The Walsh Family News

Our 2011 Family Photo's

2011-12-01T10:29:00.001-06:00

A big thanks for not only the pleasure to be a part of a sweet gal who will forever be our friend in the greater Chicago area, but also that she would take time out of her busy schedule of a life as a wife, mother and exquisite photographer, to do our AFFORDABLE (photo release) family photos while we were in the Chicago for a day.

Christina Michelle Photography.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christina-Michelle-Photography/192587837459892

It was fun, eventful (including the constant knocking down of a base board prop from our son Gabriel, who by the way was not paying attention each time, but displayed a concerned look as if he was doing something wrong each time lol)

Candid's, props and just go with the flow pictures were beyond awesome. I don't think I have ever worked with such a laid back, witty and patient photographer before. As you can imagine, family portraits with 6 very different personalities who have been on the road for 2 out of 8 days over 800 miles away from home can be tricky. AND- not to mention the mood swings and changes that lie ahead. HA! Oh how we all slept well that night! ;) Enjoy!

Randoms- A "cheatful" way for a quick update...

2011-11-18T10:05:00.001-06:00

Or, maybe just a quick way to catch up?! Our lives have been so busy that we are being bombarded with so many changes... ALL GOOD CHANGES of course! Those stories are for later blogs. For now, lets just update some photo's and quick liner stories! :)

Gabe found Daddy's head set for when he goes to the shooting range. I bet he would make a great DJ! :)

Ahhhh, the peaceful moments! Yes, I like them as much as I do when he is bright eyed and bushy tailed! :) Keeps a sense of balance around here! LOL

Duke has finally figured out how to open the cabinet door where we *thought* we could hide the trash. Guess the lock is going to have to be placed on the knobs when we are gone now. *sigh*

Literally, shopped him to sleep! He found it to be cozy in Brandy's letterman jacket. He's so adorable! <3

Daddy likes to take the kiddo's to the park right by chucrh on occasion when it's nice out. Of course, it's always a surprise as they are mainly spur of the moment spontaneous, but that is ok! :)

Life Is But A Mist

2011-11-17T09:15:00.001-06:00

James 14:4 You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears.

***************************************

Alright, so we all know about the circle of life. We are born, we grow up and we die. Very simple. Very matter of fact. There is NOTHING we can do to change this circle, no matter what scientists try to do to slow the process down, we will die.

The average life expectancy of our country is alarming. The only data I can find is from 2009 and that number was 78.1. No matter how you look at it, that is as just a "vapor" in the midst of forever.

No, I am not going to go into details about salvation, although, every single person should become familiar with it and consider it as a part of their lifestyle for many different reasons. So, yes, EVERYONE needs Jesus, but less than that, I wanted to bring up a question to anyone who meanders upon this blog, or even family or friends who read regularly or on occasion.

I was reading through devotionals and found this scripture that really stuck out. Not to leave out the fact that there are so many questions about life -before and after Christianity. And we all were created to be seekers. Seekers of life, seekers of love, seekers of food, seekers of acceptance, seekers of self, seekers of God.. whatever it may be.

To the point... James 4:14 poses a real question. What is your life? Read it again. The first part of the scripture tells us something that we all know and live in faith -faith of staying alive. But it also states that we don't even know what will happen tomorrow. We don't know the day we will pass away, die in a car wreck, have a heart attack or even get cancer and live only months. We don't know the day or time, but God only does. So what is our life?

It is short lived. It is with a purpose. It is with great expectations. It is short lived. It is short lived. It IS short lived.

So here is my proposal to you. Evaluate where you are in life. Re-evaluate what road you have paved in your so far short lived life. Whether you are 10, or 100, everyone has the potential to do great things. No matter how big or small. No matter what we have done, no matter what we have messed up. We can always ALWAYS turn around from where we are. Life is an ongoing circle that cannot be stopped, but, the beauty of making changes in life is they are ongoing as well.

We only have 'but a vapor' to live, what legacy are you leaving behind?

Does our legacy bring honor or dishonor to carry on through our future children, grandchildren, great grandchildren? What examples are we setting for our children, our siblings, our family members, our friends, and even those who watch us from a distance that you may never know we impacted their life?

Does your life reflect a memory of strong character, integrity, faithfulness, patience, wisdom, gentleness, self control, joyful, peaceful, imperfect but yet willing to strive for excellence? It is within our reach. And yes, no matter what anyone says, I promise you that we ALL will be held accountable for every thing we have said and done by what we leave behind.

You count. You matter. So live like you do!

~ Shared in love,

Cathi~

Marching Season!

2011-11-04T11:21:00.002-05:00

I love the dramatics, the feel of the thumping on my heart and ears of watching our marching band perform. Brandy and Jeremy both are in Marching band, and I have to give them a big shout out that I am VERY proud of both of them! One, for Brandy sticking with it every year for all four years of high school, and Jeremy for honoring my request to try it for one year. They are both unbelievably remarkably talented musically, and I can only hope that this has helped them realize that God has given them this talent and that the music on their hearts will always honor God.

Brandy has played the French Horn (mellophone -a smaller version of the french horn- during marching season) since the 6th grade, and Jeremy the clarinet since the 6th grade also.

Here they are completed with their show, and are playing our school win song. Love it!

Brandy and her Mellophone.

Jeremy and his clarinet!

Kien also loves watching the marching show. Then, he loves being held by Brandy and Jeremy afterwards because their marching uniforms are very "interesting" as he says it!

Gabe still has not learned the meaning of "being patient" and that is ok, Daddy takes him for walks that will help him not get fussy having to wait.

I don't know if this has uploaded properly, but if not I will fix it. :)

Too Cute To Scoot!

2011-11-01T10:07:00.000-05:00

Cute shots .. well, because we can! :) Silly willy, cutsie tootsie! Love my boys and their expressions! *HEART*

Fall Festival Festivities!

2011-11-01T09:07:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day Out (sooo grateful for the one who started that program! lol) has a Fall Festival every year for the kiddo's! They get to dress up in family friendly costumes for the day, usually to take photo's and most children don't even keep them on, like my Gabriel. Kien on the other hand didn't WANT to take his off, but he did anyway. As you can see, it might get a little "warm" in that suit! Samson Suit that is!

As most of you know, or for those of you who do not, our home is a real life real living God honoring household. As the scripture says, (emphasis on the last sentence) in Joshua 24:15 states: But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

So, in saying that, we try our best to honor God, even in an unGodly holiday the world celebrates. In my compromise I have allowed the children to dress up, but only in Godly characters. Now, before anyone judges, know that I am at peace about this, and there is no room for debate or argument. This is my strong conviction, and I will not pass judgement upon anyone else. :) So, with that said, here are my lovely little blessings!

Kien is Samson! Amazing story! So, I went to the Christian Book Store to seek out a costume, and just to my agreement, they too, do not sell halloween costumes! They had a very VERY small section of costumes for doctor, vet, teacher, fireman and policemen mainly for church plays. AND they were all $30.00! Oh, no, I just couldn't justify spending THAT much. I was actually a bit frustrated because 2 years prior they had a Bob and Larry (from veggie tales) costumes on clearance for $5.00. I only got the Larry costume because it was a size 4Toddler (as you can see I had to make some adjustments to the costume) and the Bob one was too big. So, instead of acting on instinct, (yay for me) I didn't purchase it in hopes it would be there next year. :( Sad to say, it was not and again, not this year either. I also figured that the line would be extended into costumes of other Veggie Tale Character's because of how popular the movies are! Thinking I need to do more research, and then possibly write to Big Idea company making a suggestion!So, as we were meandering over to the video section to pick up the latest $5.00 Veggie Tale and Hermie movies we had to catch up on, I came across this Samson costume! And, much to my pleasure it was only.. get this.. ONLY $5.00!! SCORE!! WIN! SCORE WIN WIN! LOL--

Kien and I had previously read the story of Samson in his children's bible. He has asked on numerous accounts to re-read it. I think he just likes that Samson was STRONG!

As you can see, Gabe was not real thrilled to be wearing his Larry costume. With a little bribery (candy-ha!) He did wear it. He wore it all the way to school even! YAY!

As you can see, Kien has a sword and a shield. They were a great purchase that daddy made to surprise Kien with a little treat. So, because it was actually a "Thor" set, my crafty shmafty self decided to put a sticker over the Thor name and then use letter stickers to spell out Samson to match his costume. Worked like a charm!

Gabe enjoying the candy. UGH! Sometimes battles need to be fought, and sometimes they don't. I broke the rules a little, because sometimes, spontaneity is a good thing! :)

Oh, my! Talk about adjustments to the car seats! Yes, I had to bring their straps out just a hair to make them fit snug and safe on our venture to school. No issues, no meltdowns, another WIN situation! lol (Can you tell I REALLY LOVE a no-meltdown day?!)

Kien was one of the two first children in his classroom. It was awesome to see other students in their costumes as well! Kien is every bit of "petite" in the whole sense of the word, this costume definitely boosted his confidence! (The top of his head STILL comes up to the shoulders of all those who are in his class) SO adorable! What a huge little blessing!

Poor Gabe was swallowed by his costume, but he was the ONLY veggie tale character! I am not quite sure how long he stayed in his costume, but upon returning that day to pick them up, when I asked, Mrs. Anneke did say that he didn't keep it on long. Enough though, to get their photos! :)

I was actually very sad that I couldn't get a Bob the Tomato costume so the boys could "match" again this year. Last year and the year before I dressed them as the Lion and the Lamb. Below is a photo of their costumes from last year. They had the same costumes different sizes the year before that, but was able to sell them at the Just Between Friends consignment sale last fall. Which I did purchase new costumes, one being a clown and the other a superhero, but, those were only for daily play dress up with the rest of their toys.

Sunday, October 30th, we were having the Great Treat-tastic adventure at church. It was our weekend to volunteer in FC Kids. Brandy and I decided to wear glitter, because we were going to go as Angels.
Which, I will NEVER do again, as I somehow got it in my eyes and paid for it the next morning when I could barely get my eye to open! LOL! Lesson learned!
Here is my brandy, who is so sweet!

And myself! I actually did purchase some angel wings from the store, that I was going to wear along with glitter in my hair, but, they broke as quickly as I put them on. So, I ended up taking them Sunday night to exchange so Brandy could wear the new unbroken ones the next day.

As I mentioned above, I do let my children participate as long as they are honoring God in their costumes. So, Jeremy decided to be a "rock star". .. yes, a CHRISTIAN rock star from THEE BEST Christian artist EVAH! Skillet lead singer! :)

Here they were, ready to go on a Monday! We let the older children go in our immediate neighborhood because we know most of our neighbors. Then, we headed over to the Row's household, where we were delighted to meet up with the Haschke's! When Gabe and Kien go up to the houses, they are to say, "Treat please" instead of the traditional -trick or treat-. We don't do tricks. Not sorry. LOL

All four of the little ones. Too cute! So glad we were able to see them!

The candy score afterwards! I am SO in the wrong business! I bet those candy companies BANK this time of year! Glad they had fun,

All in all, it was a great time! Peace!

Candy Corn Fudge- and all kinds of things...

