Always A Moment

cake in a day

2009-02-06T06:53:00.004-06:00

ribbit

How she did this one, with the time schedule involved this week, I have no idea

What a day...Christmas 2008

2009-01-19T20:22:00.004-06:00

Getting ready for Santa's arrival

2009-01-19T20:15:00.004-06:00

Making a list and checking it twice...

giving a Christmas card to his teacher...

enjoying class parties...

being interviewed on T.V. about what they want from Santa...

making cookies for the big guy...

writing the letter to santa...

and mailing it to the North Pole

Wii ... wish you a Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T19:45:00.001-06:00

An outdoor carnival 7th birthday party

2008-12-08T12:57:00.003-06:00

For Noah's 7th birthday, we decorated the backyard for a classic kids birthday party. We had balloon darts, a kissing booth, fortune teller, clothes pin drop, marshmallow shooting gallery and the very popular pie in the face. We munched on hot dogs and popcorn and had ice cream clowns for dessert. Every one braved the 50 degree weather and fun warming up with popular relay races. The kids had to dress up in Brian's clothes, run to the end of the yard and pop a balloon by sitting on it. Fun was had by all!!!

Happy Birthday, big guy!!! We love you!!!!

Fall football

2008-12-08T08:43:00.004-06:00

This fall, Noah wanted to try flag football instead of soccer or baseball. I was a little apprehensive, because I have not wanted the boys to become interested in tackle football (it just scares the daylights out of me). He was pretty reserved most of the season, and hung in the back of the field. He played running back and did his job well. Toward the end of the season he scored several touchdowns. My prayers were answered after he walked by a tackle game and saw humanity lying all over the earth and decided that was just too rough for him (YES!!!!!) He is anxious to get back into soccer, and some am I.

Brian and I were not impressed with the parents in the flag football league, specifically the dads. The way they carried on yelling at the kids and showing their exasperation at missed plays was disheartening. You would have thought that their kids were playing in the pros. These parents were serious (and I see now why football is big in Texas), but come on, they are only in the first grade!!!

First grade football comes complete with cheerleaders who did an amazing job, complete with banners to run through and homecoming gifts!!!

Halloween 2008

2008-12-08T08:39:00.003-06:00

Our Halloween turned out to be darker and spookier than any we have ever had. We were without power for two days (long story!!!) and we took advantage of it by eating by candle light. After dinner we headed out to Trunk or Treat and then trick or treating with some friends from school. Both boys choose Darth Vader this year, although Camden quickly shed his costume because he was too hot.

2008-10-30T19:00:00.003-05:00

Spoooky Night with movies and pumpkin carving!
Great Fun

Western Round-up

2008-10-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

Friday was western day at school for Camden. His two favorite things: going to school and playing dress-up were almost too much for him to handle. He was decked out and looking very handsome in his western duds. He picked up his trusty horse a.k.a. Soda Johnson (Camden picked out the name) and rode into the sunset. Okay, not really into the sunset but he rode all over the playground.

The love of running

2008-10-07T14:04:00.004-05:00

As far back as I can remember, Noah has always had a love of running. More than baseball or soccer or football, he just loves to run. When he brought home a flyer for Marathon Kids from school, it piqued my curiosity. He was crazy excited about running a marathon, so how could I resist.

He attended the opening ceremony where he ran a lap around the track. At the end of the school year, when he completes his marathon, he will receive a medal for his accomplishment.

Run, Noah, Run!!!

Halloween choices...

2008-10-07T13:54:00.002-05:00

So many costumes to choose from.

The boys got creative with a box, markers and misc. items around the house and made themselves robot costumes. I don't think they will be worn on the big night (they each have already decided on Darth Vader) but they had fun being creative and even more fun playing around.

The Boys bathroom

2008-09-16T07:56:00.003-05:00

The boys bathroom needed a serious update. Pink and teal had come and gone and they said it "just wasn't their favorite colors". I get that, so 1 year ago we started stripping wallpaper and this summer we finished the update. We textured and painted, took done the 80's full wall mirror above the sink, changed out all the fixtures and the faucet. We went to Pottery Barn (I love that store!!!) and bought a few accessories and last we hung some of the boys artwork on the walls to make it their own.

Growing up too fast

2008-09-09T20:09:00.002-05:00

Camden had a wonderful first week of Pre-school. He had no hesitation and was full of eagerness to start the year. He has a wonderful teacher this year who is going to be a perfect compliment to him. He was excited to take his back-pack for Show & Tell last Friday, and pointed out that it had light up wheels and a place to put his cell phone. What???? his cell phone????

This weekend was Gracie day at the pool. Well, not technically... she swam with about 100 other dogs. She started off slow, going to anyone who she thought might take her outside of this gate that she was brought through. After about 15 minutes and no takers, she ventured into the water where she had fun. She quickly found a tennis ball and would take it and drop it in front of any human or dog to throw it for her. She played ball and swam for about an hour. All of the dogs were very social and well behaved. Lots of Labs and Boxers, it was funny to watch them all interact.

Summer is officially over:(

Relief!

2008-09-04T08:05:00.002-05:00

Licking, chewing, scratching, licking, chewing, licking, chewing... you get the picture.
I had enough!
She had enough!
the solution...socks!
She's happy:)
I'm happy:)

Boat races

2008-09-03T09:18:00.002-05:00

On a rainy day the best thing to do is have a boat race...

and then go eat at Keller's!!!! It doesn't get any better than this!!!

Start of a new year

2008-08-26T20:12:00.002-05:00

Here he is, all ready and anxious to start the first grade. He had one litter quiver of nervousness at "meet the teacher" but those butterflies have settled and there is no stopping him now.

Oh my, how you have grown over the summer!!! You went from missing two teeth (thanks to your brother) to having 5 empty spaces ready to be filled. You have also grown in maturity. With much assurance and determination you stood firm in your decision about what type of backpack and lunch box you wanted this year. It wasn't about the "character" or the "newest" it was all about functionality for you (had to have a handle and wheels and the lunch box must attach) and I applaud you.

I know the Lord has great things planned for you, and I am going to just sit back and watch you grow. Happy first day of first grade, punkin eater!

Power Lab VBS

2008-08-12T21:11:00.003-05:00

We survived another year of VBS. Brian and I ran the pre-school crafts/experiments station and enjoyed every minute of watching the kids have a great time. We exploded things, bubbled over with thankfulness and were brave enough to make and then touch slime!

Noah's got the power...

I celebrated a birthday during the week of VBS. Yes, I am 36. I'm not shy about telling you because Camden will tell you and complete strangers in the grocery store how old I am. We celebrated mine and my dad's birthday this past weekend. The boys thought that I would like a pink race car cake to eat .... and you know what, I did!!! Thanks guys for making me a really cool cake!!!!

A trip to the dentist

2008-08-12T21:09:00.005-05:00

Camden had his first trip to the dentist in July. He did great!!! He really liked "Mr. Slurpee", the "special sunglasses" to protect his eyes and the "tickle toothbrush". No cavities to report...phew~!!!!

More summer fun

2008-08-12T21:04:00.004-05:00

The summer isn't complete without a trip to the "beach" in one of our nearby communities. We met several cousins of Brian's for the day and just hung out swimming and building sand castles.

Afterwards, we drove to a local mall and rode the carousel.

We finished off the day with a frozen custard. YUM!!!

Sea World, Part 2

2008-08-12T20:17:00.004-05:00

Day 2 at Sea World was spent at their water park area. This was the first time that Camden was tall enough to ride water slides. And ride water slides we did! Once he started he didn't want to stop. So, we spent the entire day wet and having a great time.

On our final day we drove to a wonderful Children's museum in New Braunsfel's, where the kids had fun relaxing and just playing.

Camden dressed as an astronaut complete with moon boots.

Noah and Daddy building dams in the water to change the flow.

Camden wallpapering the inside of a house.

Sea World, Part 1

2008-08-12T20:07:00.005-05:00

Everyone LOVED Sea World!!!! This will be a blog post mostly of pictures and some highlights I don't want to forget!

The kids LOVED riding the roller coaster...over and over again!

Noah up close to the dophin after feeding it. He even was brave enough to touch it.

The 4-D movie was awesome!!! The special effects made you think that the object was coming out of the screen toward you, throw in water shooting at you from the seat in front of you and the chair vibrating when bees are flying toward you and you have the 4-D effect. Noah was pretty much terrified and took his glasses off immediately. Camden was so scared that he shook the entire movie but was not about to take his glasses off and miss anything.

We sat in the Shamu splash zone and got soaked immediately. That was some COLD water!!! I just love Camden's face, he was exhausted and was caught off guard by the cold water. What a good sport.

Love this picture. In the second car, third row are Brian with his hands up and Ross holding on for dear life!!! We rode every ride the kids could get on. They loved each one, their favorite being the "the Journey to Atlantis". Sharon quickly found out that as she gets older she is terrified of heights.

Summer Vacation

2008-08-12T19:59:00.003-05:00

Our summer vacation got into full swing when Tutu and Ross arrived from Hawaii for a month!!! They started at our house with a birthday celebration at Love and War in Texas for Brian's Aunt. Later that night Brian and I were able to get away and watch Jerry Audley perform... what a treat.

Then they began traveling the state and visiting friends. We caught up with them in San Antonio and spent 4 days having fun.

First stop was the San Antonio Zoo. The highlight was riding the train around the park.
"I'll trade you two tickets for two kids!" (Just kidding)

Next stop...Sea World!!!!

July 4th

2008-08-12T19:50:00.002-05:00

The morning of July 4th we went and watched our town's parade. The highlight for the kids was seeing Ronald McDonald and collecting tons of candy that was handed out.

