Building....

We finally broke ground a couple months ago....we have been busy choosing lighting, paint, rock, brick, roof color---and so much more....Here's our kitchen granite (currently coming from brazil- hoping it is here in time)

 This is a pick from last week...framers hard at work

Windows went in on Saturday : )  It's starting to take shape and actually look like a house now....

Between work, the new house, and end of the year school activities we are pretty exhausted but so ready to get out of our current rental and into this new house!

It's been so long.....

So I'm back-sort of...well, hopefully.......Life has been pretty nuts the last 6 months.  Who am I kidding?.... the last year.  We began a new school year, football and cheerleading went great and we cruised into the holidays hoping things would slow down and we could enjoy some quiet time before spring sports began.  That didn't quite go as planned.....

Around the first of December we had a real estate agent, and friend, call us to say she had a client who would like to purchase a house in our neighborhood.  That had driven by our house and wanted to look at it if we were interested in selling.  Crazy!!  We thought about it for about an hour and then said, "Why not?!".  I went home and cleaned and decluttered like a crazy woman.  They looked at the house on that Friday and signed contracts at lunch that day!  It was a breeze, except for the little detail that they wanted to close by December 20th!  We had Robo's 10th birthday, a snow skiing trip, Christmas to prepare for, and NO PLACE TO LIVE!  Long story short- we found a house to rent immediately, moved only what would fit and put everything else into storage.  It was a wild few weeks but it has been awesome.

Since selling we have purchased some land (13 acres), had house plans drawn up, dug water line, and today they are beginning to form up the slab!!!  We are so excited (and ready to move out of this small rental).

Here's a few pictures of that last few months.....

Snow skiing/boarding...the kids did great for their first time!

 A visit to Tiger Safari in Tuttle, Oklahoma

My sweet, sassy girl!

We can't wait for this adventure to get into full swing and start seeing our new home come to life! Here's to hoping more frequent posts start coming!....

Vacation!

We have been gone for the last 9 days camping...yes- camping!  But no tent here--we took our camper with air conditioning, bathroom, and full size shower....that's as close to camping as I get! : ) We kinda felt like the Griswalds...see why?....

We started out in New Braunfels, TX....this is what the kids do while we set everything up....

Such hard workers, right?

We took the kids to Schlitterbahn, they rode bikes, swam, and jumped on this amazing giant pillow...

It was far better than a trampoline!

Here's a pic of the guys grilling their dinner...

Of course we took the growing dog too (he's getting a lot bigger than we planned!)

She absolutely loves him!!

A few pics before Schlitterbahn...

Then we left there and headed to Port Aransas...a cute, laid back island for fishing, swimming, shopping, and of course a few cold margaritas!!

Feeding the birds...

When did he get so big? 

Fishing!!! They went on a 6 hour deep sea fishing boat-LOVED IT!  

And a quick trip to Rudy's BBQ---Yummy!!!

I hate when vacation ends-it's sad...back to work, bills, normal life.....but the kids and I are heading to Oklahoma to see family and hang out in a couple weeks so maybe we can squeeze in a little fun there too??!!!

Have a great rest of summer vacation! Have you noticed it's already time to buy school supplies again?!  Summer is too short!!!

Just an update through pictures!

What a whirlwind life has been lately!  Baseball, softball, end of school activities, a new family member (we will get to that in a little bit), and a surgery....All in pictures~

How can you not love this dirty little face?! Melts my heart!  Our first real softball tourney and it was a blast!  Can't wait till next season!

A quick shopping trip to dallas!....Always includes Uncle Julios!  YUM!

The newest member of our family.....Woodrow

Is he not the cutest thing you have ever seen?  He is now 12 weeks old and much bigger.

She pushes him around in her baby doll stroller...poor dog.  Hahaha!

He's already sooo spoiled!!

Here's a pic of Rob and the kids before a wedding last weekend....I got to stay home and rest up on pain pills....turns out having your appendix taken out is no joke-and no fun!!!

Well, I'm off to rest a little more.  Hope you are all having a great summer vacation!! We will be leaving for ours in a few weeks and can't wait to get there!

2011 What I learned and 2012 Resolutions

2011 seems to have come and gone faster than any year before.  I feel like time moves so much quicker now....it seemed like high school lasted forever, college semesters were so long and the break was so short.  Now I think back and wonder why I ever complained.  Everything in life is constantly scheduled by dates, weeks, countdowns...I just need time to freeze.  I need time to enjoy life now and not worry about what needs done by the 15th, mailed by the 23rd, filed by 5pm, or picked up by noon.  It's exhausting!!! First NY Resolution: RELAX!

