stacy & boys

Keller's "Real" Birthday

2012-01-05T22:13:00.001-06:00

According to Keller, there was not a better place to be on his "real" birthday than where he was a couple of weeks ago for his birthday party.

His party was at D-BAT and they just happened to have a hitting camp on his birthday so lucky for him, it all worked out and he was able to spend the day doing what he loves.

Kase and I dropped him off that morning and he made sure to let everyone know it was his "real birthday".

He was so excited to be there and couldn't wait to get started. Kase let me watch a few minutes of the camp but then he was ready to go. His Christmas money was burning a hole in his pocket so he and I went shopping. Don't you know, he had to really twist my arm? We found some goodies and even snuck in a quick lunch date before we had to go back and pick up the birthday boy. Keller was having a ball so he was not at all excited to see us. Tony was already there so we watched little brother enjoy his special day at D-BAT and wondered where on Earth the past 6 years have gone.

After a quick nap, we went out for a yummy steak dinner and then to Aunt Bubba's house for a little family celebration. He chose frosted sugar cookies over cupcakes so we snacked on those

while he opened a few more presents.

Thank you Bubba, Papa and Grammar for making him rotten to the bone!

Awww, that smile that melts my heart every single time I see it!

Happy Birthday Keller. I don't know how it's possible that you're already 6 years old. It seems like just the other day that you completed our family of 4. What a precious gift you are to all of us and we can't wait to see what God has in store for you this year. We love you wild man.

Jolly Ol' St. Nick

2011-12-26T18:47:00.017-06:00

Santa stopped off at the Lindeman house, had a little snack and left a few too many toys by the fireplace.

Apparently, the letters sent by way of our friendly elf Nick made it to Santa because he filled Kase and Keller's bags with things they asked for and even threw in a few surprises.

The boys were good in 2011 but goodness, I didn't realize they were that good...or maybe I did.

Kase was so excited to finally have his very own digital camera. He spent the rest of the morning taking pictures and learning how to upload them to his laptop. Could he be anymore like his mother. My sweet, sweet firstborn child...I think he is pretty much the neatest thing on the planet!

Keller was thrilled to finally have his very own bucket of balls, a strike zone net and a bike without training wheels.

I'm sure I don't even need to tell you where or how he spent the rest of his day. Just know, Spring Training has already started in the Lindeman backyard and my garage now looks like an indoor baseball training facility. At least, he and Tony were kind enough to leave a tiny area for my car. Between the basketball goal outside and the new baseball equipment, we are in full-on boy mode at our house...and I love it!

Christmas is over, decorations are put away and we are now preparing for Kase's 9th birthday. Another year in the blog book and what a wonderful year it's been for the Lindeman family. Goodbye 2011, hello 2012...please be good to us!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T11:32:00.012-06:00

The last star was placed on the Advent Calendar and two happy little boys knew exactly what that meant. It was Christmas Eve-time to open the presents they've been eyeing under the tree for weeks. As excited as they were about opening their own, they were just as excited about watching others open the gifts they picked out. Our first stop was at Maw-maws house for the Lindeman side of the family Christmas and then the evening was spent at Papa and Grammar's house.

I say it every year but it means so much to me that we still have Christmas in the same home I grew up in and with many of the same traditions we started as a family many, many years. Did I just admit I was old? I have so many precious memories as a child and now with my own children that will last forever.

However, with that said, Mom and Dad made it a point to let Morg and I know that they want us to start our own traditions so next year it will change to one of our houses and we will be responsible for all of it, including the cooking. Yikes, guess I better get out my Betty Crocker cookbook and start practicing. Although, we will miss doing it at their house, we know it is time for us to take over, let them be our guests and start creating traditions in our own homes.

Our silly children.

After a quick dinner and a little photoshoot,

we opened our gifts and took in the magic and wonder on the kids faces as they opened their presents. As a parent, that's the part I love and look forward to each year.

Keller was excited about his Texas Ranger alarm clock, a sports hooded towel and his swing away...anything baseball and he was happy!

Kase was excited about the robotiks kit and extremely surprised when he opened his Kindle Fire. That special gift even earned Papa and Grammar an extra hug and a great big thank you.

Once again, we were spoiled and ended up with way more than we deserved.

Thank you Mom and Dad for making it another magical Christmas for all of us. We are so blessed to have you as parents and grandparents to our children. I hope you know just how loved you really are!

WELCOME HOME A HERO

2011-12-26T09:03:00.012-06:00

Our Christmas break got off to a memorable start as we spent the first day "welcoming home a hero" with family,

friends,

and our very own special Army veteran, Papa.

It was truly the most rewarding experience I've ever been a part of and something the boys and I will remember for a lifetime. The troops were scheduled to arrive at 9:30 so we got to the airport and found our spot around 9:00.

At 9:30, this sweet Veteran told us that it would be 10:30 before they arrive.

10:30 rolled around and still no soldiers. Thank goodness for modern technology because I'm not sure we could've survived the 3 hour wait without it. Sad, I know.

The kids were getting hungry and pretty antsy so we reminded them where these men and women have been the past several years and the sacrifices they make daily and that it was well worth us waiting all day if we had to. Our conversations didn't have the effect we were hoping for but I will say the kids did really well for being stuck in an airport all morning long. Around 11:00, we saw the first soldier come through the double doors and for the next hour, we welcomed home 200+ soldiers.

The kids stuck their hands out and were so excited with every handshake, fist bump and hi-five received from the soldiers.

Talk about speechless, I was completely overcome with emotion as I watched wives reuniting with their husbands, parents picking up their son/daughter and dads meeting their children for the first time. Most of the soldiers were smiling and cheering, a few were crying and some had an overwhelming look on their face from the crowd of people there to welcome them home. I can't imagine their emotions as the plane touched down on American soil but it was such an honor for us to be there and to personally thank them for sacrificing their lives for us, the American people.

After an experience like that, proud to be an American has a more personal meaning to me than it ever has before. Thank you Ashley for coordinating the day and inviting us to go. It was wonderful!

Best gift of all...

2011-12-26T07:27:00.001-06:00

The best gift in the world is being the mom of these two little guys...

standing by our tree...

and dressed up so nicely for church on the Eve of Christmas Eve.

So crazy about my boys...what a gift you are to me 365 days a year!

Merry CHRISTmas

2011-12-25T07:51:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Lindeman Family. We pray your day is filled with joy and wonder and that God will abundantly bless you in the coming New Year. Thank you for being a part of our journey...we love each and every one of you!

Classroom Christmas Parties

2011-12-23T22:11:00.001-06:00

The boys ~~Holiday~~ Christmas parties were this past Tuesday and I decided to take a day off from work so I could spend the entire day with my sweet boys. I usually just go for the parties but this year I wanted to be there for all of it.

They're growing up so fast and before I know it, there will be no more classroom parties and no invitation for mom to hang out at school so I decided I better take advantage of it while I can. Kinda makes me sad!

The morning started off with the Kindergarten waffle breakfast. Keller's little eyes lit up when he walked in and saw me waiting on him...melt my heart!

He quickly gobbled down his food so he could introduce me to all of his sweet friends, even though I've met them about 6 times before.

I'm almost certain he knew the name of every kindergartner in the cafeteria and even knew some of their parents. The child never meets a stranger! We had story time, decorated sugar cookies, and watched a litte bit of a movie and then it was time for big brother's party. Keller wanted to go with me so I signed him out early and we went to spend the last part of the day with the 3rd graders.

The room mom did a wonderful job organizing the party and had so much planned for the kids that we almost ran out of time. They had a snowball fight,

made an ornament,

played a fun drawing game,

decorated a cupcake

and then nibbled on loads of sugar. Three o'clock rolled around and out the door we went. It's Christmas Break my friends and that means I get to spend the next two weeks with these cuties...

NO SCHOOL/NO WORK...JUST PLAY!

TIS THE SEASON TO WORK IN EDUCATION!

North Pole Express

2011-12-22T11:52:00.000-06:00

All aboard!

Last Saturday, the boys and I drove over to Grapevine to meet our friends for a ride on the North Pole Express.

Tony and I took the boys last year and they had such a good time so they were excited about going but even more excited when they found out Amy, Rylee and our friends from Houston would be joining us.

Unfortunately, distance keeps us from seeing Kendra, Abi and Jax as often as we'd like but you'd never know because we always pick up right where we left off, especially these two.

The kids took full advantage of their time together making ornaments,

playing tag and hide and seek, running around like crazy in the crisp cool air, singing Christmas carols and loving on Santa

while us girls caught each other up on what's been going on in our worlds. It was a fun night but one we were sad to see end because we know it will be a few months before we see each other again. Well, for our Houston friends anyways.
Thanks girls for a great night and I'll see ya at the beach in June!

Time for a little basketball...

2011-12-20T22:12:00.010-06:00

Baseball season ended so what's next on our sports calendar? Basketball!

Keller played a couple years ago and didn't really care much for the sport so we haven't signed him up to play since then. As a matter of fact, he told us he "never wanted to play again because he was only a baseball player." Enter his t-ball coach and that changed everything. Coach Danny decided to put a team together and Keller jumped all over the idea and was ready to go. Several of his t-ball friends play on the team so that just made it even better.

Practices started a couple weeks ago and they had their first game this past Saturday.

Unfortunately, the other team didn't have enough players so they had to forfeit. We were already at the gym and most of the dads were already on the court shooting so the coach decided to scrimmage, dads against sons.

It was so cute to watch but didn't end well for Tony, as he pulled his calf muscle when he went up for a shot. Within 3 minutes, it was swollen and he could barely walk. I felt sorry for him but reminded him that he wasn't 24 anymore and that there are just some things you have to leave to the younger generations. He assured me he was in shape and still had a lot of good playing days ahead. Whatever you say honey, whatever you say! On a serious note, it's such a blessing and it warms my heart to know Keller has a dad that wants to be involved and will spend countless hours at practices, games and working with him at home. I know there are many children that don't have that and it breaks my heart because I see how much it means to Kase and Keller. It's no surprise God knows what we need in life and he was right on when he blessed me with two little boys! There's nothing sweeter than being a boymom.

The Texans are back in action after the Christmas break and #41 will be ready to go. Until then, we'll cheer on our Dallas Mavericks because it looks as though they'll need it.

A Grand Slam Party

2011-12-17T22:10:00.001-06:00

On December 11th, we gathered together with some of Keller's teammates, classmates, family and close friends to celebrate Keller's 6th birthday.

He doesn't actually turn 6 until the 30th but it's easier to get everyone together before the holidays so we had it a little early. The theme was Texas Rangers and the party was held at D-BAT, an indoor baseball training facility and batting cages.

Between the Texas Ranger cake (and cupcakes) and getting to play baseball for 2 hours, Keller's day couldn't have been any better.

A former MLB player and a local high school baseball player led the boys in games, relay races, pitching drills, and then each took a turn in the batting cages or hitting off the tee.

