The Craig Characters

Hair, Wii & Pedicures

2011-03-22T20:33:00.000-06:00

My baby boy has blond hair...very blond hair. You know, the kind that you can only really see when it is wet. And...he is finally getting enough to do the "spike" thing when it is wet. So tonight, when I bathed him, I decided to try to get a picture of his hair for proof. Only thing is, its too hard to see. You have to look very closely to see the small spike.

So then, I thought...I'll blow dry his hair (HA) and this is what I get. His hair is the part of the picture that looks blurry above his head. Great! On a side note...he LOVES the blow dryer and is already trying to figure out how to turn it on. Hmmmmm. Guess I'll need to hide the tools when he gets older.

A few weeks ago, I went over to a friends house to help her set up her Facebook account. GASP! Finally! Anyhow, they have a Wii and Mia played on it while we facebooked (is that a word?). Her favorite game is creating people. This is the one she made to look like her daddy. When I asked her about the eyebrows, she said that all the other choices were too skinny. Like any good Daddy, he was very proud of the likeness his daughter created. We have snickered and laughed about it too. Love, absolutely love, the perspective of children! Needless to say, I will not be posting the likeness she created of me!

A couple of years ago, Mia and I started something special that is our own. Every 3-4 months, we load up a big bag of books and head to Starbucks. She gets a hot chocolate and I indulge in whatever coffee suits my fancy at the time. It had been awhile since we had done this and she had mentioned this several times to me. So, a friend willingly agreed to care for Simon while Mia and I had "our time". The bonus this time was that my sweet husband had given us gift certificates for pedicures for Christmas. I didn't get any pictures of us at Starbucks, but I can tell you she and I both loved it. It is so fun to be with her. Below is a pic of her getting her first REAL pedicure. The wonder in her eyes and the smile on her face were well worth it! Thank you, Hershel for giving us this opportunity for making memories.

The finished product. Mine are bright pink with white flowers. Hers are light sparkly pink with orange flowers.We had so much fun!

I do have one quick funny to add...

Last night at the dinner table, we were talking about swim as well as other things. Mia looked at me and said,"Mom, I just want to be bossy and I can't do that until I'm a grown up!" Spoken like a true first-born child.

Closing A Chapter

2011-02-24T16:47:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow at 1 pm we will close a chapter in our lives. Tomorrow at 1:30 pm, we will no longer own a house...our home...no more. Most of our things are in storage in three different places. I have found myself rather melancholy during this process often focusing on what we (read I) don't have right now...my bed to sleep in, walls to hang pictures on, separate rooms for my kids, room to spread out, space for "me", our dishes, etc. And then I am reminded of what we do have: a wonderful father-in-law who is letting us stay with him during all of this process, a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear (mine are getting smaller :) ) and so many more things.

And then my friends remind me:

1. "It all works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, it's not the end." -Max Lucado

2. Think you have stress? Read Elijah's story in 1 Kings 17-19. Even the faithful get worn out while trusting and obeying God. The remedy? Back to basics. Angel RX = food and alot of sleep.
3. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning. Face it friend.... He's crazy about you! -Max Lucado

4. This world is not my home

So, we don't have it so bad. My dear husband said it this way, "I would take our current situation any day of the year rather than one of our kids having cancer." ~WOW~ Talk about perspective.

And, so...I will focus on the positive. I will focus on finding our next home, our new home. I will give thanks for what we have and for the joy of having life, for my kids and my husband. I will give thanks.

So, goodbye to that place on Valhalla that holds so many special memories. I pray you provide wonderful memories for your new owners and maybe someday, we will meet them.

On to the next chapter in the Craig Characters...one full of hope and promise of a new future! I can hardly wait!!!!

Frustrations

2011-02-07T23:34:00.000-06:00

Frustrations are something I've been experiencing quite a bit recently. Today it was the realization that I am going to have to change my address. Ugh! I do not relish the thought of all of the paperwork this is going to require. Fortunately some of it can be done online. This just requires...time...a very precious commodity I do not have a lot of right now.

And then there are taxes. They must be done. Frustration sets in as everything from January to June is....yes....you guessed it....PACKED! Tonight I spent 2 hours in the storage shed going through boxes trying to find 2 small pieces of documentation we need to complete our taxes! Did I find them? NO! And I have absoutely NO CLUE where to look now. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Enough venting for one night. I am going to head to bed so I can get up bright and early to meet my dad for breakfast. Maybe my subconcious can find those documents while I sleep. Sweet dreams!

5 1/2

2011-02-04T22:23:00.000-06:00

Today my sweet girl is five and a half. While this may not seem important to some, it is immensely important to Mia. We celebrated tonight with a single layer cake (1/2 a cake) frosted with 1/2 a can of frosting and decorated with cherry halves. We sang the half version of Happy Birthday "Hap Bir T Y, Hap Bir T Y, Hap Bir De M, Hap Bir T Y! No candles, though. Mom didn't feel like cutting them in half. HA! She asked about presents and I politely told her presents were for her "real" birthday!

When the celebration was over, she crawled in my lap and whispered in my ear, "Mom, I can't wait until I'm 5 3/4!"

Why is it when we're a child, all we want to do is grow up? I mean, seriously...what's the hurry? While I do have more control as an adult, I greatly miss the innocence and freedom that comes with being a child. That being said, I wouldn't trade my adulthood. I wouldn't want to give up my sweet kiddos. However, I will indulge in playing with my children, dancing in the snow, stomping in the puddles and anything else childish I can while my children are little. After all, they grow up to fast!

So, go do something childish and enjoy it! I did today!

New Look & Update

2011-01-16T11:05:00.000-06:00

Well, I've finally manage to put together a new look for the blog. I'm hoping to organize some pictures in the near future and get some comparison pictures on here of the kids, but until I do, you'll just have to make so with some stories.

Quick update on our family:

Hershel managed to pull off a surprise party for Julie's birthday in December. We had a great time and I was blessed by so many who took time out of the busy holiday season to celebrate.

Mia has been sick the last week with the flu. I am hoping we are on the downhill slope. It broke my heart last night when she started crying because she couldn't hug and kiss her brother good night. They are really missing each other. What can I say? I am trying to keep the germs at bay. Her latest epiphany is "I miss myself. When I'm sick, I just don't have myself" Out of the mouths of babes...

Simon continues to make all of us laugh, following in his daddy's footsteps. His latest antic is to schooch (is that a word) down on his back and active his Lil Zoomers Speedway with his feet. He will do this and then grin. Little bugger know exactly what he is doing. I never tire of his smiles for us. His face lights up when he sees Mia walk in the room. I could say the same of myself and his daddy. I truly love that boy's smiles and laughs!

Our house is now on the market and we are praying for the right buyer and a quick sale. On another note, there are three families that will be leaving San Antonio in the next few months. We are saddened by their move, but know God has great things in store for them and are excited for the opportunites that lie ahead in their lives. Fortunately, we will be able to keep in touch via Facebook and email. Technology is indeed wonderful.

Simon is stirring, so I must close this post and tend to him.

Blessings to all,

Julie

I'm Back...Sort of

2010-11-17T21:18:00.000-06:00

Hello! I am back...sort of. I have really missed this outlet of recording my kids journey growing up, so I am going to try to do better. Here's a brief synopsis of the past 5 months:

Simon was born 3 weeks early! Our house flooded from a cracked water filter in the fridge and we now have new floors, paint & carpet. We have decided to sell the house since it is 75% packed up. We are currently living with my father-in-law and it is going great.

Phew. Done. While that only took 3 lines to write, there is so much going on "between" the lines, it would take a book to write about it all. Surmise it to say, God is good. He has shown us many blessings we did not really appreciate before. While we don't know where we will land as far as living, we are trusting Him to guide our steps and relying on His wisdom and not our own.

I do plan on redoing the blog as it is about so much more than Mia now. If you read this, great. I hope you enjoy or at least find amusing what I have to say and share.

Blessings,

Julie

Names

2010-06-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

For sometime now we've been searching for that perfect name for our little guy, but to no avail thus far. So, for now we are sticking with Waxy Beetle. Many have asked for the story of the name, so here goes...

When we didn't know the gender of our little one, we asked Mia what she thought would be some good names. Her suggestions were Laura or Mary if it was a girl (she is an AVID fan of Little House on the Prairie books) or Waxy Beetle if it was a boy. I asked her where she came up with WB and this is her story

"One day I was playing outside and I met a beetle. He was very nice to me and talked to me. He told me his name was Waxy and I thought that was prettty cool, so I thought Waxy Beetle would be a good boy's name."

Creative. Imaginative. And, I must say, having a "fun" nickname has created an amazingly endearing bond with our little "bug".

So, while we are no closer to a real name...we will continue to go with Waxy for now, or WB or Waxy B or Waxy Beetle or Beetle bug. We know God created and is still working on this little guy and that's good enough for us...name or not.

And for those of you counting down the days (as if there are SO many readers of this blog), the count is 28 days til he makes his scheduled appearance (unless he has a mind of his own and decides to come sooner, in which case, he needs to wait until after July 4 so his Daddy will be home from camp).

More of Mia

2010-03-22T19:35:00.000-06:00

I have a few more cute stories about Mia and wanted to get them written down before I forget them. Hope you enjoy.

About Waxy
A few days ago we were talking about Waxy aka her baby brother. The conversation went something like this:

Mia: When Waxy comes out he will be wearing a onesie and a diaper, right?
Me: No, he will be naked.
Mia: EWWWWWWW! I don't want to see him naked!!

My response: Get used to the idea because you'll see him get a bath or his diaper changed sooner or later.
Hershel's response: Keep that idea, sweetheart. No naked boys for you!

About Age
For awhile Mia has believed that I am 19 and Hershel is 18. No harm, no foul, right? Well, the other day she asked me how old I really am. I told her 39. Expecting "WOW, that's really old!", I wasn't surprised when she said, "WHOA!......" but was completely caught off guard with the rest of her statement..."that's the same number as the books in the Old Testament!" Great. Just. Great. I guess now I'm as old as the Old Testament. Ready for her next question...She wanted to know if Daddy was 27. Out of the mouths of babes...

