Houston Hunters

Kennedy'a Big Solo

2009-12-04T08:06:00.004-06:00

Kennedy had a solo in the her Christmas concert last night. I thought that you would like to see it. It is a little small but she is the first one singing. Enjoy!

This Past Week

2009-10-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know it has been a long time and I am sorry. My mother is making us do family updates to her while she is on her mission so I thought that I would take the shortcut and paste what I sent her so I at least have something to post. It has been entirely too long since I posted something and since my camera is broken, I figured this would do.

This past week, what happened, or didn't happen? Morgan started all-city Orchestra this week. She took principle chair 3rd violin. She was pretty happy. That means that now she has a rehearsal every Monday from 4-5. That is after a full day of school and an extra magnet class of 45 min after school. I get to go up to school early because Kennedy can't ride the bus home and can't be "unattended" at school, so we go and sit for an hour until Morgan is done. Anyway, other than that she is busy with life in the 4th grade. She is very excited to start playing the viola this year. She has decided, all on her own, that she wants to switch to the viola now so she will be ahead of everyone else by the time she hits middle school. They don't teach viola in elementary so there are 50 million violinists and no violists so she is getting a jump start on everyone,. Pretty smart if you ask me, which she didn't. She is also very excited because Friday she came home with the ugliest safety orange belt I have ever seen. The fifth grade will be going to camp in a week so the 4th grade gets to step up and be "safety patrol" for a week. She didn't take it off for 2 days. She may have some control issues and I don't know where she gets it from. It probably doesn't help that Scott yells for "safety patrol" for every little thing that could possibly go wrong so I have had to deal with things like, "safety patrol, Kennedy is still in her PJ's." "Safety Patrol, Emersen didn't put her clothes in the hamper." etc. Lots of fun and she is really enjoying it.

Kennedy is on the student council. I don't think she has any idea what that means other than all the kids in her class voted for her and she gets to help design the t-shirt but she is excited. She is doing very well in cello and has passed more songs than any other 3rd grader. Not that she really cares too much. She just goes and does her thing. She has been really into her hair lately. Not just the "bumpit" but I had to sponge roller her hair last night for church today and when we took them out she decided that the dress she had picked out was just not good enough and needed a wardrobe change. That and the fact that she loves makeup and it doesn't matter what kind. Yesterday I came home and she had applied zombie makeup to herself in preparation for Halloween. One has to prepare, you know!

Emmy is so ready for school. She is busy telling me everything and doesn't often stop talking for anything. I have to tell her in advance what day tomorrow is and what we will be doing. She doesn't like it we aren't going somewhere or she doesn't get to play with friends for a "long time". She loves her daddy quite a bit these days and I think she is just getting used to seeing him more. She has appointed herself his personal hairdresser. Scott is such a good sport. The other day she told him that he had to wake her up so she could do his hair before he went to work. When she woke up and he was gone she was a little upset until I told her that he had "tried" to wake her up but she was too tired to get up. She said, "well, I guess he will just have his hair in his face all day."

Ian is forever busy. I am constantly amazed at how different little boys are from girls. He never just sits still, unless he is watching "Cars" or "Diego" is on and I get a little something done. He loves cars and trucks and throwing things. He loves to "jump" even though his feet never leave the ground. He loves shoes and it doesn't matter who they belong to. He loves to tease. I'm not sure why that is either. He is so snugly and I love it, that is when he is tired or I haven't been paying close enough attention to him. I just want to eat that kid sometimes. He is too cute.

Scott started a new job a few weeks ago and I love it. He is still trying to figure it out but I couldn't be happier because the quit at 5.. That is right. 5pm. Which means that by 5:30 Scott will leave because he is the last one in the office and feels a little funny still being there. He gets to eat dinner with the family. I didn't think that was ever going to happen again. I love it.

Me, I don't know, I am the mom. Oh, I guess I played in the stake women's volleyball tournament yesterday and now I have trouble walking up and down my stairs. It was great though. We dethroned the giants that have reigned for as long as I have been here and it was great to hear their cries and complaints that we were "not playing fair". Music, sweet music is all I can say. Justice has been served. You just can't show up wearing shirts that say "All stars" on them and think you are going to get away with it forever. It was great.
I can relate to Melissa with church. It is a struggle every week. As I sit on my pew with my 4 darling "well-behaved" children and watch my husband sitting on the stand all by himself I have to wonder why I agreed to such an arrangement. A few weeks ago I actually caught myself reaching over to yank on someone's arm to stop a fight and said, "Sit quietly, be happy and think about Jesus!" I had to laugh at myself on that one. Who says that? Are you kidding me? The lucky thing is that Ian loves nursery. Thanks heavens because he was going to love it or die in it as far as I was concerned. Anyway, we made it home in record time today because a friend of ours make the mistake of telling us that they race us home every week. Given that they live about 5 minutes closer and only have 1 kid and both parents. That didn't matter to my kids. They spotted their car in the parking lot today and told me to park closer to the exit so we could get out faster. They, Morgan and Kennedy, then orchestrated who would pick up Emmy and Ian so we could get out faster and set up a meeting spot. We were home in record time and the girls even got to leave a nice little "We won, we won, we shot the bee bee gun" song on their answering machine. It was a good Sunday.

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-30T16:17:00.000-05:00

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I will update later. I have had a lot going on from school starting to Scott's new job to starting my own little craft show business and ending summer. With my camera currently broken, it isn't as much fun to post but I really wanted to enter this giveaway.

Summer Swimming

2009-07-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to post this for quite some time. We have been having a blast swimming this summer. I thought that I had more pictures of all the kids. I will have to get some more but I did manage to get a few of Ian. Everyday I am reminded that boys are different from girls, even at an early age. Ian has always liked to do his own thing. This isn't any different in the pool. I started the summer putting him in a baby float. The girls loved it at this age. They would just kick back and float. Not Ian. He hated it. He even managed to climb out of it. He wanted to walk around the pool and do his own thing. So out of frustration, I put some floaties on him, just to make sure he didn't fall in and drown. He loves them. It took all of about 30 minutes for him to figure out how to keep his mouth out of the water. He now absolutely loves swimming. He will jump off the step and swim across the little pool. He can spin circles and is in love with the water.

I Actually Made This!

2009-07-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

My friend Melissa is amazing. She can literally sew anything. She came over today and helped me sew a purse. I didn't even know that you could sew a purse. But I did! I made this purse today.

It even has pockets on the inside: one for my phone, one for my keys, two for pens, and a velcro pouch for other things. I just wanted to let you all know that I am pretty proud of myself. I think it turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself. Thanks, Melissa!

Camping over Memorial Day

2009-05-26T21:12:00.004-05:00

We went camping over Memorial Day weekend and we had a good time. The best part was there was a little ravine right behind out campsite. There was an actual vine hanging from a tree and you could swing from it. Mind you, this is not a rope. It is a vine. I thought it was pretty cool and we all had to take a turn on it.
We went fishing and Scott got the prize, 2 turtles. I was upset that I didn't have my camera with me. He was upset that he had to get 2 snapping turtles off his line.
While we were fishing, there was a crane hanging out and Emmy really wanted to go get it.
It was a good time. A little hot but we enjoyed the time we had together. Oh, I almost forgot. I saw fireflies for the first time. It was the coolest thing.