They had an absolute blast and Keller enjoyed spending the afternoon with his buddies...

and a "real" baseball player.

It was definitely the easiest party we've ever had and I was actually able to visit with the parents, take pictures and watch the kids play. I'd say #6 was a win-win for all of us or, as Keller will tell you, it was a GRAND SLAM birthday party.

After the party, we went home and watched Keller unwrap his presents.

As you can tell, he absolutely loved all of his gifts and ended up with way more cash than I carry in my purse. It's apparent money and gift cards are the gifts to give these days. So long toys! Once he finished opening the ones from family and friends, Tony brought out his gift from us...

a set of his very own golf clubs.

He was so excited and couldn't wait to get outside and hit some balls. I, on the other hand, wonder if we can find time for one more sport in our home! Baseball, basketball, tennis, and golf...the fun never ends with three boys and their toys!

Happy Birthday Little Slugger! You fill our hearts and lives with such joy and we love you more than we ever imagined possible. What a blessing you are to our family.

Hitting Expo

2011-12-07T13:56:00.009-06:00

Keller was in baseball Heaven a couple weeks ago at the Garland Special Events Center. Harold Reynolds, the announcer for the MLB Network, hosted a hitting expo and Josh Hamilton and David Murphy were on hand for the event. His t-ball coach sent the email around a couple of weeks ago and we jumped on the opportunity to go b/c we knew what it would mean to Keller. We kept it a secret so you can imagine how excited he was when #32 walked out right in front of his eyes. I knew his expression would be priceless so I had my eye to the lens when he walked out and this is what I saw.

Thank goodness no one took a picture of me b/c I had tears in my eyes and that "ugly, I'm about to really cry look" just watching Keller process it all.

He was in such shock that it didn't hit him until Josh turned on his mic and started talking. That's when Keller knew it was the real deal. He kept saying, "Mommy it's Josh, it's the real Josh Hamilton. Take a picture of him mommy...as I'm snapping away!

Josh and David both talked about their childhood, the Rangers 2011 season, the importance of being a leader on and off the field and what life is like for a major league baseball player. They demonstrated some drills to do at home, talked about proper technique, and shared some funny little secrets but the most moving party was listening to Josh talk about his relationship w/Jesus Christ. It was a great message and a neat experience for all of us!

It was defintely an evening we won't forget and one that left Keller anxiously awaiting opening day of the 2012 baseball season!

Santa Cop Tournament

2011-11-27T17:44:00.002-06:00

Baseball season is officially over and what an AWESOME season it's been. We've enjoyed spending the past 4 months w/our new Texan family and look forward to playing together next Spring.

Before we put away the bat bag and retired the cleats, the Texans traveled to Grand Prairie to play in the Santa Cop tournament. The boys were proud of their 1st place league championship trophy but were looking to add to their collection. It was another 2 day tournament so our weekend was full of nothing but baseball. Tony was out of town on business so he was forced to miss and let me just tell you, Keller was devastated...and so was his daddy! I couldn't even watch the two of them say good-bye b/c Keller was crying and Tony had tears in his eyes. He felt horrible for leaving but knew he didn't have a choice. Can you say "Daddy's Boy?" It's ridiculous but oh so precious!

The boys played hard the first day but really looked like superstars on day two. Keller had two home runs, caught a pop fly and got several outs at first base. I'm fairly certain that performance had to do with the fact that I was recording it for Daddy so he wanted to put on a show. As a matter of fact, I had to eventually put the video camera away because he was a little "too worried" about looking cool. Notice the eye black and his hand gesture...he really thinks he's Josh Hamilton.

The first game was against the same team that put us out of the last tournament so we knew we had to bring our "A" game. The boys also knew if they won, they would be playing in the championship game so they laid it all on the line and came away w/a big win.

Texans were now one win away from being the tournament champs! Talk about a bunch of fired up 4, 5 and 6 year olds...you could feel their energy! In the championship game, the Texans jumped out to an early lead only to see it disappear in the final inning.

As a parent, it was heartbreaking to watch our little ones battle it out right up until the very last out but we couldn't have been more proud of their effort and the little ones got what they went for...a weekend of baseball fun and another trophy.

Win or lose, they learned a lot, formed friendships and had a blast along the way...that's what matters most!

Congratulations #19 on a wonderful season. You have shown so much growth on and off the field and we are so proud of the little guy you're becoming. We love you so, so much and look forward to a lifetime of cheering you on in all that you do!

Up next...basketball. This should be interesting!

Sweet P's Big 7

2011-11-20T21:04:00.000-06:00

In between the hustle and bustle of our busy Halloween weekend, we stopped to celebrate my precious niece Presley's 7th birthday. She was originally going to have an all girls party but decided last minute to invite boys. I mean after all, when you're this cute,

you have a lot of "boy" friends that you don't want to leave out.

And two boy cousins who wouldn't have been happy about it either. Presley, Kase and Keller have their fair share of scuffles but are pretty good buddies when it's all said and done.

As a matter of fact, they adore her...and so do her Aunt Stacy and Uncle Tony.

The boys had a great time being gymnasts,

playing games,

and just acting downright silly w/their friends.

Never a serious moment when you're a kid!

Happy Birthday Sweet P...we love you bunches!

6u Fall Champions

2011-11-19T22:25:00.001-06:00

The Texans finished off their fall season last week (it's actually been a couple weeks now) playing their last two games on back to back nights. The boys were determined to win 1st place and knew that meant they had to win both games so they came out swinging and playing awesome defense. A cold front moved through the first night so the boys had to play in less than favorable conditions. Us moms were under umbrellas, covered up in blankets wishing we could sit in our cars to warm up while our troopers were out there battling for a win. Keller saved his best game for last hitting his first home run of the season. He's had several triples throughout the season but never could quite make it home. Speed is definitely not his strong suit.

If you ask him about the homerun, he'll tell you it was a result of the big blue thing you see in his mouth. Had we known a mouth piece would do the trick, we would've purchased it a long time ago. Oh to have the mind of a 5 year old!

The boys fought hard winning both games and are now the proud owners of a 6u Championship trophy!

Way to go TEXANS! We couldn't be more proud of our boys and feel so blessed to be a part of such a great organization. You might remember me being a little skeptical of "select" baseball when this first started but I can't say enough good things about the integrity of our coaches and this organization as a whole. Keller has enjoyed the past four months and learned what it's like to be a part of something bigger than himself...and lucky for us, we got to do it all over again in the Spring with the same special friends!

It's a great day to be a TEXAN...and a baseball mom!

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-19T19:13:00.005-06:00

This past Wednesday, I took off a little early and spent the afternoon w/a special little Indian.

He and his classmates had a Thanksgiving Feast and shared their most thankful moments w/the parents in a slideshow presentation. It was so sweet to read what each child was most thankful for. Most said things like mom, dad, toys, dinosaurs, my teacher, and grandparents. Not Keller, he was most thankful for....

his baseball team. Big surprise!

Baseball is his passion and he loves his teammates so I was pretty certain his slide would involve one of the two. I know where I stand at the end of the day w/my sweet boy so I can handle not being first on the list.

After all, he's 5 and still learning what thankful means. Last year, Josh Hamilton and M&M's were at the top of the list so we're making progress.
I love you my precious Keller Bug!

A Time for Giving Thanks

2011-11-10T21:39:00.000-06:00

The 3rd grade music program was this past Tuesday and as always, it was so incredibly sweet.

This years theme was "A Time for Giving Thanks." Kase had been talking about it for weeks and was super excited about performing...until the curtain opened. He caught a glimpse of the crowd and suddenly seemed a little nervous.

After two songs, the look of sheer fright faded, the arms were uncrossed and he was ready to go. He sang his little heart out and did all the choreography just right...

but didn't once crack a smile until he saw us at the end of the show.

Ahhh, such relief to see familiar faces.

Great job Kase...we are so proud of you sweet boy!

Halloween Fun

2011-11-09T06:01:00.000-06:00

Somehow I skipped right over the fun Halloween parties leading up to Halloween. Good thing I don't have a full social calendar b/c the boys sure do. A party here, a party there so we had to divide our time b/w the two. Kase went to a Halloween Party at his classmates house who also happens to be the daughter of a friend from high school. This was the first time I've actually dropped Kase off at a party so it was comforting to know he was in such good hands.

She had tons of food, lots of sweets, games and a scavenger hunt set up for the kids. Kase had a blast and was a little upset that I came back to get him before the party was over. Shame on me for ruining his night. Keller and I spent the evening celebrating the twins 10th birthday. Their mom is a dear friend of mine so I was at the hospital the day they were born and haven't missed a birthday yet. I've enjoyed watching Kade and Kylie grow up and look forward to many more birthday celebrations with them. Game 7 of the World Series was on that night so I probably don't need to tell you where Keller spent most of his night...right in front of the TV.

Nervous habit of picking his lip and a frown on his face are sure signs that things weren't going well for the Rangers. Of course, we all know now that it didn't end well either. We still love our Texas Rangers and are already counting down the days to spring training. Well, I'm not but Keller is. It's going to be a loooooong winter at our house w/no baseball on TV. Thank goodness for DVR so Keller will have something to watch when I need him to be still for longer than 3 minutes.

Saturday was Scare on the Square and the t-ball tournament was over for the day so I assumed the entire family would go, just as we always have in the past. Nope, not this year. Keller decided he and Daddy needed to skip it so they could stay home and practice. Goodness gracious, the boy had just played two games but that wasn't enough. We tried to talk him out of it but that didn't work so it was just Kase and I.

While Kase was trick-or-treating, Keller was home hitting balls and fielding grounders. Seriously?!?! The child can't get enough!

Scientist #2

2011-11-08T05:47:00.004-06:00

Three years ago, I took this very same picture only Kase was wearing the lab coat. This time, it was little brothers turn.

The kindergarten classes have a science bag and one lucky kid gets to bring it home each week. Keller has been talking about the bag for weeks and was so excited when it was finally his turn to bring it home. Each student has to select an experiment, write about it in the notebook and perform it at school for their classmates. We looked at books and discussed our many options but Keller was determined to find one that involved a baseball. Told you the kid was obsessed! After searching through two books, cover to cover, he finally found the perfect one. It not only involved a baseball but a tennis ball as well. Two balls instead of one...can you imagine his excitement? We gathered all of the required materials and performed the experiment a couple of times so it would go smoothly the day of his presentation...and it did. When dropped at the same time, the tennis ball and baseball hit the floor at exactly the same time. The marble and aluminum foil ball did the very same thing. Keller learned an early lesson on gravity, his science experiment was a success and he finally got to take a baseball to school. It was a win win for him!

weekend of baseball...

2011-11-03T22:19:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was full of baseball, baseball and more baseball. We were at the ballpark bright and early Saturday morning and didn't finish up until Sunday afternoon. The Texans dominated game one winning 21-5.

