The Martin's

Avery's School Activities

2010-12-30T22:16:00.004-06:00

Avery had several Christmas activities at school this year. On Thursday they had a PE showcase where they performed a choreographed dance they learned.

Thursday afternoon she had her class Christmas party. They played bingo, ate snacks, and opened gifts.

(These are four kids that Avery went to daycare with the last several years with their teacher, Mrs. LaTonya. They are all in the same Kindergarten class.)

On Friday Avery performed in the music program.

I didn't get any pictures because I was videoing the whole time, but here is one of her at the end of the day.

Church Christmas Program

2010-12-29T23:14:00.004-06:00

Avery had her first speaking part in our church Christmas program this year. She did so good, and I was very proud of her. She was really nervous before the play so I was surprised she actually did it. Addison did a great job as well. After the program Santa stopped by and brought the kids gift cards to the movies.

Mamaw's Christmas

2010-12-29T22:47:00.003-06:00

This year the girls were so excited about Mamaw's Christmas because they know that Santa usually stops by for a visit and to bring the kids gifts. Last year Addison wanted nothing to do with him, but this year she ran toward him as soon as he walked through the door. She had even colored pictures to give to him. Avery was sad because she had to miss the party. She went to the doctor the day before and we found out she had strep throat. Santa was nice enough to call her on the phone and gave us her gift to take to her. She thought is was so cool that he called her. I think that made things a little better. Santa gave each of the kids a gift card to Wal-Mart, and both of the girls chose to get Barbies.

Visit to Aggieland

2010-12-29T22:34:00.004-06:00

Right before Thanksgiving Aaron and I made a quick trip to College Station to see one of the most exciting college football games we had ever been to. It was the last home game of the season and Nebraska was playing their last game as a part of the Big XII. We ended up winning 9-6 and will be playing in the Cotton Bowl on January 7th. We had a great weekend, and can't wait to go back next year.

Trick or Treat

2010-12-29T22:28:00.001-06:00

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Carving the Pumpkin

2010-12-29T08:24:00.002-06:00

Yes I understand that this post should have been done two months ago, but I guess its better late than never.

Free photo collage created with Smilebox

1st 5K

2010-10-11T22:20:00.004-05:00

At the end of May my friend Mallory and I decided to start running. In order to keep us motivated we signed up for a 5K on October 2nd. Since I hadn't really run any great distance since high school I would have never guessed that I could actually finish the race much less run the whole thing. My personal goal was to run the whole race and not come in last. We accomplished both of those. I am glad our first race is over but can't wait for our next.

Kherington's 1st Birthday

2010-10-11T22:15:00.002-05:00

Leo and Puppies

2010-10-11T22:06:00.004-05:00

A year ago we got a new Golden Retriever named Leo. At the beginning of August he ran away and was gone for three weeks. We were so happy when he was found and returned to us. The very next day we got two of his puppies that we had been waiting on. The girls named them Max and Ruby.

Addison's First Day at School

2010-10-11T21:53:00.003-05:00

Addison,
I can't believe you have started your 3rd year as a Rivercrest Rugrat. I am so excited to watch all that you are learning. You are such a big girl now!

Avery Starts School

2010-10-11T21:40:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe that my baby started Kindergarten this year. It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital, and now she is writing her name and reading books. We were afraid at first that she may not be able to start school on time because she was diagnosed with mono the week before school started. Luckily, she began feeling much better the weekend before and was able to go. She loves school, and I am so thankful that she is excited to go each day.

Back to School Night

First Day of School

Women of Faith

2010-10-11T21:36:00.004-05:00

We attended Women of Faith again this year in Dallas. It was such a blessing to hear testimonies from some wonderful women. We got to see Karen James, Michelle Aguilar, Natalie Grant and Mary Mary just to name a few. If you ever get the opportunity to attend a Women of Faith event I definitely recommend it.

30th Birthday

2010-10-11T21:24:00.002-05:00

On August 12th I turned 30. We celebrated with a wonderful meal at The Fish Fry.

Splash Kingdom

2010-10-11T21:22:00.003-05:00

Catching Up

2010-10-11T21:04:00.003-05:00

Okay, I could quite possibly be the worst blogger ever. I have about 3 months to catch up on so the next few posts will consist of a title and a few pictures to remind me of why we have been so busy since July. I will start with the Rivercrest Rugrats swim party in July. Avery started staying with LaTonya when she turned 18 months old and had just finished her last year there. LaTonya decided to have a end of year party to celebrate so many of them going to Kindergarten.

Avery Tying Shoe

2010-07-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

Avery learned how to tie her shoes. I showed her one time, and she said, "Mom, give me the shoe so I can do it." She is growing up so fast.