Kennedy's Award Ceremony

2009-05-26T21:02:00.002-05:00

Kennedy has worked really hard this year. She did a great job in second grade. At her awards ceremony we got several awards. She got a trophy for practicing 100 consecutive days. She was also one of 3 second graders that got to be part of the performing strings trip to San Antonio. They went to a competition and got 3 trophies: one for superior ratings, one for best in class (all elementary and junior high groups), and one for best in show (all groups, including high schools). She was also got put on the principles honor roll. That means that she got straight A's. Go Kennedy!

My cute Emmy

2009-05-26T20:58:00.002-05:00

With Scott in the bishopric, we don't always look our best at church, but we are there. This last Sunday, Emmy actually let me do her hair. I thought that I would try something my mom used to do to my hair when I was little. She was so proud of her special hair-do.

Ian's first haircut

2009-05-26T20:49:00.003-05:00

It was time to take Ian down and change him from a baby to a little boy. I had a little bit of a hard time with this one. I have to admit. They are only little for such a short amount of time.
But it was time.
He didn't really like the whole thing either.
But then he got a sucker and it was all worth it. Even if he was still a little mad about it.
I think he got over it. He looks so big. Where did my baby boy go?

Ian

2009-05-26T20:40:00.002-05:00

Ian is getting bigger everyday and I think it is fun just to enjoy the new things he can do. He found a new place to sit.He likes to keep moving and he loves to wear Daddy's hats.
He loves to climb. His favorite thing to do is to get into things that he is not supposed to. He loves to climb up on the table and sit in the middle of it.

He loves to play in my messy pantry. I just can't help but love this little guy. Isn't he cute?

Happy Easter

2009-05-26T20:38:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to show that we can get the kids cleaned up for those special occasions. Happy Easter!

Hunter's first camping trip - Double Lake

2009-05-26T20:25:00.002-05:00

The Hunters went out on their first ever camping trip to Double Lake. The view was beautiful.We had a great night roasting hot dogs and having smores. Aren't they cute campers?

A little view of the campsite.
We tired to fish in the morning only the fish didn't want to cooperate. We had a great time and can't wait to go back there again.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

2009-05-26T19:43:00.005-05:00

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo comes every year in March. It stays for about 3 weeks and we love it. We weren't able to go last year because Ian was so little but we make it this year.
We parked and rode a charter bus to the rodeo. The girls got to ride in the back seat and they thought that was the best thing in the world.We started with some fun on the farm. They got to walk through life on the farm.
They milked (actually water) cows.Emmy tried her hand at planting.
I think she makes a pretty cute cow.
They got to collect eggs too.
Then came the petting zoo. Have you ever seen little kangaroos in a petting zoo before?
Ian enjoyed the animals.Then came the pig races. You can't beat pigs running for an oreo.
We got to see a cow being milked.
The girls wanted to ride the Ferris wheel. They were very excited to start with. I think Emmy cried and Kennedy got scared when she figured out the chairs moved. It was quite funny.
Morgan and Kennedy finished the day with a "big girl" ride. They had a blast. We love the rodeo. See you next year.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-08T21:24:00.002-05:00

I know that I haven't posted anything recent in way too long and I am going to catch up later. I wanted to write something tonight. I just read the best blog entry ever. I don't even know the lady who wrote it. She is just the friend of a friend but it really put things into perspective and I thought that I would share it before Mother's Day hit. She talked about how most of us should more appropriately call it Martyr's Day instead of Mother's Day. I put myself into that category. It seems like nothings seems to work out right and I always end up in tears and feel like a horrible mother by the end of the day. That isn't going to happen this year.

She talked about how she would always leave church feeling like she was failing on almost every front. Then she realized that she was the best mother that her kids would ever have, no matter her shortcomings. I have to agree with her. It is important to remember that it is not a competition. We do the best we can and love our kids to the best of our abilities and that is all that is asked of us. I think mothers on a whole get frustrated because our husbands can't read our minds. Poor guys. It is a losing battle for them. We don't know what we want and so we set them up to fail every time. If I were them, I would stop trying.

So this year, I am doing things a little differently. I am taking the hint of a friend of mine and make a list of how I want my Mother's day to go and it is going to include a menu. I am not saying that I want diamonds or jewelry or any gifts, actually. I want to not have to get the kids ready for church. I want to eat quiche for breakfast. I will make it the night before. No one likes it but me but that is okay. I think that is what mother's day is about. I want to not have to chase my 16 month old during sunday school and relief society. I don't want to cook or do any dishes but still have a clean kitchen at the end of the day. I want to sit on the couch and read a book, and rest. I don't think that is a lot to ask for but it would make my day. It isn't that my husband wouldn't have given that to me in the past. I just never asked. I wanted it but never asked for it. That is my fault and not my family's. This mother's day will be different and I expect it will be the best one yet!

The Simple Joys of Life

2009-02-22T22:27:00.001-06:00

Ian found a new toy this week. This is his new favorite place to be. It is supposed to hold his toys. Now he pulls all the toys out and sits in it and just laughs. He is so proud of himself. You have to love the simple joys of life.

Kennedy's Big Week

2009-02-22T22:06:00.002-06:00

Kennedy had a very big week this week. She got to participate in a vocabulary parade. She had the assignment to collect words that she didn't know and write down the definitions. Then she picked one and dressed up like the word. It gets a little tricky and you have to be a little creative.
Kennedy decided to use the word "expand". So she stuffed a pillow under her dad's t-shirt and there you have it. I think that she does expand very well.
She was very excited to wear her costume on the bus and everything. I was quite a site to see and she smiled the whole way.

Later in the week, she had a cello lesson. She has been working on passing of her second Suzuki book. Her teacher has her play a recital when she gets to the end of a book. So she had to go back and review all the songs and be able to play them while she was being accompanied. That is a difficult thing to do when you are 7. She worked for almost 2 months and she finally got the okay for the recital on Wednesday. She gave us some options on days and times but our schedules didn't quite come together until Friday morning. She said she could do it that night. I said that would be alright. So here I went. It was crunch time. It was a good thing I had cleaned the carpet a couple of nights ago. So all I had to do was clean off the eternally cluttered counter tops, clean the kitchen, sweep the floor, vacuum, make sugar cookies with purple frosting, and a chocolate cake. My friend, Jean, helped me out and made the chocolate chip cookies. So Kennedy got off the bus at 4:30 and that is when she found out that she would be playing that night. She did a great job. I was so proud of her. She stayed focused the whole time and that is not the easiest thing to do when you have an audience like she did.
Our good friends came and helped her to celebrate her accomplishment. She played for about 25 minutes and then we got to eat the treats. Everyone had a great time, especially Kennedy. It is really hard to be the middle girl. She doesn't get to shine as often as she should so it was good to see her get the spotlight that she deserved. Way to go Kennedy!

Surfside Half Marathon

2009-02-22T21:28:00.004-06:00

So on Valentine's Day was the big day. I had been training for the last 6 months for this day and to tell the truth, I was a little scared. 13.1 miles is really a long way. Surfside, TX is a little beach town. I think it is the only official marathon/1/2 marathon to be run on hard pack sand. When I thought about running on the beach, I pictured, Chariots of Fire. I pictured the sun shining off the water, some white clouds in the sky, the surf lapping on the shore. I pictured a soft breeze coming off the water that kept me cool while I was running. That isn't exactly what I got.

