The Reaves Family

Fun with friends

2012-01-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

We love that our house backs to the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The weather has been so nice that we have been taking lots of hikes behind out house. Our friends the Walkers came to visit us over New Years weekend and we all hiked down to the greenbelt. It was a little crazy with 2 dogs running crazy and all of the kids, but we had fun. The kids talked big about swimming, but Derek was the only brave one that jumped in. These are the only pics I have of the weekend. I didn't get any of Julie and I or any other activities. But, we had a great time with our friends and we re so glad they came to visit.

Football in the year on NY Day

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love family traditions. And, I also like the idea of making Christmas meaningful and about being together, celebrating Jesus, and creating memories.
I had been looking online at Advent calendars. They were pretty pricey. So, I decided to make my own. I headed to Hobby Lobby and gathered supplies to make my own. And as the cost of my project kept climbing, I put all the stuff back, went home and made one with the stuff I had at home. Not fancy at all, but free and it did the job.

Here are some of our favorite activities.

At 24 Diner

Zilker Tree

Picnic in front of our tree

Ice Skating

Ready to look at light

Party in the car

So tired

Thanks to Pinterest, I came up with ideas for each day in December. Here is the list of what I had in my Advent calendar.
Decorate our tree
Go to the Zilker Tree
Go ice skating
Shop for gifts for other children
Unwrap a book to read
Unwrap a new game to play as a family
Make a treat and take it to a friend
Open your special ornament and put in on your tree
Make a craft with Mom
Write a letter to Santa
Go to Starbucks and have pepperment drinks
Go to see the nativity at park Hills
Have a family Christmas movie night with treats
Choose a special treat
Shop for a gift for your preschool party
Wrap Christmas presents
Ride on the Polar Express(drive around and look at lights and have cocoa and popcorn
Have lunch at a special restaurant with our family
Wear new jammies to bed
Go to Johnson City and look at the lights
Make sugar cookies
Go to the light show at Mozarts
Have a picnic in front of the tree
Decorate cookies
Read the story about the birth of Jesus

Looking forward to doing this again.

Christmas

2012-01-09T19:57:00.001-07:00

We had a very relaxing Christmas this year. We stayed in Austin for Christmas Eve. We went to dinner and a light show before heading to our church for Christmas Eve service.

On Christmas Eve, the kids set out stuff for Santa and the reindeer.

We celebrated Christmas morning here at home and had a nice family time together before heading to Houston to celebrate with Derek's family

We enjoyed time with the Reaves. The cousins all had fun together and the highlight was the backyard swing.

My parents came to Austin for a night and we enjoyed spending time with them too.

Catching Up

2011-12-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

Here's what we've been up to-

In November we went to Tulsa to visit our great friends the Walker's. The kids had a fun time being silly, and playing together. We got to see Grant's soccer game while the big boys went to basketball camp, went to the zoo and aquarium and spent lots of time laughing and talking. It was so good to see our friends!

We spent Thanksgiving here in Austin with my family. We were all here together and it was a fun, loud time. The kids love all of their cousins!

Have been celebrating the Christmas Season.

Brooklyn had her Christmas program at school. She was the donkey.

We had our annual Christmas Party. We changed things up a bit and had a tackiest contest. Lots of people got in the spirit and it was fun to see everyone get their tacky on.

Halloween

2011-11-07T20:06:00.001-07:00

We attended our friends annual Halloween party. Derek and I were zombies.We had a fun time hanging with firends and seeing everyone getting into the Halloween spirit.

Brooklyn and Scout

Barrett went as LeBron James

On Halloween, the kids were so excited to dress up again. We went to a Halloween neighborhood party with games and treats before we headed back to the house to go Trick or treating. Our friends, the Browns, came along with us and the kids made a killing.

LeBron in action

So pretty!

G and Barrett all dressed up

eating some pizza

Playing games

Ready to go get some candy

The gang

Pumpkin Time

2011-11-02T20:06:00.000-06:00

We made it out to Sweetberry Farms for some pumpkin fun this past weekend. It was a chilly fall morning, which made it all the more fun.

The kids enjoyed the maze and ringing the bell when they made it to the back.

Driving a tractor

Seeing some hanging gourds

Picking flowers

Going on a hayride

Feeding the goats

Seeing a 20 day old donkey

Obligatory pics in the pumpkins

And, the highlight for Brooklyn, riding a horse

Old friends

2011-10-18T21:28:00.000-06:00

Anita, me, Amy, Kara and Denise

This past weekend, I got together with some of my favorite girls. We all lived on the same floor in Nelson our freshman year and were all roomies throughout our college years. So many of my college memories are shared with these girls. I love these girls!! We had a fun time catching up, laughing at old memories and wondering where the time has gone since our college days. Hopefully, its not too long before our next get together. Thanks girls for a wonderful weekend!

Still so in Love

2011-10-04T07:13:00.002-06:00

This past weekend, Brooklyn and I headed to Houston to celebrate my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary. What a remarkable couple they are!! Pops and Dorrie are an example of deep, unconditional love and long lasting commitment. They are so cute together and still very much in love. So glad we could celebrate the milestone occasion with them.

2nd cousins at the kids table

Sweet Olivia!

Dorrie and Mom, even color coordinated

Brooklyn and her great-grandmother

The Lovebirds! So cute!

Cake time

Brooklyn and her 2nd cousins, Avery and Zack

The gang at the party

Lately

2011-09-22T07:09:00.001-06:00

Here is what we've been up to in the past few weeks.

Our great friends, the Walker's came to Austin for a visit. The boys did some hunting, the girls some shopping, we all hung out and ate lots of food!

Derek and I went out for my birthday since he was going to be gone on the actual day. We had drinks at the Highball before dinner and then went to Uchi, our fave sushi spot.

My actual birthday started out great- phone calls, cards and lunch with friends. Then the car battery died and Brooklyn and I were stranded for a bit. Thankfully, I have friends who will rescue me and a moments notice! I ended the night with dinner with more friends and watching a movie at home. We ended up with a rent car for a few days. Here is Brooklyn waiting outside the shop chilling to some music.

We attended the Austin City Limits music festival. Derek and I went on Friday and listened to some good tunes, ate some yummy local food, hung with Derek's co workers and had a great time.Saturday, we took the kids with us. Brooklyn got her hair painted and was thrilled. We danced to some music, went up the backstage balcony to see some bands, got snocones and some good food. Barrett spent alot of his time watching the Texas game and was so excited about that!