Summer Vacation 2010

2010-07-17T00:07:00.002-05:00

I was so excited about our vacation this summer because my mom rented a cabin at Beaver's Bend for our family. It was perfect. It was so relaxing, and we could have stayed right there the whole time. We packed all the groceries we would need for four days, and planned on cooking most of our meals there. We did venture out once for Mexican food, and it was worth it. We ate at Papa Pablano's for the first time, and it was so good. We actually stopped there again to eat on our way home. Most of our time at the cabin was spent playing ladder golf, Dutch Blitz, or Mario Brothers on the Wii. The girls loved the porch that went all the way around the cabin and the hot tub, or the "cold hot tub" as Addison called it. They spent most of their time playing with Nanny, chasing Kherington, and going up and down the stairs. We also went pedal boating and let the girls swim in the lake with Bubba. Wednesday morning we were going to get up and go canoeing. When we woke up it was pouring down rain. We thought surely it would stop eventually, and it was the only day we could go so went decided we would go ahead. I have never in my life seen it rain for 3 straight hours like it did that morning. I'm not talking about sprinkling. I mean freezing, pouring down rain. There were times in the canoe we had to close our eyes because it was raining so hard. I was just praying we didn't get dumped out because the water was like ice. I think we completed the fasted canoe trip in history. We did stop once to eat the sandwiches we had packed but had to scarf them down before the bread got soggy. Needless to say we may it back alive and felt like we had canoed through a rain forest. On Thursday we got up and packed everything to come back home. We stopped in Broken Bow on the way home to play putt putt golf. Addison lasted about 3 holes then she got tired. Avery was very serious the whole time, and insisted on knowing who the winner was at the end. Of course it was her. Thanks Mom for a great vacation. We had a great time.

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July 4th

2010-07-13T10:35:00.007-05:00

On July 3rd this year we went to the lake with some of our friends to cookout and watch fireworks. On the 4th we went to a small town nearby to watch their firework show. Avery loved it, but Addison wanted to sit in the car the whole time. She did finally get out at the end. When we started getting out of the car Addison said, "I have an ear infection. I don't need to hear all of this." Afterwards we can home to let the girls do sparklers that my dad had gotten for them. Avery tried spelling her name with the sparklers. Addison held her sparkler in one hand and kept a finger in one ear just in case they popped. They had a great night.

This scrapbooking design made with Smilebox

Happy 3rd Birthday, Addison Grace!

2010-06-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

Addison,
I can't believe that you are already 3 years old. It seems like just yesterday your daddy and I were going to the hospital on our anniversary to meet you for the very first time. You have brought so much joy to our lives already, and I can't wait to see the little girl you are becoming. While Avery is alot like me, you are your daddy made over. You always think it is your responsibility to keep everyone entertained. You love to make people laugh and will do just about anything to accomplish that. You are very smart and act alot older than your age. I'm sure that has something to do with having an older sister that you adore. You follow in her footsteps often but are also your own little person. You love to dress up and play with your babies and snuggle with mommy at bedtime. Before your birthday you kept saying that when you grew up 3 you didn't have to ride in a car seat anymore. I guess you thought you were going from 2 to 12. You also thought that turning 3 came with being able to do lots of new tricks. In the pool that day you would say, "I can sit on my knees now because I'm three", "I can put my face in because I'm three", "I can get on the float because I'm three." We love you Addison Grace and can't wait to see what this next year holds for you. Here are a few pictures from your birthday party.

a

Gymnastics

2010-06-19T00:15:00.003-05:00

The girls had there first day of gymnastics on Tuesday. Avery has been begging to go for a while now, but we always seemed to be so busy during school. I thought the summer would be a much better time to start. I knew Addison would want to participate too but was a little hesitant because she is not one to really stay focused on one thing for too long. While talking to my mom about it I was reminded about mine and my sister's first gymnastics experience. My girls are alot like my sister and I were growing up. When we first started I was very eager to learn whatever they were ready to teach. I was a people pleaser so I did everything they wanted me to. Kara on the other hand was not as excited about being in gymnastics. When they asked her to do a front flip, a front roll actually not a flip in the air, she answered by saying, "I ain't flippin'!" Needless to say that was her first and last day of gymnastics. Luckily Avery and Addison have happily completed two days of gymnastics. They did a great job of listening and are so excited to be working on cartwheels. They are taking gymnastics with their friend, Emery and are lucky to be the only three in their class.

Hula Hooping

2010-06-19T00:09:00.000-05:00

Pictures by Jill

2010-06-18T23:26:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Tee Ball

2010-06-18T22:55:00.002-05:00

I am so behind once again. Hopefully this summer I can update more. Avery finished tee ball a few weeks ago. She had so much fun and loved her daddy being her coach. She did really well this year. Addison was not very happy that she couldn't play, but she will be able to next year.

d

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2010-06-15T14:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was my dad's birthday, but I'm just now getting around to posting. We celebrated on Sunday with lunch at TaMolly's, and then ate at his house last night. I just wanted to say how thankful I am that I was blessed with such a caring dad. I can honestly say that he would do anything for me or anyone else in my family for that matter. I think the picture below justifies that. (sorry Dad) I have so many good memories of my dad from growing up, and I hope that my girls will have the same kind of father/daughter relationship that I have. Happy Birthday Dad. I love you!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T21:47:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. The weather was beautiful Saturday. We went to an egg hunt at my friend, Jana's, parent's house. There were about 20 kids there, and they hid 1,200 eggs. Let's just say the girls had more than enough candy when we left there. Thank you Joan and Roger for having us over for your annual egg hunt that allows us to remember a very special angel.

After the egg hunt we went to my in laws house for the girls to color eggs for the egg hunt on Sunday. We went to church Sunday morning and had a wonderful service. There were 260 people packed into our church. What a blessing! My mom came along with us to see Avery perform in the Easter program. Addison would have loved to, but she wasn't quite old enough. Grandma even made it, and she was on call this weekend.

Avery and Addison with my mom at church

After church we went to Aaron's mom and dad's for lunch and the Martin egg hunt. They hunted boiled eggs there, and I just knew Addison was going to make herself sick eating them. She loves boiled eggs. Here are some pictures from the rest of the day. See if you notice a pattern in each of the pictures. I won't say any names, but one of my children refuses to take a half decent picture with just a smile on her face. She takes after her daddy a little too much and loves to make people laugh.

