Happy Birthday, SAM!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to our "baby boy" Sam who's 3 today!!!  He is such a sweetie & has a really fun personality.  He can hang right in there with his big sister & brother, tell you all about Hannah Montana & the Jonas Brothers, and knows all their friends by name...a 3rd child FOR SURE!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!!!  WE LOVE YOU TO THE MOON & BACK!!  

I know this next year will be so fun for you starting preschool in the Fall and now that you are doing so many "big boy" things.  We can't wait to watch you keep growing!!

June 28, 2005-just a couple hours old

1st Birthday & all the fun that brings with getting to demolish a cake while swarms of guests watch in amazement!!

2nd Birthday & the curls start to become part of his "look"

3rd Birthday pictures to come...can you guess what kind of party we're having???

Sam at Halloween

And as my Grandma would want, we will CELEBRATE this wonderful day, because 

LIFE GOES ON & because of her, lives on!

Thank you for all your sweet, thoughtful comments...you are the best!

My Grandma

Hey Blog friends-

I wanted to let you know that after 91 years, 9 months of life on this Earth, my Grandma is getting to walk again, pain free in Heaven after passing away in the night.  She was such a fun, sweet lady and I'm so glad my children had the chance to know & play with her.  These last few years, she came up to see us & attended more birthday parties and celebrations than she ever had in her younger years and I'm very grateful for that.  Thank you for all the prayers you have offered the last month.  You are the best!

Much love, peace & hugs to you...

VBS

FINALLY!!!  Some new pictures & a post!  Whew!  Two weeks of summer & I'm exhausted!  We made it through the dance recital, pictures to come in a few days & jumped right into Vacation Bible School!  My friend, Annie & I were so excited to have the chance to lead the 2nd grade group together.  We had 23 kiddos everyday, with a few teenage helpers, and had fun with the theme PowerLab...Discovering Jesus' Miraculous Power!  But man, even at 8:45 in the morning, was it HOT!  Luckily our turn to be outside for the games/recreation station was first thing.  MY Annie was in our class,and I loved having the chance to be with my "baby girl" now that she's all big & growing up WAY TOO FAST, Jack did INCREDIBLE in the Kindergarten class and looked like a rockstar every time I saw him with friends all around and making buddies with his helpers...Sam was another story.  The first part of the week he did great, but by Wednesday, whenever he saw me, he cried to stay with me, instead of w/his preschooler class, and by today, ended up spending the entire time with the 2nd graders.  What can you do!?!  It's nice to feel so much love, but I hate that he felt miserable!  

Couple of updates, since I've had so many comments left wondering...we finally got fish this week...but don't ask me what kind!  Wes said they told him to add fish gradually, so we started out with 4 pretty small fish, then as they adjust and add their little somethin' somethin' to the water, and do ok, then we can go and add a little more.  I'm still a goldfish in a bowl of water kinda gal, but since I'm not in charge, I just sit back and let ALL 4 of my children :) go with it.

The other update is about my grandma...so sweet of you guys to ask!  Actually, she is back in the hospital with an infected bed sore & the beginnings of pneumonia.  She's hanging in there, but just not eating much at all, so that is bothersome.  I just hate that she is in this condition and unable to be herself.  When someone has lived such a long life, you just think of them as being invincible and being around FOREVER!  It's hard to see them in this way.  Thank you for thinking and praying for us!

We are just a couple hours away from the premiere of CAMP ROCK & my kids are too excited!  Wes went grocery shopping this morning while we were at VBS, and bought the fixins' for our menu & big party...hot dogs, fries, root beer & smores of course!  Our living room is being transformed as we speak into a tent & the kids are making lots of signs & posters.  It should be lots of fun!!  Guess what...I'll take pictures!!!  I'm so far behind on my blogging & posts, but hopefully this weekend I'll get to catch up on all my blogland friends & find out what you guys have been up to!!  In the meantime, enjoy the VBS pictures & ROCK ON!!!