NYE was spent with great friends that I feel so blessed to have! 2011 brought new friends, renewed old friendships, made lasting memories, and gave me a group of people that made a huge impression.  I learned that there are some people in your life that you simply cannot live without. Because once they are near- you can't imagine life before them!  I learned that it really is ok to be a little different....even if you wear heels (instead of boots) in a West Texas town and you don't have a clue about what goes on at a stock show...real friends will still love and accept you!  I learned that working with your spouse-is hard... it takes work and compromise.  But once you get that figured out-it's great!  And just recently I have seen that life is truly a gift and fragile.  You have to take every day and live it to the absolute fullest! You can't step backward or worry about yesterday- you have to keep moving forward and learn from the past!  (Easier said than done)

 NY Resolution #2: Be more patient...I am one of the worst road rage drivers out there! I hate slow drivers, people that don't know they can turn right on red, etc.  But- I am going to try to be more patient...and not just when driving.  When waiting in line, shopping, at dr's offices, etc.  All around everyday life is loaded with bubble busters and I refuse to let them pull out the yelling, rage-issue little demon inside me! HA!

NY Resolution #3: Finally find drapes for my breakfast nook and living area. (Now this I just may succeed at!) We have lived in this house for 3 1/2 years and I have yet to find drapes for these 2 areas! I have looked incessantly- and  friend want to take this project on?!

There is no weight loss-fitness-diet goal this year....i would just cave and stuff myself full of brownies by day 3...who am I kidding?...day 1!!!  In general- I just want to stay happy.  I refuse to weigh everyday and panic over a few pounds this year!  Let's see how I feel about this in May when it's time to put on a bathing suit?!

 2011 was a great year but I am hoping that 2012 brings just as many blessings and fewer freak-out moments!!  Hope you all have an amazing 2012!!!

9 years....

See this handsome little guy?....well, he is nine now!!!  NINE!  His birthday was December 9th and it was a great day!  I always get so teary eyed on his birthday...thinking back to when he was a little baby.  It seems like just a short while ago.  And then I start thinking about what the next 9 years will hold.  I am so proud of this quirky, smart, big-hearted kid!  He loves his sister more than he will admit, always notices and compliments people, is far too smart for his own good, makes us laugh everyday, and now that he has glasses he can see!!!! (I can't believe we didn't know for this long...I'm going with the excuse that his eyes recently got bad! HA!)
Happy Birthday Rob-o! You are truly special to us and we love you!!

Halloween, Superbowl, Thanksgiving....I'm a little behind!

Time is flying by!!!!....Halloween was a blast!

 Straight out of a movie is our "Dorothy" and coming to you from a wild football game is "crazy super fan Rob"

What's Dorothy without the red glitter high heels? 

The boys Rob's age weren't real excited about dressing up so they came up with this "super fan" idea.  Two other boys were also dressed like Rob and when we put them side by side their chests read U T #1...and their backs said GO FIGHT WIN!  Super cute when they were all together, although I hate UT! haha

A few weeks ago we were also 100% into football and cheer....
Our football organization has 4 football teams...3 of the teams made it to the Championship game that we call the "SUPERBOWL"! Our amazing group of parents worked all week on snacks, decorations, and a pep rally fit for high school that we had the Friday before the big games.  We had cheerleaders, candy and t-shirts to throw to the crowd, the high school dance team, music, a pep talk by our high school quarterback (who did an amazing job pumping up our little ones!) And even the Macarena dance by all of the coaches! We left the school that night feeling exhausted but successful...those boys thought it was great and to see parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, teachers, etc. all come out on a friday night for these kids was breathtaking. The gym was FULL...standing room only!  Our community has such a tight bond and real sense of family! I wouldn't trade our school for anything! We went the next day to the Championship games where it was freezing and the wind would blow you over!!! Every team game it a valiant effort but each one came up just a bit short! The boys (and coaches) were bummed to say the least but it was inspiring to see all of the parents, friends, and coaches encourage the boys to hold their heads up and know that they gave it their all!  Our awards banquet the next day went great...we handed out trophies, ate, and had a speaker who reminded us that these kids will be grown in the blink of an eye and to enjoy every second we get with them.  He had every mom and some dads tearing up and sniffling but it was a great message for us all! We also did a Toys for Tots drive that was beyond successful and proved again how great our community is!!

Now on to Thanksgiving....Wednesday morning we will be packed up and heading to OOOO Oklahoma, where the roads are bumpy, and it costs a small fortune to drive on them! haha  But hey- we have a very cute 2 year old waiting for us there that we can't wait to squeeze! The kids are ready to go today if I would let them!  Life has been so crazy that I haven't posted a single "What I'm thankful for" this month so here goes.....

