Christmas!

We had a very Merry Christmas!  The kids both had a wonderful Christmas and were very happy with what they received.  Now we're gearing up for 2014.  We have a few changes for next year, so that should be fun!

A few changes:
*chores for the kiddos
*above ground garden boxes (this is something I want)
*saving money by watching our expenses
*hopefully paying off the house by the end of the year
*we're planning on starting kindergarten in the Fall of 2014 and already looking at curriculum
*making life not so chaotic, but slowing down a lot
*losing weight (Kimberly) and eating healthier for all of us

This is enough for 1 year......ha! 

Have a Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) :)

Hunting Season!

As you can tell from the pictures, the kids were ready for hunting season!  These were taken when we had gone into the woods with Les one evening. 

I'm going to try to submit them into the TPWD magazine!

 

***Pictures taken by Vanessa Adams - THANK YOU!!!

Wildlife Overload

Well, it has been quite an exciting day for the kiddos and I.........LOL

We have had a coyote run up on us, but once it realized that we were there; took off running through our yard to the woods/creek behind our house.  Z thought it was so cool since he was able to see it running off.  S did NOT like it and was saying," I no like that coyote."  It was pretty cute listening to her say it and I kept asking her about it.  She would gladly tell me it over and over.  :)

Tonight, Z and I were going into the garage to get him a drink.  I saw a black and white tail and it belonged to a skunk.  I bet it was in the garage eating cat food, but it went and hid immediately.  I had the garage door open after we saw it in hopes that it would leave on its own!  HAHA

Then, I asked Z to go with me to the garage to see if we could see the skunk.  This time, we walked up a huge mouse/rat.  As I told my mom, it was too cute to be a rat.....LOL  Anyways, the cats were trying to figure out how to get it and what to do.  It was pretty funny.  But, Z was ready to go in and get a way from all of the fun.  I agreed and we both left!  I'll go back out here in a little bit to put the garage door down and call it a night.

Hopefully, all of our wildlife, will go find other homes to find!

Just a fun day in the life of the Cornelius family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :)

Halloween Fun!

We had a lot of fun and did quite a bit of walking.  The kids were both dragging by the time we got back to my BIL and SIL's house.  :)  They collected a lot of candy and I mean GOOD candy!

Sadie had a few run ins with things she didn't like......LOL  Overall, she had a great 1st time to TOT.  Zachary had a great time and was hanging with his cousins and did pretty good keeping up with them. 

Here are a few pictures from tonight - ENJOY!

 

We have Zachary, Tyler, Hannah, Sadie and Whitney

 

Sadie wanted to hold hands with the girl in the blue dress: AKA: Hannah

 

Then we have here: Tonto, Fun Times Marsha, Me (not sure what I am), and the California Raisin.

 

Fun Fact: I wore the costume TOT when I was little that Les is wearing in this picture.  He was such a good sport!!!!!!!!

Why Why Why

I am so mad at people at this moment.  Here is one thing today since it's Halloween.  Why, do we have to judge each other and make statements that are like "well, I would never let my kid ever do that", etc.  Do you really think that God doesn't know our hearts and we're not worshipping satan or anything of the sort by letting our kids trick or treat?  It's fun to dress up and have family fun while collecting candy.  Be Jesus to those you run into!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, this just doesn't stop at Halloween, but EVERY stinkin' holiday and events throughout the year; including prayer.  Why do people have to be so judgemental to each other and vocalize it on social media?!?!

Will it ever stop, no, b/c people are prideful and won't let it go to actually enjoy a fun time.  There is nothing wrong in my eyes to collect candy and have fun, have Santa visit and sharing of Jesus' birth too, etc etc.  The list is literally endless.  Quite the guilt trips - they do nothing, except for ruin relationships b/c of overly (sp?) opinionated people.  You have your stuff that you do that others don't agree with, but don't voice their opinions.  Sometimes, like Thumper's mom said," IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE; THEN DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL."

Rant is over, but I'm still upset with mainly fellow Christians.

Happy Halloween Eve!!!!!!!

 

Here are our pumpkins for Halloween 2013.  I think they turned out awesome!!  I thought it would be fun for us to paint this year instead of carve, so that's what we did.  :)

 

My pumpkin is the front one that is painted pink and the word Jesus in yellow.  There is a blue cross to the left side of Jesus.  :)

 

Zachary's pumpkin is to the right of mine (when looking at it) with the red/white/pink all combined....HAHAHA 

 

Sadie's pumpkin is to the left and very multi-colored!!