About Art and Trash
(Note: Read all of Mia's quotes VERY dramatically)
One of Mia's chores is to empty the small trash cans in the house into the large kitchen trash. While she was doing this today, Mia came to me quite upset. When I asked what was wrong, she stated rather dramatically, "Mom, I am frustrated and angry!" "Why?" I asked. "Mom, I found this in the trash!" She proceeded to show one of her many pieces of "art". Sidenote: Of late, Hershel and I have been the recepients of numerous pieces of art. Art could be one piece of notebook paper with several letters on it that mean something to her and are clueless to us or toothpicks wrapped in tape and put in an envelope. This particular "art" was an envelope she created with some "letters" inside. I admit, I thought I had buried it deep enough in the trash can that she would not find it. Nope. She found it. She was VERY distraught! She looked at me and said, "Is this yours or Daddy's?" Honestly, I had no clue. I just picked it up and tossed it. But was I going to admit that I was the one who threw it away? NO WAY! I said,"I don't know, honey. Do you recognize it?" "Yes. Its the piece I made for Daddy. He THREW it away. He threw away my precious art!" I tried to console her and explain that we could not possibly keep EVERYTHING she creates. If we did, we wouldn't have room in the house for anything else and that sometimes, as much as we love everything she creates, sometimes we have to let some things go to make room for new artwork. Her response,"I understand. Right now I am just angry and frustrated about finding my precious art in the trash!" I told her it was ok to to be angry and frustrated for a little bit since her feelings were hurt, but she would need to get over it. She said ok and stalked off to put the trash can away and save her art from the horrible trash.

I don't think I have ever had to work so hard to keep a straight face when she was being dramatic about "her PRECIOUS artwork". Just thinking about it makes me chuckle. Thank you, God for kids and all of the laughter they bring.

Lesson learned: throw the artwork away in trash she does not empty.

Did You Know...Moses ate with God?

2010-03-16T13:27:00.000-06:00

"Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. " Exodus 24:9-11

They saw God AND they ate and they drank...WOW! This is yet another first time observance (see previous post). Imagine eating and drinking with God and SEEING Him! I guess this could be considered the same as when we partake of the Lord's supper because we commune with Jesus. I just can't wrap my feeble mind around eating and drinking WITH GOD!! WOW!!

That's it. Just another quick thought to share.

First a Short Commercial and the The Real Stuff on My Mind

2010-03-10T06:44:00.000-06:00

A little over a year ago, we purchased our first "smart" phones, a blackberry. I LOVE it, especially having my calendar with me all the time. Shortly after we got them, a friend sent us an application called YouVersion. I had never heard of it but was interested when he said it was one of the Bible apps for Blackberries (it is also available for iPhones and they are working on other smart phones. Check out their website). And better yet, it is a free app. In the past two months it has become one of my favorite apps and here's why: About 2 weeks into January, I decided that I was really going to put forth the effort to read the Bible through this year. Several times in the past I've started, but made it through to Chronicles and then ashamedly, got bored, behind, ran out of time, etc. OK, so this year was going to be different, I decided. This December I will be 40 (ARGH) and I am ashamed to admit that I have never read the Bible through in its entirety. Whoa, load off my chest, there. I don't want say it is one of those "bucket list" things, but for some reason this year it is especially important to me. So, back to my commercial...Around Feb 1, YouVersion came out with something new...a trackable Bible reading program. This, I thought, was for me. I went to the website, http://www.youversion.com/ and started checking it out. Not only did they have one Bible reading plan, they had about 20. I was blown away! I could choose to read the Bible chronologically, as it is, the New Testament in 30 days, the Old Testament in 2 years, an evangelical look at the OT, etc. I ended up choosing the Roberts Daily Plan. It is designed to take me through the Bible in 1 year. Everyday I have some selections to read from the OT and the NT. At first, I thought, "Oh, well, this will be like the One Year Bible, the one I have tried so many times in the past and failed." Nope. Not so far. In fact, I'm ahead. So far I've read Genesis, Exodus, part of Psalms, Matthew, Romans, Mark and 1 Corinthians. Not exactly the same, but similar and I find myself putting things together for the first time with this layout. So, now for the reasons I am so in love with this app.
1. It keeps track of my progress for me. It saves it and when I pull it up on my Blackberry, it takes me to right where I left off. And on the website, it tells me what percentage of the Bible I have completed.
2. I can choose the version I want to read...and change it anytime I want to. If I read a passage I don't quite "get", I'll switch to The Message version and read it there. Plus, it has an amazing search feature.
3. I can take it anywhere. That's right, anywhere. Where my phone goes, my Bible goes. LOVE IT! After all, how many of us carry our Bibles with us everywhere we go. Now I can say I do. I've read in the car (not while driving), in numerous waiting rooms, in bed, and countless other places.
4. There are no subheadings. At first I didn't really pay attention to this feature and have now realized how much I like it. When reading my "paper Bible", I would find myself glancing at the subheading and then think, "Oh, I know this passage...I'll just skim it." It is amazing what I have read for the first time because of not having subheadings. No more jumping ahead or skimming. I have to READ it.

So, like I said, I'm ahead...almost a month ahead...and yes, I'm proud of that. After all, I will be having a baby mid July and things will become very busy after that.

If you have a "smart phone", I highly recommend this app. That's the end of the commercial. Now on to the real stuff...

Earlier I mentioned reading things for the first time. Here is the first one that really caught my attention and made me think as well as some of the thoughts I have had all started by this one passage:

Genesis 2:19 "Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air."

God made the animals and bird out of the ground. WHAT??? I thought only Adam was made from the ground. How many times have I read the creation story and read that on the 5th day God created the birds and fish and on the 6th day God created man and animals. WHAT??? How did I miss this??? Oh, wait....I know. Those pesky subheadings...and oh, the thoughts that followed this one tiny revelation...

Sidenote: I've noticed this preganacy that I've become more "philosophical", or "thought more". Whatever the reason, I've been tying things together in my mind and it has been on my heart to do this post for awhile. You can stop reading or continue to indulge me.

When I realized God made the beasts of the field and birds of the air from "dirt" (please indulge my word choice here), boy did my mind start racing. I imagined God as the potter (Jer 18:6) picking up the dirt to create clay to form a bird. A bird. Hollow bones, tiny feathers, a small beak, the ability to lay eggs, tiny quick-moving eyes. A bird. Something so small and intricate crafted by a potter out of clay. The image of the all-powerful, mighty hands of God so carefully creating a bird. I imagine his mighty hand (the same one that inscribed the 10 commandements on stone) creating feathers. WOW! And then to think God made ALL of the birds AND fish on one day...and then I thought of the scripture "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8 God could have taken a thousand years to create all of the birds and fish and carefully crafted each as a potter does. But then I think of the Mighty and All-Powerful God I know who can, at a whim, rain down sulphur and destory a city (Sodom and Gomorrah), bring devasting plagues on Egypt. God COULD create everying in a mere 6 days. Oh, I have so many questions to ask when I get to heaven.

Truly understanding this idea of God as the potter, I thought of David's description of God in Psalms 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." God, the potter, is knitting my son together in my womb. His mighty hands are fashioning, much as I imagined He did a bird, my son. He is creating his eyelashes, his heart, his tiny toes and fingers, his intricate brain...everything needed to make my son. WOW. When I really stop and think about this, it moves me to tears (yes, I know I'm pregnant and hormonal). When I think of all of the friends who are expecting right now and know that God is working in them, knitting together their children, too. We have an amazing and powerful God, my friends.

I know God was talking to me through all of this. How do I know? These revelations or epiphanies happened the same week I was to have my sonogram to find out the gender of our baby. Admittedly, I (all 3 of us) were hoping for a girl...a sister for Mia and easy clothes (we already have everything). I truly believe God put this in front of me and on my heart to prepare me and make me ready for finding out we are having a son. When we did find out, my first thought was, "Well, that's different. Not what we were hoping or expecting." followed closely by "Remember, Julie, God is knitting together this child. Think of the birds being made from dirt. God cares for this child enough to create him and he chose me to be his mother" (see previous post). God does work in wonderful and mysterious ways!

And to think...all of these thoughts just based on reading God created the bird and the animals from dirt. I wonder what else I will discover.

Chosen

2010-02-04T18:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we (Hershel, Mia and I) went for my 16 week doctor visit. I absolutely love my OB. She has the most amazing bedside manner and is wonderful with Mia (and Hershel). We never feel rushed and well, she is just GREAT!!!!

After having lost 2 babies, I've been a little more anxious about this pregnancy-understandably so, I think and have basically lived month to month, while doing my best to trust in God, to hear the boom-boom of my little one's heart beat. My doctor understands this and let me listen as long as I wanted yesterday. I had her stop when I started crying, knowing that once again God had given me peace in my heart.

I am so thankful for all of my friends and family that have been praying for this baby and for all of their encouragaing words. One friend in particular wrote in a note, "You were chosen for this and I am so excited." Those words touched me the first time I read them and continue to do so. I read the card over and over again reminding myself that God has indeed chosen us for this baby.

That was pretty much it for the visit. Heart beat, tears, hugs and lots of love.

Our next appointment is February 18th for an ultrasound. We are very much looking forward to finding out if we will be having a "Mary" or a "Waxy Beetle" (Mia's name choices). Either way, we will love this baby. We're just praying for healthy and will continue to remember, we are chosen.

Family Visit

2010-01-31T13:45:00.000-06:00

This weekend we headed to Lufkin for big family Christmas #2. It has been so great to have everyone together for the first time in a few years. Aunt Evelyn was even here. We have had a wonderful time, even if it is a bit louder than I am used to on a regular basis.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful in-law family. My sil and bil have amazing hearts and, well....I just am really thankful for them.

We were especially glad to have Nate with us this year, especially after he had been so sick at Christmas time. His healing is truly a miracle.

I love our nieces and nephew. They all play with Mia so well and she dearly loves playing with "her cousins".

My wonderful mother-in-law is the best I could ask for. She loves me like her own and adores my daughter. She constantly tells Hershel and I to take care of each other...words we truly try to take to heart.

My father-in-law is pretty amazing, too.

Oh, and Aunt Evelyn...we have had more fun picking on her and teasing her. I think all of the boys find special enjoyment in hearing her scream at their antics.

We have had a wonderful weekend of fun, games and LOTS of eating. I'm really hoping I won't have gained another 5 pounds this past month like I did last month, but we'll find out on Wednesday when we head to the doctor to hear the heartbeat again.

On another note, I am the proud recipient of a new hairstyle and some color. No more gray, and it was really getting bad. Turns out I will someday have a skunk stripe at the front. Maybe I'll keep coloring it until I"m mostly gray and then go blonde. Sounds like a good plan right now, anyway.

Did I mention the food? Mexican goulash, eggs, bacon, toast, frito pie, chicken jalapeno enchiladas, cheesecakes (2 kinds), lots of cookies, cherry chip pancakes and sausage balls. Guess lunch will be leftovers today. The Craig family definitely has its share of good cooks.

