANNAH~JACK♥♥

2009-09-11T19:00:00.044-05:00

WE HAVE OUR POPCORN, LETS ROLL!

TOTAL CONCENTRATION ON ICE AGE

US MOMS ARE CLEARLY~~CHEESY~~ EXCITED!

♥BEST FRIENDS♥

SUNDAY

2009-09-06T20:27:00.003-05:00

"You are my witness," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he."

TIME TO KICK SOME BUTT

2009-09-02T15:35:00.003-05:00

I use to be a great runner. I ran track and cross country in high school and college. I even received medals. Which I proudly put on display via my leather letterman's jacket. Yes, I was that awesome. Nowadays? Me and running don't really go hand-in-hand like we use to. But I am going to change that. Thanks to my sister-in-law Autumn who has lit a fire under my booty! The girl despises running. But she has challenged herself to give it a try. And she is doing great. I couldn't be prouder of my little sis! heehee So now I have to show her who's the boss when it comes to running. And hopefully that will be me! JK But seriously I do feel like I need to get back into it. I am really looking forward to two different marathons coming up in October. I plan to walk the one 5K with my one friend who will be 37 weeks pregnant~~heck, if she can walk it than I can too. And then I plan to run a 5K after that. Its called the Autumn Equinox.....I love that name!! I hope Texas delivers a beautiful autumn day that day! So wish me luck! Tonight I hit the high school track....my stomach is already doing flips just thinking about it. I have so many memories associated with a track that it will be exciting to see if I can even run one lap around! I am sure Hannah will help me if I need it. She is always up for a game of Monsters and Princesses!!!

So cheers!! I am drinking my last Mt. Dew for a very long time. Here on out its crystal light and pasta!!! Which doesn't sound that bad after all..........

Its Been Awhile.........

2009-08-31T22:39:00.002-05:00

Life has been so busy lately (well, all summer) that I am have neglecting my blog...that and I have felt tapped for ideas, inspiration, motivation...etc, etc, etc. So I am not sure where this is leading I just knew that I needed to get on and try to get back into the swing of things!

Well, it has been over a year since we moved to TX and things are going pretty much the way I figured....or at least I am telling myself that! I knew that first year would be so exciting and fun and adventurous. And now as we are heading into our second year here I can't help but think about all the "what ifs". Oh the torture of the whatifs. Why do we even allow ourselves to ponder such incredulous situations that have not and will not happen? Torture, pure torture. A sample of just a couple (yes, I will spare you) : what if we had looked/bought this or that house? What if we had sold our house? What if we had bypassed TX for Indiana (or insert some other place we prayed about). But then I step back and realize: Amy! You are questioning God's plans that HE himself has laid out for you. You are here in this exact house, in this exact neighborhood, this exact city and state that God wants you to be in. And then I step back away from the situation and realize with a humble heart all the blessings God has put in my life. Danny has achieved his lifelong goal. I have made lifelong friends. My girls have made (and possibly have met their future husbands...heehee Boys w/ the last name Dudek!). I have found God and made my life more about Him than what it ever was. That alone is amazing to me. I know life with God would be great. I didn't realize it could be this good. And I am just touching the tip of the iceburg here. I have an incredible amount of areas that I need to grow on and learn and discover but I realize that my life is nothing short of a miracle. I still can't believe how lucky I am to have that urge, that feeling to want to be like Jesus, to want have a servants heart (and NO I am not talking just about wanting to stack chairs after church....heehee).

Anyway.......

I am just grateful for the time I have here in TX to know God better, understand those around me better and just stop the whatifs and start looking toward the future. Bettering myself, enjoying my kids, loving my husband and of course! The holidays and creating our own memories and "kodak moments"!

Speaking of "kokak moments' sorry......my camera is still on the fritz. The money I thought was coming in has not (in January I will be seeing it). Yes, thats right. After ALL the major holidays (okay, Christmas)....but at least we will get it. And I will be purchasing a brand new camera!!!!!! Yes, I am giddy!!!!

This is just a rambling blog........but here are some updates on the girls~~minus pics. Sorry!