Last first day of preschool

2011-09-08T19:30:00.000-06:00

Brooklyn started her last year of preschool this week. She is really having a great time. She's been waking up and ready to go before Barrett is even ready for school. She is going 3 days this year and seems to like the routine.

All smiles before school

Modeling her backpack

Already at work

Brooklyn with her teacher Mrs. Vicki and Mrs. Katie

Folks, we have a second grader!

2011-08-25T14:53:00.001-06:00

Summer went by way too fast for Barrett! The start of school is here. And, though he wasn't ready for summer to end, Barrett is off to a great start in second grade. He has made new friends, is enjoying seeing old buddies and thinks his teacher is the nicest ever! Here are some pics of the first day of school.

FIVE!

2011-08-23T14:32:00.000-06:00

Brooklyn turned 5 last week. It is so hard to believe! She has a build a bear party with some girlfriends. She was thrilled! It was cute to watch all of the little girls pick out their animals and outfits.

We finished up with cake and ice cream and opening presents. Brooklyn was very specific about her cake.Chocolate with chocolate icing and blue writing. So thats what we made.

On her actual birthday, we had pancakes for breakfast with candles. Went to the pool.Played and watched a movie. And then had breakfast for dinner at her request.

Here are some things about my girl:
Favorite Song: Like its Dynamite
Favorite Show: Phineas and Ferb
Favorite food: Carrots
Favorite friend: Caroline and Tate
Favorite place: playground
Favorite color:blue

Favorite thing to do: Play with Barbies

Finishing Summer

2011-08-15T10:54:00.003-06:00

Summer is coming to a close. We have one week before Barrett goes to 2nd grade and a few more till Brooklyn starts preschool. Where did the summer go?
Here's a wrap of out last few weeks of summer.
Kellee and Anthony and Olivia came to visit us for a weekend in late July. We had fun loving on Olivia, there was lots of basketball contests, swimming, and eating. The adults even got to go on a double date while the kids were with the sitter.

We went to Houston a few times. The kids spent a weekend with my parents while Derek and I had the weekend to ourselves. My transmission went out on my way to Houston, so I ended up staying in Houston for several days with the kids. We had a fun time relaxing, swimming and hanging with Nana and Teddy

We went on Lake Travis for an afternoon and had fun skiing and tubing and swimming.

We went to Houston in August to celebrate Bob's 70th birthday. We went to dinner with the family and got to spend time together celebrating my wonderful fatherinlaw.

My newest nephew was born this past weekend and I go to go meet him and love on him for a few hours. He's precious!

We've also been swimming alot, had some sleepovers, played with friends, slept late, hung out as a family and enjoyed lots of cool treats. Sadly summer is coming to an end, but it has been a fun summer for us all!

Summer Camps

2011-08-14T16:50:00.000-06:00

Barrett and Brooklyn each went to camp this summer.Brooklyn went to Camp Sunshine. It is put on by some girls in the neighborhood and Brooklyn has a blast. She did crafts, learned cheers and some dances. She had a great time!

Barrett went to basketball camp. He learned a lot of skills and improved in his week at camp. He had so much fun! He also got to meet AJ Abrams. He is really into basketball right now.

Feeling Proud

2011-07-26T18:46:00.000-06:00

Johnny Bonds

Dan McAnulty

Johnny Holmes

Robert Scardino

These were names that I remember hearing throughout my childhood. I never paid much attention to them, except they were people my dad knew from work.

I also remember a picture my dad had at home It was a picture of a little boy, who was 14 months old. My dad said it was a boy who died in a case that he worked as a prosecutor. I'd forgotten about that picture until I saw a picture of the same little boy.

My dad always kept his work life separate from his home life. Working as a prosecutor he saw and heard terrible things. He saw and heard terrible things as a judge too. I am proud of the work my dad did for many years to bring criminals to justice and to put the "bad guys" away. I am happy that there are people who believe in justice and don't stop until they find it.

I just finished a book that tells the story of the murders of a family- John, Diana, and their 14 month old son- that took place in Houston in the 70's. It was a heartbreaking book to read. True crime books are not something I typically read.This book chronicles the story of the murders and those involved and ultimately how the case was solved. I have a deeper understanding of my dad's experiences as a prosecutor and what all he dealt with in this case and in the many others he tried.. I can't imagine what it was like for all of those involved in the case and experienced it first hand. It made me even more proud of my dad. He spent so much time working to be a voice for the victims of crimes. The police, the investigators, DA's office and judges and all involved in this case and other cases work to find out what really happened.

This book really moved me, saddened me and gave me a glimpse into my dad's job. I just wanted to share my thoughts. And now I know why my dad has that picture of that little boy.

Swim team

2011-06-28T16:01:00.001-06:00

Barrett just wrapped up his first season of swim team. He had a fun time and improved so much. He is a much stronger swimmer. He just loves swimming laps and practicing. It was fun to watch him swim and we enjoyed getting to know more people in our neighborhood. Saturday was our last meet and Barrett got to swim at UT. It was very cool and a fun experience for Barrett. We wrapped up the season with a pool party in the neighborhood last night! What a great first year of swim team its been!!

Barrett's name on the screen at the pool after completing back

Backstroke start(B is in the middle)

Looking good

Strong finish in the backstroke

Freestyle finish(B is at top of pic)

Freestyle time

We even got to see our friends, Ben and Carter swim for their team.

Beach Bums!

2011-06-25T21:10:00.000-06:00

We've just returned from several days at the beach. Growing up, we went to the beach every summer with my cousins. I have great memories of that! And, I love that my kids can hang out and have fun with their cousins at the beach. Its fun for all of us adults to get together too. Thanks mom and Dad for getting a house on the beach where we could all come and hang out and relax. We are all hoping it will become a yearly tradition.

Thanks Mom and dad

We celebrated my grandfather's 85th birthday while at the beach. It was fun to see Pops and Dorrie. We each came up with memories of Pops and put them in a jar. We had 85 in all. He is such a great man and we are lucky he is our Pops!

My wonderful grandparents and me

Pops and Olivia

We also celebrated Father's day. it was nice to spend it with my dad, Shane and Derek and celebrate these wonderful daddies.

B & B with Teddy

Brooklyn loves her daddy

Me and my dad

Brooklyn and Teddy- proud supporter

Nana & Teddy and some of their grandkids

Here are some pics of our time at the beach. Fun times and good memories!

