a-m-a-z-i-n-g

I haven't written in forever...not that this gets read by many people but it appears I may have disappeared or fallen off the face of the earth. First, I am alive and well but I have been so busy. Doesn't that just drive you crazy when people say they are busy. Like everyone is not busy. Really? Being busy isn't an excuse, everyone is busy! I always tend to set a major event in the upcoming future as my goal to work towards. I always have some kind of countdown until the event arrives and just work towards it. However, the past months of school it seems like I have a major event every couple of weeks. In a way it is good becuase I always have something to look forward to and it is making time fly by, however, I don't feel like I am getting to soak everything in. Always running around like a wild indian trying to get things done and not fall further behind. I have to admit it has been an amazing and wonderful year so far and we only have about 11 weeks of school left till another incredible summer. Some of the major events that have taken place so far this year include: - writing and receiving a grant - hosting Christmas at our house - attending a technology conference for 1 week (Trey did great as Mr. Mom) - writing and receiving a second grant - planning and pulling off a surprise 40th wedding anniversary for my parents - presenting our school wide PBIS plan to the Region Center - losing 18 pounds Some of the upcoming events that I am still counting down to include: - getting a student teacher - presenting to the Principals at the Region Center our PBIS system - 6 day Disney Cruise - losing 7-12 more pounds I am sure I have totally left off several of the things we have been doing but this is all that comes to mind right now. I must admit most of the evenings my brain feels fried by the time I get home. On another note my girls have blossomed this year. I could sit around and brag about how well my kids are doing in school all day long and not have enough time. They have been blessed with amazing teachers that fit their personalities perfectly. I enjoy seeing them grow academically and emotionally. They are such loving and kind girls. My cup runneth over all the time due to how responsible and sweet they are. Maddie is making straight A's and recently competed against 6 six schools at a UIL academic meet. She won 2nd place in Storytelling. It was an amazing feeling for her and I both. She overcame so pretty big fears and rocked it out. Mollie is doing wonderful as well. She has made so many friends and really learned a lot socially. She is a little social butterfly and looks forward to seeing her teacher everyday. Her academic growth, speech, and overall maturity has come so far this past year. Being that she was delayed with so many things due to her illness we are amazed everyday as she shows us all that she is doing and learning. Her pre-k teacher complimented her on behavior and adaptability. I know Kindergarten is going to be just as good. Trey is staying busy too. From working out everyday to soccer and keeping up with us girls he barely has any spare time. He takes care of us in an amazing way and supports all of our hopes and dreams. We are a pretty lucky family to have such an incredible leader of our family. His selflessness never ceases to amaze me. ( I think I have used the word amazing one too many times now) Maybe over spring break I'll get to posting something with pictures or it may just have to wait until summer.

Sugar

I snapped this picture of Sugar the other night while out on the dock. Then Maddie was flipping through the pictures on my phone and started laughing when she saw these. She asked, "How did you get Sugar to smile?" I guess it does look a little like she is smiling. I hope she is happy here at our new house. We have had Sugar for 5 years now. She is by far the best dog ever. We love her so much and she is such a pleasant sweetie to be around. Her new found hobbies have turned into chasing squirrels and riding on the boat. She spends countless hours a day doing both of these activites. Maybe that explains the smile.

Yarn wreath

Made my 1st yarn wreath yesterday. I saw a picture online and did a little blog searching about it. Then I decided to give it a try. It wasn't too difficult and I think it turned out pretty good.

Toys R' Us

We got this new toy a few weeks ago and we have been enjoying it on a daily basis ever since. It is the biggest jet ski Seadoo has ever made. It is coast guarded for 4 people but there is easily enough room for 5 or 6. The girls love going on rides and they have been tubing behind it too. I was reluctant at first to get one but I am glad we went ahead and did it. We have a jet ski lift in the boat house so we already had a place to put it. I guess it is just me being a tight-wade and nervous about change. I think and hope it will be used and enjoyed for years to come.

Splish, Splashpark Fun

Our dear friend, Anslee celebrated her birthday this past week. We attended her birthday party which was an absolute blast. She had it at the new splash park close to where we live. I had heard good reviews but just hadn't had the time to check it out. I loved it and was so happy to have had the chance to enjoy it. I felt like it was hands down better than the old splash park down the road. Props to good ol Whitehouse for doing a bang up job.

San Antonio

We took a trip to San Antonio a few weeks ago for a family wedding. We got to see lots of family and cool San Antonio sights. It was a refreshing although busy weekend. I love nice road trips, cool hotels, and making memories. I let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Lost and Found

Look what I stumbled onto...oh yeah! I do have a blog. I have totally neglected this blog for so long. Between school, renovating a house, raising two girls, being a wife, ect. I actually have a moment to sit down and write. I am thrilled that summer is here and we actually don't have any major plans. In January we decided that this was going to be "No Trip '12" to sum it up we were exhausted from traveling and felt like we needed a year to just enjoy all the hard work that was going to be going into our house. Other than a few short road trips around Texas for a couple of weddings we have stuck to our resolution. I know it may seem weird to most people but it has been so wonderful to just stay home most of the time and be together. This year has been filled with one thing after another. Between family deaths, major sicknesses, beautiful baby births for friends, and so much more I have come to a deep understanding of the importance of a strong family foundation created for our children. A stable, firm, safe, and close knit home has been pivotal and vital to our flourishing family. So much so that even as Trey and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, we chose to stay home and enjoy the peacefulness of life while my parents watched the girls for a few days. It was very refreshing to get to know each other again and enjoy some of the wonderfulness of our home in a different setting. Nonetheless, we do have a few fun items on the agenda for summer. Some of these include tennis camp, Pine Cove, VBS, Dance Camp, and a whole lot of swimming. I hope to be more diligent about recording favorite memories of the summer. I also would like to share our before and after pictures of our house renovations too. We have pretty much finished everything except counter tops and flowerbeds. I don't know if we will replace the counter tops or not. They are old and not very pretty but I just don't know if its worth the hassle at this time. Maybe I'll change my mind later...I may just be tired of living in a constant construction zone. We have taken a 40 year old house and really turned it into a home. I am so proud of all the hard work and I truly love living on the lake. We have already made so many memories here and although I know this life may not be for everyone, we love it and are so happy to be here.