My mom was in town and stayed in with kids so Scott and I could go down the night before the race. Scott works late so I went down with my 2 friends who were running with me, Rishelle and Melissa. We went down and picked up our packets and checked in. We had a good pasta dinner as well. It is amazing how much fun it is to go to dinner with a couple of friends without the pressure of having to pick up kids or get home to our husbands. We went to the hotel after that and Scott was waiting for me. We got a good nights sleep and then we woke up early and went down to the beach.
This is before we knew what we were really getting into. I have to admit it was pretty exciting as we waited for the race to start.
Then the race started. The weather was pretty good. It was over cast and foggy. It was warm and I didn't think much of it. We ran 2 1/2 miles down the beach and then turned around and headed back. By the time we reached the spot where we started the wind started to really pick up. Then it started to sprinkle a little bit. I wasn't that worried. It sprinkles all the time in TX and doesn't do much else. The scenery was beautiful. It looked like this the whole way. The only time I was not happy about running on the beach was when I came across a very potent smell. I couldn't figure out what it was. It smelled like death. Then a little while later I saw a dead dolphin washed up on the shore. That explained it. It was death. And I kept going. The wind got really hard to deal with and I was about to throw in the towel when I finally saw Melissa heading back the other way. She said the turn around was just a few hundred yard ahead. I was never so happy to see a bunch of cars in my life. After I the turn around, mile 9, it got a lot easier and I thought that I was going to actually make it. I did really well, mentally, until I hit about mile 12. Then the torrential down pour started. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to run in the wind but the rain was horrible. The only good thing was the wind was at my back so the rain was hitting my back. At least it wasn't hitting me in my face. By the time I saw the tent at the finish, I was soaked through.
I was so happy to see Scott waiting there at the finish line, I almost started crying. I actually finished the 1/2 marathon. I can honestly say that I am glad that I did it but I don't think that I want to do that again.
I survived. I did it. It was painful but I did it. If it hadn't been for Rishelle and Melissa, there is no way that I would have been able to make it. We did it ladies.

Houston's Best Kept Secret

2009-02-10T20:43:00.004-06:00

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of Parker Elementary School. For those of you who do know, bear with me. Houston has some very fabulous schools in the school district. They have magnet schools. Magnet schools have a particular focus, whether it is language, music, fine arts, vanguard (like gifted and talented turned up a notch) math, science, etc. You can apply to the different public schools you would like your child to go to.

When I moved here, Morgan was 3 years old and the only thing I really thought about was if there was an elementary school close by. About a year later, I was sitting at a playgroup with some friends from church and they were asking me if I had thought about what schools I would apply to for Morgan. That was so foreign to me they had to explain. They told me about the schools that were close by and I hear that there was a school around the corner that taught Suzuki violin starting in Kindergarten. I couldn't believe my ears.

Scott and I had always wanted out kids to learn music. It was always important to us. In fact, when I was pregnant with Morgan, Scott started worrying about when to get a piano. I figured we had a little time. So we happen to move to Houston and there happens to be a school about a mile away from our apartment that happens to teach Suzuki in the public school. So this is the deal. For the bargain price of $125 you child gets an instrument, insurance on that instrument, a private lesson every week and then in 1-5 grades, they have a group class everyday after school. So you can understand what a bargain this is, if you paid for this program privately, through the 6 years of elementary school, it would cost over $26,000. Oh, that also counts a workshop week where they fly different clinicians, people trained in Suzuki, from all over the country and they get a lesson with them for 3 days straight and then they have a concert at the end of the workshop. Oh, and did I mention that this is in a PUBLIC school?

I love Parker Elementary. I do have to say they don't just have violin and cello. They also have band, chorus, piano, and guitar. It is an amazing school.

So this past week was Suzuki workshop week. It is a great week but a very busy week. So Morgan and Kennedy both have lessons Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Of course, they were at different times during the day. One at 9:00 and the other at 1:35. Thankfully, my mother flew in to help me with the kids. That meant that I didn't have to try and find babysitters throughout the week. Anyway, she is a lifesaver. So she flew in on Tuesday and then I left her for the next few days. Wednesday I had the lessons and then I came home and proceeded to make 4 dozen rolls and 3 dozen cookies for a luncheon at the school the next day. Thursday I had to deliver the rolls and cookies and then the lessons again. That night, Morgan started complaining about a stomachache. I thought that it was just nerves for the concert the next night. Oh, no it wasn't. She started throwing up at about 10:30 and didn't stop until about 2 in the morning. She was so upset. She cried that she had worked so hard getting ready for the concert and if she was sick she wouldn't get to go to the concert. She didn't have a fever and didn't have any other symptoms so I told her if she could keep her food down and she rested, I would let her go to the concert. So Friday, I just went to Kennedy's cello lesson. She is doing so great. I am really happy with how hard she works.

That night we had the concert. I just have to tell you how amazing it is watching 160 children on the stage at the same time. They play songs of all different difficulties. I have to admit that after going to 4 of these concerts, my favorite is when they all play "twinkle twinkle little star" together. It just brings tears to my eyes. If you could just hear it. Oh, you can if you go to my friends blog, Raising Ebenezers. It is linked on my blog on the right hand side. She has a video link on her blog and you can see and hear how great it sounds. I just can't believe how good it sounds every year. It is just the twinkles but it is something else. I love Parker. Have I mentioned that?

Oh, did I forget to mention that this is the only school like it in the COUNTRY! Not the only public school, the only school. There is nothing like it out there. If you did it privately, you would be lucky to get a group class once a week. Some are only offered once every 2 weeks. I love Parker.

My Busy Day

2009-01-28T17:33:00.006-06:00

Today was a pretty busy day. It was a good day but it was a busy one. It was so cold this morning that it was hard to get started. By the time we did get going we were running late. Well, not really but it felt like it. We were off to the most fun place in the whole world. Walmart. I am continually surprised at how fast you can spend money at walmart. We did our errands and then we were home. I realized at this point that Morgan had a recital this afternoon I had forgotten to find someone to watch Emmy and Ian. The last time I took them they were so loud that when they announced that Kennedy would be playing they also said that Ian would be singing a solo. I guess that was their nice way of saying he was a little loud. Anyway, after about 5 phone calls I finally got my friend Brekke to take the little ones. Emmy was excited to play with Audrey, her daughter and Ian didn't have a clue. By the time I dropped them off and got to the school, I was running late. I had Morgan's change of clothes with me and was a little upset that I was late, meaning I wasn't 30 minutes early. She did a fantastic job. Then it was a mad dash to get the little ones. The had a blast. One the way home I asked Emmy if she had fun. She told me all about it. "They had a lot of books and Audrey's mom read them to us. She is a lot of nice. You are a lot of mean." And that was her evaluation. I laughed pretty hard. I figure that means that I am doing something right. Since when is a mom thought of a nice when you are 3.

The rest of the night was spent cooking dinner, practicing and chasing Ian out of my cupboards and pantry. It is a pretty full time job and I am a little tired.

Finding Joy in the Journey

2009-01-25T13:43:00.002-06:00

I have the "joy" of being a teacher in Relief Society. It really isn't that bad so I can't really complain. I get to teach the Teachings for our Times lesson at the end of the month. Sometimes that can be a real challenge because it is from a conference talk and not the lesson manual. This week I got to teach the talk by Pres. Monson "Finding Joy in the Journey." To be honest, I didn't remember the talk from conference but it was a fabulous talk. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend looking it up and reading it. I never talk like this for those of you who don't know me so well. Being spiritual isn't exactly high on my list of characteristics that I would give myself. I think this one just hit at the right time. You know how it goes. Anyway, it spoke of how important it is to live for today instead of waiting for tomorrow. Now that doesn't mean you don't have to plan for the future or go blow you life savings today. Just enjoy the moment. It really made me think about how blessed I am in my life. It is really easy to look at all the things that aren't exactly right with my life and dwell on those but a little harder to look for the right things. I gave the challenge to the class to look for things to enjoy about life and be happy. I am going to try to do a little of the same thing.

