Larman Family

Decorating: Room 1

2012-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Because decorating a home can be super expensive and a little mind blowing we are taking it extrememly slow. I am focusing on one room every few months. The first room up was Sara's. It needed paint and ofcourse she had to have pink. Because it is the largest of the two kid's rooms it is where the crib gets to live. Even though we have no idea if we are having a girl or boy we figure the baby won't care if the room is pink. I did work very hard to try to make it a little less feminine with the green and blue curtains and neutral bedding for the crib. It was hard but I think it came together ok, and Sara loves it. I am glad I get a break because decorating is not only hard work but it can be hard on a budget.

Super Saturday in December

2011-12-12T06:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had a super fun busy day! Sara's school has a carnival type event called breakfast with Santa. The kids got to go to the school and eat donuts, have thier picture taken with Santa, and then play tons of fun carnival games. They had so much fun. Then after making a quick stop to get some breakfast with protein in it we were on to Clayton's Green Belt Test for Tae Kwon Do. This was his 3rd test since he started last May. He did great! This belt will be so much more challenging because there is only an adult form that is longer than the kid form he has been learning. I know he will rise up to the challenge and do great. There has even been some talk about letting him compete next year if he continues to do well. It is fun to see him learn so much.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

So this year I was hesitant, A.K.A. kicking and screaming, to make the 4 hour drive to Dallas for Thanksgiving. The older I get the more I am becoming a bit of a homebody that loves to stay home. It is also becoming less fun to sit in the car for very long when you have to use the restroom every 5 minutes and sitting in the same position makes your hips feel like someone is prying them apart with a crowbar. But Jason convinced me, A.K.A. didn't give me a choice, to go ahead and make the drive so we could be with family. I have to admit it wsa really nice, as it always is, to be around the ones we love the most. I didn't get any pictures like I wanted to, but I did capture Clayton teaching my Grandfather how to play Mario Kart on his DS. Priceless. Thank you family for loving us and always being there!

Boy or Girl?

2011-11-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

So on Halloween I had an awesome sonogram showing how wiggly and wonderful this little baby it. Jason and I don't want to find out if it is a boy or a girl but the Dr. warned me it was pretty obvious. I assured her that it mostly looks like a blur to me and I can hardly tell the head from the behind in these things. I thought this would be a fun post for our friends and family to see if they can tell. We have our suspicions but definitely not certain. So here is the video for all the world to see and decide. But shhh please don't tell us. We like being clueless.

House Phase 1

2011-11-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

Jason and I found a house that I love and he at least agreed to that we are in the process of trying to buy. Jason has very different taste than I do. He doesn't really care for newer neighborhoods where most of the houses look the same and you only get a few tiny trees and a small yard. I love them because it means that the kids have sidewalks to ride their bikes, a park we can walk to, and a community pool. We are not scheduled to close on the house until the middle of December and I have to keep reminding myself that at any moment things might fall apart and it may not happen. So wish us luck. Here is a preview of what we are hoping to make our own.

October 2011

2011-11-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

October was busy as usual. Clayton and I got to join Sara's class for a fun field trip to Seven Acre Farms. We got rained out by lunch time but it made for a super fun morning and then we took Sara home early and had a fun playdate at our house.

Sara's school library made a pumpkin patch with storybook pumpkins. Sara chose the Frog Prince. We had to decorate her pumpkin without cutting it.

We went to a super fun carnival the Friday before Halloween. The kids had a blast and it was all completely free.

And of course we ended the month with some amazing trick or treating. We did a trunk or treat at our church Saturday night then went out to a great neighborhood and loaded up on even more goodies. Those pictures will have to wait until tonight because they are on Jason's phone.

First Grade

2011-11-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

In September Sara got to begin first grade at a new school. We thought that there was a pretty good chance that we would move to the South side of Conroe sometime during her school year so we applied to have her start at the school we thought we would be closest to so she wouldn't have to change. She loved every minute of it. She loves school not for the learning aspect but she absolutely loves to socialize with everyone. Learning is just something she does occasionally in between socializing. In the middle of the year her teacher left to go work for a bank and she got a new teacher and she loves her as much as her last teacher. Now Jason and I spend our days racking our brains about how to make her want to learn and do well in school.

Plus One

2011-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

At the end of July I sent Jason this picture in the middle of the day while he was at work.

He responded with, "Is this yours?" I guess he thought I liked to take pictures of other peoples pregnancy tests and send it to him at random.
In the next few months we enjoyed sharing the great news with our kids and family that we would be expecting our third child on April 1st of 2012.

Fun Valley 2011

2011-11-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

In August we drove to Colorado and spent a week at a camping resort in the mountains. The kids love this place and this was our second year to go. We had so much fun that we already made reservations for next summer. This place is the ultimate family vacation spot.

Fostering Animals.

2011-07-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

So I recenltly found a way to help out homeless dogs and cats without having to own a million animals. Our local animal shelter has a foster program which allows people to take animals into thier home until they can become adopted. Monday I went to get our dog her shots and discovered that they had a dozen mother cats with new kittens and more coming in every day. So we brought home a mother cat and her three kittens to care for until they are old enough to get adopted. It is also hopefully helping the cat and kittens be more friendly by being a part of our family instead of in a tiny kennell all day. We are having so much fun. The kids are learning the importance of taking care of animals and the best part is we get to try to find them a home with someone else! So far so fun!

And The Race Is On...

2011-07-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

This year our Fourth of July was a little less traditional. It was just the four of us and unfortunately all fireworks were banned in our county because of the severe drought we were in. So we decided to go spend the day in the water watching 8000 ducks race down a water slide and into a lazy river. The kids had so much fun playing in the water park. After we had exhausted all energy from swimming we went to America's best place to eat, Freebirds. After a 20 minute nap in the car on the way home the kids were ready for some more fun so we did what anyone else would do on the Fourth, watched fireworks. Only this time we watched them on our television streamed in from Orlando, Florida, Sydney, Australia, and Washington D.C. All in all it was a pretty good Fourth of July.

Yellow Belt

2011-06-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Clayton got the opportunity after only 4 weeks of TaeKwonDo to test for his yellow belt. He had to count to five in Korean and recite the five tenants which are Honesty, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit. His pronunciation was off a little on the larger words but it is fun listening to him try to enunciate words like Indomitable Spirit and Perseverance. All in all he did a great job preforming his moves on command in front of an audience. We are very proud.

The Beach

2011-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday some friends drove down to Galveston with us for a day at the beach. This is technically the kids first time to go to the beach, but I don't know that brown water really counts as the beauty you usually associate with the beach. The kids had a blast. Even with a ton of sunblock we are all like little red crabs today. Sara even enjoyed sharing some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the seagulls. Super fun day!