2011-10-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

So here I am browsing some blogs from my groups looking for some inspiration for craft idea's to do with the boys. And- let me tell you, I have found SO many idea's, very overwhelming! In my visual meandering, I stumbled upon some fun fall recipes. I thought to myself, well, we are having home team and it would be quite festive to make some fudge--candy corn style. I have NEVER EVER not even once EVER made fudge in my life, but after reading the ingredients, psshhshshsh, it seemed seriously easy. It was decided. Everyone at first thought that it was cheese! lol! Yes, if you look at it, it does kinda look like cheese, right?! Ha! But, it was a HIT! EVERYONE loved the fudge, and I was SO glad it turned out! Already sent out the recipes to all my women friends who asked for it! :)

Brandy has a pair of sunglasses that the lenses broke out its frame, and she still wears them. Yes, it's a "fashion statement" and she has no shame in rockin' them. Whatever- it's a phase, and I choose my battles pretty well I'd say. I have to admit though, they were adorable on Kien! =D!

FIG! Mocktails and chocolate night! I just LOVE FIG night. It's "MY" favorite night of the week! I made cake muffins and brownies, but, because I never made brownies in a mini muffin pan, it was a fail... LOL They were too crunchy, and I was not going to feed my girls crunchy brownies! So, next time I will know not to cook them so long, but the cake muffins were a hit and YUM! :)

Ok, this is a bit embarrassing, but you know, life is full of surprises. I went to start the oven to make the cake and brownie muffins and when I opened the door to put the cake in, I was pleasantly surprised to find this left over night from the previous day's lunch. We totally forgot about them! LOL! Hey, when you have 4 wonderful active kiddos and a wonderfully busy hubby, things like this happen, and as long as my children are not lacking anything, I just smile and shake my head. Life is good!

Rev Run in the HOUSE!

2011-10-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

What a huge blessing it is to see what was once a secular hip hop star testify their life story from going to having EVERYTHING but yet still feeling very empty. That's the story of a lot of our lives if we will be honest. Rev Run came to our church to share his story. Man, did it bring back memories! Walk this way was their numba one "rock box" song! You can watch Rev Run live at www.fellowshipchurch.com and click on the video titled watch weekend message. You will truly be blessed.

Nummy Lunch & Cute Poses

2011-10-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

Any child I have known LOVES PB&J sandwiches. I have been blessed even further that mine LOVE yogurt with any and all fruit. (Except green grapes, Kien thinks they are yukky and prefers red) So, although they do eat PB& sugar free Jelly on whole wheat no fructose corn syrup no gluten bread A LOT- I always mix in the yogurt and a banana (or fruit) to make their lunches healthy to eat. :) In dinosaur shape of course! :)

I spy with my little eye, something that is a .... KIEN!
:)

Gabe and Kien are photogenic. Well, with a camera (iPhone style) in their face all the time, how could they not be? I just don't know how to get them to sit still for a little bit to capture one!

Look into my eyes....

I can't hear you...

Brownies for Flavour

2011-10-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

Once a month on Tuesday (at our FC FW Campus) we have Flavour. The other Tuesday's each month we have FIG (these gatherings are where we can connect individually). So, for the BIG Flavour of the month everyone brings some sort of theme food, or as this time was just a finger food event. We made BROWNIES! The fudge ones! Kien and Gabe did assist, but mainly to just lick the spatula. The best part.

Random Daily Happenings

2011-10-20T11:45:00.003-05:00

Would anyone dare agree with me that these two look guilty? Who, them?! Precious Kien and Gabe? Nooooooooo, there is NO way these two could POSSIBLY get in any kind of trouble. As you can see, I chose the raspberries for a snack. BUT--- they underhandedly opened the "snack" drawer in the pantry and got out the sugar filled fruit snacks instead!! LOL... (hence the green and purple little candy thing on the table behind the yummy nutritious fruit)

We take the boys on a evening walk right before bedtime, and Gabriel decided to run and he tripped. Yes, he was barefooted, (So) and scraped the tops of his little feet. He didn't cry though, that was a plus! :)

Some days my lunch consists of sitting at the table working on whatever I need to work on eating lunch with the boys. We were recovering from sicknesses among some of us and I didn't make the Sunday Services that past Sunday. So, I decided to put all my folders and paperwork to the left, watch the sermon while eating left overs of lemon pepper chicken and Texas toast with butter corn. YUM!

Bubble time! I asked the boys if they wanted to wear beards because of the men's conference. Ha! They look so cute! Spider man bubbles makes every kid happy!

But of course! The POINTY hair style! Can you tell that Kien needs a hair cut with how long his is?! LOL!

Greg had been fighting sickness for a week with sore throat and headache. Then, I begin to get the same thing. I went to the doctor and she gave me some antibiotics and recommended Mucinex, Advil & Tylenol. I also included Vitamin C gummy's, Echinacea and honey chamomile tea. Come Thursday, Jeremy calls me from school saying he threw up. I brought him home and he slept all day. I checked on him one last time before I went to bed and he was burning up with a temperature of 103.4. So, did the usual thing and gave him some meds to break the fever. No more than 5 minutes after I get settled in bed, I hear this gut wrenching scream come over the baby monitor. I dashed out of bed so quickly and ran straight to the bedroom, flipped on the light and unzipped the crib pet net in a panic -all the while scaring Kien half to death- because Gabriel had thrown up all over and didn't know what to think since it was his first time.
So, here I was, both little boys crying and trying to figure out how to get Gabe's PJ's off with out getting it all over when I finally gave up and just took it off not even caring if it got in his hair because he was headed straight to the bathtub. Greg was at a loss on what to do, so I asked him to please take Kien for a walk and calm him while I cleaned up the vomit and child. Once I gave Gabe a bath, I began to put a clean pair of PJ's on him and there he went again throwing up all over the floor. I knew at this point it was going to be a loooooong night.
So, after cleaning everything up, I had Brandy help cut up some garbage bags to lay under two comforters. We were camping out on the floor. I put two pillows down, two towels under and two towels over them and then a stockpile in the glider rocking chair. It was a sleepless night for myself, and every 20-30 minutes from 10:15 PM until 4:00 AM throwing up episodes and laundry (towels from being thrown up on) all night long. The washer and dryer never quit running through out the night. I was able to give Gabe two 1/4 cup drinks of Gatorade around 4AM and he actually kept it down! Then, he falls back asleep, wakes up JUMPING all over me around 10:00 AM and goes through out the day as if nothing ever happened. Seriously!??!
Here was our sleeping arrangement.

Being a Friday, Jeremy's fever subsided but could not go back to school, Gabe was feeling wonderful, and Kien was interested in a picnic! So, the boys had a picnic! YAY!

CHEESE! Daddy took Gabe to get his hair butchered. :( I am very grateful that he took the boys off my hands while I slept, and they did in fact need a hair cut. AND-- I am TRYING to like it. LOL.. But-- I miss his curls. Thanking God that they will come back!

Look at what Brandy was doing to me! She said they were the "Messa di voce" which means a musical technique that involves a gradual crescendo and decrescendo while sustaining a single pitch. Um, yeah, and I thought she was making daughter gang signs at me.. pshhhtt.. LOL...

My smart little cookie! This is her "Auguste Rodin" look! LOL

BAD DUKIE! DADDY DIDN'T KNOW! In one of the preparations of leaving the house for a short or long amount of time we let puppies go outside to potty, a drink and then in the family room behind the baby gates they go. This helps keep them from deliberately falling to temptations of seeking things to get into while we are gone.
The rule is not to be mean, but to protect them AND us from upset tummies and huge messes to clean up after digestion (or no digestion lol) Now, mind you, the family room is a good size, if they wanted to wrestle among each other they have that luxury. Or, if they wish to lounge on the sofa, they can do that as well.
Brandy, Jeremy, Kien Gabe and I headed to FC Kids. It was daddy who was going to join us later, therefore putting the responsibilities of puppy care in his care. Well, he "thought" he locked the gate, but sometimes you have to push a little harder to make the "snap" sound of the lock locking into place. When we returned home, it was much to our surprise that the puppies broke out of jail and found some goodies in the trash. Yes, that white cabinet in the background of this photo is where we keep the trash. They figured out how to open it. What smart puppies they are! So, we now have a child lock on the knobs. Whose house?! OUR HOUSE! (see www.fellowshipchurch.com Sunday message.. you will get it! :))

A Day at the Camp Ground Park

2011-10-09T10:56:00.009-05:00

Our good friends Al, Julia, Angela and Dan with all their children had gone camping for the weekend. Every year about this time is when they go, and since I am not a fan of sleeping on the ground because of the my hip, we did decide to go for the day. Greg had been miserably sick for the past few days prior, but after some much needed medication, he was all drugged up and ready to go anyway.

When we got there it was like a blast of memories from when I was a kiddo. My parents took us to the campgrounds a LOT while growing up. I vaguely remember the fishing, the playgrounds, running along the side of the river, playing on the dam, sinking toes in the sand talking about what we thought at the time as "what WE will do when WE grow up"... yes, it was a wonderful part of our childhood.

BUT- not enough to encourage me to do the same with my children with a tent. No, I think a cottage or a cabin is a must! Not a young chicken anymore. LOL

Anyway, so we arrived and it was awesome how Julia decorated the site. A string of lantern lights from one tree to another right behind the picnic table, a pumpkin laid right outside their tent for a "homely" feel. A tub of water with hand cleaner and sanitizer wipes on a small table next to the picnic table. She knows how to go ALL OUT! Awesome! She will be MY camping buddy next time! LOL

Anyway, before lunch we decided to walk over to the park which was just a hop skip and jump from their lot.

Beautiful playground!

Gabe was not afraid to try anything! He was enjoying himself!

I think Kien enjoyed sitting in the sand as well. Well, I say sand, it was actually a mix of sand and little pebbles. Which I am sure is maintained so the sand isn't washed out from rain.

Sweet Emma! I think she really wanted to go to the beach rather than this park.

Sweet Katie likes the slide, and she goes down, then walks back up! BUT-Her mom had to rescue her from the top because Katie doesn't like heights. I don't think Gabe does much either.

My Kien is fearless. We were discussing how Kien is so much like a cat, graceful and pretty much knows how to land on it's feet, as to where Gabe is more like a dog, ungraceful, and lands with a thud. Either way, they are so very precious each with their own precious gifts!

I dont' know if they were just trying to say cheese faster so they could just go down the slide. Which IS why they are there. DUH mom!

Daddy and Kien were burying Gabe's feet in the sand. He was not very happy about this when he realized that he could NOT get loose on his own.

Help?!

Brandy and Jeremy were not with us because they had a marching show in Aledo, Texas. Which did end up being cancelled due to the storms that were brewing and headed our way. However, Saginaw High School DID make 1st place in the preliminaries! Not sure if there will be another to make up for it.

After the park adventure, we headed back to make lunch and sit and visit. Then, being that Julia's birthday was the next day, we brought her a large decorated cookie and her husband and daughters brought her cupcakes. So we enjoyed a yummy treat after. Our Home Team leaders and sweet friends DeeAnne and Brian stopped out for a bit as well, which was nice! Kien even learned how to potty in the woods, thanks to daddy! Overall a great day!

EWWW- Yukky Eggs

2011-10-06T11:40:00.000-05:00

Gabe loves scrambled eggs. However, we did discover that he does NOT like egg salad/deviled eggs. HA! He was trying to let mommy know that daddy fed him something... "Yuyyeee" translated: yukky :)

Homecoming Mum

2011-10-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Every year Brandy will either make/purchase a homecoming mum for someone at school. Last year she received one from her friend Meagan, and this year she received one from Elijia. Very beautiful VERY ELEGANT Senior Homecoming Mum. The detail is just amazing. They run $25.00 to $75.00 a piece depending on the size.

Hamper Rides... Free and Fun!

2011-10-02T11:25:00.005-05:00

Leave it up to a couple little creative little dudes to find a new toy to play with. I usually will help the kids do their laundry if they will place their hamper full of clothes that are layered in the proper groups to be washed. IE: jeans, colors, whites and heavy duty....etc...