Afterwards, we headed to my brother and sister-in-laws house for an old fashioned 4th of July lunch. We chowed down on BBQ, blackberry cobbler and ice cream and we did tons of swimming in the pool. We had noodle races and even played water baseball! Later that night, we watched our towns fireworks show. It was a sparkling 4th of July!!!

The next day we headed out to my parents to set off fireworks. Dad, just how many roman candles can you set off at once?

The boys finding a safe place behind Nana.

JUNE

2008-07-02T06:46:00.007-05:00

Finding time to blog lately is becoming harder and harder the more active we become. Here is a look at what we have been up to during the last month.

We took in a local minor-league baseball game and saw the Famous Chicken while we where there.
The above picture was taken after consuming way too much sugar from a snow cone! (Brian is saying "is it time to go yet?"

Next, we traveled to a friends lake house and enjoyed the weekend. We all had fun (mom included) going down the slide, riding the inner-tube and Jet Ski's and water skiing (yep, all of us were on ski's, some for the very first time!!!)

Camden learning to water ski. He loved every minute of it!!! The rope was a bit short and every time he would go head first back into the lake after getting up, he would yell "I want to do it again!"

Gearing up for the slide,

Going down the slide!

Noah learning to water ski. After much apprehension, he was a good sport and tried to ski. He proclaimed "he was done" and went back to doing other things.

Back safely in the boat.

Brian took the boys to pick blueberries and blackberries last weekend. They had a great time picking and eating berries. Mom is having an even better time trying figure out how to use all of these berries!

Both boys have also enjoyed swim lessons. When I ask Camden's teacher how he is doing, his reply is "Camden is always on an adventure.", which means "he is always doing his own thing." He has learned how to do front flips off the diving board and somersaults forward and backward under the water... oh wait... he's supposed to learn to swim in swim lessons...oops!!!

We have been to the local library several time for their summer fun program and the kids have enjoyed doing something different as well as seeing their friends from school.

Gymnastics and teaching Camden how to ride a bike without training wheels wrapped up our month.

Camden after the month of June!

A bit dramatic...

2008-06-10T06:57:00.000-05:00

Last day of Kindergarten

2008-06-05T13:36:00.003-05:00

Noah's first day of school picture back from August 2007.

Noah's last day of Kindergarten picture, June 2008. You are still the same happy energetic boy who's thirst for knowledge is insatiable. You have loved learning how to write, do math, how to investigate science questions and exploded in your reading capabilities. You have grown bigger and stronger and equally enjoyed P.E., Art, Music and the ever favorite recess. You have made wonderful friends who I hope will last a long time to come. We are so proud of your accomplishments this year. We love you!!!

Mommy and Camden joined you for a last day lunch. You even got the ice cream you have waited for all year!

Computer time....by far your favorite thing to do!

Doing your summer craft with your "girlfriend" Abby.

Saying good-bye to Mrs. England with a present and a card.

Tent camping at the lake 2008

2008-06-02T16:39:00.007-05:00

Our Tent. The weather was gorgeous and you couldn't have asked for any better conditions for sleeping outside.

Who gave these kids water shooters???? They squirted anything and everyone that moved and had a blast doing it. Camden even fell off the dock head first trying to fill up his blaster... Thank goodness for life-jackets!!!

All the trees in the area were adequately sprinkled this weekend.

Wearing Daddy's shoes...while they were watering the tree. (Don't tell Brian, you know how WELL little boys aim:)

Hey, wait a minute...who let this big kid have a blaster. Paybacks a.k.a., being pushed in the lake when you are least expecting it, are just rough aren't they?

Relaxing and eating. We had some wonderful meals. Thanks Duane for the smoked brisket, ham and sausage they were out of this world!!! The raccoons even tried to have a snack later that night, thank goodness we had Brian to ward them off by throwing hot dog buns at them. Oh yeah, that just kept them around longer.

Pier jumping. Every combination of jumps you can think of was tried by the boys. No Fear!!!

Just a floating!

Digging for worms.

Four wheeling Fun. Don't worry the keys were well hidden. Camden spent several HOURS just sitting and dreaming...

Can't wait to do it next year!!! Well, I could do without the black racer snake coming up behind me and then getting to close to just about everyone!!!

Our secret Garden

2008-06-02T16:13:00.003-05:00

This year we are growing a cherry tomato plant in our backyard. The boys picked out the plant and have been diligent with watering it and checking for new tomato's. The first ones were ripe this week and Noah confirmed they were delicious.

Happy Birthday Mark!!!

2008-06-02T16:10:00.002-05:00

This cake is spiked!!!

2008-05-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

Miracle Blade

2008-05-21T20:29:00.003-05:00

Frozen bread,
BIG, SHARP knife,
Groggy from a nap....

Equals: PAIN and Dermabond for deep laceration on Sharon's finger! Oh, and another punch on the emergency care card for our family.

Hose me down, it's been a wild one.

2008-05-18T20:21:00.007-05:00

Whew!!!! Crazy busy sums up our weekend!

Friday, Noah participated in his first ever field day at school. It was such a blast watching him participate and enjoy his first field day. I volunteered and helped with the frisbee toss, and my thighs and back are still telling me about every 235th time I picked up a frisbee! Here is a pic. of Noah at my station.

After school let out, we headed over to a local park for Camden's end of season soccer celebration. It was such a beautiful night to be outside bbq'ing and playing at the park. The boys enjoyed just running wild, kicking the soccer ball and playing on the playground equipment. The big moment of the evening was when Camden received his "#2" trophy. (If you are counting, and he is, this is his second trophy "ever").

I love this picture... Noah in agony on the monkey bars and Camden ticked that it is taking him so long!!!

We slept well Friday night and started again early on Saturday morning. Camden enjoyed his 8:00 am T-ball game a little too much and left the parents and coach wondering where he came up with his "s-l-o-w motion" at-bat that threw everyone off-guard! After promising to only go slo-mo at home in the backyard, we scratched our heads and moved on to Noah's game. Noah also had a great game and is having fun learning the game of baseball.

After a lunch at Chic-Fi-La with the rest of the population of our neighboring town, we headed to the first annual Bike Rodeo at Noah's school. Again, it was a beautiful afternoon to be outside. Both boys had their bikes checked by the "experts" and then were off to ride the obstacle courses or just race around the track. Noah challenged his Assistant Principal to a 2-lap race and the picture shows he won indeed! The ever-favorite fire-truck was there to explore and entice and we finished off the afternoon with a good snack.

We left the Bike Rodeo and headed to our small group at church and enjoyed some peaceful, quiet time with friends and the Lord. Again, we slept well Saturday night and woke early for day 3.

Sunday brought church followed by a workshop to wrap up our small group study. We then headed out to 2 more T-ball games for the boys followed by a birthday party for Noah to attend. Camden didn't make it dinner and is soundly sleeping as I type this at 9 p.m. I just hope he sleeps until tomorrow. We had a wonderful weekend and hope you did the same.

Last day in the 3-year old class!

2008-05-15T15:20:00.003-05:00

Dear Miss Lisa,

Thank you for being the best teacher ever the past two years! I know I must have tested your germa-phobic issue with defiance in potty training and the incredible fun I had testing paint, shaving cream, etc. on all different kinds of surfaces instead of the paper I was supposed to use. Thank you for letting me be ME and create my own art and praising me even when I didn't use the traditional colors or put my clowns smile upside-down instead of right-side up. Thank you for treating me with kindness and always laughing when I was being silly. You understood my personality every morning when I would walk in and ignore your "Hello's" until I was ready to say it on my terms. Thank you for not stopping me from "tooting" my horn after the prayer "Amen" in Chapel every Thursday. You are the best and I will miss you!

"Don't tell the neighbors, but I borrowed these flowers for you from their yard!"

A pizza party, it doesn't get any better than this!!!

Spring cake

2008-05-14T14:00:00.004-05:00

A flower cake that I made this week for a Pre-school teacher appreciation party. I hope they enjoy!

T is for tea, t-ball and gymnastics???

2008-05-08T21:15:00.005-05:00

Today I attended a tea party for mothers at Camden's school. He proudly gave me a corsage to wear that he had made. It was the cutest thing ever! He made it out of painted coffee filters with an egg carton shaped flower petal inside and then a tootsie pop in the middle. I was proud to wear it.

Here is a picture with my guy. He is always so silly!!!

Camden's class also made the food for us to eat. We dined on fruit, "pumpkin somethings" (pumpkin muffins) and "bugs in a blanket" (pigs in a blanket), lemonade and tea. It was a wonderful afternoon!

This is Camden's first time to play t-ball. He is excited. We are excited for him. It should be fun to watch.

Camden's gymnastics class had their parent show this week, and what a treat it was to watch him show off his stuff.

Doing a backward roll.

On the uneven bars. After this move, he stood on the bottom bar and jumped to the top bar!!!

Doing a flip on the rings.

Muay Thai?

2008-05-05T20:14:00.003-05:00

what ever you wish to call it...

Dinner is over and well whatever the competition was,
it ended when the front two teeth got kicked smooth out

After much hysteria...
The blood stopped, I had him all calmed down.
I said "do you wanna go see?"

"yeah"

One look in the mirror as he started to look pretty concerned
(it does look a little messy at first)
I paused...
"CooooL, You look like a Hockey Player!"

He smiled, I do (excited) I need to learn how to ice skate
so I wont fall and hurt myself.

I think we averted concern about the missing teeth and, Oh yeah, the couple that are now loose on the bottom as a result of this as well.

He loves to tell the story, you will have to ask him.