I guess that's it for now. I can say that with a baby on the way, I am contemplating changing the name of the blog. Something more family oriented is what I'm thinking...guess we'll see what happens!

Christmas Teaser

2009-12-05T17:17:00.000-06:00

November 21 we went to the Japanese Tea Gardens and had some family/birthday/Christmas pictures taken. The girls at DPhotography did an amazing job AND we had FUN taking the pictures. I would give you their website, but seem to temporairly misplaced it. OOPS! I'll edit and add it later. Anyhow...I don't want to ruin any presents, so here is a little teaser of our great pictures. I'll also add that this is one of my personal favorites. Enjoy!

A Weekend With Flopsy the Fox

2009-10-26T16:02:00.000-06:00

It all began on Thursday, October 22. Mia's class had been studying the letter "F" at school and Miss Berta, her wonderful teacher, introduced the kids to Flopsy the Fox. Flopsy is the class "pet" (read Beanie Baby) and goes home with each child once during the school year. Flopsy has his own bag as well as three different sleeping bags and a sweater. Flopsy also brings a journal for the children (read mom or dad) to write in about their adventures.

Well, as luck would have it, Mia was the first to get to bring Flopsy home. The joy on her face when she was telling me about Flopsy and everything we HAD to do was priceless. And so, here begins the telling of our weekend with Flopsy. Enjoy.

Here is Mia bubbling over with excitement about Flopsy.

We went to HEB to pick up some fixin's for dinner and Flopsy wanted some green beans.

Flopsy helping Mia spend her Buddy Buck at HEB

Mia showing Flopsy the garden (what's left of it)

Flopsy getting pushed in the baby swing

Mia and Flopsy crashed after a very busy Thursday.

Flopsy getting adjusted by Dr. Josh

Getting ready for a shopping trip to Costco

Flopsy, Mia and Daddy outside Seaworld

Flopsy and Mia watching the Halloween Shamu show

Crashed after a busy, fun night at Sea World

At Lake McQueeny waiting for the ski show to begin

Watching the ski show from the best seat in the house

Playing at the playground. Flopsy really liked the see-saw

As you can tell, we had a busy weekend. Flopsy opted to stay home from Trunk of Treats and Mommy didn't really get any pictures on Saturday. I will say it was a busy weekend with lots of fun and some relaxing, too.

We are so glad that Flopsy was able to spend the weekend with us. Mia had fun sharing about their adventures today when they went back to school.

Her Heart Belongs to Daddy?

2009-10-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

This morning we were eating breakfast and discussing upcoming events. She knows that Christmas is month after next ALREADY!! Hershel gently let her know Christmas comes at the end of December and not at the beginning. We went through all of the birthdays, special events, etc between now and Christmas so she can keep track. It seems to help her.

Anyway...

While we were on the subject of birthdays she said that at her next party she is going to have all girls and only ONE boy. I pretty much accepted it and went on with the discussion. Hershel however, was curious as to which boy was SO special to be included in her party. I'm still thinking he was wondering which little boy is already moving in on "his turf." So he did what all protective daddies do...he asked.

Ready for this...

She smiled her impish grin and pointed at him. The look of relief on his face was priceless and I couldn't stop laughing.

Well, Daddy...right now her heart still belongs to you. Let's pray it stays that way for a long time.

On another note...

Recently we have had a few nights out (thanks Kayli and Ashleigh). Most parents know you never know what your precious child is going to do when not in our care. Such is the case. Examples:

At home, its ok to strip naked in the kitchen when getting ready for a bath. NOT ok at other people's house. Comment made: Glad your child is comfortable enough to do that. Hmmmm. Gotta work on that modesty issue.

While opening up the Bible to read, Mia asked Ashleigh to turn to 2 Mark. Comment made: We need to teach her more Bible. Hmmmmm. Just now learning the books of the Bible.

Seriously, these comments were made by people we love and we know love Mia. We have all laughed a great deal over these comments, too. We are thankful to have such wonderful friends who will love on our daughter and give us some date time. Who knows what she will say next time....

Insights from Mia

2009-10-10T20:46:00.000-05:00

Ok. So, in the last 2 days, I've had four different people tell me that I need to update the blog, so here we go. I have to admit, I've been saving this post, trying to gather more of Mia's quirky sayings, but since we are driving down the road and the camera cable is at home, this will have to do for now. Here goes...

While sitting at the breakfast table one day, Mia informs me:

"Mom."
"Yes, Mia."
"Mom, I like all things girly, especially pink."
Good to know. Glad you like it, but sometimes wonder if you'll ever grow out of loving pink. Either way, I still love you, kid.

Out of the blue one day:

"Mom, did you know Grandaddy's toilet paper is softer than ours?"

Hmmm. Again, good to know. Maybe I should find out what kind he uses.

While eating some homemade blueberry peach cobbler:
"Mom."
"Yes, Mia?"
"Mom, I didn't know you had the sense to make cobbler!"
Nice. Last cobbler for you, kid. Seriously, I really think she meant that she didn't know I knew how to make it and that she really liked it. Good interpretation, right?

While eating her Columbus ship made out of a twinkie:
"Mama!"
"Yes, Mia?"
"Mama, I gotta tell you...this twinkie is GOOD!"
Hmmmm. 4 years old and her first twinkie. Does that make me a good mom or a bad mom? Honestly, I just don't buy that kind of stuff. Guess it will be a treat every now and then....

The Compton's Come to Visit

2009-09-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

The weekend of August 15, my sister and her family came to visit. We had a blast while they were here. We went to Sea *orld, attended a children's coin auction that my dad puts together every year during the Alamo Coin Show and in general just had a good time visiting. It was so good to spend some time together and catch up. I wish we lived closer and could see each other more often.

Here are Mac and Mia watching Shamu. Even though Mia has been several times, she is still fascinated every time we go. Check out how sweaty they are and we had just gotten there shortly after they opened.

I think we picked the hottest day we've had in SA to go to SW. If I remember correctly, it got up to 105 that day. After the Shamu show, we ate lunch and headed to the water park to cool off. No pictures taken there. This next one is at the Sea Lion show after we had been to the water park. Notice how much happier we look.

This was also taken at the Sea Lion show. All of the kids were completely engrossed-even Annie. Mia was waving to the actors/trainers. She wants to be a dolphin trainer when she grows up, so she very carefully watches everything they do.

Jen and Annie at the dolphin show. Annie was a real trooper and didn't nap until the stroller ride out to the car. Love that girl!

A rare picture of the three of us together. We had just polished off some ice cream and a slushie to help us cool off.

This is what Mac and Mia did in the mornings until everyone woke up. Hershel and I were usually up first along with Mia. Mac was up shortly afterwards and he would come in our bedroom and they would "curl up" and watch TV until Jen and Dave woke up. They had so much fun watching the PBS cartoons.

Here are the kids before the coin show on Saturday. This was the best of many pictures we took. Love Annie's cheesy grin. That girl loves to smile for the camera. And check out how cool Mac looks in his new glasses. Love them, too. Mac and Mia got their picture in the local paper while Mia was bidding on a coin.

Saturday after the coin show, Opie and Omie came over for burgers. We had a good time catching up. Here's a picture of Opie and his girls (me and Jen).

Opie and Omie with the grandkids.

We had such a good visit and can't wait until the next time we can all get together.

Birthday Party

2009-09-02T11:12:00.000-05:00

This year Mia's party was a princess theme. We had a blast. Here are some pictures from the day

Her princess castle cake. It developed a bit of a lean and the top layer ended up coming completely off. All we can figure is an air bubble was in the corner. Oh well. We changed its name from a castle to a ranch style castle. No matter. Mia loved it and that's what was important.

Mia outside with the balloons hanging in the trees marking the birthday party location. She was so excited!

Addie is picking out her polish. We polished fingers and toes as part of the "princess makeover."

Hannah getting her toes polished.

Ashley and Julia working on Julia's princess hat. Lots of glittery stickers, ribbon and tulle.

Getting ready to play "Princess, Princess, Where's Your Slipper?"

Bethany hiding her eyes while someone "stole" her slipper. The girls had a blast playing this game.

Blowing out the candles.

All the girls in their princess attire--dresses, hats and polished fingers and toes. Pretty girls! This is their silly picture.

Mia had a great time at her party and speaks of it often. We are so glad you were able to come and share her day with us.

Birthday-Part 2

2009-09-01T16:59:00.003-05:00

Previously I posted about Mia's 4th birthday. Here are the rest of the pictures from her big day.

As I posted, we took her to the library to get her a library card. I think it was her favorite gift. Here she is filling out the application. She had to sign her name and was concentrating to write it very neatly. Here she is turning in her application and waiting for the librarian to process it. She was so excited.

Signing her name on the back of her library card.

The library card and one very happy little girl.Picking out a video to check out with her new library card. Dad had the honor of holding the library bag which she proceeded to fill.

After swimming lessons (no pictures of those), we picked up Grandad and headed to Cold Sto*e for birthday ice cream. Mia had chocolate ice cream with gummy bears mixed in.

Mia and Daddy

Mia and Grandad

Mia and Mommy

I still can't believe my baby is 4. I am so thankful God gave her to us!

Megan's Wedding

2009-08-08T15:32:00.006-05:00

I can't believe Megan got married. I know it happens, but still. She has been such an important part of our lives since Mia was born and we are grateful God allowed our paths to cross. Megan has the distinction of being Mia's first babysitter. We will miss her greatly, but wish her and Seth the best in their future together.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the wedding...before and after.

Mia with her hair ready to be curled for the wedding. It's full of gel and hairspray so the curls will stay. Love that silly face.
I love this picture of Megan and LaDonna. Their faces both show the true joy they had on this day. LaDonna did not shed a tear because she was so happy for her daughter. Ahhhh, love.

This is another one of my favorites. As a bride, there is the anticipation of "who is out there." Here Megan and her maid of honor, Rachel, are taking a peek.

Sweet flower girls-Megan's youngest sister, Cassidy and Mia.

My sweet girl. She was so excited to wear such a pretty dress.

Megan and Mia

"Look at my shoes, Megan!"

"See my shoes, Mia." I love Megan's spirit. Only she would have thought to have blue shoes. Love it!

A captured moment between the bride and groom. I love the look on her face. It's kinda like, "Oh, so you think so, do you!"

The wedding party

Love this one, too.

Mommy and Mia

Having some fun with Daddy

Watermelon! My favorite!

Leaving for the honeymoon! I loved her going away dress. This picture does not do it justice!

We will miss you, but know we will see you when you visit your folks. Thanks for being such a great example to my precious daughter. She thinks the world of you!

She's 4!!

