From Here 2 Adair

Adair CMas Flair

2011-12-05T14:00:00.001-06:00

This post is going to be HEAVY with pictures. Most of my family and some of W's have never been to our home for the holidays. We always travel to them so, when I talk about something in our house or what I am decorating for the holidays, or collecting etc. our family cannot visualize it at times because they have not seen my love for Cmas decorations. Yes, we I have a lot! I LOVE this time of year and having the house full of the things that remind me of family members, memories of special moments, things that mean Cmas to us etc. They are warming to our hearts. I know the true meaning of this season is Jesus and celebrating his birth but I love the coziness of these collected things that remind us of special times and family. I am seriously a collector in this area and each room has its own decor theme. I can tell you a story about every item in our house. They have been collected over the past 17 years. Augh - has it really been that long? Just so you know, our house has not always looked like this. Just ask W. Our first 3 years of marriage we did not even decorate. We would place a wreath on our front apartment door and some lighted garland out on our balcony in Chas, SC but we did not have a tree or anything. We typically flew out of town to see the family sometime before CMas eve and I felt like "why decorate, we are not here at all?" We would leave for our break sometime before the holiday and spend almost 2 full weeks between all the family until returning home after New Years. Maybe that is why I am making up for lost time now ??? but I know my love is also fueled by the desire to give K some wonderful CMas memories as well as collect things to hand down to her one day. It's important to us that she enjoy seeing all the lil things and sharing the memories of each ornament, snow globe, dancing/singing toy and can look back years to come on helping me get them unwrapped from the attic and setting them in their special spots. I have many wonderful memories of helping my parents and my grandparents decorate for the season and carrying that tradition over to my baby sounds like a great idea.

Front Door

K did not want to get rid of her cinderella pumpkin this year and I couldn't see throwing out pumpkins that were not bad yet so... we stole this idea from a friend off of FB. Our porch snowman...

pictures I took today of the porch once it got a bit darker...

I made this wreath 3 years ago. I am thinking I may need to add more bling to it next year.

Entry

The entry area and dining room have a Nutcracker theme. I have many memories as a child attending the preformances of the play and also as an adult. K has also been to several versions of the show the past 3 years. She adores getting them out of the box, unwrapping them and playing with them. They may be special decorations but she is allowed to play with them. We have aready repaired a couple of them. Many family members have given us these special guys. They are loved and treasured! I have them on the entry chest of drawers, above the door in the windows, sitting on the tea trolley in the dining room, on top of the armoire in the dining room and on a small side entry table. Some are new, some are old, some are sparkly and some, Not!

I found a nutcracker snow globe last year. It plays one of the the songs from the show. Before Bomb@y closed I found this nutcracker toy Cmas tree. You wind the tree and pull a plug on the drum base and the tree spins and plays O Cmas Tree. K gets a kick outta seeing it go round and round and playing with it.

Our stockings hang from the stair railing since we do not have a fireplace in this house.

My aunt Carolyn gave me the singing santa many years ago. K loves him! He sings a lot and dances. I made the wreath on the closet door in LR 9 yrs ago and the door hanger '"peace" was in my first apartment 15 yrs ago.

We drop all our Cmas cards (not the picture ones) in the robin box that I had in my 1st apt. as the season goes on. K loves digging them out and asking questions about who sent what again and again and...

Dining Room

I am slowly adding to this garland every year. Last year I added the lights. This year I added some sparkly beads and feathers. What will I do next year?

This dining room light is such an eyesore to me so this year I could not handle it anymore and I decorated it! I wanted to do an upside down CMas tree but, those guys are expensive and I didn't have enough time to try and make one on my own using a form, garland etc. So, this is what I came up with instead. Maybe next year it will be a tree?

My snow that our FitzNFloyd santa sleigh and reindeer are on is white rabbit fur. It is so so soft!

Kitchen

The theme in here is gingerbread houses and candy santas. My collection GREW once we moved here so most of this stuff is newer. I love the craftsmanship, detail and use ability of FitzNFloyd. There used to be an outlet 5 minutes from mom and dads house. I would get in trouble every time I visited. They had awesome sales (50 to 75%)... that is where any CMas money would go every time I visited.

All those times shopping for FitzNFloyd. Most of those moments were with my aunt Tina too. Some of these pieces were given as gifts though. The top 2 houses were from mom and dad and they are music boxes that play Cmas carols. I had them in other spots the past few years and K would wind them and dance to them all the time. They should be down for her but they seemed to fit better here on the bakers rack this year.

There is a santa candy jar my aunt Tina gave me years ago...when I was in my first apt... that I love seeing and filling every year. Have I said I have awesome family members? Even married and away they still send us a small gift every year that I love and cherish.

This is how I feel this time of the year! Giving is so fun! I am thankful we have been blessed to be able to give.

My MIL gave us these cute guys. I love them. They are baking gingerbread cookies and such.

W had an advent calendar as a kid and wanted K to have one too. I took the idea a step farther after we paid $15 the 1st year (she was 2 yrs) for a paper one filled with candy. I couldn't see paying that much money and trying to hunt one down every year so thanks to PBK her 3rd CMas I discovered this one that needed some fixing up online and grabbed it for a steal. K looks forward everyday to coming home and finding what candy is behind each door and counting down the days until CMas day. I love filling it with different candies she loves! The silver reindeer were in my first apartment and I thought they looked cute beside this house.

More FnF fun.

It seems "Rudy" our elf on the she!f got into the santa candy jar last night. He must be helping himself because candy is everywhere.

I made this gingerbread candy cane wreath in LR also. It used to hang on our back door to the garage. Now it hangs on our kitchen wall.

Den
This is the coziest room to me! I love laying/sitting/relaxing in here this time of the year. There is not a fireplace but with the tree lit and the garland on the hutch on... it is so peaceful! We love it! Our tree is huge. I purchased it the year W was deployed. We had a tiny 4 foot tree and I was determined K was going to have a nice tree the year her daddy was gone plus I wanted a nice tree for the hubby to come home to. Even if it was Jan 30th. We waited to open gifts with him that year too. So I purchased a 10 ft tree. Drug it out of my car Piece by Piece because it was entirely too heavy and with sheer will power and determination I got that thing up the stairs and into this house. I will NEVER do it alone again! It truly was for the love of CMas and giving K and W a tree that I got it together. Yes, I sat on the floor bawling after it was together but I did it! We started collecting ornaments years ago but our collection was still small especially when I put them on this giant. HA! This tree has evolved... there are many special irreplaceable ornaments on it. We sit and talk and share memories all the time while gazing at it. We have ornaments from our wedding day, ornaments from aunts, ornaments from special times (W deployment ... a few family members got Chr!stopher Radk0 ornaments that represented the US or patriotism, as well as Ks birth) etc. Since this room has a santa theme the ornaments that are on the tree are mostly Chr!stopher Radk0 santa ones. I know they are expensive but there are tricks to getting them cheaper if you shop, watch and collect them slowly. I think it makes them more special that way anyway.

My Dad bought this santa sitting reading when K was 2 yrs old. Santa reads the N!ght before Cmas story, his head, lips etc actually move. K loves it!

My MIL bought K the nativity scene when she was 3. It is all wood pieces and the barn doors actually close and lock. She moves the pieces around all the time. The animals and shepherds are never in the same place!

Awe! The couch. We have had the pillows since we moved into our home in LR. Then it was my way of making our den festive. Again, we didn't go crazy on CMas decorations because we would travel and we were not home much, even though we owned our own home. Mickey and the puppy sitting on the couch, play music and move. Again, K loves them! CMas is for the kids.

We started collecting snow globes in LR that had special meanings to us. I have CMas carolers, santa reading a list of naughtys and nice kids, a nutcracker scene and others. They all light up and play music. We have 2 sterling bells currently. One dated 1999, the year we married and 2005, the year of Ks birth. Then we have a plate for Santas cookies, reindeer treats and a mug for milk. The two side pieces are again... FnF musical pieces. The plates are from our denby wedding registry and we added the holly pattern plates soon after getting married.

I have had this reindeer since my 1st apt and after seeing K enjoy playing with him I found a sleigh and a porcelain vintage santa to add to her playing enjoyment.

Again, many treasures from dear family members.

Loft

The loft area is ever evolving. I have great ideas for it but I am not going to take over the toys just to decorate it ...yet! I asked K this year if she wanted me to put the small tree up there with all the angels and bell ornaments we have (from our home in LR) and she was not so thrilled about it so... I have just added a few items for now. It is all about her and the CMas things She has created over the past 5 years or special gifts she has been given.

From our home to yours... Merry Christmas!

Game 4

2011-04-16T16:05:00.071-05:00

Pre-Game Players and Parents Pledge

Team Huddle

Kick Off Cheering between best-ies

Working on getting into the mix

Game 3

2011-04-11T21:56:00.056-05:00

This game was as much fun as our first game. The other team players seemed a bit smaller than some of our girls but 3 of their girls knew how to use their arms and keep everyone out of their way when they wanted the ball. They also outran our girls, but our girls played better offense. They kept the ball on the opposing teams side of the field most of the game. They ran down the field faster than our girls but I am hoping that was because it was an early morning game and the girls were a little sluggish. I think K could possibly have stayed beside the faster girls but she did not run as much this game. She skipped some.???. Please don't ask me why, I am not quite sure of the reason.

She had her game face on and had fun playing. She played all the positions again. She blocked 2 possibly 3 attempted goals as the goalie. We are proud of her!

Pre-game... The Players Pledge

So sweet... K and Sarah during the players pledge.

Starting players on the line.

Two players with completely different views. K showing her game face to the opposing team. Who knows what they thought of her! What an intense girl. Sarah checking it all out.

**These you should enlarge... look at her face!

Bryn ran up and got into the pre-game smack talk with K.

And yes, I saw LOTS of smack talk although I have NO idea what was coming out of her mouth. Surely it was good sportsmanship words.

K snarling at the Tigers with a few missing teeth.

I still laugh seeing these pictures and I can not believe she did that! She comes from a competitive family on all sides so I suppose I can not blame her. We're not sure where the smack talk and pre-game stare down came from though...we definitely haven't coached her up on that (Yet) ...according to Wade).

Corner kicking

What form!!!

Sarah and her determination

CBC girls... all three girls go to school together.

Lexi, K and Sarah

The coach rotated the girls again but this time he put in 5 players together and relieved them with the other 5 girls. K, Sarah and Lexi worked together as part of their 5.

The goalie cheering on her teammates.

Tunnel time

Bryn, Lexi and Sarah

K and Kelly (Kelly is the coaches daughter)

The girls won game 3! The score was 3 - 1. K was so excited to be a part of the winning team. I can't wait till the next game...

Kicking for fun...

2011-04-10T14:28:00.003-05:00

Awe, the life of soccer. I was around it most of my childhood life while my brother played and now... K is playing soccer. To be a soccer mom! hehe  minus the suburban or mini-van, thanks!!! K's team, the Gators have had 3 games now and she has played in 2 of them. We missed her 1st game due to a death in the family but she is picking up the sport and the spirit of the game quickly.

The verdict...K LOVES it! I have a feeling we may be playing this sport many more seasons.  She is already dreading the summer coming because she knows soccer will be over.  She loves this fast paced game and we think her favorite position is defense. She is wonderful at guarding the goal and being the goalie. She falls into this position naturally. Although the coach rotates the girls in forward positions and defensive positions, K always falls back and guards the goal when the opposing players get near.

Being on the sidelines as a parent is Totally different! I am loving watching her play and encouraging her and her teammates on. I think I yelled more in game 3 than in game 2 and possibly more than Wade did. oops!   It is fun and cute watching them play and figure the sport out.

The Gators Game 2 pics (K's 1st game)... chomp, chomp (with arms out)!

Sarah and K

Sarah sooooo proud to be Number 1!

The girls got to pick the number they wanted to be. The smaller jerseys were numbered 1 to 8. Numbers 9 and 10 were larger... hence K needing one of them. She chose number 10. Kyle what number were you? I sadly cannot recall it.

Pre-game photo ops from the mama-razzi!

Pre-game huddle time

K cheering on her team on the sideline as she waits for her turn to play. Again, the coach is Great about rotating all the girls so they each get plenty of time to play and learn all the positions. She intensely does NOT want anyone to score a goal on her team. More pics on her feelings for this game are below...

This is Sarah's second year to play. She wants to score goals!

(To see the intensity in her face, click on the picture to enlarge it.)

I Love Sarah's intensity to get the ball moving down the field!

(another pic to click and enlarge)

K and her 1st corner kick op.

Yes, we are learning to control ourselves more with time. teehee Sooo cute to see her trying so hard though. ...enlarge this pic too : )

Getting in the mix and playing the game... I LOVE IT!!! Wade and I are seeing sports in completely different positions - as a parent.

enlarge these too

Her 1st throw-in

You canNot miss this face so enlarge it grandparents!

This may be "ONE" of the pictures of the year. (You have not seen the pics from game 2 yet) This is K's "BULL face" or game face. She got to go to her 1st Tuesday practice before we had to head out of town (missed her 1st game) but we made it back to town so she could attend her 2nd practice as well. While we were getting ready for that 2nd practice she looked at herself in the mirror, put up her muscles and then snarled at the mirror. I said "sweetie, what are you doing?" She said, "MOM, this is my bull face! I am getting ready for the big game!" I said, "K, honey, this is just practice, not a game." She said "Mom! I know but I have to have on my game face there too." All I can say is OH MY! Whose child is this?

K as goalie...stopping a ball from going in. She stopped 2 balls from going in this game.

Sarah attacking the ball again.

By the way, K loved when the ref called for a ball from the players and Wade threw in hers first. It was not expected or planned but K enjoyed every moment of knowing "her" ball was the game ball. She talks about the grass stains now. They lost 2-4. But, they had a great time playing and I know K learned a lot. She even discovered that there are time when you may play a game against someone you know. One of her friends from school at Parkhills and her Ballet class last year was a player for the other team. They were both quite shocked to see each other.

Another note to remember for future knowledge. She has yet to say she is nervous to play or practice in front of everyone. I am not sure what it is but the kid is scared to death of a stage and she has NO problem getting out in front of people sitting on the sidelines yelling at her. I think, nope, I know, she loves this game. You know how she is always asking what "her talent is." I think we may have found it. I think she is destined to play sports. If it is a new chapter with soccer, who knows? I'll post game 2 pics soon.

Thanks Amy for asking us to play.

Leaving an impression

2011-04-03T21:46:00.000-05:00

My uncle Brian emailed W and I this very sweet and thoughtful letter while we were in the midst of some hard days. We were trying to figure out what God wanted us to do...what was the "right" thing to do according to His word, what was best for our family and for my health. This letter shocked both of us in a positive way. It was amazing having a family member reach out and tell us "Don't give up." God was wonderful to us because He worked through Brian at just the right time.

A few weeks after Brian left us here on earth I re-found this message. To this day, this message means more than I can explain to both W and I and it once again had amazing timing when I read it. I will cherish this for the rest of my days.

We know you are in better hands Brian but you are and will be missed here. We will remember you! Thank you for touching our lives, being such a strong Christian and being my uncle. Love, K

Here is a portion of the letter...

From: Brian E. Sn0dgrass

Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 12:09 PM
To: 3adairs@satx.rr.com
Subject: Our Request for New Life

Wade and Kristi,

Don’t Give Up!
Psalms 37: Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. …and what a priceless desire.

A Prayer for New Life

Heavenly Father, I come into Your presence to intercede on behalf of Kristin and Wade Adair in their efforts to conceive new life. We pray these things in faith believing, You, Heavenly Father are the Creator of everything seen and unseen. Thank you, for the gift to W and K of little K. It is their earnest desire to give her a sibling, and in doing so, praising you and glorifying your Holy Name.

I pray that, “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may move close to the Adairs and make your face to shine on us on them. Please intervene supernaturally and grant their request for new life, ensuring successful conception and full term delivery to birth and that all physical attributes are normal and healthy in every way for the baby. We speak a blessing unto Kristi that she be granted good health throughout the pregnancy in provision for the baby. Please protect Kristi and the new life she will carry. Surround Kristi with that protection and love. Let her know You are always there.

We understand the magnitude of this request and pledge undying commitment and praise to you.

We pray that this child live a long and healthy life in you. We pray that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto this child, “the eyes of your understanding and be enlightened, that this child may know what is the Hope of His calling, and the riches of the glory of His inheritance,…and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe.”

Thank you Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. Thank you, Jehovah Shalom, our Peace, Jehova - Nissi, Our Victory! “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you”,

W and K, “with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!”

Thank you, Father.

In Christ’s Holy Name, Amen"

Decision Made

2011-03-06T00:47:00.000-06:00

I have found some peace. Don't get me wrong. I am still wounded and troubled on occassion by many small reminders but otherwise I feel good about our decision and what is next in our life and road together.

We will try IVF again. Not tomorrow because right now, it's a matter of waiting. We need to get the money together "once again." Then we will also have to wait our turn at the clinic. Wi!ford Ha!l does not schedule appointments for IVF patients every month. They do their IVF procedures in Jan, Apr and Aug of each year. They see 3 to 4 groups (weeks) of IVF patients. I have No Idea how many total patients they see a day or month but I know they have long. crazy. busy. days during IVF cycles. These doctors still continue to see their IUI patients as well as perform any other hospital functions such as making rounds, weekend calls, dealing with any patient pressing issues and seeing "new patients."

After W and I gave ourselves time to think and heal from this failed cycle, we decided we would like to try IVF one more time. Here is our thought... I am not getting any younger. Yes, people over 40 have children all the time. But, Do I want to be pregnant over 40? No, not really, but you know, I trust God. God has a plan for our family and if his plan for us is to spend quality time with K and grow together even more before we add to our lil nest, then I will accept it. Even at the ripe age of 40. It is so funny to me how our opinions and views can change or grow on some issues. Right now, what was My Plan has not worked out. I would have had our 3 kids and a beautiful busy life if we were living according to my dream. But, there is a purpose greater than I can see... I know that! Do I like it that my plan is not falling into place? I will answer that with a question. Can I change it? No, I have tried! I am hardheaded and it seems possible that God needed me to hit the wall a few times before I was still enough to listen to him on this topic. I can now see that my desire, monterary means, age, stress, weight, etc etc can not change any of what I have or do not have currently. I thought I knew all that but I now think God needed W and I to grow closer to each other again and to Him again. Are we being tested and molded into something new? Something greater?