I love watching Ian discover things. I could be really angry when he drops things down the stairs but I am trying to remember that he is just discovering gravity. He is learning. I love Emmy's sense of humor. I am the luckiest person in the world to get to ride in the car with her and play I Spy. She is so smart. I especially love it when she tells me that she sees weird things on top of buildings like snails and squirrels and a stunk (this is a skunk and not a typo. I think the name is really appropriate) I live watching Kennedy's eyes light up when she gets a particularly naughty idea in her head. I love her laugh. She has the greatest laugh and she really loves life. I love Morgan's kind heart. She has so much compassion. She is sensitive to the feelings of those around her and always willing to help. I love Scott's willingness to serve. He works so hard whether at work or at church. I know he would rather be home but he never complains.

I am going to try to look at the good things and live for today. I am going to try to improve my current situation instead of just waiting for it to change. I will focus more on the people in my live than the things. I guess this is going to be one of my new year resolutions. I will be happy, not when the kids get older or when Scott gets a new job or when the house stays clean or when the laundry is done. I will be happy now.

The Poor Family Dog

2009-01-25T13:04:00.003-06:00

We have a dog, Ginger. I have to admit that she often gets a bad rap, not that it isn't deserved most of the time. As any of you know that also have a family dog, I have little time for her. I have a lot on my plate. I have 4 children and a husband and a house to try to keep sort of clean. I didn't really sign up for the dog thing as well. I just kind of got out numbered. I will admit that I didn't say no. How could I when the kids had been asking for a dog forever and Scott calls me on the phone and tells me to look at a picture of the dog on the Internet with the sound of longing in his voice. She really isn't a bad dog. She wasn't very hard to potty train at all. She is great with the kids. She is careful with the baby. She does chew things at times. We have lost a few pairs of shoes and some toys. I really can't complain when she chews up a Barbie that has been left on the living room floor as if it were placed on the sacrificial alter. The kids should pick up their toys and that is a great cause and effect lesson. Nevertheless, she is the first one to get blamed when something goes missing.

Last night was a prime example. Scott walked down the hall and found the insides of a diaper just sitting there in a pile. It wasn't a lot but enough to know what it was. My first response is, the dog did it. I honestly can't remember the last time that she chewed up a diaper, as disgusting as that is. So I made Kennedy and Morgan go looking for the rest of it. The shell had to be hidden somewhere. They looked and couldn't find it anywhere. Now when I say they looked, I wouldn't say that they really looked. So then I warn them that if I find it they are going to be in trouble. I'm sure I threatened them with some terrible punishment that I can't remember right now. They still couldn't find it. So I started looking. I looked everywhere. I looked under beds, in closets, behind couches and in the backyard. All the usual places that she likes to take her prizes. Nothing. I was sure she did it and I was going to find it in the middle of the night by stepping in it. Then we found some more diaper innards. It wasn't a lot. Just a few little piles leading down the hall. I couldn't figure it out. It wasn't there a minute ago. It took me about an hour for check the other diaper walking around the house. I found it. Ian had a blown out diaper, literally. It was loosing its stuffing by the second. I have to admit I felt a little sorry for Ginger. I had been giving her scary looks and asking where the diaper was and she just looked up at me with her big sad hound dog eyes as if to say, "I really didn't do it this time lady." I guess I just need to get it off my chest and say "Sorry Ginger."

Happy Birthday Ian

2009-01-16T15:04:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Ian! My baby is now a year old and I can't believe it. I thought that I would write a little about what he can do and what he likes so I can remember. He is very independent. As soon as he learns to do something, he doesn't want any help anymore. He is walking like a champ but he hates to wear shoes. I finally broke down and bought some of those soft little leather slipper shoes so he had something on his feet other than socks. He is getting use to them. He loves his blanket and his bottle. I have never seen a child so in love with his bottle. It will be a sad day when he doesn't get it anymore. It will be soon, but not today. He loves balls and sticks. His face lights up when he finds one and he has to show it to me like he has just found the best prize in the whole world. He likes to tease and play tricks. He loves his sisters and the "goggy". He loves to play outside and eat dirt. He loves to eat dog food. I have tried to stop him but it is no use. I don't even try anymore. I figure there are a lot worse things that he could put in his mouth than dog food. He loves to eat pasta and macaroni and cheese. He loves to feed himself. As soon as he figured out how to put food in his mouth, I was no longer allowed to help. He hates to be told "no". He loves to climb, the stairs, especially. My favorite, by far, he loves to snuggle. He gives the best hugs around. He can clap and point. He got to ride in a big boy car seat for the first time today and thought that it was pretty great. He has 6 teeth and weighs 20 pounds. My favorite memory of his birth is right after he was born and the nurse had him on the warmer. Scott was right next to him and he said, "Hey, where have you been? We have been waiting for you." It still brings tears to my eyes. We sure are glad he finally made it.

Way to go!

2009-01-15T14:08:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was report card day. It has never been a bad day here in the Hunter House. But I just have to write because yesterday was the best report card day we have ever had. Both Morgan and Kennedy came home with straight A's and straight E's. We could not be more proud of all their hard work. Way to go girls!

I'm back

2009-01-03T16:32:00.001-06:00

If anyone has been wondering where I have been, I am back. The computer is back up and running after spending 1 1/2 weeks with the Geek Squad. It made me feel better that they thought that they had it fixed 4 different times and it still wasn't right. I hate spending money on something that is an easy fix. It wasn't. I had the geeks stumped. Anyway, I will update you all with pictures when I get a minute. I just wanted to say I am back and Happy New Year.

Harvest Time

2008-12-22T07:35:00.004-06:00

I love our garden. I know all of you have visions of what a garden should look like. Let me put your minds to rest, mine does not follow the norm. Don't get me wrong. We do grow things but I think it turns more into a science project than an actual producing garden.

When we first moved into our house, it seems we were more excited about planting a garden than just about anything else. So about 2 months after we moved in I went and bought plants and some wood beams to make a bed. I figured if I bought the plants than I would have to hurry and build it or they would die. My dad happened to come to town a day or two later and helped to build a beautiful garden bed and we put it right under my dining room window so I wouldn't forget to water the plants and I could watch them grow. We planted the plants and it looked great. They were all in rows and everything. Then the rain started. Little did we know that we had placed the garden in the one spot in the yard that tends pool when it rains. Needless to say, the garden didn't do very well. I got 2 tomatoes and our okra plants did great. Everything else just kind of rotted on the vine. I figured this was going to be a work in progress.

This last spring we moved the bed to a better place in the yard. We planted summer squash, that did great. We didn't know what to do with all of it. We grilled it and even tried making squash bread out of it. It wasn't very good. I don't recommend it. We planted basil, oregano, cilantro and chives. We also planted 2 tomato plants. The goal of every garden in my opinion is to get the coveted garden tomatoes. At first they wouldn't fruit. There were lots of flowers but they wouldn't fruit. Then when they would fruit, we had stink bugs that would suck them dry. We couldn't seem to get rid of them. By the time we figured that out, it was the end of the season. One day we notices a couple of horned worms, or tomato worms on the plants. They look kind of cool and I can remember my parents having us take them off our tomato plants when we were younger. At this point we had pretty much given up on getting any tomatoes off the plants and we thought we would see what would happen. It took one day and those plants were stripped clean. I couldn't believe the damage those little things could do. Later when we were clearing out the garden Scott found the cocoons of the horned worms. They were huge. They were as long and a little fatter than my thumb. They were also red. So we left them alone. It was something else when the moths came out of the cocoons. It really freaked out dog our. She would bark and bark at the things. I will post pictures when I get them. It was a great learning experience for the kids.