2009-08-04T09:38:00.004-05:00

It is so difficult to believe my baby is four today!!! She has been looking forward to this day for many weeks, as evidently there are quite a few things one can do when one is four, but not when one is three. Hmmmm. Makes me wonder what she has up her sleeve. She woke up bright and early and bounded into our bedroom to "snuggle" and curl up with us. She was just so happy to be four. I love this age. But, then I say that about every age. Here she is in her favorite jammies this morning.

Birthday breakfast-her favorites: cherry chip pancakes, cherries and white cran-strawberry juice.

For awhile now she has been using one of my old wallets to keep her "spending allowance" in. We gave her a new wallet for her birthday. Mommy couldn't find a pink one, but she seemed perfectly happy with the purple one and was even more excited to find money in a birthday card to put in the wallet.
We have a busy day today--reading camp, lunch at Chick-Fil-A, a trip to the library to get her very own library card, swim lessons and ice cream with Grandad afterwards. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she realizes she will be getting her own library card (yet another reason for the wallet). She begs me to take her to the library at least twice a week and has been so responsible with her money, we thought this might be another good present.

In closing, I will leave you with four things about my precious daughter:

1. I absolutely love her smile. When she is smiling, her entire face lights up and it brings me such great joy to see the smile on her face.

2. I am so grateful for her sense of humor, most of which she gets from Hershel. She constantly keeps me in stitches with the things she says and the looks on her face. She loves to sing and entertain others.

3. I adore getting to see little glimpses of heaven through her eyes. Her understanding of God, Jesus and their love is so pure and uncluttered. I learn so much from her everyday.

4. She has the most amazing heart. She cries when watching a sad part in a movie, but must see the rest to know whether things work out. She is empathetic. When Sebastian died and we buried him, she, in her own way, was able to comfort Hershel and I. She prays for people who are sick and shocked me the other day when she prayed that Jesus wouldn't have to hurt on the cross anymore.

She truly fits her name: "My gracious gift from God"

Another Sweet Prayer

2009-07-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

Tonight Mia and I joined Hershel at Work Camp for dinner, group time and praise time. This is the first year I haven't helped in the kitchen, so I was feeling a little out of place at first. I do have to say, it was very nice to sit down to dinner with my husband and observe him in action with his group during group time, which was a first for me.

Tonight the group split into girls and boys (I guess I should really say young men and young ladies). I told Mia she could go with her Daddy since she hadn't seen him all day and she informed me she was a girl and she was going with the girls. Tonight's devo was about loving God. The girl interns did a great job leading the discussion and Mia did pretty well sitting and listening. At the end of the devo, the leaders asked if any of the girls would like to pray. Mia enthusiastically said she would. It was ok with the leaders and the rest of the girls, so she started her prayer..."Dear Heavenly Father (*in a whisper*"Mom, what words do I say?" "The words that are in your heart" "ok") What followed was probably the most amazing prayer I have ever heard her say. I wish I could remember all of the words, but I can't. I wish I could take credit for telling her to say "the words that are in your heart", but I truly believe that was Spirit led. She thanked God for Jesus dying on the cross and asked that he be safe in heaven now. She said thank you for heaven and that she wants to go there someday when she gets big. She asked God to help us be good and to love others. Those are the main things I can remember 2 hours later. When her prayer was over, the girls were all silent and just looked at her. Then one of the leaders said, "Now, that's love."

Why am I amazed how God continues to use this precious girl to touch my heart and show me Him in unfathomable ways? The leader that commented on her prayer later told me that she had never heard a prayer so pure and so full of love. What is it they say...out of the mouths of babes...I pray that God will continue to shine His light through our precious daughter.

Camping Trip-Lost Maples

2009-07-28T14:09:00.005-05:00

Date: May 15, 2009
We went camping with some friends from church to Lost Maples State Park: The Weeks, The Kennons, The Taylors and Kevin's sister's family. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Hershel and Mia setting up the tent.
Mia riding in the cab of the pickup to head to the beginning of the hiking trail. See the grin on her face.We went hiking and Mia took quite a spill (scroll down for picture) and needed her Daddy to carry her. Look at that pitiful face.

Here are some of the campers hanging the bird feeders the kids made in the trees.

We had TONS of birdseed leftover from making the feeders, so the kids took turns getting birdseed in their hands and throwing it to the birds, or rather in the grass for them to get later, or building piles on the logs. Best $5 I've spent!

More hiking

Mia on a boulder

The Craig Family

The spot where the water comes up from the earth and starts a spring (interesting, I know, but it was quite beautiful)

The Craig Family (again)

Hiking trail (love this place!!)

The damage from the fall (and her end of the year program was on Monday!! Neosporin did wonders!!)

Going for a night ride with Jake. Notice HE is the one wearing the princess helmet. Stephanie will be using this picture for blackmail later :)

Fixing smores. Eating smores. Check out the grin. What girl doesn't like chocolate??

Silly girls getting a smores sugar high a little to close to bedtime. But then, hey, that's camping, right?

Hershel making more smores. It's the adults turn, now. Love the smoke from the fire?

More smores pictures

My turn, FINALLY!!

Kids playing

Kids posing

It was a great camping trip, despite the amazingly fierce thunderstorm we endured the first night. We had a blast and look forward to camping again this fall!

Mia's Prayer Tonight

2009-07-27T21:42:00.002-05:00

Tonight Mia's prayer went something like this:

Dear God and Heavenly Father,
I hope Jesus feels better on the cross with those nails in his hands and I hope he doesn't have to die on the cross for us again. And just let him rest there and not hurt. And I'm glad we got to go to Don and Robin's tonight and I'm glad for my country that Laney and I live in Texas. And thank you that my mommy and daddy can save me from everything and I can save them from bugs. In Jesus' name, Amen.

WOW! I was blown away by her prayer tonight, that she is concerned about Jesus hurting on the cross. And, I'm glad she thinks Texas is a country! YEEHAW!! And I'm also grateful that she believes Hershel and I can save her from everything and I will sleep better tonight knowing she can save us from bugs. Thank you, God, for children and the glimpses of heaven we get to see through their eyes!

Sweet dreams!

Peter Rabbit

2009-07-17T15:46:00.003-05:00

Date: April 15, 2009
We met some friends at the Rose Theatre for a showing of Peter Rabbit. We absolutely love going there as it is very kid friendly. One thing I love is that they involve the kids (and adults) in the audience in the play. The only actors in this performance were the narrator and Peter Rabbit, as you may be able to tell from the pictures. Here are the girls waiting for the show to begin. Mama Rabbit telling Peter and the others to be good little rabbits while she goes out.

Picking berries.

Peter trying to get through the garden gate.

Peter hiding in the garbage can.

Mr. MacGregor chasing Peter.

More chasing.

The kids with Peter Rabbit after the show. Check out the grins on their faces. I'd say they all had a good time.

Let's Go Fly A Kite

2009-07-17T15:29:00.002-05:00

Date: April 13, 2009
Our friend's the Weeks came over for an evening of fun. We had bought some kites and took the kids to the open field by our house after Tracie and I had finished planning our lessons for Bible class. Here are the pictures:

Daddy getting the kite set up while Mia is waiting. The Weeks getting their kites ready.

And the Weeks' kites are up, well, at least one.

Daddy getting the string untangled while Mia is watching and trying to wait patiently.
Daddy getting the kite up and Mia asking, "When can I hold it, Daddy?"

Mia finally getting her turn holding the kit. Love that grin on her face.

Mia's kite-Mickey, of course.

The three kites in the blue, blue sky.

The three kite flying girls: Alyssa, Kayli and Mia.

Easter

2009-07-17T10:20:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I realized how long it has been since I have posted when I was going through pictures and realized I had not blogged about Easter, so here we go...

Friday night before Easter, we went over to the York's house for dinner and egg dying. The kids had a blast dying eggs and we enjoyed a yummy dinner and some good company. Here are Timothy and Mia dying their eggs.

This year the Easter Bunny left so many eggs, they would not all fit in her basket and she did not have time to hide them all, so she just left Mia a pile of eggs. Needless to say, Mia was very excited and could not wait to to find the rest of her eggs.

The EB evidently knows how much Mia enjoys the Magic Treehouse Series and brought Mia a few new "Jack and Annie" books, as Mia calls them. I know what we'll be reading...

Anyone who knows Mia knows that her favorite color is pink. Good think the EB was in on that one. She rated a pink chocolate bunny this year. YUM!

Pretty in pink.

At the Easter egg hunt at church. Mia saw the eggs lined up on the wall and headed straight there. She just scooped them off the wall and into her basket. Smart girl!

Mia with the Easter Bunny (aka Jordan) at the church egg hunt.

We had a great Easter and are grateful for the reason we celebrate!

PreSchool Easter Party

2009-04-09T15:42:00.004-05:00

Today was Mia's Easter party at school. She has been looking forward to this all week. Here she is stuffing the eggs she will be taking.

This is at the Easter party. They decorated cupcakes with pink icing, green coconut and speckled jelly beans. Very cute.The finished product before it was gobbled up!This is from the end of the Easter egg hunt. Unfortunately I missed most of it as I was helping with cupcakes. Miss Tammy said she took some pictures, so hopefully we will get those soon. The last activity was making a bunny out of hearts. It was so cute. I love the look of concentration on her face. I admit, I put my tongue out when I am concentrating too. I guess that's where she gets it from. Although, now that I think about it, her daddy also does this. Hmmmmm. Maybe it's a family thing.
She had a great time and has already been bugging me, I mean asking politely, when she can eat some candy. One egg hunt down, one to go (not counting the eggs the REAL Easter bunny hides). Happy Easter everyone!

We Found the Bluebonnets

2009-04-09T15:35:00.005-05:00

Where are the bluebonnets? That seems to be the question most San Antonians are asking. We haven't had much rain around here, so therefore, scarce bluebonnets. This was really bumming me out since I LOVE taking a bluebonnet picture with Mia every year. I guess it kinda one of those "Mom things" because Hershel does not understand. Oh well. On with the story. While driving to Magnolia last weekend, we saw TONS of bluebonnets on 290 right outside Brenham. My comment to him was, "If it is daylight when we return, we are stopping for pictures." Well, as luck would have it, it was daylight and I got my pictures. Here's a single bluebonnet for you to enjoy! Daddy and Mia. The expression on his face isn't the greatest. I found out why later. His neck had been bothering him and he also needed to, uh, go...if you know what I mean. Somehow kneeling down while your nature loving wife is snapping a few dozen pictures doesn't make for a happy husband.

Mommy and Mia. Still love my new "do".

Silly Mia. There were SO many people at the field, it was difficult to get some pics without any people in the background.