I left the hamper and folded clothes in the laundry room for whichever teenager needed to pick up their laundry to be put away, because let's face it, if I did that for everyone, I would be up to my ears in laundry every day all day. Besides, if mom does it, they will never develop good habits. And, I am SOOOO not going to do their laundry when they are living on their own. LOL

Anyway, while I was compiling my photo's on my computer, I hear "my gah-goo, my gah-goo" -which translates to: motorcycle. The boys brought this "gah-goo" hamper into the kitchen to play with it, I HAD to get some footage! Very creative, my sons!

A trip to the Dentist!

2011-09-30T17:58:00.001-05:00

One of the things about having kids that can be a real pain in the backside is getting them to brush their teeth properly. With the teenagers I am constantly asking them in the mornings if they have brushed and more times than not they will say yes. And with further investigation (very carefully of course, protecting my new found smell detector being fixed from surgery last month) I do inspect! Teeth are expensive to fix and PAINFUL if not taken care of. The little boys I will do the initial brushing to ensure proper cleaning, and then let them take over just for the sake of learning how to brush.

I always warn the kids that they will have cavities and being that there are hereditary diseases they need to make sure not to slack off. Brush now or pay later! I also scheduled ALL FOUR at the same time because, in all honesty, I DO NOT wish to go multiple times, I just don't have a schedule that allows me to do so. However, I do like the dentist, and their kid friendly play room and open exam chairs.

So, we arrive and kids are happy and content in the play room. Many toys keep them occupied while mom fills out the file folder ~~the size of dictionary~~ of paper work for each of them. Side note** I usually also have a backpack packed with so many things to TRY to keep the kids occupied in case we are not in a kid friendly area. Includes, drinks, snacks, books, toys, colors, extra diapers, and extra shorts (just in case -you never know, and you shouldn't ask LOL).

We didn't wait long at all which was A to the W to the E-SOME! The staff is extremely friendly, and they not only accommodate for every possible need (not to mention the big screen tv along with benches so you can be in ear/eye shot of your child while they are getting their teeth x-rayed, cleaned and counselled. I should have taken more photo's, but, I was too busy. Ha!

Gabe found the dino's quite fascinating!

Ok, so don't ask, I don't even know. Maybe he was pretending to be a super hero and had laser eyes for a moment???! LOL

Jeremy was waiting patiently, and even got down on the floor to play with the boys. Good biggest brother!

This would have to be my favorite shot! And NO it's not photo shopped at all! GO ME!

Now Jeremy is getting a little crazy! I think I took a few shots to try to get Brandy and he kept jumping in the way. With the auto delay on the iphone camera, I just COULDN'T get one and so I gave up! LOL

Kien was such a trooper! He didn't give any resistance what so ever, and even showed the dental assistant how we practiced "open wide" on the way there. Preparation is they key people!

Here is Brandy waiting patiently for her x-ray results.The assistant asked Brandy if she had ever had braces because her teeth were nice and straight as if she did. Brandy told her no, but wished she did because she thought it would be, "cool" to have them. Yeah, NO! The grass is not always greener on the other side my child!

Jeremy didn't want his photo taken, for whatever reason, I don't know. He is usually camera ready and interfering! Haha!

Kien was being a great example for his little brother. Gabe did well, but I went and sat with him just in case, therefore not being able to take a photo of him. I think he was ok with it.

Their exam gloves taste like cherries and they get to choose their own flavored toothpaste/fluoride to have their teeth cleaned with. Kien chose strawberry. Then all of them received their own special toothbrush and floss, compliments from the brands who donated them for advertising purposes- and toy.

After all was done, which only took about an hour YIPEEEEEE (a mother's dream doctor/dentist visit for four kids) the report is as follows.

Brandy- no cavities and perfectly straight teeth.

Jeremy- one tooth needs a filling (which was scheduled on the following Monday) and has perfectly straight teeth.

Kien -was suggested to have his front teeth capped which included anesthesia due to his front four teeth having very little enamel and cavities. I did ask the dentist if there would be anyway that we could possibly wait until the next 6 month visit to reconsider the surgery because he is so close to losing those teeth in the next year. She agreed, and said that if we brush with fluoride toothpaste and floss them twice a day, there may not be any further issues to worry about with his permanent teeth and if he doesn't complain of pain. The dentist also confirmed that his front teeth issues were in fact stemmed from the diet of his first year being restricted to poor formula and Congee -which is a rice porridge- until he was 1 year while in the orphanage. Karin was able to help him make a transition over to baby food when she officially received him. He was on a special type of formula, soy milk and much more solids shortly after he came to be with us. With all that said, we are going to wait 6 months, and if the xray proves to the teeth deteriorating we will have his teeth capped to help from the cavities reaching the nerves and to help preserve his permanent teeth.

Gabriel was too little for a cleaning, but they did check his teeth and the dentist said they look like they are coming in very straight and no evidence of cavities.

AHHHHHHH--- overall, a GREAT experience!

I call it, The OLIE...

2011-09-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

...because they are so cute just like the Olie from when we were kids! They are actually called Radio Flyer Scoot and Zoom.. Best $20.00 purchase from Wal-Mart yet! lol

Greg and I are in agreement that they need to make these for adults!!! LOL They are SO fun!

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!

2011-09-30T16:19:00.001-05:00

I am passing this along from an email that I received from a sweet woman that I am blessed to have in my life! This is SO true, and it should really give us a perspective on how to deal with anything that comes our way in life.

Am grateful for ALL the trails that come my way, and my God who gives me strength and grace to be successful through anything!

Thank you Nancy!
***********************************************************************
Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of
coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make
it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It
seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water
and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the
first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the
last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without
saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.. She fished the
carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and
placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in
a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She
did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter
to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed
the hard boiled egg

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What
does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in
strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the
boiling water, it softened and became weak The egg had been fragile.
Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after
sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The
ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the
boiling water, they had changed the water..

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your
door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with
pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a
financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and
stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and
tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,
the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it
releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when
things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation
around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest
do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Saginaw High Homecoming Pep Rally

2011-09-30T00:06:00.001-05:00

We brought the boys up to watch Brandy and Jeremy at the Homecoming Pep Rally of which they also have an awesome fireworks show!
Gabe was NOT thrilled with the loud noise and grasped daddy tightly!!
Kien didn't really care much because his reason for even wanting to go is because of cotton candy!!! Lol! I have to give props to daddy for taking the boys through the herds of people to find the booth with cotton candy after being spent from his very stressful work day. Such a great daddy!

I consider myself truly blessed that my teenagers are really involved with marching band and JROTC. I was physically unable to join marching band (or any sport for that matter) because of the car accident when I was 14 years old. I also was not exactly the model student nor teenager to participate in any activities as my focuses were way off from being anything successful other than getting into trouble. To watch my children walk in their talent and be successful is an unbelievable success for me deep down! It's hard to explain, they are truly my earthly joy! God is AWESOME!!

Blast From The Past...

2011-09-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

So, my mom calls me at 10:30 (ish) on a Friday, -which she works a full time job, so to receive a call means something is up- and informed me that she gave out my phone number and address. Of course, I trust my mom and her willingness to keep our privacy at bay, but this particular person was an, OF COURSE they can have my address and phone number! So when she told me that Mr. ~~Mad~~ Hatter was going to be in town, I was excited to be able to visit many memories of my childhood that I loved! Mr. Hatter, Chris for the first name, was visiting his brother for his 50th birthday party in Decatur, Texas, which is only 20 minutes away! He just so HAPPENED to email my mom and mentioned that he would be visiting her the following week for a couple days to catch up on old times. In response to his email, my mom asked where in Texas he was going, that I lived in the North Fort Worth area.

I don't recall a lot of my childhood, but boy oh boy do I remember Mr. and Mrs. Hatter! Chris, I remember as "The Mad Hatter" because of his spunky energy and willingness to be crazy on those things called ROLLER SKATES. YES- I said it.. A total 80's thing to do, and we went TWICE a week every week for MANY years. YES- I would SO go weekly today if it wasn't for the accident when I was 14. I sure do miss those days. I was -make no mistake- informed that he STILL goes roller skating! Mind you, I haven't seen Mr. Hatter since I was 15 years old!!! It was truly a real treat to have the opportunity!

Can you say... J-E-A-L-O-U-S!! (LOL)

Anyway, I was on my way out the door to head over for my 5 month hip check up and I receive a phone call from Mr. Chris. We made arrangements for him to pop by when I returned from my appointment. And he did! He rolled up on his new 2012 BMW Motorcycle! I really wish Greg was home to see it, and also to meet Chris. The boys were just ready to eat lunch, so we invited him in and they LOVED talking to him. Chris and I visited through out the boys eating lunch, and then again after I put the boys down for their nap. We caught up the best we could with a little over an hour regarding family life, shared photo's and of course had to friend each other on Facebook! :)

He mentioned he was headed up towards my parents on Thursday, so I knew we wouldn't get another chance to sit and visit or for him to meet my teenagers and husband while he was here, but I did invite him and his wife back anytime! The boys and I also met him at IHOP on Thursday morning before he headed out, just to get one more chance to visit. He even bought our breakfast, which was unexpected and I am very thankful. It was a huge blessing!

Talk about the best COMFORT RIDE EVER!!! Yeah, I'll take one for my hubby! Ha!

Kien about to enjoy his healthy fruit and yogurt pancake!

Gable loved his as well!

I didn't even think ask someone to take a photo of all of us together! DUH! Here is one last picture with Kien and Gabe before Mr. Hatter got on the road to head up to Nebraska!

Hair Cuts and Fly "DOW"

2011-09-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have to give props to my husband for taking our boys to get their hair cut. Seriously, I meant to take them, I just didn't have time lately. You know, with school, -shopping, paperwork, fee's etc... yeah, running a household of 6 is not a chump job! Ha!

Anyway, so daddy let me sleep in and DIDN'T EVEN tell me he was leaving. Once in a while, since Gabriel is our early bird, he will get up early and take Gabe to breakfast with our dear friend Brian, or work on some project outside. However, on this particular day, Kien was awake early as well. It was all a surprise that he would do this for me! I am SO grateful!

Here are the boys sitting so soundly awaiting their turn for a hair cut. Now, I don't consider myself a "pushover" mom, but how in the world he got them to sit there for longer than the a minute is AMAZING! GO DADDY!

Gabe loves puppies! He has a stuffed animal puppy just like this one! They let him play with it! :)

Gabe wasn't a fan of sitting by himself to get his hair cut, so daddy had to sit in the chair holding him. :) And of course a lolly pop did the trick! :)

Kien didn't look thrilled either, but he always does very well sitting there very still while they cut his hair. :)

Later that day we were all headed to the van to leave and Gabe had a little friend say hello up close and personal. He didn't notice it at first, daddy showed him the butterfly that wanted to say hello.

He didn't freak out, like I would have until I knew what it was because I am that way with wasps, spiders or any insect that can bite. Butterflies are friendly :) He was so patient and pretty much didn't want to touch it.

When he was finished admiring the butterfly, instead of removing it from his shirt himself, he kept saying, "Daddy, fly dow, fly dow!"

911- 10 Years Ago

2011-09-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

9/11.. Ten years gone by. A tragedy for our country that we will never forget. Greg and I stopped at a garage sale next door to a house I was cleaning for a friend a few years ago. We came by these boxes of newspapers, and the owner just let us have them. So, in memory of 9-Eleven, Greg took this photo and watched a movie regarding events that took place that day.