Avery and Addison with Grandma and Papaw

Collecting prize egg money from Mamaw (Aaron's grandma)

.Pepaw and Mimi

Great Visit with a Great Friend

2010-04-05T21:37:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I went to visit my best friend from high school. She has two daughters also, so we were excited for them to get to play together. We don't get to see each other nearly often enough. We ate at McDonald's first and then went to a really cool park that the girls loved. We attempted a trip to Old Navy, but that didn't last long (I wonder why.) Here are a few pictures from the day.

Addison, Avery and Madi with their Spongebob ice cream

Joanie's youngest, Brooklyn

Cousins

2010-03-01T21:04:00.006-06:00

In July of 2004 my sister in law, Christine, and I found out that we were both pregnant. We were so excited that we would get to go through our pregnancies together. We later found out that we had the same due date. In October we both found out we were having girls. We couldn't wait to see the great friendship our girls would have. Since she had a previous c-section, they scheduled a c-section for February 28th. If I hadn't had Avery by March 3 my dr. was going to induce on that day. We thought that would work out well so our husbands' parents could be there for both births since we lived 3 hours apart. That would have been way too easy though. On the night of Feb. 27 I went into labor and had Avery on the 28th, 3 hours after Kylee was born. Avery says they are twin cousins. Here are a some pictures of the girls over the past 5 years.

Avery Jade

2010-03-01T20:43:00.002-06:00

Five years ago we were blessed with the first of our two very special daughters. Avery has brought so much joy to our lives, and I couldn't imagine life without her. She is definitely my mini me. I can't believe that in just a few months she will be starting school. We love you, Avery.

February 28, 2oo5

February 2010

SNOW!

2010-02-11T19:04:00.004-06:00

The girls finally got to see the snow they have been asking for. It started snowing this morning about 9 and as of 7 tonight it is still snowing. They were at daycare when it started, and Mrs. LaTonya was brave enough to take them outside to play. We took our kids out at school for a little while and you would have thought we were in Alaska. They were so excited and couldn't stop talking about it. We got out of school early today, and as soon as we got home Avery was ready to build and snowman. Addison decided she would rather have a snack and watch Dora, but I made her come outside for a picture anyway. I think the girl would choose food over anything. After making our snowmen we had a snowball fight and made snow angels. When we got so cold we couldn't stand it, we went inside with the clean snow we had collected for snow ice cream. Addison had fallen asleep in the mean time so Avery helped me make it. It was delicious. We are supposed to start school at 10 in the morning if we go at all so we are going to enjoy sleeping in tomorrow morning. Hopefully the snow will be here for a little while so Addison can make a snowman of her own.

Kheri Jo

2010-01-29T22:53:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago we went to visit my sister and Kherington while Brad was out of town. I can't believe she is already 4 months old. Avery of course had to play mother while Addison had to do everything in her power to get the attention on her.

OCD?

2010-01-29T22:47:00.002-06:00

I'm afraid my OCD may have been passed down to my daughter. Sorry Avery.

Our Year in Review

2009-12-31T20:58:00.008-06:00

February:

Avery turned 4. I can't believe she is growing up so fast. She will start school in 2010.

June:

Addison turned 2. She thinks she is Avery's age the way she follows her around.

Addison with Jake and Judd. They are exactly 1 week younger than her.

We had our 10 year class reunion.

Grandma took all 7 grand kids on vacation to the zoo and water park.

July:

My mom and I took the girls to see Dora Live.

We went to watch the Fireworks show in Paris.

August:

I celebrated my 29th birthday with some great friends.

We got our new dog, Leo.

September:

I took Avery to see Taylor Swift with my two sister in laws and nieces.

I got to meet my precious niece, Kherington Jo.

October:

Aaron and I went to Cowboys Stadium to watch A&M play.

We took a very excited Taylor Swift and Biker Chick trick or treating.

November:

We retired Addison's last pacifier. Yes, the end of it is missing. She chewed on it like that for about 2 months.

We celebrated Aaron's 29th birthday.

December:

We took a trip to the Gaylord Texan during Christmas break.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families that we are so blessed to be a part of.

I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for our family.

Independence Bowl 2009

2009-12-30T00:09:00.004-06:00

For Christmas this year my mom bought Aaron and me, Brad and Kara and my brother Aaron tickets to watch A&M play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. If you have read some of my other posts you know that I was thrilled to get to see one more college football game before the season ends. We were all excited to get to see some of our cousins that were coming to the game from Indiana that we hadn't seen in a year. We were prepared for the cold since the low that night was supposed to be below 30 so before the game we all bundled up like we were about to climb Mt. Everest. After the 30 minute walk to the stadium we were regretting the layers of clothing we had just put on. The game was pretty good until after half time then things fell apart. We ended up losing, but at least we were able to see the band perform. After the game we went to eat at Saltgrass with David and Kathy and their kids (can't believe I didn't get a picture.) Then we went back to the hotel. Thanks for the tickets, Mom. We had a great time.

Christmas with the Martin's

2009-12-29T22:49:00.004-06:00

Friday we had Christmas with Aaron's family. Between the three Martin boys there are 7 grandkids between the ages of 2 and 7 so there is never a dull moment when we all get together (especially when Eli and Addison are involved.) Here are some pictures from our night with the Martin's.

Thanks for the delicious meal, Dennis.

Christmas morning

2009-12-29T22:23:00.004-06:00

On Christmas morning we always wake up and let the girls play with their Santa toys, and then we go to my dad's for breakfast and do Christmas with them.