Teddy building sandcastles with E & B

Sandcastles

Kara and Peyton

Miss O

Brooklyn and Olivia

B riding his bike

Brookyn and Mommy's drawing- Derek, Brooklyn and Jett

Building sandcastles

B & Aunt Kellee

Cousins

B & O

Loving on Miss O

We made several trips to the ice cream store-yum

Ice cream time

Brooklyn has a blast in the waves with daddy

Fun at the beach

Hong Kong

2011-06-22T21:26:00.001-06:00

After we left Malaysia, we headed to Hong Kong for a few days. Derek has been here many times and was really excited for me to go with him. He loves this city and I can see why. We packed in alot of things while we were there and enjoyed exploring this city together.

We arrived in HK, got settled in our hotel, wandered around a bit and then went to have dinner at Aqua. This place had amazing views over looking the harbor. Sadly,my iphone didn't get any good pics of the view. After dinner, we went to a night market to browse around and walked along the harbor.

At Aqua

Along the harbor at night

Night Market

We packed in alot of things into the next 2 days and had a great time exploring Hong Kong
Running along Tsim Sha Tsui

Kowloon Park

flamingos

Victoria Peak

Dim Sum overlooking the harbor

Our view at lunch

Hong Kong Museum of History

Tea at The Penninsula Hotel

Riding the ferry across the harbor a few times

Man Mo Temple

Wong Tai Sin Temple

Me standing by the rabbit statue- I was born in the year of the rabbit

Dragon at the Buddist temple

Picking out our food at the seafood market

Dinner in HK after we picked our food out at the seafood market

I had a great time hanging with my guy, learning about Hong Kong and experiencing the culture of another place. It was so much fun and I loved the city. Can't wait for our next trip together.

Win With the Winners

2011-06-15T21:23:00.001-06:00

Derek's work has a sales incentive reward trip each year. He has one it 4 out of 5 years. He was the only one in the company that has one so much. I am pretty proud of him. He is getting a new job, so this will be the last one he is eligible for. This year we headed to Langkawi, Malaysia to the Four Seasons resort. The 34 hours it took to get there were worth it! It was awesome! It was beautiful, relaxing, quaint and luxurious.

Our room, bottom left

Outdoor shower and tub

We had a great time hanging out in a private cabana by the pool, swimming in the beach, eating delicious meals, exploring the island(Derek even did a zip line through the rainforest),meeting new people and feeling totally spoiled. Here are some pictures from our time in Malaysia.

Me and my guy before cocktail reception

Relaxing on the beach

In a cabana- my view most of the week

Swimming at a waterfall

There were monkeys all over the island and resort.

I love this guy!

Chillin on a swing overlooking the beach

Shopping at a local market

Relaxing at the pool

Some fish for dinner

Dinner in Lankawi.

Pina Colada at the pool

Me and my guy - what an awesome time!

Travel time

2011-05-31T19:18:00.000-06:00

I am so lucky! I am Malaysia bound! I get to go on all of these trips that my awesome husband wins.
I am so proud of Derek! He works really hard and does a great job. I know that his work can be stressful and difficult at times, but I think he is great at what he does. He won his sales trip this year and we are headed to Langkwai, Malaysia. We will relax on the beach and then make a pit stop in Hong Kong on our way home. Here is where we'll be in a few days.

Please keep us in your prayers. I always feel a little anxious when we leave the kids and when we are going so far away. We will be gone for 10 days and that is the longest I have been away from the kids. And pray for our kids and parents watching the kids. I'm sure they will have a blast with grandparents in charge.

Sports Mania!

2011-05-30T09:25:00.001-06:00

Barrett is into all things sports right now. He really has a one track mind! So, of course he wanted a sports party to celebrate turning 7. We had his party at school in the gym. The PE teachers planned everything and it was according to Barrett- " the best party ever"! It was a little rowdy for me with 11 boys running around, but he was thrilled and thats what matters.

After the party, we raced to swim team practice. Then we went to Target for Barrett to buy a Wii. He has been saving his money for a while and had enough to buy one. Then we went to dinner at Mighty Fine.

Of course, we played Wii when we got home.
I can't believe Barrett is 7. It seems so crazy! I'm sure I'll say it every year, but time does fly by. Barrett is such a joy. He is fun and happy. He gets along with others and has many friends. He is Mr. Social! He is caring and considerate of others feeling and doesn't like others to feel sad or upset. He is competitive and likes to win. He likes math and numbers and building things.
Here's an interview of Barrett:
favorite sport: basketball
favorite team: Miami Heat
what do you want to be when you grow up? basketball player and football player and baseball player
one thing I learned this year: to be a good writer
one thing I'd like to learn to do: play tackle football
favorite thing to read: Magic Treehouse books
favorite food: donuts

Moving On

2011-05-28T19:32:00.001-06:00

Our very close family friends, the Walker's are moving! We are so excited for them to begin this new journey, but we will miss them! They were the first people we met on our first Sunday at church after we were married almost 12 years ago. We have made so many memories together! Our kids love each other. Brooklyn can't decide if she is going to marry Tate or Grant. They are wonderful friends to us and we love them so much! We had a going away party for them and had a fun time just hanging out with many of our friends from church. Here are some snapshots of the night.

Poovey

2011-05-24T19:12:00.001-06:00

Last week, Brooklyn brought home the class animal, Poovey the Penguin. He spent a few days with us. She was thrilled to have him and took really good care of him. Here are some of the things Poovey did in during his time with us.

Donuts at HEB

Lunching with friends

Going to the library

Playing Barbies

Snuggling with Brooklyn

Swim lessons

Dinner out

Eating french fries

Eating a hamburger

Playing Wii

Brooklyn's Pre- K Celebration

2011-05-21T13:45:00.001-06:00

Brooklyn had her preschoolcelebration at school. She got her diploma and did a little performance. She was excited for her little ceremony. Brooklyn is going to be going to pre-k next fall, so we are excited she has one more year before she goes to Kindergarten.

Brooklyn and daddy

Brooklyn with her teachers, Ms. Holly and Ms. Meshelle

Brooklyn getting her diploma from Ms. Heather

Singing We Love You Lord

Brooklyn and her friends singing

Brooklyn and her buddy Jacob

My little girl is growing up!

2011-05-18T21:30:00.001-06:00

Derek and I just returned from a trip to England. We had a fun time together exploring London and seeing the English countryside. Here are some highlights from our trip.
Saw Windsor Castle

The crooked House in Windsor

Some fish and Chips

Rode the tube

Ate and Ate
And met up with our friends, Lauren and Tyler for drinks and dinner. So fun!