Our church also placed this rather large Flag on the building in honor and respect for the anniversary of this historic day.

To watch the emotional and powerful message delivered from our Pastor Ed Young please click here: http://fellowshipchurch.com/messages

We all need to be grateful for living in a country where we still can exercise the freedom to Worship and Serve God. The days are upon us, just as the scriptures teach us that we will be persecuted for His name's sake. We need to include in our daily prayers protection for our Country, and that people's eyes are opened to the truth and vote leaders in office that will HONOR God.

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-09T12:36:00.001-05:00

Ahhhhh, where did the summer go?! It seems as if time is REALLY flying by so quickly and our schedules are so busy that we don't even realize it until it's gone!

So here we are, the first day of school! New school clothes and supplies, hours of paper work filled out, payments made for most fee's... and most importantly, prayers offered up in each one of their behalf's for a successful, safe, Christ-like example- school year.

A senior, freshman, and two pre-schoolers... where has the time gone and look at how much time there still is!

As a child reaches the teenage years, (and in this day and age not even easing into the second digit) they tend to develop a shortage in the electrodes of their brain. And trust me, I am not even KIDDING. Yes, I remember bits and pieces of my teenage years, and I won't even go there. A once photo happy teenage girl has turned ANTI-pictures (unless she is with her friends.. and YES I have seen those!!)

Brandy: "You don't HAVE to take all these pictures of me an my boyfriend. They will take plenty in the ball room." (with rolling eyes and that neck rolling "thing" they do...) lol

So, when I proclaimed my excitement to take 1st day of school as a Senior and Freshman photo's MAN OH MAN did I have instant resistance! It was so sad. AND- I will have you know that YES I DID use the "when you have children of your own you will understand" ploy, but it again, failed. So, in my own little attempt (and searching through my brain for crafty idea's for their photo books) I decided to take multiple photo's of them walking into the school... Which will be a great "slide show flip book" --HA! And again, mom prevails! WOOHOO! (lol)

As the big kiddo's attend high school, my toddlers attend Mother's Day Out twice a week. This year makes Kien's 3rd, and Gabriel's 2nd. It's great for them, and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE their teachers as do they! (you will find that most of my blogs will be hefty on Friday's -hopefully)

Here is my wonderful little blessing -my precious moment- making a precious pose as we are working our way into the school.

Gabriel walks very SLOWLY, because it is coming back to him that mom is now going to drop him off. He isn't a big fan of it, but he goes anyway. :) YAY!

You can definitely determine which child is the happiest to be here! LOL!

Oh, yes. The traditional "my turn to press the elevator button" is back in action. Kien's classroom is upstairs again this year, so he gets to push it going up!

The backpacks I had last year were the little ones which were much easier for the boys to carry. Gabe's had wheels on them so he was able to pull it .However, their folders were too big for them, therefore ruining them with wear and tear. It was not an easy task to find the larger backpacks on wheels unless I purchased them online. So, I let them pick out their own themes. Kien chose Cars, which I am surprised because he likes Iron Man. Gabe of course chose Toy Story.
Here is Kien's name plate where he is to leave his backpack each day.

Gabe's turn to push the button to go down. :)

The concerned look on his face was exactly that, CONCERNED. He knew his time was getting closer, but I have to say after a whine and a small cry (30 seconds after I was out of sight) he was just fine! :) YAY!!

Gabe let me take a photo of him by his name plate!

Once I left, he just stood there quietly, not knowing what he wanted to do, but eased into listening to a story being read to another student who, too, was being calmed down. The teachers are so awesome! :)

I went home, cleaned out the boys' room and worked on a few loads of laundry. When it was time to pick them up, I found Gabriel sitting finishing up his snack. He got up very quickly and came to me once he saw me. :)

Kien was working on a project when I popped in to pick him up. It's so encouraging to see him patiently sitting in class doing his work, because he does NOT sit still at home! lol

Along with the traditional "elevator" experience, we also have a "bench and chair" sitting as well. This is located right outside Gabe's classroom. :)

All in all, I think this program is the BEST ever! I highly recommend Mother's Day Out for SAHM's so there can be some "down time" to regain sanity from our every day -crazy but wonderful- life!

Ok, so I have decided...

2011-09-09T11:53:00.000-05:00

...that trying to play catch up is really a huge set back from the latest and greatest stories.. SO- instead of holding everyone back, I will blog as we live, and still try to catch up from months ago! Ha!

A day at the Park... and a moment of PANIC!

2011-09-04T19:23:00.000-05:00

I will begin with the PANIC part first. So Greg decides to take all the boys to the park for a little fun. Great idea! Mom gets a break! YAY! :)

WARNING: These photo's included only reflect a reenactment of the events that actually took place. Every bit of the story is TRUE.

Ha ha! When Greg called me from the park to tell me the story, I told him to take photo's because THIS was a great story!

So while at the park, they walked down the paved trail toward the middle of the park just to check things out. On their journey back to the play area, Greg, ahead of the group had looked back only to see Gabriel not walking in the same direction. Seconds later, Jeremy screams, "GABRIEL NOOOOOOOO!" Greg at the point figured out that Gabe was headed straight into the drain culvert. I don't think he remembers that he ran in track and in a superhuman sprint he ran to catch Gabe before he went in. Oh, but Gabriel is determined and we are about to find out why! By the time Greg got over to the drain, all he saw was Gabe's feet sticking out and I can just imagine the thoughts that went through his head. Yes, every parent thinks the worst case scenario, it's the human condition! Thank God (literally) that he wasn't in any danger, but when he backed out his little feet, he had something in his hand. Boy was he PROUD of his new found fortune. A FOOTBALL!!!

Leave it to an innocent -curious- child, to be so determined and not even know the dangers that could possibly lurk in the midst. Really, it was a heart stopping moment, but good thing it wasn't serious.

A disappointing part to the story was, on their way to leave the park a couple of kids came up to them and asked if they had just found that football. Apparently they had lost it earlier. OR maybe they weren't brave enough to go into the culvert. Either way, Greg did do the right thing and gave it back to the boys. :)

Here are the photo's to the story.

Here are a few randoms of the visit to the park. Kien has grown to enjoy finding sticks and twigs to use them as a sword. Hmmmm, I wonder who the in the world had a part in that one.... JEREMYYYYYY.. lol

Kien was pretending to be a firefighter! Riding down the pole!! GO KIEN!!

Ok, so this is TOTALLY worth giving props to the photographer (Daddy) for taking such great shots! Gabriel is 2. He throws things. For some reason, he likes to throw anything you find on the ground that remotely resembles dirt. Well, here is some mulch for ya Gabe! The photos look like he is trying to pull a Harry Potter! hahahaha AWESOME!

And, LAST but not LEAST I have to share this ADORABLE photo of Kien after we put this puzzle together. He's so smart! He figured out about 50% of the puzzle with no promptings! He even said he enjoys putting puzzles together with me. Awwwww... *HEART*

Potty Training... OH JOY!

2011-08-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking.. A WHOLE ROLL of toilet paper. When I walked back into the bathroom, I gathered as much toilet tissue that was NOT wet, and as I lifted it up to put in the trash, I looked back into the toilet with horror and saw a FULL ROLL just thrown in (and completely soaked). UGH! Seriously?! SOOOOO GLAD HE DIDN'T TRY TO FLUSH!!! LOL!

Kien Graduates to a BIG BOY Bed!

2011-07-31T09:26:00.071-05:00

Kien made an amazing transition from the crib to his toddler bed. He tested us to begin with getting out of bed, but that didn't last long at all. Of course, the video monitor helped out tremendously with being consistent with him when he did try to get out of bed or playing in bed.

Gabriel is almost 2, and will be growing out of the crib soon himself, so, instead of looking to purchase a toddler bed, (then knowing we would need to then seek a bunk bed later on) I decided to by-pass the 2nd toddler bed altogether and just purchase the bunk bed.

I found this on Craigslist, and it is in excellent condition, minus the heart and the letter "G" carved into the side. AND-- this bunk bed also turns into individual beds, so when the boys have their own rooms later on, we will not need to make another purchase!

After having Greg remove the 2nd row seats in the van, Brandy was home with the boys while they napped as I drove over to Flower Mound. It fit like a charm! And, the couple I met were very sweet. When I returned home, Brandy helped unload everything at the front door to make it easier to put together when the boys woke up. Once the nap time was over, we put the boys in their seats with a snack and Brandy and I put the bed together all on our own.

Mind you, before this monstrosity was put together, the boys room was roomy and had plenty of space to play. Because we are not ready for Gabe to sleep on the bunk bed, we still needed to keep the crib in the room along with the changing table (that comes in handy since Gabe still is in diapers) which took some time to really think how to put this room together and STILL have room. (Play area is in the huge Family Room). I also have two dressers and a rocking chair (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE). Leave it to a pack rat to pull it off! Haha!

Here are some photo's of my master plan to keep everything in the room temporarily. Once Gabriel Graduates to the bottom bunk, there will be TONS of space! I will then be able to convert the changing table for craft storage, the crib to be donated (because although I would love to have a little girl, I don't see that happening anytime in the future) and the closet will be remodeled with shelving.

Kien LOVES his new bed! Gabe hasn't shown any interest in sleeping on the bottom bunk as of yet either.

I felt it necessary that Kien chose where he wanted to sleep --secretly knowing he would chose the top bunk-- and let him try it to see how he liked it. HE LOVED IT!! I had to capture this as Kien's first night in a real BIG BOY bed! He even chose the new sheet set! Transformers! My precious boy is growing up so quickly!

I have to add that he has been very responsible about not jumping or crawling on the rails. He also knows that if he stands up too close to the edge he will be bopped by the ceiling fan!

Lunch With Greg...

2011-06-11T06:00:00.004-05:00

Most days, Greg has to take a short lunch break because of his position at work requires him to be there. So, because I cannot drive 30 miles south with two toddlers who nap at approximately 1PM every day to eat with him, he sends me photo's of his lunch on occasion.

Just thought I'd share! (LOL)

Subway

Boston Market! (Our favorite spot)

"Goodnight Moon" Where's the mouse?!

2011-06-10T18:00:00.002-05:00

I explained in February 20th's post that Gabe loves Goodnight Moon. I also noted that Kien and Gabriel both on separate occasions enjoyed just looking for the mouse on every page. Well, Greg took a video of Gabe and I searching for the mouse on each of the colored pages! Now, there are two pages where the mouse is up on the mitten rack and on the top of the book shelf as if it was going to jump down. Gabriel says some mixture of sound and words that only he in his mind understands, and we can only try to make it out. My guess is him trying to say, "He's going to jump down." but it sounds like he says, "behdeh behdeh behdeh behdeh dow." He also points out that the mouse is going to eat the "mush" and on the last page of the story book the mouse is in the window looking at the "stars." His pronunciation is becoming clear with some words, the rest we just have to guess. Ha!

JROTC 2nd Semester

2011-03-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Brandy signed up for JROTC after a few recruiters visited the school to give information about joining the military after high school. Of course this was a huge decision, and the thoughts that came flooding in had to be captured and put in control! I was not expecting her to go in this direction, but after a "microwave prayer" I did receive a sense of peace and sat down and talked to her about it.

We felt that maybe it was a door that God had opened for her. It's high school, it's not a career decision. So, she joined. Parent night was awesome, we met Major Gross and Sargent Reimheild and both are such fantastic people. Here is Brandy, and no I don't believe that the young man next to her was staring her down. (LOL)

During the parent meeting, Kien and Gabriel became a bit "antsy" so I took them into the hallway to let them have some time outside of the stroller. Brandy came to check on us, as Greg sat in on the meeting. Look at how beautiful she is! :)

Brandy was standing at the table outside of the lecture hall to help answer any questions regarding parent sign up.