We are happy he is OK. We hope we have learned something.

apologies for the slow updates as we just needed some time
in thought.

b

April showers

2008-05-01T08:34:00.009-05:00

April has been a tough month for our family over the past several years. Along with wonderful events like birthdays and anniversaries, we have experienced stitches, diabetes, and the flu all last year. This year was no different, along with another E.R. trip for Camden we unexpectedly lost my grandfather. I know that he is singing those wonderful hymns in heaven with Jesus right now but it is still hard to say good-bye.

Here is our month in pictures.

We wrapped up the soccer season for both boys. Camden's team went undefeated with only giving up maybe 2 goals all season. Noah's team only lost one game all season and it was a close one. We are so proud of each of them.

I accompanied Noah's class on a field trip to the zoo. We had a lots of fun riding the monorail, seeing the animals and of course, the all-time favorite, riding on the school bus!

Noah is not real sure he wants the bird to land on him.

4 friends at the zoo.

Daddy and Camden joined us at the zoo, and had a great time as well.

As we were getting ready for a road trip, Camden decided to bite off the end of Brian's IPod and swallow the piece of hard plastic. After much debate as to actually he really did it, it was confirmed by Noah that he was "absolutely positive he swallowed it". So, with less than 3 hours till departure we made our way to the E.R. for x-rays. Two hours later we were released with instructions to find the nearest emergency room if he should exhibit X,Y or Z symptoms.

We made the 19 hour rode trip to Pennsylvania for my grandfather's memorial service last week. The drive couldn't have been more beautiful. All the trees were blooming and the wildlife (deer, birds, coyote, etc.) were fun to watch for. The boys were occupied on the drive with video games and movies and they couldn't have been happier. This was the first time in a long time that so many of mom's family were together. Here is a picture of most of the grandchildren (minus 2) and both great-grandchildren.

The service was beautiful!!! My cousin played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes and another cousin sang so beautifully. The message was awesome and I pray that it touched those who haven't heard it before. It has been amazing to see God at work over the last 4 weeks in this difficult situation and to him I give all the glory!

We enjoyed the week at my grandmother's house playing soccer with the boys outside in the beautiful sunshine. We did many home-improvement projects and even visited the Carnegie Museum , where they have an extensive collection of dinosaur fossils. Our trip was topped off with a frozen custard from Young's and a candy run to Baldinger's.

After a whirlwind trip we came home to 15+ loads of laundry, no food a very dirty house, no sleep and a birthday party to pull off. Camden celebrated his 4th birthday in 7 different states and we sang to him just after crossing each state line. On Sunday he had a swimming party at the Allen Natatorium with his friends from church.

After two attempts, the beach ball cake was a hit with Camden.

Happy birthday big guy! There is never a dull moment with you. I love your silliness and your sense of humor one minute and that you can bashful and shy the next. I am in awe of your strength and stamina to keep going when most would collapse. I love that you march to the tune in your own head and nobody else's. You are kind and loving and still want to cuddle with Mommy. You have your own language. You love to play dress-up one minute and shoot em up the next. Pink was your favorite color part of the year and no one dared argue with you! You are a gift from God and I treasure watching you to see how he is working in your life. I love you!!!

Going to the chapel...

2008-04-09T07:46:00.002-05:00

I was asked to make a wedding cake for a friends pre-school, because the letters Q & U are getting married today. What a cute idea, I had never heard of such a thing! This is my first "wedding" cake. Enjoy!

Out of the mouth of babes

2008-04-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

Last night: Asking Camden what he wants for dessert.

"Camden, what are you going to have?"

Camden: "Beer."

"Beer?" (what, where did that come from????)

"Yes, beer Mom! Ya know the stuff you drink."

(Again, what!?!?!?!, I don't drink beer)

"Yeah, you know, that brown stuff you like to drink" (He's getting a little ticked with me that I am not included in this knowledge of information)

"hummmmm,,,,, o.k." (I'm really starting to worry that something isn't quite right here)

at last:

Noah: " he's talking about root beer"

Hallelujah, someone knows whats going on!!!

Feeling better

2008-03-31T08:17:00.004-05:00

It took quite a while to get back this state above, but we are soooo glad Noah is feeling better. Noah missed all but one day of school last week and ended up with an ear infection on top of his virus. It was tough seeing him so weak and lethargic, but he is making up for his lost weight this week with some healthy eating. I'm not sure that he will ever want to eat his Easter candy again and Camden is o.k with that (wink!)

We had a fun weekend watching both boys play soccer. We also enjoyed visiting with Great-grandparents and Aunt Wendy.

A different note: Brian and I watched "No Country for Old Men" last night and I have to say that it is a great movie that I hated every minute of!!!! I can see how it was awarded so many awards but it is a very disturbing, horrific movie. I could not wait for it to be over but at the same time I was riveted to my seat to see what happened next. Have you seen it? What did you think.

Thanks for the Easter bucket... it came in handy!

2008-03-25T12:04:00.002-05:00

Noah is down with the stomach virus, YUCK!!!! He hasn't quite felt well since Thursday and on Sunday night the puking began. We send out a very heartfelt "Thank you" to Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Mark and Aunt Tish for the Easter buckets, they have come in handy the past two days!!! This is a nasty little virus that has produced some odd symptoms. His eyes are half red from the pupils to the bottom of his eye, his tongue is white, his checks are so red, the Dr. asked if he was sunburned! Fever, headache and of course the projectile stomach emptying. I pray it ends soon and doesn't get passed around.

I am off to do a mound of laundry and disinfect the house. I will leave you with the only picture taken of the boys in their Easter clothes. Enjoy!

Info on the Road

2008-03-23T07:26:00.011-05:00

Mom was working this week and Dad was the driver around town with the kids. I never knew the conversations were so off the cuff in the car. They all seemed to come from out of nowhere.
#1 Dad, you are a great driver.
(Dad) why do you say that Camden?
(Camden) Thats cause you dont make the car hit any of the sides of the road.
(dad wondering) mommys driving?
(noah) Yeah.. sometimes when mommy turns she cant see the curb, so I tell her if she is going to hit it.
(dad) do you hit curbs ?
noah& Camden) yeah!
(mommy says this story was embellished by the kids... a little)

#2
Camden: I want to be a policeman, a firemen, a spaceman, and a race car Driver!
Dad: Those are all dangerous, Why do you want to be a race car driver
C: Thats cause Noah want to be a race car driver and I want to run him off the road!
D: discusses the dangers of real race car driving...Why do you want to be a policeman?
C: Thats cause.. they take people to jail and I dont want to ever go to jail. (this is a real concern for him)
D: policemen can go to jail cant they?
C: no.
Daddy: why do you want to be a fireman?
C: Because I am good at that.

Daddy: Noah? why do you want to be a space man?
Noah: I want to be the first person to see ALL of the planets.
D: I think if you got too close to Mercury, you would melt.
...silence...
Noah: (hesitantly) Lets.. just X that one off the list, I dont want to do that any more.
D: and.. if you ever get to Pluto, you would probably be an ice cube
N: That is because it is so far away from the sun...OK no space man for me:

#3
Camden: I saw the first time someone honked their horn at Mommy
Daddy: What???
C: someone honked at mommy, thats cause
(this is where the story became a little confusing)
thats cause mommy was blocking the ally and someone honked at her.
D: do people honk at you often?
C: no just once
Daddy... thinks he is missing some exciting times in the car.

We had a great week off this week
Starbucks
Science and Nature Bldg
JG's
Bowling
lots of soccer
KrispyKreme
Swimming
Easter egg party and hunt
Movie (horton)
chicfilA
hanging with Grandparents
hanging with GreatGrandParents
Hanging with Aunts tish,Tiffany &UncleMark

Cakes this week

2008-03-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

Tag... you're it.

2008-03-02T09:49:00.003-06:00

I need to list 7 random things that many of you out in blogland may not know about me. This is for you "Blue Eyes". It has taken me forever to come up with 7 things, because let's face it... I am boring!!!

1. I am not fond of LARGE groups of people. I was painfully shy as a child and still take a really long time to warm up to people. So, if you put me in a large group, I just want to dig a hole and crawl in.

2. I am public enemy number one of the vacuum cleaner. There hasn't been a vacuum cleaner that has survived my use. I don't stop for anything, I just vacuum right over it...that may have something to do with the quick demise, huh?

3. I am gullible. I believe most everything you tell me. Case in point... the wall-stretcher incident. If you haven't read about it, you must click here and revisit my pain.

4. I am not fond of SMALL groups of people either. I do not like to be singled out and put on the spot. It is one thing for me to step out of my box, but when I am thrust out I am not a happy girl!!!

5. I am still wearing the toenail polish from my last pedicure in August. Yeah, I neglect my feet.

6. On the topic of feet, I don't wash my legs or feet. I just assume they are clean when all the soapy water flows down them from the top of my body. Yep, you wanted to know these things, so stop thinking "that is gross".

7. I have never had a cavity and the only dental work of any consequence that I have had done is having my wisdom teeth removed and an implant to replace a baby tooth that I had for almost 30 years.

And one for good measure:

8. Once when eating french fries, I was caught off guard and started laughing so hard that I inhaled my fry up the back of my throat and into my nasal cavity! It burned like the dickens, but I kept on laughing.