What I can change and will prepare for this next time is to have a positive outlook. We will not give up yet. God said our road here on earth will not be easy all the time. This could possibly be "our time" to show our faith, our persistence and some grace. I have also researched a lot and discovered if I want to "help" myself some, I may be able to add a few supplements to my daily routine to possibly help my egg quality. I am also leaning toward checking out acupuncture. I have had several friends who have utilized these services with great success and positive outcomes. I figure I will also try to lose a few pounds the next few months before it's our time to cycle again. Can't hurt, right! I know I have been told repeatedly about no dieting becasue it can greatly change your numbers and affect your egg quality or quantity but I am not going to be extreme and try to starve myself or anything. I think I will try to be smarter about what I am eating and HOW MUCH. Stepping away from the table a bit sooner should help, right?

That's the decision we have made for now. We think we will be asked to be a part of the April cycle but we are not certain about that. The doctors will give us a call when they start planning for the next cycle.

Decisions

2011-02-15T21:34:00.000-06:00

I got the call. Dr. R called today at 1:17 (right before I had to leave to pick up K- ugh). I knew the answer that was coming but hearing it from him ...my doctor... the one who preformed all the procedures, was a whole different experience. We are heartbroken but I had a feeling this was coming.

This is a really hard thing to understand and deal with but Wade and I have been through a BFN (big fat Negative - that is actually a medical term believe it or not) 6 other times after all our IUIs failed so we will be ok after the shock and frustration wears off. We have also dealt with having to cancel a few cycles due to active cysts growing on my ovaries from all the meds. And, the one month we did get a BFP (big fat positive) we ended up dealing with the loss of a baby just a day before I turned 9 weeks pg. That was sooooo much harder than finding out it never happened. It will take time and I know distractions, K, and God can help us keep our minds busy and focused on the here and now.

Looking back, IVF was a wonderful experience for us. It may be controversial for some but I/we have had a positive experience throughout it. The staff was wonderful and supportive (we actually miss them when we are not in the clinic each month), our doctors are truthful and easy to communicate with and we felt God was walking with us on occasion. I recovered VERY quickly from the retrieval and although the injections are NOT my favorite part of the process, they were not that bad. Thank you to my sweet, strong, courageous steady handed husband. You were wonderful! A++ honey. IVF is also a very indepth procedure that gives the participants a lot more information than is available in any other procedure or reports. We walked away with more info than we had before doing IVF. It has given us some insights to consider and pray on. Now, we have a lot of talking, praying and soul searching to do the next few weeks and possibly months. I did get to talk to Dr. R on the phone for a full 20 minutes and he was very open and honest.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the love, support and encouragement prayers and hugs. We really needed them and we have felt so uplifted by many of you. Please pray for God to guide us and REVEAL his path to us and that our hearts are open and our brains and ears are listening. God truly is in control. Even in in virt* ferti!iz@tion. There are many moments during the process that He can and probably does change outcomes. Hugs to each of you. We love you!

Data and Numbers

2011-02-07T09:57:00.187-06:00

Update, update!
4dp3dt (4 days post 3 day transfer)

We transferred back a total of 3 eggs. 3 eggs, you say! There was a reason. We went into the transfer appointment Thursday knowing we only wanted 2 eggs transferred but a decision was placed in front of us.

Let's give you a little background info.  On Monday after my ER (egg retri*val) Dr. R told us I did wonderful and we got 6 eggs total. We did not opt to freeze any eggs so we did not retreive as many eggs as most couples normally do.  Dr R was not sure how 1 of our 6 eggs would develop because it was immature (meaning under-developed). It did sluff off within 24 hrs before fertilization could occur. That left us with a total of 5 eggs on Tuesday. When the clinic called us Tuesday afternoon for the 24-hour embryo update and a follow up on how I was feeling Dr. R said 4 eggs were fertilized. Yippee! He also said 1 of the eggs did not get fertilized. He then asked us to prepare for our  ET (egg transfer) on Day 3 which would be on Thursday Feb 3. Total eggs now possibly growing = 3. We have 3 little embabies possibly growing in the lab. Wade wants to go sleep in the room with them and encourage them along. I'd just like to see them and whisper sweet dreams and promises to them.

When we showed up for our consult on Thursday prior to the transfer, Dr. R shared how we had some decisions to make. He talked extensively with us about some results, data, statistics, and philosophically as well about embryo quality, implantation, etc. He was very candid and sincere. I even asked if this was his wife what he would do. Doctors always LOVE that question! Our decision was to decide on the number of eggs we want transferred back in. We had 1 of our remaining 3 eggs that more than likely was not healthy. It did not grade very well compared to our other two eggs and had a very small chance of implantating.

The egg in question was a 5 cell C with 60% fragmentation. The other two were 6 cell C's with 20% fragmentation and 25% fragmentation. Dr. R said we had about a 35% chance of getting pregnant this cycle. Those numbers may not seem great to you but WOW! That is double the success from our past IUI experiences.

Now, a 5 cell embryo is not a terrible egg. It can implant and has been known to implant but the 5 cells coupled with all the other statistics (fragmentation) it had, it made the chances (<1%) to implant highly improbable. Most eggs need to be somewhere between 6 to 8 cells or more by Day 3 of development to implant properly. It was also graded a C because it had some differences in the size of the dividing cells. Typically they need to be somewhat similar in size, round not oblong or irregular. The worst factor for that third egg was it had 60% fragmentation which meant it possibly had some DNA issues. An egg that is more than 25% fragmented has pieces of the cells broken off inside the egg which does not allow it to stick to the uterus lining very well if at all. There was a chance it could stick and implant because it has happened before but it would be highly unlikely. Another aspect Dr R asked us to consider was if it did implant, it could repair itself and everything would be okay or we could miscarry.   Dr R also said it is thought that these eggs could have some semblance between them and that it could encourage the other 2 eggs to implant. That info with the fact that the egg would just be tossed if we did not transfer it, helped Wade and I decide that we had to have faith and trust God to take care of us. So, leap of faith time! We put all three of those embabies back in utero and prayed for the best.

He knows what we can handle.   Time to step up once again and Trust in Him.

Today I am PUPO (pregnant until proven otherwise). I have 3 embabies on board. I am resting as much as one can with a child in the house and my Type A personality. We are excited, faithful, prayerful, hopeful but realistic. Only God knows our hearts. Only God knows our future.

Ready Set Go

2011-01-30T23:30:00.031-06:00

I made it! I know this picture is very personal but I am proud of myself for getting through these needles. I had a meltdown after Day 1 because I was not so sure I could handle all of them. I am growing! I know it may seem pretty odd that I took a picture of my stomach with permanent marker all over it too. The past few cycles Wade and I have been writing messages after each shot to mix it up and have some fun with all the needles and this process. It's our way of lightening the situation. some examples of messages include...B-Boy, G-Girl, Happy Faces or Circles for lil eggs. I am proud to be at this point. I made it to a place where I never thought I'd feel comfortable. Injections are still Not my favorite thing to do in this world but I had a wonderful nurse. Mr Wade! We are ready for our ER (egg retrieval) on Monday. I have had 23 injections to date (over the course of 9 days) while consuming 4 meds this past week. One of which I was taking every 6 hours and had to wake at night to take it. I think I was more worn out from that every evening than all the injections. Needless to say, I now know that I can make it through all these injections if I have to. Thank you Lord for the peace, strength and comfort. Thank you Wade for your love and support.

Coming Full Circle

2010-11-19T02:55:00.036-06:00

We have decided to do it!

The one thing that both Wade and I thought over 2 years ago we would NEVER consider. Who does IVF (in vitr0 inferti!iz@tion)? Most of the people we know that have chosen IVF have had medical reasons for doing so and we are just unexplained. We both knew our path to having another baby may not be easy but we did not think we would NEED the help of doctors to have another child. Or even utilize the help of doctors to remove eggs from me, let those sweet lil eggs fertilize outside of me and then transfer them back to me. Lesson to us... BE OPEN to new things and know that life, that God can change or present you moments or obstacles that change how you feel, think and act. I think we may be a little hardheaded because we had lots of lessons this summer. Wade and I both know and have experienced how God can and will open doors and just because we are scared of something new and different, it does NOT make it a right or wrong decision. I know I am no longer scared of having a miscarriage because I know if I have to. I will survive and can get through it with the love of my husband and help from our family and friends.

Our decision to try IVF was NOT a decision we made quickly or without the thorough indepth study of research, MANY meetings and conversations with our RE's (repr0ductive end0crino!ogists). We also prayed for doors to be opened and answers to be revealed to us. Month after month after month of trying on our own. 2 years to be exact! Then the last 2 years we have lived through month after month of doctor visits, test after test, blood work, pills, injections and indepth through review of our medical history and background. We have endured almost 4 years of infertility. Four years of wanting to have a baby. Four years of hearing about numerous family and friends impeding pregnancies and then hearing about them having their babies. Hoping that "maybe" we will be next. Thank goodness I am not a jealous person (Thank you Lord!) because I have truly been thrilled for our family and friends and the little miracles that they have been so very blessed with.

We will be starting this phase of treatments in Jan with lots of faith and hope as well as a ton of fear. I am ScAreD of all the needles and blood work that will be in front of me. How I will or may I "act" while on all these hormones is also another concern. It's a good thing I did not know ALL the details to IVF before now because I may have run the other way. But, the money is gone now. The paperwork has been signed, mailed and delivered. We think our prayers have been answered and it feels right. We made our decision together so it's time to have a new experience. Others we know have utilized the help of doctors with IVF procedures. Some of those we know have had their one or two babies, others have one or several failed cycles. We do not want to continue to go on and on but we know we want to give it at least one try for now. It truly will be in Gods hands and we will take it one day and one step at a time.

Trusting your instincts and Answers to questions

2010-08-26T13:37:00.222-05:00

Over two years ago I sat in a bathtub bawling after a full day of dealing with patient advocates at R@nd0lph. We were trying to get me into the inferti!ity program at Wi!ford H@ll or in to see an Ob/Gyn to see IF there was something wrong with me. We had already ruled out any possible issues with Wade so it was time to investigate my medical history. We needed to find out WHY we could not get pregnant after almost 2 years of trying every month. I was soaking in my bath when I became overwhelmed with emotions from the all the conversations and events. I was bawling nonstop and in walked Wade. He asked me "what was wrong." I shared with him how overcome I was with this uncontrollable fearful emotion that "the road we are about to take is going to be long and hard." Wade being sweet and optimistic leaned over and said... "we will find a way, and this process has just started, be hopeful!" Wow! That was over 2 years ago and here we are... still trying with the help of doctors.

Today, I'm back on the roller coaster. This roller coaster is where my emotions roll from great, positive and hanging onto every ounce of faith I have and can find in any given day, week or month to then facing reality. (I am more of a realist.) The reality for me is we may never have another child. We may never know what God has planned for our family and why we could not have another one on our own. We may not get that positive pregnancy sign on a stick again. Yep. That reality - sucks! When these emotions hit me, they hit, and they hit hard and it hurts badly. I know there are worse things that can happen in life but right now, this is it for us.  It's an experience where you dream of having something and you know that it is attainable. Many, many people have babies every minute from ALL walks of life. Including those in our families. This experience certainly can shake every fiber of my being. On bad days, it makes me feel not even 1 mm tall.   OR that I have failed as a mother to K or a wife to Wade. Yes, these are only momentary thoughts but as the "analytic" that I am, they do enter my mind and make me wonder.

Monday was my bad day. I went to bed Sunday evening decently early (11pm) and got up frantically at 5:20am. I woke my sweet little girl at 5:45 and hit the road to make my first round of IUI (intr@uterine ins*mination) doctor appointments again after our miscarriage.  We signed into the lab and waited, I gave more blood, We signed into the infertility clinic and waited for more than an hour before being flagged for an exam room and then in the exam room, we waited for 10 more minutes.  We were then invited into the ultrasound room and we heard the words 7(my uterus lining) , 9 over 10 left, 9 over 12 right and then the doctor said "your ovaries look good and this is the plan for this month". This month I am on 75mg of F0l!istim. Dr K titrated me down from 100mg because I responded so well in April when we fell pregnant and this month I have 2 more days of injections. Hence, 75mg of the good stuff.  We then headed to the pharmacy and waited for my drugs - injectibles. More injectibles! Have I said I HATE NEEDLES!!!!??!!! I hate what my stomach looks like after 8 or 9 days of injections too. Wade is getting lots of experience with giving me shots. I wonder if he even imagined doing that? I definitely do not feel attractive when I am getting daily shots in the stomach. How can someone feel attractive after giving themselves shots to control their fertility cycle?   We left the hospital and came home from my doctors appointment to the reality that once again life was in a precarious 2 week cycle.  Our first 2 weeks of a cycle are determined by doctor appointments, injection timings, blood work appts, ultrasounds and then the IUI ins*mination appointment. The next 2 weeks of the month are easier on our schedule but a bit more emotional. Awe, the waiting begins...

Do I feel pregnant? Will it be this month? What does God have in store for us? I have been wondering and asking those questions for years now.   Do you wonder how long I will hang in there? Do you wonder why I (or we) put myself through all of this? Do you think I am not having faith that God will provide? I have read many blogs, studies and infertility boards where these words were said to a woman going through this experience. All I can say is that for my experience and my journey, I pray several times a day that God guides us on the right path and that He helps us to make the right decisions for our family. We get as educated as we can each month. I know God can give us a child and I know there may be a day when it happens. I have faith in Him and in ourselves and the RE (reproductive endocrinologists) who are currently treating us. I also understand there may come a day when we have to say, "We gave it our best and it just was not meant to be. That is all we can do."   Thank goodness Monday was my first bad day in 7 weeks.

So another question we have been asked or suggested to consider... Are we ready to adopt? It's a simple answer... No, Not yet. Why?  Life was not promised by God to be easy or fair, we are still "unexplained." We are still decently young and we believe God has had his hand in our decisions and opened doors for us. We also do not feel like we have exhausted our current resources. We ~~need~~ no, have to be at peace or in a place of comfort with the fact that we have tried the best we could to utilize all our current available resources, energy, etc to have our OWN child before we can consider moving onto someone else's child. And yes, we know there are many wonderful amazing children waiting for the right loving christian parents. We have seen and lived through this experience with a few of our dearest friends. But, This process and experience of trying for your own child is not one where you get a suggestion and run with it. Do you know the energy, time and expense that is invested into a cycle?   That just touches the surface of what we are dealing with each month.

It's funny and odd to me having these feelings because I thought I had dealt with all these emotions. I have been so good and positive lately and then Monday, I was hit like a tornado. I was a mess! I guess early mornings, waking my sweet lil girl up way to early, hormones and uncertainty can bring down the best of us. But, I gave myself time and I prayed. I am back up and I am not thinking about what I am doing (the shots) each day and just taking it for the team and enrichment of our family. This team wants a baby! This team wants a healthy baby that I can carry to term. A baby that will grow and share life experiences with K as well as her mommy and daddy. We also would like to have a baby to celebrate this gift that only God has given all of us - our time here on earth together.

A Lack of Knowledge

2010-08-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

I have learned as I have aged... There are times in our lives where we will not get answers to our questions. That is as long as we are here on earth. Never in my life has that phrase been more apparent to me than this past summer. Two major events took place in our life that rocked my world! They have changed the way I feel about everything. I am not sure what is going on in my family or why it seems every few months something else is changing. I am also not sure of some of the lessons we are to gain from these events But! It is changing the way we (Wade and I or at least the way I) think and the way we look at our stay here on earth. Nonetheless, these things are occurring and we are living through them. Praise the Lord. I know through many conversations that both Wade and I are operating in an overwhelmed, shaken nature these days and we are more aware of life on earth but we are taking tiny, little steps each second, minute, and day together. Right now, it's the only way I can survive each day.

Oh, how life has been nuts! From our miscarriage late in June to my cousin Jeff and his wife Kammy losing their beautiful baby girl, Peyton, at 23 months old to a snake bite. What heart shattering, life altering experiences! I have never cried or questioned life like I have the past two months. I have been on my knees more with these two events... trying to comprehend what happened and why, what could have happened, and why God allowed these two events to take place. I do know that losing the baby Wade and I so deeply wanted was shocking, overwhelming and horrible for us because we have tried diligently for another child for 3 years now but our pain does seems a bit smaller, especially compared to my cousins loss. Does it make it any easier? Definitely NOT! They are both losses and they cannot be replaced or changed. I know without a doubt though that two very sweet little angels are waiting up in heaven for us!

I cannot tell you how many times I have thought to myself, "Lord, I am not sure how much more I can take. I sure hope your coming is soon because I think I am ready after all the pain I have seen and felt this past year." Then I have days where I think to myself that if God and Jesus had to endure all the pain they did in their lifetime, who am I to think I cannot endure any more? If they can suffer through their trials and still live a wonderful, full, giving, open life, I too must try to press on and find some peace and happiness. What would He want me to do?

Do I know without a doubt more today than yesterday that I am loved? YOU BETCHA!!! Do I know more than ever that Life is precious? You better believe it! I cannot wait to meet our little boy up in heaven. Maybe then we will get some answers to all our questions but then again. Maybe by then we will understand more and not need them. Please continue to pray for my cousin Jeff, his wife Kammy and their 3yr old boy Tristan as well as the baby that Kammy is carrying. She is due early March 2011.