 

The other small little gourds are from the Hill Country.  We picked these up at the Wildseed Farm in Fredericksburg.  They had a huge wheel barrow of gourds and I let the kids each pick 3.  If you've never been to that place - it is a MUST!  It's a great place and we just love it! 

 

One thing that I bought to eat while we were there was Pecan Prailine Honey Butter.  Can I say," I just can't get enough of it........LOL"  However, I'm minding my p's and q's and only eating a little bit every couple of days.  Zachary is a huge fan of it too!  Sadie won't try it, but she's in a fairly picky eater stage.  I know she'll outgrow it, but for now, well, her food options are fairly limited to brocolli, apples, corny dogs, chicken strips, and noodles.  There are other things, but these are the main things!  She has discovered that she likes pomegranate seeds; which are so yummy!!!

 

As we approach Halloween, make sure to be the best witness to your neighbors as you can be.  It's not often that neighbors get a chance to talk, so why not make the most of this particular "holiday" and be a witness for Jesus while handing out candy to those you don't talk to much.  Enjoy!!!

 

Happy Halloween from the Cornelius household!!!!!!!!!!

We have been busy!!!!!

We had Zachary's EEG and it did show seizure activity.  We saw the neurologist and had a great appt.  Dr. L was very thorough and awesome with Zachary.  He examined him/asked us & him questions for over an hour.  I was very pleased with the appt.  We're doing a sedated MRI to make sure that there are no abnormal scars are present on his brain.  If not, then more than likely, his seizures are inherited from his daddy and should hopefully out grow them as he gets older.  Pray for clear scans!

His EEG was on Wed, I worked Thurs, and we left for Galveston on Friday.  Then, after several days in Galveston, we headed off to Canyon Lake (not too far from San Antonio).  We had a great time, LOTS of laughs, and naps by all.  HAHAHA  We were all pretty tired during our Galveston trip because we were so busy and Z & I were catching up on sleep from staying up all night Tuesday night for his EEG.

Hunting season starts this Saturday, so I will soon be a single mom.....HA!  Les will be gone for a while hunting, but we do have plans to go and join him for several days.  I don't think I'll actually get to hunt this year, but you just never know.  I have been teasing Les and showing him episodes of Duck Dynasty - he is more than ready for rifle season to open.  He has been bow hunting a few times while I was gone, but just enough to wet his appetite.  Come on Hunting Season!!!!  :)  After his little getaway ends; then more than likely, Les will also be going on his days off to hunt!  It's a crazy 2 months!!!  Hunting, processing the meat, and of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years!  BUSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And we're also praising Jesus for an answered prayer - we had a scare with my mom, but it's an abdominal hernia and not a cancerous tumor.  Praise Jesus!!!!!!

EEG

Zachary had a 3rd episode this past Sunday that seems to be like a seizure.  It lasts totally for a few minutes and then he's tired.  So he went on Monday to see our pediatrician and he wants to do the EEG.  Today is that day for this test.  Zachary was able to sleep for 4 hours - 9 - 1 is what he ended up sleeping.  And I slept off and on from 9 - 2:20 AM or so.  I am starting to get tired now!  HAHAHA  It's 5:35 AM and we'll be leaving the house in less than an hour now. 

What have we done, you ask?!
We have made a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies
We have watched some good old cartoons (popeye, woody wood pecker, bugs bunny, etc)
Played Trouble
He's playing Legos right now
Cuddled together in the recliner
I took a shower and he talked to me while I showered

That's about it, really.  We're both yawning some, but not a lot.  I have a slight headache, so I'll take some Tylenol when I can get in my room.  I'm trying to stay out of there to keep him asleep as long as possible.  :)

I will post more once I know more and have some fun pictures of Zachary all "decked" out in his electrical cords.......HA!!!

I'm ready for my nap.............NOW!  Thank you, mom & dad for keeping Sadie today!  I'm so glad that I don't have to stay up with her after we get home with Zachary.  :)  YAY!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your prayers - now to start getting ready to leave.  :):):)

State Fair of Texas

This year Les and I weren't going anywhere for our anniversary.  Instead of the same ole "eating out"; I wanted something different.  Guess what time it is in October?!?!  STATE FAIR!!!!!!!!!