Sticky toffee pudding- yum!

Did lots of typical touristy things like riding in a double decker bus, seeing the red phone booth, Harrods, macaroons, tea, and tried to figure out how to get where we needed to go...

Even saw one of these-

Big Ben

Talking in a famous red telephone booth. I had to- my service got turned off

Relaxed and walked through several parks

Saw the Tower bridge and went to the top

Traitors Gate at the Tower

Went to Westminster Abbey. It was right after the royal wedding and the flowers were still in the church. It was very cool. Lots of really old tombs.

Saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

Went to many pubs

We had a great time together and can't wait for our next getaway. Thanks to everyone that watched the kids for us, it made everything possible!

Catching Up

2011-05-11T08:02:00.000-06:00

This spring has flown by. I can't believe it is already mid May! Where does the time go? Here's a recap of what we have been up to...

Easter -

We usually have my parents in town for Easter, but this year it was just us. We had an egg hunt in the neighborhood that was great fun for the kids. Though, neither got the golden egg and were a little bummed! The Easter bunny dropped off goodies.

Made Resurrection biscuits.

We went to church and had a great time of worship.

We went to lunch at our friends, the Walker's house. It was a great time of visiting and yummy food.

The kids hunted eggs

Cracked confetti eggs on each other

I love that these kids are all such big buds! We really are going to miss the Walker's when they move.
Sniff Sniff!!

We are still in baseball season. We have been having fun and Barrett is really improving.

Brooklyn had a program at school where. She was really cute!

We had our freshman huddle retreat. We spent the night out in the hill country with 22 freshman. We had a great time, though not much sleep!

We also had a retirement party for my mom. She is FINALLY retiring. It was fun to see so many faces from my youth. I love that about Northland it is like a family. There were also several friends from along the way. It was a nice time and I am so glad she is retiring.

I tagged along to London with Derek right after that. More to come on that.

Mother's day was low key and perfect. We went to church, ate at one of my favorite places, went to the pool and got together with our friends for our care group. And I didn't do any housework or cooking!! I am so blessed to be the mommy of my kids. I feel so lucky that God chose me to raise them.

You can't ever hear these words enough

2011-04-05T08:19:00.001-06:00

Beautiful by Mercy Me

The days will come when you don't have the strength

When all you hear is you're not worth anything

Wondering if you ever could be loved

And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much

You're beautiful

You are made so much more than all of this

You're beautiful

You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

You're beautiful

I'm praying that you have the heart to find

Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight

For all the lies you've held inside so long

And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You're beautiful

You are made so much more than all of this

You're beautiful

You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

You're beautiful

Before you ever took a breath

Long before the world began

Of all the wonders He possessed

There was one more precious

Of all the earth and skies above

You're the one He madly loves

Enough to die

You're beautiful

In His eyes

You're beautiful

You were meant for so much more than all of this

You're beautiful

You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

You're beautiful

You're meant for so much more than all of this

You're beautiful

You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

May you feel this way today and everyday!

Date night!

2011-04-04T14:00:00.000-06:00

Our church had a Daddy/daughter date night last week. When Derek first asked Brooklyn to go on a date with him, she said"Gross! I don't want to go on a date with you like mommy!" He was crushed! But, she was happy to go once she realized it was just a night out together with no kissing! They had a fun time. They ate, danced a little, rode in a limo and enjoyed being together. Here are some pics of them before they left for the big date.

While Brooklyn and Derek were out, Barrett and I went on out own date. When I asked B what he wanted to do, his first choice was to go to a LA Lakers game. That wasn't really possible, so we settled on putt putt at Peter Pan.

Then burgers, fries and shakes at P. Terry's

And then we headed home to watch some basketball. Barrett enjoyed quizzing me on various players and who they play for. Though, I did stump him when i asked who Larry Bird played for!

2011-04-03T19:07:00.000-06:00

Nana and Teddy came to visit us. They were able to see Barrett play baseball. We went to eat at some local Austin places and had a great time hanging out with them and letting them love on the kids.

Art Class at Casa Reaves

2011-03-31T06:23:00.001-06:00

I bought some canvases months ago, and this week Brooklyn and I finally painted them. Brooklyn painted these to go in her room.

I painted mine to go on the mantle. .

View from my window

2011-03-29T15:21:00.001-06:00

I love my kitchen window that looks out into the backyard. And I love my view!

Trees and greenery and often a few crazy kids playing and having fun

Whats your favorite view at home?

Batter Up

2011-03-22T20:15:00.001-06:00

Baseball season began a few weeks ago. Barrett is on the Nationals and this is first year in coach pitch baseball. Derek is coaching Barrett's team and it has been a fun start to the season. We had two games so far- one win, one loss. Barrett has improved alot since last year in tball and we are looking forward to a fun season.

Soccer

2011-03-20T20:18:00.001-06:00

Barrett played indoor soccer this winter and the season just finished. He had never played soccer before and this was really low key. He had fun, but what made it the most fun for him was playing with his buddies.There were 3 kids from his class ans 2 other guys that B became fast friends with. We ended the season with ice cream at Baskin Robbins to celebrate. It was a fun time for the kids and B learned a little about soccer too.

They just kept asking...

2011-02-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

So, I gave in and let the kids play in the sprinkler this afternoon. They had a blast.

Snow Day 2011

2011-02-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

We had a snow day! School was cancelled and we all got to enjoy the snow. Derek was gone last year when it snowed, so he was glad to be here and see the Austin snow. Brooklyn woke up and ran to my room yelling" It snowed! it snowed!" She's been wanting snow all winter! She couldn't wait to get outside. We all played and played in the snow. Then we took a break to warm up with coffee and hot cocoa. Then headed back outside to play. The kids really enjoyed sledding and throwing snowballs at Derek.

Brooklyn's 1/2 birthday

2011-02-22T08:27:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Brooklyn's half birthday last Friday. We started the day at Panera while we were waiting on Derek to get his LASIK.

We enjoyed a day together as a family and made a trip to our fave bakery, Sugar Mama's for cupcakes.

It was a very exciting day for Derek too. He has been wearing glasses for 25 years!! I can't imagine! Now, he can see and see well! It is so exciting! He is thrilled and I am so happy for him! No more glasses or contacts.

