Friday Family Fun Day

02.22.13

We met Jeff, Jill and Marcus at our future new home on this chilly Friday morning.  I guess the workers were cold because we found a little fire burning when we arrived.  Beck and Kinsey enjoyed throwing wood chips in it.

I was also shocked to see the windows already installed.  I thought they would be putting them in while we were there but they must have got busy this morning and knocked it out.  It's so much fun to see the progress each time I bring the kids over here.

We ate lunch at a local Mexican restaurant called Taco el Conquistador and it was ok.  I think the hot sauce really sets the tone for any Mexican restaurant and it was less than mediocre.  But, we did enjoy catching up with Jeff and Jill and making the kids eat their food is always fun (is it?).

Beck and Kinsey crashed on the way home so I drove very slowly and I got pulled over which has not happened in years.  I was sitting at a red light and I notice a police car with the lights come on in my review mirror and I was completely shocked.  How can a person get pulled over sitting at a red light?  When the light turned green, I made my way over to a parking lot.  The police officer walked up talking loudly and I quickly made eye contact and whispered, "I'm really, really sorry but I have two kids asleep."  He looked in and saw my two precious angels catching some zzz's.  Luckily, he was a very nice man and talked softly and told me that my brake lights were out.  The only brake light working is the top light.  I told him I was going home and he told me to drive careful.  Thankfully, he didn't ask for my drivers license because it still has our Plano address on it.  I just need a few more months and then I'll get it corrected with our new address.  As I shared this story with the family tonight, Jeff and Jill said they saw me getting pulled over.  How embarrassing!

Kiki was in Dallas this week for an art workshop and brought back Lola and Otto.  Otto is growing up so fast!

Get ready kids because this is just the beginning!  Brian and Katherine will drive in tonight with Ava and Noah.  Jody and Jennifer fly into Dallas tonight but they are spending the night at Brian and Katherine's house and will drive in tomorrow morning with Damian and Taylor.

This is what Beck and Kinsey look like during the prayer.

I'm looking forward to a fun-filled weekend!  Before we left tonight, Beck asked if he could spend the night.  Uh-oh, I wonder how he'll do?

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

02.21.13

Wendy and I took Kinsey to the library this morning and they made a mouse.  The only cute thing about it was the eyes.  I'm not sure where they found them but they were super cute.  Then, we went to the storage unit to search for a picture of Daddy to post on Instagram and Facebook.  I had to go through many pictures but I did find the perfect one!  It even has a picture of his favorite type of dog in the background...English Mastiff.  (I'm pretty sure this picture was taken when we first started dating. (2002 or 2003))

Right before lunch, I could tell Kinsey did not feel good so we ended up taking her to the doctor to discover that she has an ear infection.  Then, we took Aunt Wendy home and picked up Daddy's birthday cake.  While picking up the cake, Beck was picking out something to take to Laila and Olive's house tonight.  (Bonnie offered to watch the kids so I could take Brent out to eat.)  I thought it was so sweet of him to pick out a dessert to take to his friend's house.  We drove back to Gilmer to pick up Kinsey's antibiotics and Beck said we needed to get some ring pops for his friends.  Wow, this boy really does like sweets!  I dropped them off at Mrs. Bonnie's house then I went home to get ready for a birthday dinner date.  We ended up eating at a Mexican restaurant in Gilmer because we love their green sauce and we didn't want to leave the kids with Bonnie too long.   Then, we picked up the kids and had a little party for Daddy.  Beck blew out the candles several times!

I like how the kids are sitting on the dining table helping Daddy open cards and a gift from Neena which happens to be a really funny one.  It's a shirt that says, "Dads Against Daughters Dating; Run Boys Run".  This is so true!  It's so hard to even compensate the idea of Kinsey dating...really dreading when that happens.

This has been a super busy day and we all enjoyed celebrating Daddy's birthday.  We love you to the moon and back!!!

It's Movie Time

02.20.13

Today is Pops' birthday and it is a yucky, rainy day.  We took Root Beer Pudding Cookies that I made to him at his office and the kids loved seeing him and getting something out of the treasure box.  You will love these cookies if you like Root Beer.

I always try to think of something fun to do when Aunt Wendy is with us.  It's raining so we can't do anything outside, Pops has to do something with Nanny tonight so we can't celebrate his birthday with him and Wendy never gets to see a movie unless our Aunt Vickie takes her so I decided to see a movie that came out last week called, Escape from Planet Earth.  Beck usually always goes to sleep when we hit the road...poor thing might still be tired from the baseball practice.

My cell phone takes horrible pictures when I use the flash so I apologize for the clarity but I had to capture this moment since the kids don't go to the movies that often.  In fact, I think this might be Kinsey's second movie to watch.  They both thought it was loud as we watched the previews and they enjoyed the treats I brought (juice boxes and cotton candy).

This is a really cute movie.  All three kids enjoyed it!  I can't wait to take them back to the movies next month for another new movie.

