A Funny Christmas Story

So leading up to Christmas I kept telling my kids what Christmas is really all about- not just presents, so don't expect very many- let's enjoy our family and remember that the true meaning of Christmas is about Jesus and what he did for us.....2 days before Christmas I finished wrapping presents in my room when I asked Spencer to come and help me carry them to the tree- she walks in and says...."What are you talkin' about Mama, this is going to be a great Christmas, look at all these presents!".....

Teaching them the true meaning......obviously a work in progress =o)

Christmas Cookies

Today the kids and I went over to the Fortenberry's house

to make Christmas cookies with their "cousins"

(these are their best friends here in Texas that have become like family)

All of the kids had a blast cutting, decorating and then eating their cookies.

They made gingerbread and sugar cookies- It was interesting to see

their different styles, some took their time and got the perfect amount

of frosting and sprinkles while others just slapped whatever on

and then shoved it in their mouth.

Spencer and Ireland were by far the professionals-

they each did a great job and their cookies turned out awesome!!

We are trying to do fun things together as much as possible this Christmas

rather than just run around like crazy and forgetting what this time of year

is really all about-

We are so thankful for all that we are blessed with,

including our wonderful family and friends....

Thank you for a wonderful day Fortenberry's, Amaya's and Thompson's-

We had a blast!!!

Here are a few of the cookies that Spencer decorated-

She made some pretty awesome cookies!!

Santas Wonderland 2009

Santas Wonderland 2009

Every year the kids get a ticket to the State Fair of Texas-

so we went on October 11th.

The last time we went was when we first moved here and

we were shocked then how much it costs, I don't know

why we thought it would be any different this time-

You basically need to take out a loan to be able to do all

that there is at this fair- it is the largest state fair in

all of America- and if you love fried food this is the

place for you- fried PB&J's, fried twinkies,

fried coke (??), and this years big hit....

fried butter- weird stuff.

We stuck with the world famous corny dogs.

Since it was all so much $ we just walked around

and looked at all the animals and auto shows-

it rained a lot but we all still had a good time.

***SUMMER 2009 ***

We had an awesome summer- we spent June in Texas

and thenheaded up to Utah to stay at my Mom's.

While we were in Utah we spent time with

friends and family-

My sister-in-law got married-

we celebrated my moms birthday,

hung out at the Evans, went to a family reunion

in Cascade, Idaho-

It was the first time in a really long time that my

whole family was together,

all of my Grams kids, grandkids and great-grandkids were there-

14 in all-

(my extended family is smaller than Rich's immediate family...crazy).

We had a great time and surprisingly we all got along-

we floated the river,did a zip line that was awesome

and hung out with distant relatives

that we hadn't seen since the 2007 reunion-

We all had a great time!!!

From there we went to our great-Aunt Glenis' and

Uncle Garths in Challis, Idaho-

We went site seeing with my Grandma Audrey all around that area,

went "back to my roots" as they say-

After that ,me, the kids and Jensen met up with the

in-laws at Bear Lake for some camping

and some fun in the sun (until Jensen got so sun

burned that she had golf ball sized blisters on her back, not so much fun).

The kids and I had a blast at Bear Lake- it was nice to hang out

with family that we don't get to see as much as we would like-

we went to an awesome cave, the kids went snipe hunting,

got super dirty and we sat around a campfire every night-

It was fabulous!

Our travels then took us to Pineview Lake to meet

up with the Evans/Hagman's

for some more camping and fun at the lake- it was pretty cold but

it cleared up for a little while so the kids could play

for a bit at the beach-

I had a great time hanging with my BFF and my second family

and it's fun to watch the next generation

of friends hang out with each other

(Meag's kids and my kids).

I was super happy that we got to make smores-

I hadn't done that in a long time and it's one of

my favorite things to do.

Once we got back to my mom's house

we stayed there for a couple days

and then we had to leave for home

so we could get the kids ready for school-

it was very bittersweet to leave- We love Texas but we miss

our loved ones up north.

When we finally got home, we had driven 6,387 miles-

what a fantastic summer- it will be one that we will never forget!!

(there will be more pics to come in a later post)

Meag and me at a get-together at her house

The kids roasting marshmallows- oh how I want a
smore right now!!!

I made Meag a perfect smore....I'm drooling just looking at it!!

The sun wasn't out for too long but they had fun swimming and

building sand castles while it was.

My Kids and Meagan's Kids

Kaston, Spencer, Hudson, Ireland & Grady

(and their cousin Marshall in the back)

WOW!! 12 years....Really???