Sea World May 2011

2011-05-16T09:57:00.001-07:00

This weekend Jason and I took the kids to Sea World San Antonio. They had sooo much fun! The only complaint was they both wanted to ride the really big roller coasters and were too small. They did get to ride one that had 100 foot drop and loved every minute, but that just made them want to ride the rest of the big ones that much more. We also got to see every show which we all loved! The kids have not stopped acting out the Azul show since we have been home.

The first day we started out simple with this kiddie roller coaster. Once the kids discovered the bigger ones this one was no longer worthy of our time.

This show was the famous Sea Lion show. Sara's favorite part was getting drenched. I thought it was pretty cool that a Walrus could do a sit up. If he can do it then I shouldn't complain when I have to do them.

Of course the Believe Show was amazing. To think that an animal so big and beautiful could do such wonderful tricks is just magical.

And yes we took time to feed the dolphins. The kids were amazed they could get so close and even touch this wonderful animal they have only seen in movies before now.

The Azul show combined the Baluga Whale, my favorite, with dolphins, amazing divers, dancers, and birds, all doing amazing acrobatics. It was great at sparking everyone's imagination.

And of course what vacation would be complete without some good old fashion fun in freezing cold water. It is a good thing dad was there- because I was not getting in.

How does your garden grow?

2011-05-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

What started out as a six inch tiny tomatoe plant has now completely overwhelmed my tomatoe cage to the point of needing rope to hold up all the branches that are bursting out. I can't wait to taste these yummy looking tomatoes.

Flower Girl Turning Six

2011-05-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Sara got to be in her first wedding as the flower girl. She had so much fun being in the spotlight and getting all the reactions she did. I wish I would have video taped her going down the aisle because it was hilarious. She started out a little nervous with everyone watching her, but the fist aawwhh she heard and she was getting the audience to eat out of her hand. I didn't get very many good pictures but hopefully the 5 photographers did.

She also got to go to American Girl for her sixth birthday while we were in Dallas for the wedding. She had so much fun! Then today Clayton set up a special tea birthday party for her and we had a simple cake at home. We are hoping to have a birthday party later in the month for her once everything slows down a little bit.

Easter Morning

2011-04-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snapshots of our fun Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Morning.

All That Glitters

2011-04-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

This was Sara's 2nd year to do a science fair project. I know that she is a little young for the science fair, but each year she learns a little bit more about the scientific method. This year she grew crystals from Alum for her project. She enjoyed the process and loved telling the judges all about crystals. That kid loves to have an adult listen to her speak. She told me today, "Mom, I love speaking with you. It is so fun to have you listen to me."
While we were waiting for the judging to be completed we headed over to a nearby park to get out some energy.

A Place to Call Home

2011-04-02T02:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a great day! We were invited to a Dutch Oven Pot Luck and the transformation I saw in my family during this evening was wonderful. Even though I did not have a camera I will never forget the picture I saw. Sara chatting with anyone and everyone who would listen. Clayton running around screaming, "I am a salami." Instead of I am a zombie like the the other kids. And Jason having a great time talking to someone about cars and old friends. It was a moment that eased my heart and told me,"Yes, this can be our home."
It will still be a while longer before my children stop telling all the kids at the park how much better Dallas is. And Clayton doesn't scream that he wants to go back to our old house when throwing temper tantrums, but progress is being made. It is nights like the one we had yesterday that helps us all to feel like we can feel at home here.

Vacation Fund

2011-03-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well today started out looking like a great Saturday. The plan was for Jason to take the kids to ride bikes and play at the park while I got to enjoy uninterrupted time to clean. A few hours into my wonderful time to myself I get a phone call from Jason wanting to know where he should take Clayton to get stitches. Of course I panic and kind of freak out, but eventually calm down enough to send him to an Urgent Care facility in Montgomery. Another hour goes by and he calls me back because I sent him to the middle of no where and Clayton is asleep. So they go ahead and come home while I make some phone calls. I think to myself well I have butterfly band aids and neosporin, maybe we can avoid stitches since our insurance hasn't kicked in yet. Then they get home and I try not to look shocked when I see Clayton for the first time. He was climbing on the playground equipment and on his way up he tripped and landed on the corner of the bottom metal step. It looked like there was a hole in his forehead and you could see the bone- that is a little beyond my capabilities to patch up. So a few more phone calls and another hour later we were in the emergency room. Now that they have private emergency rooms that give discounts to non-insurance carriers there was no wait, and we looked so pitiful that the kind Dr. waved the cost of the CAT Scan he deemed absolutely necessary. Luckily it only took several stitches and lots of promises for ice cream and movies mixed in with some impressive screaming to get Clayton all fixed up. Of course then it took us another hour and a half of driving to find a McDonald's so we could get ice cream before dinner. Low and behold we are now all completely exhausted and out our $500 we were saving for a vacation to Sea World:) But at least Clayton is ok, and that is more important than all the money in the world.

Must Trudge On...

2011-03-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

So this week I have reached the point of boredom. I new it would come once I stopped working, but I tried so hard to fight it. The first few weeks I loved getting time during the day to clean my home and teach my children, but it didn't last. Eventually I got tired of cleaning the same rooms over and over each day and I began to long for adult interaction, and then, before I knew it, I started getting really lazy. I am home schooling both Sara and Clayton but they are in such a great routine that every morning after circle time they simply sit at their desks and do whatever work I give them for hours. Which makes me very proud, but also leaves me sitting at the computer ready to answer question but still bored. So I am hunting for ways to make being a stay at home mom more exciting and less lonely. I will focus each morning on how I can be a better mom, teacher, and wife. So hopefully instead of getting bored with each passing day I will get uplifted. Wish me luck:)

See Our Garden Grow

2011-03-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

So since we have decided to home school the kids, things have been very quiet and laid back around here. We enjoy getting the majority of our work done first thing in the morning and then enjoying the rest of the day by reading books in bed, playing with trains, or taking care of our garden. I know it is a very small garden but it is just the right size for the kids and I. Today we planted some flowers to attract the bees so that they could pollinate and help our garden be fruitful.

Spring Break

2011-03-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our spring break got off to a little bit of a slow start. I had a cold and the kids were just getting over the same cold so the first three days of spring break we did not leave the house. And oh were my kids about to go CRAZY! We started Sara's Science Fair Project of growing crystals, but even though I tried really hard to follow the directions it didn't quite turn out the way it was supposed to so we still have a ton of work to do.