After a quick lunch and a few silly pics, the boys were "baseball ready" for the start of game 2.

They played their hearts out but lost 18-19 to a very good team from Texarkana. We headed home 1-1 excited about day 2...only to find out later that evening that Day 2 would start off w/the team from Texarkana. Not sure how that happened but it did so we were seeking revenge in game 3. Keller listened to his "Ranger music" on the way to the game hoping it would get him fired up and ready to play ball.

The Texans dominated the entire game right up until the very last inning.

The Razorbacks were the home team (again) so they batted last and ended up winning 26-25. Talk about a heartbreaker. Keller came out of the dugout w/his head hung down because "they didn't win a trophy". Within 2 minutes, he was back to his normal self running all over the place w/his teammates. I think it was harder on the adults b/c it took Tony and I the car ride home before we could get past it. Losing is tough but even tougher when you're one point away from winning. Even though our boys didn't get their trophy, we couldn't be any more proud of the team and the effort they showed on the field. They have come so far since practice started in August and it's truly amazing to see the growth in each of them. Keller went from not being able to catch a ball in the air to rarely missing one hit or thrown his way. I say all of that not to brag on him or our team but to show what happens when you have great coaches...and we do! They have a passion for the sport and a huge heart for the boys that extends beyond the baseball field. The following was taken directly from the team website and it pretty much sums up what the focus is every game.

This was the first tournament for these boys to all play in together as a TEAM, and what an amazing job they did! They battled against a great t-ball team from Texarkana and came up 1 point short from going to the championship game. These boys have grown in such amazing ways as a TEAM in the past few months and us as parents and coaches are so proud of them for all their hard work. Best part is, they had a blast this weekend and had huge smiles on their faces even if they didn't bring home a trophy...that's what it's all about!

Coach Stone's favorite "occurrences" this weekend:
-Keller asking him why there is a "milk cow" in the parking lot as he is rounding 1st base on his way to 2nd

-Snake (Jake W) praying a sweet but selfish prayer that "I" have a really good game·

-Caden completely throwing his Dad under the bus as to why they were late

-Jake O (from the tee) respectfully moving me out of his way so he could look his Mom in the eyes pound his chest twice and kiss the peace sign and point to the sky before doubling to right field

Precious memories for all of us involved!!!

Winning is what every coach would like but ours realize the importance of having fun and making memories that will last long after the season ends. It's great to be a TEXAN!

FYI-The "milk cow" Keller was referring to was the Chick-fil-A cow. Guess he thought he looked a little out of place at the ballpark.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

Halloween 2011 is over but the memories will be with us for months to come. It was a night full of tricks, treats, and lots of sweets as we spent the evening w/family, wonderful neighborhood friends and these two precious little people...Ninja and ~~Evil~~ Jester.

We had dinner together and then set off on our trick or treat hayride. It's become an annual tradition and something the boys start talking about long before Halloween. Mike took it up a notch this year and really went all out w/the trailer decorations. I'm sure we were mistaken for the Griswold's as we made our way through the neighborhood. The kids loved it and I'm pretty sure the adults had just as much fun as the kids. I know these two did. Can you guess which one belongs to our family?

The highlight of the night was watching the kids as they experienced their first Haunted House together. I use the term "Haunted House" loosely as it was actually set up in the front yard, entry way and dining room area of a home. The couple have been doing it for years but this is the first year the kids were brave enough to take a tour. Keller opted to stay on the trailer but surprisingly enough, Kase was up for it.

His only request was that I go with him...and thank goodness I did because he was terrified and screamed as soon as the first person jumped out at him. Actually, they all screamed...and very loudly! I tried assuring them they were just people in costumes but that didn't seem to help much. I'll admit, at one point, I was actually trying to calm myself (and keep from wetting my pants) b/c it was a little scary. We did eventually make it through and no one has complained of nightmares so I'd say our first haunted house was a success. However, I'm not sure anyone will ask to do it again next year.

The kids ended up with entirely too much candy but believe me when I say, it will all get eaten ...especially those tiny little boxes of milk duds!

What a fun night for all of us...we're already looking forward to next year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T10:00:00.003-05:00

BOOOOO....

HaPpY HaLloWeEn

FrOm tHe LiNdEmAnS!

Fun & Festive Week

2011-10-29T20:45:00.010-05:00

This past week was a busy one for the boys. It was Drug Free week at school and each day was a different theme. Kindergarten also had "scarecrow day" so Keller had to dress up on Thursday. He was a little disappointed that he had to miss "favorite team" day in order to participate in scarecrow day. Poor little guy wanted to wear his Rangers jersey but had to wear this instead...

Can you tell he was thrilled? I did eventually get a smile out of him...after I told him he could take the belt off. He originally had straw on his arms and a rope belt but that didn't last 20 seconds. When it comes to clothing, Keller is all about comfort. Getting him to wear the jeans w/a button up shirt was a struggle.

Kase changed things up a little bit for this years "favorite team"day. For the past 4 years, he's always worn an A&M shirt but this year was different. Why? Because he saw this shirt at Old Navy and decided that since his old babysitter plays basketball for the Red Raiders, Tech would be his favorite team for the winter.

Once basketball season is over with, he said he would go back to cheering for the Aggies. Whatever works and as long as he doesn't ask me to buy him a burnt orange shirt, we're good!

Took him a couple tries but he finally got his "guns up". Go Lady Raiders and good luck this season #41!

The boys fun filled week ended Friday w/their annual parade and walk-a-thon. Each grade level created a banner and wouldn't you know Mr. Keller had to be one of the ones to hold it. He was so proud to be up front w/his friends.

There's my little man hiding in the corner flashing mommy a big smile!

Kase, with his blue hair, was content hiding out in the middle of the other 3rd graders.

All the walking wore them smooth out. They came home and crashed on the floor of the playroom. Goodness, it sure is hard work being a kid!

Tennis

2011-10-29T05:51:00.000-05:00

Tennis lessons started back up last month and I finally have some pictures of my little tennis player.

I'm usually racing to get to practice from work so I don't have time to run home and grab my camera...and I always seem to forget to load it the morning of lessons. Between baseball practices, games, tennis lessons, school events and work, my brain is on overload.

Kase is taking lessons at a new place this Fall and we really like it. The coach is a younger guy so he is super energetic and you can tell he loves what he's doing...the kids can sense it as well. He is having so much fun, learning a lot and seems to be developing a true interest in the sport. Not sure what we'll do when the temps turn chilly; but for now, Tuesday afternoons are dedicated to watching our oldest have fun on the tennis courts.

It's the perfect ending to a busy day!

Another Texan Win

2011-10-27T05:45:00.006-05:00

After suffering their first loss of the season, the Texans got back on track Tuesday night winning game 8 21-15.

Just like our good ol' Texas Rangers, our boys were determined not to lose 2 in a row and it showed in their efforts on the field.

They are having so much fun and are gearing up for their first big tournament this weekend. Keller is so fired up about playing three games in one day and and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

Perfect Fall weather, a day w/friends and cheering for our TEXAN boys...what's not to love about that?

Can't win em' all

2011-10-20T22:11:00.000-05:00

After winning game 6 last week 25-14 against a group of very large and questionable 5&6 year olds,

the Texans suffered their first loss of the season against the Horns Tuesday night. Yuck, I just got a little sick typing that. I don't mind losing (sometimes) but I sure don't want to lose to a team named after the Longhorns. Any other team would've been fine! Our boys were a little rusty on defense the first 2 innings and I'm convinced it was a result of the cooler temps. They weren't used to playing in 50 degree weather so it took them a little time to get going.

By the 3rd inning, their games faces were on and they were fighting hard but came up short in the end.

It was a great game and I think the boys need to learn what it's like to be on the losing end but it sure is hard, especially for the crazy moms screaming in the stands. We were cheering so loud that I ended up w/a scratchy voice and a slight headache. Keller divided his time b/w catcher and 3rd base. The highlight of the night was watching him catch his first pop fly or "line drive" as he likes to call it. Sweet boy was so surprised when he looked down and realized the ball was actually in his glove. Such a precious moment to see your child accomplish something he's been talking about doing all season long. I seriously thought I was going to cry! As if that wasn't exciting enough, he ended up getting the game ball for his performance on 3rd combined w/a couple of good base hits.

Talk about proud...my heart was about to explode.

We have three games left in the regular season and then it's tournament time. If you need us in November, you're sure to find us at the ballpark cheering for our Texan boys!

Fair Day

2011-10-15T14:40:00.004-05:00

A day the boys have been looking forward to for quite some time was finally here....Fair Day 2011. Unfortunately, Tony just started a new positoin/route at work so he was unable to join us this year. It was a little disappointing for all of us but work comes before play. Well, sometimes! Mommy did manage to take the day off b/c there was no way I was going to miss Fair Day w/my two little buddies, nor were they going to let me miss. They were so excited and couldn't wait to meet our friends at Big Tex.

The gang arrived and off we went...let the fun begin!

We ate corny dogs, funnel cakes, cotton candy, watched the dog show, made a quick trip to see the stinky animals, played games, and rode rides until we ran out of tickets.

The weather was perfect and we had way too much fun....just the way we like it!

See you next year Big Tex...and with my camera b/c Morgan isn't near as snap happy as I need her to be.

5

2011-10-09T07:38:00.011-05:00

Five games down, 5 to go and the Texans are still undefeated!

The boys just keep getting better and better every week. This past Saturday, we took on the mighty Wolverines and according to the coaches, they were one of the top teams in the league. Knowing that, we knew the boys would have to be on top of their game to keep the winning streak alive and boy, were they! As a team, they played their best game of the season winning 24-9.

Keller played very well and I think it had a little something to do w/a special someone in the stands. Kelsi, a former student and Keller's buddy, was in town from college and she came out to watch him play. She plays basketball for Texas Tech and never gets to come home so you can imagine how excited he was to look up into the stands and see her sitting there.

He turned on the charm, kicked it up a notch and put on quite a show for her.

Look at those dirty pants...he is having too much fun!

And so are his #1 fans!

We love you little Texan!

October 1st

2011-10-06T20:03:00.008-05:00

The boys noticed the tent was up and started screaming w/excitement b/c they knew it would soon be time for our yearly trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

I usually try to hold off until later in the month so our pumpkins don't get all squishy but the boys weren't having any part of that idea. It was October 1st and that meant it was time to run through the hay maze and search for their prized pumpkin so off we went on opening day!

Keller knew exactly what kind of pumpkin he wanted so he spent most of his time running around, pulling the wagon and climbing on hay bales.

Kase needed some extra time to check out all the different kinds before he made his final selection. A lot goes into picking out a pumpkin when you're 8 years old!

The weather was absolutely beautiful so it made for a perfect day at the patch. We left w/some potted mums, a couple of "baby pumpkins", some carving pumpkins and three pieces of squash carefully chosen by Kase. He loved the uniqueness of each piece and thought they deserved a place w/the other Fall decorations in his room. Such a sweet boy to always see the goodness in things that are different...even if it is just a piece of squash.