Well we've made it a dozen years!!
July 25th was our 12th anniversary- and let me tell you
how romantic it was.......NOT!!
The kids and I are in Utah and

Rich is unfortunately still in Texas.
So, our day consisted of me doing laundry and

organizing our destroyed suitcases-
while Rich hung out at home, alone! (so sad)
The only good thing about that day was that Meagan & Jon
had a get together at their house.
So, it was nice to hang out with my wonderful friends, but
I did miss my Boo- (yes, that is what I call him).

I can't believe that it has already been 12 years-

it's funny how it seems
like it flew by so fast and yet I feel like

I have been married to Rich forever-
In a good way, of course ;o)

It would have been super great to have been

together on our anniversary-
but I know that there will be plenty more to celebrate.

And, on a side note- thanks to my lil' sis, Jensen,

for watching the kids for us on the weekend

before we came to Utah- Rich and I were able
to have a much needed date night in honor of our 12 years.

Happy Anniversary Boo-

I Love You More Than the Mostestest!!!

*** Our Soccer Nut ***

Ireland #27 Blue Lightening Spring Season 2009

Ireland started playing soccer about a year and a half ago,
and it seems that she has found her thang....
For two seasons she played on the Blue Dolphins but
her coach didn't continue so the team kind of fell apart until
the coach of the Blue Lightening called and asked
if we wanted to combine teams-
It turned out to be a great thing- the girls all learned
to play very well with each other.

During the very first practice Ireland raised her hand when
Coach Jason asked who wanted to try to be goalie....
crazy girl.
I was freaking out because I thought she would be under a
ton of pressure being the goalie but, it turned out
that she rocked at it!!!
She would usually play as a forward or on
defense during the first half
and then she would be goalie for the second half-
and let me just tell you, she was AWESOME!!!!

She was actually scouted by a select team coach after
one of the games.He came up to Rich and I and told us that
he was very impressed by her and
he would love for her to come to a practice and see if she
would like to play for his team-
It was a very proud moment for Rich and myself! =o)

At the end of the season the team had a swim party at
Beth's, the team manager,house-
We had a BBQ, the coaches handed out awards
and then all of the kids had a blast swimming.

In the end the team took 3rd place in there division-
they missed taking 2nd by one goal- they all did very well-
it was a great soccer season and
we're looking forward to the fall season.

Accepting her awards from the coaches

Ireland as a kick butt goalie!!

All the girlies being silly- it's fun to watch how
they all interact on the field and off- they are growing into to such awesome young ladies.


Way to go Ireland!!! We are way proud of you
and all of your hard work!!!

***HaPpY fAtHeRs DaY!!***

Happy Fathers Day to my wonderful husband, Rich!

He is an awesome Dad and I am very lucky to be

married to him. He works a ton so we don't see

him as much as we would like to-

but,we know that he is working hard

so we can have a great life.

We have learned that it is not about the

quantity of time spent,

but the quality of time that matters.

I also want to wish all of the other men in my life-

Grandpas, father-in-law, uncles, brother-in-laws,

father figures and friends-

a very Happy Fathers Day.

My dad passed away when I was 5- and though

I didn't know him that well,

I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.

But thanks to all of the men I listed above,I was able to

have great male role models.

But, the greatest one of all was my Papa-

he was such an amazing man!

He passed away in 2001 and it is still very

hard to believe that he is gone-

I miss him so much!!

I know that he is in heaven looking down and

watching out for us- just as he did when he was still with us.

*********************

I love you all and I hope that this is a wonderful day for you!

***Go Sponge Bobs!!!***

Kaston #10- The Sponge Bobs Spring Season 2009

Rolie, Kaysee, Alexander, Brendan, Kaston & Dean



Alex was always good for a laugh!

Brendan had to get in on the action =o)

I am very behind on my blogging, so I am going to start posting random blogs as often as I can-

Starting with Soccer....For those of you that don't know, I was the head coach for Kaston's soccer team, The Sponge Bobs (that's what happens when you let a 5 year old name the team) and Rich was the assistant coach. We coached for 3 seasons and had a blast for the most part. The responsibility was hard at times when it came to practices-Rich wasn't always able to be there due to work and let's face it, there were days I didn't feel like playing soccer- plus Ireland plays soccer and it never failed that we had conflicting practice and game times- but, besides all of the little frustrations that come with being a coach, we truly enjoyed coaching these kids.

This Fall Kaston has decided to test his skills at baseball so we will no longer be coaching- our parents of the team were sad but understanding- I kept teasing them all and saying that I would hate to continue to rob them of the experience of coaching their own child- they told me they were fine with us doing it-- but, sadly (yet somewhat relieved) we have to pass the torch.