When we finally couldn't take being cooped up in the house any longer we packed up and drove to Dallas. We tried to fit in as much as we could for the remaining 3 days of vacation and it wore us out. Friday we went to our favorite zoo, and then had some great friends over to cook smores on the fire and of course jump on the in-ground trampoline for hours on end. Then Saturday we hung out with my family and ate great food and jumped on the trampoline even more. All in all it went pretty well. I didn't get enough pictures, but no one got hurt and we got to see all the people we love:)

Spring!!!

2011-03-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Today we took advantage of the very short Spring weather we get in Texas and spent the day at the Arboretum in Spring, TX and then went and caught some fish with some friends of ours.

Time Marches On...

2011-03-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Jason is now another year older. I am very jealous because I would love another 12 months to be 29, but no I only get 2 more months before the big 3! 0! But I think Jason had a nice birthday. His family flew into Conroe and took us to lunch at a local restaurant called Alfonso's, it was nice because we had lots of time to visit:)

Then we had a nice family dinner and cake and presents. For his birthday he asked for a robot vacuum to help combat our war against the infinite amount of dog hair everywhere.

Our family all pitched in so that we could finally get his diploma and license framed- since his new office has been completely empty.

And Saturday we get to test out the great fishing gear his parents got him and take the kids fishing! All in all it was a great day!

Clayton is 4!!!

2011-03-02T12:10:00.001-08:00

Here are some quick pictures from Clayton's birthday. It was so nice to spend it with so many friends and family!
On the day he turned four he got to take a cupcake cake to school and enjoy spending the day with his school friends. That morning his dad made him a birthday breakfast consisting scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls.

Then the following Saturday at 6am we loaded up and headed to Dallas for a fantastic birthday party.

And of course the best part of the whole day according to Clayton-

Sunny Bunny

2011-01-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

So I have been impatiently waiting for the day to arrive that we could have a family pet. I love animals and I love having pets. If I could I would live on a farm with all sorts of critters. Well when we moved to what feels like the middle of nowhere I felt that we could finally think about possibly getting a pet. Well as you know once something gets in my head I seldom think of anything else. That is how we found Sunny. A friend we met just happened to have one last puppy in their recent litter that needed a home. I had black labs growing up and they were always the best friend I had through all the drama and all the moving. Well Sunny just happened to be a black lab mix. I fell in love instantly. She is very sweet. She is 5 months old and very easy to teach to sit and stay and fetch. She does try to eat everything in sight so anytime we can't keep a close eye on her she naps in her crate, which she is used to and loves as her own room. Moving has been a little harder than I had imagined on everyone. I hope that Sunny can bring some cheer to our family and help us transition to our new home. And we hope that Sunny is happier here than anywhere else with any other family, minus her own mother of course.

Houston's Children's Museum

2011-01-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam!

2011-01-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

Clayton attended his fist Sunday School as an official Sunbeam yesterday! We were told he was very good, but also that he has lots of energy! I think that is how the teachers tell you nicely that they weren't quite as reverent as they should have been, but we are working on that. He did great no being sad about not getting to go to nursery. He did better in our brand new Ward than I did! My little boy is all grown up:( This week Sunbeams next week who knows!

Here Birdy Birdy Birdy

2011-01-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is how we entertain ourselves in out new town so far. Jason rakes leaves for hours on end. One pile we are using for compost for a future garden, and the other goes up in smoke. And I watch birds from my living room window. They are the closest I will get to having pets for a little while:)

Here we are!!!

2011-01-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

We survived! In one week we found a house, signed a lease, and moved our whole family to Conroe, TX. Our new residence is almost to the city called Cut and Shoot- gotta love that name! Sara started her new school today- I was so scared, but of course she did great and likes everything. The kids love it here. They love that they can go outside all the time and run around and jump in huge piles of leaves:) I love that I can watch them from inside my warm house without worrying. Here are some pictures of what it looks like so far in our new house. I will try to get some pictures of the outside later this week- that is where the true beauty lies.

This is the kid's second favorite part- the deep bathtub with jets and a heater. They have now started taking a bath every single night instead of every other night:)

Look real close you can see Clayton pushing the stroller up the drive way.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

This Christmas our family got the best Christmas present ever! A chance to move. Normally that wouldn't be something you wish for but this move comes with a great job for Jason at the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office and a great small town for the kids and I:) It was just the thing we needed to be able to relax and enjoy the Holiday! As tradition we opened all gifts from my family on Christmas Eve, my kids have no idea how lucky they are! Most kids only get to open one present on Christmas Eve. Then we spent the night with Jason's family and had a wonderful Christmas morning followed by a fantastic meal at my Aunt Debbie's.

Tis The Season

2010-12-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Polar Express
This year was our second year getting to ride the Polar Express train down in Palestine. It is only as good as you believe it will be, and we loved it.

ICE
This year we also were able to go and see the wonderful ice sculptures featuring the whole Peanuts casts out at the Gaylord. It was super crowded but super awesome!

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

2010-12-03T13:32:00.001-08:00

Today was the first day I was able to really get into the holiday spirit. We started off by attending a field trip to the Winspear Opera House to see the Nutcracker with Sara's school.

After that wonderful performance we decided to stop and say hi to Santa. The kids wanted to make sure he knew just what they wanted in time.

Thanksgiving Holidays

2010-11-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

It was nice this year to have a whole week off with my kiddos. It was even more fun because I also got to hang out with my little brother. On Thanksgiving Day my mom and brother came over to our house where I was able to serve my first ever turkey. I did accidentally cook the bag of giblets in the turkey but it didn't seem to hurt it. I knew to take them out but only found the neck in my search so I figured we got lucky- not quite. Also during the week we hung around the World Aquarium and went and saw Tangled for fun.

Jason Getting Sworn In

2010-11-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

We found out that Jason passed the BAR Exam November 4th, 2010 at 3:05pm. The next day he was sworn in at the Rockwall County Court.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

This year has been super hectic, but it was so wonderful to be able to take a moment to listen to the wonderful performance that Clayton's school put on. He just has a way of melting my heart!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

2010-11-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

JASON DID IT!!! AND WE COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD!!!

Halloween!!!

2010-11-03T15:15:00.001-07:00

First we had to get ready for Halloween. You know the typical scraping out the pumpkin guts, which no one but Jason was willing to do; then I tried to cook pumpkin seeds, they all burned; then carve the pumpkin, where Sara got to show us her mad punching skills; and last make a gingerbread house. Wait wasn't that last one a little early, not in our house. We love playing with glue like frosting and candy pieces that we will never eat we found a way to do it for Halloween:)

On Halloween we started at Jason's Parent's Home for some super yummy soup and a chance to see all the kids in costume. We had a Hippy, a mermaid-technically Merlia from Barbie and the mermaid tail, Scooby Doo and Superman! Don't you just love how Sara is getting into character by practicing her mermaid face!