Look at those precious faces...I'm so in love that I seriously think my heart might explode!

Happy Fall Y'all!

A close one...

2011-09-30T11:17:00.009-05:00

Game 4

Texans 17

Cubs 16

It was a close one but the Texans fought hard to pull out their 4th win of the season.

Still having fun...

still undefeated!

GO TEXANS!!

Homecoming 2011

2011-09-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night, we met our neighborhood friends (and some new friends) in the parking lot to tailgate before the homecoming game.

I think there ended up being about 40 of us total so it was a little bit crazy but so much fun for all of us!

The guys manned the grill and talked about football, the kids played their hearts out while the moms chatted and kept the kids from running into the street. We had seats right down front so the kids felt like they were part of the action.

Keller was dying to go down on the field so that's the reason for his "mad face".

It was perfect football weather and a pretty exciting game up until the 3rd quarter when the Scots pulled away for good. The game didn't end like we had hoped but we are still proud Yellowjacket fans and are looking forward to our next tailgate party in two weeks.

Picture Day

2011-09-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

The boys had school pictures this past Thursday and b/c I never know how those will turn out, I decided I better snap a few of my own before we left.

Kase loves to dress up for school but it's very rare that Keller wears a collored shirt so I wanted to make sure I got a picture of it...and how cute that I captured the picture day envelope in his backpack.

Keller's everyday attire includes mesh shorts and a sports related t-shirt, preferably baseball but he is slowly coming around w/other sports. Both boys were in a great mood and willing to participate so I took full advantage of that window of opportunity....and snapped away. Keller is obsessed w/having a bat in his pictures so here is the signature bat pose.

Whatever works!

Seriously...is there anything sweeter or could they be any cuter? I don't think so!

Just cause...

2011-09-23T14:25:00.002-05:00

Just cause they're so darn cute and I love them to pieces...

Oh...and it's tie dye spirit day.

Let's not leave our bat out of a picture. It's a must have item these days!

That and the teeny tiny picture his brother drew for him this morning...it's his new friend Guinea Pig. Kids and their imaginations...is there anything sweeter?

Keller Bug

2011-09-23T06:32:00.000-05:00

The many faces of Keller...

Goodness, how I love that boy!

Another big win...

2011-09-23T06:13:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can tell, I didn't do much better this week in regards to pictures at the game. I did manage to take individual pictures of the boys for the website and a few other cute ones here and there but only three of my own child. I better get w/it b/c Keller wants to see pictures of himself to see if he looks like "Josh Hamilton" on the field. Dream big baby...reach for the stars!

The Texans are now 3-0 after winning 20-9 Tuesday night. Keller played outfield, 3rd base and catcher for an inning. He loved wearing all the gear but his favorite part was catching the ball and handing it to the umpire to sit on the tee...it's the little things that excite him the most. He also had a double and a triple. I'm pretty sure the triple would've been a homerun had his little legs not given out at 3rd base. He's still working on his speed...bless his sweet heart.

We're so proud of our little Texans and can't wait for Game 4. Let the winning streak continue...

Party time...

2011-09-22T22:54:00.003-05:00

Ooops, I said in a previous post that we celebrated four birthdays when really it was 5. Our littliest buddy Korbin turned 2 so we spent Saturday afternoon celebrating his special day.

Although there's a large gap in age, he and Keller are the best of friends when they're together and I'm sure it's b/c they're so much alike.

Rowdy, rambunctious and 110% boy. Happy Birthday Korbin!

In the past month...

2011-09-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

We completed our 4th week of school...and would you believe? Keller only had to change his color twice. The first time was for talking during storytime and the 2nd time he and another little boy were making noises. Noises, as in sounds that should only be heard in a restroom. Keller is making sure I don't miss a thing when it comes to being a boymom. Needless to say, we had a little discussion about manners, classroom behavior and he didn't get to watch the Ranger game on TV two nights in a row. Apparently, that was the perfect consequence b/c our little kindergartner has been on green for the past 2 1/2 weeks and even earned a smiley face 3 times. I think he is finally getting the hang of things and loves being at school....just like his big brother!

We had open house and got to see some precious work and hear about all the wonderful things going on this school year.

I know I say it all the time but we are so blessed to be a part of such an amazing community w/top notch schools. The boys have wonderful teachers and that makes for one very happy mommy. We absolutely love our school!

We attended our first football game of the season w/our neighborhood friends.

Several of us met in the parking lot about an hour and a half before kick-off and had a little tailgate party.

The adults ate and talked while the kids played football,

colored their hair w/orange hairspray,

and chased each other around the parking lot until they were soaking wet from sweat. Unfortunately, the Jackets lost the game but we sure had fun and can't wait to go back Friday night for Homecoming!

We celebrated four of our special friends birthdays and have two more coming up this weekend. Happy Birthday Lexi, Trinity, Thomas and Ashton. I don't recall having such a busy social calendar when I was 5 and 8 but it's wonderful and we love every single minute of it.

Can't you tell? Look at that smile!

Whew! I think I'm finally caught up...until tomorrow.

Picture-less Game 2...

2011-09-22T19:16:00.006-05:00

Game 2 was last Saturday and the Texans came away w/their 2nd win of the season. According to Keller, they were hitting "bombs". With a final score of 26-18, I'd have to agree w/him. I was so ~~involved in the game~~ busy chatting w/the moms that I didn't realize until I got home that I only took 5 pictures the entire game. Yes, only 5...can you believe it? What's even more surprising is that 3 of them were taken before the game even started.

You will notice in the first picture that my worst fear is now a reality. Keller has become "Killer" and it's all my fault. We knew when we chose his name, there was a good possibility that would happen; however, neither of us realized it would happen so soon....at the young age of 5. Of course, being his mom, I don't love it but it fits him well on the baseball field so we'll go w/it! Fortunately, they still call him "Boomstick" so I don't cringe every time he comes up to bat. His bat backpack has the #1 on it, not b/c he's #1 in our eyes, but b/c the embroidery machine broke midway through. So, right now, he's Killer and he's #1.

We love you sweet boy and are so proud of you for playing your little heart out!

Play ball...

2011-09-09T06:09:00.000-05:00

Fall ball started last night and I'm pretty sure you could sense our excitement from a mile away. Well, some of us...one little guy wasn't too happy about sitting outside in the sun for an hour and a half but he survived. Nothing a pair of sunglasses, a good book, a comfy chair and a sprite won't fix. He was a trooper!

Aside from Kase, the rest of us have been anxiously awaiting this season as Keller is part of a new team w/great kiddos, amazing coaches and wonderful parents.

The boys have been practicing twice a week for the last 6 weeks and you can defintely see it paying off. The Texans were baseball ready and playing for the win. Keller played right field, left field and the majority of the night at 3rd base.

Daddy would like him to play infield but Keller informed us that he liked the outfield b/c "that's where Josh Hamilton plays". Can you tell he spends way too much time watching the Ranger games?

He did great at the plate but most importantly, had a blast playing w/his new Texan friends! The boys played well together and won in dominating fashion, 23-10. Game 2 is Saturday and we're ready for win #2!

Way to go Texans!

First day...7 days late.

2011-08-29T20:38:00.001-05:00

So what? The 1st day of school post is a week late. Surely you aren't surprised! When am I ever on top of things in blog world? At least it's done and now we can focus on the rest of the school year b/c I can already tell it's going to be a busy one. Our first day of school routine was very similar to the last 3 years but double the fun b/c we had not one, but two precious little boys to drop off. They were both up at the crack of dawn raring to go. They hurried through breakfast, brushed teeth, got dressed and played a game of golf on the Wii before it was time to head out front for our traditional 1st day of school photoshoot.

Kase is all too familiar w/it so I don't even have to tell him what to do...he just knows.

Keller was a little challenging b/c he cares nothing about having his picture taken. He'd much rather play in the dirt, run up and down the sidewalk, pick his nose, and take a picture w/his baseball stone.

You know all the really important things that have nothing to do w/the first day of school.

After taking what seemed like 324 pictures, I decided to call it a session. They were sick of smiling and quite honestly, we were all a little sweaty. Grammar arrived so we hopped in the car and what do you know....the crazy thing wouldn't start. Surely this wasn't any indication of how my week would go. Keller saw it as the perfect opportunity to walk to school however, Tony was home so I survived having to change out of heels and into my tennis shoes. Larry, Morgan and Presley met us at school so we took a few more pictures

and then parted ways for the day.

Keller was anxious to get to class and once again, big brother wanted to be a part of his big day so he didn't mind waiting his turn. We approached the door and with tear filled eyes, I watched our youngest son confidently walk into his kindergarten classroom, carefully select his cubby (19 for his t-ball number), unpack his things and take a seat next to his new classmates and friends.

The moment he'd been waiting for had arrived. He was finally at school w/his big brother. I gave him a kiss, waved good bye and hurried out the door so he wouldn't see the tears streaming down my face. By the time we made it to the 3rd grade hall, I was asking myself why I even bothered wearing make-up. I was able to get it together long enough to watch Kase put his things in his locker

but by the time he sat down at his desk, the tears were back.

He looked so grown up! We took turns telling him good-bye, gave him one last kiss and walked out the door. Our precious firstborn son was sitting in a 3rd grade classroom and his little brother was right down the hall. Talk about a bittersweet moment...yep, I lost it!

Thanks to my wonderful mom, the car has a brand, spanking new battery. Keller absolutely loves kindergarten and made it through the first week w/out having to change his color. Kase is thrilled about having his own textbooks and keeping a JAM journal and the best part of the week, we were fully dressed and out the door on time every single day. Now that, my friends, is something to get excited about. Thank you Lord for a perfect start to a new school year!

11 years and counting...

2011-08-26T06:43:00.004-05:00

Today is a special day as Tony and I celebrate 11 years of marriage.

Happy Anniversary to the one who works so hard and sacrifices so much each and everyday to make sure we remain OBHF. You are an AMAZING man, wonderful husband and a loving father to our children. Thank you for being you and for loving me even when I'm most difficult to love...which shouldn't be too often b/c God did bless you w/a pretty perfect wife. (Haha)

I love you the most!

Meet the Teacher

2011-08-23T20:52:00.006-05:00

Pop back to school was this past Friday so the boys were anxiously awaiting my arrival home from work. They couldn't wait to find out who they'd be spending the next 9 months with. Since it was Keller's first official meet the teacher, we went to the kindergarten hall first. Kase was such a good big brother and led the way for Keller. He couldn't wait to show him where his classroom would be. The lists were posted in the hall so we stopped, looked for Keller's name and SURPRISE! His name was on the same list Kase's was 3 short years ago. Mrs. R knew it was little brother's turn to start school so we were all secretly hoping that would happen...and it did! Presley also had Mrs. R last year so she said it was only fair for her to have all 3. We tried to warn her early on that Keller was a busy little fella but she's ready for the challenge and I can't think of anyone better for Keller than her.