So, I suggested that I think it would be fun to go to the Fair without the kiddos.  Well, Les was actually off on Sunday, our anniversary.  So, we went to the Fair while my parents watched the kiddos for us.  We had a great time and saw lots of stuff.

The BMX bike riders were by far my fave!!!!

We also saw:
racing pigs
ostrich races
light parade
fire/water/light show set to music - AWESOME!
HUGE pig - 1103 lbs
animals
sat in the cab of a tractor while watching a video of cutting corn - pretty cool!
Asian dancers - a little boring
shared a 1/2 lb burger
looked through the shops
walked through a thing about cows/milk and got a bag to prove it...HAHA!
 and so much more!!!!!!!!!

Awesome way to celebrate our anniversary!!!!!

Love you, Les, Happy Anniversary and CHEERS to many more years.

OCTOBER!!!!!!!

Oh yay, the month of October has finally arrived; which means COOLER temps, usually rain, more time outside b/c we won't roast by the sun, hot chocolate, camping, and OH SO MANY more things that I just love!!!!!!!!!!

I have noticed that since the weather has been significantly cooler, the TV is barely on, we're outside at least 3+ hours everyday, and being able to walk more around the neighborhood. 

I have already cleaned the garage out, finished painting this baker's rack that was given to me, and playing a whole bunch!

PLUS, Les and I will celebrate 6 yrs together THIS Sunday........WOO HOO!!!!!!!!  It's been a good 6 years with both ups and downs, but with our eyes on the Lord; then it makes it that much easier.  Les, I love you so much and so glad that God chose YOU to be my partner to do life with.  Cheers to more years to come and many memories!!!!!!!!! 

Love you!!!!! 

Here is one of our engagement pictures!!!!!!!!!!  :)

***Photo taken by Tim Ostermeyer Photography

4 weeks and counting!!!!!!

Sadie decided 4 wks ago that she was not going to wear pull-ups ever again.  She has done awesome in her "unnies" as she calls them.  :)  I'm so proud of her!!!!  She has had accidents here and there, but overall, has really done great.  It's wonderful to have 2 kiddos in underwear/panties.  It's also kind of hard....HA!  However, I'll take that over having to buy diapers (which we haven't had in this house in almost a year) and pull-ups.  She originally started potty training herself at 19 months and did really well, but wasn't quite ready to go without them yet.  As I think back, we haven't bought, but probably 4-5 packages of pull-ups in a whole year.  She was going poop in the potty, but wasn't quite ready to go pee pee in the potty every single time.  It was a crazy time and so different than Zachary and his potty training technique.  :)

However, they've gotten to the same destination in 2 different ways and ages.  Zachary decided he was done with diapers a few months after 3.

I believe in not pushing your kiddo till they are ready.  Talk about stress free; yep, it was for the most part.  When they were ready; then we did it.  I knew there would be backlash if I tried to force them.  I would do it the same all over again without any hesitation.


YOU ROCK, SADIE GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kitties........

........have been busy!!!

Last night they killed a frog and this is all that remains - the legs.

During the storm today; I went outside to get something and noticed they were "playing" and staring at something in the garage.  I went over to see what the little curious ones were doing.  Lo and behold, they had killed a snake.  It looks kind of big in the picture, but it was only about 6 inches or so long.

 



 

I am so proud of them because they're doing EXACTLY what we wanted; minus the frog.  Didn't even think about them killing frogs.  Well, at least they're beginning to kill snakes at only 3 months old.  Woo Hoo........go Jet (male) and Spot (female)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lefty???

I'm thinking we might just have a lefty in the family.  I am a lefty and sooo wanted at least one of my children to be a lefty like me.  Check out this picture!!!

 

For now, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and stay hopeful that he will stay this way.  :) 

Woo Hoo!!!!

