Buds

This summer seems to have brought some sort of "migration" to our ward. Sadly, we are losing some really great families- like 8, crazy! Seth has been a bit bummed because one of his best buds left for Utah yesterday. He has asked that Ryan begin looking for a job in Utah so that we too can move. He just loves Utah! But the Utah he knows is 'vacation Utah'. When everyone is on vacation and there are always fun things planned to do. It is hard to convince him that if we lived there he would still have to go to school and everyone else back to work - not too much different than life here. He'll survive though. At least his bud moved to Utah where we will for sure be visiting. Hopefully sooner than later.....still waiting on some wedding or something to bring us out this year! :)



Seth & McKay on their way to twilight camp this week!

Bayou Visit

Ok, so here are quite a few pics. of this last week............

We went over to the Bayou this last weekend to attend baby Annabeth's blessing. She is the most precious baby girl!


Family Pic. at Brent & Laura's. We had a yummy BBQ

Seth & Emma loved meeting their new little cousin

They fought over who would hold her first each time they saw her

Erin liked having someone her age around. Her duet w/ Brooke

Annabeth enjoyed the water & was so stinkin' cute in her suit

What trip to the bayou would be complete without our usual boardwalk shopping with Grandma where they were each spoiled with a treat of their choosing.

Taking a break in front of the fountains

Erin loved the water fountains! She wanted to get in and cool off.

The nights were actually really nice while there so the girls went for a walk while the boys....

golfed! Yes, right in the front yard. I think they spent more time looking in the bushes for lost balls though. Very few made it in the bucket where they were aiming. But they enjoyed it.

As it got a little darker we began our hunt for fireflies

where we actually caught a few but were a little sad when they didn't glow in the jar

Grandpa brought home a YUMMY watermelon and Erin devoured it!

I just love this picture of her! Notice all the watermelon on her shirt!
We had such a fun trip and look forward to the many more visits with family over the summer.

Summer Fever!!!

We have totally had summer fever around here for weeks and I'm so glad it is finally here. It has been a busy couple of weeks! School is finally out! The kids celebrated with class parties, award ceremonies and the annual treasure hunt on the last day of school. We have also been able to enjoy the fruits of our labors with our garden. Pictured are the yummy "salmonella free" cherry tomatoes that Erin eats like candy. Our blackberry bush also did very well this year. We were even able to save enough for a blackberry cobbler while still eating them right off the bush. The kids love to pick and eat them. I tried roma tomatoes as well this year in hopes of being able to make garden fresh salsa but I'm not so sure they are going to make it. We'll see. I love the summertime ~the sun, swimming, popsicles, fruit, late nights outside and the chance I feel it gives me to slow down. My goal this summer is to take the advice in Elder Ballards talk 'Daughters of God' given by author Anna Quindlen which is to not rush past the fleeting moments....live in the moment....not be in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed...treasure the doing a little more and getting it done a little less.

The Terrible Two's Have Begun

Erin celebrated her 2nd birthday on the 18th of this month. She is such a big girl these days. Within the last few months we were finally able to get rid of the binky all together, sleep in a big girl bed and she has already begun potty training! She is doing really great too! I haven't changed a stinky diaper in at least a month now. We are still working on the other. As long as I remember to ask her if she needs to go potty we stay pretty dry. I'll take what I can get. It sure makes the pull-ups go alot further. She just thinks she is super cool in her new undies -Tinkerbell & Hello Kitty. As silly as it is I just love a little bum in panties! She isn't my "little" baby anymore. She looks more and more like a big girl everyday. She is quite the talker too! She loves to talk to anybody on the phone especially her daddy during the day. She is our little ECHO around here. She mimics everything we do and say. She suprises us everyday with something new. Lately, it is "mom, dad...watch this, watch me". She loves to show us her new tricks and gets mad if she doesn't have our complete attention. A few of her favorite things include the park - we live right by the park and she always wants to go swing. She would swing for hours if she could and tell you "higher, higher"! She also loves playing in her swimsuit for some strange reason - Every morning it is the first thing she asks for! On last Sunday she was so bummed she couldn't wear it to church so she just threw a fit to take it with her. So during Sacrament mtg. Erin was sitting there holding her swimsuit in her lap. One battle I didn't wanna pick...she was happy & quiet! She is also our little jeckle and hyde. She can be screaming at the top of lungs about something and then calm down and tell you "I'm happy now". She is so funny, stubborn, has a bit of a temper and is a little spoiled. Seth and Emma are so good with her! Emma tends to protect her a little too much. She doesn't like if I correct Erin at all. Erin loves her big brother & sister and they humor her by doing "baby" stuff, like watching her favorite show - Yo Gabba Gabba. So we will see just how terrible the two's are with her as she is discovering her own little independence. So far it's been bearable. Who can resist that cute smile and she gives the best kisses!

Geaux Tigers!

This was Seth's first season playing flag football. He is still a little nervous about tackle and I am just fine with that. His team was the Tigers. The coach loves the LSU Tigers so hence the geaux tigers! But go they did! Straight to the top! They tied for first in regular season games and came in second place for the championship. Not too shabby! Check out that trophy though! As you know everything is "bigger & better" in Texas, well it is no different when it comes to football. It is quite the sport down here, almost like a religion! Too bad I really don't understand the game but maybe one of these days my boys will convert me.

Congratulating the other team on their victory.....

The Tigers.....with their 2nd place trophies

Seth with his best buds Alex, McKay & Conner

15 years later......

Well, as embarrassing as this is to admit I was quite the little teeny bopper when I was young. I was one of those crazy New Kid on the Block fans. I had it bad - examples: member of the "official" fan club, posters were my wallpaper, would stay up on sleepovers and learn the moves to songs like 'the right stuff', camped out for tickets for the 1st concert with my mom & aunt, went the following year to another, joined the throngs of crazy fans at the hotel they were staying at and got some good up close pics of them and even caught an apple from Donnie as they were pulling away in their tour buses (fyi ~ that apple stayed in my freezer for years!). So you get the picture. Well, I grew up and even threw the apple away. I thought they grew up too......but it seems 15 years later that they have reunited and are at it again. Maybe some of you watched the Today show this morning. They sang & danced - yes, some of their old songs and even tried to use the same moves. Mind you these are men (no longer kids) in their late 30's. As silly as it all seemed I have to tell ya that I felt like I was 13 again. I found myself singing right along without missing a beat! They have held their age fairly well and sounded somewhat decent but the new song still sounds like the old. Lots of la-las, ah-ah's and so on. The funniest was checking out the fans. Talk about loyal......they were all 30 something year old women singing along. We all had our favorites.....mine was Jordan. As I was watching today though I decided that I have the best kid (man) on the block. He lives with me! Looking back I can see how silly it all was and how much I drove my mom crazy. Guess I should start preparing for paybacks with my girls.

I met Annabeth!

Isn't she adorable?!? I had the privilege to make a quick trip home to meet Miss Annabeth. She is such a sweet little baby. It was so fun to hold and cuddle such a new little one. Within just a few months period 3 new additions will join our extended family. I have yet to meet little Tyler and baby Burton is due to arrive in just a few weeks. It stinks not to be close enough to share and celebrate each of their births. I was thankful that Laura was close enough to spend a little time with. She is a wonderful mommy! It is so neat to see my sisters become mothers. I feel such a sense of pride and overwhelming love for each of them. Maybe that just comes with being the big sister!