Doesn't she just look like a kindergarten teacher? I'm telling you, it takes someone special to teach little ones and she is. Not only is she patient, kind and the most loving person but she is also a proud mom of 2 boys who have personalities very similar to Kase and Keller so she gets it. We are so excited and feel extremely blessed that Keller gets to spend his first year in public school w/someone so precious to our family! I know, without a doubt, this is going to be one fantastic year for Keller Bug.

After we dropped off supplies, filled out paperwork and took a few pics, we were off to the 3rd grade hall. Did I really just say 3rd grade?

The teacher Kase really wanted for 3rd grade moved to 2nd so he was a little bit sad about that. Fortunately, he got Mrs. Bridgewater who we've heard is a wonderful teacher but...she's on maternity leave for 12 weeks so he's starting the year w/a sub. We met the sub who was as sweet as can be and she is very excited about teaching the class. I'll admit...the educator in me was a little nervous about Kase having a sub but I found out she is a certified teacher and was previously a long term sub for another 3rd grade class. Knowing that, I feel much better and won't spend the next 3 months stressing out over him being prepared for the new STAAR test. He is in great hands. Several of his friends are also in his class so that was an added bonus. Great teachers, special friends, and two happy little guys...what's not to love about the upcoming school year. It's going to be SPECTACULAR and we are ready to get it started!

"The Rock"

2011-08-20T14:09:00.009-05:00

Keller tried out for a select baseball team a few weeks ago and is now a proud member of the Dallas Texans. The team has been practicing twice a week and boy is it hot! Going from city league to a select team is something I don't think I was prepared for...it's no joke. They take it very seriously and the kids are expected to as well. It is a very structured and disciplined environment so it's the best thing for Keller but I'm not going to lie; it took a couple practices for me to get used to the fact that my 5 year old might have to run poles or do push ups if he wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing. The mom in me kept saying, "but he's only 5, he doesn't know." I certainly didn't want my poor babies feelings to be hurt or for him to feel like I did when my drill team instructor made me do high kicks up and down the gym floor b/c I couldn't get on my prop the right way. See, it scarred me for life. Okay, maybe I just went a little overboard but you get the idea. Fortunately, for Keller's sake{and maybe mine}, he has the most patient, kind and encouraging coaches who work so hard to make it a fun and rewarding experience for the boys. They are truly AWESOME and not only are they teaching the fundamentals of the game but also what it takes to be a winner on and off the field. Leadership, respect and responsibility-that's what makes me proud! It's been a great experience so far and we are completely blown away by the progress seen in such a short amount of time.

This past week, at practice, Keller was given "the rock".

It's a big rock that has the team logo on one side and "TEAM OVER ME" on the other side. The coaches select one player who truly stands out at practice and games by listening, working hard, being a team player and giving 110% the entire time. The listening is sometimes hard for Keller but Monday, he was determined to take home the rock...and he did! He was so excited when the coach called his name...and so were we. Then I realized I forgot my camera so I was mad at myself...never again will that happen. We had to stop by Papa and Grammar's house on the way home so he could show it off to them. He had a hard time returning the rock on Thursday but assured us he was going to get it again at one of his games.

I have no doubt that he will and you can bet I'll have my camera there to capture it. Way to go #19! That's something to ~~smile~~ slide about!

Day at the Museum

2011-08-12T09:20:00.000-05:00

Last week or the week before...I can't keep up w/days during the summer, the boys and I took a little field trip to the Dallas Children's Museum and IMAX w/Morgan, Presley and our sweet friend, Trinity.

It's something we talked about doing last summer but never quite made it over there so Kase added it to this summers to do list. Guess that meant we had to go b/c you can't leave anything unchecked on his list. We got there right when they opened so the kids pretty much had free reign of the place. They started off digging for dinosaur bones and then set off to explore the different rooms.

Keller was so excited to see the fire station and couldn't wait to put on the gear and ring the bell.

The kids had so much fun running from room to room checking out all the cool things to see and do.

Once we were done w/the museum, it was about time for our movie to start.

Keller isn't a fan of 3D movies so I wasn't sure what he would think of the IMAX but he loved it. Actually, we all did. It was a really interesting movie about dolphins and the pictures were unbelievable. In fact, they were so real that I saw the boys look down on the ground several times to make sure we weren't really flying over the ocean, riding in a boat or swimming w/the dolphins. As soon as the movie ended, we made a quick stop at the gift shop b/c you know you don't leave a place like that w/out a prize. We finished off the afternoon w/lunch at Chuy's and yummy custard from Wild about Harry's. It was such a fun day and we are so thankful we got to spend it w/Presley, Aunt Bubba and our sweet friend Trin. Dallas Children's Museum-check!

Girls Get-away

2011-08-08T07:59:00.003-05:00

Girls only weekend...I can't even put into words how much fun it was other than to say it was ridiculous how much fun we had. It was the kind of fun we're still hysterically laughing about 3 weeks later. Pictures taken throughout the weekend still pop up in text messages sent to one another. They come at just the right time in my day and I end up laughing so hard my head hurts. I needed that weekend in a bad way. We left Friday afternoon and came back Sunday afternoon so two full days in Austin w/girls only. The mommy hat was off and it was all about us...the 4 of us. Our weekend included amazing facials, a crappy manicure, yummy dinners, frosty beverages, silly pictures, laying by the pool, shopping, and hours and hours of uncontrollable laughter. We laughed until we cried, almost peed our pants and woke up the next morning feeling as though we did an ab video the night before b/c our guts hurt so bad. We were having way to much fun all by ourselves!

We had dinner at the Gristmill in Gruene Friday night, slept until 10:00 Saturday morning and then laid by the pool all afternoon. I can't tell you when the last time was that I slept that late but then again, it's been a long time since I stayed up until 4 a.m. so I'm certain that had a lot to do with it. Regardless, it was nice and felt so good to sleep in past 7:00. We decided a girls trip wasn't complete w/out a little shopping so after the pool, we made a quick trip to the mall. Natalie needed some new lipstick but somehow all of us ended up w/a couple bags of our own. Big surprise...girls shopping together equals trouble and $$. By the time we finished at the mall, it was time to start getting ready for our night downtown.

Our plans included dinner at Iron Cactus on 6th street and a visit to Brad Womack's bar. Natalie was determined to find it...and we did.

They carded us at the door{really?}, we walked in and walked right back out. It didn't take us long to realize we were way out of our element. In fact, I'm pretty sure we looked like parents checking up on our college students. Speaking of students, I ran into a former student walking out so you can imagine how red my face was from embarrassment. I wanted to crawl in a hole. We walked about another block and then decided it was time to call it a night. I think we were all really feeling our age at that point and discussion had turned to what wrinkle creme we were going to purchase when we got back home. It didn't help when our cab driver told us that the "mature" crowd hangs out on west 6th street. Guess that was a nice way of saying we were too old to be in that part of town. Sadly enough, it was the truth! Guess my days on 6th street were over when I left Southwest Texas State back in the late 90's. We took advantage of our last night together and once again stayed up late talking, laughing, and taking pictures like we were teenagers all over again. The only thing missing was pom poms and prank calling.

Don't even ask??

It was greatness and we didn't want it to end but knew it had to b/c reality was waiting back home for us. We woke up early, made a stop at Rudy's for some breakfast tacos and then headed back home. As sad as I was about my weekend coming to an end, I knew I had two excited little boys waiting to see me when I got home. I couldn't wait to see them! It was the best feeling in the world walking in to see them w/arms stretched wide open and smiles on their faces...daddy's too. After the weekend I had w/girlfriends, I was refreshed and gladly put my mommy hat back on! Thank you Kelli, Nicole, and Natalie for an AmAziNg weekend.

Your friendship is such a blessing to me and I can't wait to do it again next summer and every summer for the rest of our lives! Maybe we'll even sing and dance in an RV. Oh wait, we already did that...best time ever girls...LYLAS!

P.S. Kelli-will you please see a doctor about your two left feet? It kills...

College Station

2011-08-05T08:13:00.007-05:00

Welcome to Aggieland...is there anything sweeter than that? I think not!

We took a long overdue trip down to College Station this past week-end to see Paw-Paw Bobby. The boys rarely get to see him and when they do, it's always been at our house so they were excited to finally be going to his house. He lives in a retirement home so we just visited and then spent the night in a hotel...with a swimming pool of course. The boys have such high standards and I just don't have any idea who they might get that from! We took Paw-Paw and his friend, Linda out to dinner at this yummy place.

If you ever go to College Station, you can't leave w/out eating here. It's the best! After dinner, we went back to Paw-Paw's house and let the boys entertain him for a bit. Linda had a huge basket of toys so she dumped it out and the first thing they found was the nerf guns.

Fire away!

We woke up early Sunday, had a nice breakfast and the boys swam a little before it was time to go say good-bye to Paw-Paw Bobby. They weren't at all happy about our trip being so short but we promised we would see him again soon. As it turns out, we'll be seeing him a lot sooner than we thought b/c he's decided to move to the Dallas area. I truly think spending time w/his grandsons had a lot to do w/his decision so that made our trip down even more worth it. You could see the sparkle in his eye as he watched the boys play. Keller talked to him about his recent select baseball try-outs and asked him to come to some of his games in the Fall. Just the thought of that tickled Bobby to death and we are so excited about having another fan in Keller's cheering section. We took a couple pictures and this about sums up our lives these days.

Keller is the family clown and doesn't take much in life too seriously. He's such a joy!

After saying good-bye, we took Kase and Keller down to see the one and only, Texas A&M University. I figure you can't start brainwashing your children soon enough. Kase has always been an Aggie fan...I started him young. I'm still working on Keller but it looks like I'm losing out to Tony and the Longhorns. How dare I even say that word on here but we can have a house divided. Actually, we don't care where our children go as long as they go somewhere and preferably w/a scholarship in hand. Kase thinks he might want to be a vet or an architect so we took him by those buildings. We also showed him the track field and tennis courts, two of his other interests. He was pretty impressed w/it all but the animal science building was his favorite. Keller just wants to be a baseball player so he was mainly concerned w/seeing the baseball fields. He's so easy to please! We drove by Kyle Field,

made a quick stop at Aggieland Outfitters and had lunch at Layne's before hitting the road for home.

It was a very short trip but well worth it b/c we were able to convince Paw-Paw Bobby that the best place to be is close to his family...we can't wait to get him here!

San Diego

2011-08-03T06:35:00.000-05:00

Here we are two months later and I think I'm finally ready to post about our family vacation to San Diego. Today is only about the 43rd time I've sat down to do it so I'm relieved that it's finally finished. Too many pictures and a lot of memories that I didn't want to leave out so it always left me feeling a little overwhelmed. Not to mention, we had VBS, baseball camp, weekend trips to Arkansas and College Station, an overnight stay at the Gaylord, swim lessons, and a trip to Galveston so I've had other things to blog about that weren't as detailed as a family vacation. You can call it procrastination too...it won't hurt my feelings!