Halloween Store

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!  Funniest story in a while at poor Sadie's expense.  :)

Zachary LOVED the jumping spider at the Spirit Halloween store last year.  He has been looking forward to seeing them all year and once he saw that the stores were coming up; he has been asking me to go.  So, after our dinner last night, I saw the SH store in McKinney.  I knew we had nothing pressing and just enjoying our sweet little family that night.  I motioned for Les to follow me into the parking lot.  You could tell on the look on his face; he was very confused as to what we were doing....HA!  I told him to get out and told Zachary and Sadie to get out also.  Zachary is full of questions because we're actually parked next to a sandwich place.  We started walking to the store and as we get closer and closer he can see the halloween stuff in the windows.  He was so excited!  We get inside and he's actively searching for the jumping spider.  Sadie is close behind him, but has NO IDEA what Zachary was looking for.  He found the first jumping spider and steps on the activate button on the ground.  Now, the kids are very close to the spider and all of a sudden, the spider turns on and jumps right into Sadie.  She was so surprised and immediately turned around and ran to me.  I was DYING laughing and trying to NOT pee in my pants......HAHAHA  I have to hand her over to Les b/c I'm literally rolling on the ground laughing.  I can't even catch my breath it was so funny.  Her little arms were right where the spiders legs were and so, when it popped up, the spider was right up in her face.  I know, it sounds mean to laugh, but I couldn't stop laughing.  I wish I would have had a video of the scene happen to rewatch it again.  I am laughing again as I type this out.  While we were walking around the store she would say," I no like that."  Then we would start laughing again.

Sweet Sadie, I'm sorry that this happened to you, but since it did, I'm glad that I got to see it!  :) 

We love you, Sadie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Facebook, Farewell

I have really been feeling like Satan is using FB against me to make feel hurt feelings, jealous, comparing, etc.  We had talked about this Wed morning at my Bible Study and pretty much hands down, my small group felt negatively towards it.  I don't know why, but maybe it's nature, but it effects us moms the most.  I think what's really the worst is moms comparing the kids to each other.  I try really hard not to do that, but of course, those lies are whispered and they're hard to ignore.  So, I have a blog and have for a LONG time!  I think, at least try, to put most of our accomplishments, vacations, etc on her.  I know I won't be judged, compared, etc.  Especially since, as of right now, I don't know many people that have this website......HA!  That could change of course as people ask for the web address.  It doesn't matter though, b/c if someone wants to know about us; then they'll come to me.  It won't be forced in their face on FB.

Rant is over...........Have a BLESSED day in the Lord.  < Jesus ><

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

– Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

Baking Night for Sadie & Mommy

Sadie and I enjoyed baking together several weeks ago.  I haven't blogged about it and decided to post some pictures from our fun night together.  Zachary spent the night with Mimi and Poppy, Sadie and I baked, and daddy was at work. 
Enjoy!

 

How can you not resist this brownie smile?!?!  She's definitely kissable.  :)

 

 

Our completed cupcakes.  She really wanted purple, so that's what we did!!

 

 

Here were out completed brownies - these were made especially for daddy.

 

 

Here is Sadie enjoying her final product - cupcake!

 

 

Here is a picture of Sadie and I in our Mexican Aprons.  Carlos, your mom will be so proud!

 

 

Here she is smiling all big - she loved every minute of it.  I asked if we should call our neighbors John & Sharon and she said," yes."  So, they came over for cupcakes when we were finished.

 

 

Here she is stirring our cupcake mix.

 

 

More stirring.....

 

 

Into the oven they go....

 

 

Yay........they're done!

 

 

Stirring the brownies......she was helping me crack the eggs.  She really liked the breaking of the eggs.  We still have a ways to go before she can crack the eggs herself, but she had fun.  That's what counts!

 

Of course, you have to lick the whisk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Oh yeah, she was loving this part the best........HAHAHAHAHA

Our Big Boy - Pre-K

Today was Zachary's official 1st day of pre-k......YAY!

We worked for a good hour before we were done and he did great.  We started off with our Bible devotion from a new devotional that we gave to Zachary last night.  It is Sarah Young's Jesus Calling for Kids - it covers both the old and new testament stories and it's pretty cool; especially the pictures.  Zachary enjoyed the devotional!

Off we went for his schoolwork; which included tracing, writing, sorting m&m's and counting them (and of course eating a few along the way too!), an about me page that I wrote up (picture will be at the bottom), working on the letter of the week - A and then a craft, cutting, coloring, working on temperature, time, etc.  It all flowed so smoothly and tomorrow, will be Les' day since he's off and I'll be at work.  Then I'll do Wed, and my mom will be Thurs while I'm at work again.  We're going to leave Friday's for "free" days to do whatever we want: field trip, playgroup, etc.  So, it'll be fun!!!