Hannah is WAY into Monsters and Princesses......yes, we have entered that stage. So we go around the house (usually I am the monster and not the princess who gets to wear the crown) and we (ahem, I) chase my sweet Princess around and around and around making loud monster noises while the Princess (Hannah) giggles, shrieks, falls (you know she's not that graceful) and jumps continuosly. Really. There is no end in sight once we start that game. If any of you know the "No Catch Me Game" this is about a 1,000 times longer and way more active! So ya, I guess eating some M&Ms is now acceptable with all the calories I am burning while chasing Hannah.
And Kylie? Well....she is not a fan of that game for very long. In fact, after about 5 minutes she is crying so therefore I end up holding her while chasing Hannah all the while making funny monster noises. Yes, M&Ms are very much needed after that game!! heehee

Aside from that Kylie is great. Getting too big for me. She says some words that Dora has taught her: Backpack, Dora, Diego......oh yes! And Please, and of course Mama (over and over and over and over) Dada, and 'annah. She is literally running all over place, loves to wear shoes, and is starting to want to wear Hannah's panties over her diapers.

So ya, there you go. A rambling blog. Its better than nothing. OR not! heehee

TODAY IS THE DAY

2009-07-28T16:14:00.002-05:00

Today is the day I would move back North. Perhaps not Michigan, but maybe Indiana or one of the East Coast States. Yes, definitely one of the East Coasts. Maybe.

I am so sick of spotting beetles the size of golf balls climbing over over grass.....like its their road or something. Up and over. Up and over huge strands of grass, leaves, sticks, etc. I'm over it.

I am so tired of "non-agreesive" wasps flying around me and my children. Sure, they are only there because they want the water we so willinging supply via our pool. But come on!! They do sting and I for one, am not going to get in their way. However, they do make it pretty impossibe to not come across one when they hide in the grass. Gggrrrr

And don't get me started on "cute, little dragonflies". Those things are HUGE!!! And fly all over my yard in a pack. Its like they started their own "Dragonfly Gang" right in my front yard. The way they whip around and back and forth has me doing so many bends and hops its about to drive me crazy!! I can't even roll down my windows until I am down the road for fear they will whiz right into the car.....yuck, yuck, yuck!!!!!!

I found a massive, huge, horrible, sick-to-my-stomach size BEE in my pool today. Which made me realize they are flying over my head. That is just too real for me. If you know me at all, I despise and freak out over the tiniest, smallest, little bug. So that just put me over the edge. I am over it!!!

I am just tired of bugs, bettles, bees, wasps, etc. Texas might not be the home for me. Things are definetley bigger in Texas and maybe thats not for me.

A little spring in her step

2009-07-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

some things to make ya smile!

2009-07-16T19:47:00.004-05:00

This is just a gorgeous scene....a bit blurry darn it. The steps were so beautiful and so was Hannah!!!

This one is for my Dad: The USS Lexington in Corpus Christi

Make Love Not War!

MISS HOLLYWOOD 1 & 2

2009-07-15T15:43:00.002-05:00

VIDEO MANIA

2009-07-14T14:07:00.006-05:00

To keep all my numerous readers (aren't I hilarious!!).....entertained while my camera is getting fixed, or perhaps purchasing a new one...whatev, I will post some videos of the girls. Please do NOT look at the Mama who is featured in some of them......really, you will be doing yourself a HUGE favor!!

To start things out, here is a video right before we left for Sea World: Enjoy!

VACATION!!

2009-07-05T15:08:00.012-05:00

Feeding the dolphins, watching Shamu do tricks, swimming in the ocean, riding on a riverboat....I ♥ vacation!!!!

Here are a ~~few~~ ALOT of pics from our Holiday (thats right, I'm European!). I loved every minute of it: even when we were stuck in construction for TWO WHOLE HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness for snacks (for the kids, that is!).

SEA WORLD~~SAN ANTONIO

♥ Hannah and Kylie adopted two dolphins: Splash and (respectively) Shamu
♥ Iced Lemonaide on a hundred degree day= pure bliss
♥ Amazing mammals, amazing shows
♥ Thx to our Special Tour Guide Hannah and her Trusty Map we were never lost

THE OCEAN~~♥ ♥ ♥

♥ Went to a small ocean city, Rockport. A teeny tiny bit ghetto, but the ocean was beautiful
♥ Had the pleasure of "exploring" a hole-in-the-wall family dollar. WOW. I don't think I will ever forget the sand toys again

♥ It was Danny's first time to experience the ocean and we now call it "our home away from home".