Back to our week in Cali...we started planning this trip back in February so by the time June 4th rolled around, we were beyond excited about spending 5 days together in San Diego. The boys had never flown so that alone was a new experience for them. Keller loved it, Kase not so much. He definitely takes after me when it comes to flying. We'd prefer to drive even if it's 1000 miles away. Something about being 30,000 feet in the air doesn't sit well w/either of us but we survived and I'm sure we'll do it again next summer. Our plane left at 7:30 so with the time difference, we were in San Diego by 9:30 a.m. We wasted no time getting started on our list of things to do and see. Our feet hit the ground and we didn't slow down until we boarded the plane to come back home. It was 5 days of non-stop fun so you can imagine how depressing it was around our house as we reacquainted ourselves w/reality; which, by the way, stinks after being on vacation. Fortunately, we have plenty of pictures and many memories hid away in our hearts that we can reflect back on throughout the years. It was definitely a family vacation we'll remember for a lifetime!

Day 1-La Jolla Cove

2011-08-03T06:25:00.000-05:00

As soon as we stepped off the plane, we knew why everyone said we'd have a hard time coming back home to Texas. The weather was amazing, palm trees all around us and you could just smell the ocean in the air.

It was absolutely perfect! By the time we got through baggage claim, our cab was waiting for us. It was the first cab ride for the boys so they had nine million questions about every little piece of equipment in the cab. Thank goodness we had a very patient and extremely kind driver. We arrived at our hotel way before check in but lucky for us, they had a room ready. Now that never happens so I was a little skeptical but I agreed to take it. It wasn't our exact room but surely it wouldn't be that much different than the room we reserved. We hopped on the golf cart and off we went. All uncertainties were put to rest when our driver pulled up and said, "here you go".

What? Are you serious? This is where we'll be staying the next 5 days? Sweet...we'll take it!

We quickly unpacked and then changed into our swimsuits and headed to La Jolla for the day.

The boys were anxious to explore the coves,

dig in the sand, swim in the ocean

and get up close and personal with the Sea Lions.

Tony and I were excited about trying out the well known restaurant, George's on the Cove. It was so yummy! After several hours exploring La Jolla, it was back to the hotel for a shower, dinner and an early bed time.

Waking up at 4:30 finally caught up with us and we needed to be well rested for a busy day 2 in San Diego.

Day 2-Sea World

2011-08-03T06:20:00.000-05:00

With a 2 hour time difference, the boys were up at the crack of dawn raring to go. 5:30 to be exact. It was extremely bright outside so it seemed much later than it really was. So much for black out shades in a hotel...those things never fool our kids. Needless to say, we were first in line at the restaurant for breakfast. After a delicious meal, we went to the island market to buy a few souvenirs and then it was time to board the water taxi for Sea World.

It took us from the marina at the resort to the back entrance of Sea World. It was so nice to not have to find a parking spot, walk a mile to the front entrance and then wait in line to get in the gate. We picked up our map, plotted our day and then headed off to our first show. Betcha can't guess which one that might be. Yep, good ol' Shamu!

The boys insisted we sit in the splash zone so we got wet a lot sooner than we planned. It was only about 63 degrees so we were actually a little chilly. Very different than our trip to Sea World in San Antonio when we were sweating before the show even started. The weather in San Diego definitely made it a much more pleasant experience for all of us.

In between shows, the boys got a tattoo {glittery tattoos, Daddy was so proud},

ate a lot of junk, shopped at the gift stores, toured the aquarium,

and even agreed to ride a few rides, including the Journey to Atlantis.

They saw it before we got in line but had no idea what was in store. Tony wasn't so sure about it either but put on his brave face for the boys. He's not as daring as I am when it comes to amusement parks. We hopped on and off we went. I talked to Kase all the way up the first big hill assuring him it would be okay and that he would end up loving it. Yeah, I lied about the "loving it" part but he was okay 10 minutes after we got off the ride. Keller is a little dare devil so he handled it a little bit better. He by no means was asking to go again but he was so shocked after the first drop that he didn't say a word until we got off the ride. Kase screamed and cried the entire time. It was absolutely hilarious and I still laugh when I think about our picture on the computer screen. Their facial expressions were priceless and I'm so mad at myself that I never went back to buy it...even if it was $15 for the dinky thing. By the time we made it back to the hotel, the boys were laughing about the experience and thankful that we made them ride the "scariest" ride in the park. We were all so worn out from spending the day at Sea World but since it was vacation; we decided to stay up late and take advantage of the hotel pool, hot tub and fire pit for S'mores. Keller even provided some break dancing entertainment for us.

The boys loved swimming at night...it's always the little things they enjoy the most.

So sweet and such a great way to end the day. Day 3 coming up next.

Day 3-San Diego Zoo/Padres Game

2011-08-03T06:12:00.000-05:00

Day 3 was a busy, busy day. We spent the morning and most of the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Our monkey hanging out w/another monkey.

It was all we thought it would be and more...truly amazing and no surprise it's ranked the #1 zoo in America.

A former student and very close friend, drove in from LA and met us at the Zoo. The boys were excited to have some company and knew it would mean lots of extra attention.

She is super busy working on her music so we don't get to see her as often as we'd like, which made her visit even more special to all of us. Thanks Tammy {and Ryan} for joining us...we wish you the best of luck on your CD and can't wait to see you again at Christmas. Once we finished up at the Zoo, we went back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes and then off to Petco park for a Padres baseball game.

Two completely different atmospheres for two completely different children. Can you guess which one had the most fun at our first stop? You guessed it...Kase. He absolutely loves animals...seeing them, reading about them, studying them, and could spend an entire week at the zoo and still not get enough. We didn't need a tour guide b/c we had our very own in Kase. He told us about each animal, where they lived, what they ate and whether or not they were endangered. Keller actually enjoyed the zoo a lot more than I thought he would but he was still more concerned about getting to the Padres game in time for batting practice. I think he asked us about 432 times if it was 5:30 yet. We packed some pants and long sleeve shirts for the game but it wasn't enough to keep us warm. Tony ended up at the gift shop to buy a long sleeve shirt.

I couldn't believe we were sitting at a ballpark in June shivering, watching people walk by in hoodies and winter coats sipping on hot chocolate. Quite different than what we're used to in Texas. We made it through the 5th inning and then headed back to rest up for day 4.

Day 4-Legoland

2011-08-03T06:05:00.001-05:00

Day 4-time for the much anticipated trip to Legoland...every Lego lovers dream come true. We left the hotel bright and early, stopped for a quick breakfast and made it to Legoland right as they were opening the gates.

The boys couldn't wait to get inside and check it out. I wish I would've captured a picture of their faces b/c their expressions were priceless...jaws dropped and eyes wide open as they scanned all the rides, buildings and characters made out of Lego's. I might've had a tear or two in my eyes b/c it was just so precious and sweet to watch.

We pulled out our park map and went to work planning our day. There was so much to do and see that we wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. Looking back now, I think the only thing we missed was the roller coaster ride w/an hour wait...no thank you. We rode ride after ride,

dug for dinosaur bones,

posed w/Lego friends,

watched a Fire Town safety show,

and stood in awe of the "really cool" things made out of Lego's.

It was crazy to think of the time that went into building something so large. The boys talked about how many pieces they thought each took, what their favorite was and whether or not they could build something like that when they returned home... deep discussions about Lego's.

After a little afternoon snack and a visit to the gift shop, we headed to the waterpark.

The boys were having a blast and didn't want the day to end. Neither did I b/c the next day was our last day in San Diego. We were all a little tired but nowhere near ready for the fun to end.

Day 5-It's over...

2011-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ugh, the dreaded last day had arrived. We woke up early, packed up our luggage and took one last trip down to the beach for a few more pictures.

The boys collected some sand and seashells to bring back home. They wanted something to remember the beauty that surrounded us for several days. I reflected back on the precious moments spent together as I watched them run and play in the sand one last time. Such carefree spirits, my sweet little boys, my greatest blessings!

We took one last stroll by the pool and then headed to the airport.

Good-bye San Diego...it was perfect, magical and an unforgettable summer vacation! We are so grateful for each other and our time together!

Galveston

2011-07-31T09:59:00.002-05:00

Warning-Picture overload! Between Morgan and I, we took way too many pictures so save yourself the trouble and hit the red "x" if you're not up for a photo packed blog post cause this one definitely is.

Our annual Galveston trip took place two weeks ago and included a few new faces this year. We've begged Morgan and Presley to join us for the past couple years and they finally took us up on the offer. Even better than that is the kids were able to convince Grammar to come along w/us. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how fired up they were about having Grammar all to themselves for 4 days...massive amounts of excitement. We left Sunday afternoon, made a pit stop at Bucee's so the kids could load up on junk, and then spent the night in Houston.

Kendra lives nearby in Spring so she came to the hotel early Monday morning and picked us up. I was so excited about meeting Kendra's son Jax that I could hardly contain myself. He was just as precious as I imagined and his spicy personality was the perfect match for Keller.

So stinkin' cute!

We loaded our bags and with mom, Morgan and Presley following behind, we were beach bound for a couple of days. Kendra and I have made this trip for the past 4 years so the boys are becoming pretty familiar w/Galveston and have things lined out before we even get there. First day activities typically look about the same.

Beach...

It was my year to get covered up in sand...a good ol' body exfoliation for free.

dip in the pool...

dinner {and pictures} on the Sea Wall...

Taking pictures sure is tiring.

shopping for a treat at Murdoch's...

getting inked at Wings...

and dessert at Rainforest Cafe.

We usually go back to the beach for part of day 2 but it rained this year so we had to revise our plans. Similar to what we had to do last year when Keller took a chunk out of his chin and we ended up in the ER. Thank goodness we didn't go to that extreme this year but we did have to make some adjustments. Instead of swimming, we shopped and took a tour of Galveston on the "Duck".

Kase wanted to do it when we were in San Diego but we ran out of time so I promised him we'd do it in Galveston. The kids thought it was pretty neat for about 7 seconds and then they were ready to get off...and so were the rest of us. Pretty darn boring! We took an afternoon swim and then went to dinner at the Fisherman's Wharf.

It was a yummy little spot overlooking the water so in b/w bites, the kids enjoyed watching the boats come and go. After dinner, we went for our usual night swim. It's such a simple thing but the kids always look forward to swimming in the dark and staying up way past their normal bedtimes.

We woke up early Wednesday morning and headed straight to the beach for one last hoorah w/our sweet friends.

It seems the time always passes by way too fast and before we know it, our trip has come to an end. Time to pack up, head home and reaquaint ourselves w/reality. Plain and simple, saying good bye to special friends is no fun at all...especially when they live so far away.

