My Baby is SIX!!

It's so cliche to say I can't believe that my baby is six years old, but I really can't. Seriously, I have a 6 year old? My baby. My last baby. Why do they have to grow up so quickly?



Yesterday (Now it's Wednesday. Her birthday is the 27th) we had so much fun celebrating Gracie. She requested donuts for breakfast and Rudy's for lunch. A home cooked dinner of chicken nuggets and mac and cheese was on the menu as well. Two of her favorite foods. Then later that evening, family came over for cake. And presents. And play time. Lots and lots of kids. Lots and lots of fun!

I'm so thankful for our sweet little Gracie. We prayed for her for so long and she came and she's perfect in our eyes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRACIE GOOSE! WE LOVE YOU!

A Little Tantrum

So I'm thinking I need to change my header. Considering it's almost Thanksgiving and my girls are in their Halloween costumes in the pic. Oops!

So, here's my tantrum. Being a mommy is hard. When your child hurts, oh my goodness, you hurt. I could punch some girls in the face repeatedly in the fourth grade at H's school. And not even feel bad about it. Mean bullies. Mean children. Just mean, mean, mean. I can't stand it.

H is not perfect. I'm the first one to say that. She can be mean. She can say things that she shouldn't say. But she's not a bully and 99.9% of the time she is a kind sweet girl. A kind, giving girl.

So, when H is hurt. I hurt. Tremendously. I am so proud of my daughter for being strong and mature about some things that have happened. So proud. Because I think she handled the situations better than me. Seriously.

I hope, I pray that I am a strong enough mom to get through all of this BS drama with girls.

Playing catch up

My next few posts will be me catching up on things. Pics aren't from my camera. It's been acting up lately. My hubby said he knows what I'll be asking for Christmas this year. :) He knows me so well! (Any recommendations on cameras are appreciated!) They're all from my phone. So, not the best quality but at least I have them.





Picture day for the girls. I totally spaced and didn't take one before we left the house, so I took one in the car. Ugh!!!




You may notice that they have the same shirt/jacket set on. This doesn't happen often. Hardly ever these days. But they both wanted it, so they agreed to only wear it the same day for pictures. Otherwise, they'll wear it on different days. So funny.





I can't remember where H was. Juniors, dance, a playdate maybe. But where ever she was, B, G and I went on a walk. G wanted to feed the ducks and ride her scooter. And a little swinging, too.

These pics are from last month. Now it's November and the weather has been COLD! It's crazy to look at these pics with G in a tank top and shorts since today she had on a velour jogging suit with boots on. I am not ready for the cold just yet. Waaaa!!!

The Fair

The fair. You either love it or hate it. I choose to love it. The food. The fun rides (minus the Ferris Wheel). The QT with family.

The second we walked in to the fair, we heard some colorful language being spoken next to us. My hubby looked at me with my eyes popping out of my head and said, "What do you expect? We're at the fair." Fair statement. And to be fair, I too, spoke with colorful language back in the day. Saying all those bad words somehow felt empowering. Now, not so much. I do, however, speak a little more colorful when I'm super angry or after a few drinks. Not sure why but it happens.

Back to the fair. We had the famous corny dogs. Yum! The Texas Twister Tators. Yum! And a funnel cake. Yum! Well, I had the funnel cake. My girls had ice cream. And, if you know Bryan at all, you know he had nothing sweet. He doesn't eat sweets. Crazy, I know.

We rode roller coasters, went through mazes, went down slides and, of course, rode the stupid ferris wheel. I say stupid because I don't like how high up it is. It makes me super nervous and it makes me have a major panic attack. In past years, I didn't ride it. Nope. Wouldn't do it. But, I did it this time. I'm working on getting over my fears. My sweet hubby held my hand the whole time and Gracie hugged me almost the whole time. H was Miss Practical and just kept telling me that it was a ferris wheel and it wasn't scary. I had to close my eyes at times and take deep breaths and soon enough it was over. Thank the Lord it only went around twice.