♥ To make it memorable a seagull thought it might be a good idea to almost take a bite out of his hand when diving for his PB&J sandwich. Yikes

THE RIVERWALK & BOATRIDE

♥ Beautiful, romantic city! Next time I'll leave the kids and Danny's sister at the hotel. heehee

♥ Horrible tour guide, but beautiful history.

ON OUR WAY BACK~~I ♥ SMILES LIKE THESE

I KNOW, I KNOW

2009-06-10T22:33:00.004-05:00

It has been a while between posts and I want to reassure you I have TONS to report, talk about, gossip, rattle on. You get the idea. HOWEVER, my camera cord is not working properly so I am w/o pictures........bummer! IDK what is up with it, but I am sure to get it working or I'll be buying a new one.....cord that is! I wish I could afford a better camera......this one keeps falling apart on me and its so frustrating because it is my passion to photograph my children....so sad.

But anyhoo, here is a little bit of what is going on with us........with no pics. Again, terribly sorry and sad that I cannot share my beautiful babes with ya'll.

Well, God has really been testing my faith this month. Some things have happened that have put my own judgement to a test. I am so thankful for the friends God has blessed me with in that I was able to go to them and feel comfortable talking to them about what has been going on. I fully know and understand that God is working in me and through my friends and has once again confirmed that I am in the right place in my life and that I will indeed come across stumbling blocks that will test my integrity and my faith but through it all I have leaned on Christ and have searched my own heart and the scriptures to find the answers. I have been very thankful that God has given me the knowledge to know when things are not "quite right", when "blurring the lines" between what WE want, what we think is RIGHT to what really MATTERS and what GOD himself wants from us has really gotten me thinking this month. To all that, I am thankful and continue to learn and grow each day.

As for the girlies, well, they are getting cuter and wiser, and funnier, and cuter (yes...I know, I know). But its all true! I love them and I love the way they give multiple hugs to each other throughout the day, even when Hannah tries to put Kylie into timeout they still hug it out!! They are such sweet, compassionate little girls.......when they want to be. We are still working on listening and behaving and manners and being gentle.........oh, wait...that will never end!! heehee Hannah is so full of information these days and it just amazes me. Her new favorite thing is snuggling with her Daddy while the two of them watch "How Its Made". Yes, yes, they are both true dorks! heehee And Kylie's new thing is to give kisses and HUGE hugs to me!!!! She will come running across the room and just wrap her little arms tightly around me. Best Feeling in the Whole World!!!!!!!!

Well, thats about all that is new with us. My cousin Eric came and had dinner with us! Loved it!!! We haven't seen him in about 3 years and it was so good to see him all grown up (the military was good to him) and just hearing his plans for his life and I can't wait until his wife Rachel and him move down to OK so we can get together more often. I am truly a "Family" girl. My Mom comes in this Friday and I am beyond excited!!!!!!!! And then after that Autumn comes in and off to Sea World we go! Super, duper excited. Fun plans for this summer already starting.

Hopefully my camera starts behaving and I will be able to post pics of our wonderful vacations!!!!

Lets Hear it For The Girls'!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-29T20:43:00.005-05:00

Whew...you wouldn't believe the hassle it was to try to post.......or I should say transfer pictures to blog about...............silly computers! Anyway, here they are: pictures of some sweet way-too-cute-for-their-own-good girls!

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all who served: especially our loved ones!!!!

Fruit Salad, Yummy! Yummy!

Ready for some Sunbabing~~~watch out boys!!!

And yes, we have been gardening! I have a real passion for it this summer so I hope to make my Mama proud!!! heeheee I am little by little tidying up the flower beds that have all sorts of bugs (which Hannah routinely points out to me by screaming and running away) and tons of leaves, rocks, weeds, and overgrown ivy in them. BUT its a great workout and Hannah loves to help so I am teaching her as well. And trust me, those plants do NOT go a day without being watered. Hannah reminds me all the time! Next up: the area in front of the pool and the area in front of the front windows. Wish me luck!

Nothing says "Serious Gardner" than a pair of Dora Gardner Gloves!