Brooklyn is a silly, goofy girl. She makes us laugh. She gives great hugs. She loves to dressup and pretend she is a princess. She also loves playing with her stuffed animals and babies. Here are some of brooklyn's favorites at 4 1/2:
Show: Mickey Mouse
Song: Jesus Loves Me, Father Abraham
Color: Pink and blue
Food: chocolate, mac and cheese
Thing to do: paint
Favorite Place: Nana's

Heart Day

2011-02-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Barrett's class for his Valentine party. It was a fun time and the kids enjoyed ice cream sundaes games and lots of candy.

B and Mrs. Faulkner

Having fun!

We usually hang out at home as a family on Valentine's Day for dinner. This year we continued our tradition of hear pizzas and fondue. Though, we unanimously decided to skip pizza next year and just do fondue! Yum!! We enjoyed time together and exchanged gifts and cards

Emerging

2011-02-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

I was about to lose my mind by the end of last week! Who knew that when I woke up last Saturday feeling achy and tired, that I would be in be for the next 4 days with a high fever and the chills. Not me. It was the longest week ever, though the whole thing is a medicine induced blur. This flu kicked my rear! One I got rid of the fever, I was still tired and have this awful cough. Well, I was among the living for the first time last night and it was so nice to be out of the house, even if I was coughing every few minutes(sorry people!) I am glad to be feeling better. Thanks to Derek for taking control of the house and friends who helped me out with the kids. Here's to a better week!

Little Pink Car

2011-02-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn had a transportation parade at school today. All of the kids in the 4 year old classes made cars and paraded around the school to show their cars to the other students. Brooklyn was very specific about what she wanted her car to look like. She was very thorough in her painting and decorating. Here she is before school modeling her car.

H-town

2011-01-31T08:51:00.003-07:00

Derek was gone last week and so we decided to take a trip to Houston to see my parents over the weekend. We had a fun time hanging out together.

Here is a picture of my parents house. its also the house I grew up in. They have lived there for 33 years.

Here is a picture of my elementary school

Teddy and B went to Hobby Lobby and got some model airplanes to make. Teddy loves making airplanes. They also had boys lunch at sonic. They spent sometime making the airplane. b learned all about the parts on a plane. They had a good time together.

While the boys were having their time, the girls went to MudPie Pottery and after much deliberation, Brooklyn settled on a puppy dog to paint. She had a fun time. After painting, we went to lunch at La Madeline.

We had a fun time in Houston and are looking forward to going again.

Picking favorites

2011-01-26T11:03:00.001-07:00

In our working with the youth, we often play games where you share about yourself or answer questions about yourself. I am not good at these. I don't really have just one favorite and I am not quick with responses. So, I thought I'd make myself limit my response to one thing. Here goes...

song(currently): You Are The Best Thing, Ray Lamontagne
food: pizza
movie: 50 First Dates
candy: Skittles
book: Gone With the Wind
place to visit in US: California wine country
restaurant: Home Slice
jeans: Joe's
store: Marshall's
snack: pretzels
drink: water
color:pink
flower:peonies

Pallet Party

2011-01-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

We finally cleared out all of our extra boxes in the guest room that have been there since we moved in and made it into a play room of sorts. The kids have been enjoying playing in there. They spent both nights of the weekend having a pallet party watching movies and laughing till all hours. Fun memories for them.

Some kitchen faves

2011-01-19T16:16:00.002-07:00

I recently shared my favorite running shoes-(Asics 2100 series) and thought I'd share a few of my other favorites. Here they are:

Cast iron skillet:

Until recently I hardly every used my cast iron skillet. I have been using it all the time for main dishes, sides, and even a dessert. I love it and wonder why it took me so long to use it so often.

Dutch oven

Last year I got 2 dutch ovens. I tend to prefer the enamel coated one over the cast iron, but use them both frequently. I really like using them for cooking, especially this time of year when I make lots of soups and stews.

Rubber Spatulas

I use my rubber spatulas almost everytime I cook. They are great for getting as much as you can out of a bowl or can.

Pyrex Measuring Bowls

I got these as a wedding present and use them often. I use them from whisking a variety of things, like eggs. And I use them to measure any liquid ingredients. they also work well for heating up my coffee.

Mixing Bowls

I got these bowls at the Crate & Barrel Outlet. I love them. They are so handy, easy to clean and not breakable since they are melamine. Since I have many sizes, I use one of them almost everyday!

Dish Towels

My favorite dishtowels are from Crate & Barrel. They are great for drying my hand, drying the dishes, cleaning the kitchen after I have made a mess. Very handy- and cheap!

Aprons

I have a variety of aprons. They come in very handy as I'm quite the messy cook. I prefer the ones that tie around my neck because they keep me cleaner, but use my waist ones as well.

I'd love to hear what some of your kitchen faves are!

recipes from the Pioneer Woman

2011-01-18T06:16:00.001-07:00

Like most people I know and many more out there in Blogland, I LOVE the Pioneer Woman. My sis in law gave me her cookbook a few years ago and it quickly became one of my favorites. I also enjoy looking on her site and finding recipes to try too. I like to have pictures of what the food is supposed to look like, and she has pics of every step. I thought I'd share some of my faves(and my family's too).

Breakfast:
Cinnamon rolls-the icing makes these the best!
French Puffs-dessert for breakfast
Breakfast Bowls- mix eggs and 1/2 and 1/2 and then add any additions you'd like. Put them in ramekins and bake-easy and customized

Appetizers:
Jalapeño Poppers- a fave for everyone

Lunch/Dinner:
Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich- Derek keeps going on and on about this one
Simple, Perfect Enchiladas- I love these- just the right combo
Penne Alla Betsy-easy weeknight supper

Dessert:
Mocha Brownies- the coffee makes these a little extra

What are your faves from The Pioneer Woman?

It is Well With My Soul!

2011-01-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite hymns. And it is on my mind today as the life of Lee Walker is celebrated and remembered. Jesus truly is the prince of peace and healer of all of our hurts.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
- It is well, with my soul,
  It is well, it is well, with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Thinking of and praying for our sweet friends, David and Julie Walker, and their family at the loss of David's dad, Lee. What a comfort to know he is free of pain in in heaven with our Savior. We love you guys!!

Family pics

2011-01-10T11:23:00.001-07:00

Our friend, Kara, took some pictures of us in December. We used a few of them for our Christmas card, but I loved so many of them it was hard to choose. She did a great job and made picture taking a good experience, rather than painful. Thank, Kara! Here are some, well alot, of my faves!

My favorite shoes...