Princess K's Room

2010-08-12T22:13:00.000-05:00

(I purchased these letters, painted them white then glued the fabric on. The fabric is from the baby bedroom I put together in Little R0ck before we moved.)

This post is for my SIL Heather who is currently working on her soon to be sweet baby girls nursery. We have been chatting together the last few weeks over this and that and I told her that I would post some pictures of K's room since she has not seen her room since it was transformed from a baby room to a big girl room two years ago. There are still a few small details that need to be fixed or taken care of but for the most part... it's together.

This is the only room in our house that I consider to be d.o.n.e. I have had fun finding all of the little nic knacks for K's room. I know it is a room that will be ever-evolving in our houses but that is okay because I LOVE to decorate. K's room was the first room in our house that I started decorating when we moved in and the first room that was finished in this house. You will notice from the pictures that some of them are dated from a few years ago.

This post is picture heavy but I designed it that way with a very specific purpose in mind. Insurance! Hopefully all of these pictures will help me to remember the specifics and give us the added benefit for documentation purposes when it is time to move again. If you think I am crazy please know we had an insurance claim around $20K when we moved here. It was Not fun or Pretty!

(this picture was taken today.)

(The picture on the wall was in my 1st apartment over my couch minus the boa)

(Mimi bought the canopy over the bed. We also used it around her crib too! )

(Aunt Carolyn purchased this chest and I recovered it and turned it into a toy chest which will hopefully be a hope chest one day.)
(the outfit and caterpillar are no longer in her room - sniff sniff)

( Papa bought the puppy dog b/c I had one as a little girl that was very similiar and this dog reminded him of my dog. He gave it to us the day we brought K home...Mothers Day 05. I fell in LOVE with this rug, knowing all the tea parties I wanted to have with K.)

(I see lots of make-up or dress up days here.)

(Nanna found this antique chair and I recovered it for her room.)

(Nana, my grandmother, made this basinett from my wedding gown train. One day it will be for K's children but for now it is a great bed for her babies.)

(Vintage Cabbage Patch clothes for my cabbage patch doll that K now plays with and for the one she got for Christmas last year.)

(This room was the 2nd room Wade put up crown molding in. He is very handy and I love that!)

(Some sweet friends from Pl*asant Valley church in Little R0ck gave me this and I cried when I read it - how very true it is and what a sweet memory to have of them!)

(These curtains took MONTHS to make but they scream princess and are a Perfect fit to her room!)

(The monogrammed pillow on the chair is from the baby crib bumpers Nana made. She made K's crib bedding too and it was hard to part with the bedding since it was so special to me so I had the monogrammed bumper made into a pillow after we moved K to her big girl bed.)

(I dreamed of a blue ceiling with clouds for her... blue skies and rainbows...)

(I love this grouping of pictures although I have since changed the larger picture on her bookcase but you can see our 1st sonogram picture of K - it shows her gorgeous face in utero.)

Baby girl please know that I have loved every minute I have spent shopping for the special details in your room. There is a lot of love behind many of the items in here. One day I will tell you about all of them and where or who they came from.

We are ecstatic to meet both of the little girls coming into our family. It's going to be so much fun being together and watching them grow up. It's truly a blessing! I wish I was closer to help more with all the shopping, spoiling and babysitting but please know I am always willing to chat or squeeze in a quick trip for my family. Love you!

Joining a New Club

2010-06-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

Please Note:
Do not read this if you are not ready for the raw emotions. The words and emotions on this page are raw and real. I sincerely needed to express some emotions and I am beginning to wonder if I needed to come out and be more open about our journey the past few years since this is our family blog. Life is beautiful and a blessing to me on most days but today ... today my world is shattered and in pieces!

I awoke this morning at 6:30am in a new world. I have had 4 hours of sleep and I am having a new life experience. It is an experience that I wish NO ONE would have to experience. It is ugly, it is not fun and it is one of the hardest experiences I have ever had in my life.

I do not want to go back to sleep. It truly is too hard to sleep right now. My mind even feels like it cannot stop spinning. Seriously, Did I really sleep the past 4 hours?   I'm not sure my mind will relax enough to allow me to sleep any more. And. I wonder when this will pass and I can sleep? I just want to zone and be. It would be nice to sleep this experience away but I know that is a dream.

"Life sucks sometimes" is one of the phrases that rings in my head over and over. I know it is not a profound statement but it is the best my mind, body and soul can muster together right now. Yes, I have phrases like "this too shall pass" and "what does not kill you makes you stronger" and "if He brings you to it, He will pull you through it" playing time and again in my head but "life sucks" is more pronounced and singing or screaming louder than anything else at the moment.

Why am I writing about this? Maybe I am on a journey to healing. Maybe I just want to scream out what I am feeling in the hopes that someone will understand and help me through this and tell me that one day I will be okay? Maybe I am writing because this feels so unreal and writing about it will make it more real for me? I also hope that for those who have not had this experience that they can find some sympathy or an understanding of what a women who miscarriages may go through the first few days. No one in my family has had this experience. I am blessed to be the first for our family. I don't even feel comfortable calling anyone and crying to them because I doubt they will understand my pain and loss. I can't even recall any of my closest friends having this experience. Just so you know, I am not having all these emotions because I have had little to no sleep. As far as I believe, these emotions are from the extreme loss I feel.  And, the deep sadness I know that a dream is over.

I woke up for the first time today in 6 weeks and I do not feel pregnant. In two more days I was going to be 9 weeks pregnant. My boobs are no longer tender and full. That amazingly hard almost rock like feeling that is attached to my body, is gone! It's all completely gone! That little blessing that was created with love and a deep desire for is officially not growing any more inside of me. My sweet lil baby, My Miracle, my ray of hope, my faith that everything and every moment of good has ended. That feeling that I need to eat to feed my child is no longer there. I do not want food. No food for me, thanks! My sense of bliss is totally and completely gone as well.

I was not prepared at all to wake up this morning and feel this way. We just found out from our doctor yesterday that the babies sweet little heart had stopped. I was not prepared for this today Not because of the emotions of loss but because of how my body has or is changing now. We just received the news 12 hours ago. Even though our babies sweet little heart stopped beating just a few days ago.

Isn't it funny how we can let the smallest little things not come into our minds and then be hit with the reality? If you have experienced this loss. I am sorry. I Am So Very Sorry! I wonder, how long this pain of loss will last? I have a lot of questions right now and knowing my mind, my soul and my personality, I will be asking a lot of questions in the coming days and wondering about every minuet detail.

I am not questioning God. I know HE loves me and cares for me. I know he cares for my family too. I know his heart probably aches for my pain. I have faith HE will help me to get through this because honestly, I do not know how I would get through this if I did not believe in him and his compassion for me. I still love him and trust he will help us through this journey. I am not sure why I get to have this experience or why he thinks I am strong enough or what I am suppose to learn from this loss though. I will say it is really difficult knowing we had K with absolutely No problems and I loved every minute of carrying her and then I was overwhelmed with the amazing beauty of birthing her and watching her grow into a sweet lil blessing from him to now enduring 4 yrs of no pregnancies. Not one successful time. With months and months of trying and too many doctors appointments to even begin to think about or even count and then wham! Just as I thought I could not hold on any more and I was thinking of calling it quits we get 2 months of pure bliss.  Only to suffer a loss, Oh! It hurts! Trust me, this hurts!

So, I have joined a new club. It is a club of women who have suffered from the loss of a miscarriage. The loss of a child. The loss of a dream. The blessing that only God can give. I have officially traveled from a club where I was able to conceive so easily, to a club of not being able to get pregnant which to this day baffles doctors and, now I am in a new club. I am not sure that I wanted this invitation but... I'm in it now.

Now that everything is out in the open and I am making our experience public, I will probably one day soon add all of the other entries I have written about our journey over the last few years. I was not adding them to our blog before now due to the fear of criticism but those fears seem so small compared to this event.

K's Birthday - Year Five Act Two

2010-05-01T01:02:00.003-05:00

Wow! This girl knows how to party. I will give her that! I have NO idea where that comes from!?! Yeah right! We have been extremely extremely busy the last three weeks and K is hanging right beside me. She may not have the best personality at moments from all of our activities but I cannot blame her for a few meltdowns as active as we have been.

Note: I did not have my momma camera on me so I pushed my point & shoot to take what I wanted in the dark.

This weekend we have Wades dad, Pops, and Stephanie or Nanny as she is called coming in to see us. They are flying in on Friday and heading back to OK on Sunday after church. It will be a quick trip for them and us but it is wonderful that K will be able to celebrate her birthday with them.

Shortly after they landed and we unloaded everything at the house we decided to head down to the riverwalk for dinner and a night out. Boy was K in for another fun filled night! She sweetly asked her Pops and Nanny if they would take her on a Princess Carriage ride after dinner and they were delighted and jumped on the idea.

I was so excited to see her on the princess carriage (it was even pink and white) since we were throwing a princess party this year. How awesome! This was her first experience having a carriage ride and I personally think it was an awesome birthday gift.

Truth be known, I got very misty eyed as Pops, Nanny and K strolled off. I do not know why but I had visions of her leaving for college one day and getting married and riding off into the wild blue yonder. What was I thinking!?!?!! It so must have been the hormones! Wade snapped me back to reality though and helped me to quickly get over that thought.

She grinned and glowed as they left for the ride and then as they approached us some 30 minutes later she was still beaming. I was deeply happy for her. It was a special moment and memory she was having. Thank you Nanny and Pops, it was a great gift! You could not have made her birthday more special for her. We enjoyed our time with you guys and we hope to see you again soon.

A Birthday Princess must give some love to her favorite horse for the evening!

I know in 10 years this little princess will not look so small.

K's Birthday - Year Five Act One

2010-04-28T11:51:00.021-05:00

K is blessed with lots of family! It becomes very apparent how blessed she is when special occasions occur. This year her birthday was spread over the course of three weeks. Yep! Three weeks of partying like a rock star! This year she got to celebrate with each of her grandparents on a different weekend. I pray she does not look forward to that much birthday celebration time every year! YIKES!!!

Photo booth time with Nanna

Our first guests to come into town were Nanna (Debby) and Papaw (Don). Debby came in early to see the Fiest@ parade Thursday and Don drove in the following day. Saturday night Nanna asked K where she wanted to have her birthday dinner and K suggested Chuck E Ch*ese. We were tired from the previous week of activities and the busy day we had had but we all knew it was her birthday celebration so we headed out praying it would not be packed. Thankfully the location we picked was not too busy. There was plenty of room for me and Nanna to sit and enjoy a moment while K and the guys ran around playing their hearts out.

Wade and K in the photo booth

As soon as we walked into the doors of Chuck E Ch*ese K told the check-in lady that it was her birthday. Since we were not having an actual birthday party, they placed a special sticker on her with her name and her age on it. They then gave her a few extra coins to spend on the games and told her that whenever Chuck E Ch*ese came out she was allowed to spend some special time with him.

This sweet little boy asked K to play air hockey with him. They were hilarious to watch and so sweet with each other. The boys dad even tried to give us half of his cup of coins because he was ready to go home and his son continued to say, "Daddy we still have some coins left to spend." These two laughed so much and played at least five games together before the boys dad gave up.

K played all the games! NON-STOP! And AGAIN and AGAIN! She barely took a minute to stop and eat her pizza. She would run and play a game or two and then come back to the table and get a drink and eat a few more bites then run and play some more. It was funny watching her go back and forth smiling all the while.

I think Papaw and Daddy had a BLAST too. It was harder keeping up with those two guys than it was K. I am not sure who was at the table to eat dinner longer though. K, Daddy or Papaw? We even had to drag the guys out the door. Both of them continued to say, "just one more game."

We came home to have a special chocolate cake that Nanna put together for K. Earlier in the week Nanna and K dropped by the C@ke ShOp and picked out the perfect cake that K wanted. It was a surprise to both of us that she wanted the chocolate one. Then, they headed over to our favorite store to look at possible cake topper options. Again, K surprised us by asking for a princess ballerina. As you can see the cake was really cute and K was extremely proud of it. She enjoyed every bit of the chocolate!

We enjoyed our fun family evening together, Thank You Nanna and Papaw. I'd say the birthday bash with you guys was a big hit!

A Fiesta Day, kind of?

2010-04-26T17:49:00.002-05:00

It's Fiest@ time here in San An. What a fun time of year! And Boy, will I remember this event.

Notice the above handicap sign reads "Rainbow Parking" that is parking for K's class. Too cute!

K's Princess Bike

P@rkhills had their annual Fiest@ P@rade for the kids on Thursday. We missed it last year because we were on vacation so this year I was determined to not miss this one. It is K's last year at P@rkhills, how could I miss such an event? I will admit I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do. I had an opportunity to stay and see K in the parade trekking along with her friends or take a quick trip with Wade back to S. Carolina for a business meeting he had. Although I love Ki@wah Island, the beach and relaxing there, I could not miss this event. Looking back it may have been a better decision to go with Wade though. I ended up hitting his car on the way out of the driveway that morning - AGAIN! I guess I did not get the message to slow down and pause before backing out of our garage a month ago. The good news is this time I just rubbed some love on his car instead of leaving love dents on mine! giggle giggle I truly feel like a huge idiot! I guess my car accident record has some new dates on it. I have had two accidents in a five week period (both involving my car and Wades) and then a huge gap spanning 10 years then another great gap spanning 9 years. I think the blessings would be that no one was hurt, they were very minor, that it was not in a new car and that it was not someone else that I hit. Plus, I had my mother in law, Wade's mom, Debby, in the car. She was wonderful to me. I was dumbfounded about it all and she continued to remind me of all the people who have had minor wrecks and that it was a minor repairable accident and that it happens to more people than I know. I realized she was right after a few hours... Thank you for being so supportive Debby. It was a blessing having you with us that day. Have I said I am hardheaded? I guess I needed that lesson twice!

K and Lindsey with other Rainbow classmates behind them.

Back to the Fiest@ Parade. sorry for the digression. All the preschool kids were asked to decorate a bike, trike or scooter to ride on. The 3 year olds decorated a float to pull or push with them as they walked the parade and the 2 year olds had on fiesta flowers with whistles or shakers. K and I looked through some pictures I found online from the parade of flowers that occurs during one of the fiest@ events and it was decided that... drum roll please... pink flowers were what she wanted to add to her bike with some blue and purple please. We headed to the d*llar store hoping to not spend too much money on everything and voila! We found what we needed at a good price - not free but reasonable for sure. K and I decorated her bike together on Wednesday. It was a fun little school project to work on during the day. Once we got to school K was asked by her teachers to be the leader for her class and she was extremely proud and happy to do so. She loves being given a responsibility. She peddled around the parking lot like a big girl with no incidents (unlike her mommy).

Debby, K and me~

After the parade was over, the P@rkhills staff gave each of the kiddos an icee-pop to enjoy. Can you see the concentration in the girls faces? It was a fiest@ day to remember for sure!

Household hoodlums!

2010-04-09T17:15:00.007-05:00

K and I came home from a mommy and me book fairy event at church to discover that our two sweet little shih-tzus had NOT been SO SWEET.

We walked into the house and right away I felt something was wrong. K was standing very still and silently after she came into the house staring into our den. She was just standing and staring very, very quietly! You know there is something up when my child is still and or quiet! She did not move for what felt like a few minutes and then she said "OH NO! MOM!!!"

I think her silence and stillness must have resulted because she was trying to figure out what had happened. I have a feeling her brain was in overload thinking...Who did this? It was not me.
What were they doing or looking for? I don't know.
When did this happen? I don't remember seeing this before I left for dance.
Why did they get into my basket? I don't know!
Then I think she saw all the little pieces broken off of her plastic wind-ups toys and the chicks and rabbits everywhere and that was it. Shock must have set in and turned into frustration. Have you ever seen a 4 yr old chew out a dog? It truly was one of those things I wish I had on video! I actually had to walk out of the room once because I was giggling so hard. It really was sad what they did to her stuff and yet so funny to see it all. I definitely did not need to say anything to our dogs, K had it covered!

I am not sure who was more upset after we both cleaned up everything. K, from seeing her basket rampaged by her beloved dogs or me? I was sooo shocked. We have had an Easter basket on the floor the last three years and those dogs have NEVER gotten in to it. Go figure, I had a hunch the night before I loaded all the goodies in her basket but I just brushed off the instinct. I have a sneaky feeling that the chocolate fix the girls got two days previous to this ordeal took over their tiny taste buds and brains. They were going to open each and every one of those eggs no matter what. Look how carefully they opened them too! They did not crack or break one single egg. Amazing!!!

Update: I started this post back in Apr. It is now early May and our two sweet little girls were most definitely switched out with some other dogs at Easter! I have had more problems with them the past month than I have had in the past 8 years. WOW! I feel like I have another child in the house that is being left alone too much. It is constant these days. They are tearing up things... mostly K's toys or little things laying around the house or leaving their blessings in a room for us to discover. They have never behaved this way. They also brought fleas into our house. Lets just say I am a nut about little organisms and I cleaned like a crazy person for two days. I striped all the linens in the house, sprayed every inch of our interior flooring and begged Wade to spray our yard asap. OH WHAT FUN I HAVE HAD! I am being tested...at least I know that. The anticipation I have now walking into the house from being out.... is not fun most days. NUTS I say...just NUTS!!! They are 10 yrs old and although they gave us an amazing early parenting experience their first 2 years of life they have been wonderful dogs. Ask me about those early stories one day...amazing little things thought they could eat their way out of a room though our sheet rock. Needless to say, they are locked up now when we leave the house and their quarters are only getting smaller and smaller the more they try to resist me. Little do they know I was a first born and we 1st borns are not quitters! I too am hardheaded and I will not let them take over my house. Little hoodlums!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-07T12:50:00.040-05:00

I love this holiday! It's all about love, sacrifice and being a christian. Things I think we all need to remember on a daily basis.