We had our soccer party at a park- we handed out trophies, gave out awards- Kaston's was for best team player because he was always great at assisting his team mates- we had cupcakes and let the kids play while the parents talked- it was nice to hang out as one of the parents rather than have to be in coach mode. There is a part of me that is very sad that I'm not continuing to be Kaston's coach, but the logical side of me says it is a smart move- I tend to spread myself too thin at times, as I'm sure most moms do.

All in all, it was a great experience that I will remember and cherish forever!!

GO RANGERS!!!

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Ranger game and had a great time. We always buy the nosebleed seats for super cheap and take snacks and drinks- so for about $30 total we can have an awesome family night. This night there was a free Jack Ingram concert after the game- the weather was perfect, the game was fun and we actually (When I say "we" I really mean Kaston & Ireland, because they are the ones who like to argue with each other until you feel like taking a pan and hitting yourself over the head just so you don't have to hear it anymore) got along without any major issues =o)
Going to a Ranger game has become one of our favorite things to do here in Texas- Last weekend Rich and I had our first double date since moving to Texas. Our friends, the Amaya's, had Ranger tickets that they weren't going to use so they gave them to the Fortenberry's who then invited us to go- So, Kristi and Neil picked us up-- and we went to the game- With the exception of scrambling last minute for a babysitter and Neil losing his wallet (it was at home right where he always puts it- good one Neil ;o) it was fantastic to get to hang out with other adults and have no children to worry about, we just might have to do it again someday- and this time we won't wait 3 years.

HaPpY mOtHeRs DaY 2009!!!

Happy Mothers Day to all of the wonderful women in my life- My mama Lori, My grams, Mom-in-law Linda, Aunts, sister-in-laws, cousins, friends and all of the other amazing mothers that are not only surviving but making the best of living in the hood........the motherhood that is.
It is truly the toughest ,yet most rewarding job ever- I love all of you and I hope y'all had a fantastic day!

My day started out with Rich making pancakes and bacon- he of course made mine special by spelling out MOM with the pancakes.....very cute!! We then went to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" (super cute show) and then we ate @ Dickeys BBQ.
This was a fun day with the family- and even though there are days that I want to pull my hair out or hide in my closet in the fetal position repeating "take me to my happy place" over and over--I still feel that no matter how hard or stressful it gets, I am so blessed to have been chosen to be the mother of the three most amazing people on earth. My kids are the best- they have allowed me to experience a love that before kids I never thought possible. I love my babies and I thank God every day for allowing Rich and myself to be their parents.

Where did my little girl go???

Does this child look only 10 years old....I don't think so!
Ireland went to Sydney's (her friend & soccer team mate) Birthday party last weekend and she was told to dress up how Hannah Montana would. Now, she is not one for dressing up- she is a self professed tom-boy, so her getting all dolled up doesn't happen all that often. But on this day they were taking a limo to see the Hannah Montana movie and to get ice cream- she said that she felt like someone famous for a day, and that it was "kind of" fun to dress a little different than how she normally would.
So back to the picture- on the way to the party, I snapped this real quick- when I looked at it later that day, I couldn't believe how grown up she looked in it. Time is going by so quickly and it seems like she gets more and more mature every day. This year Rich and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary and those 12 years have flown by and it scares me to think that in another 12 years Ireland will be in her twenties....holy cow!! I guess I just have to do my best and try to cherish everyday and treasure the moments when she acts like my sweet, little girl. I try my best to not treat her like she is older than she is, but with her being the oldest and the fact that she is wise beyond her years, sometimes it is easy to forget that she is only 10- my sweet, little Peanut, I wish she would stop growing up so fast =o)

** Easter Fun 2009 **

Easter this year was a little bit different from how it usually is for us. All day Saturday we did some major spring cleaning around the house. When we were finished, I was going to go get eggs and set up everything so the kids could decorate them, but.....our wonderful neighbors, the Fansler's invited us over for dinner so we decided to postpone eggs for a little bit. Francesca cooked an awesome southern meal- Ham, greens, beans and cornbread with a super yummy homemade banana pudding dessert. We ended up staying longer than we intended too- by the time I got back from the store, it was late and we still had to boil the eggs, which would make it so coloring eggs would be way too late and the kids were afraid the Easter bunny might not stop at our house if they weren't in bed....
So we talked them into decorating the eggs on Easter day- they were not very thrilled with this idea but in the end it worked out really well. Most egg hunts involve some bickering because one of the kids would find another one's egg and that apparently is not okay- but this year they were all white- a free for all. No fighting is a great thing. After the kids found all of the eggs, they then found their baskets hidden in the dryer...silly bunny =o)
I fixed a nice breakfast while Rich set up the table for egg decorating, the 5 of us had a good time creating some beautiful and interesting eggs. We then got ready to go my Aunt Toni and Uncle Craig's house for dinner. My cousin Braydee, Nate and sweet baby Kenyan were there (cuz they live there) so it was a nice family get together. All in all, it was a very nice Easter- not quite as much fun as it was last year in Utah- no eggs hunts with the extended family or the Evans- but we made the best of it.
Spencer and Kaston with their baskets

Ireland with her "tween" inspired basket-
(she is growing up soooo much!!)
Kenyan with his Easter stuff- in his mouth of course
Kenyan with his Gramma Toni on Easter day-
don't ya just want to squeeze him??