2011-01-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Running shoes that is.

I'd say I have a favorite running shoe. I currently have 4 versions of the same shoe in my closet-Asics 2100 series,2130,2140,2150, 2160. I only use one to run in, but don't like to get rid of my old ones. And,let me tell you- these shoes feel great when I run!

New Orleans New Years

2011-01-07T06:37:00.002-07:00

We all headed to Houston to celebrate Christmas with the Reaves. It was fun to all hang out and be together for a bit. Then Derek and I left the kids with his parents and headed to New Orleans. It was a fun road trip. We enjoyed talking and laughing during the 5+ hour trip. It reminded me of our college roadtrips together.

Soon after we crossed over into Louisiana we stopped for some cajun food. Yummy! Lots of our time this trip revolved around food. New Orleans is a unique place and we enjoyed exploring the French Quarter, Uptown and the Garden District.

Driving into New Orleans- superdome in the background

Our hotel, The Columns
Quaint hotel, with a very happening bar in the evenings

At the bar before dinner.

Dinner. I had some J sparking wine, my fave!

Dinner at Galatoire's- fabulous. The fried oysters were great!

D out on Bourbon Street after dinner

Listening to some tunes

A kiss for my honey at the carousel Bar- it spins around, pretty cool

On New Years eve, we slept in and then ate breakfast at our hotel. We went to Lafayette Cemetery and saw lots of crypts. The tombstones dated back all the way to the mid 1800's. It was a little eerie, but neat to see so many family members all buried together. Its one way to make sure your grave gets visited.

We wandered around the French Quarter. It it is a very unique place. We walked along Bourbon Street and Royal Street. A little different in the day, but not too much.

We saw several street performers. They were pretty good!

We walked along the banks of the Mississippi River

D on the banks for the Mississippi

The Mississippi

Boat on the Mississippi- looks a little spooky with the fog

We ate poboys for lunch at Johnny's. We had to wait in line a while, but they were so good. I got shrimp and D got roast beef.

Jackson Square. Behind is the the church the Pope visited and is the oldest continuously active Catholic church in the US.

We ate yummy beignets and had coffee/cafe au laits at Cafe Dumonde. Very good! I spilt my drink all over me trying to take a pic of D. It was very hot! But, at least I got another drink out of it!!

We had a drink on the porch of our hotel before heading out to Dinner on New Years Eve.

Dinner at Jacques-Imos. All I can say is awesome!!!

We ran into a work buddy of Derek's on Bourbon Street and he hung out with us for a bit and took us his to fave bars.

We had fun ringing in the new year in NOLA. It is a fun, crazy place.

We slept in on New Year's Day and then got ready and went to breakfast. We ate at Slim Goodie's and it was delish! Worth the wait. We left town around 1 and headed back to Htown to get the kids. We were excited to see them. We had a great little getaway.

Christmas in Houston

2011-01-05T06:07:00.002-07:00

We had a great time in Houston with my family for Christmas. All of the kids enjoyed playing together and the adults had fun talking and hanging out. We went to the track where Kurt went to middle school and ran and played around.

On Christmas Eve we went to an afternoon service. It was really good and a great way to keep us all focused on Jesus in all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays. They had snow and the kids rode a sled down the hill and played in the snow. Everyone also got to ride a little train.

My parents got a big bounce house. The kids loved it and were getting pretty wild. Us adults liked it too!

It was the first time for B & B and Derek to meet Olivia. There was lots of fighting to hold her!

On Christmas Eve, the kids set out cookies and milk for Santa. They also left carrots and sprinkled reindeer dust to help light up the way for Santa's sleigh.

Santa came with lots of goodies for everyone!

.We had a Puerto Rican fest for our Christmas dinner and it was so good. Thanks Kellee for making the paella and teaching me how to make it! Pops and Dorrie came over to celebrate with us and it was nice to visit with them.

.The day after Christmas, we went bowling. The kids had a fun time and Barrett did awesome. Derek beat everyone on the adult side, but we all did pretty well!

It was a great time spent with family!

Our family Christmas

2011-01-01T20:45:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Christmas with our family of 4 a few nights before Christmas. We continued our tradition of breakfast for dinner and then opened our presents to each other. The kids were both so into it!! After our presents we went to the Zilker tree. it was a fun night together!!

Brooklyn with her Ariel doll from B

Derek with his Thundercloud coupons from B

Brooklyn and her barbie horse

B and his new baseball guys

I love these kids!!

Already playing!

Brooklyn playing with her barbies.

December happenings---

2010-12-20T15:11:00.008-07:00

I have been so excited to decorate this year for Christmas. I always love Christmastime and am happy to be in our new house for christmas.

We changed our tradition of getting a real tree and opted for the artificial tree this year. I am still not sure how I feel about the change, but it was alot easier to set up. The kids had a great time decorating. I usually specify where the ornaments need to go, but this year I let the kids put things where they wanted.

Derek put lights on the house and I love the cozy feel when the house is decorated for Christmas!

We also continued some of our Christmas traditions. Gingerbread houses(with a little extra trip to get another one after I broke the pieces in frustration!) We also decorated sugar cookies.

We went to the Zilker Tree. There was no trail of lights this year, but we did enjoy the light show.

Brooklyn also had her Christmas program at her school. She was a Shepard and she was adorable. Though, she was disappointed that she did not have the role of Mary. It was cute! Derek took the kids to the Living Nativity at her school as well. It is a cool show and a tradition we hope to continue.

We had an adults only Christmas party. It was our first big party at our house. It was fun to hang out with many of our friends. We did have a little fire in the bathroom, but everything was ok, except for my cute Christmas towel!

The highlight of the month was getting to meet Miss Olivia Shoemaker. It was up in Dallas for her birth and then got to go back for a few days after she came home. She is adorable and I am so in love!! Kellee & Anthony are wonderful parents and I am so looking forward to watching Miss O grow up!

Turkey Day

2010-12-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Houston for Thanksgiving with the Reaves. We enjoyed lots of food and the kids had a blast hanging out with their cousins. We ran the Turkey Trot and the kids ran too. It was hot and humid, but we all seemed to have fun! It was a relaxing time together.

Kids before the race

After the race with their medals!

relaxing after the run

Brooklyn and GrandBob

H and B had lots of fun together

S reading to Brooklyn

Just chillin'!