I also enjoy this holiday for the sweet memories I have as a child...hunting with friends for eggs, getting ready to go to church with my family and having lunch at my grandparents and seeing all my cousins. I can even recall the voice of our pastor while he was giving the sermon about the importance of the day and what we should be thankful for and how we should try to live our lives.

Life has presented a different Easter picture for our sweet little girl and I can only hope and pray she is blessed with many great memories of this holiday too. She may not get the family time with her grandparents and cousins (which she constantly asks for) but I hope she knows she is very loved, extremely special and that we are all proud of who she is becoming.

Thank you Nanny and Pops for the Easter card and gift. She loved receiving them and she wore her special jewelry all day Saturday and again on Sunday to church. Thank you Nanna and Papaw for the box of goodies. We are working on a card for you now and you can expect to see some princesses on it. Thank you Mimi and Papa for the card and the DVD. I have seen the fr0g princ* six times just this week. It's our new favorite musical. K sings the songs from the movie for hours afterwards. If I have not said it yet, it was extremely sweet of you all to mail her something. Thank you from Wade and I.

After church we had lunch together at the Chee$ec@ke F@ctory. Not your traditional meal but it was a nice lunch considering I did not have to come home and cook then clean it all up. We relaxed the rest of the afternoon, called all our families, colored some eggs together and then got ready for the church egg hunt that evening. Yep. That makes egg hunt #3 for the week. At the least, K should have many memories from all the egg hunts she goes to.

This egg will be........PINK!

Mom, please can I have some candy?!!!

NO Mommy! You are giving our hiding place away.
Playing hide n go seek from Jarrett.

*scroll down to check out K's other egg hunts on Apr 1 and Mar 31.

A Day to Celebrate and Reflect

2010-04-05T14:02:00.017-05:00

Today is my Dad's Birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!!!

If someone were to ask me about my dad, I would describe him this way.
My dad is hard working. My whole life I have witnessed him working hard for our family. While Kyle and I were young it was in many, many ways. At home he was the fix-it handy man and actually not the Bil! C0sby type. He could fix whatever it was, lights, water leaks, paint, build whatever, tear apart, you name it. He was also handy outside the house as well. He has built many outdoor structures, landscaped many yards and taken care of our cars. It was nice knowing he could help if I messed something up or we needed something fixed. Even now I feel like I can call him for the little things and ask for an opinion. At church he taught for many years Sunday school to kids our age. He was also active in several sporting activities. Not only would he play on leagues but he coached more games than I can remember of Kyles soccer, football, basketball and baseball teams.

He is dependable. Even though he worked hard and traveled a lot. I cannot remember him missing a singing competition, modeling appointment, basketball game, track meet, band show, choir performance or pageant unless something really important was going on. It was comforting knowing my parents were there not only because they were physically there as our cheerleaders but also for the moral and constructive support.

Dad is also very level-headed. I think I can only recall a handful of times that I have seen or heard him mad. I'd say that is good. Many times during my working years I would call him for business advice or as a sounding board for something I was doing or thinking about. Thanks for being a good listerner dad.

Thanks for being hard working, dependable and level-headed. I could not have asked for more. You definitely set up an expectation for my future husband all those years ago. (I found him too.) I love you dad.

K wants to say... Papa you're a funny bunny! (a phrase they use with each other) She loves to play with you and tease you. Thank you for taking care of all the bees. She is happy you married her Mimi and are taking care of her. She thinks you are kind and she says she loves you. (blowing kisses)

K and I recorded a birthday message to him yesterday after church and we really wanted to email it to him today but it seems the file is way too big. We cannot get it to compress any...thank goodness I have a blog. We'll post that puppy here and let the world know...it's your birthday dad! Enjoy your cake and have a piece for us and some ice cream too! We all hope you have a wonderful Birthday. Sorry we cannot take you to dinner or sing to you in person. We Love you and hope to see you soon. Hugs

Probably not the best idea to let K eat that big ole marshmellow cookie right before recording that video.

Milestone Time

2010-04-03T00:03:00.001-05:00

K is a month shy of turning 5 and we hit another milestone recently. She is 68 pounds now which means she has outgrown her Brit@x car seat. ohhh my baby! How can it be? She is only over by three pounds but we travel so much that I cannot stand the thought that it only takes one time for the worst to happen. My philosophy is that it's better to be prepared than to be sorry. I found a great deal on our new booster seat from my favorite website and we made the switch.

Adjusting all the straps while playing with it...

She picked out a PINK chair. Can you believe it? hehe It looks really cute in our car though. I steered away from pink or girly things (carseats, strollers, etc) all these years just in case we had a boy. Boy, was I misled! So I let her "pick" what she wanted this time. Hope she likes it as much as she says she does. This one will be with us a very long time. It can support weight up to 125 pounds and allows us at a later date to put the lap belt over her. Goodie, goodie!

Here's my big girl who looks even bigger in her new chair. Ouch! I can not take it...My heart is aching. Help me someone please!!! This is when my arms really long for a little one. That's information for another post another day though.

Egg Hunt #2

2010-04-01T17:06:00.025-05:00

Thursday was P@rkhills Easter egg hunt. K loves hunting for eggs with her friends. She asked me what day it was several times leading up to the event because she was trying to figure out how long she had to wait before looking for all those eggs her friends brought.

This is the last year K will be attending P@rkhills so I had a hard time not going to her egg hunt and taking pictures. I have showed up to watch her play with her friends in the park and hunt for eggs the last four years. It truly does not seem possible that we have come this far. It's happened more quickly than I could have imagined.

Check out the outfit she picked out for the day. The top has a bunny on it with a big pink polka dot bow and it says "Some bunny loves me..." The pants truly looked like a zebra running when she was on the search for eggs and her little legs were moving quickly. I laughed so hard at some of the pictures I have. I thought the set was so cute when I purchased it but I was hoping she could wear it for the church egg hunt on Sunday. It worked for school too but momma's plan and daughters plan do not always mix so I relinquished my plans and rolled with K. I picked up the set at a Dallas boutique. It is from the same designer that made some of the tops I wore way back when I was younger. (in school - like junior high and high school that is) I specifically remember I had a cheerleading shirt made by the same company. I even had a friend walk up to me at K's school and ask if that was the same designer she remembered too.

The Lion class or Rainbow Room.

Happy hunting...

Impromptu Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-31T23:25:00.000-05:00

Some of our good friends invited K and I to join them at an Easter Egg Hunt that was scheduled for a M0Ps (m0thers of pr*schoolers) group here in town on Tuesday. We were quite pleasantly surprised to be asked because of the short notice and completely unprepared to go but we decided it was a beautiful day and why not carpe diem! We made a very quick trip to our favorite T@rget store and picked up a few candy filled eggs, a cheap Easter basket and headed to W@lker R@nch Park to join them. It was an excellent impromptu decision! K had the opportunity to spend some more time running and playing with a good friend while enjoying the outdoors on a gorgeous day and it gave me more adult time. That's a win-win situation for all of us. It really is a great blessing to have the opportunity to jump at a moments notice and go with the flow. I truly enjoy having a flexible schedule and friends that ask us to join them for an event.

I did not have my favorite camera because this was completely unplanned but thank goodness for my point & shoot. It met our needs for the event and day and my photography software helped me to clear up a few minor issues.

Smiles, Fun and Friendship

2010-03-26T23:40:00.033-05:00

Its been dubbed the "Best Day Ever" by not just one but two very good lil girl friends. K, Lindsey, Melissa and I headed over to the Kiddi* Park here in town on Tuesday after an early release day from school. The schools here in N*ISD closed early the week after spring break for teacher in-service days and since the preschools follow the same schedule, we were out early too. Lindsey's mommy, Melissa and I had been trying to plan a playdate for a few weeks and before the break we agreed that if the weather was nice after the break we would get the girls together and head out for a picnic and some fun.

I discovered the park one of the few mornings I was home alone cleaning up some stuff. I had the tv on in the background and I saw on a local morning show a special on the renovation of this park and its long history. I mentioned it to Melissa and she being a local much longer than me knew about the park and was thrilled to hear they had renovated it. We took the morning show at its word and headed over there to check it out. It's a perfect place for a picnic lunch with some great friends and a great way to wear out the little ones. The four of us got to the park around 12:30 and for a very reasonable price we got unlimited tickets to the rides. The girls rode the rides until 5pm. Can you believe they had almost a full 5 hours of fun?

I would recommend this park for something different to do here in town. I wish they had a few more ride choices but it is still a cute fun place. I must admit, I am so spoiled here. Course, lets not forget so is my child! SA has so many wonderful attractions for the kiddos.

Look at this very brave little girl. K would NOT go for a bird or two on her!

This was hilarious and amazing. This guy put this bird on the rope and he and K swung the rope like a jump rope and the bird spun around and around and around. Then he slid up and down the rope to K then back to his owner. The kids got a kick out of it.

K did have a first at the park. She got her first taste or experience with cotton candy. So did Lindsey. Melissa and I laughed so hard. They were especially cute. K had cotton candy stuck to the bottom of her chin (like a goatee) and all around her lips with a small bit on her nose. It was too funny! I wish I had pictures of it but my cameras SD card decided to act up and I am missing about twenty pictures from the day. And, well, the cotton candy experience was part of the MIA ones. Maybe Melissa will have some of them?

Can you tell these two could not get enough of this ride. I think they went around three times on two separate occasions. Fun!

This place brought back many fun memories for me. We had a park in WF very similar to the one here in town but it was called Funl@nd. It really is too bad that WF did not keep up with that little park too. I think when I go back home some time I may need to ravage through some pictures and possibly scan in some memories of me, Kyle and my cousins in that park. K would get a kick out of them surely.

Taking a Break...

2010-03-24T15:19:00.027-05:00

What a Spring Break!

My favorite part was not having ANYTHING to do. No schedules! Yippee!!!
I Love life that way. Go with the flow. Free as a bird.

I don't even think I need to ask my little one what her favorite part of the week was. I am almost positive she will say seeing Mimi and Papa, swimming in their (heated) pool and playing in the snow. Did I just say swimming in the pool and playing in the snow. YEP! I sure did. Nuts I say, nuts I say! Leave it to the Texas weather to throw us a curve.

Tuesday we drove to mom and dads. It was a C~R~A~Z~Y W~E~T R~A~I~N~Y D~R~I~V~E! I cannot stress that enough too. crazy wet rainy drive! I do not know how many road miles I have had in my life but I was sooo ready to pull my hair out trying to get to D@llas this time. It took us almost six and a half hours to get there. The issue - some semi-truck driver had a wreck in T*mple and that SHUT THE WHOLE INTERSTATE DOWN! ‹(•¿•)› I was stuck for an hour and a half on the road with my "baby girl" and my two little dogs all by myself (I can hear Wade mimicking me now). We sat on 35 with absolutely NO movement until I could not handle it anymore. I called my dad and then Wade and begged for them to get me out of the mess!!! Why I did not have our GPS unit, I don't know! I'll blame that one on Wade! hehe All I wanted to do was get out of the car once we hit T*mple but it was raining and who wants to deal with wet dogs, and a wet momma, and a wet child while traveling! BUT, .·:*¨¨*:·. Wade came to the rescue.·:*¨¨*:·. He found a road that headed west and then north and then east until I was back on 35 again (all back country roads). WHEW! Just thinking about it is making me tired. That little jog took some extra time but it was so much better than sitting in the traffic. I would probably still be sitting there Wednesday morning if I had not taken the road less traveled. I should have guessed it was a really bad accident when the interstate were shut down, the side access roads were bumper to bumper, gas stations were full and restaurants were busy in T*mple Tx. We lived though and I had one crazy child by the time we got to D@llas. She shot like a rocket firework out of the car as soon as she could open the door and it took her quite awhile to calm down for bedtime.

It rained all day Tuesday. Here in SA that is, not in the Big D. It was gorgeous when we pulled in the driveway at 7pm in DFW. Wednesday K played in the park next door to my parents house and she met some really nice kids. Then she asked her Papa the question I knew was coming. ~~~Can we get in the pool?~~~ Now please know my parents have not had the heater on in probably three or four years. Sure enough, dad worked on it some and by Thursday... K was swimming in March! Oh and I think I need swim lessons again! That kid stays under the water more than she is on top and it scares me to death! She even wanted to have dinner outside that night but when it was 60 something outside and the wind was blowing, I'm not sure its such a great idea kiddo.

Friday we spent the day visiting with family. My aunt Tina and my uncle Brian came into town Thursday. Brian had a follow up appointment at B@ylor and after their long day they decided to stay the night at moms. It was won der ful seeing them. Brian amazes me! He is truly a walking, talking miracle. We were so excited to see them and congratulate them because they had just received great news that afternoon. Brian's tests results were awesome! The doctors found no new tumors. Absolutely none. There was also no re-growth of the tumor in the affected area and a previously identified area of concern appeared to be translucent and possibly even disappearing. PRAISE THE LORD!!! The doctors gave him a prognosis characterized as being in a 'Stable Disease' state. The combination of the NovoCure device plus chemo appear to be working. We have been blessed. God has been wonderful to our family. I wish I had taken a few pictures of him but I was too busy jabbering the whole time to stop and think about taking any. Our family is one of those that gets together and laughs and teases non-stop. We reminiscence and giggle at all the dummy things we have done. Brian, thanks for being such a good sport and entertaining and listening to my non stop spirited child. She loved seeing you guys and so did I.

Love ya dad! These were such great pics that I had to post them. Thanks for being such a great sport!!!

Kyle and Heather also came in Friday evening. Of course, they were too good for us. They had tickets to see the Bl@ck Eyed Pe@s so they dropped off their VERY pregnant Yorkie and headed out for the evening. Family versus Bl@ck Eyed Pe@s...I mean come on! We are so much better than the Bl@ck Eyed Pe@s!!! So jealous they went to the concert by the way! But I did get to bond with one very prego and sweet puppy. Congrats to you two. They are proud parents of two baby Yorke's now. Lilli had them on Tuesday. I know you were so disappointed mom that you did not get to witness that event. Bahahaha

Saturday was busy shopping with my SIL. Heather and I did our usual. We do what I would call perfecting our shopping skills. We are great at checking out our favorite shops and picking up a few things here and there! It was a little more challenging this time though. We had a little four year old GLUED to Heather. I wonder who that was? K "loves" her aunt Heather, that is for sure!

By Saturday the weather was frigid and around 10pm it was lightly snowing! Not sticking but snowing. That was the fourth time this year that Dallas has had snow. A snowfall record year. I knew Sunday morning I would have one very excited girl one my hands when I let the dogs out for their last call Saturday night and the table, chairs and trees were covered with snow. So, on Sunday. We were suppose to travel back home but between the cold weather, the lack of warm clothing and the snow and major winds, I was not about to drive home by myself with two little dogs and a spirited child. I was Not taking my chances this time. We decided to stay one more day and let the traffic clear up and let the animal run in the snow. Oh yeah! I mean my child run in the snow. Just for the record, I cannot recall a spring break E V E R that it snowed. Almost 20 plus years of living around that area and the only time I was around snow on spring break was while skiing in Color@do.

Thank goodness I was inside shooting pics in the window because this girl was on a mission. Oh! and look. Do you see Wade in this lil girl?

Throwing snowballs into the pool.

Best way to clean off the furniture...bring out the four year old.

Building what was called a Table Snowman.

What a memorable trip. Hope you all had a great break too!

Just a memory

2010-03-15T23:16:00.000-05:00

Wade made a picture for me using K's window markers. I thought it was sweet and I would like to remember it and not have the picture lost in the sea of shots I take and store.

Love you dear!
XOXOXOX

Moose and Muffins

2010-03-13T22:53:00.005-06:00

Wade, K and I went to see the If you give a M**se a Muffin play based on the book by Laura Numer*ff at the M@gik Theatre Friday night. I have not laughed that much and that hard in a looooooonnnng time! I especially loved the dance scene!!! I just wish I could remember all the cool songs they jammed to. This show was Too cute and I give the three actors 5 stars for a great performance.

For reference the book reads something like this... If a big, hungry moose comes to visit you... Would you give him a muffin? Would you make him feel at home? If you do give him a muffin, he'll probably want some jam to go with it! YIKES!!! And then you'll realize you are out of muffins so you'll have to go to the store but... the moose will say he is cold and wants a sweater and that sweater will remind him of sock puppets and WOW things get more wacky with each passing moment.

Wade says he would give the actors 5 muffins. Not 6 because he thinks the most you can give is 5 not any more or any less. He is obviously not the baker in the family! We all know when baking you either have half a dozen (6 dear) or a dozen (12 dear). He was extremely impressed with the moose's artistic ability. He was quite surprised to see the moose making sock puppets and putting on a sock puppet show which was entertaining.

K loved the play too. It was so sweet looking over at her seeing her smiling face or hearing her full belly laugh. The girl does not hold it back. She did get a little scared when all of the furniture started breaking because the moose was trying to find a place to sit. It was quite loud and it made me jump once because I was not expecting it. She says her favorite scene was when the moose would try to go in or out of the house and his antlers would get stuck on the doorway. Again, I get another full belly laugh while she is trying to explain in detail that part.

Heston, Noah and K

We realized shortly after sitting down that our friends the Taylor's from church were not but four seats from us so after the show we all chatted and headed for Ice Cream and a good stroll around the riverwalk. It was a beautiful evening with lots of great family time, good company, some laughing and we can't forget the ice cream. I am sure you guessed there were picture worthy moments with the Ice Cream...

Celebrating a Life

2010-03-11T23:37:00.034-06:00

Some may know this about me and others may not. I think I am predominately an emotional person. I cry at commercials, movies, special moments, weddings, funerals, etc. I am "moved" by many situations including music. yep! I would be classified by some as sensitive. In Oct 2008 I was moved by the life and love of a family I have only known for four years now. One of K's best friends from Parkhi!ls lost his oldest brother to a tragic skateboarding accident. From the moment I found out about the incident I was shaken to my core. I think I could not stop crying for two days. I also had the hardest time sleeping at night because I was worrying about this child fighting for his life, what his parents must be feeling as well as his other four younger siblings. I can even remember praying without ceasing for him and his family during his two weeks in the hospital and many weeks after he left our world. The oddest thing about this experience is that I had not met this boy but I was moved and devastated by the event. I know God always has a plan so I believe this was probably not by accident that I was so shocked. Today I can honestly say that I have witnessed in the last year and a half a family that is stronger than I could be and more giving than I could ever imagine as well as abundantly full of life. I am so happy God allowed our paths to cross.