Here's hoping we get a lot of rain so we don't have to travel for our bluebonnet pictures next year.

A Busy Weekend

2009-04-06T09:39:00.005-05:00

This weekend we went to Magnolia to visit Hershel's sister and her family. We had quite the busy weekend. We started Friday night with haircuts for Mia and me. Mia had about an inch cut off. I've been growing my hair out for Locks of Love and finally had the required 10 inches. I've always had long hair, so this was a big step for me. I think this was longer than I've ever had my hair. I was definitely ready to cut it. Hershel took these pictures and managed to do a great "before". I think he took lessons from looking at the hair magazines to make me look as bad as possible.

Before:

After. It is stacked in the back and I have to say, so far it has been quite easy to take care of. Thanks, Cindy, for cutting, coloring and highlighting my hair. I love my new "do".

This is my sister-in-law, Cindy, who put up with my neurosis about having my haircut. You did a great job, as usual. THANKS!

Our oldest niece, Carlee is on the dance team at Magnolia West High School. On Saturday, they held a Kiddie Clinic for kids. Mia was a little young this year, but as much as she loved to dance, we thought it would be a fun experience for her. Here are the girls before heading into the clinic. Carlee is on the left, Mia in the middle and Hailee on the right.

As I said, Mia was a little young this year and was usually a step behind. We were fortunate enough to have Carlee be in her group. She is on the right and did a great job with the kiddos. Mia had fun and has talked about it nonstop since coming home. I asked her if she wanted to do it again next year and her answer was a resounding "YES!" Hailee did great, too. The pictures I have of her are so far away, I will have to zoom, crop and post later.

After the dance clinic, we headed to the baseball fields. This was Zachary's third baseball game this season. His team is the Diamondbacks. He is the one throwing the ball. He made some great plays and received a whopper of a bruise from the ball. Way to go Zachary! We are proud of you!

We ended out trip at a Birthday party for a neighbor's granddaughter. They had a bounce. Mia had a blast with her cousins and Gracie.

It was a great visit and Mia is already asking when we can go back.

A Belated Birthday Posting

2009-04-06T09:03:00.004-05:00

Friday, March 27, my wonderful husband turned 38. We've celebrated quite a bit for this birthday-in Lufkin at his mom's, with friends, family and his actual birthday just us. This is the cake and ice cream picture from celebrating with friends the Tuesday before his birthday. We also celebrated Lindsay York's birthday, but I neglected to take pictures of her.
The day before his birthday, we met some of my family at Cooper's Pit Bar-B-Que in New Braunfels. Several years ago, a good friend introduced us to Cooper's, the original is in Llano. We've loved it ever since and were excited when one opened in New Braunfels.
Don't know if you can tell by looking at the picture, but the five of us ate quite a bit of food. I'm not sure if the look on Hershel's face is in anticipation of the "full" feeling afterwards, or just because I'm taking "another" picture. We ate ribs, the "chop" (pork chop), prime rib and sirloin, corn and beans. Mia proclaimed she didn't like ribs. Well, once she tasted them, she couldn't eat them fast enough. I think I maybe ate 2 or 3 bites as she kept asking for more. We left stuffed, but came to the house for some cake and ice cream anyway. Thanks, Opie and Omie, for a wonderful birthday dinner.

To close this post, I will leave you with 38 things about my wonderful husband. Here's to you dear...

1. He is a Christian.

2. I love his sense of humor, even when it gets old sometimes.

3. He loves Flipper. I didn't know this until a few weekends ago, but he used to watch it everyday when he came home from school.

4. He will eat peanut butter on just about anything.

5. He is not a picky eater and will try just about anything.

6. While he will eat just about anything, food must be it's original color--no food coloring here.

7. He is not ticklish. His sister broke him of that many years ago.

8. He is an incredible father.

9. He works hard for our family everyday.

10. He plays hard.

11. He is sensitive and sometimes gets his feelings hurt easily.

12. He loves to wakeboard.

13. He is a tinkerer (is that a word?)

14. Projects usually take at least twice as long as he estimates. I've finally gotten used to this.

15. He picks out great clothes for me and they have always fit!

16. He is a "Ford" man.

17. He loves Mickey Mouse.

18. He is a Mustang fan.

19. He wanted to name Mia Shelby and I wouldn't let him name our daughter after a mustang.

20. He writes the sweetest cards for me.

21. He occasionally leaves post it notes with sweet messages for me to find.

22. He gives great foot massages.

23. I love to listen to him sing at church. I don't know if he knows this, though. He has a beautiful voice.

24. He is a talented mechanic and can fix almost anything.

25. One of his favorite breakfast sandwiches is baloney, egg and cheese on toast.

26. He is a great cook, but feigns knowledge.

27. He does like to cook breakfast or on the grill.

28. He is a diplomat. I think it comes from being a salesman.

29. He knows just about everything about cell phone makes and models. It amazes me.

30. He is VERY competitive.

31. He is a very loyal friend.

32. He prays daily for marriages he knows are struggling.

33. He can talk to someone in love about an issue.

34. He can be very stubborn. (But really, can't we all??)

35. He likes just about any movie with a good "car" in it.

36. He likes chick flicks, but will deny it. I think his favorite is What Women Want

37. He is good at challenging me to do things he knows I can do, but am unsure of myself.

38. I love him and he loves me and I can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERSHEL. I LOVE YOU!!

New Titles for Old Songs

2009-03-24T12:17:00.002-06:00

Lately, we have been listening to some kids praise CD's while traveling about town. Mia has "renamed" two of the songs, and I just had to share since I could barely manage to stifle my own laughter. I hope you find them as amusing as I do.

1. In the midst of the CD:
"Mommy, when is the working man song going to come on?" Now I am racking my brain...the working man song...hmmmmmmmm...."Which song do you mean?" I say. Her reply: "You know, the one where the men work to build their houses." OH! The wise man and the foolish man. Guess I was a little dense on that one. It is now officially named "The Working Man Song", at least in our household.

2. During the middle of the song:
Lyrics: "Sing, hosanna! Sing, hosanna! Sing, hosanna to the king of kings!"
Mia: "It's the Santa song! Mommy! There is a song about Santa in the Bible!"
Oh precious child. I didn't even try to explain the difference...just treasured the moment.

That's it for now. Who knows what other new song titles she will come up with. Have a blessed day!

A Visit to Nana's

2009-03-23T08:28:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we went to visit Hershel's mom, aka Nana, in Lufkin. We had not been there since September, so this visit was long overdue. Since our last visit, Nana has a new friend of the four-legged variety. Her name is Sadie. Mia had a blast with Sadie--dancing and playing chase. We did hear a lot of, "No, Sadie, no." It was enjoyable watching Mia play with a dog. She really misses Sebastian. His name comes up often in conversation. Maybe someday...

On another note, Nana made Mia 2 cute t-shirt dresses. She has on one in this picture. Thank you, Nana. Mia loves her Nana.

Nana and Mia made 2 bracelets on Sunday. One for baby Annabelle (her doll) and one for Mia. I had fun watching and listening to them make the bracelets.

Also while in Lufkin, we celebrate Hershel's birthday early. Nana made him a Black Forest Birthday Cake. Being his silly self, he had trouble smiling nicely, so this is the picture we ended up with. The cake was yummy. Mia especially liked the cherries.

Thanks for such a great visit, Nana. We hope to see you again, soon.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T14:23:00.002-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day. We started our day off with a "green" breakfast: Green blueberry pancakes, green eggs and green juice. I just couldn't do the "green" meat. My sweet husband was a sport and ate it all. Who knew that my nonpicky food husband has a thing about food being the correct color. Oh well! Mia was thrilled and added green milk to her breakfast menu.

Today marks the end of a week long visit with my mom, Grammy. We had a blast while she was here. They watched "Mary Poppins" numerous times and played game after game. We're glad you came and can't wait for another visit.

Before we took Grammy to the airport, we went by the nursing home to see my grandmother. She turned 91 last Tuesday. She has her good days and her bad days with her dementia and Alzheimer's. Today she at least knew who we were, so it was a good day.

That's about it for today. Make sure you have your green on so you don't get pinched!

Mia's Sayings

2009-02-25T15:56:00.003-06:00

From time to time, my sweet girl reminds me of things or utters something that just floors me. Here are a few recent utterings:

"I love mommy and daddy more than a mailbox."

She said this while saying prayers one night. She went on to elaborate that mommy wouldn't buy her the valentine mailbox at Hobby Lobby, but she loves us anyway.

"Tomorow I am going to be growned up."

I keep telling her she can stay little. Why is it that our little ones want to grow up so quickly?

That's all I can think of right now. Stay tuned for more!!

She Has Her Father's Sense of Humor

2008-10-02T07:12:00.002-05:00

My wonderful Mia never ceases to amaze me with the things she comes up with. This past week, we (Hershel, Mia and I) had stopped to get gas. We paid 3.28 per gallon, but that is beside the point. Anyhow...here's the story:

We pull up to get the gas and turn the car off. Hershel opened the door and got out and LEFT THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION. Now to some of you, this might not seem to be a big deal, but in our Honda, it beeps to remind the offender. This IRRITATES me greatly to be sitting in the car hearing dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit. So, I calmly reached over and pulled the keys out of the ignition and laid them in the seat. Keep in mind, this is a regular occurrence. My sweet husband KNOWS this is a pet peeve and well.....sometimes he just forgets. Upon hearing the reminder beeping stop, Hershel stuck his head back in the car and said, "What's the matter? You don't like that?" with a BIG grin on his face. He then starts making the sound himself. I'm thinking, "DUH! After 12 years of marriage you should know that!" But, I smiled and said, "No, dear. You know that." Mercifully, he did return to pumping the gas and quit making that annoying sound.

So there we (Mia and I) are sitting in the car waiting for Hershel to finish pumping the gas. About 15 seconds after our "exchange", I hear, "dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit" coming from the back seat. I turn around and my precious daughter had the biggest grin on her face and continues making the sound. I start laughing uncontrollably. Hershel sticks his head back in the car and wants to know what is so funny. I point to Mia, who is still making the noise and he starts laughing so hard, I truly thought he might have an accident.

We continue to have a good laugh over this and when things get tense, all one of us has to do is start the "noise." I truly love our daughter and her incredible sense of humor!

And the Winner Is.....

2008-09-28T17:18:00.002-05:00

The winner is Sheila at Sheila's Thoughts. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Sneaky Little Thing, She Is...

2008-09-19T14:17:00.005-05:00

What goes around, comes around, right? We get what we gave our parents, right? Well, fate is delivering! Here's the story...