When we got ready to get the milk and cookies ready for Santa we realized there was no milk so Avery decided he probably would like sweet tea. Then Addison handed me the bag with the cookies in them, and she had crumbled the cookies until they looked like grains of sand. To make up for the crumbled cookies Avery thought we should add some M&M's. Needless to say Santa got a very interesting treat at our house this year.

Avery got this doll and had to have her hair just like hers. I thought it was weird how their hair is exactly the same color.

Sweet Kherington

Christmas Eve at Nanny's

2009-12-29T22:00:00.003-06:00

This year we had Christmas at my mom's house on Christmas Eve. Brad, Kara and Kherington drove down that after noon and we went over later to eat and wait on my brother to get home. He had to work that night so Avery and Addison had to wait very patiently to open their gifts. If you know anything about their mother you know patience does not come easily. Luckily he got off earlier than we expected. We let the girls open presents and then it was game time. Last year the guys claimed to be the Cranium champions although we think cheating was involved so I wasn't willing to admit that they actually beat us. This year we started by playing Guesstures in which the girls quickly won the game. Next we played Catch Phrase and beat the guys again, but then it was time for Cranium. I am sad to admit the guys beat us again. I will give credit to some lucky roles of the dice. Watch out for next year though. We will not lose three years in a row.

ICE at the Gaylord

2009-12-29T21:40:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since the last time I posted. Things have been so busy so I'm going to have to back track a little to get caught up. Last week my mom and I decided to take the girls to the Gaylord in Grapevine to spend the night and see the Ice exhibit of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." We had never been so I was excited to get to see it myself. It was amazing how everything was carved out of ice and included so much detail. Luckily they provided you with big coats to wear because it was 9 degrees inside the exhibit. Avery and Addison's favorite part was the ice slide. The next day we went to Grapevine Mills and Frisco to finish Christmas shopping. It was great just getting to relax before all of the Christmas parties that were about to begin.

Christmas Dresses

2009-11-29T21:37:00.002-06:00

A Not so Traditional Thanksgiving Tradition

2009-11-29T20:40:00.007-06:00

For the much more humorous version of our trip please visit my sister's blog. I will give the facts because for some reason she was blessed with the writing skills in our family. A few years ago we started the tradition of going to Shreveport on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to spend the night and go shopping on the Boardwalk. We were really excited about our trip this year because we would be getting to see Kherington. I even had the privilege of keeping her that night along with my mom. Lets just say that Tuesday night pretty much confirmed me being satisfied with two kids. Kherington was a doll and only cried when she was hungry, but being in a room alone with a 2 month old, a 2 year old and a 4 year old was all I needed to make me sure I was done having kids. There are only so many things you can do to entertain children while staying in a hotel. We watched movies, built tents, colored and ate snacks and for some reason the girls were still wide awake at midnight. I knew that was going to make for an interesting day of shopping. We got up Wednesday morning and ordered room service for breakfast. You can't beat getting to wake up, stay in your pj's and eat a fabulous breakfast. While mom was checking out the girls had to ride the escalator several times. I think next summer for vacation we will just stay in a hotel that has one and depend on that for entertainment. Just as we were getting into the car to leave we got both girls buckled in their car seats and they BOTH announce that they need to go to the bathroom. Are you kidding me? We just stood in the lobby right by the bathroom for 15 minutes and you wait until we have gone down the elevator, walked through the hotel, through the parking garage and get buckled in before you tell me that. After a quick bathroom break we are ready to go. We had a great day shopping at the Boardwalk. I found a huge sale at the Osh Kosh store and got both of the girls' Christmas dresses. I also found a pair of black boots that I had been looking for. To top it all off we got to have lunch at Saltgrass and the girls got to ride the Merry go Round. I'm glad that we have started a new tradition that we can look forward to each year.

Sleeping while listening to "Big Green Tractor"

Special time with Nanny

Maybe a sign we consumed way too much caffeine

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-11-29T20:25:00.005-06:00

The girls had so much fun this year putting up the Christmas tree. We usually put it up on Thursday night when we get home from Thanksgiving dinner, but they had been begging all weekend so we decided to do in Monday. The Aggies were also playing Thursday night this year so another good reason we should go ahead and get the tree finished. Since last Monday the ornaments have probably been rearranged about 1,000 times, and most of them are on the lowest branches so they are almost touching the ground. I have never been the best decorator and don't pretend to be so my tree is not one of the color coordinated ones with all matching ornaments. Since I was born my mom and dad bought us a new ornament each year, and when I got married my mom gave me the ornaments to take with me. I have each of them on my tree and have started the same tradition with my girls. It may not look as fancy as most trees, but I love getting the ornaments out each year and going through them. Most of them I remember picking out and have certain memories that go with them. This year Avery and Addison chose matching ornaments. They are the letter "A" that looks like a cookie. Here are a few pictures of us putting up the tree.

Yes, I still have the color coded tree that you have to put together piece by piece. It is a pain, but I think the girls had more fun sorting the colors than they did putting the ornaments on the tree.

This was an ornament from my 1st Christmas.

Pictures

2009-11-24T12:15:00.003-06:00

Here are a few pictures we had taken a couple weeks ago. I though they turned out pretty good considering the fact that we were working with 3 kids under the age of 5.

My Sister's Blog

2009-11-17T22:06:00.003-06:00

If you haven't started reading my sister's blog you must. She is a talented and humorous writer and documents reality very well. I am sad for her because she is having to leave Kherington at daycare for the first time tomorrow and go back to work. I remember how hard that was. Kara, I hope you have a great day tomorrow. I know there will be 20 smiling faces at school ready to see you tomorrow.