We also planted okra. Scott had saved some seeds from the plants the previous year. We didn't really think they would grow. He went out and scratched some lines in the dirt at the back of the yard and planted them. He planted them just in the sand and the soil wasn't very good at all. I didn't think any of them would take. By the end of the week, we had about 100 okra sprouts. So after the thinning process we were left with about 25 okra which turned into an okra forest, that's what I called it. We had more okra than we knew what to do with. We made gumbo and had fried okra a few times. We tried to give it away but not many people would take it.

We planted carrots in September. I found some seed packets at Walmart they were clearing out for 10 cents. Scott made rows and made sure the loose dirt was nice and high so the carrots would grow nice and long. Then a week later we were hit by Hurricane Ike. I figured that was the end of our carrots. Ike had taken out what was left of our okra. A week or so later the carrots started growing. We had carrot shoots in the grass and everywhere except the tops of those perfect little rows. They were all in the valleys. So we kind of let them do what they were going to do. Another science project. We didn't thin them. We just let them go. Once they got pretty big we started pulling one each Saturday. It sure was a lot of fun to watch them grow and taste them. Then they got bigger and started to grow down into the clay. It sure was hard to get them out of the clay. We harvested them on Saturday. The kids had a great time. Ian even helped. I think he ate more dirt than anything else but he sure loved the freedom to go where he wanted and do what he wanted. He sure needed a bath when he was done. They have even saved 9 carrots for Santa's reindeer. Last night I even made carrot cake with the carrots from the garden. It sure tasted good. Now the garden is waiting for peas to be planted next month. It sure is great to live in a place where we can plant things all year long.

December

2008-12-22T07:07:00.004-06:00

I know I haven't written in a long time and I like to blame it on the fact that I can't post pictures. I realized this morning, if I don't write something I am going to forget what we have been doing this crazy month. So here goes. The kids are finally out of school. We have survived the couple of weeks of parties and school concerts and are now in the clear, sort of.

Morgan is now in the performing violin group at school. She has been very excited about this advancement. I was too until I saw the concert schedule for December. She is also in a beginning chorus group from school so on top of the violin concerts, she also had the chorus concerts. To make a long week, short, she had 6 concerts in one week. That doesn't count the night that I had enrichment and had to play my violin for it or the morning that Morgan was in the 3rd grade spelling bee. She did great by the way. She came in fourth. Not bad for her first go around. She wasn't at all happy with her preformance which isn't surprising if any of you have ever met Morgan. She got out on "humidity" of all words and kept saying to me "but I know that word. It wasn't even a hard word." There is always next year. Once I get my computer fixed I will post pictures.

Ian is walking. I don't know how it happens so fast. One day he was cruising along anything that would hold still. The next day he was pushing anything that would move. Now he is leaping fearlessly off anything that will help him stand up and goes for the run across the room. Okay, he doesn't run yet but he has just about made it across the whole living room. That is a long way. He also loves the stairs. If we leave them unblocked for any amount of time, he is there. Then I get my little warning from Emmy screaming, "Mergancy! Mergancy! Ian is on the stairs." He then looks back with sparkles in his eyes of utter delight and goes as fast as he can. The giggling kind of slows him down. We are so lucky to have two kids with the "stinker" gene. His other favorite past time is trying to get into the pantry and eat the dog food. I have tried leaving the dog food outside but the fire ants always seem to find it, even if there was never a mound in the first place. He loves to get in the pantry when no one seems to be watching, and heads straight for the dog food bowl. Then, again, I get my alarm. "Mergancy! Mergancy! Ian's in the pantry." by the time I make it in there, he usually has his mouth full and some in each hand. He screams at me when I take his prize away. When I manage to get his jaws unlocked and the bone shaped food out of his mouth, he quickly puts whatever was in his hand in his mouth as if to say, "That isn't going to stop me, lady." You have to love his determined spirit.

Other than that we are trying to stay sane for the big day that is just around the corner. I am amazed at how quickly children loose their minds this time of year. It is like the excitement of the season makes their little brains short circuit. I'm pretty sure I can figure out now why we try to instill in their brains that "Santa's watching" and "He knows if you've been bad or good." We need all the help we can get.

9 mile run

2008-12-01T20:28:00.004-06:00

Okay. I was supposed to run 9 miles the saturday after Thanksgiving. We went to San Antonio for Thanksgiving. Scott has 2 sisters there and his parents and another sister flew in as well. That is all well and good but that meant that I was all alone on my big run and with no idea where to run. I don't know San Antonio very well. My friend Richelle usually sets the route and I only have to show up and be the slowest runner of the bunch. Not hard. This time I had to grow up (I am also the old lady of the running group) and figure it out myself. I did it. I found the greatest running park ever. I ran at McAllister Park. It is basically a park with running trees and biking paths that runs through trees. It has 2 marked cross country paths. One was a 10K which is 6.3 something miles and then there was a 2.2 something mile path. I just didn't know were these paths were or where they started. So I ran about 1.5 miles before I found the trailhead. Then I hit the 6.3 something mile path. It was great. It wound around in the trees and I felt like it was just me in the middle of the wilderness. I saw 15 deer. I can't remember when I last time I saw a dear before that. This park is in the middle of San Antonio. It had the miles marked out so I knew how far I had gone. Then I finished the 10K and I decided to take the 2.2 mile path. So I kept going even though that would have been 10 miles by the time I was done. I figured that I could do it and it would be no big deal. So I did it. I ran the 2.2 mile path thinking it was a loop because the other path was a loop. I was wrong. It just dumped me 2 miles or so away from my car. I was completely lost. This isn't like a normal park where you can see the parking lot. All you can see are trees and then some paths cut through every now and then. So I came to a road and kept walking back and forth thinking that it had to connect. It didn't. So I decided to run back the way I had come. So to make a long story even longer, I decided to cut through some other trails that had people on them so they had to lead somewhere. I ran most of the way and walked some. I finally found the car. I had only been on the trails for 3 hours. I'm pretty sure I ran a total of 11 miles, at least. I couldn't believe it. And it wasn't just straight flat running. There were some hills and rocks and tree roots to jump over and I only tripped once. I am pretty amazed with myself. I'm sure that I have bored the rest of you to tears but I thought that it was amazing.

Dating

2008-11-16T11:55:00.002-06:00

Since my last entry, I have started noticing some changes that come in life with kids. One that has been particularly evident is dating. With 4 kids and Scott's work schedule we don't get to go out very often but with the birthdays this week we did get to go out and it sparked some memories of how things used to be. Let me preface this by saying that this is in no way complaining about my current situation. It is merely an observation on how things change in life. Change is not always a bad thing.

I remember dating in high school or college. I did date and enjoyed going out with friends. I remember the routine would shape almost the whole day. I would set aside at least 2 hours to get ready. I would take a long, hot shower and never forget to shave my legs. I would plan out what I was going to wear. Make sure it fit just right and looked good, even ironing if necessary. Then I would move onto the hair and make-up. That always took time. The hair had to be styled just right and then hair sprayed so it stayed throughout the evenings activities. The make-up took time. I always used foundation and then the rest of the necessary products. Don't forget the coordinating accessories of jewelery and the perfume. You never went out without smelling good. As my father so eloquently put it, "How can the bee find the flower if he can't smell it?"It took time but was always worth the effort. Then whoever it was would come and pick me up. We would have a great time. The hardest thing would be to try to keep the conversation going so there weren't any awkward silences. Then he would drop me then if I was lucky, I would get a goodnight kiss out of the deal.