Lindsey and K

Because this is our family blog I wanted to insert some info about the boy and his family. My goal is to continue to remember him and his family as often as possible. I even have two photo cards of Ian on our refrigerator so I can see his beautiful face and be reminded of what a special family he came from. As you will read below we attended the soccer game that was named after him. We went not only to support the scholarship cause but also the family as well as to give K a chance to see a real soccer game. Aren't you proud of us Kyle? !!! We sat beside some good friends of ours and one of K's BFFs. We really enjoyed ourselves and Wade and I agreed that we look forward to the days where we can go and support our daughters school. Soccer may be in our future, who knows?!!!

Ian C. F!ncke passed away at the age of 16 from injuries sustained in a tragic skateboarding accident on October 5th 2008. Ian loved to play soccer and prior to transferring to J*hnson High School, he played soccer for Re@gan High School. In a wonderful tribute to Ian, the varsity soccer game between J*hnson High School and
Re@gan High School was played in his honor on Tuesday March 9th @ 7:00PM at Bl*ssom Athletic Center. The game was dubbed “The F!ncke Cup” and a beautiful trophy was awarded to the winning team. A college scholarship was also given to a graduating senior from the winning team in Ian's name, as voted on by the seniors from the losing team based on team spirit and sportsmanship. This was the first of what many hope to be an annual event with the trophy to be passed back and forth between the two schools for years to come. Friends and family can still contribute by charitable donations to the scholarship fund or by purchasing an event t‐shirt by contacting the F!ncke family directly at slfincke@gmail.com. Contributions to the scholarship fund can be made directly at any Wells F@rgo branch location under the name “Ian F!ncke Scholarship Fund”. Also after Ian's death his cousin started a jewelry line and a portion of the proceeds from the jewelry purchased “ianscharm.com” will also be donated to the scholarship fund.

I would also like to post a note that Stephanie (Ian's mom) sent to us the day after the event and she attached this info... "A special thanks to all of you for your love and support!. The F!ncke Cup took place last night and Re@gan High School
won the award with a final score of 5-1. The scholarship award was presented to Bern@rdo De Alb@, one of Ian's close friends who was also wearing Ian's old jersey number. The scholarship will be awarded at the soccer banquet in April. We will continue to collect donations to the scholarship fund at all Wells F@rgo Branch locations under "The Ian F!ncke Scholarship Fund". We will also continue to sell t-shirts. If anyone is interested please contact me. It was a very special and memorable night. If you are interested in seeing highlights from the game it made the front page of the San Antonio Express News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/slideshows/Rattlers_win_Fincke_Cup.html?c=n#1
I'd like to share something that was passed on to us from a dear friend that truly gave us goose bumps last night. During the game there was a power outage near our home which caused a complete blackout in our neighborhood as well as the nearby shopping center. The only thing that was lit up was a large cross that was glowing purple at Concordia Church across the street from where we live. I truly love those little signs that Ian is still with us! :) "
Blessings-
Stephanie, Chris and Family

The glowing purple cross... is really wild to me mostly because Ian's favorite color was purple, the cross was glowing purple at their church and the neighborhood, church and shopping center that was without power for awhile is a huge area. Our shirts are purple and the wristbands that his friends and family still wear are purple. I think it's amazing and I definitely believe in signs. Thank you God for this sign.

"S" is for

2010-02-24T11:06:00.005-06:00

Silly Socks!

This week at Parkhills the kids studied the letter "S." To let the kiddos have a little fun with the letter they were allowed to wear their silliest socks to school Tuesday. K wanted to wear "pink" of course! and her favorite silly socks are either a dark pair of fuzzy chenille socks or a pair of fuzzy light pink ones.

Here's to having a sensational silly week!

...and you can be my Cowboy

2010-02-22T00:04:00.018-06:00

We did it again! This time we spent our Sunday afternoon out on the rodeo grounds and experienced the carnival too. We had a wonderful family day except for some of the conversations occurring around us. Unfortunately we were privy to a little too much info, thanks! Wow people, grow up and find a more wholesome life. Anyway, that's another subject.

Sunday was family day at the rodeo which means we got in the gates for $3.00. This was an Awesome deal considering we used a tad more money than we planned in the carnival section. However, I was truly surprised to find all the barns and stalls completely empty of animals. We had a sad little girl but at least this was her second time out there and not the first one for this year.

This trip we peeked in all the barns just to make sure we didn't miss a stray animal then we journeyed through the animal petting barn again and took a quick stop by the SA Fire Dept firetruck (just for you dad!).

Next we headed to the HEB Buddy section again and checked out the Animal Follies show, another petting barn and to ride the ponies! I'm cracking up at the funny faces I caught in these pictures.

We also saw the amazing percheron horses. Those guys are HUGE, amazing and gorgeous! K was actually a little scared of them. I think she was scared because of their size. shock, shock. She was fine looking at them through their stall but as soon as they let two of them out while they cleaned out their stall she asked her daddy to hold her while we watched them. They were Huge, the pictures I took do not show how massive they actually were. For the horse inclined, they were all around 19 hands tall. http://www.priefertpercherons.com/index.php

We then headed to the carnival. This was the first time K has been to a carnival. She had fun! She entered the gates as a typical little energizer bunny with the attitude of "lets try it all" but that attitude quickly changed into nervousness. I do think she would have played or tried almost every game if we let her but...it costs too much dough kiddo! We did agree to let her try 3 games and then we started looking for a few rides. She surprised me with the rides though. She was scared of several of them. WHAT!!! Even after all the Disn*y rides and all the other parks we have been too??? She finally warmed up to riding a merry-go-round after a while and she drove a firetruck like a crazy woman. Next we found about 3 more rides that were not "too scary" before we traveled up the Ferris wheel as a family. By the way, notice the look on K's face in the bumper cars with Wade. I think it will give you an idea of how she felt about driving them with her daddy. She asked to ride on it with him but then something happened once they strapped her in and they turned on the breaker. Priceless picture though

Overall, it was another great family experience and I know we all are ready for next years show.

I wanna be a Cowgirl...

2010-02-15T00:13:00.024-06:00

I love being a Texan for many reasons and I know some of my pride stems from the sweet memories I have growing up here in Tx.

Awe, the memories of chasing cows in the fields with my girlfriends, being scared to death of snakes in the hay in the horse barn or watching our pet catfish(s)swim in the horse trough. Now, the smells of it all...don't miss it so much or cleaning up the messes from the animals...not so much either or scared to death a coyote was going to get any of our animals at night...not so fun memory too but that is part of the life of living in the country. I doubt K will ever get to have any of these experiences that Wade and I both have had unless we visit my uncle Mark on his ranch for a few days. Yep! We are spoiled city folks now. Although, honey, I would still really LOVE to have some horses one day again. hint, hint I know a little girl that has been asking for one since she was three too.

For those of you who have not visited the SA rodeo yet, here is just a little bit of info I discovered about it. The San Ant*nio St*ck Show & R*deo is divided into three main sections. The stock grounds where everyone can enjoy all the animals, a few competitions and a dining and children's play section provided by HEB. Then they have the rodeo in the AT*T center which is rumored to be the 3rd richest rodeo in the nation with a total purse of 1 million dollars. They close the rodeo each evening with a nightly concert performance by top rock and country artists. On the opposite side of the AT*T center is a carnival/fair set up for all to enjoy throughout the day and evening. Yep. That's two weeks of non-stop activities for us to enjoy. It's not like the rodeos Wade and I grew up going to, that's for sure! I am not going to complain that we live here and get to experience this event every February with our lil cowgirl. A few other things I learned while researching the event was that nearly 2 million dollars of scholarships are donated from the Livestock and Horse exhibitors. Which I think is wonderful. Many people come from various places across the US to showcase their animals and compete in the nightly rodeo or other events. In 2009 they had a little over 1.3 million people attend the events over the two week period. If you are interested in learning more here is a link http://www.sarodeo.com/who/news_room/fun_facts_stats.html

Wade and I actually said while we were out at the rodeo that we felt like we were country club folks walking through all the barns past all the stalls and ranchers. Scary! I believe at one point in both of our lives we would have fit in very well. I do sincerely think some of the kindest, most genuine, hard working individuals I have ever met live out of the city either on a farm or remote countryside. I can only hope to instill some of those farm values into our child and that she will understand the importance of finding the beauty in Gods land, his animals and the bliss of some occasional solitude.

We had a blast and came home EXHAUSTED! Actually K fell asleep in the car on the way home without dinner and I think Wade and I were in bed by 10:30 that night. I could have gone to sleep in the car too truth be told. If you asked K what her favorite part of the day was she would possibly say either watching the pig shows, (kids showing/selling off their pigs) petting All the animals, or the Team pinning. Uncle Mark, you would have been very proud of her. K was yelling like crazy during the team pinning show..."number 6, no. 6, to the left, to the left...get her, get her...focus, focus. You can do it! YEAH!!! WAY TO GO!!!" She was toooo cute! I even had to ask her to sit down and be just a tad quieter about 4 times. She would get so excited for each team. I seriously think she will one day be a great cheerleader. If she wants to of course. As soon as a new team would enter the arena she would pick out her favorite rider and horse and give them nick names. I think I recall one white horse being "sparkles" and two different brown horses with dark manes being "Doc and Boogie" (Thanks to uncle Mark, his horses). There was also the mystical horse "princess." Princess is K's favorite imaginary horse that she rides all the time. She enjoyed herself and we giggled a lot watching her and rooting for the teams. We must have enjoyed watching it all because I looked at my watch when K said her lil tummy was hungry and we had been there for an hour.

Reflecting back on our day, I think she may have even enjoyed watching the demonstration on how a cow is milked and seeing it all happen in real time. She and Wade experienced the demonstration close up as she asked a ton of questions. I wish I had taken a picture. (but mommy forgot her camera) Great learning opportunity though. I love that!

These pics were taken with Wade's phone camera b/c I forgot my camera.

After we finished seeing all the animals and competitions around the stock grounds we headed over to let our spirited cowgirl run out some of her energy in the HEB Buddy center. She was thrilled to be able to ride on the ponies this year. The last two years we went to the rodeo the lines were terribly long and we somehow convinced her to not wait for the popular rides. Not this time! The wait was short and so we waited. She picked the horse named "Twinkie." and around and around they rode. We also waited in line for some of the bounce houses they had. One of them was a slide bouncer. Wade and I both were concerned if she would climb up to the top and come down on her own (all the other kids were in pairs) but she climbed the rope all the way up to the top, slide down smiling all the way and so she did it again.

We didn't stay for the concerts this year because the last 2 years we tried with K she had a fit over the loudness. Yeah, it was Lyn*rd Skyner...Who can blame her for that one? And, who takes their kid to see Lyn*rd? Guess if I really want to go see someone in concert I either need headphones to cover her ears or a baby sitter. Wade and I both can't believed we missed Tim McGr...on my birthday this year. Woulda been fun. Maybe next year!

I think we are planning on going back next weekend to enjoy a little more of the rodeo grounds and actually spend some time over in the carnival section. I'll post pics soon because I will be taking my camera.

Valentines Party

2010-02-11T23:03:00.008-06:00

K had her Valentines party at Parkhills today. 15 bags of treats to hand out to her friends and LOADS MORE to bring home. Happy Valentines Day!

I love All holidays but I think I am becoming overwhelmed with all the candy in this house. This year K and I went to T*rget and I let her pick out what she wanted to give everyone. I was surprised she picked out the exact same valentine princess cards as last year but then again she loves her princess toys and movies so I should have known. She has been working on her writing skills so we used the opportunity to practice writing her name on all 15 cards and she did a great job even though we lost one man (card) due to her name running off the card. WOW! Those were really large letters. I think the only letters that made it on the card were Karl. Not quite her name. We also stashed princess stickers, a princess pencil, a lollipop and a few chocolates into each bag (I am sure the boys in her class just loved all the princess stuff) and we tied them up or as K said we, "tied them with a kiss." It was a fun afternoon project for us to go buy the stuff and then get them ready together for school. The girl is perfecting her art of shopping though. Too many times she would run up and down an isle and say "mommy can we get this for my friends? It says it is, 9 . 9 9 ($9.99). Didn't you say you wanted to stay under that amount?"

I am sure like all kiddos as soon as she walked in the door from school she was ready to check out all the goodies she got from the day. I may not like all the candy but I do enjoy watching her spread her loot out on the floor and opening each bag or card only to ooddle and awe with excitement over what she got from whom. She loves her friends and the relationship she has with each of them.

Hope you all enjoy the weekend with loved ones. Happy Valentines! Spread some love. Show someone you care.

37 and counting

2010-02-10T10:31:00.013-06:00

My Birthday was on Saturday and I think it's really odd that this year I did not feel a day older! Except for the early mornings we have been having lately...I could really do without them. Last year, I dreaded my birthday for some reason and truth be known, I have never been one to worry about age. I do not care for all the wrinkles I am starting to notice on my face or neck or the dark hairs that are popping up here and there and I certainly don't like dealing with the grey hairs on my head but hey - I will continue to try not to focus on how old I am getting and enjoy the little things. So, here's to another year and trying to age gracefully.

I had a wonderful weekend! Thanks to my honey, K, my parents, our family for all the sweet birthday cards and all my friends (especially all the faceb*ok messages). Mom and Dad came in Friday and we all had a casual dinner out together that evening. Very nice, thank you! My birthday on Saturday started off with getting to sleep in late-awesome. Wade got Kr*spy Kreme donuts for breakfast for all of us - yum! and he and K picked out my favorite flowers as a surprise - Stargazer lilies - gorgeous and I can still smell them now! We all laid around very casually and played the Wii together for the better part of the day. It was a Great day with just good ole family fun! Mom and dad stayed with K for the evening while Wade and I headed out to share our favorite meal - sushi! I posted on faceb*ok a question for everyone earlier in the day..."new restaurant or favorite oldie?" and it was unanimous. Go for the old favorite. We headed for sushi and tried some new rolls...Heaven! If you have not tried the cosimo roll, it's amazing! Just saying, give it a try. We came home to have birthday cake that Wade and K also picked up earlier in the day and snuggled up to watch a love story movie. To top off the weekend my honey gave me some new jewels which made me feel even more loved and blessed. It was a great weekend all around, thanks for making it special. I Love you all.

Pajama Day!

2010-02-04T20:50:00.007-06:00

Today at Parkhills was Pajama day. Each week the school kids work on learning about a letter from the alphabet. They learn how to sign that specific letter and then they learn how to sign a specific word that starts with the letter of the week, they work on writing it in upper and lower case forms and then they are given homework that includes finding things at home that start with the letter of the week and gluing or attaching them to the assigned homework sheet. This week they were studying the letter "P." In our house, "P" is for princess so we colored our homework page Purple and put princess stickers all over the purple colored homework page. I know there are plenty of other fun things that start with a "P" like pretzel, popcorn, peanuts, etc but our girl HAD to have nothing less than princesses on her homework. She was quite adamant about it when I offered other suggestions. hehe

She knew pajama day was coming and she was excited as usual about going to school. I must admit, I loved it too! How awesome was it that I did not have to dress her at all. Brush those teeth and the hair, put on some shoes and off we went. As soon as we got in the car, K and I started to sing the Sandr@ Boynt0n Pajama Time book. We sang that song the whole way to preschool this morning and it is still ringing in my head. Pajamay to the left pajamay to the right... jamma jamma jamma jamma P! J! It's pajamma time!!! It definitely was at Parkhills, the halls and classrooms were full of kiddos and teachers wearing their comfys. It was quite funny seeing all the teachers in their pjs too.

K had a great day and talked about it all the way home including getting to see a bit of the Peter Pan movie and having Popcorn with all her preschool friends during down time. And yes, I decided on which pj's I thought she should wear this time...a little sugar & spice. That's our girl just as the saying goes...sugar and spice and everything nice. That's what little girls are made of!

Rodeo Day

2010-02-03T00:07:00.000-06:00

February is one of those months for us...plenty to do with lots of fun. Thank goodness for January because it gives us time to rest and relax after the holidays and all of the end of the year madness and time to get geared up again for the new year. 2010 started off a little differently for us this time because of Wades grandmothers death on New Years Eve but we did enjoy our time with our family and K got to play with lots of her cousins even meeting a few that we had not met before. Even with the snow storm and the passing of Virginia, we did get some rest over the holidays due to being gone so long and those wonderful grandparents who would watch her in the morning and let us sleep in. Thanks Mimi and Papa and Nanna and Papaw...we always appreciate your help and love!

Tuesday was Rodeo Day at Parkhills and K has been looking forward to this event. She gets so excited for Rodeo time here in SA. She loves to dress up in her "cowgirl" attire. Wearing her boots and taking her cowgirl hat to school is "the best ever" according to her. She picked out what she wanted to wear the night before, she had to look "cuter than cute" she said. She even came down to our room at 7:30 to get me up so she would have plenty of time to get ready for the day and so she "would not miss anything." If you know our girl then you know 8am is an early morning in our house and the only time I can think of her waking at 7:30 are those days when we are visting her grandparents and she can't wait to get up and spend the day with them. It's like she knows without us telling her that her time is precious and limited so she better get up and get going and home is the place where she can catch up on her sleep.

There will be many more posts the next week or so... we have pajamma day Thursday at school, my birthday soon, the SA Rodeo, Valentines...you get the message. So stay tuned. I hope to catch some cute pics here and there and post them. Have a great February everyone.