Weekend Wrap Up

2009-11-17T21:45:00.004-06:00

We had a very busy weekend as usual. Saturday morning when we got up Megan and I took the girls to Paris. We went to watch our Pee Wee football team play in the Super Bowl. They won 18-6! Way to go Rebels! Afterwards we enjoyed lunch at TaMolly's and then went to get haircuts. I asked Megan to come along to help in the process because I knew that I probably couldn't keep Addison from running away while I got my haircut. (Thanks Megan) We got finished just in time to go to a house warming party for one of my best friends, Haley. She and her husband just built a house, and have been moving for the past couple weeks. We are so excited for them. I have some pictures of the house and will try to post them later although I didn't take any at the party. Sunday we went to church and took our two nieces that were in town visiting. They were so excited to see Nauntie when we got there.

After church the girls were dying to see Nanny. My mom had been in Austin for a week for work and you would have thought she had been gone for two years. They begged all weekend to see her. We had lunch at Chili's and visited with my Grandmother afterwards. We just have 3 more days of school this week, and then I will be off for 9 days. I can't wait to get started on my Christmas shopping and celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.

You Belong to Me

2009-11-01T21:31:00.003-06:00

This is the girls' version of "You Belong to Me" by Taylor Swift. Hope you enjoy.

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T21:18:00.003-06:00

We had a great Halloween weekend. On Friday night we went to a hayride and stew supper. It was the girls' first hayride, and they had so much fun. Saturday night we went to a party at our church. We had hot dogs followed by a costume contest and trunk of treats. We got more candy than you can imagine. When we left the church we went to my dad's house to sit by the fire and have snacks. The girls entertained on their guitars while we all sat willing to listen to what they thought was great music. Avery dressed as Taylor Swift and Addison was a biker chick. I had to somewhat mislead her because she said she wanted to be Taylor Swift too. I reused Avery's biker chick costume from two years ago and told her it was Taylor Swift. (Sorry Addison, but you didn't have cowboy boots and I hated to pass up a chance to get the use the costume again.) She will probably be very angry with me one day when she realizes she wasn't Taylor Swift like Avery. She sure looked cute though.

Show us Your Life - Halloween Costumes

2009-10-29T23:33:00.005-05:00

This week Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting "Show us Your Life - Halloween Costumes." Here are a few pictures of some of the girls' past halloween costumes. I wish I had a digital picture of Avery's first Halloween. She was a 50's girl and had a cute poodle skirt. This is a picture of her 2nd halloween when she went as a Biker Chick. Addison is actually wearing this costume this year although she thinks she is being Taylor Swift (more on that later.)

For Addison's 1st halloween both of the girls were pirates.

Last year they were Aggie cheerleaders.

Random

2009-10-21T20:51:00.004-05:00

I have gotten very behind on blogging the last few weekends. Two weekends ago we got to go visit my sister and my new niece, Kherington. I hadn't seen her since she was born three weeks before, and she had changed so much. The girls are crazy about her. Avery thinks she needs to hold her and feed her constantly. My mom drove up Saturday morning, and she stayed with the girls so me and Kara could get out and do some shopping. It was so hard to leave Saturday night not knowing when we would see them again. Here are a few pictures from our visit.

This past weekend one of my friends, Haley, called and asked if we wanted to go to Wal-Mart. She and her husband have just built a new house and will be moving in this weekend so she needed to get lots of things for the house. We intended to go without the kids but after not being able to find babysitters ended up taking them. Did I mention that she has twin boys that are one week younger than Addison? Yeah I know we realized we were crazy, but it needed to be done. The shopping part was relatively calm compared to the car ride with four screaming kids. We ended up getting lots of towels, shower curtains, bathroom rugs and dishes. I can't wait to see everything come together as they start moving in this weekend. I will post some pictures of the house later, but here are a few of our shopping trip.

Show us Your Life - Tailgates and Favorite Teams

2009-10-10T08:46:00.010-05:00

This week Kelly is hosting Show Us Your Life - Tailgates and Favorite teams. It couldn't have come at a better time since I still haven't posted about our game last weekend. I love college football so when I found out A&M would be playing at Cowboy's Stadium I had to get tickets. We started the day by having lunch with Aaron's brothers and their families at Pappadeaux. I think everyone in the restaurant was either an Aggie or a Razorback fan.

We got to the stadium a little early to tailgate with my college roommate, Jill, and her family. The weather was not cooperating so these are the only pictures I got before the game.

We walked to the game in the pouring rain and were so glad to finally be indoors. The inside of the Stadium was unbelievable, but the atmosphere was nothing like being at Kyle Field. We ended up losing the game, but I was so glad we went. At least I got to watch the band perform. I can't wait for next year's Southwest Classic. I just hope the outcome is a little different.

Here are a few pictures from the game we went to last year in College Station. It was Military Day so they spread a huge American flag across the field before the game.

One of the most memorable games from when I was in college was the Red, White and Blue Out game played right after September 11, 2001. I got this picture from aggiesportsnews.com.