Thank you Kendra, Abi and Jax for another year of fun summer memories at the beach! We love you guys! And to my mom...thank you so much for making it a trip your grandkids will never forget.

They had such a great time making memories w/you at the beach and are already busy talking about and planning our next trip together. You are such a blessing and way too good to all of us. We love you!

Hot, hot, hot...

2011-07-29T22:29:00.014-05:00

Talk about loyal Texas Ranger fans...that's what you call those of us who braved the 105 degree temps at the ballpark Monday night.

Not only did we attend the game, we arrived early for batting practice only to find out the Rangers would be practicing in their indoor facility. I was a little disappointed b/c Keller had been looking forward to it for weeks but can't say I blame them for making that switch. Keller wasn't near as forgiving as the rest of us but was still a good sport cheering for the opposing team as they took batting practice. Fortunately, our seats were covered and there was an occasional breeze so we weren't feeling it as much as those in the direct sunlight b/c it was hot, hot, hot.

Don't you know this poor guy was dying inside that hot costume?

Funny for the night-Josh Hamilton came running out of the dugout and Keller asked me to take a picture of him b/c he needed to "show me something". I hurried to get my camera out and snapped this picture.

Can you guess what my 5 year old needed to show me? Sunglasses! After studying the picture, he then informed me that I needed to go the next day to get him a pair of sunglasses just like Josh's. Thank you Academy for carrying an $8 pair of Oakley knock offs. #32 and Keller now have matching sunglasses and my 5 year will never know that his were $200 cheaper.

The game was a complete blow out so there were a lot of hi-fives, home run fireworks and "claw" and "antler" gestures from the players.

Nothing is more exciting to a true Texas Rangers fan and that is exactly what this little guy is...

He loves it!

Actually, we all do and it's been one of our favorite spots this summer....even in the scorching Texas heat!

Certified Swimmer

2011-07-20T22:00:00.002-05:00

Kase wrapped up his swim lessons last week and is now a "certified" swimmer.

In addition to swimming, he also learned a little about boating safety and what to do in the event he's ever stranded on a lake.

All very good things to know but highly unlikely he'll put those skills to use anytime soon. He isn't a fan of boats and isn't the least bit interested in swimming in the lake. Remember, he's my germaphobic and overly cautious child. Yes, I helped contribute to that as you will not find me swimming in a lake either. I like boats but I need to see what's swimming in the water with me.

As for Keller, he didn't make it to the 2nd week of swim lessons b/c he ended up w/swimmers ear and couldn't be in the water for 5 days. Poor guy was crying and holding his ear and head for 2 days straight. It started over the weekend so I paged the ENT and came close to taking him to the emergency room. I had never seen him in such pain. He literally didn't move from the couch for 2 days. We made it through the weekend and made a trip to the ENT first thing Monday morning. Ears were so infected that the doctor couldn't even see his tubes. Bless his sweet heart. I felt terrible! Fortunately, the numbing ear drops worked wonders and he was back to his normal energetic self in no time. Instead of swimming, he searched for sticks to use as...you guessed it...baseball bats...

and golf clubs.

We just returned from Galveston where Kase spent lots of time perfecting his swimming, jumping and diving skills. He is much more confident and that has done wonders for my anxiety level when he's in the deep waters. Hopefully, we can convince Keller that it's okay to get water in his ears so he can learn to swim too....not going so well at the moment. On our shopping list...ear plugs.

cooling off

2011-07-12T10:29:00.000-05:00

Swimming...

and more swimming...

it's about the only thing keeping us cool these days. Oops, let me not forget the popsicles, snowcones and frozen yogurt from the new place in town. We love days spent by the pool and that yummy afternoon snack to re-energize us!

Arkansas

2011-07-10T22:17:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we loaded up the car and took a little weekend trip to Arkansas. Tony grew up in Arkansas and still has family there so we decided it was time to show the boys where daddy spent a large part of his childhood. Maw-maw came w/us so it was nice to have her along for the 5 hour car ride. She kept peace and order in the backseat. It was the boy's first trip to Arkansas and they enjoyed it so much that they're already asking when we can go back to Aunt Dot's house. We arrived Friday afternoon and the boys immediately wanted to go for a swim.

They swam while we played catch up with family we haven't seen in several years...such a nice treat.

We woke up early Saturday morning, ate a greasy Hardee's breakfast and then parted ways for a couple of hours. Tony and his mom went to the cemetery so the boys and I took a little road trip to see the Cars 2 movie. Road trip b/c the nearest movie theater was 30 miles away. Even worse than that is the nearest Target is 45 miles away. You gotta be kidding me! Now I can do w/out a movie theater but I would never survive being that far away from a Target. I'm being a little dramatic and probably would be just fine but it would be really, really hard. I had no idea where I was going so I entered the movie theater address in my phone and off we went. Since it was opening weekend for the movie, we left in plenty of time b/c I knew there was a possibility the movie would be very crowded. We passed the movie theater twice b/c I was looking for a big theater. You know, like the ones we're all used to here in Dallas. I finally saw a sign, pulled into the parking lot and Kase said, "mommy, this doesn't really look like a movie theater."

Well, he was right. It was a good ol' small town cinema. I was no longer worried about the crowds b/c we were one of 5 cars in the parking lot. Tony called to check on us and I guess he could tell I was a little surprised. His response, "well what did you expect? You're in a little country town." We got our tickets, walked in and I immediately wanted to walk out. It wasn't what I was used to, at all. There were only 6 rows of seats, no stadium seating and NO CARPET IN THE THEATER...and it was musty. My germaphobia quickly kicked in as I scanned the seats we were about to sit down in. I wanted my Clorox wipes really, really bad. The three of us just stood there, looking really confused. But, instead of freaking out, we sat down, made ourselves comfortable and enjoyed the show. Afterwards, we ran into the bathroom, washed our hands 3 times, sprayed hand sanitizer and drove back to a place we were much more comfortable with. Looking back now, I just laugh b/c I'm sure we stuck out like a sore thumb. As a matter of fact, I know we did b/c we were the only ones not wearing cowboy boots, tank tops and cut off shorts. Needless to say, we are spoiled to our nice, comfy and clean movie theaters and have a whole new appreciation for Cinemark, AMC and definitely the Studio Movie Grill. On a more serious note, I'm truly thankful for the experience b/c the boys were able to see what life is like in a small country town. We enjoyed driving down country roads, seeing the farmers spray their crops, passing through quaint little towns, watching the cows graze the open fields, and realizing that there is so much more to life than what we're used to in "our world". I had forgotten how simple life was in a small town so it was nice to go back there for a weekend...really nice.

Swim Lessons

2011-07-08T22:09:00.005-05:00

Much to the boy's dislike, they started swim lessons last week.

Both took lessons when they were younger so they're convinced they know how to swim. After a little pep talk that included some drowning stories, I convinced them otherwise. They agreed to smile and make the best of it...and they have so far.

Kase is very comfortable in the water and swims all over the place but needs a little instruction on proper technique. Dog paddling is great and gets you around the pool but I want him to learn how to really "swim" using his arms and legs.

Keller, on the other hand, is still hesitant to be fully submerged in the water and is pretty timid when we're floating around in the deep end. In fact, he won't let us take his floaties off even when we're holding him. Big surprise considering he's our little dare devil. We're hoping the lessons will help w/his confidence b/c he loves the water and we want him to be comfortable while in it.

One week down...one week to go.

Fun on the 4th

2011-07-08T21:24:00.010-05:00

Friends....

and family...

equal a fun and fabulous 4th...

until our sweet son, Kase, started complaining of a headache and wanted to go home and go to bed. Poor thing didn't even feel like watching fireworks. Tony stayed home w/Kase and sent Keller and I on to watch fireworks at Morgan's in-laws house. Not sure why we didn't just stay home b/c Keller ended up inside watching the Ranger game. He did come out a few times and sit w/me but it was only for a second or two...baseball is much more important to him right now. The fireworks were great but it just wasn't the same w/out my other two boys.

Missed you guys...we'll make up for it next year!

a sunny sunday

2011-07-06T22:04:00.007-05:00

Next up, on the 4th of July weekend agenda, was a pool party and cook out w/the Lindeman side of the family.

We don't see them as often as we'd like so we cherish our time together and always have a great time catching up. The day was complete w/family, food and fun...doesn't get any better than that.

We swam all afternoon and then stuffed our faces w/yummy fajita's and Maw-maws homemade cobbler and coconut cake. You notice I said cobbler and coconut cake b/c I had not one, but two desserts. They were delicious but let me tell you, I was feeling it the next morning on the treadmill at the gym. Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle!

Another great day spent w/family...such a blessing!

P.S. Kase is very aware of the big crack in his goggles but prefers them over his brand new pair. He informed me that the good ol' yellow ones are still getting the job done. So easy to please!

July 4th Parade

2011-07-06T16:52:00.007-05:00

In celebration of July 4th, our town has a parade on the old downtown square. It is a small {very small} parade but you would never know b/c the kids think it's the real deal.

The boys look forward to going every year and it always ends up being one of the highlights of their weekend.

In addition to the parade, the new restaurant on the square provided snowcones and the bakery had a little area set up for the kids to make a cake push pop.

Sugar, sugar everywhere!

Despite the suffocating heat and sweat rolling down our backs, it was a great start to a fun filled 4th of July weekend.

Yeehaw!

2011-07-05T11:05:00.007-05:00

Our sweet cousin, Arianna, was in town from Las Vegas this past week and Morgan decided it was the perfect opportunity to take the kids to the Mesquite Rodeo...yeehaw!

Other than complaining about the smell and Keller feeling sorry for the little calves, the kids thought it was a pretty neat place and had a great time watching the cowboys and cowgirls.

It brought back a few childhood memories as I spent many a nights in that very same arena.

No, I wasn't there trying to pick up a young cowboy; although, I'm sure we had a crush on all the boys wearing tight jeans and Cowboy hats. Believe it or not, I used to ride horses and even wanted to be a barrel racer back in the day so I was there watching and trying to learn. Can't you just picture that...me, my Rocky Mountain jeans and red ropers...just another one of my many wild childhood dreams!

Kase enjoyed the bull riding and Keller enjoyed the clown {and cotton candy}...go figure, Mr. Clown himself.

It was a fun Friday night and the boys {and Presley} can now say they've been to a rodeo.

Father's Day

2011-07-03T08:07:00.004-05:00

Although it's a little late on the blog, we were definitely not late in celebrating the extremely special and very loved Father's in our lives.

In fact, we celebrated a little early. My dad {aka Papa} was out of town so we gave him hugs, kisses, and a few goodies before he left for his fishing excursion. I'm pretty sure he wasn't sad about leaving us behind on Father's Day. Simply put, I have the most amazing dad in the world. Thank you Dad for being all I ever needed in a Father. I have so many special memories of our times together and it melts my heart now to see the boys making those same memories w/you. I love you and will always be "daddy's little girl".