As we were leaving, we stopped at one of the showcases in the hallway wall. Look what we found! Brandy with her Varsity Swim gang! She is no longer in Swim this year because she has too much on her plate as it is. Unfortunately, she will have to take a summer school class to make up a half a credit because of too many PE/Performing Arts classes.

Wildlife in our Backyard!

2011-03-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

It is not uncommon to see these little fur balls around our neighborhood. As a matter of fact, in the few years that I have lived here, bunnies have been more prominent than the squirrels I remember growing up in the north. Every time I visit home in Omaha Nebraksa, I actually look forward to seeing them. Yes, I do sit by the huge windows in my parents living room and just watch the squirrels at play.

Back on topic, we see these cute little bunnies every day. Either hopping along in someone elses yard, or right here in our own. Having children, and their sheer excitement for wildlife, they end up not sitting long in one spot. Before I beckoned the family to come see, I snapped a few shots so I could at least tell a story about it :)

As soon as I put my hands on the door knob, this little guy was OUT OF THERE! :) They must have a keen sense of hearing! :) Mid hop!

Another Food Coma

2011-03-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, you know what I am talking about. You know that meal when you are suddenly hit with the mac truck of sleepiness? Ok, so maybe the truth is that they missed out on nap time, so therefore they were very tired going into dinnertime... Either way you look at it, it's adorable! :)

Helmet? A sign of what is to come?!

2011-03-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am all about the ATV's and off roading. I am in full support of motocross etc... Let's face it. Greg has had a great love for motorcycles for many many MANY years, obviously. When one learns how to stunt a motorcycle just because they are bored with it's regular -two wheels on the ground- purpose, it's a sure sign to be passed down.

This lovely blue ATV helmet purchased years ago along with the trailblazer and 2 mini 4 wheelers for my then 10 and 7 year old and myself was sitting HIGH up in the garage on a shelf that my husband and I installed together. (thought I would throw that needless information in so people know I am NOT challenged when it comes to manual labor! lol) Oh, yes, Kien was eye ballin' that baby. He even worked up the nerve enough to ask to try it on. OH NO HE DIDN'T! But- oh yes he did, and yes, we did. He loved it and not to mention how ADORABLE it looks on him. I can't wait. Oh, but yet I can, because I am NOT looking forward to the future bumps, bruises and PRAYING STARTING NOW of the possible breaks. Am I getting ahead of myself here?!

BWW

2011-03-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Buffalo Wild Wings is a common place we like to eat dinner at because of their tasty wings. Gabe and Kien like the Mac n cheese as well as mommy's potato wedges. :)

Did I also mention that Gabe and Kien like the BWW hats? :)

This was fun also! :)

Jeremy is giving Kien a lift so he can also put his head through the poster board! :)

We also like to play the Buzztime playmaker game. Trivia mostly, and each of us have won a time or two! :)

Park Play

2011-03-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

Before the weather becomes too hot for outside play, we love to take the kids to the park. Jeremy and Brandy usually go and do their own thing on the swings, and sometimes will get lucky and see a friend at the park. Our neighborhood has a few places with park equipment, and the main park we like to go to at the elementary school has three play areas to choose from.

Kien finds the slides as a thrill. Gabe... not so much.

This particular slide is a big FAIL in my book. First off, a slide should not be bumpy or jerk you

*very uncomfortably* side to side. Gabe didn't like this one either.

Kien goes front side down...

Gabriel, front side down..

Different Nights, Different Stories.

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

We love reading a variety of books before bedtime as well as in the daytime. Night time is a great time to wind down from the days events and just relax our minds. Kien loves reading his Bible Story book, and Gabe for a while, loves Goodnight Moon. We have ventured new stories, but those two are the favorite. Here is a collection of different nights with different stories.

We are searching for all the "Gah-Goo's" which translates to motorcycles.

In search for the mouse in Goodnight Moon!

And the Old Lady whispering hush...

It doesn't take long before one or both become restless and need a new story. Gabe is usually the one who needs to get up and move. Kien is pretty "chill" when it comes to listening with his ears and looking through his mind's eye of imagination!

Sometimes, Gabe likes to read solo. I know their teachers will be proud when they enter elementary school. Especially during reading time! :)

Puppies, Ah-who and BOOTS!

2011-03-04T10:26:00.000-06:00

Gabriel is always loving on Daisy and Duke, sometimes a bit too strong, but the dogs love it. Gabe even shares his beloved "Ah-who" aka lovey, aka blankey. Yes, I have called him Linus! Ha!

Brandy needed a new pair of shoes, of course! While she was browsing, Kien felt it necessary to try them on for her to see if they were the right style. He had fun, which was a WIN WIN situation because taking toddlers shopping for shoes is typically never fun because of screaming children or boxes toppled over from their curiosity of what is in them!

Needless to say, we did not choose these boots. :)

McDonalds Play Date

2011-03-03T10:10:00.002-06:00

My sweet friend Katina and I decided that we were going to have to have a play date for the boys because time was on countdown before she and her two sons were to reunite with her husband who via Militarty, moved to Bahrain. Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands, the largest being Bahrain Island. You can read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain

Upon our arrival, the boys felt it necessary to just hang back and let us mom's order for them. Too bad it doesn't last into the teenage years! (Ha!)

I am sure they had quite the conversation, and even Gabe chimed in!

Still waiting. :)

Since this was going to be the last time for a play date before they were to head on with their journey to another land, we just let the kids -play -eat -play -eat. No rules were set, it was a free for all. Gabe of course went straight for the car. :)

It is always sad to see any friends leave, especially as far as the Lackey's were moving to. Thanking God for places online such as facebook where, although their physical presence isn't here, we can still "see" them through photo's, posts and updates. :) :)

Enjoying Lunch at Chili's

2011-03-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Greg was with a friend for lunch, so we decided to go to Chili's. Well, I just opened a checking account for each of the kids and Jeremy was eager to use his debit card for the first time. It was actually a very nice time with all four kids.

Kien enjoying his food!

Gabe also enjoying his food, macaroni and cheese.

Note here that even Woody (his 2nd lovey) had to have his hat involved with dinner. (lol)

Home Team Date Night!

2011-02-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

We are active in our home team which consists of a few precious people that attend our church's campus in Fort Worth. We typically meet twice a month for going over the last couple of messages taught by our Pastor, and the second is for Date Night. Now, we have a choice, we can either take some much needed one on one time with our spouse and do our own thing, or we can go as a group. Greg and I have opportunities to go on date nights more often because Brandy is our babysitter. (As she is for our home team as well). So, we choose to go as a group for the MUCH NEEDED adult interaction time. (Did I mention MUCH NEEDED? LOL)

Here are some of our awesome team members.

Now, I know, it's suppose to be a "date" night, so you may be wondering how we can do this with a child with us! Well, Gabe is still too young to be left with the group because he requires a bit more attention one on one or with a small group. Brandy can have up to 10 children, so when there are that many children, or close to that number we just take Gabe with us. Of course, we can't seem to get it through to him that those are the nights he is NOT the center of attention. Does he listen?! LOL!

Jumps Before Bed

2011-02-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

Kien and Gabe have started a tradition of "jumps" before bed. They both stand on Kien's toddler bed and count to three. Then, they jump to the floor! For a while Kien would want to hold Gabe's hand, however, that was very short lived as Gabe was not a great "lander" from these said jumps. It was a recipe for disaster, so the -no hand holding- jumps are sufficient enough! Oh, and not to mention that our photo's are not great with the "action" shots, but you get the point! :)

Gabe jumping!

Kien's turn!

Oh, and yes, sometimes there IS cushion at the bottom of their jump. Pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, whichever they feel necessary. :)

Kien was becoming bored with just the simple mattress to floor jumps, so he tried to spice things up a bit and jump from the footboard. The first time was a disaster because he was still wearing his socks. So, instead of jumping to the rescue, the natural consequence lesson was learned so fast that the very NEXT jump he performed with NO SOCKS! Smart boy!

Reading upside down, all around and not at all...

2011-02-20T23:08:00.001-06:00

Gabe and Kien enjoy story time right before bed. Sometimes we will read before or after nap time depending on our schedule. Kien is open to read a variety of books. He does have his favorites, but doesn't stick to just one. Gabe on the other hand, his absolute favorite is "Goodnight Moon" -which is cute to listen to him speak some of the words. I have noted that both Kien and Gabe, on separate accounts, both enjoy finding the mouse that is on each of the colored pages. I wonder if that is common with other Goodnight Moon readers?!

For Gabe, it doesn't matter if the book is upside down or not, he still loves it!

Here is the miniature version of the big "Goodnight Moon" book. He also likes to skip the black and white pages for some strange reason. *shrug*

Kien has a short attention span sometimes. Other times he can sit and contently study the details of every page in a book he is interested in. He gave Gabe his "Things That Go" book to hold on to so he could release some physical energy that was bound up, I suppose. He is our little monkey man and very graceful with his jumps.

I don't like to, but at times it's a must to get on the floor with the boys. I used to love sitting on the floor, but since the hip surgeries it is more difficult for me to just get right up with no aches or popping of the knees even. I do it anyway because my boys like for me to. Old in body, young in spirit? Ha!

Here we are again with "Goodnight Moon" -this time I was the one animating the "old lady, whispering hush" which Gabriel will do himself from time to time. Kien is reading a mother goose book. Which, I must say, I remember hearing the same stories growing up, but as an adult, some of those nursery rhymes are barbaric and crude! So, we say the cute ones and the book now stays in the closet. *sigh*

Oh, oh... I ALMOST have Gabe's attention with another book!

Oh, yes! Finally a glance!

Then I lost him to his favorite book!

Gabe even had to sit away from me, I guess I was reading too loudly. (LOL)

Our Mall Experience... YEP! We Survived!

2011-02-19T17:53:00.002-06:00

What was I thinking?! - was the question I asked come 60 minutes after our normal routine of what we call lunch time! When you have four kids, eh hem -- TWO TEENAGERS and TWO TODDLERS to be exact, it leads to a very interesting and tiring (calgon take me away ~ hunnie can I please have a foot massage) kind-of experience!

The PLAN was to go with the following list...

Sears:

1. Electrolux Vacuum Bags

2. Shorts for Jeremy

3. Cute tops for Brandy

4. Filter for Fridge

Dillards:

1. Greg Jeans

2. Clearance racks

Forever 21

1. Tops for Brandy

Antie Em's Pretzel

(yummy treat)

Old Navy/Baby Gap:

1. Jeans for Kien

Well, need-less-to-say.... we did stick to the plan. (~~muffled~~ - kinda)

Ok, you know how it goes.. Plans change!!! Always.. if you are woman, you KNOW plans will change. That's my story, and I am STICKING TO IT!! hahaha ---

I totally was side tracked by the Sketcher tennis shoe sale. My beloved Sketchers, oh how I love thee! SO side tracked that I totally spaced my mental list and forgot the vacuum bags and filter for our fridge. LOL -- BUT- I did spend enough to get a free $10.00 gift card, so now I HAVE to go back! :)

Lunch was a must at the point two babies were squealing and reaching for every item on the rack that we passed and the two teenagers were constantly complaining of hunger pains. Sonic was fast and the line was near none when we rolled into the food court. Kien and Gabe each wanted the corn dog. Brandy and Jeremy had a breakfast burrito and frito chili cheese wrap. I went straight to the caffeinated drink, Dr. Pepper. (lol) And we skipped the pretzel. :(

Then, after being rejuvenated and feeling ready to get our shop on again, we hit two stores before the boys' eyes became mesmerized and the noise that proceeded out of their mouths was the largest squeal, "mommy mommy, stop! We have to shop for this!" says Kien. Gabe's words... "DOW DOW DOW"... along with an earth shaking (more like stroller jerking) sways back and forth as if I was going to stop all heaven and earth for him to get down and go play on these magnificent (slap the vendor for putting them right in front of where I needed to go to get out of the mall) toys!
WHICH BY THE WAY.. we put $1.25 in the $0.75 it took to ride and it never moved! GRRRR...