Taylor Swift Concert

2009-09-26T23:31:00.004-05:00

This weekend I took Avery to see Taylor Swift in concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. She is a huge fan of Taylor Swift and knows every word to every song. We went with both of my sister in laws and their daugthers, Kylee and Kelsey. We ordered our tickets in May so it had been a very long wait for the girls, but it was worth it. I haven't been to a concert in a long time so I was excited to get to go myself . I was more excited to see their faces when she came on stage. Gloriana and Kellie Pickler performed first. I think the girls thought we were tricking them. They kept asking where Taylor was. The concert lasted over three hours so by 11 the girls were worn out and so were we. After the concert we spent the night with Erric and Christine and went to Dylan's football game Saturday morning. Avery and Kylee played all day Saturday and were very sad to leave each other. Hopefully they can play again soon.

Kherington Jo Baca

2009-09-25T12:55:00.005-05:00

On September 22nd my sister had her first child, Kherington. She weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 20.5 inches long. She looks just like her daddy. She is so sweet, and the girls are completely in love with her. They talk about her all the time and can't wait until the next time they can hold her. Avery was very sad when we had to leave, but hopefully we will see her again this weekend. Here are lots of pictures from the hospital.

Rain, Rain, Rain

2009-09-20T10:04:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the girls playing in the rain. It rained every day last week so we almost had a lake in our front yard. Hopefully we will see some sunshine this week. We can't wait until Tuesday when we get to meet Kherington.

Out to Eat

2009-09-20T09:42:00.003-05:00

Friday night we went out to eat with my father and mother in law at one of my favorite restaurants, The Fish Fry. It's just such a hard decision what to order because they have the best steaks, but how can you go to The Fish Fry and not eat fish. The girls ate a little bit of everything on the table and loved it. Addison spent half of her time in the restroom. She is potty training so when she says she needs to go, we go, quickly. Afterwards we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few thinks. Aaron stayed in the car with the girls and drove them through Braum's to get ice cream so they wouldn't have to get out. We had a great night, but were glad to be home and in the bed after a long work week.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-09T21:32:00.004-05:00

I love Labor Day weekend although it is almost like a mean joke reminding you that summer is coming to an end. One good thing about Labor Day is it's the beginning of the college football season which I love. Avery and Addison started their weekend on Thursday when they left to go to the lake with Grandma and Papaw. Aaron and I drove to Beaver's Bend on Saturday and spent the day. We had a wonderful fish dinner that night before driving back home. The girls had so much fun and didn't want to leave. Avery even got a new bike that she is really enjoying. Here are a few pictures from the lake.

Addison and Emery

Eli, Aaron's mini me

On Sunday morning we got up and headed to Tyler to see my sister, Kara, and help her prepare for the arrival of her baby. She is due on the 21st so we are counting the days until we can meet Kherington. Avery is so excited to get to help with her new cousin. Addison on the other hand regressed about a year and a half while we were there. I can't imagine how bad it will be when the baby is actually here. During the first few hours she found and opened all of the pacifiers and packed all of Kherington's toys in her suitcase to take home. She also couldn't understand why she wouldn't fit into a newborn size onesie. I've also included some pictures of the nursery. I think it turned out so cute. Okay Kara all we need now is a baby. Hope she gets here soon.

Such a Little Mess

2009-09-03T21:15:00.003-05:00

For those of you who know my youngest daughter, you know what a handful she is. She is so full of energy and into everything. One of her favorite past times is making a mess. Wherever, with whatever, she just loves to make a mess. As I was looking through pictures tonight I couldn't help but laugh at some of the messes I have gotten pictures of.

A box of cereal in the floor.

Painting her body. She said it was soap, and she was washing.

Fun Dip

At the Easter party last year she and one of her friends dumped everyone's baskets out after the egg hunt. I'm just glad I didn't have to sort the eggs
back out.

And probably the worst of all, black fingernail polish.

Any suggestions about how I can get that out of the carpet. After she poured the polish into the carpet I put her in the shower and was trying to scrub it off. I think Avery could tell I was not happy, and she said, "We still love her mom, right?" Of course we do.
Last night after I finished washing the dishes I walked into the hall to find her asleep in the floor. It's hard being 2.

Women of Faith 2009

2009-08-22T22:56:00.005-05:00

This weekend has been one of the most life changing times of my entire life. There was a group of women from our church going to a women's conference in Dallas, and a couple of months ago I decided I would go. I had no idea what to expect, but I couldn't be more thankful that I made that decision. To see 16,000 women worship the Lord and hear stories from women that have overcome huge obstacles in their lives has definitely inspired me to live every day to the fullest. If you have never been to a Women of Faith event, you need to. I am already looking forward to next August. Great Parking Marla

This is Mandisa who was on American Idol. We could have listened
to her sing all night.

On Saturday we got boxed lunches and Mallory said, "Oh y'all look we can make lemonade." Marla had to inform her that those were wipes, not packets to make lemonade.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Yummy!

Steven Curtis Chapman

I have also included this video of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called Cinderella. It really touched me since I have two daughters.

Our New Dog

2009-08-22T22:47:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to share a few pictures of our new dog, Leo. The girls are so excited to finally have another pet. They have been begging for a dog for a while, and we finally gave in.

I couldn't end the post without this picture of my dad and Avery. The things a grandparent will do for their grandchildren.

Kara's Baby Shower

2009-08-17T22:23:00.005-05:00

This weekend was Kara's baby shower. She got lots of nice and useful gifts. Avery had so much fun helping open everything. Addison wasn't quite sure why someone besides her was getting all of the attention so she spent most of her time trying to entertain everybody.Her cake was made to look like the crib bedding. The K stands for Kherington. I didn't think they could fit the whole name on the cake.

Kara, my grandmother, and mom

After the shower Avery decided to sneak tape in her room and tape all of the tissue paper on her walls. I guess she decided it needed a little color.