So there you have it. You be the judge, not to exciting huh?

a challenge

2008-03-01T20:36:00.004-06:00

I have to brag on her.
The latest cake to come from the cake maker.
the request:
a Mavericks cake

we had all kinds of cool ideas.
We decided to throw out caution and make a full scale basketball.
with a way too intricate logo on one side and name/age on the other ( in the appropriate font of course).
The best thing is: I could not do the parts she does and she is OK with me
carving and drawing. It is almost peaceful. Waiting until the finished product is out of the house is a little scary with 2 ..no 3 boys that live in the fridge.
Its all really cool (I think)

Weekend Round-up

2008-02-26T06:58:00.003-06:00

We participated in Noah's schools family fitness night on Thurs. The kids had a great time hula-hooping, jump roping, climbing the rock wall, and playing golf and ping-pong.

Saturday, brought the start of the soccer season for each of the boys. Noah's team played great and held the opposing team scoreless. There is much debate at our house regarding a goal that Noah scored (or didn't score), we shall never know. We are proud of him for giving it his all.

Camden had a rip-roaring time at his game and scored pretty quickly at the beginning of the game as well. His team won handily, giving up only one goal. His games, like last year, will be a treat to watch. You never know what he is going to do on the field.

After soccer, Brian did a little back-yard tree trimming and the boys helped remove the limbs.

After the boys would move the limbs to a neat pile, Gracie would then move them back all over the yard. It was a never ending battle!!! Oh well, everyone had a good time!

Finally, I just thought you might like to see a cake I created for a special boy for his birthday party on Sunday. Happy birthday H!!!

Please pray

2008-02-22T07:10:00.003-06:00

My friend of 22 years, Jennifer, is having surgery on her lung this morning to remove the poison that has filled and surrounded her lung since her appendix ruptured over two weeks ago. Please lift her up in prayer, this is a very painful surgery and recovery. She will be in ICU for several days and if all goes well in the hospital for at least 7 to 10 days.

District Science Fair

2008-02-18T15:11:00.005-06:00

Noah represented his schools Kindergarten on Saturday at the District Science Fair. He took home an honorable mention for his project "The Energizer". His Principal was on hand to award and congratulate him.

He also accepted a trophy for his school, along with the Principal and fellow students, for having the most participants in the Science fair. He was so excited that his school got the "really big trophy".

Here is Noah in front of his project at the District competition. Way to go Noah, we are so proud of all of your hard work!

My Valentine's

2008-02-16T12:59:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T08:03:00.002-06:00

The boys were treated with heart-shaped Krispy Kreme doughnuts and milk in their Valentine cups for breakfast. Three "Valentine" race cars were also waiting for them when they got up this morning. They are both looking forward to their school Valentine parties later today.

Valentine cake that I made for a co-worker.

Cute Valentine cookie pops that were lots of fun to make.

Never show a weakness

2008-02-11T20:22:00.001-06:00

Never tired...So he says. Straight from full out "GO" to out like a light. Where do they get the drive to go when everything in their body must say "sleep"?

Prayer Request

2008-02-06T11:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday in Texas we experienced a front move through that brought rain, very strong winds and lightning. Lightning struck a house across the street from my husband's work and due to the strong winds, the house burned and is a complete loss. The owner of the home was the Vice-principal at my husband's school, she had been home sick yesterday and was able to get herself and her pets out of the house and to safety. Praise the Lord that everyone is alright physically but please pray for the emotional and spiritual toll this is going to have on this family as they try to recover from this loss.

I am waiting to hear how we can help and will post more as I know.

Balmy & 82 degrees in February

2008-02-05T07:53:00.000-06:00

Only in Texas!!

What a wonderful warm day we had yesterday. The kids and I got out and rode bikes and scooters around the neighborhood. Brian and I received bikes for Christmas because it was getting difficult to keep up walking when the kids rode their bikes. It has been many, many years since I have been on a bicycle and I will admit to a few crashes in the last week. It has been fun riding and I know we will be doing it a lot more.

I started back to my exercise class yesterday after being away since early December. Four and half weeks of illness followed by a pulled lumbar muscle have prevented me from getting back any earlier. I can honestly say that I missed exercising, which is a surprise for me seeing how I am not usually the "sweatin" kind.

I have met my first goal of losing a little over ten pounds since September and am working on my next ten pound goal. I am taking the weight loss slow and will hopefully be successful with keeping it off for a long, long time! I think it has finally clicked that it is a lifestyle change and needs to be permanent. That doesn't take away the fact that I still crave food that I shouldn't but as I get used to eating healthier, those cravings are getting less and less.

We have a pretty uneventful week ahead and I am looking forward to it. Soon, spring will be here and we will be in high gear with little down time.

Have a great week!

The unclouded mind

2008-01-28T18:57:00.001-06:00

at dinner...
Mom: So Noah, what did you do in "discovery" at school today?
Noah: (enthusiastic) We played a game!
Mom: (after no apparent elaboration was on the way) What kind of game?
Noah: (excited) We got to draw cards and then tell how they the two cards are the same.
Dad: ?
Mom: How were your two cards the same?
Noah: (hopping and cannot share this story fast enough) I got two cards, Abbey got two matches and ...(the story turned left)
Daddy: How were your two cards the same?
Noah: I won, I won
Dad: gives up
Mom: How were your two cards the same?
Dad: what were your two cards?
Noah: A cow and a pumpkin
Mom & Dad: ? (the same how?)
Noah: (matter of factly) well, they both grow
Dad: in dazed disbelief
Mom: (wide eyed) scary huh?

Awards assembly

2008-01-28T10:20:00.001-06:00

Noah with his medal around his neck and trophy in hand.

The winners from his class.

All the winners from Kindergarten.

Science Fair 2008

2008-01-25T07:44:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Noah for winning first place in his individual class as well as winning first place in the entire Kindergarten division. He now will go on to compete in the District science fair.

Noah came up with the idea of finding out which batteries were better, expensive or cheap. He tested Dollar Store AA batteries and Energizer AA batteries using a toy car to run the juice out of the batteries. He found out that Energizer lasts the longest (four times).

Noah's school consistently has the most entries for an Elementary school in his district and that was evident last night as we walked around and looked at all the entries. Everyone did such a great job and there was quite a few Kindergarten entries (15-20).

One of the grand prize winners tested cell phones (in use) up against hamburger meat. The meat started to cook on the outside while the phone was in use. Pretty scary for all you cell phone users out there. Gives us something to think about.

We are so proud of you Noah...you did a fantastic job!!!!

Watch out there is a new sherriff in town!

2008-01-24T08:18:00.001-06:00

Santa delivered Camden's much anticipated police scooter this week. It is way too cute with lights and a siren! When he walked into the living room and saw it he said "Oh bananas! Santa's been here!" Santa, of course, had help from the big brown truck (because his sleigh only runs on Christmas Eve and is resting because it is so tired). Camden is convinced that the big brown truck had wings and a "pointy thing on top" that helped it get down the chimney. We may never know.

My spring cleaning has started for the year. It usually does after putting the Christmas decorations away. Noah's room has stressed me out every time I walked past it for the past 3 years. In the above picture, several of us all worked together to get it cleaned and organized. It is better, but still has a long way to go.

My kids have been begging to go outside for the last several weeks despite the freezing weather. Well, last week they got out and raked leaves and jumped in the pile. Noah was so desperate to be outside, he even shoveled s*&#!!!!. Thanks, Noah!

We had our trip to the dentist yesterday. I have never changed dentists from growing up and still drive to Mesquite. Happily, we found out that in March he will be relocating to Plano!!! Yippee!!!!! I was frightened for Noah, his teeth looked horrible and I was convinced he was going to have a mouthful of cavities. (This comes from eating tons of Halloween candy and not brushing his teeth for a month. Yeah gross, but that is life!) Anyway, his teeth were fine and he even has a few loose teeth. We were told that we are going to have to "help" several of his bottom teeth become loose because they probably are not going to come out on their own before his big teeth come in. Not looking forward to that.

Noah has his science fair open house tonight...we will let you know how he did. We are so proud of him for trying and doing his best.

Just some funnies

2008-01-17T13:56:00.000-06:00

Camden and I were sitting at the table yesterday. The washing machine was running in the background and when the water siphoned out it gurgled up in the kitchen sink. Camden looked at me and said, "Mommy, you must be very hungry, I just heard your tummy."

Driving home from school today with Camden - "Mommy, the kids teased me today when we played outside". Me- "what did they say?" Camden - "they said I was a giant" Me- "I thought you were a big guy" Camden - "I am NOT a big guy, I am NOT an enormous giant like Daddy!"

After 2 1/2 weeks of not venturing outside of the house (due to sickness), I was ready to return to work on Tuesday. As Camden and I were leaving the house, I turned around and saw the most pathetic "You can't possibly be leaving me here by myself" look from the dog. It reminded me of the depression commercial with the sad looking dog. For 1/2 a second I felt compelled to stay home one more day. I apologized to her and then thought to myself "my relationship with the dog is out of control!"

Slow and steady

2008-01-11T09:50:00.000-06:00

Camden is doing awesome with his recovery. The swelling has gone down enough that the freight train snoring that we listened to for 5 days has been replaced with silent quiet breathing!!!! He hasn't had any pain medicine in several days and is almost back to eating the quantity of food he ate before the surgery. He is still on soft foods and is handling Spaghettio's, yogurt, eggs, bananas, apple sauce, etc. like a champ. He probably still has about a week until back to normal.

I went back to the doctor this week and had a chest x-ray. I am finally headed in the right direction and am feeling a little bit better each day. I am still pretty weak and I am not enjoying the side effects of my "not friendly" antibiotic that I am on. It will take a while until I have my energy back and he said that I may struggle with Reactive-airway through the spring. I am definitely taking it easy because I do not want to relapse. Four weeks is long enough for me to be down!!!

Other things that have happened this week....