Lesson?! We will only do this AS NEEDED or with Daddy's presence! LOL

Gabe's First Haircut!

2011-02-17T17:55:00.001-06:00

Gabe's hair was getting so long that I noticed that he was constantly pushing it out of his eyes. It was finally time. The only worry I had -hence the reason I was waiting as long as I could- was that once I cut his curls, they wouldn't come back. With Brandy and Jeremy they both had locks. When I gave them their first haircuts, *POOF* the curls were gone. BUT--- have no fear, curling DNA is here!! LOL!

Luckily enough from Greg's side, when I pulled the hair out straight and cut the length it "boinged" right back into a tight curl!! YAY!!! Well, this is good for now while he is young. :)

By the way, if you will take note of the decoy to keep him from moving or turning his head, it worked like a CHARM! :) :)

Here is the side view after I "trimmed" his hair. :) :)

Oh, yes, I saved it. Written in permanent marker on the inside of a plastic sandwhich baggie is the date Gabe received his first haircut. I actually have each of my children's hair saved for their baby books!! :) I know, cheesy.

Recent Words, Their Translations and A Cute Conversation

2011-02-17T09:46:00.003-06:00

Gabe:

NO = NO

oyE oyE oyE = "Woody" from Toy Story. (say really fast with the LONG E sound at the end) ~lol

Daddy go? = Where did Daddy go?

Go a rie! = I want to go for a ride ~in daddy's car of course~

oooh dow = I want down

brooohh = It broke -or- I throw it

durmey = Jeremy

Mommy = Mommy (go figure)

Dobey = Brandy

Nana = Nana (my mom) or Banana

Papah= Papa

Dassy = Daisy (our girl boxer)

moreey = I want more (also included with the signing as well =) )

Baaa= ball

noo = nose

eye = ear

eye = eye

pee pee = well, you know.

bee bee = belly button

beebee = baby

on = one

tooh = two (see a pattern here? yes, it tells on mommy that she uses the "one, two, three" to get things done around here LOL)

oh no = oh no (basically when he drops something)

nomi nom = want something yummy to eat

ok = yes

where da go? = where (person) go

eh -geh-gee-om-di-ba-na-no-beh-nom-iss = trying to talk, not sure what he is saying

ONE TIME SAID -- bah-boo was blanket but now he responds to the word "blankey" but does not yet say it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kien: Mommy, can I wear my Buzz Lightyear belt to school today?
Mommy: Sure, lets see if it will fit.
Kien: Oh, my teachers are REALLY going to like my belt when I show them.
Mommy: Oh yeah? I bet they will, too.
--trying on belt--
Mommy: Uh, oh, it won't fit in these jeans buddy, it's too big.
Kien: Oh, great! Can you just make it fit?

Kien: I "fink" (think)
Kien: Your fired

My innter thoughts part 1- Do you fully TRUST God?

2011-02-15T09:55:00.002-06:00

I signed up for Max Lucado's devotionals weekly knowing that every word of scripture will feed me during the in between times I read my "life's manual" -aka Bible. For today, it suggested asking our selves if we truly trust God in any and all situations. One of the scriptures that I had found in the devotion to be quite, well... different from what I had ever been taught or heard about God's Love, or more specifically - God doesn't cause bad things to happen. I have always held on to the scripture Matthew 5:45 That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. This is what has helped me KNOW that I will face adversity, and bad things WILL happen. However, the scripture I read today was:

I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. (Isa. 45:7)

I suppose I never really paid attention to the part where he says, "I am the one who sends good times and bad times." I have always told people that God doesn't "cause" bad things to happen. Which made me question, wouldn't that be a false statement I have made to all those people I have ministered to?

I understand that God doesn't desire to inflict pain, or cause us to stumble in anyway shape or form. That would mean He contradicts Himself, which He doesn't! AND- I know that God uses "bad" situations to bring such magnificent victory in many evident ways to uplift and reach out to those who NEED victory in their lives.

I also look at JOB. Job was a faithful man of God in every way, shape AND form. Even to the UTMOST while during the times he lost everything right down to the one thing God told satan he couldn't have, and that was his last breath. What an AMAZING testament of Job trusting God in every way possible right to the rock bottom. However, God didn't "cause" or "send" these things to happen to Job, but He gave satan the ability to test Job's heart. So, I would then say God "allowed" these things to happen.

I can share heart wrenching situations that have happened in my own life that could attest to the bad, but I can testify the outcome of God's victory without missing a beat in every single situation. I have never believed that God "CAUSED" these things to happen, and it is very clear to me that our God loves us so very much, enough to send Jesus to die in our place just so we can be in His presence -first and foremost. And secondly, that God can bring us through the wilderness, through the fire, through death and the grave and do it with such class that even satan has to admit GOD IS GOOD!! HA! So, whether I was right or wrong in my thinking, who cares, if God sent these bad things to happen, wouldn't He give us what we need to have victory over the situation also? I mean, He did give us some awesome armour to wear in the battle, and gave us armour bearers to help hold one another up... just sayin...

I'm thinking, YES- I FULLY TRUST GOD!!

I have also sadly seen TOO many people hurt, knocked down, beat up and everything stripped away except their last breath. The "sadly" part only attributes to those who have stayed down and turned around to BLAME God for the troubles instead of rising up and "seeing" through Spiritual eyes that the battle is here and we CAN have victory no matter the scale of the situation. And I mean, NO MATTER is too much for God.

Food Coma

2010-11-10T18:47:00.000-06:00

It is so cute to see the boys drift off into a sweet slumber while eating lunch. It has happened a couple of times actually, I just need to sift through my photo's and find the other ones!! =)

A lovely Sunday

2010-11-07T17:40:00.003-06:00

Greg likes to take the leisurely stroll or drive home from church from time to time. He found this place right by our church (not sure of the name of the park) that has a stream and lots of ducks. On this day, it was just Greg, Jeremy, and Gabe. Kien was sick with fever for the previous couple days, so I kept him home. I feel that it is honoring other parents when we keep our sick kids home and not expose them knowing they are sick. Here is Jeremy holding Gabe. I think Gabe was tired.

So cute!

Gabe does NOT like the sun in his eyes. It is not very enjoyable in the car if the sun is shining on him directly! As you can see in the photo! lol

Kien had been feeling much better mid morning, eating and drinking back to normal so we let him play outside for a little bit. Of course how in the world he figured out how to do this, I have no idea. He definitely takes after daddy!! Let's pray now for him. lol

Here are my little loves with one of my bigger loves in the background. I am one blessed mommy!

Dinner with Friends

2010-11-06T17:26:00.001-05:00

We were invited to our sweet friends Al and Julia for dinner. Gabe found a chef's hat and knew exactly how to put it on! =)

We took the kids down the hill to see the cows. They even let them all pet them. Of course, it was dinner time so they didn't exactly WANT to run away. Ha!
Kien from this point forward regularly stated he wanted to be a farmer. A cowboy farmer to be exact! Gabe didn't know what to think about the cows and when everyone was petting the cows!

This is Kien probably asking if he can go in with the cows. Oh how fun would it be to be in the mind of this precious little boy.

Jeremy was very humble and kind after dinner to play with the girls. They were having a tea party! Of course when I mentioned taking a photo, he begged me not to. I just HAD to! LOL

Mohawk, Bed, Playing and Sleeping..A Full Days Work!

2010-11-05T17:12:00.000-05:00

Everyone has to have a Mohawk photo!! I really should research all my photo's to find Kien's. Oh, and maybe even scan a photo of Brandy and Jeremy's! lol

I don't know if anyone really notices, but Kien is not one to sit still. He is in a constant move, which makes it real difficult to catch greater shots more often. We have literally had to delete so many that look very similar to this where his face is blurred. At any rate, he was jumping on his bed! I do miss this arrangement of their room, but it is more practical the way we have it now. :)

Jeremy likes his computer. As a matter of fact, in his computer literacy class, he has recently learned a new program called Gimp. Basically it's a photo shop program.

Brandy was caught sleeping at the table! Well, I should think so considering she is in Marching Band AND Varsity Swimming! Those two are very physical! She's still my baby girl anyway! =)

I am sure this is me contemplating at the end of the day to either finish my bathroom cleaning project or save it for the next day. Either way, wow, I really look deep in thought! Could this be a good thing?! LOL

Dinner at Subway With Daddy

2010-11-03T17:01:00.001-05:00

One of the nice things about living in the southern states is the weather during the month of November. I had to pick up Brandy at the school to head to church with the kids and Greg took Gabe across the street from the high school to Subway. The plan was for them to walk back home.. well, Greg would walk and Gabe would ride the cozy coupe.

Gabe loves to munch on ham.

Maybe he can munch on ham with style wearing daddy's hat! So cute!

Greg stated that the night was a bit chilly, so we planned ahead knowing that when the sun goes down, the temperature changes. We made sure Gabe had his coat, blanket and hat. Well, it wasn't even but 5 minutes into the ride that Gabe fell asleep to the sound of the wheels on the sidewalk.

Saginaw Makes State Again!

2010-11-02T13:10:00.002-05:00

Saginaw Marching Band did it again!! Last year Saginaw High School was considered a 4A school, and was in their reach to make the State competition. This school year they were moved from a 4A school to a 5A school based on their population. Which then put them in the reach of ANOTHER chance to make State. WHICH-- they did!! YAY!!

So, off to San Antonio we go we go! Brandy rode down with her band on two very nice buses. We left the day before the competition and stayed an hour north of the Alamo Dome so we could get up early enough to drive in and not have to be rushed and miss the competition.

Mommy thought she had everything packed, and unfortunately I forgot to pack extra onesies *sign of losing my mind part one* --lol-- so we had to locate the closest Carter's ASAP! Gabe didn't get enough sleep I guess and so daddy carried him in the store like this. =)

We arrived at the Alamo Dome and stopped to grab drinks and a snack before Brandy's band had marched. Jeremy was being silly with a straw, but oh so cute!

Once the performance was over, we found Brandy and took some photos together. The plan was we were going to have her ride back with us, so we could go see the Alamo again, and other site seeing, but we know how important it was for her to hang out with her band team after such a great competition. They placed 19th in the whole state of Texas! Go SAGINAW!

To avoid the crazy lines and groups of people trying to find a seat smack dab in the middle of where our team would be competing, we decided we would go sit off to the left and still be able have a great view. Kien and Gabe were in the stroller (my lifesaver) while Greg went to the top of the arena to take video of their whole performance.

My babies!!! Love them...

Brandy and her friend Ryan. He's not normally a blond, he lost a bet and had to dye it bleach blond. Good thing Brandy didn't lose! LOL

I had to take a photo of this booth and send it to my brother who worked for Mr. Video. He had an opportunity to edit videos for last years competition, but because he is no longer employed with them, he won't have access to this years.

Pumpkins and Costumes

2010-10-31T11:20:00.000-05:00

My two favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. I have gotten better with the festivities of Fall by decorating more around the house. Every year we try to attend a local pumpkin patch and decorate pumpkins! Due to my hip pain, we skipped out on the pumpkin patch this year, but of course we decorated/ carved pumpkins!