29th Birthday

2009-08-13T14:12:00.003-05:00

Last night we went to Chili's for my 29th birthday. Thanks to all of my friends who made it a wonderful night and for the cute gifts.

Congratulations Mom

2009-08-12T00:11:00.012-05:00

I have started this post a few times, but never could find the words to say. As most of you know I am a teacher and chose this profession because of my mom. She taught Kindergarten for almost 30 years before becoming a school counselor and eventually an elementary principal. The neat part about it is that I had the privilege of working under her for the last 4 years. Not many people get to have their mom as their boss. Not only was she my boss, but also a person that I admire and can only dream of being like one day. She is one the hardest working people I know and was so passionate about her job. This summer she had the opportunity to take a new job working for different schools through the service center. I know that she was sad to leave the school district she had worked for for 35 years, but it was a change that would be better in the long run. I am so happy for her. Last night about 35 people from the elementary school went to eat at Two Senoritas as a going away party. Everyone went together to get her a Pandora charm bracelet with several charms on it. It is beautiful. Below I have posted some pictures from school and from the party last night. I love you mom, and good luck with your new job. We will truly miss you.This was from mom's 50th birthday at school.

This was mom's last night in her office. She was taking a break while we were packing.

Mom and Velma, our school secretary and one of mom's best friends

My mom, myself and Avery

Mom and Kara (her baby is due in 6 weeks)

McKLinky Blog Hop Favorite Photo

2009-08-11T10:04:00.006-05:00

This week I decided to participate in the Favorite Photo Blog Hop. These are a few of my favorite pictures, most of them being of my girls. Addison trying on items at the garage sale while talking to her Daddy on the phone.

Avery on Easter Sunday. Doesn't she have the most beautiful smile.

Avery trying to be like Nanny.

3/1/05 Aaron and Avery

Addison Grace

Avery having a very bad hair day.

Catching up

2009-08-10T10:02:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I posted. Life if getting very busy around here since it is almost time for school to start again. All of you teachers will definitely understand what I'm talking about. Last weekend we attended a birthday party for my husband's uncle, Dwayne. My girls adore him. He is usually the first one they run to every Sunday at church to give a hug.

This is his hay bale cake made by A Piece of Cake Bakery.

My in laws were keeping our niece and nephews for the week so Monday night we decided to go to the movies to see Ice Age. This was going to be interesting as it would be Addison's first trip to a movie theater. Any of you that know Addison know that sitting still and being quiet are two things she is not very good at. I was just counting on the popcorn to keep her occupied. Luckily there were only 2 people in the theater besides us. She did better that expected, but didn't understand you couldn't talk out loud to the characters on the screen. These are the shoes Addison chose to wear to the movies, and yes I did have matching ones packed in her bag.

Kelsey, Avery and Addison

Quincy and Eli

I spent the rest of the week getting ready for a garage sale. It was nice to get rid of all the things we didn't need or use anymore, but each year I forget how much work goes into it. Addison decided she would model some of the items for our customers.

Well that is all for now. I will be spending most of my time at the school this week and also getting ready for my sister's baby shower that is at my house on Sunday.

VBS 2009

2009-08-01T08:46:00.005-05:00

This past week we had Vacation Bible School at our church. The theme this year was Crocodile Dock. The kids loved the music, crafts and the movie they got to watch each night at the Dockside Drive-In. Our average attendance was 101 despite all the rain so that was a blessing. It is wonderful to see kids so excited about the Lord. One of the highlights each night was a visit from Cajun Man who was letting us borrow his swamp for Bible School. If you missed his performances I can only say , "You should have been there." Thursday night we had our closing program where the kids got to sing all of the songs for their families. Avery did a great job of learning so many new songs in just four days. She couldn't wait to show everyone how she could sing. I wasn't so sure what Addison would do. During practice every night she would get fussy and quit singing so I thought she would probably end up sitting with me before it was over. Boy was I wrong. She stood in front of all the kids and sang the songs like she was a star. It was so cute, and I couldn't believe she stayed up there so long. We had a great week and were sad that it was over. Here a few pictures from our week.

Aggie Football

2009-07-29T16:44:00.002-05:00

If you know me you know that I love Aggie Football. I just ordered our tickets for the Southwest Classic where A&M will play Arkansas at Cowboy Stadium. I can't wait. I'm kind of sad we won't be going to Aggieland for a game this year, but it will be very exciting to watch the first game they play at Cowboy Stadium. Regardless of where you are when you get that many Aggies together you are bound to have a good time.

I Don't Wednesday!

2009-07-29T11:05:00.004-05:00

1. I don't like waking up early.

2. I don't like when people drive slow in the fast lane.

3. I don't have any pets.

4. I don't do confrontation. I would just let something go before I would confronted someone.

5. I don't like living two hours from my sister although I know it could be farther.

6. I don't like cleaning, but it's what I seem to be doing all the time.

If you would like to read more from I Don't Wednesday you can visit Jenna's Journey.