I must preface this story by saying that Mia has always gone to bed fairly easily. She has just recently started procrastinating, etc.

About a month ago, Mia had a cold and was very stuffy. I put a night light in her room in case she needed to get up in the night and come get me. We have a night light that stays on the in the kitchen, but I didn't want to worry, so....in went the nightlight.

All had been going well, until last night. Last night after I put her to bed, I left her door cracked and came into the office (right next to her room) to catch up on some things. About 30 minutes later I walked past her room and heard some noise. I peeked in and found her with a blanket wrapped around her waist like a skirt (this is her Cinderella pose) and dancing. Stuffed animals were strewn around the room. I wish I had taken a picture. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Mia, what are you doing?
Mia: Dancing!
Me: It's bedtime..time to go to sleep.
Mia: But I want to dance with my animals. I'm Cinderella and we're at the ball!
Me: Mia, is this what you do after Mommy and Daddy put you to bed...get up and play?
Mia (somewhat sheepishly): Welllllllll, yes. Mostly I dance. I like to dance.
Me: It's time to go to bed and go to sleep. (AT this point I am trying so hard not to laugh and thinking, I wonder how long this has been going on.)
Mia: Can I finish this dance?
Me: Well, don't be a grump in the morning. (I'm thinking, well, if its been going on for a month and she hasn't been grumpy, why should I ruin it for one more night?)

Now, before some of you think I was too lenient, Hershel and I did talk about this. We decided if there was another occurrence, we would remove the nightlight from her room. We informed her of this decision this morning when she woke up. She was not too happy, but promised that she would stay in bed at night from now on. We'll see......

I can say that I never got up out of bed and danced around the room with all of my animals (what a mental picture!), but I ALWAYS had a flashlight and a book hidden. About 5-10 minutes after mom would tuck me in, out came the book and flashlight. When I heard footsteps in the hall, I very quickly "went to sleep" with the evidence hidden again. I think the latest I ever stayed up was around 1.

I wonder what else I have to look forward to from our daughter. Who knows what she will try that Hershel tried....

What things did you do as a child that you either got caught or were able to keep hidden from your parents, or am I the only one fessing up here?

Book Contest-Skizzer

2008-09-19T14:17:00.001-05:00

Alright, everyone. I'm long overdue for an update.

But first...It's a book contest! I won Skizzer from Tamra's contest and it was a quick, easy read. Now it's my turn to pass it along to someone else. Just leave a comment if you'd like to enter the drawing. I will pick a winner this Monday, September 22, at 10:00 a.m. and put the book in the mail (or deliver it if you're local) on Tuesday. To learn more about how the book contest began, go here.

Work Camp-Day 1

2008-07-28T16:18:00.003-05:00

Every year for the past several years Hershel has led a crew a work camp. He is a great leader and always has a lot of fun with the kids. I usually help out by helping to prepare the dinner the kids eat as well as take Hershel lunch. This year is no exception. Hershel is leading a crew (sitting in the shade keeping his foot up most of the time and I'm doing the meals.) There is one difference so far. Today he had a doctor appointment to go to, so I went by the site and "took his place" (except that I worked) while he was gone. Mia went too.

The kids did an awesome job scraping. Some places on the house, it seemed like it was snowing when they were scraping. At first, Mia was a little unsure of everything. When it was time for lunch, she quickly gathered everyone up to eat and made a lot of friends. After lunch, she jumped right in and helped where she could. Below is a picture of her "helping" one the girls (Amy) scrape a beautiful old window pane. She also helped sweep up the paint scrapings.

The kids were good natured about letting her help. She wanted to go to Landa Park and swim with them, but mom opted for a shower and a nap (for Mia) at home. She was not exactly happy about mom's plan, but cheered up when I told her she could eat dinner with the kids tonight. I think maybe Wednesday we will try to go to Landa Park. She has already informed me that she wants to go to the job site tomorrow and help paint. Should be interesting, as her only knowledge of painting is finger painting and watercolors. Hmmmmm. I'm seeing an old shirt and shorts in her future. Stay tuned....

Coins and A Blast From the Past

2008-07-27T23:22:00.003-05:00

My dad is an avid coin collector and from time to time, we go to the coin club meetings with him. He gives Mia a coin here and there and she puts them in her "safe place." This last Thursday, we went and she showed a particular interest in examining the coins with Opie's magnifier. She carefully examined each coin that was passed around during the Round Table. I love the look of concentration on her face. I think we may have a future coin collector on our hands.
On another note, the picture below should be a blast from the past for my mom and dad. The dress Mia is wearing is one that I wore. I think I may have worn it later, since it seems a little big for her. When I mentioned this to Hershel, he commented that the dress was already short (overprotective dad). I had to remind him that I wore this in the 70's when the style was short. I love that she is wearing something I once wore and tonight at church, she was proud to tell that she was wearing Mommy's dress.
Thanks, mom, for saving the dress so I could pass it on to my sweet daughter.

These Words Will Haunt Her.....

2008-07-26T21:25:00.003-05:00

Coming home tonight in the car, we had a conversation. It went like this...

Mia: We don't have any tissues in the car do we?

Me: Yes. Would you like a tissue?

Mia: No thank you. I can get the boogers with my fingers.

Me: I would prefer you use a tissue.

Mia: Nope. I would prefer to use my fingers.

I have a feeling this story will be told many, many times in the future. Gotta love kids!

Fun With Cousins

2008-07-22T22:05:00.003-05:00

Aunt Cindy, Carlee, Hailee and Zachary came to town for an all too brief visit at the beginning of July. Mia had a blast playing with her cousins, even though they are older than she is. Aunt Cindy painted fingernails and toenails red, white and blue and even added 4th of July nail art. We were fancy. Both Mia and I received haircut and I no longer have any gray!!!! THANK YOU, AUNT CINDY!!

One afternoon, Zachary talked us into filling some water balloons and playing some water balloon games. This was Mia's first experience and I think that overall, she enjoyed it. She laughed hystericallly whenever a balloon would pop on someone, as long as it wasn't her.

After the water balloon fight/games, we all jumped in Grandad's hot tub--another first for Mia. She sure wasn't sure at first, but with some prodding from all of us, managed to get in. Fortunately for us, Grandad keeps his hot tub at a cool 99 degrees, so it wasn't too hot for Mia.

We had a great time and can't wait for you to come to Selma again.

Mia-isms

2008-07-15T21:28:00.003-05:00

All kids have a way of calling things their own name. I thought I would take a minute a post some of Mia's.

Bone sticks = ribs (she has her first ones in OKC before camp)

Potty sticks = panty liners (don't ask)

Rabiroli = ravioli (this is my personal favorite)

someping = something

TacoBana = Taco Cabana

While I know she has many more, these are just a few off the top of my head. Hope you enjoyed them and have a blessed day.

Snow White & A Little Nurse

2008-07-01T21:22:00.002-05:00

Today we went to the Backyard Theatre to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I absolutely love this place because it is so kid friendly. They involve the kids in the play and don't mind when the kids "give away" certain things. We went with Sydnie and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Here are the kids with Snow White. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The girls with their coloring sheets after the play. They both absolutely love it. Mia was mesmerized and Sydnie really got into the story. Thanks for going with us Syndie. We'll have to do it again sometime.
Later in the day, we went to Grandad's house since Aunt Cindy, Carlee, Hailee and Zachary are in town for a visit. Mia had a blast playing. Zachary, at one point, took a tumble into the coffee table and obtained a minor head wound. It's amazing how much head wounds bleed! We got the bleeding stopped and Zachary was able to turn over. He still had to have ice on the back of his head. "Nurse" Mia took over the washcloth duty so Cindy and I could finish dinner and wiped his forehead repeatedly. When he complained it was cold, she went and got a papertowel to put between the ice and his head (this was in addition to the towel). I guess she's gotten a lot of practice playing nurse with her daddy having been on the couch for 6 weeks and all. Zachary, we're glad you're better.
Before I close this post, I do have to brag on my daughter. While we were getting ready for the play, I was packing a snack for Mia for after the play. Mia wanted to know if Sydnie could have the snack too. (Sydnie has some food allergies.) When I checked the ingredient list, I told her no. Then to my amazement, she stated that she wanted to take a snack that she could share with Sydnie that Sydnie could eat. Of note is that the snack I had planned on taking was one of her favorites. I am amazed, first of all, at her thoughtfulness, and secondly, that she was willing to give up her favorite snack in favor of one that her friend could have. We are so blessed to have a wonderful daughter that is thoughtful and thinks of others.

Found the Cable

2008-06-19T21:52:00.002-05:00

Found the cable,
Found the cable,
Found the cable just now.
I just now found the cable,
Found the cable just now.

Found a safe place,
Found a safe place,
Found a safe place just now.
I just now found a safe place.
Found a safe place just now.

COMING SOON: New pictures. Stay tuned.

P.S. In case I lose it again, please remind me that it is in the right hand drawer on my desk.

Gotta Finda A Safe Place

2008-06-13T13:23:00.002-05:00

I lost the cable to the camera AGAIN!!! I thought I had found a safe place to keep it after last time. Apparently it was so safe, I can't find it now. Hmmmmm. I need to rethink that strategy. Anyhow, I have lots of pictures to post and will as soon as I can find that elusive cable. In the meantime, please keep the hubby in your prayers. He is scheduled for surgery again on his ankle. Apparently one of the pins has moved into not such a great place. Check back soon. There might just be pictures!

Ankles & Crutches

2008-05-30T21:31:00.003-05:00

***WARNING*** Graphic pictures below

Three weeks ago today Hershel broke his left ankle while trying to land a jump wake boarding. He has really started to love this hobby and was becoming good at landing a new jump he was trying. Unfortunately, the fourth jump did the damage. Below are some pictures we took of his ankle a few days after the accident.

Yesterday he had surgery to repair the break. It went well and we were blessed with a wonderful doctor. The down side to all of this is the recovery. He has been flat on his back for 2 weeks while we were waiting for swelling to go down so that he could have the surgery and now he is flat for another 2 weeks so that the ankle won't swell after the surgery and cause more damage. For those of you that know Hershel, you know how challenging this is. He is getting around on crutches quite well. We anticipate him winning a crutch race at some point in the future since he will be on them for 6 more week.

And now for the story about Mia. Today I came home from work and she told me that she had crutches now. I questioningly looked at Megan, our wonderful sitter, and she just smiled. I figured that my dad may have given her a child size pair since he & Janelle came by today. But, NO......My creative and imaginative child is using her toy golf clubs as crutches. I cracked up when she showed me how she uses them.