I let Kien and Gabe both paint on theirs as the older kiddos, hubby and I carve ours. Both of the boys loved the activity!

I also love to watch the creativity pour out with Brandy and Jeremy. Of course, Brandy is "marching band" conscious, so she tends to add a bit of band flair to her pumpkin every year. Not limited to a musical note, the band logo and much more. Jeremy just loves ripping into the seeds and making many different faces on his. However, this year, he and Brandy wanted to just paint theirs. It was my fault and I take full blame for putting the activity off until the day before the 31st. However, many know my feelings and beliefs about that "holiday" so I make the pumpkin season with meaning for Fall. :)

Notice the full body bib! Just wanted to make clean up easy! :)

Church has what we call Trunk or Treat and sets up area's where we can take family photos. The kiddos were to dress in family friendly costumes and wear them to church. My request for each of the children to do so is to find something that will honor God and they can participate. Jeremy last year was the guard whom Paul and Silas ministered to while they were in Jail. Brandy was Queen Esther. Now that they are older, they don't think that if their friends don't dress up, neither will they LOL. As for Kien and Gabe, they also had a Harvest Party at the Mother's Day Out program and went as the Lion and the Lamb. Same costumes for church as well!

Can you say... ADORABLE?!?!?!

Boys and Their Wheels -Of All Sorts

2010-10-23T11:00:00.001-05:00

Don't think that this household is free of anything with wheels! Greg lives here... therefore, there shall be wheels all up in this place! =)

I think children, especially boys, have a thing for wheels. By the time Gabe could pull himself up, he was ready for the ride. I also believe that boys are destructive, dirty and were born to take things apart! (LOL) If you will take note, Gabe is watching TV in this first photo. (which is helpful when I need a break away to get some things accomplished***and yes, it was an educational show, nothing that would turn their brains to mush (lol)*** Kien was the one who actually began taking his BMW car and turning it on its side to "WORK" on the wheels. It is not uncommon to see this vehicle more on it's side, rather than on all four wheels.

So, of course, the first child friendly set of wheels is the Cozy Coupe! It was a hit! Both Kien and Gabe love it! Every child should have one!

Gabe even enjoyed pushing it, which from what I have learned, was something Greg loved to do when he was little was "pushing" cars, swings etc...
Take note in the background that Jeremy was on his scooter, Kien was trying to show Draco, our neighbor, that he wants to try to ride his brothers skateboard. Of course, that didn't last long because you have to go through the chain of command when it comes to "WHEELS" in this house. Until he can ride a bike -without training wheels- and can maneuver the scooter without falling over, then can he attempt the skateboard! Mommy's rules. =) Oh, and make no mistake, he WILL be wearing his safety gear!

Yes, there is a motorcycle. And yes, there are two engine powered mini bikes in the man's cave for when they are older as well. I know, I know.. please don't make conversation or ask questions, I am not prepared to think about it at this time. Just praying for their bones to stay in tact ahead of time! ;)

We will stick with the basics! I like this stage! (yes, those are zip ties on the tricycle pedals so Kien can keep his feet on them while he learns to ride.. Daddy's idea!)

Multi Ear Infections Lead to Tubes

2010-10-19T10:15:00.002-05:00

How blessed I considered us to be that Gabriel didn't have his first ear infection until July 2010. Brandy and Jeremy both had ear infections quite frequently before they turned 1. Jeremy had one that was so bad we had to take him to the ER for antibiotics to be administered through a shot because he couldn't sit up straight and had high fevers. Back in the 90's it wasn't a common practice for ear tubes to be inserted. Now a days, if a child has more than 3 ear infections at a young age they do consider the tubes as an alternative to help with drainage.

Gabe was 11 months old before his very first ear infection!! We took him and Kien to the neighborhood pool for the first time early in the morning (so we could escape the sizzling heat by 11 AM). I used the bathtub rubber ducky as a "boat" for Gabe to get used to the water. Within 10 minutes of entering the water, Gabe had fallen asleep! So, since the air filled duck was cushy, and the swooshing (probably reminded him of being in the womb) eased him to a nice siesta! Little did I pay attention to the water inside the duck when I would splash a little water on his feet to keep him cool. Some water did get in his ears. No more that 24 hours later, he had a fever.

Over the next 3 months it was a constant ear infection diagnosis with antihistamine and 3 different types of antibiotics with no relief. I finally after his last round of high fever that eventually hit 104. degrees, took him to the ER where they gave him a shot of antibiotic to really knock out the infection. When I talked with the doctor for the follow up the next business day, they gave me a number and scheduled an appointment with a specialist to have tubes put in his ears. The surgery was scheduled October 19th, and we had to be there by 5 AM!!

Kien had a spend over at our sweet friends house with her children so that we could have a smooth transition getting to the hospital with out having TWO children up at such a terrible time of the day! It's even too early for the birds!! LOL

When we got to the hospital, the scheduled surgery was for 7 AM but had to go through all the prep list. Finally, we got to the room where we dressed him the the cutest little gown for children. They gave him a nasal mist to to make him "not have a care in the world" to help with the separation from daddy and mommy back to the operating room.

Gabe was a hoot being all loopy. It was so hard to hold back the tears watching him in this state. He was extremely "lovey dovey" with us. :) :)

And very drunk! Poor baby, he couldn't hardly hold his head up.

When we first put him down, he didn't like the bed. But it wasn't too long after the medicine kicked in that he was ok with it.

He had to give mommy love first. It was a different world in there!

The wonderful nurses just love him, commented how adorable he was with the curls and big blue eyes. They gave him a teddy bear that had a gown and face mask on. He loved it!

Then, to help him with getting ready to be wheeled back to the room, they gave him a toy! A driving toy! The batteries were dead though, so no noises.

The surgery literally took 3 minutes to insert the tubes. We walked out of the little pre-op room, sat down in the waiting room and posted on facebook that Gabe was in surgery and prayers were appreciated. Then, the doors opened, the doctor came out and said all went well and we could go back to hold our lil guy. The doctor did inform us that Gabe would have what he called a "6 pack hangover" and will be very fussy. Sure enough, when we went back to get him he was crying as if he had a bad headache. Nothing consoled him until I asked the nurse if I could possible give him a bottle since he hadn't had anything to eat but had been up since 4:30 AM. Anyone who knows Gabe is aware that this child doesn't miss a meal!! (HA!)
So I gave him his bottle with 6 OZ of formula and he sucked it dry. Then wanted more. Finally after 30 minutes of the nurses watching him after the anesthetic wore off, they gave us our instructions and we left.

I was on my way to the pharmacy to fill Gabe's prescription with plans to then pick up Kien from our friends house. Instead, she was right there at Starbucks a few buildings down from the pharmacy! So we met there and this is how the both of the boys were within 10 minutes!

Apparently, Kien and his friend Kai were awoken at 5 AM from the alarm in our friends house that had gone off when she opened her window to let some early morning air in and the boys never went back to sleep!

All in all, the surgery went great and will have to go for a post op check of Gabe's ears in 4 months.

****Update-- His appointment is scheduled for March 2011 with the specialist, and has seen our family doctor a couple of times since then and the tubes look great! They have not fallen out and their placement was perfect!

Grant's Visit To Texas

2010-10-10T19:03:00.005-05:00

While Brandy had her competition, Grandpa was also landing in good ole' Texas. He wasn't going to be able to make it in time in order to attend her event, but trust me, he heard plenty of it at dinner.
Grandpa was a HIT with Gabe! He even had him smiling!

Greg, as you know, has a new hobby in the mean time of building his REAL hobby truck which is Miata racing. So, guess what Dad and Son did together?!

Grampy and Brandy!

Dinner was always fantastic since it was at Salt Grass Steakhouse! YUM!

Kien was not happy that Grampy had to leave to go home the next morning. It is hard being so far away from our family. Which makes for great visits when they come see us! =)

Birdville Marching Contest

2010-10-09T18:54:00.001-05:00

Brandy had a contest at Birdville Stadium and it was a success!! They were getting SO much closer to making the State Contest!
Here is Brandy and her friend all dressed up in their marching outfits! SO GROWN UP!!!

There are over 250 marching students in her band. It was a VERY large group, and talk about some talent!!! Their band directors are AWESOME!

If you are interested in watching any of their performances (or a part of them) please go to http://www.youtube.com/ and type in SOS Marching Band Saginaw, Texas

High School Carnival

2010-10-06T18:43:00.001-05:00

Brandy's school was hosting a carnival and the marching band played on the field during the introduction. They also had yummy cotton candy that Kien and Gabe just had to try! It was a hit with Kien, not so much with Gabe. He thought it was funny feeling and it ticked his nose!

At the end of the marching show, they displayed fireworks! Our location was not all that great as you can see the light pole was in my way! =/ And there were WAAAY too many parents/students/children there to be able to move in time to get a better view. I will know this for next year! (of which BOTH of my high schoolers will be in marching band!!!)

The iPhone was not great at taking photo's in the dark. =( but Brandy IS in the photo's... somewhere...

A Small Project... I don't think so!

2010-10-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

I performed a "power clean" of the children's bathroom and I noticed the ceiling was peeling off above the shower. I decided it was time for a quick and easy fix since the bathroom isn't like a monstrosity such as a master bathroom. Easy? Quick? I DON'T THINK SO! No project is a small project. I should know this by experience through the crafting projects I STILL haven't completed yet!! *sigh*

After a decision of a color change, (I was going to have to repaint the ceiling anyway, might as well go all the way) I calculated a full days work. Did it happen to be a full days work? NO WAY! It turned into a 3 day project!!

Once I was started on the ceiling, it was super easy to scrape off the "popcorn" above the shower. Mainly because of the amount of moisture in that specific area. However, when I worked my way out toward the door it became near impossible to get it down to the drywall. After a phone call to my dad, he gave me some advice on spraying warm water over the area that was difficult, let it sit for 30 seconds and WHAAAALAH! It was easy easy easy!!

Good thing I used news paper and plastic to cover the floor, tub and sink! =D

After the daunting task of scraping the popcorn ceiling off, I was going to re-popcorn the ceiling until I discovered the paint was no good. (It was left over from the man cave project) So, I went ahead and applied bathroom ceiling paint. :)

After 7 years of life in this house, the ceiling paint made the baseboards look lacking the original "white" color. I went ahead and repainted the baseboards. :) :)

Here you can REALLY see the difference! However, the thought of a project in and of it self to paint the door frame was a NO WAY JOSE' because well, lets just say it would take DAYS!! (once one starts, one would have to go all around the house.. um, HELLO!??! I have four kids, I don't have time for this!)

At that point I was going to just be creative and sponge the same color of the walls on the ceiling. Did that work out?! UM-- a big fat FAIL! LOL! So, I just painted it solid grey to match the walls. =D

So, I painted the entire bathroom a dark grey, accented it with a nice space saver that I built above the toilet and whaaaalah! My masterpiece! It actually turned out quite nice, and with the flick of the light switch off after my few minutes of basking in my accomplishment, the promise was made to not start another project such as this again for a VERY long time!! :)

Bad Dukey!

2010-09-29T17:14:00.000-05:00

Duke is our beloved old man boxer! Don't let him fool you, yes, he can be such a sweet loving boxer, but when we leave him alone, there is no telling how he will communicate that he was mad we left!
This time, it kinda backfired on him. He just THOUGHT he could get away with digging through Brandy's trash can looking for some sweet yummy left over crumbs from a candy bar or chew toy. Instead, he was caught immediately since the lid to the trash can was stuck around his neck! Poor doggie! It's quite funny, but he sure didn't think so!
Do you think he learned his lesson this time?! Are you kidding me??? LOL!

