Texas

Since last posting, we were able to visit Texas...twice!  

Cameron and I had already planned on flying down for a visit in February as we were able to use our points/rewards, and scored a cost free flight!  We just got a vehicle rental, of course, when we got there.

But before I get ahead of myself, in December, over Christmas week, Cameron decided that we should break in our new mini van (which is a completely different post!) and visit Mimi and Papa.

So...off we went!  

We thought it would be fun to surprise my parents, however, we ended up only surprising my mom really because turns out, we had to include my dad in the plans.  My mom offered a place to stay for someone in their church, so I felt it necessary to let him in on it, just in case she really did end up with a full house!  

If need be, he could have tried to direct her with the knowledge he had of four other individuals coming to stay...unbeknownst to her!

So, still wanting to get some kind of surprise in for my Dad, Cameron and I decided to try driving straight through.  Proud to say, "We did it!" 

And we arrived to their house the Saturday before Christmas, just before 10 am.  My dad was expecting us more around 4-5pm. 

So, we knocked at the back bedroom, thinking they would hear us...but no answer.

Then we knocked at the back entrance thinking they would hear us there...but no answer.

So I decided to phone them, because in very atypical fashion, all the shutters were still drawn, and no windows open, no movement...nothing!  And these aren't the type of people that sleep in!  

I didn't know what to think, and with my kids waiting to " 'prise, Mimi," if something was not right, I would have felt terrible!

But of course, they were both just upstairs, where they could hardly hear anything we were doing.  And we did indeed, " 'prise, Mimi!"

 We had so much fun as the weather allowed us to play in the nearby park many times that week.  

We still had to wear our jackets some days, but it was very comfortable....we loved it!

Here is Liam with his much loved gift of a Bible.  

 And of course Emalyn, here with her much beloved American Girl Doll (Craig's listed by Cam/I and Mimi/Papa).  

 This Christmas was very different for the kids as Cameron and I are making an effort to step away from the commercialism that it has become.

The kids received three gifts from Cameron and me: something they can Read, something they Want, and something they Need.

Their gifts were and are much loved...it was interesting to see how much more they enjoyed and used each gift with so much less around them.  They both received personalized Bibles, Emmy the AG doll and Liam an electronic keyboard, and lastly, both received clock radios with iPod docs for their rooms.

It was a great week.

Then, our February trip arrived 4 short weeks later, and we visited Waco's Cameron Park Zoo, Austin's Zilker Park, and the adjoining Botanical gardens.  We even had fun at Ikea, and other little shopping expeditions...not to mention flashlight walks after dark and many trips to the neighborhood park.

The kids truly love the change in temps when we visit in the winter.  We get such cabin fever here in MN...especially now that we are back!

Cute photo with the grandparents...and the next photo with mommy (the baby and I are 24 weeks here) and daddy. Both these were taken at the botanical gardens.

It was so hard to leave, but we had to...here the kids were watching the planes at the airport.

See you again soon Mimi and Papa...next time in MN!

Merry Christmas 2012

Couldn't pick one card that I liked this year, so there were two!

More the Merrier.

Still have to scan them in, but here is one photo from each card for your viewing enjoyment!! :)

Oh, and if you received a card, then you know....we're expecting number three on my daughter's birthday in May.  (Yay!!)

The Lord's timing, you know? But that's a whole different post!

Long time...

Hi All!

My internet connection (through my phone, mind you) is just terrible.  Hence, I left posting altogether!!

However, I will be working on that in the near future...my biggest drawback to our shotty connection is the super slow photo downloads.

And lets face it, photos are the best part of blogging--in my opinion!

So needless to say, I will figure out ways to post, with photos.  Soon....maybe next month.  :)

What we've been doing this fall...

Home renovation.

Since we weren't able to sell, due to this horrible market, we decided to make this place more kid friendly.

Easier said than done.

We've opened the wall from the kitchen to the living room and added a breakfast bar/pass through, along with widening the entrance from the dining room to the kitchen itself.  And of course, we changed the footprint of the kitchen cabinets-its more of a galley kitchen now.

The results are still in progress as we are awaiting the final stages--flooring/new base boards and cabinet kick plates.

And so far?  We really love it.

The kids and I have been in the kitchen, with Cameron, and we've all had plenty of room to move around and not run into each other every second.

I can also just look out through the breakfast bar opening and see what the little crazies are up to.  Saved some accidents already, let me tell you!

I want to wait to put up most of the photos because it really will only look even better when there is an actual, finished, after photo.  So, what I will leave you with are the before photos...a refresher if you will, of what this place looked like and your minds can take the above information and see if it matches what the "after images" will behold.  Soon...promise!

End of Summer Photo Shoot

Miscellaneous Summer Extras

 Like a boy, Liam decided he was done playing and thought he should lounge here by the pool.  Silly Kid.

 Here, Emalyn and Liam decided to watch the golfers just beyond the backyard while eating their icey pop.  Reminded me of a little old couple, sitting on their front porch watching the cars go by...

 At the Park!

 Little Miss decided to go into my purse and find some "Chapstick" and apply it herself.  The child is in love with Chapstick...no joke.  She now has her own Bonnie Bell lip balm in the kitchen drawer that she can use as long as she asks permission--the child would eat it if I let her, hence the strict regulations!!