Fast forward a decade or so.

Going on a date is a delicate balancing act. The hardest part is trying someone to watch 4 kids. Not that I think my kids are naughty or anything. That is just a lot of kids to put someone. Usually I trade with a friend but that isn't quite fair if they only have 1 or 2 kids. It gets a little tricky. Sometimes I get really lucky and someone will volunteer to take them so I can go out for my birthday or something. The whole getting ready routine is completely different. I have to make dinner and I try to take a quick shower while the kids are eating. Who has time to shave their legs? Mind you there is usually someone running into the bathroom to use the toilet while I am in the shower. It doesn't matter that we have 2 other bathrooms and they are all closer than mine. Then I have to tackle the closet. I try to find something thatfits and is clean and not too wrinkly because I never have time to iron. It is also a good thing if I bought it sometime after the first 2 kids were born. If I am lucky I get to put on some eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara. That takes about 2 minutes and I just let my hair air dry. I don't even own hairspray anymore. Then I have to get the diaper bag packed and the kids in the car. I drop them off and then go pick up Scott from work. He never gets done before 7:00. If I remember, I may but on some smelly lotion in the car before Scott gets in. Who needs prefume? Then there is the issue of what to do. We rarely get to see a movie because, lets face it, we don't want to burden our friends with 4 extra kids for longer than is necessary. We usually end up going out to eat. It is really nice to sit at a restaurant and only worry about what I am going to order. While we are waiting for the food to come we welcome the silence. By this point in the day, we are both tired. I end up looking at the kids at the other tables and missing my own, not that I want them there. It seems like we can't go on a date that doesn't end up at the grocery store or Wal-mart. Really, it is quite nice to go there without kids. Then I drop Scott off back at work so he can get his car and I go and pick up the kids. Now, if I am lucky, I don't get a call in the middle from the sitter telling me that someone is bleeding or otherwise incapacitated. And on the way home, the little ones fall asleep. Although, we don't have to say goodbye at the door and we can always watch a movie once the kids are in bed.

Life just marches on. Ready or not. I just thought that it was kind of funny how much it can change without even realizing it. I love my kids and husband and wouldn't trade them for anything.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-11-13T16:01:00.002-06:00

Okay, to tell the truth, I am struggling a little bit in the whole blogging department since I can't post pictures. My computer gets "hung up" when I try to upload pictures form my camera so you are stuck listening to what I have to say. Either that or just don't read, that is entirely up to you. It is my birthday today. It has been a good day. Ian gave me the best present ever. He slept 12 hours last night starting at 7:45. It was great. I felt great.

I have noticed how the expectations on birthdays have changed over the years. I didn't quite realize how much they had changed until I was having a chat with Emmy this morning. I was making some rolls for a lunch we were going to with some friends and she asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was making rolls for my birthday party and asked her is she wanted to come. Her eyes lit up. "What kind of cake are you going to have?" I'm not sure. "What will your candles going to look like?" I don't know that I am going to have candles. "What is the frosting going to look like?" I'm not sure but I think there will be some frosting. "And there will be lots of presents!" I don't think that there is going to be any presents. She looked at me like I had no idea what a birthday party was all about. Scott made the comment that it was pretty terrible that my friends would have me make rolls for my own birthday lunch. I don't mind making rolls. I rather enjoy it. It isn't hard and I think I am pretty good at it. Then I started thinking. He sure didn't hop out of bed this morning to get the kids off to school so I didn't have to. He didn't think it was crappy that he got to sleep in while I made lunches and took the girls to the bus stop at 6:15am. Life still marches on when you are a mom. I just think a birthday is a great day to guilt my kids into being good for a day.

8 Miles

2008-11-10T07:44:00.002-06:00

I did it. I ran 8 miles Saturday morning. For those of you who don't know, I am training to run a half marathon in February. It will be in Surfside, TX and the only marathon/half marathon to be run on the beach. It will be on hard pack sand so it be too hard. There are a few girls from our ward training. I always take on some goal of self inflicted pain to help get rid of the baby weight and this sounded like a good one. I am not much of a runner. My friend Jean and I ran the 5K for race for the cure a couple of years ago and I thought I was going to die. That is only a little over 3 miles. So now I am training to run 13. I run 3 miles three times during the week and then make the big runs on Saturday. It is amazing what your body can do. I must say that the feeling of doing something that you have never done before is great. It is quite the endorphin high. I just have to remember how great is was so I can put up with the sore muscles for the next couple of days. But I did it!

Stupid computer or me?

2008-11-05T07:59:00.004-06:00

Okay, I know it has been too long since my last post so let me tell you why. I am fighting with my computer and losing. I have been waiting to upload pictures from my camera. Lets face it, the only reason to have a blog is to see the pictures. I can't get my computer to accept my pictures. Every time I try to upload them, my computer freezes up. I thought it was a problem with the software but I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it and it didn't fix the problem. I thought that maybe it was the camera but I don't think that is the case either. I have spent days trying to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it. I am at a loss. So I turn to you. Maybe one of you is computer genius and can help me fix my problem. I don't know what else to do other than huck this computer out the window. That wouldn't solve the problem either. I would just have to buy another computer and lets face it, who can afford that right now.

Hurricane Ike 2

2008-09-19T07:40:00.002-05:00

Here did not get blown away and are still here. I must say that it was a new experience that I hope we do not have to go through again anytime soon. The girls thought that it was a lot of fun and did pretty well. We put a mattress in front of the window in the play room and put a blow up mattress in there for the girls. They were excited for the slumber party. Scott and I stayed in our room and put up a port a crib up for Ian. And then the winds and rain started. I have never heard wind so loud. We could feel it shaking the house. So we stayed awake most of the night wondering what each sound was. It seemed like at any moment, the wind would be too much for the garage door. The kids slept really well. Kennedy got up at about 4am and climbed into bed with us. She fell asleep pretty quickly, although I don't know how. The winds were really blowing hard. Morgan and Emersen slept until 6am and Ian wins the prize and slept until 6:30. By then I had given up hope for sleeping at all and got up. The sun came up shortly after that and we could see the damage. The house came through just fine. No window damage or roof damage and garage door held. The fence did not fare so well. Our wooden fence was blown over. We lost power about 10:30pm the night of the storm. We got off really lucky. May of our neighbors had roof damage. A couple of our trees were blown over as well but not bad enough that they couldn't be saved. We got power back at 4pm. We were really lucky. There are still over a million people without power. I kind of feel guilty that we are sitting in our air conditioned house while most of Houston in sweating it out. The girls have been out of school all week and we are waiting to see if they get to go back on monday. I think they are ready to get back to the normal way of life.