Thankfulness

2010-11-30T06:10:00.002-07:00

Well, i have not done very well with listing the things I am thankful for each day, so here is a big catch up and the final day. I have much to be thankful for and I strive to be better about daily remembering the blessings in my life.
22-I am thankful for my sisters. I love having sisters. It is an awesome relationship. I am lucky that my sisters are my best friends too. It is nice to be loved as you are and called out when needed. It is fun to be around my sisters, just laughing and talking and being together.
23- I am thankful for my dad. He is a strong moral example to me and others. He is making a difference in the world. He is encouraging and supportive. He would do anything for me. I am a lucky girl!
24-I am thankful for Barrett. He's funny and easy going. He is developing quite the competitive spirit. He is caring and sensitive to others. And, he gives the best hugs.
25-I am thankful for a house that is becoming our home. Its nice to be getting settled in a place and making it ours. And, I really thankful that Derek finished the side fence!
26-I am thankful for Brooklyn. I love having a little girl. She is a mix of princess and queen! She is fun to be around and makes me laugh. She has her own way of doing things, which my or may not be the same as mine. She is a great buddy to spend my days with.
27-I am thankful for my parents, my inlaws, grandparents, other relatives and family friends who helped to shape me into the person I have become.
28-I am thankful for our church. It is a loving body that seeks to serve God and others. I feel challenged to go deeper in my personal faith and show the love of Christ to others. I pray that I can begin to get uncomfortable for Jesus.
29-I am thankful for Derek. He is my everything. I am so blessed that I married him. He is so kind, thoughtful, easy going and selfless. He puts aside his stress from work when he comes home and is on for me and the kids. I appreciate that he tries hard to balance his work and family life. He is my best friend, the one I want to share things with. I am so thankful for the man he is and that he is mine.
30- I am thankful today for a clean house, no laundry to fold and all of the dishes put away. I love feeling like things are under control on the homefront!

Princess Wishes

2010-11-29T06:32:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, Brooklyn and I met Kara and Elizabeth for Disney On Ice in Waco. The girls were beside themselves with excitement. It was a cute show and lots of fun. I really enjoyed getting to hang out with Kara. we hardly ever get to have sister time like that. And Brooklyn and Elizabeth had fun together too. The girls were mesmerized by the princess. What a fun memory for us all.

Princesses

Cinderella

Ready for the show to start

All smiles!

Ariel- our favorite!

Silly girls

Cinderella and her carriage

fun times together

Thankful...

2010-11-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

18- I am thankful for my girlfriends. I am so glad to have girlfriends in my life who love me as I am. I can laugh, cry, talk about nothing or something deep with my girlfriends. I enjoy having people I can call an talk about anything with and people to get advice from who are going through similar things as me. Its nice to have people who help you out in a pinch and friends who give you a hug, a call and hold me accountable. I am so blessed to have my friends!
19- I am thankful to be a stay at home mommy. I am glad that I get to just hang out with the kids and be around. It s nice to not have to rush off to work, but stay in our jammies all morning if we want(well, me and Brooklyn anyways). I am glad that Derek is happy for me to be home with the kids for now.
20- I am thankful for the basics- food, clothing and a home. I was reminded of the blessing of having what I consider the basics, and then some. We can get the things we need and often things we want and I am so thankful for not having those worries.
21-I am thankful for Jesus. I was listening to some praise music today and got all tearyeyed thinking about the amazing love Jesus has for us. Jesus loves me, He loves you! He died for my sins and forgives me for ALL of my sins. How amazing!

Thankful 16 &17

2010-11-17T18:52:00.001-07:00

16- I am thankful for my mom. She is a wonderful mother. She is patient and never complains. She is a great listener and gives good advice when asked. She has taught me so much about life. My mom is fun to hang out with and shop with too. She is an amazing example to me of a mom,wife, and Christian. I am so thankful to call her mom. Thanks mom for all you do!

17- I am thankful for our huddle. Derek and I have been working this year with the freshman at our church. The idea is to stay with the same kids for 4 years, until they are seniors. High school is such a fun time of life and these kids are fun to be around. They are smart and have lots of interesting things to say. I am looking forward to continuing to build a deeper relationship with these kids in the coming years.

Fun Field Day- 1st grade

2010-11-17T06:15:00.001-07:00

B had field day a few weeks ago at school. He had a great time playing the games and activities. The weather was great for being outside. It was a fun day for B and his buddies.

Barrett was the flag holder

Rock climbing wall

Climbing the net

Brooklyn even got in on the climbing action

Bouncing along

Ready for the scooter race

Barrett's girl Lauren

B's buddy, Sam

Concentration on doing well

This was a favorite activity

Holding the sign- they all had to pick healthy foods

parachute- I remember these

Sack racing

Capture the flag

Thankful 14 & 15

2010-11-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

14- I am thankful for our Care Group. Care Group has been such an important part of our lives since we were first married. And, while our group has changed alot since then, it still serves as a place where we grow closer to God and to our friends. Our kids love going and seeing their friends. And, Derek and I have formed close relationships with those in our group. It is great to have a place where you can share what is really going on in your life and to know that you have a support system of fellow Christians.

15-I am thankful for coffee! I usually start each day with a few cups of coffee to get my day started. On Monday mornings especially, I need my coffee!

Some more Thankful...

2010-11-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

#12-I am thankful for date nights! Derek and I try to go out every few weeks together. It is always nice to just be together and get out of our routine. We usually have a great time together and have a chance to talk uninterrupted. We went out last night and I am thankful for time with my guy!
#13-I am thankful for lazy Saturday mornings. We all slept in today, ate a big breakfast. The kids played while D and I got to chat and drink many cups of coffee. It seems like relaxing mornings are few and far between, but I am thankful for this one.

DC-the final day

2010-11-11T20:16:00.001-07:00

Our last day in DC, Saturday, we woke up and headed out to eat breakfast. It was hard to find a place that opened early for us, but we did. It was cool brunch place inside of a bookstore. We ate a yummy breakfast and talked about our favorite things from the trip. Then we browsed around the bookstore. After we all got books, we took a cab back to the condo, packed up and went to the airport to head back to Austin.

My boys!

Love these guys and gal!

The girls enjoying our yummy breakfast

Kramerbooks & Afterwords- cool bookstore and breakfast place

Having fun

Waiting at the airport, ready to head home

Hanging out in the airport

We had a great time on our trip to DC. It was a great time to hang out with my dad. It was a fun time for our family to hang out together and make many memories. We saw alot and learned many things and I am already looking forward to our next family trip together. Thanks Dad for showing us a great time!!