Even though it is no longer the most popular thing to do I wanted my kids to have a good year of just old fashioned trick or treating! We went to my Aunt Debbie's neighborhood and had a blast as the kids ran from house to house filling their pumpkins with candy. It took all night but I think by the last house they were remembering to say thank you and not just get excited about the wonderful candy they received!

Clayton's First Trip to Clayton, Oklahoma

2010-10-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

No we didn't name him after the place, but it is one of our all time favorite spots to sneak away to on the weekends. Now that Law School is over hopefully we will be spending much more time up there!
Here we are getting everything loaded up and ready to go. You should see some of the looks we get as we drive this thing down the highway.

We got a little bit of a late start so Sara drew until the sun went down and then she was out.

We were so proud of our friend's Highlander for pulling their FJ so well!

Clayton was so excited to finally get to ride in the jeep that he has climbed all over since he could crawl!

Since we only had one seat in our jeep, Sara had to ride with Jason's parents. She didn't mind one bit- she loved it!

Here is our crew about to have a great day!

OOOPPSS! Our jeep doesn't seem to want to get going. Better stop and fix it. This is the part the kids like the best!

And we are fixed now the fun can begin! Sorry the pictures aren't great but when you are riding in the vehicle as it climbs gigantic rocks it is a little hard to get good pictures.

And you know if you had a great trip by how much you broke your jeep! Here is where we busted ours on the second day out. It was a huge rock that gave no Mercy!

Princess of The Seas

2010-10-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

It is finally FINISHED! The Halloween costume I started on 2 months ago is finally done. Jason laughed at me for starting so early and now he is no longer laughing. I thought if I made the kid's costumes it would be less expensive- WRONG. I also should have known better than to attempt a mermaid with so little sewing experience. I abandoned making Clayton's for now and just went out and bought him a scooby doo costume, even though I have everything I need to make a cute puppy dog- maybe next year. It is far from perfect, but I don't like to follow the directions. They wanted it to be all one peice and have a zipper in the back- obviously don't spend much time around kids. I changed it to two pieces with velcro and elastic so bathroom breaks would be a snap. Don't look too close, but at a glance it isn't bad, and Sara likes it. I am just glad it is over.

Father, Daughter, Son, Campout

2010-10-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

The kids got to go on thier first campout with just Jason! They had so much fun without mom there to make sure they washed thier hands or combed thier hair. In a one night campout at Purdis State Park they fit it a canoe ride, fishing, hiking, and playing on the muddy beach. I forgot to pack a camera so we didn't get any pictures until they got home when I learned that my daughter thinks little fish are so cute and loves to hold them and pet them.

No More Babies!

2010-09-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately for Jason that does not mean we will not be having any more children. Instead it means that the wonderful babies I am blessed with are getting too big to actually be my babies! It may seem silly but it was so hard to take down the crib in Clayton's room! He hasn't slept in it for over a year, but I just got really attatched having it up. It made it look like we still had a baby around. Luckily we were blessed with this wonderful bed to take its place so I can't possibly be too sad! To celebrate Clayton getting a big boy bed we just had to spruce up both rooms a little to make them even more wonderful. Can you tell that I live vicariously through my children! Thank you for everyone that helped us to give our kids such a great space to call thier own!

Big Boy Room:

Baby Room:

Big Boy Room:

Baby Room:

We like the bottom bunk now so we had to make it comfy!

Current Room:

Previous Version:

Current Room:

Previous Version:

All in a days work:)

2010-08-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sara's First Day of Kindergarten

2010-08-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today Sara attended her first day of kindergarten. The weather was gloomy with lots of rain which went well with how I felt about the day. No matter how much I try my kids just keep getting bigger faster than I would like! As we pulled up to drop Sara off at school she didn't even want me to go inside with her. Just drop me off mom, I know where to go. So I sat and watched my baby girl, who looked too small to be going into school alone, get farther and farther away from me. Luckily after school she was willing to stop and let me take a few pictures of her big day.

Arizona

2010-08-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

The kids had thier first commercial airplane ride this weekend when we went to Arizona to visit family. They loved it! We got to go on a big plane into Phoenix and then take a little plane into Yuma.

Once we got there they wasted no time at all in finding some fun toys to play on! Jason didn't seem to mind taking Clayton for a ride in the Artic Cat. And Sara thought she looked just divine on the shiny motorcycle.

While we were there we stuffed the days full of tons of fun! Saturday we took the kids to the river. They haven't ever been to a beach so they loved the sandbar. My brother Charlie gave us all some fun thrills with his dare devil boat driving. Jason and the kids spent the day digging trenches and building mountains in the wet sand. I forgot how fun a small town can be. Everyone knows everyone and friends are everywhere you look. There is no worrying about what people think or being judged. We were just all there to have a great time, and that we did. The second day we took the kids to some great parks with giant castles. Once we got hot we ended back down by another part of the lake right under a train bridge to have a yummy picnic. The kids loved splashing in the water and every time a train would go racing over the bridge above us the kids would break out into song.

Above: Me and my brother, Charlie. Why couldn't I have gotten some of that skinniness and tallness.

The kids had so much fun getting to know their Uncle Charlie! Sara decided he needed to come have a sleep over and he could go to her school because big kids go to her school :)

Above: The kids with Uncle Charlie and Papa Steve

Above: Me and Steve, the dad I grew up with.

Lost Tooth

2010-08-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Quite literally Sara lost her tooth. Jason picked her up from ballet today and asked her what happened to her tooth and she didn't even know it was missing. On her way to ballet class my mom let her have an ice cream sandwich. My theory is it fell out while she was eating it and didn't feel anything because it was cold. Hopefully the toothfairy will be understanding and still leave a little something under the pillow even though all we left there is a note. Maybe I am just mistaken but it feels like Sara is way too young to be losing teeth already. It has been a hard week! First she kissed a boy, now she lost her first tooth, and next week she starts kindergarten! Why do they have to grow up so fast:(

Yippee!!!

2010-08-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Monday the kids and I went to a wonderful birthday party at a place called Gatti-town. The kids had sooo much fun, and I had a pretty good time myself. While we were there Sara and Clayton found a ride- keep in mind Clayton has never been to any type of amusement park. So imagine the grin on his face when he discovered this thing! They rode it most of the night and can't wait to go back!