Scott's office didn't fare so well. His window got blown out and from what I hear it looks like a bomb went off in there. We are still waiting to see what comes of that. But for now, I am enjoying having him at home with me.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-11T13:36:00.002-05:00

Here we are waiting for our little friend to visit. For those of you who don't know, we are waiting for hurricane Ike to show his ugly little head. It has been very interesting to watch and wait as this storm has gotten closer and closer. We evacuated when the last hurricane threatened to hit Houston about 3 years ago and that was not a pleasant experience. We have decided to stay here and wait out the storm. If it looks like the power will be out for a while then we will go stay with one of Scott's sisters in San Antonio. Right now we are at the wait and see stage. School is canceled for tomorrow so I'm sure the girls will be happy about that. We are okay on all of our supplies so I think we will be fine. This morning I went out to get the last minute batteries and things but I think we are good. I am kind of excited to see what this storm brings. It is the first time I have ever seen anything of this magnitude. Ike will be at a Cat 3 when it hits so they say. It could get as bad as a Cat 4 but we'll have to wait and see. I will keep you posted as to what happens with the storm. Keep us in your prayers just in case this thing really packs a punch.

School Bus

2008-08-29T21:17:00.002-05:00

It was a very exciting day today. The girls got up early and we headed to the bus stop and this is the only end of the bus that we saw. We missed out first bus. Sometimes mom's don't know everything. We had some tears when we realized we had been standing in the wrong place and the bus had left without 2 very excited girls. I told them not to worry because they would get to ride it home. And they sure did get to ride it home. They were pretty happy about it too. So was I. I have to say it sure took a lot of stress out of the day. I didn't have to drive in traffic or fight carpool lanes or crazy people who do it wrong. I got to stay at home. Ian actually got to take a nap in his bed this afternoon. I got dinner started. We left the house to get the girls and about a half a block from the stop my phone rang. The bus was early. I was there and back in about 5 minutes. This is amazing and why didn't I start this last year when I had the new baby. What was I thinking? (or not thinking) We'll see what they have to say about it on tuesday when they ride it to and from school.
The other big news is Kennedy got a stay at home cello today. She is so excited. For those of you who don't know, Kennedy plays the cello and has had to take it to and from school everyday for the last 2 years. It is a great set up with backpack cases and everything. It sure is cute watching them walk with them on. Anyway, she now doesn't have to do that everyday and she is so happy. She doesn't have to pack and unpack a cello at least twice a day. Yeah, Kennedy!!

First Day of School

2008-08-26T10:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the first day back to school. Needless to say Morgan and Kennedy were very excited. Morgan thinks that third grade is the best ever and Kennedy thinks she is wrong because second grade has to be the best. After school, we went for some ice-cream with some friends. It was a nice cool treat for a hot day and a good way to end the first day of school.

Kid grow too fast

2008-08-13T10:26:00.002-05:00

I just think this is the cutest picture ever and I wanted to share it with you. I just can't believe how fast they grow. My babies are growing up way too fast. I wish I could slow things down for a day or two.

Kennedy turns 7.

2008-08-13T10:25:00.001-05:00

July 26, Kennedy finally turned 7. We had a great day. She got to open her presents and Aunt Leslie we even here. We spent the day at the beach and I forgot to take my camera, but we still had a lot of fun.

She was very excited for everything, especially her cake.

There is just something about blowing the candles out of your own special order cake that just seems to make the day.

Then again, eating it isn't that bad either. Happy birthday sweetheart.

Swimming lessons

2008-08-13T10:02:00.004-05:00

I finally caved and enrolled the girls in swim lessons this summer. They loved it. Emmy couldn't have been happier to swim with her teacher Anna everyday. She got to kick and put her face in the water.

Her favorite was jumping in the deep water all by herself and swimming back to the side on a noodle.
Kennedy learned a lot of new things. She got a lot stronger and learned to swim freestyle, back stroke, breast stroke and a little side stroke.
She especially liked swimming with the turtle shell on her back, even though she didn't need it.
Morgan did great in her class. She learned all her strokes and swam laps everyday. She also learned boat safety and floated with life jackets.

She also learned how to help get big people out of the water if they need help.
The best part about swim lessons was that Kennedy finally passed the swim test. We go to the YMCA and they have a water slide at their pool. In order to go on the slide you have to be able to swim a length of the pool all by yourself without touching the side or the bottom. Kennedy has been trying so hard for the last year and she finally did it. Way to go Kennedy!

The circus came to town.

2008-08-13T09:47:00.003-05:00

We are lucky to love in Houston. There are some great summer reading programs here. The kids signed up with the public library and read 10 books each and got ticket to go to the circus. It was a great deal. The seats we got were $30 seats. I didn't realize it was so expensive to go to the circus. So thanks to the City of Houston we got to go the the circus for free. We got to see the tigers do lots of cool things.
The elephants were amazing.
It was fun to see people shot out a cannon.
And best of all, we got to do it with our good friends.

Doing laundry is fun to do.

2008-08-13T09:44:00.002-05:00

I just love doing laundry. Especially when I have a cute little helper like this guy.

Emmy loves being a girl

2008-08-13T09:10:00.002-05:00

When Aunt Lynette came to visit she brought some presents for her birthday. Emmy loved every single one of them. It had hair clips and necklaces. Rings and barrettes.
But best of all, it had makeup.

You can see that she loves being a girl. And what a pretty girl she is too!

Fun with cousins

2008-08-13T09:01:00.003-05:00

This July we were lucky to have some cousins visit all the way for Juneau, Alaska. We got to take them to Galveston for a few days and we had a blast. Ian went to the beach for the first time and loved it. I think he ate more sand than he had on him at the end of the day.
Emmy loves to build sand castles. What could be better than getting dirty and swimming?
Kennedy just loves the water. Can't you tell.
We also got to go to Schlitterbaun which is a huge water park that has something for all ages. At the end of the day we took this picture and couldn't believe that we managed to go to a park like this with 10 kids and no one got lost.

ABC's by Emmy

2008-07-13T21:17:00.002-05:00

I had to add one more of Emmy's greatest. Isn't she the smartest thing ever.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2008-07-13T20:31:00.003-05:00

I just love this age. This is why kids are great. We love Emmy's singing. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Emmy's 3rd birthday

2008-07-13T20:16:00.000-05:00

Emmy had a birthday on the 11th and she couldn't have been happier. She waited a long time for it to finally be her "birsday "and it finally came. She got some dressup clothes and other fun things.

She had a few friends over and had a little Dora party. They went throught the playdoh puddles among other things to get to Emmy's party.

I think her favorite part was blowing out the fire on her cake.

She worked really hard at it. Happy birthday Emmy.

4th of July

2008-07-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

We had a great 4th of July. We started the day at a ward breakfast and fun run. Some of you might be thinking that doesn't sound like so much fun in Houston in July. I thought it sounded like fun and Morgan and Kennedy were excited to do it as well. So we packed everyone in the car and headed to the church to be there by 7am. It was a lot of "fun". Morgan cried the first half and Kennedy cried the second half. Morgan ran about 100 yards a decided that it wasn't so much fun. After the halfway mark I had to drag Kennedy throught the rest. But we made it. They thought that it was great because the runners got to be first in line for breakfast.

Morgan's thought that the next time we should take the car on the fun run. I like this picture of Emmy and her best friend Jake with Ian looking on.

We went to the parade after that. We really like to go to the parade. The kids think it is great and almost as good as Halloween because they throw candy and give out necklaces and all sorts of free stuff. We thought the Deloreans were the coolest part. There were like 8 of them in a line. Pretty cool. Happy 4th.

Noah's Ark Pool

2008-06-29T21:59:00.000-05:00

This last week we went to this fun pool at a church, of all places, and the kids had a blast. It is called Noah's Ark Pool and the kiddie pool is fabulous. It has slides and waterfalls and is all of about a foot deep so the little kids can play and have a great time. Here is a picture of Emmy getting pushed down the rainbow slide. The little boy's mom was mortified but I am pretty sure that Emmy had pushed her share of kids that day and had it coming.