2009 Kindergarten Zoo Field Trip!!

2 weeks ago we went to the Dallas Zoo for the Kindergarten field trip. Spencer and Kaston rode the bus and I drove down along with 3 other moms (Teraya, Francesca, and Kim) and Hazel and Easton rode with me too. I was assigned a little boy named Shelvy and the twins- we were free to explore the zoo however we wanted. We hung with the Fanslers all day- which was a great idea because Francesca and I helped each other keep track of all the kids- We ate lunch when we first got there and then met up with the kids teacher, Mrs. Paine, to ride the zoo monorail-
we would occasionally run into other groups and hang with them for a bit so the kids could be with their friends. By the end of the day there was a lot of sore feet and some very tired kiddos, Spencer told me that she slept the whole way home on the bus. It was a lot of fun and the twins were very excited to go on their first real field trip.


Mrs. Paine, Kaston & Spencer waiting to get on
the bus at the end of the day

The kids thought that this Giraffe looked so funny trying to
eat the grass off of the ground......I have to agree
Spencer, Keely & Kyra lookin' all cute

Kaston with the Giraffes standing the normal way =o)

Kaysee(me), Francesca and my little man, Easton

THE ZOO CREW!!!

A day at the Forth Worth Stockyards

There was so much for us to do and see when we moved here from Utah, but one our favorites is the Fort Worth Stockyards. In January we took my uncle Randy and my Grandma Audrey there. We had a fun time walking through all of the neat little western shops, the kids had fun at the candy store and then we watched the "huge" cattle drive. Longhorns are really cool looking animals and I had always wondered what they were good for, but as the picture below shows, I guess you ride them.....who needs a horse??

This is what we do to pass the time in Texas, we ride cows. =o)
Ireland, Spencer and Kaston thought that getting to sit
on Big Jake was really awesome.

3 for the price of 1- silly kids

myself, Randy and my Grams

Rich took the pic and I have to say he did a

great job of fitting us and the sign in ever so nicely.

LOOK OUT....IT'S A STAMPEDE!! hehe

Where is the Snow???

So last year we had an awesome snow storm that was a small taste of what we used to get in Utah. We had so much fun- the snow started to come down real strong at 9 pm, so I bundled my kids up and we went out and played in it for almost 2 hours. Ireland was excited to play in snow that felt soft and fluffy like we used to get, instead of the snow cone snow that fell the first winter we were in Texas. During winter 2006-2007 I would laugh as I drove by houses where kids were out front building snowmen (or dirtmen is more of what they looked like) in a half inch of snow, Ireland said "why are they out there, it is such a waste of time?" I guess we were spoiled and we took for granted the beautiful winter wonderland that we lived in- the saying "you don't miss it til it's gone" is so true. Rich could care less about the snow, he is delighted that we moved away from it, but if you can't tell, I miss it terribly.

It was very nice to see that Texas does get a good old fashioned snow storm every now and then.
(and then be 75 degrees the very next day, I guess I'll take what I can get) I am just waiting very patiently for one this winter, although seeing that right now I have on shorts and flip flops, I don't see it happening any time soon.

The pics below are from last years good times in the "real" snow.

**First blog of 2009**

This is a random picture of my Great Grandpa O in the military during World War I -- it has nothing to do with this post I just think it's a cool picture and I hate doing a post without at least one picture.

First of all, I hope that everyone had a super holiday break. I had all of my family in town for Christmas and New Years and let me just say that there were no dull moments. I can't believe how fast 2 weeks went by and I feel like I didn't do even half of what I planned to do before the new year.

Speaking of New Years, I really don't like resolutions because they are just something that I will have really good intentions of doing but, like always, I won't do- and yet some how I still make them every year- I came across a typed list of my resolutions for 1999- and the funny thing is that they are something that I would still write down today. Sad.....ten years later and I'm still trying to get the same things accomplished that I was when I was 22, that's kind of scary =o)

But, there are a few things that I would really like to do this year- I want to keep in better touch with all of my friends and family and I really want to be better at keeping my blog up to date- so this is my attempt to do at least one of those things. Even if it means posting something extremely random like a picture of my Great Gramps. hehe