Beck's First Baseball Practice

02.19.13

Kinsey and I picked up Aunt Wendy this morning because Daddy is planning on working some late nights this week.  Plus, she'll get to watch Beck at his very first baseball practice tonight.  As dinner was cooking in the oven, Beck wanted to ride his 4-wheeler to Aunt Karen's house so I loaded Kinsey in the double stroller and talked Aunt Wendy into pushing both of us.  That was a treat for me!  I love riding the double stroller especially when I'm next to my little angel!  On the way back home, Kinsey wanted to ride with Beck and I pushed Aunt Wendy in the stroller.  Yes, I know we are way too old and way too big to ride in the stroller.

Practice starts at 5pm and ends at 7pm.  Daddy had a meeting in Paris this afternoon and arrived at practice right on time.  All the boys lined up against the fence as the coaches threw balls at them.  Unfortunately, we did not work a whole lot with Beck on how to catch a ball using the glove.

Beck got some one on one time with the head coach and that's when Beck got hit on the head with the baseball.  As I was taking these pictures, I noticed tears rolling down his face.  He came up to me when he was done catching balls with the coach and told me what happened so naturally, I gave him a big hug.  Brent said he heard the coach say, "Stop babying him."  Luckily, I did not hear him or I probably would have given him a dirty look.  I can hug my kid if I want to!

Beck wanted to go home but Daddy told him that we are not quitters and that he has to stay and finish practice.  So, Beck cried for a solid hour!  It was so hard for me to watch but I kept trying to encourage him.  Daddy had to drive back to Tyler for an 8pm meeting so I'm really glad Aunt Wendy was here to watch Kinsey while I was Beck's cheerleader.

Beck finally quit crying when all of the boys huddled up for a pep talk from the coach.  I guess he was happy he didn't have to catch anymore balls.  The coach was really nice to the boys and told them he loved them and that he wouldn't be here if he didn't.  He also talked about a get-to-know you party at his house.  Then, he asked the boys, "who got hit by a ball?" and several boys raised their hands.  He looked at Beck and asked him if he's coming back to the next practice and I was shocked to see Beck shake his head yes.  I thought for sure he would shake his head no.  Then, all of the boys put their hands together for a "Go Wildcats" shout and Beck put his hand in at the last second.  I was happy to see him participate and I'm so proud of him for sticking with it until the end.

Aunt Wendy helped me give the kids a bath and we later saw Beck on the couch asleep.  He was completely exhausted!  I wonder how hard will it be getting him to the next practice?

Beck's Booty

02.19.13

Last night, Beck was jumping off the couch over and over like he's done a million times while I was working on the computer, Daddy was napping in the recliner and Kinsey was taking a nap.  I guess he got bored and decided to jump off his Pottery Barn chair and about the third jump, he landed on his booty.  I quickly looked over at him to see his reaction and he grabbed his booty and his mouth was wide open but nothing was coming out until two seconds later...a blood curdling scream!!!  It scared Brent to death!  I quickly got on the floor and comforted Beck.  He cried so hard that he ended up going to sleep in my arms.  We laid him on his belly and he slept for about an hour.  It was a waiting game.  He was going to wake up just fine or wake up in excruciating pain.  Meanwhile, I cooked dinner and when he woke up, I told him that I made his favorite...mac n cheese.  He got up, sat in the dining chair and ate without a whimper. We were so relieved until after he finished eating.  He said his tummy hurt.  What does that mean?  We were still trying to figure out what to do.  He laid on his belly until is was time to go to bed and Daddy carried him to the potty then to the bed.  He woke up this morning saying his booty still hurt and that he couldn't get out of bed so I helped him out of bed.  He walked to the living room and asked if he had to go to school.  I was still trying to figure out what to do so I told him I didn't know.  He said criss cross applesauce would hurt at school today and that's when I felt sorry for him.  As he sat on the potty, he told me he couldn't poop.  I told him he couldn't hold it and that he had to get it out and he did without screaming which was a huge relief.  I called mom and she reminded me of the time she fell down the stairs at the house she owned when Brent and I dated.  She said it hurt for two weeks and that the doctor wouldn't be able to do anything even if his tailbone was bruised, cracked or broken.  I decided to take Beck to Kinsey's dance class until I figure out what to do.  One of the mom's brought ribbon and medals that needed to be put together so I offered to help.  Beck got on the floor with us and he was more than eager to help.  Plus, he walked to the gymnastics door and watched Kinsey.  I could tell he wasn't in any pain.  When we got home, he got on his trike and 4-wheeler then we practiced playing baseball since his very first practice with his team is tomorrow.  Yep, the booty is just fine and he will be going back to school tomorrow.

It was really sweet to see him watch Kinsey...

This is how Kinsey plays ball...

I let him stay in his pj's because I felt so sorry for him this morning.

I already found Kinsey two swimsuits!  I am so ready for pool weather!!!  Anyway, she grabbed one and put it on after taking off her dance clothes then proceeded to wash dishes which is something that she loves to do.  I can already tell that she is going to want to dress herself very soon. 

Our House Framed

This is my first time to see the house completely framed...how exciting!  I'm ready to move in!