It also had a big pool with diving boards and some slides for the older kids and Morgan and Kennedy thought it was great. Kennedy really enjoyed her new found freedom with swimming all by herself in the deeper water. We usually go to the YMCA pool and they have the kids pass a swim test to go in the deeper water and on the water slide. Kennedy hasn't quite gotten the courage to pass the swim test. She didn't have to pass a test at this pool. She made me stay on standby in the water as she jumped until she felt confident. It was great.

Morgan thought it was great. She loves swimming and was excited to play on the diving board.

This is why they call it Noah's Ark Pool. The slide was better than I thought it would be and even the bigger kids really liked it. We had a lot of fun.

Ian all dressed up

2008-06-29T21:46:00.001-05:00

Who said that dressing boys isn't fun?

Isn't he the cutest thing?

Emmy is getting big

2008-06-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

Emersen is so much fun. She loves to keep me on my toes. She loves to get herself dressed all by herself. She prefers to do just about everything all by herself.

And she is very happy when thing go just the way she thinks they should. She has just made a big achievement. She can put her face in the water at the pool all by herself. She is so proud of herself that she wants to go to the pool just about everyday. When you ask her about it, she jumps up and down as she tells you what she can do. She also wants to wear a swimsuit all the time. It doesn't matter if it does belong to her big sister.

She just loves her little bother Ann and the dog Jimjar. There isn't anything better.

Except maybe her smile.

Morgan is Fabulous

2008-06-17T22:31:00.000-05:00

Morgan has had another great year at school. She earned a trophy for practicing 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week for the whole school year. She worked very hard on that making sure she and Kennedy remembered to get that done even through the holidays and her mom having a baby. Way to go!

She also made the Principle's Honor Roll again this year which means that she had straight A's. Great Job!

She also enjoyed playing her violin this year and was the top of her magnet class this year even though she was the youngest in her class. She is flying.

She is also my saving grace at home. She is such a joy to have. She loves to help me whenever I need it. She is always willing to hold the baby when I am in the middle of making dinner and he wants to be held. She is always willing to help Emmy if I can't get to her right away. She will even put down her video games and watch her brother so I can take a shower. I really do appreciate everything she does to help out at home. Thanks Morgan.

Kennedy is great

2008-06-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Kennedy has done great in school this year. She earned many awards.

She worked very hard all year to earn this trophy. She practiced her cello 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week all year long. She even managed to do that through the holidays and when her mom had a baby. Great job!

Kennedy also made the Honor Roll this year. She got A's and no more then 2 B's on her report card. Way to go!

She even manages to love her little sister which isn't always easy

She won't stop losing her teeth either. I have to admit that I love her little jack-o-lantern smile. Kids grow up too fast don't they.

Ian is getting bigger everyday

2008-06-17T22:11:00.000-05:00

Ian has been doing some very exciting things these last few weeks. The most exciting to him is that he is now rolling. He is skilled in swiftly getting off the blanket and making it about half way across the room. Some days he is really pleased with himself. Others he is just frustrated because he keeps getting stuck on his stomach.

His sister sure are proud of our little guy.

With a face like this, who came blame them.

Ian is also enjoying the delicacy of rice cereal. He is taking it like a man. I couldn't resist this picture. Maybe some day he will be able to grow the real thing.

I'll do better

2008-06-17T21:59:00.002-05:00

I know that no one probably checks out this blog anymore because I am such a slacker. I am going to do better. I was just sitting here reading up on a few blogs that I haven't read in a while and I started feeling rather ashamed about how badly I have been keeping up with ours. So I am now pledging to try to do better and try to post at least once a week. Those may be famous last words but I am going to try.

New Addition

2008-05-26T13:25:00.000-05:00

We have a new addition to the family. This is Ginger. She is a basset hound mix. She is a good little dog and loves to play with the kids. She even likes to play with Emmy. The girls love her and can't believe that they finally got the dog they have been wanting for what seems like forever.

Cute baby

2008-05-03T18:36:00.000-05:00

I may be a little biased but I think that Ian is the cutest little guy ever. It must be the blue eyes. If not that, then the dimple and the bald head. I just love this little guy.

Summer haircuts

2008-05-03T18:29:00.000-05:00

Well, they did it. They finally let me take them to get their hair cut. We spent the weekend in San Antonio 2 weeks ago and I took the girl to Fantastic Sam's and the girls got chopped. They were also very excited to be able to donate their hair. I am just excited I don't have to fight to brush it or wash it anymore.

One big weekend

2008-05-03T18:19:00.001-05:00

March 29 was a very big day. Morgan was baptized by her dad. She was so excited and so were all of us. I can't believe that she is so big and ready to take this big step in her life. She was surrounded by lots of friends and family.

March 30 was also a big day. Ian Geoffrey was blessed by his dad. We are so happy to have him as part of our family. He is a joy to have. He is always so happy and brings a smile to all our faces.

It's great to be eight.

2008-03-18T22:35:00.000-05:00

Morgan hit a milestone on sunday.

She is finally eight.

She can hardly wait until she is baptized at the end of the month.

Growing up

2008-03-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

As hard as I try to stop them, my kids just won't stop growing up. My Kennedy has changed forever. Her smile has been broken. She has changed in her prefect baby teeth smile for one with a hole. She was so excited to finally have achieved this rite of passage. I can't help but feel a little sad. They just won't stop growing.

Spring in Houston

2008-03-18T22:18:00.001-05:00

I love the Houston in the spring. Usually, it is just beautiful. March started out a little cold. We had a morning that even Ian needed to wear a jacket with a hood. I think the day started out at 38 degrees. That is freezing for us down here in the south. Then about a week later, we started out spring break at the pool on friday. Emmy loves to swim in the "cool." Morgan and Kennedy were loving it as well. I think we are ready for warmer weather in Texas.

Class Projects

2008-03-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

The girls have been working very hard at school this year. This month we has a couple of projects due. Kennedy wrote her first biography. She had research a famous American and write a report. She had to dress up like her subject and read her report in front of her class. She makes a great Pocahontas.

She presented with Johnny Appleseed, the Wright brothers, Martin Luther King Jr, Susan B Anthony, and Betsy Ross.

Morgan went on a vocabulary parade. She had to pick a word and dress up like.

She does contagious great, doesn't she.

Emmy can't wait to go to school and do projects, too.

Frustrated 2

2008-02-29T16:34:00.001-06:00

This picture of Ian was supposed to be on the other post but it didn't make it. It shows that I still don't have this picture thing down.

Terrible Twos

2008-02-29T10:49:00.001-06:00

So Emersen is 2. The other day, I realized that I hadn't heard from her for a while. That is never a good thing. I called her name and she didn't answer. She always answers. Not good. I went looking for her and couldn't find her. Then I heard a noise coming from the playroom closet. I looked inside and guess what I found. Apparently Emmy found my makeup. Luckily I grabbed the camera before I grabbed the wipes. She really keeps me on my toes. But I am proud to announce that she is now potty trained and it only took a couple of weeks. Now we only have one in diapers. Ya whoo!

Frustrations

2008-02-29T10:33:00.002-06:00

I am trying to figure out how to put pictures on this silly thing and I am getting a little frustrated. This picture pretty much sums up my feeling on the subject. We'll see if it works.

Crossing Over

2008-02-29T09:36:00.002-06:00

Well, I did it. I finally did it. I have succumbed to peer pressure and entered the world of the bloggers. I'm not saying it is going to be pretty for a while. I will get better. I promise.