We didn't stay too long. Long enough to do what the girls wanted to do and to spend a small fortune. But all worth it. The girls will remember it. And that's what life's all about for me. Making memories that last a lifetime. Cue cheesy music and a Hallmark commercial here.

A few pictures from our adventure: (pics from my iphone so they're not the best quality)

The Crazy Mouse roller coaster. Crazy it is. It spins all around as it's twisting and turning on the track. This was on our way up. Exciting!

The good 'ol Ferris Wheel. Not.

They're deciding what ride to go on next.

After a "kiddie" roller coaster. H is thinking 1)I can't believe you made me ride that and/or 2)Put the stinkin' camera away, Mom!

She did it! She made it through the mirror maze.

Me and my girls.

My So Called Life

Did you ever watch that show? My So Called Life. I think it was with Claire Danes and that cute boy that always looked greasy. Josh Leto or something. I loved that show.

Life is crazy. Life is busy. Life is good though. I wouldn't change it for anything. Ok. I would change some things. But not a lot.

Working life is a big change. Enormous. I'm still adjusting. Still liking it though.

One thing I really miss is talking to my BFF every day! Kristin went back to work this year, too, and with the time change it's been hard to catch up every day. It's more like 2-3 times a week. I'm wishing it was July when we were in Florida visiting them. So much fun. I don't think I ever posted any pics from that trip, so here's a few.


Oh how I love the beach. The water. The sand. The sun.




This picture, oddly enough, was edited by an app on my phone. So fun.

And these 5 little girls. They will be BFF's for life, too. They hadn't seen each other in over a year, and they didn't skip a beat. They picked up right where they left off. 5 pretty little girls.

It's been so long . . .

It's been so long since I've blogged. Makes me sad because I really do like blogging. And reading blogs. But I've been keeping up on those!



It's been so long since I've worked!!!!! Oh my goodness!!!!! I do like it. I just feel like I'm not in the groove quite yet. Between two of us, we have 19 kids. 4 and 5 year olds. It's a little chaotic at times but today was only our second day. It will all be good. *I wrote this yesterday. Today was a good day. Day 3 with the kids. Maybe each day will be a little better than the day before!



It's been so long since it has NOT rained. Seriously. I think our house may float away. We did need rain though. It has let up a little this evening. The girls and I saw a rainbow on the way home from dance. *It did not rain at all today. Thank goodness because we have a leak in our guest bedroom downstairs.



It's been so long since I've been caught up with laundry. It's a battle I can NOT win. I'm ok with it. Thankfully we all have enough under garments and clothes to last us awhile.



It's been so long since I've been to a college football game (since last season). But we're headed to the UT game this weekend!! And I can't wait! Love me some Longhorn football!!! I'm even learning the players names! That right there is a big deal. And we found the cutest boutique that sells UT stuff. Stuff that I won't see a million other people wearing. The owner designs some of the stuff and only makes one in each size. Smart girl! Because we all know it sucks to be at a game or anywhere else and see other people in the same outfit.



It's been so long since . . . I don't know. I ran out of things it's been so long for. My brain is mush.

Tomorrow is Friday and I'm so excited about that! No work. Lots of errands to run. Laundry to do. House to clean. Lunch with my oldest. Tomorrow is going to be great!

Haylee

I have a NINE year old! How can that be?!?!

Haylee is an amazing girl! She's not so little anymore, growing up way too fast! Fourth grade is just around the corner for my sweet Haylee.

H has many traits of a first born . . . bossy, rule follower, a leader. She's so creative and loves to dance, too. There are a gazillion reasons why I love her. And always will. Not just because she's my daughter. Because I genuinely like her. And love her to pieces. H is so fun to be around and makes me laugh all the time.

We had her family birthday party back in July. When it was her birthday. She hasn't had her "friend" party just yet. Soon though.


The birthday girl. Dancing. Imagine that.



The sisters.