My Little Digger

Wild Olive

2009-05-29T14:21:00.003-05:00

This is an awesome site that sells shirts that benefit many charities and helps you to voice your faith. Love their shirts and what they stand for! In fact, I have bought an Unfolding Shirt! Can't wait to show it off and spread the word!

You can visit their website by clicking on the button in my side bar that reads "Wild Olive". Check them out!!!

They also have a contest going on......see their blog for exact details.

Boys Will Be Boys

2009-05-20T20:23:00.006-05:00

Danny got bit by a dog.

While on duty.

Chasing a bad guy.

Hopping over fences.

Into people's backyards.

And tore his pants.

Boys will be boys.

And yes, he caught the bad guy.

This Ain't No Sweat!

2009-05-20T20:14:00.002-05:00

I started babysitting an 8 month old little girl, super sweet, and at first I thought I might, just might feel a little overwhelmed. Nope! We are having a blast with her and I think she is having fun too from all the giggles and smiles I get from her ;) Bring on Baby Number Three!!!!! heehee

Now, to only convince Danny..........heehee

Not Me! Monday

2009-05-10T19:52:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Its that time of the week again..........lets get rolling!

For playgroup this week, I certainly did not go without totally not knowing that we were going to be having a picnic and swimming. I totally did not skip the dozen or more emails that specifically detailed the events for that day and I certainly did not only pack cheez-its and juice for my children's lunch. And I most definetly did not forget to bring their swimsuits and towels to the beach.....nope, I am so on top of things I would never let a crazy thing like that happen. And I certaintly would not let my children mooch off of their friends lunch....nope, not me!

I of course, am way too busy teaching and playing with my children to play on the internet so I did not spend almost an hour on ebay looking for good deals on The Lion King DVD for my daughters while they played "picnic" on my bed...nope, not me! And I of course would never let my child play a noggin game just so I could have some peace and quiet during her "quiet time".......that is just plain crazy!

Okay, now its your turn! Its fun, theraputic, and entertaining!!!

I'll Always Love Her!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-09T21:42:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!

P.S. Thanks to my cool friend Bethany for sharing this first!

KICKIN' IT AT THE BEACH

2009-05-07T15:43:00.005-05:00

I am a beach girl. Loved the fact that I could literally walk to the beach in MI. Sad that I couldn't here. Today that changed. We found a pretty decent Lake and we love it!! Its not as pretty as Lake Huron, but it is a lake!! Besides the wonderful warm water it also comes equipped with a huge playground and picnic areas....what more could a girl ask for??? I love the beach.

CHANNELING HER INNER CINDY LOO-HOO

2009-05-07T15:16:00.002-05:00

Sassy Sis

Simply Styling

Shining Star

BABY HANNAH OR BABY KYLIE????? *REVISED**

2009-05-06T16:18:00.005-05:00

***SORRY NOT ALL THE PICS LOADED........CRZY!****

TOO COOL

2009-05-05T09:41:00.005-05:00

On Hot Summer ~~Days~~ Evenings............

We're too cool for a stinkin' fire hydrant~~we use our water hose faucet!

And shirts? Forget about it............we're too cool!

Way too cool for walking!

And cups....overrated! We are too cool for them!

Heck, we're even too cool for beds!

NOT ME! MONDAY

2009-05-04T17:04:00.003-05:00

This is a new thing I am started.........anyone can join in.....thx MckMama for the fun times!!!

So.....what did I NOT do this past week? Well, I certaintly would never throw Kylie's 18 month p.j. shirt onto my oldest size 3T daughter Hannah just so she would go to bed....nope, Not Me! And I would certaintly not tell my husband that I was going to call his Mom if he didn't start doing his chores around the house.......totally NOT something I would do! And also, I didn't fill my daughter's bottle with an open water bottle that had been in the car for a few days coming home from Church because she was screaming her head off and I had nothing else to offer her. Never....

Now you can join in the fun!!! Check out MckMama's site for more details!!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

GIVEAWAY...........DITTO BETHANY

2009-05-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist this...

This is how this works:
The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you.

My choice.

Made especially for you.

Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:

1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2 What I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 You have no clue what it will be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure.
5 I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!

RAIN DANCE

2009-05-02T15:20:00.005-05:00

Hannah liked the idea of playing in the rain today, although she was a bit hesitant at first.