Dallas World Aquarium

2010-08-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

For anyone who looks at our pictures regularly you might feel like you know the Dallas World Aquarium as well as the back of your hand. I take the kids there every few weeks and I just can't help but take more pictures, it is just so beautiful. They always have our favorite characters on exhibit.
Here is Nemo and his dad.

Some cute baby owls that were flying around free.

Clayton's favorite animal the sharks!

And Sara's favorite the Manatee. Look how cute! You know in an ugly sort of way.

Look mom, we found a new pet.

No children. If we take home a pet it will be this cute little guy.

Air Show

2010-08-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July weekend we went out to the Addison airport to watch fireworks, and luckily for us the rain let up just in time for some up close fly bys.

Splits!

2010-08-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks Sara has been begging me to let her get a banana split. I have no idea where she learned about banana splits, but today I finally gave in. Luckily for Clayton she was willing to share, especially if he gave her the ice cream cone he didn't like.

Hip Hip Horray!!!

2010-08-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

We survived! I have been dreading the BAR exam since Jason decided to go to law school. I know that he should be the one to worry and not me, but everyone kept telling us how awful it was, and how they never saw their husbands. Well they were right. It was awful and I hardly saw Jason, but thank goodness it is over! To celebrate we took the kids to Hurricane Harbor. It was lots of fun, and the kids keep asking when we are going back. The very first ride we rode ended up being our favorite.

Sara could not get enough of the wave pool. After she told me, "Mom, I feel like I am still swimming."
We were there from open until close and I am still exhausted a day later, but it was a great way to celebrate the end of our sufferings.

Swimming Lessons 2010

2010-07-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

This was our third year taking swimming lessons from Mrs. Carol. The kids look forward to it all year long, and it always amazes me at how much progress they make no matter their swimming level! We love you Mrs. Carol!

Dallas World Aquarium

2010-07-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today we took my family to the World Aquarium, they had never been before so it was super fun!

HONK!

2010-06-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we went to see Kate's performance in the musical HONK. It is the story of the ugly duckling. The kids loved it! We were all so proud of the great job Kate did on her performance.

60 Years Young!

2010-06-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday we celebrated my great Aunt Debbie's 60th birthday by going to the horse races. I was so relaxing and fun. We ate in a nice restaraunt that overlooks the racetrack so you don't miss the action! It was great a buffet that you are welcome to help yourself to for 4 hours! I think I ate more than my weight in delicous food! As we stuffed our faces with yummy delights a nice women came to our table each race to place our bets and give us our winnings. It was a lot of fun. My big win was on the last race when I went a little crazy and bet a wopping $5 on a single horse! I won $19! So all in all I spent $20 on bets and left with $19, not bad for a whole afternoon of fun!

Beauty School Drop Out!

2010-06-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately Sara hasn't even made it to drop out status by the time she manages to cut not only her own hair, but a sweet quiet innocent friend's hair too! I never thought this would happen to me! If anything it would be someone elses child who cut Sara's hair, but no! She decided that dress up just wasn't complete without a haircut! Well hopefully after a severe talking to including grounding this will never happen again. I know you are thinking, famous last words, right? Well lets hope not for not only my sake but for the sake of every little girl that ever comes over to play with Sara.

Happy Birthday "Best Nephew Ever"!

2010-06-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Last week James turned 1! We had a wonderful family party with more good food than one can imagine! I made James a mondey cake in which he dove face first into! He kept looking around like shouldn't ya'll be stopping me? I think he had lots of fun. We sure enjoyed watching him!

Schools Out for Summer!!!

2010-06-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

So now that we are free from school we are wasting no time having fun, especially because Wednessday I start my new job and the kids start back to school at my place of work Monday. Friday we enjoyed a morning at the splash park- Clayton finally likes to get splashed! YAY! Then we took a little nap, and headed over to our favorite "Neighborhood Pool" to swim with Helena!
Then first thing Monday morning we headed to the Dallas Zoo to check out the new Elephant/Giraffe exhibit. And it was sure to not dissapoint! We were so excited to get to feed the giraffes! Super up close and personal! After we saw all the animals in their new homes we headed over to the watering hole to cool off! I had a fun conversation with Sara:
Sara: "Mom I don't need more sunscreen on my face I want to get sunburned."
Me; "Why?"
Sara: "Because I like it when people feel sorry for me."
Lucky for her after getting covered in sunscreen she was blessed with a scraped toe for attention.

Tutu Cute!

2010-06-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today I got ready to make Clayton's best friend Helena a tutu and the second I turned my back I saw this

A few weeks ago I heard what sounded like a baby kitten outside my window. Nope just a cute baby racoon!

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

2010-05-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

For us Memorial day is more of a long extended weekend than just one Holiday! Sara started her weekend on Thursday by staying home from school Thursday and Friday because we were too Sunburnt to leave the air conditioning!(Life of a mom is sooo rough when you are forced to spend all day in the sun playing field day games and swimming:) After working hard to relax and recooperate from sunburns, we spent Saturday watching Jason finish fixing my car. Here is what it looked like before, just in case you forgot.

He did a great job and after a coat of paint it will look great! He built the bumper himself making sure it was super strong just in case this should happen again. He worked hard and put a lot of time and effort into it, but I just couldn't accept a car back after crashing it at 60 miles per hour. Not that there is anything still wrong with it, I just can't get over seeing the air bag hit me in the face- I am sure I am just crazy.

Anyways, since I just couldn't bear to keep the Discovery we began car shopping. And found this:

And while it isn't my dream car which I also found

It is $1000 less, two years newer with only 20,000 miles, and the most important- a 5 star crash test rating. So we welcomed my first mom looking car into the family. The listing actually listed it as an actual "old lady car":0
Then of course we had to do what every other Texan does on Memorial day does and go out on the lake! The great thing is the lake that my mom lives on doesn't get crowded because it is in the middle of no where. Clayton didn't mind the jet ski, and Sara had a blast as long as we went over 40mph!

All in all I would say it was pretty successful weekend in which we all enjoyed. Oh, and it also marks the end of me having a husband and the kids having a dad until August:(

Field Day

2010-05-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Today was Sara's first field day! It started with an awesome relay race that looked like about a mile of running devided among 20 team members. Then continued with lots of really fun obstacle course races. We were all cheering Sara on from the sidelines, except for Clayton, who decided he needed to be a part of all the action. At the very end they decided to let the parents compete in tug of war. I was in the very front and felt like I was water skiing! I chose to let go of the rope rather than land face first in the kiddie pool, and Sara reminded me the rest of the afternoon that the most important rule is don't let go of the rope!