Laundry has piled up...
The house is filthy...
The washing machine is leaking water all over the floor...
The garage door broke a spring and we all thought someone had run into our garage...
Santa still hasn't delivered Camden's scooter and he is not happy...
Camden has already had Mommy write another letter to Santa because he "didn't bring what I asked for on my list!"
Noah has found the world of Webkinz.
Camden is not happy that Santa did not bring him a Webkinz. (Ooops!)
Noah is finishing up his Science Fair project (yeah, I know... they do those in Kindergarten)
Brian has been an angel all week with sick people, working and picking up the slack. We love you!!!

Hope you are having a great week!

Someone is on the mend

2008-01-05T12:22:00.000-06:00

Camden is feeling much better today. He had a hard day yesterday with the pain, but today is a new day and he is a happier kid.

I found out that I have pneumonia and I don't feel so great at all. I am on my 2nd round of antibiotics and hope they make the difference. Along with the Pneumonia, I also am having asthma problems. So, Camden and I will be making our home on the couch during the next week.

Brian and Noah go back to school on Monday and Camden and I will miss them!!!!

A model patient

2008-01-02T13:20:00.000-06:00

Camden came through his surgery beautifully. He was his usual, "not a care in the world" self. He took everything in stride. He had no problems when he awoke from surgery and we were asked if they could clone him because he was an excellent patient. His only tears that were shed were when he came home to find Noah gone and he cried because he missed his brother. The doctor said his tonsils and adnoids were huge and he will have a much easier time breathing and eating now that they are gone!!!

The recovery is 7 days with ice cream and soft foods and lots of rest. We have already seen this is going to be difficult in the short 3 hours that we have been home. He doesn't understand why he can't have "normal" food and he has spent little time on the couch resting. He also was back to yelling and rough-housing which we have repeatedly explained is a "no-no". To please his desire to "play", daddy has built him a fort to rest in on the couch (see above). Camden has not once complained about pain and we are shocked but thankful that he is not suffering too much.

Thank you for your calls and prayers, we appreciate them!!!!

Prayer Request

2008-01-02T06:04:00.000-06:00

Camden will have his tonsils removed this morning. Please keep him in your prayers. We will update later.

Thanks!

Christmas Eve

2007-12-30T16:15:00.001-06:00

Christmas Day!

2007-12-30T16:13:00.001-06:00

slowly improving

2007-12-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

Here are a few updates:

Camden has improved enough to go back to school and cause major havoc around the house (in other words, he is back to normal). He still has the nastiest thickest stuff in his nose, so he is on round 2 of antibiotics. His surgery has been moved to the first week in January, due to us having much better insurance starting on the 1st.!!! Woo-hoo!!! But that also means that I now have another week to try to keep him well. UGGHHHHH!!!

Noah went down with a terrible ear infection over the weekend. He literally screamed and cried all Saturday night. We were all in pain with him. He says the pain is better now but he is wheezing and has the same yucky stuff in his nasal passages. So, he is on an antibiotic and fighting me everyday about blowing his nose! Have I ever mentioned that he HATES to blow his nose. It takes an act of congress to get a Kleenex near him!!!

Well, you can guess what happened next. I came down with same 2 week virus that the rest of my family and the DFW area has. I feel horrible. Tons of coughing, rumbling in the chest, etc... The doctor said I might feel better by Christmas, we will have to wait and see.

I am just about finished with my shopping, I only have 3 gift cards to buy! YEAH!!!! Almost everything is wrapped and under the tree. Brian hasn't even started shopping and since he only has one person to shop for, ME, I am not real thrilled with him waiting until the last minute. Oh well! We will be starting our Christmas with family this Saturday night and the kids are soooo excited. We are looking forward to getting together with Mark and Tiffany, exchanging gifts and baking cookies.

I am off to lay down and rest for a few minutes.

Still sick

2007-12-12T13:50:00.000-06:00

Camden has improved but still has a very nasty cough. Noah has come down with a fever and a very ugly cough that we can't seem to get under control with the Nebulizer. Of course, neither his Ped. or his Pulmonologist are open today!!! This is week two of illness with at least a week to go since Noah just started with symptoms.

Today, Brian stayed home and I was able to get out and exercise and attend my Christmas lunch at work. I love that I am able to stay home with my kids, but the walls have been closing in on me over the last week and half of being in the house constantly.

Please keep my kids as well as so many others who are struggling right now with illness.

Preparing for Christmas

2007-12-10T15:38:00.000-06:00

I haven't had much time to update with Camden being sick. He went back to the Dr. on Friday and he confirmed early Pneumonia. He had a really bad night last night reacting to an oral steroid. There wasn't much mom and dad could do to help him, we are praying that it leaves his body quickly. He is improving with the Pneumonia, but slowly.

Here are some pictures of the kids singing at church and a Gingerbread house that we made. It was our very first time to make one and I think they did a great job. However, no one will be enjoying eating this house due to the fact that Noah coughed all over it and Camden licked every one of his candies before putting it on the house.

Finally, we did venture out over the weekend to ride the North Pole Express in Grapevine. One word... Magical. I don't think Camden ever realized that we weren't really on the Polar Express. When the conductor asked to punch his ticket (like in the movie) the look on his face was priceless. Santa also made a visit on the train ride and the kids just stared in awe! They made an ornament and went up stage to sing with all the other kids "Jingle Bells" as loud as they could. Noah and Camden each took a turn in the microphone singing "Rudolph". There were some really great memories made that night that my kids won't soon forget.

Under the weather

2007-12-05T13:39:00.000-06:00

Camden is one sick little boy at the moment. 103 degree fever, coughing and wheezing, maybe RSV the Dr. said but didn't test him. I am hoping the antibiotic is going to help. Please keep him in your prayers. He also is going to have surgery after Christmas to have his tonsils out... we ask for prayer in this situation as well.

So, we have been taking it easy the last couple of days. Camden and Noah have been watching the Christmas classics on T.V. (Rudolph, etc.) Camden is eating very little and Gracie (the dog) has helped herself to his breakfast and lunch so far today. Great, now I will be up tonight with a sick dog as well!!!

We are decorated for Christmas and have even been out to look at a few lights. If Camden is feeling better, we are going for a ride on the North Pole Express this weekend. The kids will wear their P.J.'s for the train ride and drink hot chocolate...just like on the Polar Express. They are excited.

I have done very little Christmas shopping and am starting to panic about when I will even get to start. Brian is playing in a musical every night this week and with a sick child, it looks like it will be the beginning of next week before I can get out. I don't like to wait and am considering doing all of my shopping online this year.

Since Thanksgiving, we have been busy visiting with Brian's mom and Ross who were in town for almost two weeks. Then we were involved with Dickensfest at our church last weekend and Noah sang in our Chrismon service on Sunday. With soccer games and birthday parties there hasn't been a whole lot of time to blog about our adventures.

Story time

2007-11-30T14:05:00.001-06:00

Last night before bed, Noah read Camden and I the story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". It was a total role reversal from the days I would read to him. It has been amazing watching him learn to read. He has picked up reading very quickly and has very little trouble with even big difficult words. We are so proud of him!

Brian and I do not remember learning to read. Do you?

A dino-mite birthday party

2007-11-19T15:47:00.000-06:00

For Noah's 6th birthday party we went to the Heard Museum to see the life-size animatronic dinosaurs. We walked along a 1/2 mile trail and saw about 12 dinosaurs. The weather was awesome with the temperature in the 80's that afternoon.

A group picture beneath T-Rex.

The look on Camden's face is price-less in this picture as he waits to see what the dinosaur is going to do. Noah, Colin, Tate and Aayush all know that it is going to spit water on them and they can't wait!

Noah blowing out his candle on the cake Mommy made for him.

Noah opening presents and Camden waiting patiently for the right time to "borrow" one of the "prizes" for a while.

Noah on his new scooter.

Dear Noah,

I can't believe how big you have gotten in such a short time. You amaze me with how fast you can run and how strong you have become. I am so proud of how well you are doing in school and am often left speechless when I watch you read and re-tell what you have learned that day. You are a very compassionate, helpful and loving young man. You are such a wonderful big brother to Camden and I love how you make sure he is always included in what you are doing. My heart fills with joy when I hear you talking to God and asking questions so that you can get closer to knowing him. I love you so much!!!

Happy birthday big guy!!!

Love,
Mommy

Noah's 6th birthday celebrations

2007-11-19T15:16:00.001-06:00

Noah celebrated his birthday at school last Thursday with juice boxes and dinosaur cookies that Mommy had made for his friends. He was soooo excited when he got to stand on a chair ( a total no-no any other time) and have his friends sing Happy Birthday to him.

Giving Thanks

2007-11-15T13:33:00.001-06:00

Today, I had the pleasure along with my dad, of joining Camden at his schools Thanksgiving dinner. The teachers provide the turkey and the parents bring the sides. This year I took a pumpkin cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and it was delicous! Camden made his placemat and Indian headband along with a noodle necklace. It was a wonderful time to sit down as a family and with other families at his school.

My wild Indian...

A lazy Monday

2007-11-13T08:32:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, both kids were home sick with sinus infections. They have been brewing and building in intensity for several weeks and I finally decided to take them to the doctor. Noah had kept us up Sunday night coughing and I was starting to worry that this was the beginning of "asthma season" for him. To my surprise, Noah sounded clear and open and Camden was the one doing the wheezing. So, the Nebulizer a.k.a. the cloud machine, is running at our house several times a day for a few days. They are both starting to feel better with antibiotics running through their systems.