This was the first time ever that H asked for an ice cream cake. It looked delish!



These two people are two of my favorite girls in the world!!!!



Me and my nine year old.

Sisters.

Cousins. Love this picture. Wish we took one before the other cousins left. We would see 5 more boys!!!

A hug sandwich.

The older girl cousins.

Jurnee, my beautiful niece.

Sleepy Ella.

Funny moment here. I couldn't believe that JJ could pick my fat butt up! Seriously!

Sarah and Haylee. Pretty girls.

And our sweet Sugar girl. She slept so good that night. Worn out by all the excitement!

The night coming to end. A little snugly time with Uncle D.

Nighty-night time. Was a super fun night celebrating my baby girl.

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H's birthday morning. So excited about turning 9. 9 year olds know everything. In case you were wondering.

The zebra chair she's been wanting for her room.

A great year ahead of this girl! Happy 9th, Haylee bug!

Don't know where to start!

This was written last week--



It's been a long, long time since my last post. Feels like years. I know it hasn't been that long but that's how it feels. And now I feel so overwhelmed! I don't know where to begin. I have 878 billion pictures to download for posts and I just have no interest in doing it! Why can't you download more than five pics at a time on the blog?! It drives me crazy!





It was a crappy day, peeps. Crappy day! It started off with the girls and I walking out of the Y to a car that wouldn't start. That's always fun. I started. So I am a mess. Can't control my bitchiness. Just ask my hubby. He'll certainly agree! And, then to top it all off, I had an appointment to get my haircut and my hair girl didn't show! Now with that being said, I totally hope that everything is ok with her. I've called and texted with no answer, but I'm sure all is well. I just want my haircut!!! ***She is ok. I've heard from her.





So, where to start? My sweet Haylee had a birthday! She's NINE. I have a nine year old! WOW! Words can't describe how much I love her! She is so much fun to be around and she loves to laugh and to make people laugh. She's so creative, writes songs, loves to dance and make up plays. Her sweet smile is contagious and she exudes compassion. And, I must say, she's the best big sister ever! Haylee, of course, deserves a post of her own, and I will be sure to do so!!!


My youngest babe has lost two teeth and looks so precious. She is so excited about starting Kinder in a couple of weeks. I'm so happy for her but sad, too. My baby is growing up. I won't have any babies at home. :( But I won't rain on her parade. I'll cry after I drop her off in her classroom. I hope.

Lots of mamas going back to work! Me being one of them. I start the day after my girls start. I'm excited but nervous. Haven't worked since H was 4. And now I'm going to be responsible for 20 4/5 year olds. It will definitely take some time getting used to. Change is good, right??!!!

We've had a wonderful summer. But I do admit that I'm ready to get back to the "school schedule." A set bedtime. Regular family dinner time. A lunch packed that doesn't contain a hamburger and french fries from Sonic.

We've been going to the lake a lot lately. Haylee loves tubing. Gracie hasn't attempted it just yet. H is learning how to ski, too. The girls love to anchor and just jump off the boat and swim. Such quality family time. I love it!!


Well, off to go see my sweet little niece, Rhea. She had her tonsils and adenoids taken out this morning. She's spending the night at the hospital, so my other sweet little niece, Ella, is spending the night with us. It'll be a fun night!

My 652nd Post of our Trip and other stuff

Some more pics of the beautiful Virgin Islands.

This was taken on our boat trip. Just some of the pretty islands.

This was a spot that we snorkeled. I wish I had bought water cameras so we could've taken pictures of our snorkeling experience. Such a bummer! Lesson learned though!

I can't get over the beauty of the islands and the water. Just amazing!

99% of the time the girls were in the water when we were at the beach. So clear and calm!

The other 1% was spent playing in the sand or resting in the shade. I miss it!

On another note, these beauties (not these exact ones but they're very similar) were delivered to my casa this morning. Oh ma ga! I am so happy!! Already have a load in, and I keep going in to make sure it's on because it's so QUIET!!! And they're so pretty. I am happy to do laundry now! At least for today!!!