After about two minutes she got use to the cold, wet rain splattering her skin.

And then all bets were off.....she went for it and danced and laughed around!

.......that's right, I'm a cool Mom like that!

TODDLER SURVIVAL SKILLS 101

2009-05-01T13:21:00.002-05:00

According to my 3 year old a full cup and a computer is just about all you need!

ITS ALL IN THE COLOR

2009-04-30T14:14:00.008-05:00

So this May (that is like what, one day away??) anyhoo, this May we will be painting H's room. I just feel that a grayish-blue-ish color is not doing it for her. So ya, we are painting.....I am already envisioning the amount of blue tape and plastic wrap all over the floor...........and so dreading it! But its gotta get done.

So...I found this really cool website, click here, that has inspired some rather cool ideas for her room.....fairies, princesses, butterflies, polka dots, etc, etc, etc! Too bad I don't have five different rooms to decorate! Don't worry, I will narrow it down and choose just one theme.....what that theme might be? I have no clue! I do know the color of the room! Just not the exact shade. I was all set to paint it the identical color my cousin Vanessa has her room until I put the shade up against the wall. I have a feeling that it would be too dark and I kinda want to brighten up the place a little. So I am thinking of maybe a lavender (clock strikes twelve) or (thoughtful spot) a blue . Yes, that is right.....I don't exactly have that narrowed down either! Whoops! I say purple, Hannah says blue. But really, she is only 3....maybe I can convince her that lavender is in the blue family....we shall see!!! Heeheee One thing is for sure, this paint will be the paint that is Kid Proof!!!!! Crayon (pronounced Cray-on, thank you so very much TX friends!) on the walls, no problem! It will wipe right off! If you don't know, that has been an issue lately.......a whole 'nother post!

Okay, well, that is all! Pretty much a post about decorating H's room and I have zero solid ideas...hmm. Wish me luck!

P.S. For my oh-so-not computer savvy folks, click the pink writing to view the colors!

*****EDITED TO ADD THIS:

I also like the colors "Fairest of them All" (a light pink) and "Timeless Tales"(a cool light green)..........oh boy, I think I am in trouble......

JUST ANOTHER FUN DAY, SUNDAY!

2009-04-26T22:44:00.003-05:00

NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERNT???

2009-04-25T15:40:00.002-05:00

These were taken right after her nap.......going to the beauty salon takes a lot out of her! And gives her "bed head"!!! heehee

FIVE STARS BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-23T22:52:00.002-05:00

If ya think Hannah is cute (you better! heehee) please go give her FIVE STARS thru parents.com. There is a photo contest going on and she would really love it if you supported her :) Just click on the link!!

CLICK HERE TO GIVE HANNAH FIVE STARS!!!!!!

THANKS AND MUCH LOVE

XXOO,
HANNAH BEAN

ITS MY SIZE!

2009-04-23T18:51:00.004-05:00

First Hannah: (and no I did not have her "pose" like this; thats just Hannah)

Now Kylie:

Notice anything similar? Thats right. They are wearing the same size 24 month swimsuit....the exact same one. Craziness....we bought this for Hannah at the beginning of Summer last year and it fits her and Kylie! Grant it, Hannah's little butt cheeks start showing after a few twists and tumbles and the straps start slipping on Ky but still. Really? The same suit??

When I asked Hannah "How does this still fit you??" she just giggled and said "Its fits Mom. Its my size!". "Its me size". She really said that! Cracks me up!

Just a little tidbit..........

2009-04-22T19:17:00.003-05:00

As a usual part of our day Ky, Hannah, and I started to dance and have fun. Hannah stopped immediately and said

Hannah: I can't dance!

Me: Why not?

Hannah: (looking down at her shirt) This is NOT pretty Mommy.

Me: (trying not to laugh) Of course it is honey. Its very pretty.

Hannah: NO Mommy. I cannot dance in this. It is not pretty.

She then proceeded to strip naked and went off to search for her Cinderella dress.

The girl has style! But I am afraid I have created a Fashion Monster!!!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

2009-04-22T14:13:00.003-05:00

We celebrated by going to the Zoo with some friends. Hannah loved the elephants, Ky loved the flamingos and gorillas and of course I loved watching my own monkeys! heehee

And here are the pics for my Mom....giraffes of course! We spent quite a bit of time in this area. Hannah had to show "her giraffe" to the other giraffes!!

