To Grandma's house we go....

Audrey and Maddie enjoyed a few days together at Grandma's house. Some highlights included: swimming, riding on the mower with Grandpa, working in the garden, eating at McDonald's, going to the library, and playing with the new toys. Audrey and Maddie both came up with some cute comments about being away from our home and being at Grandma's house. I laughed at their theories, so I had to share. When Maddie asked if she could have a cookie, Audrey piped in by saying, "You can even have two. We're at Grandma's house!" When Audrey asked Maddie if she brushed her teeth, Maddie replied in a similar fashion, "But, we're at Grandma's house."

When I got there last night to pick them up, I asked Audrey if she missed me. She said, "Not that much." I was mixed between being sad, and laughing.

It is nice to be near family again. I know the kids are making great memories and strengthening family ties. Thanks to my mom and dad for making great efforts to spend time with their grandkids.

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks....

Sadly, the ball season is coming to an end. Whitney, Brandon, and Audrey all had a great season learning new techniques and making new friends. We can't wait until the fall to do it all again!

School Days, School Days, the Good Ole Golden Rule Days

The last day of school couldn't get out soon enough if you asked the kids in this house. They all had a fun last day, and made great memories! Congrats to my kids for all doing so great this year even with a move in the middle of it all!


Kelsee, Lauren, and Whitney at the 5th grade graduation. Whitney had a great year. She earned the presidential award, and will be going into the honors math program at the Middle School. She is also attending a Summer Institute for Gifted Students. It is pretty difficult to get accepted into this program. Yeah for Whitney!



Brandon loved his time at field day. It was a muddy mess! Brandon also had a great year with all straight A's. He is looking forward to a great 5th grade next year!



Audrey and Maddie also had a good year. Audrey was at the top of her class in reading and math. She is very ready to go to 2nd grade. Maddie finished her speech class and preschool, and is counting down the days until going to Kindergarten!

The greatest gift I ever had, came from God; I call him Dad!

I couldn't help but take a minute to honor Kevin this Father's Day. He loves this blog, and I am sure this will surprise him. I remember our first night out in the world with our first newborn daughter. He took such care and caution driving us home from the hospital. You would've thought he was an old man driving around in the dark. He took great care at every stop, every bump, and every move. As we have grown as a family, and he has grown as a father; Kevin has taken great care to make sure we are safe and sound. It his unfailing devotion to our family that inspires me to be better than I am.

Kevin as a Dad:

He is patient



He is a planner

Formula One Races - just Daddy and Brandon

He sets high standards



He is a supporter


He is a teacher


He is a listener


He is a dream maker



Happy Father's Day, Kevin. We are so lucky that you are ours.

The greatest gift I ever had

I've been tagged

My sister tagged me again. So, here goes. How To Play This Game of Tag: Post these rules on your blog.List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

3 joys:

1. Of course, my hubby.
2. And the kids, usually.
3. Living in TX once again.

3 fears:

1. Natural disaster
2. Losing a family member
3. Missing an opportunity

3 goals:

1. Catch up on my scrapbooks (moving slowed me down). I am thinking about switching to digital.....
2. Build up our food storage.
3. Have a fun, not much travelling, summer. (We travelled to TX from MI for the last 2 summers)

3 current obsessions/collections:

1. My kids' softball and baseball games. It has been busy, but fun to cheer them on.
2. Learning how to make DVD's. (I think my Father's Day DVD turned out nice.)
3. Reading the Twilight series. I'm on book three.

3 random/surprising facts about me:

1. I love the weather hot. My sweet spot is 85-95. The other day the news was talking about how hot we have been, and that it is unusually warm for June. I had been thinking just that morning what nice weather we've been having. Maybe it is hot, but it doesn't bother me. We drink lots of water and lemonade, and always have popsicles on hand. The best pool time we've had was late in the day when the water warms up a little.
2. I like scary movies a lot. Watching them with Kevin is even better simply because he scares easily. It almost makes the movie a comedy for me at that point.
3. I love to work on family history. However, it has been years since I've done much with it. I am sure the bug will hit again soon.

I now tag:
Jacqueline, Sarah Paxton, Jenn Chiara, April, and Jen

Dallas Zoo

Maddie and I went to the Dallas Zoo with her playgroup. It was such a fun day. She waited all day to see the elephants. (She has a stuffed one. She wanted to give it a chance to say hi to its family.) When we got to the elephants, the doctors were working on her. A few days later, we were listening to the news on our way to the gym. They had announced that the elephant had died. I didn't think Maddie had heard it. When we got into the child center, Maddie announced that something really sad had happened. Not sure what she would say, I was very curious. With tears in her eyes and tightly hugging Ella, she said that the elephant had died. It was sooo sad. She still talks about it.