As for Tony, he also got a few early surprises b/c Keller just couldn't wait any longer, nor is he really good at keeping anything a secret when it comes to gift giving. He picked out a very special Father/Son collectible and yes, Tony and I both got teary eyed as Keller so proudly handed it to his daddy.

Kase was able to keep his gift a secret so Tony had a few surprises on the actual day. The boys made him some special cards and picked out a new hat to go along w/his new golf clubs that Mommy tried to pick out. Daddy is taking up a new hobby and the boys are just as excited about it as he is. They've been practicing on the Wii and can't wait to get their own set of clubs and join him on this new adventure. I can't wait ~~for them to be at the golf course~~ to hear about their fun times on the golf course.

Thank you Tony for being a wonderful Father to our boys and for working so hard to provide all the things our family needs...and wants! I'm so thankful the boys have you to look up to. You are such a great man and worthy of a celebration every single day of the year, not just on Father's Day. We love you!

Graduation

2011-07-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Four amazing years together and in the end, we spend one last day together.

The one day of our lives we all spend 13 years working for...high school graduation.

Just when I think I can't possibly love a senior class anymore than the previous school year, it happens again. We spend 187 more days together...teaching/learning but also enjoying the really fun stuff that we tend to remember a lot longer than anything we learned sitting in a desk...the all sports kick-off, homecoming, football playoffs, National Signing Day, cheer/drill tryouts, senior prom, senior breakfast, Lighthouse ceremony, senior picnic, and baccalaureate. Before I know it, the school year is over and it's time to bid farewell to another group of incredible students/friends. What a memorable year it's been for all of us! This senior class was an extremely fun group, started many traditions and left behind a legacy at JHHS that will last for many years to come. So, with tear-filled eyes, we say good-bye to the class of 2011.

You are and always will be a part of Jaguar Nation. Thank you for blessing my life and allowing me to be a part of your journey! I'm going to miss each of you but look forward to hearing about your success in college.

"JAGS OUT"

Baseball Camp

2011-06-28T07:40:00.012-05:00

Keller recently completed his first, of what I'm sure will be many, baseball camps in his future.

This particular one was held by the coaching staff at one of the local high schools. It's not the school he will attend but was the only one that would allow an incoming kindergartner to participate so he was a proud "Hawk" for a week.

The camp was Monday through Thursday and lasted 3 hours each day. It was steamy hot and humid but he loved every single minute of it and has already asked us to sign him up for antoher one. You would think the triple digit temps would keep him from wanting to be outdoors but not when it comes to baseball.

He was in the K-3rd grade group so he thought he was pretty cool getting to play with the big kids. They also played coach pitch instead of t-ball so that was new to him. He absolutely loved it and did amazingly well. They played a game at the end of each session and Keller got a hit every at bat. He was determined not to strike out!

He also caught his 1st fly ball, hit a home run, a double and a triple w/out using a tee.

Talk about a proud momma! He was equally as proud and couldn't wait to share the big news w/Daddy and the rest of our family at the end of each day.

So cute and so worth sitting out in the hot sun to watch...nasty, stinky, sweaty clothes and all.

Splish, Splash

2011-06-21T13:19:00.003-05:00

After a fun filled week at VBS, we spent the afternoon w/friends {and cousin}

swimming,

snacking on popsicles,

and simply enjoying the fact that it was summer vacation. It was the perfect ending to an INCREDIBLE week.

So thankful for precious time w/the boys and special friends who fill our lives w/love and laughter!

VBS 2011

2011-06-15T21:56:00.009-05:00

The boys and I spent this past week w/our friends at VBS 2011-Pandamania!

It's something we've been doing together for the past 3 years and is always a highlight of our summer. Keller was a little bit disappointed that he still couldn't be w/the "big" kids this year but ended up having a wonderful time...just as he always does. He'll be old enough next year so he's already informed me that he wants to be in the "Blue Thunder" group b/c blue is his favorite color. Thank you Keller, I'll make note of that.

Kase was in the "Hello Yellow" group w/Presley and several of his school friends.

Our sweet friend, Ashley, was their crew leader. She's much more brave than I am to take on 14 kids.

Morg and I volunteered in snacks and had a great time getting to know some of the other volunteers and the kiddos who passed through each day. There were over 2200 kids and of those, 300 were saved. Isn't that just the most awesome thing? I think so. They also had a change drive and the kids raised over $15,000 for children who need glasses in the Rio Grande Valley. Talk about amazing! I feel blessed to have been a part of something that impacts so many lives. Walking into the auditorium each morning and seeing all of those kids so excited to learn about God's word gave me goose bumps. It was truly a moving week for all of us. We give all the glory to you God.

City Champs

2011-06-15T21:40:00.012-05:00

T-ball season is over and what an AWESOME season it's been for the Wreckin' Crew. The last game was 2 weeks ago but we were out of town so Keller had to miss it. As you can imagine, he was not too happy about missing the game. However, once we arrived in San Diego, he discovered that missing the game was completely worth it. Unfortunately, the Wreckin' Crew suffered their first loss of the season but still finished in 1st place. We'll proudly take it.

6U city champs...way to go boys!

Even w/the extreme heat, we are still a little sad to see it come to an end. It's been so much fun cheering the boys on, watching friendships develop and to see the improvement each week. Thanks to a great coach and the dad's acting as assistants, the boys learned a lot and turned into a very good team. To celebrate the boys, the players and parents got together last Sunday for an end of season cook-out/party.

The coach recognized each player and presented them w/a trophy...a very cute trophy that has a special spot in Keller's room.

Once the party at the park was over, we all walked over and let the boys cool off at the sprinkler park.

They had a blast and didn't want the night to end. Strangers in March, best buddies in June...such a special experience for all of us.

Congratulations "Boomstick" on an INCREDIBLE season! We are so proud of you. Your excitement and passion for the game have been contagious and we can't wait to do it all over again in the fall.

We love you #19.

Bring on Summer

2011-06-14T21:35:00.005-05:00

In celebration of another great school year, our sweet friends hosted a pool party/cook out.

The adults chatted while the kids swam until they were pruned up and completely worn out.

It was a great way to end the school year. Up next, 11 weeks of vacation...all the more reason I love working in education. Bring on Summer...and lots of popsicles!

Pre-K Graduation

2011-06-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

As I sat at Keller's recent pre-k graduation w/big, huge tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, it hit me and hit me hard. The saying, "everything happens faster w/the second child" is so, so true.

The baby of our family, our precious 2nd born child, the same one that was just teeny tiny is all grown up and ready for kindergarten. Graduations, awards ceremonies and pretty much anything honoring my children always bring tears but I was not at all expecting the emotions that came that day. I completely lost it and I'm not afraid to admit it. Not just tears but a full on cry...and then my camera battery went dead. Great, just great. I didn't know if I was going to be able to pull myself together but I did and thanks to the trusty little iphone, I was able to finish capturing the sweet moments of the day.

No more daycare, no more nap mats, no more little table and chairs, and no more little boy.

I now have a big boy ready for big boy school. It hit me...I'm not ready!

Congratulations Keller on a great school year. You have learned so much and we will forever cherish the sweet sounds of you singing your President's song, vowel song, and the many other things you shared w/us throughout the year. We are so excited about you joining big brother at elementary school next year and look forward to all that's in store for you as a big kindergartner. I only hope they're ready for you. We love you "bean"!

Second Grade Awards

2011-06-09T21:29:00.003-05:00

Our oldest child, the one who never fails at making us the proudest parents in the entire world, has done it again. He had another AMAZING school year and now has certificates and special awards to serve as a reminder of the hard work and memories made in 2nd grade.

This years awards included perfect attendance, citizenship award, character award, A honor roll, "Read to Succeed", and he was the only student in the class to receive the "Outstanding Achievement Award" in all subjects. In order to do that, he had to make a 97 or higher for the year in every single subject...and he did. Yes, I'm that very proud mom bragging on her son b/c he deserves it. I take no credit b/c it's all Kase. He sets high expectations for himself, enjoys school and has a love for learning so it makes our job as parents easy.

Aside from academic awards, his teacher came up w/some fun awards and the student's voted for the classmate that exemplified that particular award, skill or character trait. Kase won the "kindest boy" award as well as the "cleanest desk" award. Kindest boy award-yeah, I lost it on that one. His teacher's hobby is woodworking so she created wood cut outs for each award.

She also gave the kids a wooden cut out of their name. Can you imagine the time that went into making and painting all of that? I told you she was a great teacher!

What a fun year it's been and we are definitely going to miss Dr. Hodges.

We have been blessed the past 3 years w/great teachers who truly have a heart for kids and love each child as if he/she were their own. Kase needs it, feels it and talks about it all the time...it makes all the difference in the world and brings such joy to our hearts to know he's in great hands each and every day.

Kase-We are so incredibly proud of your awards and achievements but more importantly the growth you've made over the past 9 months. You are coming out of your shell, developing your own personality and becoming an independent young man thinking and doing things all on your own. The kindness we see in you is now being seen by others around you and that makes us swell w/pride. You are such a gift to us and we are so blessed to have you as our son...our soon to be 3rd grade son.

We love you handsome little guy!

Pre-game warm up

2011-06-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

Rather than waiting to warm up at the game, Keller decided he'd take a few practice swings in the backyard.

On second thought, I think I'll take a short bike ride around the block to get my legs loose.

Sweet P

2011-06-09T20:16:00.002-05:00

Our sweet P, also known as Presley, Toots, or Tooties, graduated from kindergarten last week.

I was on picture duty for Morgan so I spent the majority of my time looking through my lens at the most beautiful little girl in the world. I'm not biased at all. See for yourself.

As I was snapping away, I started thinking about how it seems like just a short time ago that I was there watching my oldest child graduate and how this time next year, I'll be doing it all over again w/my youngest child. I certainly wish time would slow down b/c our babies are growing up way too fast. Congratulations Presley, we are so proud of you and look forward to sharing many more special moments with you!

Serving up a good time

2011-05-31T20:51:00.007-05:00

Kase is nearing the end of his first month of tennis lessons and seems to really be enjoying his time out on the courts.

I'm amazed at how much he's learned in such a short amount of time and look forward to watching him develop his skills throughout the summer.

Thank goodness they are moving the time from evening to early morning b/c he is one hot, sweaty mess by the end of the practice. Keller was recently invited out to play "jail" at the end of practice so of course, that meant we had to get him a racquet too. I think the instructors felt sorry for him b/c it was obvious he'd much rather be participating than watching from the bench.

He loves playing and fortunately, big brother doesn't mind sharing the court w/him. However, I did overhear Kase tell Keller that "tennis was his sport" and that Keller wasn't old enough to take lessons. Not exactly the truth but for now, that sounds good. Tennis for Kase, t-ball for Keller...that's about all I can keep up with!