AND, this weekend is the FOURTH OF JULY! One of my favorites! I love everything about it! Red, white and blue everywhere. Family and friends. Grilling hamburgers and hot dogs and eating chips, beans and potato salad. Ice cold beer. Fireworks. Chalk and bubbles and outdoor games. LOVE IT ALL!!! We're so lucky to live in the USA!

I will be so sad that my bff, Kristin, and her family won't be here though! We've spent the past couple of years doing all of the fun 4th stuff together! Kaboom town, the Plano parade, BBQ's and fireworks on the 4th in Frisco.

We used to hang out with Casey and her family a lot on the 4th too, back in the day, when they called Texas home. Miss the Starnes family a lot, especially during the 4th!!!

Kristin's girls and my girls--Kaboom town. All bff's. Lifelong friendships here.

The Plano Parade. Long time tradition. You sweat your ass off, but we still go and sit out there. Have been for many, many years!

And the 4th. Fireworks watching in our hood. So much fun.

Miss you, Kristin! The good news is that we'll be in Florida with you all in 19 days!! 19 days!!

Can't wait!!

Hope all of you blogging peeps have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend! Happy 4th!!

July so soon?

June is almost over. Really?! I need this summer to SLOW down!!

Last week was wonderful. Filled with lots of play dates, watching movies (Toy Story 3 and Karate Kid), swimming and birthday parties. And, this weekend the hubby and I got TWO nights to ourselves. Kid-free. Sleepovers are awesome!

Friday night we had dinner at Fireside Pies and then went to a laid-back bar. We had so much fun, just the two of us! Then one of our best friends, Billy, met up with us. B and Billy are hilarious. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much!!

Saturday was spent at the pool with family and friends to celebrate my niece's birthday. Then home to cool off and watch movies.

Now on to Sunday. It's here already. Boo! Today we spent lots of time at Lowe's and Home Depot looking for shelving stuff for our garage. After we finally figured out what we wanted, we went home and got started. 4 hours. 4 hours in the blazing heat. That includes 2 trips to Goodwill and one trip back to Lowe's. I think I lost 5 lbs from sweating, but I gained it back from my yummy Taco Bueno dinner! The girls are at their sleepover. Hubby and I are watching Trueblood and are so excited that Entourage comes on tonight! We were supposed to go to dinner and a movie (either Knight and Day or Grown Ups), but we're old and we're tired from cleaning out the garage. Sad, so sad! But the truth.

This week is filled with play dates and sleepovers at our house. Summer-time. Gotta love it!!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Trip Continued

This day was one of my favorites of our trip. We chartered a boat and island hopped. Had our passports so we went to some British islands as well. Our captain took us to some snorkeling spots that 'tourists' didn't know about and they were amazing! We even snorkeled in some caves. That was a little creepy to me and the girls but oh so neat at the same time. As soon as it would get dark, we would turn around. Even if that meant a couple feet into the cave.



This little island is called Sandy Spit. We could walk around this island in about five minutes. Maybe less. It was gorgeous. One of the Corona commercials was filmed here. I could have stayed there for days.



Here it is again.

The girls taking a power nap while cruising to our next destination. They are such troopers!

We stopped at this island for lunch. Cute place. Pretty good food. Super nice people.

Some wild mules we saw. Captain Sam told us that the mules are nice for the most part but can be aggressive if people have food and try to feed them. They are wild animals for a reason!!

H blowing the conch shell. It took her awhile to get the hang of it, but she finally got it. Joe Joe (a guy that works at the lunch place) makes conch blowing (ok, that sounds really bad!) look really easy. It's not as easy as it looks, but he made it sound like a trumpet. Years of practice he says.

When is it my turn?!?!

Kara and Donny

My hubby and I. He makes me laugh.

H wanted me to take a pic of the shells that she found at one of the islands. I obliged.

More to come . . . lots more . . . probably more than you want!!