Star Student

2010-01-22T12:38:00.010-06:00

K was Star Student at Parkhills last week. She was so excited. She has been asking me why she had not been chosen to be the Star Student for a few weeks maybe even a month or two. I put it on my remember to ask her teachers list and sure enough I found a note in her bag explaining it was her time. Congrats kid! She was asked as part of her homework to fill out some information about herself that would be posted to a board in her classroom for the week and here is some of what she said. I thought her answers were cute so I had to share especially for my memories sake.

Name, Birthday
Birth Location: Little Rock, AR (her exact phase was uummm, Rock where mommy?)
Person you admire: my Nanna (when I asked her if she knew what admire meant she said...I really like)
Favorite Food: Hot Dogs (she could eat 4 of these guys if I would let her)
Favorite Animal: Horses, Elephants & Dolphins (we had problems with just one)
What I'm good at: sweeping & washing floors, sorting laundry, helping mommy cook
Favorite thing about school: playing on the playground with my friends
One wish: to have a pink sled (her actual answer = one for Lindsey and one for me)

Here is a picture of her from the first day of pre-school this year because I do not think I posted them and a copy of her school pictures for the year.

Little Miss Labor

2010-01-12T21:49:00.012-06:00

So much for needing any help in this house when it comes to keeping the floors clean. If you have ever wondered how I keep them so clean...here's my secret. She is mine though so please do not try to steal her! I'll put up a good fight!

Actually, this scares me dearly. Poor thing! I so hope I have not set her up to be a Type A. I guess she has seen me on the floor scrubbing one too many times or we have watched Cinderella and Snow White too much. I hope it's more the latter. K has been washing the floors during playtime since she was very little. I'll see if I can dig up some of the older pictures to post them. Crazy kid...gotta love her idea of playing though. It certainly helps me out except for having to clean up the water everywhere. But, it is only water and That's what I continued to tell myself today after the 8th bowl of it was schlopped down on the tile.

Dec 08 3 yrs old...look at how she was playing with the grout lines. She was as she said cleaning out the cracks...oh boy!

By the way, my floors are clean but you will see in the 1st picture that my windows do not get the same love. I canNOT keep them clean. What's up with this housekeeper! Does she not like windex and paper towels or does she love seeing her handprints and lips everywhere?

And yes, it is the middle of Jan and my Cmas stuff is still up in the 1st two pics. We have not been home a week just yet so please bear with me. I pray we will have time this weekend to put them away. I Love the holiday season and all the decorations but not so fun seeing them mid Jan.

15 months old...I must have introduced her much earlier than I thought...oops! scary!

White Christmas

2009-12-28T16:14:00.038-06:00

When K asked all three Santas she saw this year for a pink sled and snow and then she said several prayers asking God to bring us snow, I had no idea she would be getting her wish. For the first time in many many years we had a white Christmas. It was amazing, beautiful, crazy and overwhelming for me all at once. My sister in law, Heather, probably thinks I am crazy now. hehe!

Getting her first taste of snow. She had to taste the snow!

Wade, K and I, and Kyle and Heather got up Christmas eve morning (Thursday) at my mom and dads house in Dallas to a winter weather looking day with rain. No big deal! The weatherman had predicted rain all day so Heather and I made plans to finish a few more errands for Christmas. By noon though things had changed, it was snowing! It was not the small tiny snowflakes either. NO, They looked like the big ones you see up in Colorado or elsewhere. YEAHHHH!!! My excitement kicked in. I giggled and smiled like I was 10. I may have even felt like I was 10 a few times. Heather and I got ready and headed out while Kyle, Wade and dad did the same, a few errands. By the time Heather and I got back to the house four hours later the roads were wet, it was close to below freezing and the houses and yards were covered in snow. Gods amazing beauty at its purest for me! I love the smells, seeing everything white, the way the snow glistens and my favorite is that swhoosing sound that the wind makes hitting the snow. Oh I was a mess! giggling, giddy, clapping with lots of delight, a smiling fool! I am sure a few people wondered what I was on. Best of all though... K was experiencing the blessing of snow.

Christmas Day we exchanged our gifts, had breakfast together and by that afternoon K was ready to go out and play in the snow. It was a very sunny morning so the snow was melting quickly but there was plenty to play in. She had a blast having snowball fights and building a snowman with Wade and some local kids. She came in completely wet and muddy...only in TX.

My brother, Kyle, was scheduled to work on Saturday but because W!chita Falls got up to 10 inches of snow in some areas and we had heard from my aunt and uncle who left our house Christmas morning how BAD the roads were, we begged Kyle to not head back and wait another day for the roads to clear some more. It was a good decision on his part because we saw A LOT of stranded cars, trucks, vans, and semis on the side of the road or median when we all left together two days later.

What should have been a 2 hour trip into W!chita Falls for all of us turned out to be a five hour drive. Kyle has a truck so we thank goodness picked up some gravel and sand bags to weight his truck's back end down. Then we filled the tanks up. That was the best idea we had considering we ended up being in a two lane traffic jam half way there due to terrible ice and a wreck on the road. Oh yes, we sat in the middle of the highway for almost 2 hours. It was not that bad though...it's amazing how many people were out of their cars playing in the snow, using the snow for a bathroom break and walking up and down the highway. We made it into WF several hours later and we were shocked! The town was still and almost dead. I could not believe how much snow they had. If I thought the drive in to town felt like Colorad* then I must have landed there with all that snow. Let's just say in 20 years I have never seen that much snow in the town.

Wade had a wonderful time driving. He was wanting to have some fun on the snow and he got his chance. He was a wonderful driver though. Thank goodness for all those years and trips in Colorado. I felt very safe honey - more safe with you than on dry roads! Unfortunately we did not get to see all the cousins, aunts and uncles because it was 6 by the time we made it to town and we knew IF we were heading further North that night we had to make it a quick trip. We visited with my grandparents for almost 2 hours and headed toward Oklahoma. Another drive that normally takes an hour took almost 3 hours for us. It was a looooooonnnnnngggg day but we were safe and seeing more family.

We were finally in Ok!ahoma. On our next to last leg for the holidays. We will be spending five days up here before we head back to Dallas for the New Year holiday and then journey back home. By the way, if you have ever seen the movie four christmases...know that's our family plus one more christmas in four different cities. We go and travel like the energizer bunnies. Our first morning in OK we headed to Wades Dads house. I should have known heading over there with all the pretty fluffy white thick snow that the day would be filled with a few kids in the snow and snowballs fights. Who can tell seven kids under 10 years to stay out of the snow. It was certainly not going to come from me even though K was not dressed for a snow day. She was warm enough though with all the layers she had on. Poor thing, I think she has lived in three or four shirts the last few days. She has not complained but I wonder, does she feel like the abominable snow monster? Yes, it makes for lots of laundry too. (worth every smile and memory in my book though!)

Our last few days in OK have been spent with Wades mom and Don. On Monday morning K and I headed outside while everyone else had a few errands to run. We had so much fun playing in the snow. Man, I forgot how much work it is to make a snowman and how much energy the snow can take out of you. We were both exhausted when we came in. I can say without a doubt that K has had many experiences with snow this year and she enjoyed every minute of rolling in it, jumping in it, having snowball fights or cleaning off the cars. I am very thankful our year ended this way and I feel very blessed that she had the opportunity.

A MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-25T00:09:00.003-06:00

Our family wishes you all the very best this holiday season and a very safe holiday too. We hope you have many special moments with loved ones, share some great food and are blessed in many ways. Lots of love and hugs to you all.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
The Adairs

Dancing Bean

2009-12-17T00:47:00.018-06:00

K had a dance show on Monday night at LA Perf*rming Arts. This was her second time to preform a dance routine (she had another show after a one week class she took back in Jun). We enrolled her in a ballet class with her good friend Scarlett on Monday mornings this semester and she will be completing the class next semester too. It was just adorable watching all eight little girls between three and five years old dance for all the parents. K was on the back row with two other girlfriends, Scarlett and Bella. (K and Bella are also in the same class together at P*rkhills). They were the taller girls and they all looked adorable together! I think we were all very proud mommas.

Just a few weeks ago I was beginning to fear that she was not interested in dance and wondering If I was going to have to ask for a refund for the spring semester class but now I am almost positive that she loves it. I am wondering if part of her renewed excitement toward dance was taking her to see the nutcracker ballet. Did that motivate her and help her to want to be a better dancer? She did get in the car after the nutcracker ballet and say she wanted to learn to dance as beautifully as the girls and kids did.

K can certainly shake her booty and she knew most of her moves to her two songs before it was time for them or without looking at her dance instructor. Wade said after the show was over and I so agree, "she will either be a good dancer one day or a great cheerleader with those expressions and dramatic moves." She was very animated and really enjoyed herself. To my surprise she did not utter a word of fear. I did tell her earlier in the day that I was excited to see her onstage and she said "ON STAGE!" so I back tracked and said "no,no sweetpea. You are just dancing in your classroom with the chairs set up for parents to see you." Not another word was mentioned and she even fell asleep in the car on the way that night. Of course, I did see fear kick in when she first walked into the room and saw all the people and I got a little nervous she would walk out but she did it! I even think I had to find her off button or stop button once the show was over. That Adrenaline must have kicked in!

Santa in Steubing Ranch

2009-12-13T14:50:00.009-06:00

K finally found the "courage" as she put it, to meet Santa today. She has really wanted to meet him this year and on two other occasions I have tried to take her but she would end up saying she was too scared before we were ready to go and rather than make it a big deal, we just let it go. I knew one day she would come around.

We told her yesterday after one of those attempts, that Santa was coming to our neighborhood for a quick trip today and that he was here to see all the kids with one of his elves. If she wanted to, we would take her. She thought about it and initially told us "no, I'm too scared" but as we drove home from church today she said, "let's drive by so I can see him." We did and she acted completely disinterested. Home we went, changed clothes and then...she said "can we go see Santa? I want to tell him what I would like for Christmas." So we changed again and up to the park we went.

Thank goodness for his sweet little elf because we told the elf that K was a little concerned and that this was the closest she had been to Santa before and she gently took her hand and said "if you want you can sit on my lap on the ground" and K agreed. YIPPEE! Then the elf gave her a goodie bag and asked if she wanted to shake his hand or sit on his lap..."No" K said "but I want to tell him something." Leaning over but not too closely she said "Santa, I really want a pink sled for CMas and some snow." Poor girl has asked for the same sled for 2 years now and some snow. I wonder how that will happen in this town, let alone in this state? Maybe we can take her to Colorad* one day soon. Then the elf asked if she would sit on her lap on Santa's lap and K agreed. As long as it was not her on his lap!

She once again faced a fear and I am so proud of her. It may not have been on Santas lap but I am all about being a cautious person so it's okay with me. I'm not one for forcing kids to sit on Santa's lap just to get a picture. It's just not worth the stress and the meltdown for me. I am also not about pushing a natural instinct because fear of others is not always a bad thing. We should trust those instincts.

After all her courage she got a free cup of hot chocolate with marshmellows
Thanks to the nice HOA staff and St*rbucks. They also had apple cider and cookies out for everyone too.

*~*Merry Christmas*~*

The Friendly Beasts of Christmas

2009-12-12T20:20:00.003-06:00

K's school had their annual Christmas program on Thursday. I look forward to this program every year at P*rkhills. I think mostly because it is purely Christmas to me. Singing songs, being joyful, watching the story of baby Jesus, hearing the sweet voices of children and all the excitement. It brings back so many memories of my youth and singing in the church choir, the school choir and performing alone on stage for Christmas programs. Love it all and miss it!

This was K's third year participating in the story of Jesus and the Friendly Beasts program at P*rkhills and she has grown so much each year. When the kids are two and three years old they get to stand up on stage and sing a song or two with everyone and then they take their seats and watch the Pre-K children perform. This year was K's year to perform since she is in the Pre-K program.

Ms Bonnie, the music teacher at P*rkhills does a wonderful job preparing them for this show and working with them. She must really be on the ball because she has around 45 to 50 Pre-K kids to get ready for the performance and around the same number of two and three yrs olds as well to teach a song or three to. It is quite a large program for such small kiddos and they all do so well. It is just adorable watching them too.

K was a candlestick this year. She wanted to be a donkey (horse in her mind), a cow or one of the other animals but her teachers, Ms. Kim, Ms Karen and I were concerned if she would be able to handle one of those roles because of the individual lines and her voicing her concerns when practicing. We decided together that being in a group setting with several other kids would hopefully ease her fears a little more and help her for future events too by boosting her self esteem.

K was not crying the morning of the show but I can vouch for her nerves. It is soo funny to me that she gets nervous because she always performs so well. (Although I am not sure why I cannot understand her nerves because I can remember my legs shaking while at Ms. Texas one year. I can recall my chest breaking out in red patches at many other events too. And, I loved being up there preforming whatever just not in front of sooo many people). K makes it look as though she is not nervous at all, you'd never know she was nervous unless she mentioned it to you.

Our morning began with her in our bathroom getting ready and practicing her lines, sooo cute to. She came in saying "We shine for Him," "We shine for him," "We shine for him..." all the while her hands were moving in a circular movement to shine for him. I casually asked if she was excited and she said "yeah but I am nervous too mommy." I told her that she would be onstage with all her friends and many of the other kids would feel some nerves too and that was okay because we all get nervous at times but it is how we handle those nerves that matters. I reminded her of all the times she has performed, so to speak, and how well she did each time and I asked her to try to remember to take a few deep breaths and if she would say her line so mommy and daddy could hear her in the audience. She said, "Ms Bonnie wants us to say them loudly and clearly." I said that is exactly right honey and I know you can do that. Boy do I. I also told her that her teachers would be near her and if she forgot for a moment her line they would be there to help her so please ... no worries baby. You'll do great!

Most of the kiddos get excited about putting on a show for their families and I am so proud of them but I am even more proud of those few that are scared to death to be onstage in front of others and they still get up there and participate as asked. I know of two kids in K's class this year and a few others not in her class that were either in tears most of the morning getting ready for the show or very vocal about their nervousness and still nervous during the show. But, they were troopers and stood there on stage and preformed as asked. I am so very proud of them. They are predominately only 3 and 4 years old when you stop and think about it.

To my candlestick, You shined very brightly baby! You spoke loudly, clearly and showed us your charisma. I was thrilled and proud to be watching you and I so hope we have many more performances. I love watching you. You are growing up so fast and I am so impressed with how you face your fears - that fills my cup of respect for you. Way to go girl!

For the grandparents, Wade got it all on the camcorder so you can see the show too. I know K will be eager to show you. If we can figure out our new camcorder, we will upload a short clip from the full length version just of Ks part as a sneak peak. We do have a few more pics too, mostly of her friends from class. K was running around after the show wanting a picture with all the classmates she could find.

Merrry Christmas all!

34 Reasons to Celebrate ...

2009-12-11T18:13:00.030-06:00

Wade's Birthday was Sunday and it was from my perspective...perfect. I think he felt it was a good day too. My parents were in town for the weekend mainly to help us watch K while Wade and I attended a church class Christmas party Saturday evening. Sunday morning we did not make it to church because my parents were leaving early and we were really tired from the week of very late night hours every night. We laid around and had a relaxing lazy chatty morning with my parents until they left. I then proceeded to our bedroom and left Wade to his football games while K and I watched some Christmas movies together and played a few computer games. Could a guy complain about being left all alone with his couch, remote and football games of his choosing on his flat screen tv? We then rustled around and dressed for evening church services and to take Wade to a new restaurant he wanted to try for his birthday dinner. Church and dinner hit the spot to finish off our Sunday and his birthday. But, we then headed to Chill*'s to pick up a chocolate cake and home to devour it. Yeah, I know, what about being a good little wifey and baking him a cake? Truth be known I made chocolate bread pudding on Saturday and he was thrilled about sinking a few forks into that and then I mentioned our favorite dessert. He grinned and I knew I would be nibbling on the most delicious chocolate cake known to man. Plus, K and I had a trick up our sleeves. We had discussed going to our favorite cake shop and picking up a cake or cupcakes for him on Monday. Lots of sweets in our house, yes, I know. I probably put on 10 pounds this week.

Now for some mushiness and an attempt to give you 34 reasons as to why I am celebrating the guy I know or this life that God has blessed me with sharing. I love you honey and I am still thankful God granted us an opportunity to meet at that cafe that led to a beautiful wedding and crazy life together.

Ready for church and dinner at Pal*ma Blanca

1. Those eyes and that smile, ummm, this is what first caught my attention...melted me down to the core.
2. His stature is one that makes me feel safe and protected.
3. His beliefs in God, the church and being a christian. A moral compass (inside joke with some friends of ours). He is very faithful.
4. I could feel his compassion when he spoke...especially about faith, work, family and friends. I enjoy this compassion and can understand this compassion.
5. His honesty and trustworthiness...I have caught him in a few mishaps and he fesses up and for wonderful reason I have never felt any issues in regards to trusting him.
6. Communicating with him keeps me grounded. We have wonderful conversations involving politics, religion, love and life. He stimulates my brain and keeps me thinking.
7. He believes that God is first then family and work.
8. His career...the Air force has given him a wonderful education and he works very hard for them. He serves proudly and very admirably!
9. He is open-minded (97% of the time, hehe) doesn't he have to be with his career and our ever changing living location, job location, co-workers and bosses as well as any obstacles that K and I throw his way.
10. He is a dependable person. If I can reach him during the day in my moments of trouble, he can walk with me or calm me down depending on the situation. At times I am scared of how I would live without him and his support.