6 Years and Counting

2010-05-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our 6th Wedding Anniversary. Even though things are still pretty crazy a great friend volunteered to watch the kids for FREE so we could spend some time together. Jason took me to eat Pha, my favorite! Then we went and hung out at the Galleria for a while looking for an anniversary present for me, but had no luck. Finally we went to the craft store and I got some supplies I have been wanting for a while to make hair bows. All in all a great afternoon. Oh, and for his anniversary I got Jason a new wedding ring.

One more mountain climbed!

2010-05-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

May 15.2010 Jason received his law degree from Southern Methodist University. Even though the day was extremely hectic and I almost missed the graduation ceremony and the kids were bouncing off the walls the entire time, I hope that Jason felt our love and support! I was proud of him for all of his hard work and dedication and very grateful for the sacrifices he made throughout law school to continue to be a great husband and father. I hope to have some pictures soon but I forgot my camera. Now on to the next mountain which feels even bigger and impossible to climb, the BAR Exam. I know he will survive and I have great confidence in him that he will pass it, but will the kids and I survive? Time can only tell. Oh, and by the way, can someone tell me how to relocate our lives to a more flat area with no more mountains! I don't know how much further I can climb!

Sara's School Celebration

2010-05-11T12:12:00.001-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday Sara!!

2010-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

My sweet angel is 5 years old today! I cannot believe how big she is! I am so lucky to have her in my life! We decided to not do a birthday party this year. Jason is busy graduating law school and I still haven't quite gotten the hang of being a working mom so we celebrated her birthday in three days instead of just one!
Friday we went to the American Girl Store which we only go to once a year.

Saturday we went Barbie shopping and to lunch.

And Sunday we had a very nice dinner at home.

Dance of the Cosmos!

2010-04-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Part of the Montessori curriculum at Sara's school includes a birthday celebration ceremony all about the Celebration of Life! It helps kids to grasp how a time line works by illustrating specific milestones from each year of their life. I am sure I will be videotaping the ceremony and posting it next week but I thought it would be a great way to kick of Sara's birthday weekend!

On the day that Sara was born we loved her very much and were so grateful for the wonderful doctors who made her better!

When Sara was one year old she watched her dad walk across the stage for his college diploma from Texas A&M!

When Sara was 2 years old she learned how to be a wonderful big Sister!

When Sara was 3 years old she began her first ballet class and loved every minute of it!

When Sara was 4 years old she welcomed her first cousin into the world and saw real mountains for the first time in Colorado.

Astroid Cake

2010-04-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine wanted to make an astroid cake for a school project so I offered the little expertise I have. We had sooo much fun and I think it turned out pretty cool looking. Inside is yummy red velvet and the frosting is cream cheese with coconut and pecans!

Girls Night Out

2010-04-17T12:01:00.001-07:00

The Biker Chicks- Ruth, Val, and Kristen!

Amber, Kelly, Val, and ME!!!

Toni, Val, Nikole (AKA awesome at jewelry making), and Amber!

Val, Katherin (Awesome at Photography), and Amanda!

Hot Mammas!!!

How you doin'?

There are very few things that will convince me to get out of the house these days, especially without my kiddos whom I feel like I hardly see. But when a great friend has a girls night out for her birthday, and offers to watch Clayton from 7am until 3pm so I can switch shifts and become available I just can't say no! And I am so glad I didn't. We went to a super yummy restaurant called Johny Tangos and had the yummiest food I have had in a long time. As you can tell it was a super fun group and sexy girls!

WESTERN WEEK

2010-04-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Clayton's school had western week last week! On Monday they had a super cool singing cowboy. On Wednessday they were supposed to dress up as cowboys and cowgirls to ride horses who came to the school. I was so excited because Clayton has some super cute western wear. He obviously was not so excited. I lost this battle and he went to school dressed as a redneck in his cars tshirt and wrangler jeans.

A Day At The Zoo

2010-04-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Since I have started working and Sara started school we haven't had as much time to hang out for the day. So yesterday we decided to skip school and go enjoy the animals!

Preschool Preformance

2010-04-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last night Sara's Preschool/Kindergarden class preformed their yearly show featuring songs from Sesame Street.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the crack of dawn getting dressed to go see if the Easter Bunny came! You see I am not one of those mean moms that takes pictures of their kids before the get a chance to comb their hair in the morning. I don't make them comb it I just give them the opportunity before I go camera crazy. Sara decided all on her own that she needed an up-do to go with the dress she picked out to wear! Clayton and James could really care less!

Wow! I must have some great kids in this house for the Easter Bunny to love them this much!!!

That Easter Bunny was super smart! He knew just where each kids' eye level would be.

And EVERYONE was happy!!! I got the best Easter basket ever! My adorable nephew to play with! I sure do LOVE babies!

And for tradition sake the infamous Easter Egg Hunt.

To help with Easter dinner the kids decided to make dessert. Sara helped me make a multi-layer rice krispie treat, and then her and Clayton sacrificed peeps from their Easter basket to decorate it.

Here are my homemade dinner rolls we had for Easter Dinner. Jason thought they were gigantic, but I didn't want to have to make a million so I just made them big.

We had a fantastic Easter! The food was no feast but it was good and easy which I found to be best on holidays. I wish I would have taken more pictures after out family arrived. The kids had lots of fun getting to show Grandma and Grandpa all the cool things they could do like riding bikes. I thing James enjoyed having my grandparents around to coo and idle him. Jonathan and Telma were of course a huge hit! Not only do the kids love how Telma is one of the few adults who can totally get all of their imaginative make believe games, but she also brought them yummy baskets full of toys and chocolates which they were super happy about especially since they thought they had gotten everything they could get in one day. Happy Easter everyone! And to those we missed we hope to see you on Easter next year!

Easter Celebration Part I

2010-04-03T21:03:00.001-07:00

We started our celebration Friday evening by coloring some great looking Easter Eggs. Then on Saturday our favorite nephew, James, joined us for a super fun Easter Egg Hunt and some Kite flying. And today is only Saturday! I am sure by the time the Easter Bunny makes it to our house the kids will be expert egg hunters.

Easter Bunny

2010-03-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is the first year we did Easter pictures. At Northpark there is a photographer that sets up a cute scene in the mall with lots of real bunnies. The kids had soooo much fun. They got to pet and hold the cute little bunnies. Sara's favorite was the baby white rabbit, and Clayton's favorite was the brown one with the white nose. After the pictures were taken Sara came up to me and told me she wanted to move back to her old house. I asked her why she would want to move back to an apartment and she said so she could have a pet bunny. I explained that some day we will own our own home and be able to have pets to which she bacame exstatic.

Clayton is 3 Today!!!

