Reality

Reality is that I don't have enough hours in the day to keep up with this blog and since the creation of Facebook, it's easier and faster to just post there.  I hate that, but it's the truth.  I jump on the computer, think about posting, then get sidetracked reading Facebook or the latest news and before I know it, I forget or it's late and I'm tired.  Between dance, baseball, work, and home life, the hours are slipping by incredibly fast.  I looked and it's been a month and a half since I posted here.  How sad is that?  I would think it's just me, but 75% of the blogs that I followed are in the same boat.  Months without a post and then a quick fly-by posting will pop up. 

School is in full swing and the kids are thriving.  Baseball started up last week and games start this week.  Jeff is coaching Emery's t-ball team and we are excited to watch them grow and learn.  Every weekend brings a million errands and before we know it, Monday is here again.  Emery will be five in less than three weeks, I have no clue how that happened.  It's bitter sweet.  She has lost all of her toddler traits, but is in such a great stage of her life.  Chase is rocking 4th grade and shining like usual.

I would say I'll post more often or that I'm going to get all caught up, but that would just be a lie.  Truth is I will try to post more and catch up, but who knows what will happen!  Hope everyone on the outside is doing well and enjoying the Fall weather that is finally arriving!

***I am grateful for
1) baseball, family time
2) weekends, even if they go too fast
3) birthdays, hard to believe our baby will be 5 soon
4) Fall weather
5) the holidays are coming!

6 years since we said Goodbye

6 years ago we said goodbye to our precious twins that we so desperately loved and wanted. 6 years ago our hearts were shattered into a million pieces.  6 years ago we faced the hardest day of our lives.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of them and wonder what they would look like and be like.  They are gone, but never forgotten. 

***I am grateful for
1) the paths we've walked down and the ones we will walk down in the future
2) a wonderful summer, tomorrow it's back to work
3) Sonic drinks, it's the little things

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to the best daddy around and the best husband money could buy (haha, kidding, I didn't really buy him, I just got super lucky)!!

***I am grateful for
1) birthdays
2) an awesome daddy
3) a great husband

Throw Back Thursday

Cute then, cute now!  I hope and pray they always look at each other like this!

****I am grateful for
1) siblings
2) love
3) forgiveness

Better Late than Never

I just celebrated the big 3-8 and you know what, I'm not even bothered!  Besides, they say thirty is the new twenty, so I guess I'm really only 28! ;o) 

***I am grateful for
1) birthdays
2) birthday cake... haha
3) clean cars (which is rare around here)
4) getting another year older because it means I'm alive!
5) the smell of fresh laundry

Throw Back Thursday

Could he be any cuter??

****I am grateful for
1) digital cameras
2) good phones that take pictures
3) pictures
4) rain
5) delicious watermelon

Summer and Disney!

So again an entire month (plus some) has passed.  I'll be honest, Face.book just makes it easier to post than a blog.  However, it's nice to have a blog where it's all in one spot.  Sadly, when I look at the number of posts, they are now few and far between!  I keep telling myself that I'll get better, but I've yet to see it happen.

Summer has been flying by.  We left for Disney the week after school was out and then the day after we got home, we had our church camp.  Basically we blinked and half of the summer was gone!  Disney was in one word, "awesome!"  Of course, it always is.  There was rain, but it didn't slow us down one bit.  The crowds weren't really bad yet, the heat wasn't too hot yet, and we did things we hadn't done before.  I rode Mt. Everest and Rockin' Roller Coaster and I loved them.  I rode The Tower of Terror and I hated it!  We had four generations, which was a once in a lifetime and I think everyone enjoyed just about everything.  Here are some pictures from our trip.  We are already planning our next one, probably in October 2015 if all goes as planned. 

All of us with Belle

After visiting the Pirate's League and The Bippity Boppity Boutique

We met lots of princesses

Delicious Nutella Yoda Cupcake

Rain couldn't slow us down!

Queen Elsa at our beautiful resort (Port Orleans French Quarter, our fave!)

Our pirate and princess

My prince and I in front of the castle!

So precious and so much fun!

We rocked the ears

Meeting Minnie

Riding Cinderella's Horse (the gold bow on the tail gives her away)

Elsa in front of the castle

Our little family during Star Wars weekend

Lady and the Tramp re-enactment

Father's Day

Selfie on Mt. Everest... awesome!

Meeting Mickey

Emery loved him

Riding Dumbo with Duchess

Star Wars Breakfast, meeting Greedo

We literally took over a thousand pictures, so this is just a sampling.  All I can say is if you haven't gone to Disney World because the kids are too little or it's too expensive or for whatever reason, you need to rethink it.  This is definitely one of the happiest places on Earth!