Thankful 11

2010-11-11T09:57:00.001-07:00

Today is Veteran's day and I am thankful for those who have served and are currently serving our country in the armed forces. I am thankful for my grandpa, pops, who fought in WWII. He was just a young kid, leaving home for the first time, fighting for his country. I am thankful for my dad, who was in the air force, but never made it to war. I am thankful for our friend, Luis, who is currently fighting in the army. He is away from his wife and 2 girls protecting us. I am thankful for all of the people who dedicate their lives to serving us and fighting. Thank you!

A few days of thankful

2010-11-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

#8- I am thankful for the library. I know it seems kindof strange to say. But, I love the library! I love to read, but would spend a fortune on books if not for the library. I hear of a book or see one when I am out and then just request it. And, then I go pick it up for free. its great. The kids love going and getting books too. Barrett has especially gotten into going to the library now that he reads. Its a great place and I am glad I can get so many books from there.

#9-I am also thankful for friends from college. I talked with one of my college roomies the other day and it was great. I love all of my friends from college and just love that we pick right up like it hasn't been any time since we talked. We know so much about each other and still have a strong connection. College was a really fun time and I am thankful for these special people.

#10-I am thankful for the phone. I have always liked talking on the phone, just ask my parents about my phone bill when I first went to college. But, I love that I can just pick up the phone and connect with a friend, sister, family member. Whether the conversations are long or short, deep or just shooting the breeze, its nice to be able to connect with those I care about

Brooklyn's special day

2010-11-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

The boys went to Houston to watch a Texans game and Brooklyn and i stayed home and did some girly stuff. She kept calling it her special day. So cute. So, here is the list of what she wanted to do on her special day. And thats exactly what we did...

*Go to church, but only class and then go to service with mommy. (As an added bonus, she got to sit by her buddy Caroline too.)
*Go get ice cream at Yogurt Planet. (We actually went to lunch at Chedd's first, because I was hungry and wanted some yummy grilled cheese.)

Brooklyn's grilled cheese

Yummy!

My sandwich-delish!

Eating some yogurt!

*Get our nails painted and a masssage(otherwise known as a manicure)

Having fun!

Letting her nails dry. Her naked doll came along too!

*Get a toy-she picked a cell phone with lip gloss in it and some bangle bracelets.
*Have a makeover- I put makeup on Brooklyn(blush, eyeshadow, etc) and did her hair. We kindof did a mini makeover since we were going to Care Group.
* Go to care Group. This was the last thing on her wish list.
One the way home from CG she said this was such a special day and she's lucky I'm her mommy. Ahhhh!

Thankful #7

2010-11-07T16:41:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful that we got to "fall back" and get some extra sleep. We all slept in later than usual and then had time for a big homemake breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon, which never happens on Sundays. I like that it was already light outside when we got up. Usually Sunday mornings are pretty rushed around here, so it was a great start to the day.
I am also thankful that Brooklyn and I got to spend the day together having girl time while the boys were away. Its fun to have a little girl to hang with.

Gypsy Food

2010-11-06T21:47:00.000-06:00

Today we headed to Auditorium Shores and went to the Gypsy Food Festival. It was a gorgeous day to be outside. We soaked up the sun, heard some tunes, watched a magic show and sampled some trailer food and a dessert from the many food trailers out. The lines were a little long, but we managed to get full on some yummy food.

Brooklyn eating a quesadilla from Colibri

The boys with Tacos from Izzoz

Some entertainment

Listening to some tunes

Doughnuts from Gordough's-Yum!

Thankful #6

2010-11-06T11:51:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for the cooler weather. We started our day off with an early football game in the cold. it was fun to bundle up under blankets and drink coffee and watch B play. The kids have been outside the most of the day playing, riding bikes and running around. I always enjoy watching them just have fun and be kids! It feels great outside! Looking forward to some more days like this.

Day 5 of thankfulness

2010-11-05T19:33:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for my gym. While I don't always get to the gym as often as I'd like, I enjoy exercising and working out. It is a great stress reliever for me and keeps my clothes from not getting too tight. The childcare center allows me drop off the kids and work out and it gets us all out of the house. I have lots of friends that go to my gym as well, so I get to visit and see my friends there too, especially in the summer when we hang by the pool. So, maybe it sounds weird, but I am thankful for the gym.

Our DC Trip- Day 4

2010-11-05T05:18:00.000-06:00

Slowly, but surely, I'll get all of these DC pictures posted. Day 4 in DC, we woke up really early and headed downtown to meet my dad at the White House. We had to wait a bit because they had Derek's birthday wrong in the system. But, after a background check, we were clear to go. Wt was cool to be in the White House and see all of the fancy rooms where the Presidents have entertained. I loved the ballroom. And, it was also neat to look at the many photos displayed from the current and past presidents. We couldn't take any pictures on the tour, so none to share but here is one of us outside of it.

After the White House tour, we loaded up in my dads jeep and went to Arlington National Cemetery. Our family laid a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was very moving and emotional for both me and Derek. Barrett stood very still and we were proud of his soldierlike behavior.

The changing of the guard

Our family placing our wreath in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Listening to Taps being played. There is nothing like that sound.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day

Barrett being a soldier. I'd never seen him so quiet and still

More soldiers

Arlington Cemetery

B & B in front of our condo

After visiting Arlington Cemetery, we headed back to our condo to change clothes to go to the

National Zoo. It was a great zoo. The highlights were seeing the pandas, gorillas, lions and tigers.

In front of the National Zoo

We loved seeing the cute pandas

Gorillas

Lions

Derek and Brooklyn looking at the tigers

Barrett in front of the lions

After the zoo,the went to the National Cathedral. Somehow, I never even knew there was such a thing. It was beautiful! It reminded me of a church in Europe. I loved reading about the history of the church. It was started in the 1800's,but not finished until the1990's.

The National Cathedral

Stained glass in the cathedral

So ornate

After touring the church, we went to the condo and dressed for dinner. We met my dad at The Old Ebbit Grill. It was a yummy dinner and then we walked around the White House. It was dark outside and it was all lit up.

Thankfulness- day 4

2010-11-04T08:33:00.002-06:00

I'm thankful for Brooklyn's school. She loves it there. Her teachers are wonderful. She has lots of friends. She is learning alot. It is the perfect place for her. And, Brooklyn going to school allows me to have some time to myself each week. I get to run, meet up with people for lunch, shop, and really just do whatever I want to do.