11. I use to think he was laid back...now I know it is just purely untrue and all laziness! giggle giggle (I had to put a joke in somewhere honey) He still is laid back in many areas to the point that it DRIVES ME NUTS but I do love that about you too.
12. His ambition...to be a better christian, man, husband, dad, son, brother, family man, all the while working to advance himself in his career.
13. His manliness. He is a guys guy. He loves to hunt (although I grew up with it from my dad and our families-its not my favorite past time). He loves sports and all the terrible for you food that goes with watching them. He loves golf, he can get his hands REALLY dirty and he loves the outdoors minus the hot weather.
14. My most appreciated now ... his handiness. That boy can figure out how to make anything if he has the time and the desire. I cannot tell you how much molding he has put up in our 2 homes, walls he has painted and stayed in the lines, shelves he has installed, things he has cleaned up, yard projects he has accomplished as well as working on our cars from time to time. If he was only around the house more... hehe.
15. He is a great dad. You never know what kind of dad a guy will be unless you have seen them around other children on a regular basis and I did not have this luxury. Wade is wonderful with K and K loves her daddy so much! He is her rough and tumble and giggle and find trouble, her temper and I must admit probably her brains. He has always said he is a borderline genius and I am thrilled he passed this on to our baby.
16. He is a family man. He cares for all of our family.
17. He is 98% of the time optimistic and 100% faithful. Our 10 years together has shown me this time and again.
18. He loves eating and great food just as much as I do. Our days in Charleston started this adventure and developed our taste buds like no other. I know I can always make him happy through his belly.
19. He is soooo book smart it is sick. Ask him how many books he opened during his masters program sometime. He would really be in trouble if I was the same way!
20. He is persistent. A strong woman who can be hard headed at times needs a man that can stand and take it or find ways to ask for what he wants.

21. He is our financial guru. I know because of him we will one day be very stable maybe not really rich but very comfortable.
22. He is stable. He may have a few quirks but we all do - not me of course - but I know he will be strong, reliable and firm in his decisions especially when I need him to be logical with business or money decisions.
23. He loves to travel and have new experiences. God has blessed our world with so much to see, discover and learn about/from. I have a companion that enjoys this discovery as much as I do.
24. He thinks I'm pretty! And he likes my cooking. He loves how I decorate our home even though he wishes I could do it with someone elses money. enuf said
25. He allows my creative and organized side to express itself and he complains only minimally about it.
26. We are both night owls. It makes for some great snuggling time and chilling out in front of the tv watching movies.
27. He loves gadgets or better said electronics. Which selfishly makes me happy too. 28. He is a private person (not boastful) and definitely not secretive. We share everything and I think that fuels my trust in him and all the experiences we have had as a couple.
29. He is the BEST sandwich maker I know. He has perfected his craft of making sandwiches and on those nights that things are crazy busy or I am exhausted, I know that he can stand on his own in the kitchen and make a mean sandwich as good as some famous bakeries.
30. He is analytical. Which means at times he can understand me or the opposite we don't see eye to eye because we are talking in circles. But this trait has helped us make and work through many situations together.

K was adamantly against a typical pose and had to have mommy work with her.

31. Even though he is a hunter, he has a love and appreciation of animals. Very important for me and K because we both have huge hearts for Gods creatures.
32. He has a very strong moral character. It's hard to sway or change his opinion because of his beliefs in what is right or wrong or black versus white. He sees very little grey.
33. He is diplomatic and level headed. We all need this trait at times.
34. The best reason of all...HE LOVES ME and our daughter K and our dogs and our cat and our home and this life that God has blessed us with. WHEW! (wiping my brow) I was not sure if I could do that but yeah me! the words just continued to fall on the keys of my computer.

PICT3950.MOV

2009-12-11T12:27:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this video

I found this movie while cleaning up all our pictures and videos. What a moment! I had to share it. We made Wade 3 short videos for him to see as a BDay gift to send him on his Bday while he was in Afghanistan. We wanted him to know we were celebrating here too. This is one of three.

Thankful Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T00:34:00.002-06:00

This year was not the typical Thanksgiving for us but we are very thankful for the change. We decided to stay home and have a smaller thanksgiving with just the 3 of us after many factors made it evident that traveling this year was not likely. It was odd planning everything for 3 people but after our bellies were full, we were very happy with our decision to break routine. We got a turkey from H*neybaked Ham and I made the rest of the sides and a pumpkin pie. Wade and K's pick but I was not complaining. The only thing I missed and I am hoping to catch somewhere over Christmas is some cranberry salad or sauce. I was worried on Thursday that K was going to be down not having anyone to play with but as it would turn out our neighbor was home and K had a play buddy for 2 hours while I cooked the meal Thursday. Awe such a relief. After we ate and cleaned everything up, we got out all the Christmas decorations for the inside of our house and cranked up the Cmas tunes and started decorating. It was fun, festive and nice.

I think we have decided since this year was so low key for us (and we loved it) that we are going to add it to our rotation every third year. One year with my family, the next with Wades family then a thanksgiving to ourselves so we can have a few traditions for our little family too. This way we are not spending the four days traveling on the road and dealing with holiday traffic, packing, unpacking, not sleeping in our own beds...you get the point.

Because we stayed in town we attended the praise and pie at church on Tuesday evening which was great for all of us. K got to play with her good girl friends and then we all enjoyed ourselves eating different pies (getting our fix of pecan pie since I was not making one). I also got to have a night out and dinner on Wednesday evening with a good girl friend here in town. Such a wonderful blessing too.

Friday was the day after turkey day and we do not normally hit any of the Black Friday sales or stores but I had the shopping bug and we journeyed out after much interent shopping and seeing all the deals. I think Wade secretly liked it too once he saw how much we were saving on the things that were on our list. We had a great day...relaxing at home in the morning and then some shopping for a few hours during the afternoon and dinner out that evening. What more could a girl ask for?

On our way...Rudolph was going too for moral support.

Saturday we attended the Nutcracker performance downtown. I was soooooo excited for this event. My parents use to take me as a child and I love the story and show. I have fond memories of this show and sharing them with Wade and K sounded like a great idea since we were home together and not traveling. We got dressed up for the afternoon show and headed out. K was excited but then fear kicked in and although it took about 20 to 30 minutes for her to warm up, she loved the show. We arrived a little early knowing she may need the time to adjust and I am glad we did. Her head was buried in her hands and she was humped over trying very hard to Not see anything even though it was only the preshow. It took me saying to her once the show started, "you have a choice, you can either sit here and watch the show and cover your ears or we will leave and go home - you decide". She chose to cover her ears and watch the first half and by the second half she was on the edge of her seat singing all the songs (totally different child). She said as we were in the car heading to dinner... "Mommy/Daddy, that was the best day ever...Thank you so much for taking me to see the Nutcracker. Can we go again to see it?" That Melted my heart...I'll happily take her any year! It was Wades first time to see a ballet performance too. I was not quite sure how he would do and react but he said he really liked the story and enjoyed the show with all of us. I am Proud of you dear for hanging with your girls! He may want to try to get use to seeing men in tights if his baby girl continues on her dancing path. giggle giggle

One little, Two little, Three little Indians

2009-11-23T23:59:00.001-06:00

I am behind on my blogging and many other things in our house because our computer crashed days before Thanksgiving. We were at least able to rescue All our info...love that...major blessing in our household! I would have gone nuts to loose all my pictures and Wade would have gone mad over all the quicken info. Anyway, I have wanted to post several updates so here is the first of many...

K celebrated her Thanksgiving Harvest Feast with her classmates at P*rkhills Mommy's Day Out on Tuesday. She has been so excited about this event and she started talking about it the first day of the month. I guess the girl loves eating and spending time with her friends. ummm, sounds like my kind of girl! They had fun and although I did not get to attend, (I had a scheduled chop-your-hair-off appt) she said it was wonderful.

K happy about her homemade chocolate cookie

K and her friend Olivia

Her teachers Ms. Kim and Ms Karen had a slight mishap while making the kids shirts but I Love how they worked through it and made their class some awesome vests. K said her favorite part one of their days before the feast was picking out what exactly she wanted to stamp on her vest for the special feast and her Indian name. She was pink pony. Imagine that! Two of her favorite things. The following day they made their headdresses and she was again excited to wear hers for the thanksgiving feast.

Fabulous Fall

2009-11-21T11:23:00.001-06:00

I love this time of year. The leaves falling, the wind blowing and cooler days and nights, the crispness of it all and seeing the amazing colors that God has blessed us all with this time of the year. It's a beautiful time of year. I also love the smell of Apple Cider and drinking it is even better especially the new Carmel Apple Cider at St*rbucks. Oh it's a bit of heaven for me this season and I see many more of them in my future. I have also had problems resisting carmel chocolate apples and apple pie. It's an apple thing for me this year I guess.

I have added a link to some pictures of all the activites we did in October. Whew! It was a busy month for us and it looks like the next two months will follow a similar pattern. Tis the season...

We wish you all the very merriest Christmas and a wonderful New Year filled with love, tradition and too many blessings to count.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Wikki Sticky

2009-11-18T21:57:00.006-06:00

I guess I got my dose of "Oh My Gosh! with a giggle under my breathe" from K this week. I walked into My bedroom today after K's quiet time to discover that she had created embellishments on our room decor. I will say it was great work and it took quite a bit of time for me to unravel some of those sticky wikki stixs. NO wonder mommy she was so quiet! I had a feeling I should have peeked in...trust those instincts. We had a talk about the proper use of them and not applying them to any of mommy's furniture or other household items unless she asks first. Whew! I will give her an A+ for creativity and effort because that had to take some time but I do not think she was following house rules.

NOTE where she has them placed...around the lamp, on my crystal drops (that we had to clean to get all that sticky stuff off). She is something else. Please know, she had plenty to do. She had various activity books and colored pencils to do some mazes, picture searches, coloring books etc. Plus I brought down all of her Disney Princ*sses and this is what she chose. hehe

Was she trying to give the plant piggy tails? Now you know what happens in our house. At least it is not eggs, right mom! Do your kids find their creativity during quiet time too?

New Do, Short Do, What's a girl to do?

2009-11-17T22:56:00.007-06:00

For the last 4 or 5 months I have been struggling with wanting a new hairstyle. If you know me well, you will know that I put a LOT of thought into almost all of the things I do. Yeah, it drives me nuts that I am that way sometimes but, this dog ain't learning any new tricks in that department soon! So, I tipped my toes into the thought of cutting it short for many months and I decided I needed to find something easy, cute and appealing to my hubby. I have always loved having longer hair and I have always thought I would keep my longer hair even in my "older" years. Yeah, this is the same girl that use to tell my mom "I would NEVER color my hair. Nnnnooooooo! I would go gray naturally and not fight age." BOY was I WRONG!!! This girl ain't going down without a fight now!
I showed up to my appointment this morning and Minnie, the lady that cuts my hair said jokingly, "Well, are you biting the bullet and bringing me pictures of a short cut?" I just laughed and said "Minnie, I have 3 pictures that I can not decide on...I like them all but they are all different." She said after seeing the pictures "Oh my Gosh! You were not kidding girl." I guess she must have thought I was too chicken or flighty to go for a short cut, who knows. I have been going to her for almost 4 years and she is use to me bringing in pictures with "looks" I love so that was nothing new but obviously the "looks" were though. We talked LOTS and lots and I finally said "you decide, I am sure I will love it." Of course, I had NO idea that the first cut was going to be so big. I saw 10 years of money, love, a baby, 4 moves, and my marriage drop to the floor. "No going backwards now girl," Minnie said. And I am thinking..."AUGHHHHHHHH! What HAVE I done - do not hyperventilate...you'll be okay and IF you hate it. It will grow out. You have done this before, it's just been a long time. You are always telling K to be strong and a big girl - eat your words mommy. You're use to change - you can do this." Do you see a pattern of self confidence talk? Then I was fine - maybe because I faced the wall the majority of the time instead of a mirror? Do you think Minnie did that on purpose? When I saw myself next I had wet hair still and I thought "OHHHHH MY GOSH! It's short and I think it's shorter than I was ready for...I did it and I think I may not like it - it will grow out some and it will be cuter." Then the styling time came and my smile grew and grew and not from fear.

I have to add K and Wades comments too. I walked into K's school to pick her up from pre-K and I was Very nervous because I forgot to tell her I was getting a haircut today. I was very unsure of what would come out of that little mouth especially after we saw a very nice looking black lady in the grocery store yesterday and K said in a very loud voice and we passed her shopping. "Mommy, that lady has ORANGE hair." See my fear? But, my sweet baby said, "Mommy, you look beautiful!" as soon as she saw me. I melted and sighed! Wades reaction was a bit different, he walked in the door tonight and the look on his face was priceless! He stood still at the door and said "oh my! It's shorter than I was expecting." Then he proceeded to follow me around the house for about 20 minutes. I think he likes it too.

It is so funny how we can get attached to our hair. Change it is for me! I think it's cute and I feel trendy again but it will take some getting used to seeing this lady in the mirror. But, oh dear! I need lipstick now and my makeup will need to be adjusted some and oh yeah! time to go shopping for some fun hoops. OHHHHH to be a girl!

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

2009-11-07T00:21:00.003-06:00

I let K put some of her play makeup on tonight and well as you can see it is an interesting creation. Does she see me this way? Someone please tell me if I am wearing too much makeup! She was even in front of the mirror saying..."Mirror mirror aren't I the prettiest princess of them all." OH MY! This is NOT the first time we have been down this road either. The only other time I have let her play on her own in makeup we ended up with this...

I just pray she does not try to leave this house at 13 or 14 wearing makeup this way unless it is for a costume party. Oh Dear where have I gone wrong? I think we may need more practice.

Royal Dogs

2009-10-25T22:22:00.007-05:00

When you live in a house with a creative little 4 year old only child...you never know what you may find after some quiet time. When I walked into K's bedroom on Saturday afternoon during her one hour break I had NO idea this is what I was going to find. I laughed sooooo hard and I am still giggling over it! K was so excited to get ready for the Mac Trunk of Treats and I guess since she could not get ready yet she was going to dress up our beloved dog. I was sooo proud of my sweet little Allie. I cannot imagine what it is like to be a dog in this house now. Our two shih-tzu girls spent 5 VERY pampered years with us prior to K's arrival and I can only wonder what they think of their life now. They just may be wanting her to go back to whereever she came from because we have had some interesting experiences in this house the last 4 years.

Allie "why, oh why, mommy did you listen to her and leave me up here?"

K requested a picture with her "Royal Dog!"

This was a requested picture too because the princess "commanded that Allie look at her." oh my!

To be fair to Kallee here is a picture I took of them late this summer. Obviously Kallee was the smart dog this day and hid well from the princess.

Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain

2009-10-22T17:21:00.002-05:00

We have had our fair share of rain lately here in town, Finally! Especially after all those summer months with no rain at all. In this house we are NOT about to complain about it except for the roof leaks we are still battling. That's another story. Yesterday we had another system move through town and before dinner I told K she could go play in it. I have only let her do this a few times and she desperately wanted to go out front IN THE STREET. She was amazed at how the water was pooling or "puddling" as she called it. What I thought would be a quick 20 to 30minutes out there running and playing turned into an Hour. She had a blast and I got to grab a few quick pics... I will NEVER complain about rain as long as I have this sweet playful face with me.
Don't you Love the rain coat with the other mixed match stuff. I think new rain gear is on our CMas list now.