I am reminded of the saying "Imitation is the highest form of flattery." I am also reminded how much our children want to be like us. Here's to you and your crutches, daddy!

Catch-up

2008-04-29T20:31:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay, I know it's been awhile. BUT...I have a very good excuse. I somehow have lost the cable that allows me to transfer pictures from the camera to the computer. UGH! I have searched and searched to no avail, so I FINALLY decided to just write.

We have had a very busy 2 months. Here are some of the highlights. Hopefully soon I will find the wretched cable and post some pictures to go with these.

We have been doing yard work and Mia is quite the little helper. She has shoveled compost, picked up leaves and put them in the leaf bag, planted plants and seeds and been my constant reminder about the garden.

While doing yard work one evening, Mia and I spotted a toad and caught it. She was quite enamored with it and enjoyed seeing it up close in the "bug cage" (so glad I used to teach science). We were kind and let it go when she was finished inspecting it.

A week or so ago, Mia had her first karaoke experience. She is now a microphone diva as she loves it dearly. She sang her ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle and Itsy Bitsy Spider. Fortunately, she has not discovered the microphones at church (whew).

We are thinking of giving Mia a new nickname: Miss Bossy. She seems to think that she is in charge of other children. We get a kick out of this and know that it is just part of her blossoming independence.

We went out on the boat for the first time this season. She was quite concerned about "her daddy" when he fell after wakeboarding. See, they watch his wakeboard tricks videos together and they never fall, so she did not quite understand when her daddy did. Every time he fell, she would yell across the lake, "DADDY! Are you OK?" This stopped when he finally told her that he was having FUN. Then falling was evidently ok with her. Hmmmmm.

We planted a garden: tomatoes (cherry, "normal", lemon boy and Mr. Stripey[my personal favorite]), lettuce, and okra. My sweet husband put in a make-shift sprinkler system so all I have to do is check the plants periodically and weed. Fortunately, Mia helps me with both.

We went on an Easter Egg hunt. She spotted the ones she wanted all the way across the lawn and walked past SEVERAL eggs. Her competitive father was quite distressed about this until I mentioned that less eggs meant less candy at home.

We dyed Easter Eggs. She loved it and wanted to do more. Mommy thought 12 was enough.

I'm sure we've done more, but that's all I can remember off the top of my head. I hope that you are happy and healthy and enjoying each moment with those that you love.

Drama Queen

2008-03-02T22:32:00.002-06:00

It has often been said that girls are more dramatic than boys. Having taught for several years, I have witnessed both dramatic girls and boys. However, on the whole, I would agree with that statement.

Hershel and I have often wondered at what age does the "drama" start for girls. Well, I was lucky enough to have a sneak preview the other night.

It was a Sunday night and I was feeling a little under the weather, so Mia and I stayed home. It has been an extra busy weekend, so she was rather tired. I finally woke her up after a 3 1/2 hour nap and settled her on the couch next to me and we watched "Go, Diego, Go" while she woke up.

After a quick dinner, we returned to the couch and the TV. "Wonder Pets" was on now. First let me say that we seldom watch TV, but since I was not feeling well....well, you know how it goes. If you are not familiar with "Wonder Pets", let me explain the premise of the show. It is about 3 pets that become pet superheroes when the alarm goes off. The alarm sounds when there is a pet in some sort of distress.

As Mia and I watched this particular episode, it was about a kitten that had become stranded on a wooden plank floating down the river. The Wonder Pets were trying to save it. As with any good story, there came the point where they were not sure whether they would save the kitten or not. At this point, I looked over at her and saw tears streaming down her face. Our conversation went something like this:
Me:Sweetheart, what's wrong?
Mia: (Continues crying)
Me: Why are you crying?
Mia: (very dramatically) I-I-I d-d-don't know!
Me: Are you crying about the kitten?
Mia: (very dramatically) I-I-I d-d-don't know!
Me: You know, the Wonder Pets will save the kitten.
Mia: (still crying) Really? I want the kitten to be safe.

At this point, she crawled up in my lap and finished her good cry. I don't know that I've been able to portray in words the drama that I observed. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. When Hershel arrived home and I shared this with him, he just bowed his head and smiled. While the drama was amusing, it was refreshing to see the level of concern a 2 1/2 year old can have.

Welcome to the Family

2008-02-02T17:33:00.000-06:00

On the day that I wrote my last post, I received a phone call that my sister was in labor and admitted to the hospital. We have all been eagerly awaiting Annie's arrival, especially my nephew, Mac. Why, you ask, has it taken me so long to post? Well, this last Thursday was the first night that all three of us have been home before 5 since January 14. Busy--definitely. Work is keeping me busy with the TAKS test coming up and all. But, enough about that. I'm sure you all want to know about Annie. Here are her stats:

Sarah Anne Compton
Born Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Weight: 7 lbs, 1.5 oz
Lenght: 20 inches

Here she is at one week old. Can you believe she is already trying to hold her head up?

My sister and I grew up reading all the time. Admittedly, her more than I. Perhaps that is why she is a librarian. Anyhow, we have both managed to pass our love of reading on to our kids. Both kids crawled up in her lap when we announced it was story time. What a treat!
What do all cousins do when they visit each other? Take a bath together. Mac was kind enough to share his fishing pole with Mia and Mia introduced Mac to the "bubble bath." It was his first. They had a blast fishing, splashing, singing and playing with the bubbles.
Opie (my dad) made the trek to Oklahoma with us. He and I did most of the cooking while we were there. Mia, as at home, was always in the kitchen ready to help. Here she is helping Opie make hamburgers.
My mom lives in OKC, too, and we were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with her as well. Here are Opie and the grandkids.
Several people have asked how Mia did with Annie. She did great. She was anxious to hold her and you can see her "concentration" face in the picture below. She is biting her lower lip. She really liked holding Annie, although only for a few minutes at a time. She was very interested in the diaper changes and once we arrived home, she became much more diligent about changing her babies' diapers.
We had a great visit and were glad to be able to see Annie so soon after her arrival into the world. Jen is doing well and it was good to spend time with the Oklahoma clan.

Welcome to the family, Annie. We're glad you're here.

Finally a New Post--A Zoo Day

2008-01-12T17:18:00.001-06:00

Saturday we headed to the zoo with our neighbors Addie and Emerson. Kirsten and I had a chance for some much needed "adult" conversation while the kids had a blast looking at the animals. Below are Addie and Mia. Can you guess what they are looking at?If you said flamingos you guessed correctly. The girls thought it was such fun to do what the flamingos were doing. One of Mia's favorite things to do at the zoo is to go to the petting zoo. It was very crowded today, but that seemed to make it easier to feed the goats. We didn't get near as trampled as we normally do. Emerson really enjoyed chasing the goats, which is why he isn't in the picture.

After the zoo, what better thing to do than to ride the train. We had to wait for a little while, but not too bad. Kirsten went in to get the ticket while the kids and I saved a place in line. They waited very patiently for being so tired.

We were lucky enough to be the second "group" to get on the train. Emerson wanted to sit at the front, as he dearly loves trains. Addie was determined to sit with Mia. All aboard!! I absolutely love this picture. Even though Mia was genuinely tired, you can still see the sparkle in her eyes and the grin on her face--true happiness that comes from riding the zoo train.
I wish we had taken a picture of the kids when we arrived home. All three were sacked out in their car seats. We had such and fun time! Thanks Kirsten, Addie and Emerson for spending the day with us at the zoo! We're looking forward to doing it again.

P.S. I do promise to update about the last 2 months, but I wanted to go ahead and get this posted.

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-30T19:59:00.000-06:00

Saturday, we headed to the Pumpkin Patch. We had so much fun last year at the one in Bracken, we headed back there. Hope you all enjoy the pictures!!
Lots and lots of pumpkins.
Lovin' on my Daddy!
Hayride with Mommy.
A train ride. It was not my favorite thing.
We all had a great time!

Memories and "The Pumpkin"

2007-10-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, my dad coached a Pop Warner football team called the Lightening. My mom made me a cheerleading outfit so that I could be the mascot for the team. I still have the outfit and it fits Mia now. Guess what Mia is for Halloween this year? Below are some pictures we took.She really seemed to enjoy the pom-poms. Perhaps we have a future cheerleader on our hands?

Now about "The Pumpkin"...

A few weeks ago, we had a Mommy Day. One of the things we did was go on a bike ride. We passed a house in the neighborhood that had a huge inflatable pumpkin on the front lawn. Inside the pumpkin were two ghosts and a witch revolving. This fascinated Mia. We rode by several times so that she could see it again. Now everytime we turn into the neighborhood, she asks to go see the pumpkin. Sometimes I will humor her and drive to the back of the neighborhood so that she can see "The Pumpkin." Tonight, we decided to take pictures of her with the pumpkin. We knocked on the door to ask the neighbors if they minded, but they were not home. We went ahead and took pictures. Enjoy.

Fall Festival

2007-10-13T21:02:00.000-05:00

Saturday night was the Fall Festival at church. Mia invited her friends Emerson (dinosaur) and Addy (butterfly) to go with her. This is them outside before the festival.

Mia had a great time and played lots of games. She threw the football through the hoop quite well.
Daddy helped her with the ring toss.
Mommy did the cake walk. Mia won a beautifully decorated orange bundt cake.
Mia's favorite game was the Moon Bounce. She did very well taking turns and kept trying to go back to the Moon Bounce all night.
Last year, the duck pond was her favorite game. It was a hit this year, too.

Mia also liked the bean bag toss. It's easy to make it when you can stand so close.

Cookie decorating was another fun time! Mia was very particular about which colors she put where. When it came to the sprinkles--well, it just didn't matter as much. They were everywhere.

See the finished product. Someone said that the cookie is almost is bis as she is.

We all had a great time. We also ate hot dogs and nachos, but I didn't get any pictures of that. Guess I was too busy enjoying my hot dog. I'm sure next year will be even more fun!

It's a Mommy Day

2007-10-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning Hershel headed north to go to the races. Mia and I decided to have a "Mommy Day." We spent the entire day together, just the two of us. Before going back to work, I had many of these days. Now they are few and far between and we treasure them when we have the opportunity.

We started the day at Taco Cabana for breakfast tacos (her favorite). Next stop was JCPennys to pick up pictures and some black pants for Mia. Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree and HEB were our next stops. We finished up the errands with lunch at Sonic. While running errands was not my first choice of how to spend a Mommy Day, it was a necessary evil. The best part was that throughout the morning, she would look at me and smile and say,"It's a Mommy Day!" How great is that?