***I am grateful for
1) wonderful vacations
2) memories being made
3) time with family
4) Disney World
5) summer!

Meet "Elsa"

Allow us to introduce "Elsa," we LOVE her!  We ended up keeping the Tahoe (Little Blue) and aren't sure what we'll do yet.  We've toyed with selling her, but then Jeff says he just wants to keep it.  Who knows, I'm pretty sure we don't need three vehicles!

****I am grateful for
1) Elsa of course!
2) more room
3) an awesome deal
4) prayers for Chase's surgery on Wednesday (more to come later, he is having a urology surgery)
5) summer vacation is almost here!

Happy Mother's Day!

Not many people are blessed enough to have grandparents when they are grown, but we are blessed to not only have three generations, but four generations on this Earth to celebrate Mother's Day!  I am so thankful for these wonderful women and this beautiful little girl and boy. Not only am I blessed with a wonderful Nana and mother, I have been blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law, sister-i
in-law, and aunt by marriage.  Not to mention a pretty great niece.

4 generations of girls, amazing! 

Happy Mother's Day to those with babies they hold in their arms and those with babies they hold in their hearts.  Those who long to have a child of their own and their dreams have yet to come true.  And of course, to those that are mommies of four legged babies as well!

****I am grateful for
1) all these wonderful women
2) 4 generations
3) so many blesssing
4) a wonderful weekend
5) family, family, family!

Geesh, another month come and gone!

I apparently need more hours in the day because they are flying by and before I know, an entire month has gone by!  Life is good and very busy.  Chase made the honor roll at school again (he is such a smart guy) and both kids are loving baseball.  Chase's team is in first place and Emery's team is absolutely adorable (they do not keep score for 3/4 year olds). We only have 29 days left of school, well technically 28 1/2.  Chase has his surgery coming up on May 14th, so we'll take prayers for that.  It's a urology surgery and being done by the chief pediatric urology surgeon at TX Children's so I know everything will be just fine.  Our Disney trip is less than 50 days away and we are so excited.  Then we come back and immediately have church camp.  The kids and I are going to be exhausted, but in such a good way!  In other news, we are saying goodbye to our loyal Tahoe.  12 years, over 200,000 miles and bringing both of my sweet babies home from the hospital, but the time has come.  We have purchased a 2010 Suburban and are eager to pick it up next week.  It kind of just fell in our lap and wasn't even through the Chevy inspection since it had just come on the lot when we found it.  My how time is flying!!!  Hope everyone is well!

****I am grateful for
1) summer is so close
2) beautiful days (breezy, not too hot, although I know that is coming)
3) baseball adventures
4) 29 days of school left
5) vacations with Mickey and his gang

Spring has arrived!

It's official, Spring has arrived and with it has come the Bluebonnets.  We tried to get in a few quick shots since it seems they slip away in the blink of an eye.  Emery is much more into posing than Chase, but he let me get a few shots of him. Oh how I love these two!

I have to admit, this last one is one of my favorites.  I pray they always love each other this much and are always there to take care of the other one!

****I am grateful for

1) spring

2) Bluebonnets

3) sibling love

4) little moments

5) big smiles

Are you ready for some baseball? We are!

This Spring season we actually have not one, but two ball players in the house!  Our league added a K-Ball division for 3/4 year olds and Emery is following right in Chase's footsteps!  Both kids are playing on the Astros which made it super easy for family to get shirts (heck, we even gave them the same number, so we could have one shirt cover both kids).  Jeff is assistant coaching Chase's team again and this year we were blessed enough to get Chase's former school coach, Coach Blake, to head coach.  It's going to be a great season!  While they don't keep score in K-Ball, they were so cute (I mean, really, really cute) and Chase's team won 16-6.  I think we are off to a fantastic start! Man how time has flown!

****I am grateful for
1) a wonderful day full of great memories
2) baseball, love it
3) great coaches (for both of our Astros)
4) a husband/daddy that is so hands-on
5) no rain!

The big 0-9!

9 years ago today the world got a little sweeter and our hearts got a lot fuller as we welcomed our first miracle into the world. He is more than we could have hoped for or ever dreamed he would be. An amazing son, an awesome big brother, and overall just a sweet, loving kid. He makes people laugh, brightens up the room just by being in it, and has one of the biggest hearts that I've ever known. He makes me want to be a better person and try harder than I ever thought I could. I couldn't imagine life without him and am so very thankful that I get to be his Mommy. Happy 9th birthday Chase, you are our dream come true!!!! 

****I am grateful for
1) 9 wonderful, amazing, how did they go that fast?? years!
2) the chance to be his mommy
3) the miracles of science and IVF
4) that smile
5) all the years to come

How in the world??

Is this little cutie going to be 9 in less than a month?!  I need time to slow down!!!

****I am grateful for
1) that smile
2) growing up, but staying sweet
3) the hugs and kisses, even if they aren't in public (at least I still get them)
4) cuddles
5) every single day