LOVELY VBS LADIES!! MY Annie took this shot.

My family sportin' our VBS shirts...so great to wash the same thing every day and not have to fight about what to wear!

Annie loved inviting her friend, Emily to come with us this week...they've been great friends since Kindergarten.  

Games & recreation time...protecting your leader & being brave!  Wish someone WOULD squirt me, 'cause I was HOT, HOT, HOT!!

Jack was all smiles every time I saw him...walking to the car today, after it was all over, he said, "Mom, I wish Bible school was every day!"  So glad he had fun!

Root beer floats day...YUMMY!!  Sam didn't mind sitting with his class that day.

Reenacting Peter being brave and walking on the water towards Jesus...here, we got a little help with cornstarch AND water...the kids thought this was WAY cool!

Caught Jack visiting with a new friend...so sweet!

And what HOT day would be complete without a visit to the snowcone shack with our good friends...isn't Ben a cutie pie???  Jack was too busy diggin' into his Bubble Gum snowcone to look up.

Then we headed down to the river to go on an adventure walk looking for ducks, turtles, and water snakes all the while preventing anyone from sliding into the water.  

This one is for Alexis, who Annie(my friend) says checks my blog all the time to see what we've been up to!  We've all only known each other since last year's VBS, but feel like we've been friends forever!  THANKS GUYS for a week of fun, adventure & great friends at Bible school!  It was a blast, but boy am I wiped out!!!  Let's do it again...NEXT summer!!

Jesus gives us the power...AHA!!

Happy Father's Day!

I am so lucky to share my love 

TO THE MOON & BACK & EVERYTHING LIFE BRINGS IN BETWEEN, 

with my husband of 12 1/2 years!!  Thank you for giving me the greatest gifts I could ever, EVER ask for...Annie, Jack, & Sam!  You are an incredible Daddy and the kid's are so lucky to have you as such an active parent in their lives!  Thank you for ALL YOU DO, so that I am able to be the kind of mom I always wanted to be.  

We Love You!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Also, want to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day too!  I'm sorry we couldn't see you today, but we'll catch you soon!

A Day in the Country

Well, "A Day in the Country" will have to be postponed...Blogger keeps saying I'm making bad requests trying to upload pictures...(sigh)

Anyway, update on the fishies...there are none YET!!  Wes has taken a little baggie of water every other day to be tested at Petco to see if our tank is ready, and as of yesterday, still not good.  The kids are disappointed, but understand that the fish wouldn't last long, if we brought them home too soon.  REALLLLLLLY makes me wonder what in the world we're drinking, bathing, & cooking with if it isn't even habitable(is that a word??? oh well, sounds good) yet!  

Summer has been WONDERFUL so far!  Jack had his "show day" at Little Gym Tuesday, also plan to show pictures soon, Annie has dress rehearsal tomorrow for her dance recital Saturday, Sam is about 90% potty trained & loving wearing big boy underwear, and I'm enjoying just being home & on a relaxed schedule, or NO schedule!  We do have VBS next week & that should be fun, but other than that...LIFE IS GOOD!!

First Day of Summer...Dentist, GNO, and a fish tank????

Summer is here!!!  Can I get an AMEN?!?  

Annie is now officially a 2nd grader.  A 2nd grader???  How did that happen, right before my eyes?  It has all just flown by!  She had such a super year and was recognized with many little awards last week at their ceremony.  We are so, soooo proud of her and the great student she is!  We just have one week left of dance class, with her recital being next weekend, and then ALL our official commitments for the year will have come to a close.  Whew!  It will be so nice to have a break from it all.  

Enjoying all that pizza that mama brought up for the class on the last day of school...they had such a super time and the kids were so sweet and polite to me.  I was the pizza and ice cream lady, AKA "Annie's mom" that day, so I guess they felt like they oughta be!

My baby growing up!