While at the doctor's office, I asked if there was a shelf life for Nebulizers because ours smelled like it was going to burst into flames at any moment when running. So, now we are the proud owner (with a large price tag) of a new, much quieter cloud machine. YEAH!!!

It was nice to just be lazy yesterday and watch movies and cuddle with my boys. One of those days that I will cherish.

Prayer request

2007-11-12T08:36:00.000-06:00

Please keep one of Brian's students in your prayers. Her name is Meera and she is a 6th grader who has been at Children's the past five weeks on a ventilator due to a condition she has struggled with all her life. This past weekend plans were being formulated to fly her by Air Force or other military aircraft to New York sometime during the middle of this week so she can be put on a list for a heart-double lung transplant. Please pray that she will be strong enough to make the flight and then be a candidate for this surgery. Please pray God's will will be done in this situation.

Our Hawaiian Tourist

2007-11-10T19:11:00.001-06:00

Weekend wrap-ups

2007-11-05T12:05:00.000-06:00

Fall soccer is officially over. Friday, Camden had his end of season party at McDonald's. His team was the first ever undefeated team for his coach in 12 years! The kids played great and most importantly had fun.

Saturday, Noah had his end of season party at his coaches house. The kids had a great time playing in the back yard, eating pizza and cookie cake. We are proud of how much he has grown in his skills as a player. Way to go Noah!!!

Yeah!!!! We have finally completed the fence project we started 3 months ago. After I finished power-washing, Brian stained the old fence and it looks as good as new. My new project is stripping the wall-paper off the hall bathroom walls and then texturing and painting. Who knows how long this project will take. It is difficult to get much done with constant interruptions.

Happy Hallowwen

2007-11-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day that we had in Texas for Halloween! The weather was in the 80's and high 60's for trick or treating. We started the day off with pumpkin shaped pancakes and finished with pumpkin pizzas for dinner.

Camden finally decided that he was going to Captain Feathersword for Halloween. Whew, glad that decision is over. We met up with my brother and sister-in-law at their friends house and went trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. The kids sat down and decorated their own candy apples with lots of good treats like, Reece Pieces, chocolate chips, almond slivers, butterscotch candy and peanut butter/chocolate chips.

After decorating apples and picture taking we headed out with a total of 5 families and started running for candy. The boys ran as fast they could to every house. It was tough keeping up with them. Camden, who had to wear his eye patch, couldn't see where he was going. He would trip over small trees, miss the steps on the porch or just trip over the grass trying to run as fast as he could. Each time, the bucket of candy would be spilled everywhere. He would get up and we would start this process at the next house. Today, he is covered in scrapes and bruises. He is not complaining, he had a great time!!!

Here is daddy, I mean Handy Manny helping Camden with his candy bucket.

Noah is studying his apple, trying to get his pattern of chips just right.

When it was all over, the kids put on their spider Halloween jammies and counted their loot. 82 pieces in all for each of them. With in minutes of their heads hitting their pillows, they were sound asleep. Happy Halloween everyone!

What will he be???

2007-10-31T08:01:00.000-05:00

Camden has been a clothes-horse lately and is driving me nuts with all of his outfits changes! This has carried over into his Halloween costume as well. He can't decide what he wants to be. So, after his party at school he came home and dressed up as Captain Feathersword for the rest of the day. What will he be on Halloween??

Camden had his Halloween parade and party yesterday at school. He made a bat hat and dressed as Diego. Everyone looked so adorable in their costumes.

This is our front porch decorated. The kids loved hanging the spider web and stuffing the scarecrow.

An indecent pumpkin & other Halloween preparations

2007-10-30T14:05:00.000-05:00

If you look closely, my "Happy Fall Y'all" pumpkin is indecent to say the least. Her sign has fallen off the dowels located in the middle of her chest and she is in need of quick repair (or a brazier).

Trunk or Treat at our church. Brian won first prize with his entry "Be a straight shooter with God". I don't have a picture but you shot the water gun at the head of a scarecrow, which was a carved pumpkin and you had to shoot out the candles in the eyes and nose of the pumpkin. Way to go Brian!!!

Carving the pumpkin.

Pictures from the week

2007-10-25T07:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Brian!!! Brian had to work all day Saturday on his birthday so we went out to celebrate Sunday after Noah's soccer game. The above picture is what happens when you have had to much sugar and the dessert menu on the table looks like a toy (or hat).

Camden has been taking gymnastics for about a month now. He has learned how to do a forward and back roll. He loves jumping on the different trampolines and swinging from the trapeze into the block pit. The bars are a bit of a challenge but he is working hard at getting his feet to hang on to the bar with his hands. In this picture he is doing his "Ta-dah", getting ready to go into a forward roll.

I should have posted this picture first. Noah had two soccer games this past weekend and he put on quite a show. He scored his first ever goal for the season and then went on to score 2 more. Saturday's game was a treat to watch. Both teams were aggressive and there was a lot of really good soccer being played. Noah's team ended up winning the game 5-3. Sunday's game was quite different. Only 6 players showed up for Noah's team. Seven players are allowed on the field at one time. You do the math... Noah and his 5 other buds played the entire game and were one man short. Noah scored the only goal for his team and his goalie did a great job of protecting his goal. The did not win, but they gave it a great effort and never gave up!

Camden also had a game this weekend and scored at least 5 goals, 3 for his own team. Since the 3rd game of the season, he has not been "a wild man" on the field. He has been more interested in everyone clothes or the fire ant mounds or the garbage truck that comes by during his game, or what not. This weekend he was more focused and was fun to watch. His coach has asked Camden to play winter indoor soccer and we will oblige and see what happens.

That's about it folks... the weekend again is filled with soccer games and trophy presentations, a funeral to attend and our first ever Parent-Teacher conference tomorrow at Noah's school.

Hope you have a good one.

Just for Heather

2007-10-18T08:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry!

Here is what we have been up to the last 6 days...

power-washing the fence
staining the inside of the fence
saving $$$$ to buy more stain for the outside of the fence
mowing the lawn
cleaning dog poop off the kids shoes daily!
picking up dog poop because I am tired of cleaning shoes!
baking Halloween cookies
exercising
working
cleaning
soccer games
visiting with relatives from out of town
being the ultimate taxi-cab driver for my kids
enjoying the state fair with two nap-less kids!!!! We are still surviving from this one.

Will post pictures of the fair just as soon as I can figure out how to do a slide-show.

Passing notes

2007-10-11T07:54:00.001-05:00

Noah has a group of friends that he likes to hang out with at school. They play together at recess and socialize at lunch. Noah's favorite thing to do at recess is to chase the girls or be chased by the girls. It's as simple as that he loves to run. Well, chasing girls has taken on a new meaning. One little girl, Muri (that is how Noah spells it, it is pronounced Moor-a, don't know the true spelling) appears to have a little crush on Noah. I know it is only kindergarten, but when I think back I was madly in love with Stuart Usher in the 1st grade. Oops, I digressed. Yesterday after school Noah sat down and was doing "crafts". He came to me (with papers behind his back) and asked for an envelope. I asked him what for and he said he wanted to give Muri something. Ok, lets see.... he had three pieces of paper with his phonic spelling asking her what she was going to be for Halloween and one that said Trick or Treat. The third is posted below.

When I asked him what the Yes and No with a line drawn across meant, he said so she can circle one and answer if she likes me, mom. Of course she likes you, you are friends... oops, wrong kind of like.

Who was your first crush and at what age?

All for a flu shot

2007-10-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

If you were driving in the North Richardson area this afternoon and saw a grown woman chasing after a 5 year boy, tackling him, throwing him over her shoulder and marching off to the building behind her... that was me!

You see, Noah found out in the car ride to the Ped's office that he was going to get a flu shot. He had to be told that way because he was going to be one unhappy camper! Sure enough, after I stopped and turned off the car he bolted from the car into the field next to the Dr.'s office. (So much for turning the child safety locks off so he could get out of the car on his own at school) I quickly bolted in the Ped's office, dropped off Camden and said to the receptionist "This is going to be fun". Oh, the look on her face was priceless.

Off I went chasing Noah around the field and finally nabbing him. Back into the office we went with him WAILING AND SCREAMING at the top of his lungs. I hog-tied him in my lap while the nurse took her sweet time getting the shot ready. Meantime, Camden just has to mention to Noah that he didn't even cry during his flu shot. (More WAILING AND SCREAMING) The deed was done and I looked over at the Recp't. and again her face was priceless with a little bit of a stifled laughed mixed in. He received a lolly pop and sticker and while I was talking to the nurse he bolted again out the door. (still WAILING AND SCREAMING) Maybe he thought he wasn't going to stick around to see if there was more to come. I don't know.

After yelling my good-byes as I was running out the door to my 2nd foot race of the afternoon, I overheard the receptionist say "We haven't had this much excitement in a long time". I responded with, "I can bring them everyday if you would like."

Always a moment!

Coversation between Brian and one of his students

2007-10-04T08:35:00.001-05:00

Student: "Mr. Hxxxxx, how did you pick your wife?"
Brian: "I won her on Ebay".

Thanks honey for telling me, now I will know why they all look at me strange when I come to visit you at school.

Just a little off today

2007-10-02T21:14:00.001-05:00

So much for my blog on Friday regarding our good health. Today Camden woke up with the "croupy" cough. After a trip to the Dr. it was determined it wasn't croup but a sinus infection and we were good to go. Or were we? You see, tonight he spiked a fever and I don't know if he is having a reaction to the flu shot or something else is going on. He started an antibiotic, so we will wait and see.