I am thankful for a thriving business that keeps growing and is staying very busy (knock on wood).

I am thankful for a group of girlfriends (you know who you are) that are always there to laugh, cry, listen, and meet at chilis!!! I couldn't ask for a better group of great girls!!!

I am thankful for my hard-working, smart, providing husband!  He is constantly amazing me with what he comes up with and how he gets things done!

I am thankful for 2 kids that are completely different individuals, who love unconditionally, have a contagious laugh, are growing, learning, and showing us each day how blessed we are with them in our lives!

There's so much more but let's save some for tomorrow?!

She's not a baby anymore....

It seems like just yesterday that my sweet, bald, dark browned eyed baby girl was born.  6 lbs, 19 inches and perfect!! After a long 8 months all we wanted was to hold her and know that she was healthy and safe.  She was a perfect fit with us from the beginning and her big brother couldn't get enough of "his baby"! She has filled my heart in a way I never knew possible...and daddy-well, he is wrapped around her finger!!! Seeing her grow over the past seven years has been such a joy! I can't wait to see what her life will become and what she has in store for us as she gets older!!! Happy 7th Birthday Neely!!!!!!

First black eye!

Seven Years old this morning!!!!

Homecoming...Texas style!

This past week was HOMECOMING at Jim Ned.

Is that not the cutest thing ever?!!!!

My goodness-he is growing up way too fast!!

Now I know- my kids are only in elementary school, but that's what is so great about small towns in Texas---they even include the little ones!  On Friday we dropped the kids off at school in their football jersey and cheer uniform with their garter and mum!  Yes, kinder-5th grade wear mums and garters...it is adorable!  We were busy all week making signs, getting decorations, gathering candy and making bags for each kid to have during the parade. We had the parade Friday afternoon and the kids rode on floats for youth cheer and football and threw tons of candy.  This is my absolute favorite time of year (and the busiest)!!!  Friday morning we got to the trailers early and started decorating!  Afterwards we went to lunch and it was so nice to have a bunch of us together (-kids) to eat lunch and hang out.  Then mass chaos ensued when we picked the kids up from school and tried to keep over 100 k-5th grade boys and girls on a float without crying, falling, or killing each other while we took pictures! HAHA  Every time we have an event like this it reminds me how blessed I am for great friends, a great town, and a great school for my kiddos!!  GO INDIANS!!!!  SO I  leave you with a couple pics from the parade.....

Love!

 Great friends!!!

Such a cute handsome bunch of boys!  Please excuse the ice chest full of water...it was a HOT day!

Future high-school football stars?!!

Thankful Thursday

I'm feeling a little selfish today.  When I started to think about the people facing hurricanes, loved ones at war, etc. it mad me realize I need a THANKFUL THURSDAY!!!

• Football officially begins on Saturday!  I can't wait to watch my little boy (big boy...he keeps reminding me he's not a baby anymore) tackle some kids and take a few hits.  It always makes me tear up when I see him run out onto that field.
• My husband- again- is so strong and always finds a way to make things work.  If I could have an ounce of his faith and positive thinking I would be a completely different person.  He says he doesn't have to worry about anything because I worry enough for the both of us! Ha
• My friends....when I moved to Texas I never imagined the close group of great friends I would have.  They are HONEST, real, and always there to help out or just to talk.  I couldn't make it through life without them! I love watching our kids play and think about when our kids are grown and we are all still hanging out and going on trips together.  
• Cuddle time with my Neely-Belle.  There is nothing more peaceful, nothing that can turn a bad day into a fabulous one like cuddling with her and watching a movie together.  It feels like time stands still and everything stops while I get to spend that precious time with her.  I made her promise she will always be my little girl!!
• And don't laugh.....but I'm so thankful for THE HUNGER GAMES.  Best book series EVER!!!  I finished the third one earlier this week and now I can't wait until the movie in March.  I know- it sounds ridiculous...world devastation, hovercrafts, fighting to the death.....but once I started I couldn't stop.  The series grabs you and pulls you into their lives and emotions.  Trust me- its a fast, great read.  Loved it!!!!

Hope you have a happy, fun, and THANKFUL Thursday!!!

Neely's early birthday party, and the first day of school- again!!

This past Friday we had Neely's 7th birthday! Yes, it was a month early but she wanted to have a pool party, so why not?! She is completely obsessed with peace signs....

A little candy buffet... : )

COUSINS!!!

I think they all had a blast until the mosquitos came out around 8:30 pm!!

Then this morning was the beginning of another school year.  Where did the summer go?! Neely started 1st grade and Rob started 3rd. Praying they have a great day and an awesome year!!!

Wow-they grow up so fast!!!!