2010-02-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

Today Clayton turned 3 years old! He may be a handful each and every day, but he is also a whole lot of joy! He has a temper that he will probably spend most of his life learning to control, and he is very very very stubburn and strongwilled, but hopefully someday I will appreciate his very determined and confident nature. I truly would not be the person I am without him pushing me to my limits each and every time I battle with him. No one has ever taught me to stand up so strongly for something as he has. I love you, and you will forever be my baby boy!

Clayton's Big Boy Haricut

2010-02-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Clayton will be three next Tuesday :( So we thought we would let him get a big boy haicut to help him look a little more like the big boy he is. At first he was not enjoying this at all, but as soon as a song from the movie Cars came on he was one happy camper!

Science Fair Project

2010-02-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

So Sara has been given the oppurtunity to participate in her school science fair. I thought this might be a good way to get her to enjoy school a little bit more than she is currently. We found a great experiment to do with her favorite thing, Flowers. She has worked very hard. I have worked even harder to try to make it to where she has done most of the work and not myself. We will take it to school next week and wait to see what the judges have to say. I think she did a fantastic job!

Winter Snow Day II

2010-02-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

Real Texas Snow!

2010-02-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

A Texas snowman

Ice Skating Week 1

2010-02-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

Sara started Ice Skating Lessons Saturday and she loves it! I was worried she would get scared the first time she fell, but she was great. She did really well and when she did fall she would just smile and wait for someone to come help her up. She gets to take lessons for the next 5 Saturdays thanks to Mia, and she is already asking for pink ice skates. She asked me this morning, "Mom am I going to have to quit ice skating?" I told her no she got to go for the next 5 Saturdays, to which she replied, "No I want to do it forever!"

How Much Damage Can a Mattress Do?

2010-01-30T19:28:00.001-08:00

Apparently more than you would think. So Sara and I were driving to a florist looking for white carnations for her science fair project. We were on highway 75 going 60mph when all of the sudden we hit a stopped car in the middle of the highway. I don't even remember trying to brake or seeing any brake lights. It was night and by the time I saw it we hit it. Apparently there was a mattress in the middle of the road that they had ran into and stopped and then we hit them. Sara and I are fine. Sara was a little scared but perked right up when she got to go meet the police dog while we waited for the ambulance. I have a really sore chest, back, and neck and my nose is really beat up but for the most part everyone involved was ok. It makes me want to encourage everyone to make sure your mattress is tied down really well before you drive off. The police never did find who it belonged to which is to bad because if they had they would be paying for my car to get fixed instead of us.

Summer Vacation!!!

2010-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

What's that you say you can't believe January is almost over- I can! And I am oh so excited! You see Jason and I are in the home stretch; this is his last semester and as long as we can survive the BAR this summer hopefully all of our hard work might just pay off. I say our hard work even though I haven't stepped foot in a law library or had to endure and 5 hour grueling exams, but I have had to live with someone who has. Which I have to say Jason has done a great job at working hard to succeed in school while still making plenty of time for me and the kids. He continues to be a great help to me that I could not live without. Which brings me to the scariest part of my life! The BAR exam!!! I have been warned that not only is the bar exam really hard on graduating attourneys, but I can pretty much plan on being completely a single parent for the 3 months it takes him to study for it and take it. I have never had to do that before not to mention I am trying to get to a point where I can work 30 hours a week while the kids are out of school. I know it sounds super scary right? Which is why I have already started planning the best summer vacation ever. Fun Valley Colorado is the best camping resort in the whole entire universe. It is like stepping back in time when the kids could just ride bikes around without worrying about crime and instead of playing video games and watching tv all day you can fish, play golf, surf the river, and hike some super awesome trails. Last year we stayed in a tent next to my in-laws awesome RV which was nice, but we didn't get a whole lot of sleep since Clayton would wake up with the sun at 6am and it did get pretty cold at night. So this year we made reservation to stay in a trailer with beds, a kitchen, bath, and living area! They have cabins and motels right there too but the trailers are super cheap at $60 a night and you are smack dab in the middle of beautiful mountains. So I can't wait, and all summer while I am losing my mind working and trying to handle the kids on my own I will be counting the days until my wonderful mountain get away! Just the break we will need before Jason jumps into his hopefully successful and extremely fast paced busy career.

Oh and I forgot the best part of it all is that the whole community is full of the nicest people on Earth. Everyone loves your kids even when they are sceaming. Everyone loves to hang out and chat, no one is in a hurry. I is like the perfect mayberry and the kids love all the friends they make. The ten days in never enough.

Polar Express

2009-12-23T08:50:00.001-08:00

This year we decided to visit the North Pole on the Texas Railroad Polar Express. The kids had so much fun! We got to get on a real train, drink hot chocolate and eat cookies, see Santa and sing Christmas Carols!

Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a wonderful time at our church Christmas party. Jason was even nice enough to take a short break from studying to come with us. The food was really good! And after a wonderful Christmas dinner we were entertained by some very talented singing. Sara was asked to sing a christmas song for everyone and she gladly accepted the invitation choosing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for her performance. Sorry the video is not all that great, I was trying to record and help Sara since Jason was busy getting more food to eat.

The Curse of Law School Finals

2009-12-06T09:12:00.001-08:00

So for the last two and a half years Jason and I have endured law school exams. Fortunately they only occur twice each year, and we are on our last year. We figured out very early on that not only was this an extremely high stressful time for both of us, but it is also a cursed time. His very first semester at SMU one week before his first final in law school he woke up one morning got ready for school and left only to come right back in the house with this completely defeated look on his face to tell me that someone had broken the window in his car and taken his radio and his back pack, which contained all of his notes from that semester. After that we would notice that every time finals came around something catastrophic would occur. Each time we would hope that we would escape the curse and each time we were proven wrong. So this year being the brilliant person that I am I anticipated this occurrence and tried to outsmart the curse. I knew that it would be especially hard for me because I am working during finals for the first time in retail around the holidays. So since most of our curse seems to revolve around my car leaving the kids and I stranded on the side of the highway somewhere while Jason is just beginning to take a five hour test I made sure my car was healthy. Two weeks ago I noticed it was taking a little more time to start so all on my own Clayton and I made a trip to Auto Zone. We had them test our battery and alternator and sure enough it showed we had a bad battery so I exchanged the battery and had the very nice mechanic in their parking lot change it out for me certain I would avoid disaster. So last night since my wonderful mother had the kids all weekend so I could work and Jason could study Jason and I thought we would grab a late dinner once he got home from the library. Just as we were approaching the restaurant my car started flashing all sorts of random warning lights so we immediately headed straight home only to become stranded in Dallas at 10:00 at night. Luckily we have really awesome friends and we were able to get a ride home and slowly work towards getting my car back to the garage. It turns out we will have to replace the alternator, but since it has to be ordered and Jason has a final exam Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, my car will be parked in the garage for the next week. Luckily we are able to barrow a vehicle from Jason's dad to get us through. And on the bright side at least this time I wasn't stranded on the side of the road by myself with the kids. But it makes me wonder what does the BAR Exam have in store for us. If final exams for law school are cursed does that include the biggest test Jason will ever take in his life that decides whether or not he can pursue his career goals? Is the curse going to get worse the worse the test? Only time will tell. I am very grateful we are in Dallas surrounded by wonderful family instead of Lubbock hundreds of miles away from help like we had originally planned. So if you happen to remember this and notice that it is either December or May or June July or August don't bother praying for us, but please consider sending us an email or giving us a call to see if we are in desperate need of assistance.