Camden was a little off with his dressing today as well. He decided to wear Camo overalls with Halloween pumpkin socks and then topped it off with his black church dress shoes. Could it get worse, yes...
Just before he came down with the fever, he was wearing his unusual ensemble except he has baseball shoes on now while playing soccer with a basketball. His dad would be so proud! Speaking of his dad, here is a picture after the 50 pound weight loss...

Looking good honey, except for the women's sandals you are wearing. Now I see where Camden gets his dressing influences from.

The only one of us who was right on today was Noah on the bball court. He has taken up shooting baskets in the evening and talks about playing with Daddy and "the guys" when he gets older. I have no doubt that will happen sooner rather than later.

Have a great evening!

Recommendations anyone?

2007-10-02T09:54:00.001-05:00

Do you know of a good pediatric E.N.T.? If so, do tell.

Updates

2007-09-28T07:58:00.000-05:00

We are doing quite good health wise for being in the full swing of allergy season. Both boys have had the occasional stuffy nose, but so far we have managed to avoid any croup or Respiratory illnesses that are going around. Praise God!!!

Since Brian was diagnosed in April with diabetes, he has lost a total of 50 pounds! He looks amazing and feels even better. We have changed the way we eat and we both have more energy. His levels have been good, which is a good thing since he took himself off the medication (we won't go there, long story) and probably won't go on them again unless it is an emergency.

Since starting my exercise class 3 weeks ago, I have lost 3.5 pounds and feel stronger than I have in years. I am still looking forward to going 3-times a week and will ride this high as long as I can. I did pull my hamstring muscle on Monday but is is starting to feel pretty good today. I am on my way to my first goal of losing 10 pounds and am excited!

Camden had a follow-up appt. about the lump on his knee. It has not changed in 3 months which we were happy to hear. We will continue to watch for any changes and follow-up in 6 months.

On a different note....

Last night at Noah's school they had a Book Fair Blizzard that we attended. The kids wore their P.J.'s and took their favorite stuffed animal and then sat and listened to the teachers read them bed-time stories. While they listened, Mom & Dad went shopping at the Book fair. We pretty much bought what was on Noah's wish list, with a surprise waiting for his birthday or Christmas. Afterwards, there were book characters dressed up in costume and snow cones to enjoy outside. We had a nice time and both boys are already looking forward to it next year.

Have a great weekend!

Fun with water

2007-09-26T20:39:00.000-05:00

b here

Water Park on Saturday, the "spray ground" ya know.
great time and lots of fun.. stories.
Everyone is having such a good time and I think to myself, my kids are both going to have to use the bathroom. (Looking around) Uh oh..
Thinking, ... I wont say anything and hope for the best.
About a minute later I hear "I need to use the bathroom", followed by"...Me too".
Lets go I say. Being resourceful I think, "I can handle this, and maybe even be discreet".
We go to the nearby school, AH-HA! Drains from the roof. Sure enough a small drain funnels into a big drain at the ground. It has to do. Job done.. I think;
Lots of fun later, minutes anyway I get, "daddy, I need to make stinkies". I'm like, home we go, sorry, not doing that into the drain pipe. I am wrapping up and I find out we have a portable "potty in a bag". Yes!, problem averted. This was a great idea, I'm excited. Off we go to the school. To the school... there was a little patio that was protected. I set up the potty, of course Camden says Look, a "baby potty". I tell them, No it is just portable so you can go wherever you are. It has a cool bag to stay clean. It is sweet! They did not buy it, Noah sat down for one second and miraculously did not have to go. Back to the fun. What, 15 minutes later, they both run over, "I really have to go tinkle, really bad!" Did I mention the sweet game of treasure hunt the kids were playing, prior to the near catastrophe. All these kids in a giant group looking around the place. We will get back to that. We run back to the school.
I tell Noah to just run over and we will catch up to him. Just as I shouted to Noah that he did not need to take his pants all the way off (?), he is standing there naked peeing on a pole |-() (in case you cant otherwise picture this site) Here comes the treasure hunters! the treasure is apparently closer to the school than what I was planning. (by this time I am just about dying)
I tell Camden to just go and tinkle.
He does, all before he gets his shorts down.
I throw up my hands to give in.
I tell Camden to go play in the splash park and "rinse off"... no one will ever know!
Oh yeah, we did finally have to drive to a tire shop to use the restroom.
These kids could not have asked for a better time.

We got home and the first thing Noah said about the day was (... suspense...)
Mommy there was a house for sale right by the park. (he was then asked) "would it be cool to live that close to a water park?" (he answers) "no, because we would not be close enough to Courtney.

Oh my how I can complicate such a simple life.
I love them like crazy!

A note from the teacher

2007-09-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

I promised Noah I would email you and tell you what a GREAT job he is
doing in kindergarten. I have had the opportunity to get to know him
well. He is so smart and so sweet. I really enjoy him. He is very
insightful and makes great observations. He really helped me get on
track when I returned to school. He knew all the procedures and made
sure to explain them in detail to me....so cute! I know he will have a
successful year. Thank you for the opportunity to teach your little
guy.

The red section really cracked Brian and I up. You see, his teacher had been out for the first three weeks of school due to maternity leave and we have no doubt that he would take the opportunity to make sure she did everything according to the rules. That is just the way he is! He did come home telling us that "we are going to do things differently, now that my real teacher is back". Uh-huh, I bet.

Great job in school Noah, we are very proud of you.

Lesson Learned

2007-09-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

Today while I was loading the groceries into the back of my SUV, Camden holds up a pack of gum and says "look Mom at what I found". We did not buy this gum and immediately my heart felt like it fell into the pit of my stomach. Irrationally, I was thinking "we are going to jail", rationally, I was thinking, "no we aren't, he is only 3!". So I explained to Camden that we can only keep the things that we buy and we needed to return this back to the store. He was cool with that. We went back and explained the situation and Camden said he was sorry to the store manager. As we were walking back out to the car, a woman stopped me and said, "he doesn't know how lucky he is to have a Mommy like you." I thought about that and the lesson I taught to Camden this morning and really a lesson to whoever else may have been watching and learning as well.

We have a busy weekend packed full of soccer games, a birthday party and balloon watching. I am thankful that we can live so close to the Balloon festival, that we can see the balloons from our house.

Have a great weekend.

Soccer, Cell Phone, New Cake and I'm Addicted to...

2007-09-18T15:20:00.001-05:00

Power-washing!!!

I have been power-washing everything in sight... the sand box, the fence, the sidewalk and patio in the backyard and the sidewalk in the front yard. Brian said I went a little over the top cleaning the sidewalk that is not technically our property, but it is addicting and I just can't stop! It gives me such satisfaction to see the lines of dirt spray right off! Just look at the difference on the above fence! Satisfaction, ahhhh!!!

Camden had his first two soccer games this weekend and they were fun to watch. His team is made up of 3-year old boys who all understand the concept of the game. The opposing teams that they played mostly cried and in one instance wouldn't even come onto the field to play. At one point Camden's team was playing themselves. I'm not surprised the other teams might have been a bit intimidated, because when Camden and a few others got the ball they were on a mission. They drove the ball down and didn't care who was in the way until they scored. Camden scored 5 goals in his first game and 2 in the second game. I don't think either of the other teams scored at all. We will have to work on keeping "his hands to himself" and "not jumping on the other players when they are down on the field".

Noah had his second game of the season, sorry, I don't have any pictures. The field is big and he had a great time running and driving the ball down the field. He is looking forward to playing goalie hopefully in the next game.

I made a new cake for a friend's birthday. Good practice... if he doesn't come and get it I may start eating it.

Last but not least, I have a cell phone. It has been over 5 years since we have had such a luxury and I really have not missed having one. It seems to have been a bigger deal to those around us and that is how we ended up with this phone. My employer gave it to me so that I could communicate with his son whom I take home from school. I had to have a 9th grader show me how to work the thing and for a day and a half I couldn't make it ring (that's a whole nother story). Anyhoo... he videoed the front dash of my car and every time I opened the phone it plays this video. He just left me with "this present" and didn't tell me how to fix it. So.... I won't tell you how long it took Brian and I to figure it out but it has now been corrected. Whew... I didn't know cell phones were so much work. So... I have a cell phone without the cost and I'm loving it!!!

This, that and the other

2007-09-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

I just love it when the kids get a hold of the camera and take self portraits!

Camden is having lots of fun at soccer practice. He is really doing a great job listening and following the coaches directions. That is no easy task for being 3. We had a glimpse of what his game will look like on Sat. during a brief scrimmage at practice. For just being 3, the boys know the concept of getting the ball to the goal and scoring. They will do whatever it takes to get the ball including pushing, pouncing on a downed player or just plain running over you. Watch out, E.R. here we come! We keep drilling it in Camden's head that this is a team sport and we play together. Hope he is listening, I hope they are all listening.

Camden is still adjusting to Noah being gone during the day. Our routine has changed and he is doing his best to keep up. I really love having this one on one time with him. He has the sweetest personality with humor tossed in quite often.

Noah is doing well in school but did have his first incident with a bully in his class. My first reaction was to take the the kid by the throat and throttle him for hurting my baby. After calming down, I decided that Noah and I would pray for him. I am sad that a child so young has "whatever" going on in his life that he feels the need to take it out on his friends. Please keep this situation in your prayers.

I had my second work-out today. I was sweating it and I stunk when it was all over. Did I mention she is tough, as in drill-Sargent tough? Wow, she makes you work. (A little note about the teacher... she has 6 kids and is so "cut" that you would never have thought she had one child) I decided at the beginning that I would push myself past my comfort level but not to the point of puking or passing out. So far, it is working and I feel good.

It's a good kinda sore

2007-09-11T15:47:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Camden at Meet the teacher and his first day of school.