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP IS PLAYIN' IN THE YARD

2009-04-21T19:52:00.004-05:00

Having fun on the slide!

Swinging with Mama

Get that camera outta my face!!

Yes, I could get use to drinking coffee while watching my kiddos enjoy the morning sunshine every day!!!!

RANDOM CUTENESS

2009-04-20T19:38:00.001-05:00

GIRLS' FIRST BASEBALL GAME

2009-04-19T18:36:00.004-05:00

"Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the game. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don't care if I never get back. For its root, Root Root for the RANGERS......sorry TIGERS its a shame. For its one, two, three strikes we're out of Michigan!!!!!!!

No worries, Rangers did win, but we are still die hard fans of our Tigers! I missed seeing my Guillen!!!

FOCUSED ON THE GAME

THE GIRLS' HAVING A SNACK

JILL, OR BETTER KNOWN AS H'S BFF, AND THE GIRLS

RALLY TIME!!!!!

YEAH THE RANGERS WON!

RAINY DAY = DRESS UP DAY....AGAIN!

2009-04-17T16:47:00.007-05:00

Kylie actually handed me the camera and started posing....I couldn't resist that cute little face!

P.S. If case you didn't know, the girls had gotten desitin all throughout their hair so we experimented with vegetable oil and deep conditioning (which got out the desitin but left their hair incredibly greasy!). So yes, I do allow my children to bathe every now and then!!

SLEEPY PRINCESS

2009-04-17T16:35:00.001-05:00

WHEN I GROW UP........

2009-04-16T15:36:00.008-05:00

I WANT TO BE:

************************************************************************************

******************************************************************************

******************************************************************************

*********************************************************************************

*******************************************************************************

***********************************************************************************

As long as I have my sister by my side I'll be richly blessed!

WORDLESS MONDAY

2009-04-13T19:31:00.001-05:00

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-12T14:42:00.006-05:00

First we'll cover the Easter dresses.....I know the grandparents are waiting for this!
First the sweet one where they are holding hands:

Now they are having a breakdown because they are tired of Mommy saying "big smiles" and "cheese" and the sorts.
Back to being sweet....I guess they figured I would be in their faces all day if they didn't hurry up and smile!

Now onto the previous nights activity: Egg Decorating!

And of course the revealing of the Easter Baskets!! Sorry the girls were way too excited to get any "Kodak Memory" quality photos. I will say this though: Hannah LOVED the chocolate bunny that was hanging out in her basket and Kylie adored her new snuggly blankets. All is right in the world when you have yummy chocolate and comfy blankets!

P.S. In case you are wondering what the the girls got from the Easter Bunny (mainly the grandparents!) I will let ya know. Hannah got a wonder pets water paint set, chocolate bunny, and princess p.j. set and Kylie got new blankets for the summer, bubbles, chocolate bunny, and princess p.j. set.

I LOVE DAYS LIKE THESE!

2009-04-11T15:54:00.002-05:00

We had just a normal family day where the kids ran around outside, sometimes barefoot, sometimes eating dirt....ya know, the "normal" kid things. Danny mowed the lawn, I sipped iced tea, and the girls explored their yard. The sun was shining and my girls were smiling. I couldn't be any happier~

p.s. shortly after these pictures were taken, we ditched the sweatshirts!!

DRESS-UP MONDAY

2009-04-06T14:46:00.004-05:00

I was trying to organize Hannah's room....but the girls distracted me and we ended up playing dress up......no complaints here. We had too much fun!!!

Kylie discovered the fire gear much to Hannah's dismay. So now I have two little firefighters on my hands...just like their Daddy! However, Hannah decided to switch it up a bit...I really have no words for her look.

Enjoy the pics!

And sorry, no pics of me all dressed up. Thats not gonna happen....heehee

BLESSINGS

2009-04-05T22:29:00.003-05:00

**Sorry, this is one that is NOT about the kids....just some personal reflection for myself! Read if ya want to.

I am so blessed. I don't even know why. I am not that spectacular, that gorgeous, that gifted,that rich. But here I am at the age of 29 and I am so incredibly blessed that I am amazed. I was lying in bed and I had to hop out to write this. Never mind the computer was shut down for the night. I HAD to write this. I am sure it will not be as great as it was the whole time I ran it through my head but my fingers are already doing the work and I feel my heart feeling happier.....