A Typical Day Twice a Week...

2010-09-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

Kien sure knows what to do! He is eager to hop out of the car and walk right in to his school for class. He knows the way to his classroom, and since this is the first year for Gabriel to attend, Kien likes to go to his class first! :)

Gabriel is not such a big fan, at least not for the first 3 weeks of school. It is much easier on mommy to bring the stroller or this nifty (lifesaver is more like it) wagon to transport children, backpacks and lunch boxes!

Glenview Treehouse is awesome! It's quite an activity that the kids just drool over every time they walk by and parents cringe when their child runs out of their personal close space to attack the entry way to such bliss! The cringes are not because we don't wish for our kiddos to not have any fun, of course, that's one of the benefits of attendance! More so because the majority of us don't care for the idea of trying to crawl through those spaces to retrieve our children!! (LOL)

Here is a glimpse of the tree, and the kiddo's right before class!

An absolute favorite in our routine is the elevator! Gabe loves the feeling it gives when the elevator begins to go up, and then stop. He chuckles a little.

Kien LOVES to push the buttons! He can't quite reach the 2nd floor button, so I give him a little lift. I don't think anyone would appreciate hearing the emergency bell that rings when the emergency button is pushed! Luckily it only rings when it is held down and I was able to catch it before it was considered an emergency!! LOL!

Here is Kien's name tag outside the room where he is to place his backpack! He memorized the letters to his name and could place his belongings with out help! YAY!

Kien is usually one of the first children in class. When I leave by 8:10AM to drop the teenagers off at school, a visit to Starbucks along the way we usually get to the school fairly early!

Here is Gabe's name tag! Of course we don't expect him to put his things there. :)

I love being able to let him go to his room and watch him through the one way window! It didn't take but 3 weeks before he stopped crying and actually LUNGED to his teachers to go to class! It was a definite bittersweet moment!

Ready, Set, GO!

2010-09-26T15:37:00.000-05:00

My wonderful hubby having fun in his little toy :)

Miata Racing!

2010-09-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

Greg has picked up a new sport... Miata Racing!
Mark and Greg both have attended numerous races to get enough time in to participate at the big race at TMS. (Texas Motor Speedway)
Greg of course painted his the same as the Grand Sport Corvette, and Mark painted his as Bumblebee from Transformers. Either way you look at it, it's a "guy thing!" Believe it or not, there is actually a huge following for Miata racers. This is a small race, but it was amazing to see the amount of people at the huge race. And, of course, there are more than just Miata's. There was a nice Lotus that I liked. I think we should buy one ;). There are all sorts of cars, not limited to sooped up honda's, corvettes, RX7's, Porche's.

Kien wanted to be the photographer!

Brandy and her friend attended as well and became bored after a little while.

Kien liked watching daddy race, and was his number 2 fan. (Mommy being number 1 first!)

Here's my handsome hubby! Awww, he looks so cute! Eh-hem, I mean MANLY in his race car! (HAHA)

The guys you see standing out in the parking/time trial race area, are working the areas to pick up knocked over cones. It could a dangerous job, that is why the guys/gals need to arrive early to walk the track and have a briefing of their jobs.

Swimming!

2010-09-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Please don't pay attention to the dates on the camera, it was set wrong on the camera. :D
Here we are, all set up at the swim meet. Jeremy poses nicely!
Brandy wasn't allowed to come sit with us, but she was able to come visit between relay's. Kien sure was happy to see her! Of course, he did inquire to take a dip in the pool, however he was greatly disappointed because this wasn't anything like our neighborhood pool. :( He did have plenty of snack and enough comotion around him to keep him satisfied!

Jeremy of course was being a huge help to keep the boys occupied as well. Do notice the lovely tight curls due to the high moisture in the building ;)

Brandy and her friend Kristen getting ready to leave us for their next relay! :)

Here are some more shots of Brandy's swim meets! She is growing up so fast! We are very proud of her. Kien was one of her biggest fans!
Suited up and ready to go!

She is the swimmer 2nd from the right!

Ready... Set... GO!

It was a couple hours long, and in between the relay's she participated in, she was able to come say hello and of course eat. Swimmers, I have discovered, have an unbelievable appetite! She could have 8 meals a day and it not have any effect on her weight! Ah, to be young again! (Ha! Day dreaming)

Breakfast and Britches!

2010-09-22T15:53:00.000-05:00

Kien and Gabriel attend the Mother's Day Out program twice a week. Kien's class hosted a "Breakfast With Someone Special" event, and so I had the pleasure to go and eat such yummy food with him! We brought yogurt with blueberries and strawberries in them. They were good, but not very popular. Most of the kiddos liked the grapes and sausage sandwhiches and donuts! Go figure! :D Jeremy likes to carry Kien on his shoulders as every child likes to be way up high! This time, Kien nearly lost his britches! LOL

Diaper Cakes

2010-09-20T15:36:00.000-05:00

I have had the honor to create these cakes for sale, and a gift.
Greg's friend Darren and his wife were double blessed! They delivered two boys, twins!
They are so cute in the photos! I didn't even think about it, but I should have built a cake for twins Christmas style!
My sweet friend DeeAnne was hosting a baby shower for a family member and asked if I would put together a cake for her. Sports themed for a boy of course!

Do ya think that the lil guy will be playing sports? :D

Another one of my sweet friends, was hosting a baby shower also, and I had the honor to build this cake for her as well. She purchased the blankets and the puppy, and whaaaalah! It was a HUGE hit! :D

Baptism -A Beautiful Choice

2010-09-19T12:13:00.001-05:00

In Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus was baptized. We are to follow his example, and as a statement of faith in Jesus, we choose to be baptized when we accept Christ as our Savior to proclaim outwardly that we are followers of Him.

I was baptized as a baby, and then again when I was 21 years old.

Both Greg and Jeremy were baptized a couple years ago, and Brandy was baptized at summer church camp.

I am sharing this story because Brandy's friend Lex from school began coming to church with us several months ago. He accepted Christ as his Savior and chose to be baptized. This was an exciting time for Lex, Brandy, and us! Lex was sneaky though about telling us AT THE END OF SERVICE!!! His mom came in town from Louisiana to visit with him, and she didn't know until the day of also!

A Gallon For A Dollar

2010-09-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

As the title reads, can you believe that a gallon of milk is $.99 cents?!?! I don't think I have EVER seen it that price in MY adult years. The trend began with a local drug store, which in turn led to every store around here followed suit. I wonder how long this will last?! And isn't it a shame that you can't "freeze" cows milk long enough to make it a bargain bulk buy?! :(

Doggies, Kiddies and Cuties!

2010-09-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

Poor Duke is getting to be an old man. I am taking them both this week to get updated vaccinations, a bath and nail clippings most likely on Friday. They are long over due. Love the puppies!!

Daisy loves to bask in the sun. It has become quite the chore to get her to come inside these days. Unless there is a treat involved. We are in the last couple days of warm weather for the season, so they can bask all they want! :)
We ALWAYS promote sharing... even when it comes to their beloved gold fish.
My handsome boy. I love his smile! :)
We enjoy the food at Bakers Bro's Deli, and for Kien it's a toss up between pizza and macaroni. Oh, and we cannot forget the lemonade!
This was Gabe's first bout with a juice box and WOW was it the cutest thing ever!!! LOL!! He sucked that juice down in no time!!

Yum Yum Yum

2010-09-15T11:57:00.000-05:00

Boys like to eat! Kien enjoys Mac N Cheese at Bakers Brother's Deli. It is usually a toss up between pizza and mac n cheese.

Gabe's first juice box at Taco Bell. :)

Greg's Home Visit

2010-09-11T08:48:00.000-05:00

I hate to admit this, but I must rise above "pride" and agree with my true self that I REALLY am deficient in organizing.. And I am at peace with this... Working on it, but at peace.

So because I am the only one out of our oneness ---Greg + Cathi = 1 + 1 = 1 as our pastor would say--- that will blog. So, these are not in an orderly fashion, but it's the best I could do not being present on the trip.

SO- with that said, (lol) - Greg had an opportunity to be with his parents for a weekend at their Canadian residence. I have to say, I have been there, and it's beautiful!! Their home, their country, their culture. Brandy and Jeremy went also years ago, and I know they will appreciate it at a much later time. We were able to see many things, but most memorable was Niagra falls at Christmas. I don't think I have ever seen an abundance of ice! On EVERYTHING!! :)

Ok, off track but not off topic-- uh, too much that is...

Airplane photos!

Very impressive! A tram that runs on the inside? I would like to be educated on how this works!

Ok, STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greg took a photo of his mother's scrapbooking room. Now, this is a room that one should take a moment of silence and just drool. Every woman needs one of these... Right hunnie?! ;)
Ok, onward and forward.

Talk about blast from the past!! I SO remember these as a kiddo! And I have only seen a couple of these items that are still available to purchase at Target or Wal-Mart.
Gabe received one of these for his birthday in August this year. Here we are 4 months later and he is FINALLY playing with it! (haha)
Little People!!!!!

Greg took some photos of his parent's photos while he was there. These are some youth photo's and great proofs that as much as Greg and Karin didn't get along as teenagers, there is proof they did love each other!! :) :)

Yeeeeeeehawwwww! Greg did own a cowboy hat! heehee

Walt Disney world!! Greg and his cars!

Oh, I have such a heart for roller skating! Must be because I was on roller skates from the time I was walking until my car accident! I love the 80's!

The CN Tower is beautiful! While we didn't take the time to go inside and tour the tower when we were there a couple years ago, Greg went in with his parents. His father, Grant, sits on the board of directors, which makes for a great VIP tour! The next set of photo's show the views from this floor. Gorgeous!

Grant and Nina.
Searching the menu.
Yummy food!

Greg was excited to share with us that they actually put shavings of "Gold" on desert! He saved a few shavings in a zip lock bag and brought it home. Eating Gold?!?! WOW!
Don't look down!

This is the view the children and I saw when we were there.
Wow! That is a LOOOOOOOOOOONG way down! No thanks! I will enjoy the photos, not the height experience!!

Greg's parents put together a gathering to welcome their son home for a visit. First I'd like to share that September in Texas is still darn HOT outside. Mid 90's typically. In Burlington, Ontario it was a little cooler.
REAL MAPLE SYRUP!! Oh, the joys my taste buds admire when Nina visits and brings a wonderful bottle of this magic syrup! She brought us the large bottle on the bottom right. Thank you, again!
Family BBQ in Greg's honor. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins... this was a great trip for him, a very NEEDED trip for him, and his parents. As I know first hand, being far from family is very difficult at times. It was nice for him to catch up with family he hasn't seen in years, even decades!

Cousins!! Angela was actually waving hello to ME as Greg took the photo to send to me! :)
We would like for his Father to come and cook us a steak too! Didn't know Grant was an awesome chef!

Greg was missed at home, and he is greatly missed in Canada also. I'm so glad he took the opportunity to go!

Marching!

2010-09-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

Every high school football game the marching band will come out and perform 4 sets of their show. This year, their show is based on Nasferatu -A Symphony of Horror- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu

The show is very dramatic, and so far they are on their way to State again this year. Next week is the Odessa, Texas competition which will determine their travels to State which is held at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Here are some shots from a show performed at a football game.

More photos to come from the Birdville Competition soon.

More to the Project...Final Touchups

2010-09-08T16:41:00.005-05:00