Today is Tuesday and if you have been outside you know just how beautiful of a day it is. The humidity is low and you can feel a cool breeze blowing. We just might have an actual fall in Texas this year.

I have decided that I have to get this fat off of me. No more monkeying around. I need to be pushed by someone other than myself or I will just talk and talk about it without really ever doing anything about it. I signed up for an Aerobics/Body toning class and started on Monday. I figured if I paid money to exercise I would be less inclined to back out. It was a great class, the teacher is demanding and she is tough!!! That is what I need. I am so sore today and know that tomorrow when I go back that I will just be adding to my pain. I am looking forward to going back and that is the first time in a long time that I have been excited about getting fit. So, I will try this for a couple of months and see where it takes me. Hopefully, I will shed a few pounds and start to tone up.

Gracie's day at the pool

2007-09-08T19:06:00.000-05:00

That's right, Gracie got her day of swimming at the neighborhood pool. All summer long she has watched us leave and return wet and she has waited patiently. Today the long wait was over, Brian and the boys took her to K-9 Kerplunk and she had a splashing good time! K-9 Kerplunk is the only time of year that dogs can get in the pool while humans watch from the side. At first, Gracie circled the perimeter of the pool for a while deciding whether or not she was going to get in. She did a bit of barking at the dogs who had tennis balls in their mouths. Once confident, she got in and swam with about 150 of her closest friends. She eventually found the deeper water and just circled happily while by-standers were trying to show her the steps to get out. OUT, no way she said, I am happy swimming in circles!!! She found a tennis ball and would take it to anybody and drop it waiting for them to throw it. She would even take the ball and drop it in front another dog asking them to play. She hooked up with a male Chocolate Lab and we feel confident if left alone a relationship would have blossomed. Gracie is looking forward to next year and may even be sporting a hot pink bikini!

Another busy day

2007-09-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

Camden started back to pre-school yesterday and took it all in stride. He walked in and just started playing. I had to hunt him down to give him a hug and a kiss. What a difference a year makes.

I then headed off to work after a long summer off. Typical day until I left to pick up Camden and my car didn't want to stay running. One nice thing about working for a trucking company is that we have our own mechanics on site, so he checked out my car and of course it started right up for him with no problem. When I arrived at Camden's school he was full of energy and sporting a spiky hair-do (not what I left him with). I quickly learned they were trying to make him look as cute as possible because he had literally rolled in the sandbox and was covered in sand! Oh well, he had a blast.

After a quick trip home, we set off to pick up Noah from school, and then Dillon from Jesuit. Thursday's are always a long day in the car and so far it has worked out well. They boys get some great sleeping time driving to Dallas and then to Wylie and then home. Domino's Pizza was for dinner to help Noah's school with fundraising. How can you say "no" to your child when they give you a speech about how eating pizza will help his school make money and he is sporting a neon sticker for advertising? I fell for it, so we had pizza.

We all piled in the car and were off to Noah's first soccer practice of the season. He is on a new team this year and I am loving the coach. He reminds me a lot of my brother with lots of energy and he is really great with the kids. It is no secret that I was not overly fond of the last coach who cancelled practice on a whim and was always late when they did have practice and just wasn't very organized at all. Brian and I both noticed this season that the boys kick the ball REALLY hard at this age. They are also fast and are starting to learn positions and play "together". This should make for some exciting games to watch.

We made it back home and were all in bed by 8:30 p.m. Sorry, I don't have any pictures to post...a part for the camera/computer has disappeared. Wonder where it is?

What time is it again?

2007-09-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's 8:00 p.m. and I am still standing! Whew, it has been a long day.

Today was a big day for Noah, he wanted me to drop him off in the car pool line at school this morning. No more walking him in, he CAN do it himself. I just wish he would of let me know of his entire routine before we had 20 cars behind us all waiting to drop off their kids. It was still just precious how he hugged and kissed me and then Camden and then very slowly put on his back-pack in the car and then opened the car, exited and then entered again to get his lunch box and then exited again and headed for the front door on a mission. Thank you to all the parents behind me for your patience today as I watched my baby grow up.

Then Camden and I were off to meet his teacher and see his new room this year. He is excited about school (he has the same teacher from last year) and it showed in his confidence walking in and playing with his friends from last year. We headed to the store and then to lunch with a friend. After a quick trip home, we were off to pick up Noah from school. We flew by the house and dropped Camden off and Noah and I headed to the Pulmonologists office. His lungs sounded great but we are waiting for a culture to see if he has a bacterial infection in his sinuses. We are also going to do allergy testing to see what exactly he is allergic too. Testing sure has changed, instead of pricking you multiple times they just do one blood test that tells you everything. Hopefully, we will be able to get the right meds and will be able to avoid this seasonal allergy thing. Wishful thinking I am sure. Four hours later, we are back home!

Camden and Daddy went to Camden's first ever soccer practice. Camden did fantastic. He listened and followed the coaches instructions and had a blast. He is so ready to play, he has been waiting for at least a year. We can't wait to watch him play!!!

Off to bed, good-night.

Things heard around our house this week

2007-08-31T13:24:00.001-05:00

Camden: "Mom, there is grass on my bread."
Mom: "No, that is parsley on your garlic bread."

Noah: "I went to Kindergarten 4 times this week. Tomorrow is my last day."
Mom & Dad: Thinking to ourselves: "If you only knew!"

Camden & Mom were having a random conversation that didn't make much sense.
Mom to Camden: "Huh, I wasn't aware of that."
Camden to Mom: "That's not surprising!"
Mom: "Alrighty then."

Hope you had a good week.

Our Kindergartner

2007-08-27T16:06:00.001-05:00

What a day!!! Noah had a FANTASTIC first day at Kindergarten. When asked how his day was, his response was "Great!!!". His favorite thing today was "the lunch room" and pretty much the only other thing he is talking about is going to the gym. Today may have been a bit overwhelming for him and he is just taking it all in and when he feels comfortable he will begin to talk more.

He has been ready to go to K since he was 2. No joking! After meeting his teacher on Friday afternoon, he asked me if I was going to walk him to class. "Of course I will, until you are comfortable to go by yourself". He thought for a second and then said, "Mom, I will be fine by myself, I don't need you to walk me to my class." I did walk him to class this morning and he was right, he would have been just fine by himself. He walked right in, put his back-pack and lunch box in his locker and then went around exploring and making new friends. I just stood there and realized there was nothing for me to do, so I left (a moment that was hard to swallow). I am SO VERY PROUD of the confident big guy he has become!

The rest of the day held a few surprises for me. I knew that Camden would be affected by all of this, I just did not know how it would manifest itself. The easy going, free-spirited child that I know was replaced by a little boy who was struggling with fear. He was afraid to go any place in the house by himself today. He also had to play literally right under my feet and I had to be his playmate continually. I knew some of this would occur but not to the extent it did today. He would not engage in free play on his own, since his brother was gone. He also had to wake up much earlier than usual, which threw his whole eating and nap pattern into a tisey! I enjoyed spending wonderful one-on-one time today with Camden, something he has never really had. This will be an adjustment for him, I believe a good one.

P.S. I have no idea how I got the underline on, I can't seem to get it to go away! I don't see an underline button as a choice. Any suggestions?

Mahalo

2007-08-19T20:59:00.001-05:00

Hurricane Flossie cancelled our trip to the Big Island on Tuesday, so we ventured over to see the 8-10 foot waves she was generating on Oahu. What a sight!!! I just sat in awe of the body surfers and boogie board riders being churned like the inside of a washing machine in the waves.

This picture is an incredible picture of a man body surfing inside the wave. As you can see Brian was ready to go in the waves. After seeing a 5 year old with her surf-board in the waves he was no longer sitting on the beach. The waves were powerful and it felt like you were going to be pulled out to sea. An experience I will never forget.

Does anyone recognize this picture with the beach and the rocks? It is from the movie "From Here to Eternity" and the opening scene from "Grease" was filmed here as well.

We are grateful to our families who made this trip possible for Brian and I. Thank you for taking such wonderful care of Noah, Camden and Gracie while we were away. We love you... Mahalo!!!

Aloha, Part 2

2007-08-19T20:18:00.001-05:00

Friday, we headed to the world famous North Shore which is known for it's large waves in the winter. After navigating down through some fairly large rocks we reached Shark's Cove. We spent the morning snorkeling and watching the beautiful fish swim below us. The vibrant blues, yellows, reds and orange colors we saw are simply not possible to put into words.

Later that evening, we spent the evening on a 40 something foot sailboat watching the above sunrise.

Brian played two rounds of golf while on vacation. He played at the Ko' Olau Golf Club, one of the hardest course in the U.S. on Saturday and did very well with an 81.

Sunday after church, Brian and I headed over to the North Shore to take a hike in the mountains. After driving for about 45 minutes we arrived in the parking lot where I just didn't feel right about hiking. After some discussion we left. We drove to a North Shore beach where the endangered Green Sea Turtles (see pictures) swim in the surf and beach themselves to eat algae. We watched the turtle and listened to a volunteer talk about the turtle and learned that if you wear a bathing suit that is green you need to keep your distance from the turtle because they think you are food. Well, I am sure you can guess, I was wearing a bathing suit with lots of green on it. We snorkelled cautiously with the turtles and then headed back to Shark's Cove for more snorkeling.

Later that afternoon after swimming at Waimea Bay,
we noticed smoke in the direction we were driving. When we arrived home, we found out that 3,000 acres were burning due to a brush fire and the mountain we were going to hike on had been closed due to the fires burning. Several days later, the wildfire had spread to 7,000 acres and was still not under control.