Blessed. That is my word for my life. And why? Why me? Why did God chose to have me born into such a loving warm family and bestow this gift of salvation unto my life?? I am still battling that one. Sure, I had a good childhood. Sure, I had a couple of good friends throughout my childhood. Sure, I had good enough clothes. Sure, my family took good enough vacations. But for me to be handed this gift, this life, this salvation....that is awesome. I am not sure still as to how I got here but here I am. Living my life. Loving my life.

Don't get me wrong. I am still scaling mountains. Boy am I ever. I have my obstacles. I have my ups and downs every day. But still. How can I even start to complain when I have the life I have. The life God himself bestowed upon me??? I am so grateful for my family who has chosen to show me, to teach me to follow God on this narrow pathway. And for me to choose a mate who is so dedicated to Christ is a blessing all in itself.

My husband, Danny. I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I am to have him. To have found him. He is the most loving, compassionate, and giving person I know. I love him with all my heart. And for him to show his love to me the way he does....it takes my breath away. Together we have grown closer to each other, closer to God. He is my husband and I thank God every day for choosing him for me. And our children. "Our Children". I love the sound of that. He is the best Dad to our little girls. I am so blessed! He is such a great Dad and he is getting better at being a role model for them. As am I. Who knew that raising children would help reshape your own life? Your own goals? Your own ambitons? Your own faith??

And on to my children. BLESSED doesn't even begin to cover it. To have God trust us with these two little girls.....wow. That is amazing. To be responsible for two little human beings that look up to you and model everything you do.....that is a huge responsibility. So far, I have done a ton of growing up. Yup. Me. Growing up while raising kids. I think I am doing an okay job. But it hit me today while at church that my children are watching my heart. My Heart. So I looked deeper at my heart. Is it something I want my children to bear? Is it pure? Is Jesus at home in my heart? I think so. At times.....like I said I have mountains to climb. Obstacles to overcome.

Just the other day Hannah and I were shopping. Just strolling down the aisle. You know what she busts out singing? Jesus Loves Me. Just like that. No embarrassment. No timidness. Just Pure Childlike Faith. Sure, I have read about childlike faith. Sure, I have even sung about childlike faith. But to hear it? See it first hand? Believe it? Breathtaking. Makes a Mama proud and Humble. Makes a Mama search her own heart for that childlike fatih. Do I possess it? Do I possess that type of faith? That type of love where I could sing about MY love for my JESUS to anyone? To not be ashamed? To not have any doubts? I would like to think so. I am going to MAKE SURE I DO. You know that song "1, 2, 3 Jesus loves me?........8,9 a mansion is mine"??? Well, if not I will sing it for you. Anyhoo, I sing that to my girls. Along with a dozen other christian songs. And it got me thinking.....I NEED to have that love, to have that faith,to have that childlike faith, to know my path is secure on that narrow path. To know that salvation is mine. To have on God's Armour all day long. Because if I don't then I AM A HYPOCRITE TEACHING TO MY CHILDREN. MY OWN CHILDREN. And I am not about that!

I have been blessed by being born into a world where God is allowed. Where worshiping him is allowed. Where praying is allowed. Where my children do not need to be afraid to express their love for him in a shopping center. Yes, I am blessed. But am I pure as snow? Do I have a heart that belongs to God? Am I ready to stand up and fight for my Lord? These are the mountains I am climbing. These are the ones I am scrambling up, running to reach the top and shout HIS praises for all to hear. Because if I don't WILL my own children's childlike faith fade into the background? Will they stumble on their own rocks? Will they look at me with doubt in their eyes? Will they realize that even though I am trying I am failing IF I allow myself to be persuaded, to jump for my own selfish sins? My own selfish wants? My own selfish, stupid choices that in the end will destroy me? NO. I will scramble up those mountains with God as my Leader and I WILL conquer those temptations and be as white as snow. I will have childlike faith. I will conquer. I will choose the path that is less taken. That narrow path my own parents are leading me down. That path my christian family is leading me down. Where salvation waits. Glory be to God.

GO FISHING

2009-04-01T21:12:00.004-05:00

A fun snack shared by my good friend Rachel.