Family Pictures Continues

2009-12-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

I never had any idea how hard it was to have quality family pictures until I had children. I love my kids and most of the time they love being in front of a camera, but you put them in a group and try to take their picture and they will try everything they possibly can imagine to stand out! I hope for the sake of my sanity that they grow out of this.

Family Pictures

2009-12-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

Child Labor

2009-11-29T16:13:00.000-08:00

Catching Up

2009-11-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

We have had a little bit of a busy week. Last Sunday we got to go out to Jason's Grandmother's ranch where the kids got to ride horses, sit on tractors and roll around in the dirt.

Durring the week Clayton had a super fun lunch date with his best friend Grey. They had so much fun going through all the tunnels and slides. Oh, and yes in one picture Clayton is wearing a princess dress. This is his Belle dress he found in Sara's room that he loves to wear all the time even though we tell him boys don't wear dresses.

Sara was given the opportunity to sing by herself as part of the primary program. She was the very first song of the entire program and she did wonderful. This was a video from right before church began while she was practicing singing into a mic. She did just as good when there was over a hundred people watching her.

And just as and ending note I have to also highlight Clayton's singing talent as he sings Old McDonald while riding his horse.

Trick or Treat 09

2009-11-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

Family Night @ the Arboretum

2009-10-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Best Friends!!!

Clayton found a caterpillar on a pumpkin, and though he would not touch it, he studied it very intently.

The YMCA provided free passes to the Arboretum this evening. We took advantage of the great scenery and let the kids wear thier costumes and run around with thier best friends Lucy and Grey. After the kids ran wild for a while and I got tired of chasing them trying to get cute pictures, we had a nice little picnic then headed home.

Out of the House

2009-10-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

So after 5 years of doing nothing but taking care of things in our own home I am attempting a part time job. I never would have imagined I would have anything to offer an employer with two kids under 5, no college diploma, and a husband in law school. Several weeks ago I dropped Clayton off at Mother's Day Out, and decided to go window shop at the mall instead of going straight home to clean. I walked into my favorite kids shop and was asked if I was looking for a part time job. Shocked I stuttered that I could only work Mondays and Wednesdays while my kids were both in school. Perfect she said just fill out this application. The next thing I new I was working. It isn't much, but just getting to accomplish something outside the home is a blast. It has been a little hard to adjust to the new responsibility, but Jason and the kids have been wonderfully supportive. Hopefully soon I will figure out how to get everything at home done in less time than I used to have. In the mean time I am enjoying the new experience even if it means that our home is a little disheveled. Who new something I once dreaded, going to work in a clothing store, could be so wonderful.

Family Pictures

2009-09-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Katherine is amazing at taking pictures! She has raw talent that is hard to find these days. We had so much fun shooting these pictures, and I am so glad they captured the kids' personalities.

All Aboard!

2009-09-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

For playgroup Friday I met some friends down at the Train Musuem in Fair Park. We got so lucky that the rain stopped just long enough for us to enjoy the giant trains. Clayton had a lot of fun playing around and in the trains, but I do think the size overwhelmed him quite a bit.

Cowboys Dont Take Baths!

2009-09-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

This phrase sums up my little boy all too well! The only problem is he doesn't like to have a single spec of dirt on him either.
I had seen this phrase in Canton a while back and really wanted it for Clayton's room, but didn't know where to find it again. Well it worked out so well that a great friend started making vinyl wall signs and designed it for me- it is absoulutely a perfect personal touch to his room.
She is very talented and shipping is super fast so look her up if you are ever looking for that extra something around the house. www.perfectlyspaced.com

Boys and Their Toys

2009-09-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Clayton's best friend Gray came over and Jason thought it would be fun to get his remote control jeep out. Proof that boys never do grow up.

Piercing Update

2009-09-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we met Jason at our favorite lunch hangout, Freebirds. As I am paying for our lunch Sara tells the guy at the register that she loves his jewel on his cheek. He says yes that is my bling bling- Sara's favorite term. She informs him that her mean mom will not let her get bling bling all over her face. He tells her maybe when she gets older. Then I realize that every person that works there has multiple face piercing. Maybe this is another place she is getting ideas on piercing. And it is our absolute favorite place to eat so I guess I will just have to accept that one day she might come home with metal poking out of her face all because I wouldn't give up freebirds.

Hotter Than Hell

2009-09-02T20:06:00.001-07:00

Jason completed his first ever bike race. It just happened to be 100 miles in the middle of Texas in August. Crazy I know. But he wasn't the only one, apparently there were 14,000 other lunatics riding 100 miles in the heat with him. They lucked out with a nice cold front with the temperature starting in the mid 60's and ending in the 90's. The only difference between Jason and the other 14,000 people is that he did absolutely nothing to prepare. He just decided on a whim a few days before that this might be fun and went and rode 100 miles, when the furthest he had ever ridden prior to this was 40 miles. It was a challenge, Jason had a blast and of course we are proud that he came home unharmed- you know besides some super tired muscles.

Where a kid can be a kid!

2009-08-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

For over a year we were blessed to live in this house while someone else paid the bills. A wonderful couple chose to go on a mission and leave the care of thier son to us and help us with finances for our trouble. It was a great blessing, but it was hard living in a house among someone elses belongings with two kids. Well they returned last April and we were blessed to be able to continue to rent this house from them while they relocated to Utah. Since then I have been working here and there on making this house our home. This weekend with some GREAT help I was able to finally get Sara and Clayton's room finished. I didn't plan on moving Clayton into a toddler bed so soon but once I put it in his room he settled right in and is doing a great job of staying in his bed at naptime and nightime. I don't dare take the crib down quite yet be because I like to be able to threaten that if he gets out of bed he will go back in the crib:) He looks so cute when I go in his room in the morning and he is sitting on the side of his bed just waiting for me.