Nap time was next on the agenda. Sometimes, it is just so great to take a nap with your kid. It is one of my favorite things. We then made waffles and bacon for dinner. Yummy. After dinner we went for a bike ride (her in her bike trailer) around the neighborhood. Several neighbors have been busy putting up Halloween decorations. Mia loved the pumpkin that revolved with the bats and witches inside. At the end of our ride, we headed up to Rudy's for some ice cream. Dutch Chocolate, of course. Then back to the house for some good old playtime before bath and bed.

All in all we had a great day! It was wonderful to spend the day with just Mia!

11 Years

2007-10-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

Friday, September 28th, Hershel and I celebrated 11 years of marriage. In honor of our 11 years together, here are 11 facts about him/us:

1. We love to laugh!

2. Hershel seems to know just the right thing to say to make me laugh!

3. One of our favorite things to do is to share a meal with friends.

4. His faith amazes me!

5. He leaves me "love notes" on the bathroom mirror.

6. I love cuddling with him and taking naps together.

7. We will watch a "bad" movie to the end, just to see if it gets better. FYI "Funny Money" with Chevy Chase is a great movie to watch if you want to fall asleep!

8. He loves to watch his cousin race his Sprint car.

9. He is a great financial manager.

10. He is great at picking out clothes that look good on me. I always get compliments on the clothes he picks out. Maybe I should let him do all my shopping.

11. He loves apple butter!

Here's to many more years of marriage!

Changes & Blessings

2007-10-01T22:05:00.001-05:00

Whew! What a busy two weeks. For those of you that don't know, I've recently gone back to teaching. This has brought a whirlwind of change for our family.

I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who has helped out in every conceivable way from doing dishes to laundry to fixing Mia breakfast on the mornings he drops her off.

We are blessed that Mia is happy at her sitter's and actually looks forward to going there. She is happy and loves her new friend "Livia."

I am blessed to be at a wonderful school with a supportive administration and willing to help staff.

I am blessed because I have wonderful friends and family that have been praying for us during this transition time.

I am blessed because I now treasure the time that I have with Mia and Hershel SO much more than before.

So, while we adjust to these changes and the sometimes rollercoaster of emotion they bring (for me & Mia), I have realized just how much I truly am blessed.

How has the Lord blessed you today?

Is It Starting Already?

2007-08-22T15:29:00.000-05:00

The other night we were getting ready for bed. We brushed Mia's teeth, read a few stories, read her Bible story and said prayers.

Her prayers are interesting--a snapshot of the memorable events of the day, what she is noticing during the prayer, who is on her mind, etc. With that being said, everything was going along smoothly--the usual thank you's--Mommy, Daddy, 'Bastian, Mia and then she uttered the words "Thank you for boys." Well, let me tell you, I thought her Daddy's neck was going to snap he looked up at me so fast. I smiled and shrugged. Then it continued..."Thank you for Ryan." I got a look that said "Who's Ryan?" I smiled and shook my head, not sure at all where that came from. We do know 2 Ryan's, but had not spent any time or talked about either one recently. Mia finished her prayer and we put her to bed.

Could this "boy" thing be starting already? I don't think her Daddy will ever be ready for that!

A Trip to the Zoo

2007-08-14T21:01:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Daddy took the day off and we went to the zoo for the first time. Here I am in my stroller ready to go!

This was how I preferred to see the zoo. I loved being up high and seeing everything.
Here I am on the Komodo dragon.
I liked the elephants.
I really liked the goats in the petting zoo. This baby goat kept running away from me. It was so cute.
I found a goat that would let me brush him. He stood still and everything.
After we went to the zoo, we ate lunch and went for a ride on the train through Brackenridge park. Here I am ready to go!

We had a fun day! Of course, we crashed when we got home. I can't wait to go to the zoo again!

Miniature Golf

2007-08-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

The other night we went on a family date. We went to play miniature golf and eat pizza. Here is Mia with her golf coach.
Mia was more interested in carrying the golf club and hitting the ball on her own. She had a blast!
Here she is waiting for mom and dad while they golfed. We all had a great time!

Mia Goes to Camp

2007-06-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

June 17-23 we went to Zenith, a high school camp located at Oklahoma Christian University. Our time there started with dinner Saturday night at my aunt and uncle's house. My cousin, Mac, got a new foozball table. He and I had great fun playing. Thanks Aunt JJ and Uncle Dave for yummy dinner.

Sunday was Father's Day. Here I am coloring Daddy's card. He said it was beautiful.Last year at camp, I had a facination with the ice in the coolers at the pizza party. You can tell from the picture that I still have a facination with ice. It does keep me cool when it's hot.
One of my favorite parts of being at camp is getting to ride on the golfcart or "dollfart", as I say it. Daddy even let me drive. Watch out world, here I come!

Part of Mommy and Daddy's job at camp is to run the sanck trailer. Here I am helping Daddy. I was a big help!
Helping out at camp is a lot of hard work. Every afternoon I sacked out in Mommy and Daddy's bed. This particular day I crawled in bed and was asleep before Mom came in to read me stories. Whew!

One of the great things about camp is meeting friends. This is one of my friends, Becca. She is from Colorado. We shared many meals and hugs! I can't wait to see her next year.

This year at camp, Daddy took me on the water slide. I rode down the slide on Daddy's big float. I really liked it and was disappointed when we had to stop because of the rain.

One thing that was really special this year was VBS. Memorial Road, when my cousin Mac goes to church was having VBS the same week that we were at camp. I got to go Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Here I am ready to go.

Here I am with my Aunt JJ, cousin Mac and Mommy. This is at the last day of VBS when Mommy and Daddy came to pick me up.

At the end of camp I was exhausted. This is what I did most of the car ride home. I was sure glad to get home and see 'Bastian. I really missed him and was very excited when we got home.

Uncle Jim Comes to Visit

2007-06-13T21:28:00.000-05:00

My Uncle Jim came to San Antonio to visit me. I wanted him to read my bedtime stories. Here he is reading my Baby Einstein book my Aunt JJ gave me. It is all about birds and I love it!
Next was Dr. Seuss' Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You? It was fun to listen to Uncle Jim make all of the different sounds in the book. We had fun at the end of the book making all of the sounds together.
The last book we read was called Snuggle Puppy. Uncle Jim sang this to me (it is a song). I laughed and smiled.
I had a great time with my Uncle Jim. I'm glad he came to visit and I can't wait until he comes again!

Dance Recital

2007-06-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

We went to Magnolia June 2 for Carlee and Hailee's dance recital. Aunt Cindy curled my hair so that I would be beautiful for the recital.
I had a great time at the dance recital. I was movin' and groovin' in my seat and Aunt Cindy's lap and Mommy's lap. I really liked watching the girls dance and listening to the music. Here we are with Carlee. She's wearing her finale outfit.
Here we are with Hailee. I know Daddy looks like he's sleeping, but he's not, really.
Here I am with my cousins--Emily, Carlee, Audrey and Hailee.
We had a great time at the dance recital. We are very proud of you Carlee and Hailee. We love you!

Brushing My Teeth

2007-06-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

I disappeared the other day. When mommy found me, this is what I was doing. I am such a big girl--I can turn on the light in the bathroom by myself and brush my teeth! Now if only Mommy could get me to clean the bathrooms!

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-06-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

For Memorial Day weekend, we went to Rockport to visit Omie & Opie. We had a great time and did lots of fun things. Opie spoiled me and let me have all the chocolate milk I wanted. Here's a picture of me and Dad chillin' on the balcony.

Omie and Opie have a seat just my size. I found it right away!
Mommy and I went swimming in the new pool. The water was a little cold because of all the rain. I love to swim!
Omie has a special tea set. She let me play with it and we had a "Coffee Party". Mommy is not sure where I came up with that, but I did all on my own. They kept trying to convince me it was a tea party. I set them straight--I am a coffee girl (not that I have ever had any).
Opie had some of my special coffee, too.
While we were there, my cousin Kady caught a fish. I got to touch it. It felt yucky and I did not want to touch it again.
Opie showed me a fish that my other cousin Timothy caught. I just looked at it.

We had a great time and can't wait to go back. Thanks Omie and Opie!

A Day at the Park

2007-05-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

Tuesday is my day off. I'm not sure how Mia has figured this out--maybe because I don't have on my uniform shirt when she wakes up. Anyhow, when she was good and awake this morning she asked to go to the park and "sing" (swing). I told her we had to run errands first and then we would go to the park. After every stop, she asked "sing?" We finally made it back to the house and headed off toward the park.

Here she is in her wagon with her bubbles (she always has them in hand when outside) ready to head off to the park.

Here she is swinging, or "singing" as she says.

A picture of her sliding. Check out the static electricity in her hair!

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Snack time! We were at the park for over an hour.

Climbing! Yes, she made it to the top and crossed over to the walkway. She was so proud of herself.

What a day! We had a great time at the park. While we were there, the city maintenance came and mowed. Mia thought it was cool to see all the "daddies" mowing. We also saw and heard numerous planes. Mia was most excited to see some dogs and stopped playing for awhile to watch them walk down the road with their owners. The highlight of the trip was when Daddy stopped by the park to say hello. She promptly grabbed his finger and led him to a swing. Now there's a girl who knows what she wants.

First Prayer

2007-05-05T16:39:00.000-05:00

The other night Hershel and I were sitting on the couch watching Mia play. She was standing next to the couch looking at numerous books. She picked up her Bible, opened it, flipped a few pages and then proceeded to say her first prayer. It went something like this..."God...(look around to see who's watching)...Amen!" That was it. Short and simple. Then she did it again last night. We were so excited!!It is so nice to know that the important things we try to model are sinking in.

First Post

2007-05-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

Wow! My own blog! I've been reading other's blogs for some time now and finally feel the need to create one. This blog will mostly be about my wonderful daughter, Mia. Hopefully, some will find entertainment and laughter at this site. Thanks for reading!

So, today I went back to work after a week of being off taking care of a sick little one. She is much better, thank goodness. After work, we went to buy a birthday present for a party tomorrow. Of course, she wanted to play with the Mr. Potato Head. I explained that it was for her to give and not to play with. She, amazingly enough, accepted that explanation and put it in the basket and we went on with the rest of our shopping trip.

We later met up with our friend Sydnie and her mom at Sonic for a "tasty" lunch. This is one of Mia's new words. Whenever food is to her liking, it is "tasty". After lunch we went to the park and played and played and played. She loves to swing and would do so the entire time if mommy would let her. She also slid down the big slide. The look on her face was priceless--one of fear and excitement. I wish I had the camera with me. Maybe next time. Then it was home for a much needed nap after an excitement filled day.

Happy 21 months, my sweet girl!