Lastly, what life is like in my toddler and preschool filled house.  This dinosaur was indeed found in my fridge.  

And I just keep learning more and more with children...you really can't make up some of the things they do or say!  Really, you can't!!

CAMP!!

We arrived on a HOT muggy afternoon...Liam in his indie rock shirt...later going shirtless, because really, it was just ridiculous humid.  His curls prove it!

And the next day, poor thing didn't even make it through lunch!

We had fun getting buried in the sand and Emalyn had the pleasure of burying a friend in the sand as well!

Mid week we had a little situation that required some special maneuvering.  If you look closely in this next photo, you can see the predicament Liam got himself into.  Not quite sure HOW he did it, but he was stuck for a little while.

Liam loved the popcorn that we could eat there...so much so that he would often sit with us and demand some (politely, I might add) while Emalyn played in the nearby playground. 

My boy giving me a flower.  Awwww....

Liam enjoyed his first boat ride!

And of course, highlight of all highlights, the Farmyard!!

 I think this has to be one of my favorite shots of all time...if you really know me, you know I have a love of cows.  Used to be Black Angus--only--but I've now broadened my love to Brown Jerseys.  Adore!

 This year there was a new bird house--HUNDREDS and hundreds of parakeets.  The farmyard sold little sticks with peanut butter and seeds so you could have the birds fly closely/and on the stick.

Mind you, they also landed on your head...Emalyn lasted long enough for a photo and then quickly said, "get it off!!"

 Liam making a bunny face holding a bunny.  So cute!!

 And Liam's highlight of the place, of course, the tractor.  He preferred to sit on the tractor over all the animals, slides, ponys...everything.  Such a boy!

 We made him ride his first pony.  Yeah, he wasn't liking it.

 This girl on the other hand has no problem with riding the pony, one handed while waving.  Not that I could help her if she tipped to one side because Im on the other side of the gate!!  Miss Independent!  

 A cute one with the kittens.

 And two pretty great family shots:  First at the Farmyard...

 Then by the lake on the last night there...

See you next year, camp!

Zoo

We went to the zoo the other day and his was my favorite shot...the weather was cooler and all three bears were out and about.  Liam and Emmy loved it.

Red Hot Fire Truck

 One very hot day this summer, I was returning home from a hair cut appointment only to find a couple police cars and firetruck nearby...they were about one or two houses down, so thankfully, I knew there was no cause to be concerned with my house. (So thankful!)

Turns out, my neighbor called because there was a smell of gas--and when that happenes, apparently the whole brigade comes by!

I quickly ran into the house, knowing my Liam would just love to see the trucks...and little did I know he and Emalyn had just gotten out of the tub.  So in his towel, I dragged him out to see the truck.

I expected the truck to be gone by the time I returned, becuase that always seems to happen...those firemen, they get their job done quickly!

I think Cameron quick put on a shirt and pant for Emalyn and they joined us a little bit later.

The other lady on the truck holding Emalyn is my neighbor Eydie, who came out once we did.

Turned out to be a fun surprise visit!  So glad I got a shot on camera.

Happy Birthday Little Miss & Mister!

Emmy and Liam had a combined birthday party this year.  I know I am not going to be able to do that much, but want to since they have so much fun together and all their friends are essentially the same.

Her birthday is at the end of May and his the beginning of July, so June was the perfect month!  However, due to out of town guests it ended up being July 1st...close enough if you ask me!

We had a sweets themed party.  I, of course neglected to scan the invite...but I may still do that so you can see how cute it was.  

And, you know, the candy theme was great in theory because it was gender neutral, but of course it led to kids wanting to eat WAY too much candy--and horrific sugar highs ending in crashes! 

 

Here is a photo of the candy table.  Really, it was all so good.

Emalyn enjoying a much desired lollypop.

I am so not a candy buyer...I love candy and chocolate, but it is so expensive and I know I don't need it so I just don't buy it...that fact alone truly made eating the candy all the more enjoyable!

 Here Emmy is playing the jelly bean bag toss.  I also had pin the gumball in the machine...for some it was way too easy, for others there was no wearing the blindfold.  It ended up still being fun, but definitely some logistical errors on my part. :)

 I decorated by making giant hard candies out of paper lanterns and wrapping them in cellophane (below)...and giant lollipops (above)-that Liam LOVED-by gluing two plastic paper plates together adding a dowel rod for a stick and cellophane for a wrapper.

The banner is just fabric cut triangles hot glued to a piece of ribbon and the letters were printed out of word and paper punched.  I got them to stick with double stick tape!  Thanks Husband for that idea!

(I had favor bags but forgot to take a photo...yet another one that will come later.)

Sweet birthday friends.

 Singing happy birthday to the birthday kids...and seeing the way to intensely colored frosting stain said birthday kids!  They already blew out the candles at this point.

 And last but not least, enjoying birthday spoils.  Emalyn got her first bike and Liam a much loved dump truck.

Over all a huge success and much loved time with family and friends who are like family.  Happy birthday Kids, hard to believe you are both such big kids already!