First you will need a spoonful of:

**hint: Kylie gets a baby spoon while Hannah gets a normal spoon

Next you will need a handful of:

**the kiddos will use these to dip into the peanut butter

Then toss a handful of these in the middle of the table and tell the kiddos to
GO FISH!

**use the p.b. dipped pretzel to go fishing in the "pool of fish" and see if they can "catch" any fish!

Super fun, super easy, super yummy!

MICHIGAN

2009-04-01T10:45:00.014-05:00

We had a great time in Michigan....even though we froze half the time.

We did the whole snow thing....

We even took walks in the snow

We ended our snowy days with some yummy hot cocoa

The girls enjoyed chasing and being chased by Oliver

And feeding the ducks on a relatively warm day (49 degrees)

We went and visited family in Ohio where Spring was springing

The girlies got loved on.....

We warmed up by hopping into the hot tub.......ahhhhhhhh

We had a Spa Day with Aunt Auty

And of course we had ice cream!

All in all it was a fabulous trip. But I am so glad to be back in my own home........life is good.

JUST SO YA'LL KNOW.............

2009-03-09T07:49:00.000-05:00

I am vacationing in MI so there will be no posts until April. Do check in back in April (for all my wonderful 3 readers..........heehee!!!!)

When I Grow Up..............

2009-02-20T15:32:00.004-06:00

I want to be just like Daddy!

A RARE OCCASION

2009-02-17T16:22:00.006-06:00

Kylie has been extremely crabby today and her favorite thing is to cry. So when I get her laughing hysterically today I had to grab the camera and shoot a couple of pics. Apparently the camera did not do the trick.........she is back to being crabby. We think, we hope, we pray she is getting another tooth; and this is not a new personality trait!

BLESS THIS CHILD

2009-02-15T15:23:00.004-06:00

Sleeping with a bible and cup in her lap on the way home from church. And lets not forget her fashion statement: bracelet on her leg~~~she is her own little person!

OUR EVER AFTER

six precious years

for your viewing pleasure

wordless wednesday

Four!

Fa La La La La.............

Happy 4th Birthday Kylie!

big

sometimes

who knew?

just another silly sunday

its all about love

yummy things i hope to make this week

fall harvest party

upside down dinner

siblings

smoky-flavored bbq ribs

the one with the penguins

its worth it

it is well with my soul

Updated: Jar O' Lanterns End Results

Upside Down Day

Ongoing Upgrades....

What We've Been Up To

{this moment}

{this moment}

Boots Required

Litte Chefs-In-Training

I'M BACK!!!!

Five Question Friday

Hmmm.......

TREE LIGHTING IN DALLAS

CELEBRATING FALL

BRAGGING RIGHTS

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY!!!

Stream of Conscience

YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES ME SMILE.....

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

MY SUNSHINES

REMAINING PRESENT

BOO!

PRESCHOOL DAYS

LONG TIME NO SEE

BABY MOZART

THE MOVES

DANCE BABY, DANCE

MAKES YA KINDA WONDER

KYLIE LIZ

MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

TASTY TUESDAYS

RAIN RAIN ON MY PARADE

WE'RE GOING TO THE MOVIES ♥♥ HANNAH~JACK♥♥

SUNDAY

TIME TO KICK SOME BUTT

Its Been Awhile.........

TODAY IS THE DAY

A little spring in her step

some things to make ya smile!

MISS HOLLYWOOD 1 & 2

VIDEO MANIA

VACATION!!

I KNOW, I KNOW

Lets Hear it For The Girls'!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wild Olive

Boys Will Be Boys

This Ain't No Sweat!

Not Me! Monday

I'll Always Love Her!!!!!!!!!

KICKIN' IT AT THE BEACH

CHANNELING HER INNER CINDY LOO-HOO

BABY HANNAH OR BABY KYLIE????? ***REVISED****

TOO COOL

NOT ME! MONDAY

GIVEAWAY...........DITTO BETHANY

I couldn't resist this...

RAIN DANCE

TODDLER SURVIVAL SKILLS 101

ITS ALL IN THE COLOR

JUST ANOTHER FUN DAY, SUNDAY!

BABY HANNAH OR BABY KYLIE????? *REVISED**