One Brave Sister

2009-07-25T20:42:00.004-05:00

Last week I got a call from my sister telling me that she wanted Avery and Addison to paint some pictures for her nursery. She is having a little girl in September. My first thought was "Are you kidding?" I just couldn't imagine what kind of pictures she would be wanting them to paint to use as the decorations for her first child's room. I told her sure and just hoped for the best. I know. I should have had more faith in my children, but I will remind you they are 2 and 4. And from the looks of this picture, Addison and paint do not go well together. Kara came home for the weekend so Friday night we went to Paris to eat at TaMolly's and go to Hobby Lobby. Avery wanted her picture made with one of the scarecrows at Hobby Lobby. Only the girl one though. She said the boy was scary. We came home with paint matching her crib bedding and three blank canvases. (scary) Kara sketched designs on two of the canvases for Avery to paint and gave a blank canvas to Addison.
I wil say I am very impressed with how the pictures turned out, and the girls had so much fun. Especially knowing they were decorating their new cousin's nursery. It took a while, but I did finally relax and just let them paint how they wanted. My OCD was trying to take over and have them make everything perfect, but I'm glad Kara convinced me it needed to be their own work.

This is the bedding.

Here are the pictures after they are finished.

Show us your wedding dress

2009-07-24T09:32:00.003-05:00

Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting a tour of wedding dresses this week. Since I don't have digital pictures of my wedding dress, I decided to post a video of my sister and her husband's first dance at their reception. She had a beautiful dress, and they just celebrated their first wedding anniversary on July 12. If you haven't seen the video it is worth watching. Hope you enjoy.

More Summer Fun

2009-07-20T09:57:00.005-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the girls swimming at the pool. They were so sad to leave the hotel.

We got up Sunday morning and drove to Grapevine to eat at the Rainforest Cafe. Brad met us for lunch, and then he and Kara left to go home. Avery and Addison loved listening to all of the animals while we ate. Addison was thrilled because they sat us right next to the waterfall that she proceeded to play in throughout the meal. She had the front of her shirt soaked by the time we finished eating.

We got to enjoy a little shopping before it was time to leave for Dora Live. Addison was so excited that Nanny had gotten them tickets for her birthday. (Thank you Nanny) When we got there we bought their souvenirs first. (Thank you Pepaw, Mimi, Papaw and Grandma for our souvenir money) They each chose wands that spin and light up. Addison also got a Boots doll since Avery got a panda at the Rainforest Cafe. They both really enjoyed the show. It was all interactive so they got to dance and sing alot. I was suprised at all of the songs Addison knew the words to and could sing.

When it was time to leave we realized we had lost Addison's last pacifier. I know we should be getting rid of it by now, but it sure does bring peace and quiet during some very loud moments. Needless to say we stopped at the first Wal-Mart we saw to buy a new one. A car ride home from Dallas was not the time or place I wanted to start weaning my child from her paci. Luckily both girls fell asleep on the way home so we had a very peaceful trip back.

Dora here we come

2009-07-18T18:29:00.005-05:00

We left this morning at about 8:00 to head to Dallas. We were planning on meeting Kara around lunchtime to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, Chuy's. They have the best burrito I've ever eaten. I just wish there was one closer to home.

When we left Chuy's we drove to Arlington to check into the hotel. The girls couldn't wait to swim so of course that is the first thing we had to do.

They had a really neat splash park at the hotel. Addison spent most of her time there. Avery was in the pool swimming like a fish. She has taught herself how to swim without floaties this summer. I am so proud of her.After swimming we came back to the room to order pizza. These are the delicious cinnamon sticks we got with our pizza. YUM!
In the morning we are going to wake up and go to Grapevine Mills to eat at the Rainforest Cafe. Then we are on our way to see Dora Live. The girls are so excited. I hope we can get them to sleep tonight. I will update tomorrow after the show.

Weekend Fun

2009-07-14T17:44:00.005-05:00

We had several activities planned this weekend. Avery and Addison were so excited because Dylan and Kylee were coming to Bogata. Avery and Kylee were born on the same day, and they are very close to each other. It has been so much fun to watch them grow up together and watch them play. It's just too bad they don't live closer to each other. Friday night we brought Kylee home to spend the night with us. I think the girls tried on every dress hanging in closet. They are such girly girls.

Saturday afternoon we went to Dennis and Janice's house for a fish fry. Joanie (my best friend from high school) came over, and we played games and had time to visit. Joanie is expecting her second child in December, and we can't wait to know what she is having. The kids had a blast playing at Papaw and Grandma's house. They even got to play with Jake and Judd.Sunday night everyone came to our house for tacos. All of the kids enjoyed swimming and eating ice cream. Monday Dylan and Kylee had to go back to Arlington. Avery and Kylee were so sad, but they were already trying to make plans to see each other again. (not sure why she is doing this)

Avery, Addison and Kylee

Fourth of July

2009-07-10T23:33:00.004-05:00

Avery and Addison got these cute American flag dresses from Pepaw and Mimi.
On July 3rd Janice and I took Avery and Addison to see the fireworks in Paris. When we got there we happened to be at the same spot as one of Avery's best friends, Kaytie. All the girls ran around and played until it got dark and time for the fireworks to start. They really enjoyed the fireworks and weren't scared like I thought they might be.

We had a fun and relaxing 4th of July. Saturday afternoon we went to meet Erin and Colby at the lake. We went out on the boat and grilled hot dogs that afternoon. Avery got to ride the tube for the first time and loved it. We had a perfect spot on the lake because we were able to see two different firework shows. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Welcome!

2009-07-10T22:56:00.005-05:00

Welcome to my blog. I have been reading several blogs over the past few months and thought I would give this a try myself. I have never been a scrapbooker so I thought this would be a good way to document the things that are happening in our family. We have really been enjoying the summer. It is so nice to be off work for a couple months to spend time with my kids. In June my mother in law, Janice, and I took the girls to Arlington to visit their cousins and go to a water park and the Fort Worth Zoo. They had so much fun, and it was great to get all 7 grandkids together since that usually only happens on holidays.