Fall Festive Feeling

2009-10-20T12:04:00.008-05:00

I get itches randomly to spruce up this or that throughout our house or the yard. This side of me REALLY scares Wade at times because not only will I find things to occupy my time but then my list begins of things I would like for him to help me with. Oops! Last week with the cooler weather being here and the fact that Fall and Spring are my favorite times of year I made a decision. NO more ugly front porch! Since we have lived here in SA I have been Very laid back on my front porch style so I took matters in my own hands and I had a new project (alongside some big ones inside the house). I had a blast making this! I forgot how much fun I have picking out all the stuff and then crafting these guys. I made a few last Christmas too and we have other wreaths that I have made over the years (have you priced some of the really nice ones in boutiques or speciality stores! Ouch!!!) but this one is now a favorite of mine. I got ALL my supplies half price and a few things were from our local park and my MIL, Debby. Anyway, just some fall inspiration and I am always available for hire if you ever want or have a need for any wreaths. I was so excited to show Wade after I finished it and I always have this fear of how he will react (we have completely different styles) and he said "WOW dear! It looks professional." It made this wreath even more special to me. I am working on finishing the front porch and steps this week and when I do, I will post some more pics.
~~~HAPPY FALL~~~

K is 4!

2009-05-10T22:06:00.047-05:00

Here are a few things you may or may not know about our sweet little one. She was born in Little Rock, AR on Thursday, May 5, 2005. She blessed us at 5:12pm weighing in at 8 lbs 2 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. Yes, you read the date right, that is 5/5/05 This was not planned by the way. Her due date was Apr 26, 2005 and she had no intentions of coming early for us. The craziest thing about her birth date is if she did not come on May 5th then the next day would be May 6th and Wade and I both share a birth date on the 6th. Wade is a December baby and I am a February baby but we share the 6th day of different months as our birthday. Odd, I think.

I had a wonderful pregnancy. I have never in my life felt more like a woman or beautiful! I Loved Every Minute of carrying her. I did get the flu on two separate occasions and I was sick that entire week and then in my eighth month of pregnancy I somehow caught a 24 hour stomach virus. That was horrible! I had not been that sick in YEARS and the only place I could have picked it up I suppose, was working in pharmaceuticals going in and out of doctors offices. I am still perplexed by that virus because the minute I found out I was prego I went to Target and bought out the stores on hand sanitizer and used it EVERY time I left an office. Being sick did not encourage K to meet her parents early. I promise you that she was hanging on for dear life in utero. I pushed for almost 2 hours and her toes were certainly long enough to hang on! I should have known then that she would be hard headed and stubborn just like her mommy and daddy. She comes by this trait honestly! I fell madly in love the moment I saw her...She came to us and my life changed. I have a beautiful sign hanging in her room that is so true and dear to me..."A moment in my arms, a lifetime in my heart." She is the blessing that I never knew I wanted. As a baby, she was perfect. She was a very calm, happy and predictable baby. She was easily pleased as long as she was fed, clean, and had some movement from time to time. When she was 3 weeks old we had to put the house in LR on the market and throughout the stress and crazy busy days she was a wonderfully patient baby. The only melt downs I can recall would be one night when she was 4 weeks old and Wade was on a week long work trip and then the day we were closing the house up and leaving AR. Ohhh, those were moments! At 8 weeks old we moved in with my parents in Dallas for 2 and a half months as we waited for our house to be finished here in SA and she journeyed through life with me and the 2 dogs without Wade. Again, she was a peaceful child. Our final move was into our new home, she was more resilient than I thought a baby would be with everything that happened and the stress I felt from that move. She was wonderful and I felt so very blessed to have such a sweet pleasant baby. We had a few bumps here and there but nothing major. Over her first 2 years if she found trouble I would say "K, No-No!" and she may test me another time or two but then she would back off. If she really got into trouble I would clap my hands just once and the poor baby would jump in fear and not go back to whatever occupied her attention. I never thought of putting her in time out or spanking her nonetheless during her first 2 years. There really was no reason to be so extreme with her since she responded so well to the current form of correction. Her personality then and even now are tactile, sensitive, very sensory sensitive (sounds especially), very observant, shy until she is comfortable, extremely laid back, happy, easily entertained, very affectionate, persistent, and always hungry. You should see her 6 month pictures...she was our little roly-poly.

Her second year of life was truly different from the typical child's. Wade was deployed to Afghanistan by the time she was 27 months old and he returned 5 months later to find a little girl and NOT the baby that he left. Her temperament was still unbelievable which helped me a lot while he was away. She was so easy for me to discipline, no terrible 2s here. But I must admit she was mentally exhausting for me...I cannot tell you how much of a sponge and info seeker she was, I talked NON stop while he was gone. We watched movies just so I could get a break. When Wade left she was speaking 3 to 5 word sentences which were cute and simple but by the time he came home, she was using multiple word sentences. Wade was shocked when he got into the car and she talked his ear off even at 1 am. And, she hasn't stopped talking since! I think that second year of her little life shaped the little girl we have now. She is definitely more concerned about her family and friends leaving and she tries so hard to understand where they are going and when she will see them next. She is also much more concerned about any kind of change...new room, new people, and new events. I am very careful and cautious with her when we do these "new" things for or with her. If I take things slowly and explain things in great detail we will not have any problems and she will transition smoothly but upset the balance and it is all OFF.

By the time she turned 3 years old, we discovered her love of animals! Does this mean she will one day be a vet? She says she wants to be a doctor! She has played more with her Doctor set than she has ever asked to play with her dress up costumes. Her favorite stuffed animal is her cow... Which she started to carry the day after Wade left for Afghanistan and she has held his hand or snuggled with him every day since. That was Aug 29, 2007. She LOVES cows, horses, and elephants. I can not stress this enough. We go nuts looking for cows and horses as we travel from place to place visiting family. It has become a favorite past time and we talk about all the different colors and sizes of each group of animals. We even have a huge assortment of horses and cows. The kid cannot get enough of them. Her favorite color is still blue but pink is somehow creeping its way into our life. She also has a love of reading books. We've read to her since before she was born and reading has always been a part of her bedtime and naptime routine. As of late she will read the books to herself for several minutes after we finish a few. For me, this 3rd year has been more challenging than any of the other years we have shared with her. Her personality has blossomed. She is very imaginative (so much so it scares Wade & I at times), intelligent, energetic and bubbly, and persistent or stubborn which at times gets her into trouble. These are wonderful traits to have but we are working on learning how to channel them appropriately.

She had a very busy year in 08 full of experiences because Wade and I longed to have more family time together. We took her to the SA Zoo too many times to count as well as Sea World and then we decided to start tagging along on Wade's work trips and extend the time where ever to make the trip a vacation trip too. K had her 1st opportunity to visit a beach in Panama City,Fl in Jul 08 and then in Oct we went to Disney World with her. She loved the beach. She was reluctant at first to get in the water. I think she knew how deep it was but we convinced her that it would not be too deep if she stayed close to us and she could stand in the water. She was also concerned by some of the waves, the seaweed that had invaded the beach the week we were there and the fish. By day 3 she was our little fish in the water and a total sand baby. We loved it! She called the ocean the "deep blue sea" and once she gave in to trying out the waves and water, she had the "best time ever." She asks us on a regular basis if we can go back to the beach again. We have decided for our family the beach is the BEST way to relax and bond as a family once again. I will cherish the memories and photos and I hope we can make this a family event every year.

We also enjoyed Disney in Oct together. What an amazing trip! I started a post back in Oct that I am going to place here... We stayed at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Spa which is not a part of the Disney World resort but is only a mile from the main entrance and has shuttles to all the parks several times a day. Wade had to attend some conferences on Monday through Wednesday mornings which is why we stayed there. Although it was an AMAZING resort overall, I would not recommend it...WAY over priced for the quality of rooms, food etc. It is a gorgeous resort/spa with plenty of activities for all ages but it flat out costs too much. I thought on our way here that we would journey out to Disney on our own those 3 mornings that Wade worked but after being in the park for 2 days, I realized it was so much easier to navigate all the shuttles, etc. with help and not alone. I also discovered how tired you can get from being in the park for 1 day so the mornings in our resort or room were very relaxing and needed.

This was my third trip to Disney and Wades second but for obvious reasons, it was K's 1st time. We told her sometime in August that we would be making the trip. We thought telling her early would help her prepare for what she would see. As the days got closer to our trip her excitement built, as we expected, and it was wonderful knowing that we would get to experience Disney through her eyes. The last time I visited Disney World was with Wade four years ago for our 5 year anniversary (around this same time of year) and I was four months pregnant with K. We talked about the day we would be able to bring our kids to Disney, I was so excited then that I recall slightly crying with excitement (must have been the hormones), but we had NO idea we would be bringing our child so early in her life. I have wondered what she will remember but I can honestly say...she is loving every minute of our experience here except for the firework shows and the 3D animation. If you have been to Disney the fireworks here are like NO Others I have ever seen in my life and I think I have been blessed to see many different kinds of spectacular firework shows across the country. The show here is hands down MY FAVORITE! They spare no expense and the music, monologue, and setting make it all the more beautiful to me. Yes, I catch the dream bug here and I love it! I am amazed at what Walt created and the Disney Co. has continued to build upon.

K was a trooper the whole trip. I anticipated that we may have to leave the park during the day to let her nap from all the fun and excitement but she does not want to leave and pulls us to each new adventure. I know her little brain was growing...I could see it and she was asking so many questions plus, the following days she was acting out things she saw the previous day or having dreams about them. There was one night that Wade and I did get to have a nice quiet almost romantic dinner together. We headed back to our hotel a little early one of the nights to have dinner at the resort and by the time we got to the table K was out cold in her stroller. We let her sleep at the side of the table while we enjoyed our time alone. I still smile thinking about the whole ordeal. One minute K was begging for more bread and butter the next minute she was completely asleep and she would not wake up.

I found myself struck with awe on at least four occasions throughout that trip. The first time was when K deboarded the monorail and stepped foot on the path to the main Magic Kingdom gates on Day 1, I said to her "K, Welcome to Disney's Magic Kingdom and the tears came." What a blessing it is to have this child and bring her to Disney and share these moments with her. I fall into this dream world so easily and to share it with her was wonderful.

We decided that Sunday evening would be our night to get dressed up in costume and trick or treat so K could experience the Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween party in Magic Kingdom. It was a fun halloween experience but certainly not a typical halloween night. I would highly reccommend this event to all! Disney closes the park to all guests at 6pm and they let the halloween ticket holders come in at 7pm. We did stay in the park all day b/c we did buy the party tickets too...It was worth the extra money as far as we are concerned. The lines to all the rides were much smaller - 5 to 10 minute waits compared to 30 minutes or an hour minus the fastpass. Disney also has a special halloween parade and fireworks show. We did not get to see the fireworks display becasue we stayed inside riding several rides for 25 minutes to avoid the NOISE for K. You should see the pics I got of her while we transationed from one building to another during the show = total fear. PLUS the benefit of all the characters out in costumes during the halloween event make it a fun Disney evening. Our little one got to dance with Daffy, Tigger, Chip & Dale and several other characters. K loved it! The staff makes sure that each child or family is given more time with the characters because the number of visitors in the park is minimal and it is much cooler. I overheard that on halloween night the park has 30-40,000 guests total. They max out at thoses numbers to make it more enticing for guests. I can not explain how beautiful the park was that late at night too...so enchanting! They open the gates at 6pm for halloween ticket holders and you can stay in the park until 2am. We were there until 12:15 am before we gave up and made the trip back to our hotel. It was a late night for us all but sooo worth the experience and money. Dreams do come true!

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Reflecting back, I am not sure why I wanted to wait so long to have a child except for the fact that I had determined I needed to start a career that I had truly wanted for many years. Or it could have been because I felt I needed to save some money in the event I wanted to stay home with the kids as well as I was somewhat fearful of how our children would have to adjust to moving and leaving comfortable places and friends because we were in the military. For the record, Wade was ready about 2 years before me to have a baby.

I love you baby girl. You have changed my life and it is all for the better. I love being your mommy! My favorite moments are snuggling with you early in the morning while watching a movie or on those occasions when daddy has to travel and we get to sleep together in mommy and daddy's bed. Awe, those are the sweet moments.

Family in February

2009-02-07T11:41:00.001-06:00

Here's a family picture we took in front of the house before heading out for my birthday dinner.

I owe you...

2009-01-26T00:53:00.004-06:00

Sorry friends for the lack of attention this blogspot has received. I started it with great hopes and intentions but I cannot seem to keep it at the top of my list of things to do. It is sad for me knowing it has been neglected because I have 10 posts that I have started on but not published obviously. Sadly, the attempted blogs date all the way back to Sept and Oct. Maybe one day soon...otherwise, I love keeping up with each of you by reading your cute blogs and I hope to very soon fill you in on our 08 yr end adventures and the 1st of 2009.

Catch Phrases

2008-12-07T04:50:00.005-06:00

K has been throwing out a few new phrases the last 3 weeks. Sometimes I have NO idea where these things come from and other moments I think to myself, "welp, that just bit me in the rear". I need to change the way I say that one.

"Hey, what's all the ruckess about!"

my favorite right now: "OH, Pickles!" she says this when she is frustrated

"I'm Not a little lady, I'm a Big Girl." she said this to me the other day when I was casually explaining something to her.

There are several more that she has been saying but this is all I can recall at the moment.

Blessing Song

2008-09-30T18:10:00.005-05:00

Last night Wade came home late (close out week) and K was still up. The 3 of us crowded into our bed and read books to K and after reading K wanted to sing some songs. We laid there singing for a few minutes and then she started to sing this song, you may be familiar with it but I have not heard it.

(to the tune of where is thumbkin...)
Thank you God, Thank you God
For our food, For our food
Many many blessings, Many many blessings
For our food, For our food
then she paused and said...
Thank you God, Thank you God
For my family, For my family
Many many blessings, Many many blessings
For my family, For my family
& she said ...
Thank you God, Thank you God
for my friends, for my friends
many many blessings, many many blessing
for my friends, for my friends
last she sang...
Thank you God, Thank you God
For lovin me, For lovin me
Many many blessing, many many blessing
For lovin me, For lovin me.
AMEN

She has been making songs up like crazy lately. Everything has a song or belongs in a song. It was very sweet for both of us to hear her sing this tune. She is constantly singing and dancing and going to bed is no exception for her. My blessing song is a song of love too. I am thrilled God gave us such a beautiful little girl. She is growing up faster than I expected but I feel very blessed to have her in my life...even more so these days with everything that is happening around us. I cherish the moments I have with her and I tell her on a regular basis that I love her and cherish her. I hope you can find the moments to cherish those in your life too.

AF Close Out 08

2008-09-30T10:25:00.009-05:00

Wade is in the midst of the Air Force Year-End Close-Out season. Every year since we have been married September is a long month for us. As the month of September comes closer to the end, Wade's days get longer and longer to the point that I hardly see him at all the last 2 weeks of the Sept. He comes rolling in well after bedtime even when I am in la la land (which if you know me, you know I do not go to bed until late, normally around midnight) and he catches a few zzz's himself and then he is up early again and off to work before I get to see him. Our talks consist of catching up over the phone here and there or taking dinner up to his office and spending a quick 30 minutes with him in the midst of the chaos. With K in our lives, it is a little more challenging for us as she ages. Keeping her time occupied and busy as well as her mind can be a task in itself plus she misses her daddy a lot during the month. Wade worked on Saturday from 9am until 4pm as well so she truly loses out on daddy time during this month every year.

I called my parents at the beginning on the month and asked if they would consider driving in for this weekend because I knew how busy Wade would be and I knew K and I would LOVE a visit from Mimi and Papa. They did drive in on Friday afternoon and we all had a blast! I enjoy seeing K with her grandparents. You can see on her little face how much she loves her family especially her grandparents. She gets sooo excited to see them and says..."I can't wait, I can't wait" while running through the house before they get here. It really is sweet and cute! It is too bad that we do not live in the same town. She really misses out on many opportunities to share some special moments with those that are dear. No opportunities for a quick little outing or a fun afternoon or morning with her grandparents or even spending the night while mommy and daddy go have some alone time. These are memories I have with my grandparents and I really love thinking back on them...days or nights spent sewing or painting with my Nana or messing around in my grandpas vegetable garden. Picking up nuts or cracking them. Smelling the delicious foods cooking in the kitchen and waiting for the pies, cookies or cakes...umm. the memories! Oh, I was dreaming, sorry, back to last weekend. It was a low key all around good weekend well, minus my allergy problems. Thanks for coming to see us & help mom & dad. We love you and K misses you lots! It was fun!!!

With love, Ike

2008-09-15T00:18:00.005-05:00

I am always amazed at how Full life came become. Just when I think that all will be calm and relaxing, something happens and our days become super busy. This past week and a half has been no different for us except we have had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with some of our relatives. We live so close to each other but it is soo hard to spend time together because of the daily grind. I have always Loved having a big extended family and one that is extrememly close - I have always felt loved and comfortable around our family and I sooooo hope K will have these same feelings one day. My aunt and uncle came into town a week ago Thursday due to Hurricane Ike as well as my cousin. Although these were not the best of circumstances to visit with them it was such fun and I miss them now that they have gone back home. My aunt is a Great Shopper and I can not tell you how many memories I have of us spending hours upon hours shopping together. We like to check out all the possibilites...malls, discount stores, consignment shops, flea markets - it is so much fun! Before K was born I would drive from Little Rock to Dallas every month and my aunt would drive in from Houston to Dallas so we could go to Canton, TX (we did this for 2 years). I had a blast with her! This time was no different and it rekindled my need to get back to Dallas soon and do some more Canton time with her. Yes, if you are wondering about Wade well, he still has nightmares of those Canton trips...who knows what I would bring home. Although I do recall him making a trip with me out there on one occassion. What a sweet guy! Isn't it sad that sometimes it takes an unplanned event to bring a family together again?
I hope you will remember all those who were affected by the wrath of Ike and continue to keep them in your prayers as well as do what you can to reach out to those in need.

Introducing...

2008-09-06T01:23:00.002-05:00

This blog is to record our life so that we will have something to look back on later. It is also for our family and friends so you may have the joy of keeping up with what we have going on. We hope you will come back and visit us often!

I am the oldest daughter to Dennis & Debbie, a sister to Kyle, a wife to Wade, a mommy to Karleigh as well as a believer of God's love. I am so blessed to have a child and spend most of my days at home raising her with the values and morals that Wade and I hold dear. I have a passion for antiquing...aka...shopping (looking for the best bargains) and decorating. I also enjoy cooking for others and trying out new recipes on my family, it shows at times because of our expanding waistlines. I love snuggling up with my hubby to watch movies. My parents started this ritual when we were young and Wade and I have unknowingly carried it over into our family life. I have always seen this time as a great opportunity for family togetherness and I know he agrees. I try to relax and de-stress from this world by traveling, gardening, walking and spending time with family and friends. I cannot forget to mention my love for all things sweet...fruit and chocolate…ummm! For those of you who know me well, you know that I am an organizer to a fault. I have learned to relax some with a child but there are days I am overwhelmed with the need to clean out everything.

Wade is the oldest son to Debby & Larry. He has also been blessed to have Don, his step father and Stephanie, his step mother, in his life. He has a brother Blaine, a step brother Braedon and two step sisters, Kristan and Alyssa. He is a wonderful daddy to our very independent daughter. They share a bond that makes my heart swell with more compassion for him than he possible knows. I love hearing them laugh together and seeing them play. He is a very strong Christian (one of the reasons I was so drawn to him) and he works Very Hard for the US Air Force as a hospital administrator. His passion is for football. ALL football…college and NFL. Everyday he reads the news for his favorite teams and thank goodness we have a DVR for those games when we have plans. He is also an avid golfer!!! He enjoys the sport for the competition and the “beauty” of the courses. Do not ask me if he is good – I understand that he is but truth be known, I have only visited a course with him one time in nine years of marriage. I said I would never marry a golfer – well, as the saying goes…never, say never. I did and Yes, it is expensive but he loves it and that is all that matters. I also have to add his interest in hunting although I cannot recall the last time he went. Poor guy, I guess he works too hard (it is hard enough getting him to take a day off) and when he does have free time it is either home with us or out of town visiting family.

We have been married 9 years - Hooray - as of Thursday! Happy Anniversary dear, I love you. It has been an amazing nine years and I am blessed to share my life with you. God placed you in my life at the “right” moment and he has carried us through many great moments and some major challenges over the years but we are so strong together and I cherish that. Our life together is very full and I would not change a thing. You are my rock and I thank you for the support and love you give to me, Karleigh, my family and most of all, our country. You are loved!

Check back soon, I hope to update this blog in the next few days with some pictures from the summer. We were sooo busy. I will also be working on several other details on the "look" of my blog...more to keep my creative juices flowing!