Which brings us to our first day of summer...yesterday.  Well, six months ago, I made their dentist appointments for June 5, at 8:00 a.m.  I know, I know...even Wes asked me, "What were you thinking?"  I guess I just thought, let's get it over and done with.  The kids will be so excited it's summer, that they'll be up early.  I like doing appointments & errands first thing, because any later, you get caught up in all the backup, the heat, the traffic, etc.  But even I was moaning in disbelief at myself when the alarm went off in time for me to get the whole family ready to leave the house by 7:40 to drive a little bit and get to our appointment.  It was going to be Sam's first time to be checked out, so I meant to grab my camera, but that didn't happen, and waking everyone up proved to be quite a chore too.  The first day of summer was starting off on quite a tense note!  The kids wanted Wes to go with us, and since he didn't have any appointments till later in the day, he joined in the fun as well!  Out the door at 7:45, arrived at appointment 10 minutes late.  We got checked in and they started calling all 3 kids immediately!  Wes got to finish filling out the paperwork for Sam because as soon as he heard his name, he was off and running...in the opposite direction of the nurse!  The waiting room has an incredible play area, and since he had just gotten there, he wanted to play.  All 3 kids were lined up in the chairs, with Wes and I holding Sam down in the middle chair as best we could while he kicked & screamed his way through his cleaning.  What a morning!  The technician was so sweet & patient with him, and probably ended up having her fingers bit a couple times as she tried to pry open his mouth, but it did get done.  Good thing I didn't have the camera, because I wouldn't have been able to use it!  Annie and Jack were old pros, picked out all their prizes & new toothbrushes and we were out the door and headed to breakfast at Jim's by 9:25.  By that time, we were all starving & ready to decompress!

The evening of our first day of summer, consisted of me taking Annie to her dance class.  We went over all the last minute details of how to do hair & makeup, etc., then I met Wes at a gas station for him to pick her up, while he took the kids to Luby's and I headed to a neighborhood Girl's Night Out!  One of "the girls", Monique,  had been working on getting a group together for dinner and then to the show to see SEX AND THE CITY.  We met at Tiago's, which is a newer place here in town, and had dinner & drinks.  Again, no camera, but I can tell you the food was wonderful & we had a fun time visiting.  Then it was off to the 8:15 movie.  There were groups of friends EVERYWHERE...one group had a limo bring them, and one group had matching SATC t-shirts.  The theater was packed and we laughed at the VERY slim number of guys in the audience.  The movie was even better than I was thinking it would be and it was so neat to see both on the screen and in the audience, the power of girlfriends.  If you haven't checked it out yet, you must!

I pulled up in my driveway about 11pm, to see lights still on in Jack's room & the kitchen...not at all what I was anticipating.  

Then I was met by this note hanging on our house/garage door...

you can imagine all the crazy thoughts that went into my head...just bracing myself for what I could be walking into...

Then came in to find this...

a rather large fish aquarium all completely set up and ready to go for fish in our playroom/Wes' office.   Apparently after Luby's, the kids asked Daddy if they could stop by Petco on the way home, and low & behold, this fish tank was on sale...virtually calling their names!  We've had small little bowls and a tank before with fish, and hadn't had much luck, but if we have THIS setup, that is all bound to change...or so I've been told.  So, here we are!  No fish yet...you're supposed to wait a couple days to let the water get all balanced & whatnot, but I'll keep you posted!  

Today is the SECOND day of summer...I wonder what adventures will come our way THIS day!

Water Play

always fun when watering plants turns into spontaneous water play...

this was at 8:30 in the morning yesterday, and i wasn't too crazy about getting wet just yet, so i decided to keep my distance!!  

summer starts officially for ALL of us this afternoon at 2:45!!  woohoo!

off to pick up & deliver 8 pizzas, 5 boxes of juice boxes, 2 buckets of ice cream & toppings for 22 ALMOST 2nd graders!!!   

i hope they're hungry!!!!