Beck and Kinsey absolutely love going upstairs which is a great sign since both of their rooms will be up there along with the toy room.

Ironhide Construction (aka Brent) had to place a silt fence by the curb to keep the red clay from running onto the street when it rains which has been a lot lately.  Beck and Kinsey used their own tools they got from Daddy's toolbox to help Daddy install the fence.  They love to help!

We also had to clean up the mess that was made on the street due to us not having the fence up yet.  Daddy swept up the dirt, Beck scooped it up with the shovel and put it in the bucket while Kinsey did the dirty work with her hands. 

I love our street sign!

We met the neighbor that lives next to us (older couple that retired and moved here from Arkansas to help their daughter and granddaughter) on this visit and there's a house going up right behind us.  We should have windows next week...I can't wait to see them! 

Tiffany's Baby Shower

02.16.13

When I asked Tiffany about a baby shower several weeks ago, she told me that she does not like them at all but I told her how much I love them and that's how I got invited.  Her baby shower is being held at Lizz's house just down the street from Nanny's house.  Check out the yummy food the hosts have prepared for the guests...

Note to self...Must do this at the next baby shower.  Buy Hershey's chocolate bars and cross out the letters "shey's" on some of the candy bars and color the letters "Her" in pink; cross out the letters "Her y's" on the other candy bars and color the letters "she" in pink.  Very cute!

Tiffany is a lucky girl to receive so many gifts!  This is her sixth child but her youngest is five years old and Tiffany said she got rid of all the baby stuff they had.  After opening all of the gifts, Tiffany thanked everyone and said she was so glad she got this shower even though she didn't want one. 

Ashley and Emma gladly posed with Mommy but Mallot would not.  However, I did get a picture of her passing around the gifts so the guests could get an up close look at the gifts.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with friends.  Daddy took Beck and Kinsey to Longview to run a few errands and then they picked me up.  We took a road trip to Bullard to see the progress on our house.  More on that in the next post. Congratulations de Gala family!  I can't wait to meet your sweet little girl!

Happy Birthday Aunt Wendy!

02.15.13

Aunt Vickie is picking up Wendy today and we are meeting them at Pappacita's for lunch to celebrate her birthday.  We showed up at Neena's house this morning with umbrella's because it was raining when we left Gilmer.  Kinsey made funny faces with me while we waited for Neena.

Beck was swinging around his toy...

And, Neena was working hard on making a baby blanket for Tiffany's baby shower tomorrow.  Mom has done a lot in one day but I don't think it's going to be ready in time especially since she's not feeling well.

I really loved the cookie Mom got for Wendy...oh so yummy!!!

After lunch, we took Wendy to some stores to help her buy some cute clothes with her birthday money.  Then, we took Neena home and Kinsey took a late nap.  After Kinsey woke up, I took the kids to Kiki and Pops house and met Brent at Acme Brick in Longview.  After looking at many samples and what they had displayed, we finally picked out a brick that will hopefully look good with the stone.  What do you think?

We got to celebrate Valentine's day at our favorite restaurant in Longview called Johnny Carino's.  What's really cool is they just started a special called Two Can Dine for $24.99 which includes, bread, salad, entree and two mini desserts.  What a deal!  Happy Valentine's Day Honey Bunny!!!  February is the worst month to try and lose weight!  Too many birthdays and one sweet holiday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

02.14.13

I can't wait for Beck and Kinsey to see what they are getting for Valentine's Day!

Daddy didn't know that Mommy had set this up at midnight and he left the kids Valentine's Day cards on the table with a ring pop.  Luckily, Beck ate his breakfast and worked on the ring pop all the way to school.  And, Mommy got a box of chocolates and some pretty flowers.

I volunteered to bring cookies to Beck's Valentine's Day party at school and the room is so festive!

I'm not sure what Beck the Builder has to do with Valentine's but I found it on the wall and thought it was cute.

Beck's class was in music and movement while we were setting up for the party.  As we waited for the Happy Meals to arrive, I went in the chapel to watch them dance and loved it!

Mrs. Mason was so sweet to let Kinsey join the party and she ordered a Happy Meal for her too.

Mia, John Henry and Peyton

I think the kids loved the party!

I am so grateful that I'm able to be a part of it!

Beck's Valentine's box was filled with so many cards, pencils and other goodies.

This is what we do while Kinsey naps.  Not really.  I'm shocked that he attempted this move!

We went to story time at the library and Kinsey is still working on the ring pop!

The librarians threw a Valentine's Day party for the kids and there were four kids there plus my two but there were 25 kids for the morning story time party.  I sure miss the morning group!

I was really hoping that Daddy would get home at 6pm to eat dinner with us so I baked a pork loin, baked potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, cheese biscuits and strawberry brownies (because Brent and Beck do not like chocolate).  But, Brent had to do some work at the house we are building and did not get home until after 7pm.  I enjoyed eating with my two little angels but I do wish they would have eaten the delicious meal that I made.  I made Beck and Kinsey taste the pork and they both spit it out but Beck devoured the corn on the cob which made me very happy.  Next year, we can eat dinner with Daddy at 5:05pm!