We'll be doing our reading of books probably around bedtime or maybe in the afternoon after naps; this will be a negotiable thing as to what time it's done in.  They kids LOVE to be read to, so it won't be hard to incooperate it into our life b/c it's already there!!  :)

I'll try to keep my blog updated on Zachary's progress!  Next we're going to learn the letter Z.  He can already recognize it, but we'll work on it and different words that start with "Z".  One never knows, we might end up at the zoo next week.....HA!  Probably not, unless there is a HUGE change in our weather......SOON!  I figure that we'll cover the letter from the previous week quickly on Monday to make sure that he can still recognize it.  He can point out quite a few letters, but I know he doesn't know all of them yet.  This will be our goal this semester; then probably start trying to learn to read in the Spring semester.  I don't want to do that until I know he knows all of them.

Anyways, I'm off for now, going to take a nap.  Miss Sadie girl woke me up again at 1:55 AM to go potty and try to sleep with us.  HA!  So, I'm tired and this has happened 2 nights in a row now.  Not used to be woken up at night anymore.  LOL 

Zachary

Zachary's 1st unofficial week has ended and it was great!  We ended the school week by picking up pizza and crazy bread and heading out for a picnic to our new splash pad.  Daddy was off at 5 PM; which was a HUGE shock.......LOL  So, we all got to go together.  I suggested a picnic at the park and Zachary was all over that.  He couldn't wait to tell daddy about it when he got home around 6 PM.  So, we all changed into our swimsuits and headed out.  We had a great time!

This week Zachary worked on tracing, cutting, writing, and coloring.  We will be adding more into our school days once we get back from Chicago.  However, I'm not going to push him at this age, so we'll see how it goes and play it by ear.  I have a learning to read program through Hooked on Phonics, and we're going to attempt to work on this.  We might have to wait depending on if he's ready for that yet or not.  He is still learning what the letters stand for, so we might have to get through all of that; I'm not sure.  I need to look over the program again and see what level Zachary should be at when starting it.  :)  It's so fun!!!

Okay, here is a picture of Zachary's coloring from Friday.  This was the BEST he has ever done.  He took his time with my encouragement.  I gave him a color and told him which part of the girl to color with it.  He was able to follow simple directions.  I was encouraging him to stay within the lines, so as you can see; he did really well.  At least in my (biased) opinion......LOL  :)

 

 

Check out this proud smile.........LOVE it!

 

Here is an up close picture of his work.  He traced the first word one; then I wrote an O; then he wrote an O, etc. through the rest of the "n" and "e".  Above that is where he wrote the number 1 over and over. 

Remembering when......

As I sit here and read all of the FB posts about my friends sending their kids off to school; makes me think of my own 1st days of school.  The year that I remember the most is 4th grade.  Probably because there were a lot of changes.  I was starting a new school in Allen, new friends, etc.  I remember my mom walking me into school; despite just having surgery.  I really wanted her to come with me to my classroom.  My teacher was Mrs. Long, in fact, I still see her around town on occasion.  :)

I remember when I was leaving Reed, the kids were saying," there are rats in the bathrooms at Rountree."  I'm sure they said other bad things, but this was the only thing I ever remember.  When I went to school, I found out that the school was just as clean as Reed and there were no rats in the bathroom.  I had a great 3 years there at Rountree before going to Ford; then onto AHS.  Man, where has the time gone for me?!  HAHAHA  It was 15 yrs that I graduated from high school and I can't believe it at all. 

As someone told me the other day," The days are long, but the years are short."  Man, that couldn't be anymore true!  I am excited about our homeschool journey and to see where we end up. 

Have a great year to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures from Splash Pad

We had a great time!!!!!!!!!!  Well, Zachary and I did..........LOL  Sadie was hungry and ready for a nap, so I didn't get any pictures of her.  She held my hand and walked around and would get in the water some, but mostly just stayed next to me holding my hand.  :)

 

Here is the ribbon cutting ceremony.  They were just walking over to get this started when we got there.  I was glad that I was able to get some pictures of this!

 

 

Here is the ribbon being cut!  Play Time!!!

 

 

Here is Zachary waiting on the big tub to dump over with water.

 

 

It's getting ready to dump - notice Zachary in the middle.....HA!  He's looking up waiting!

 

 

Here's the water splashing down on them.

 

 

Another picture of it coming down on them - he loved this!!!

 

 

The splash pad is actually much bigger than it looks.  I was pleasantly surprised about the size of it.  It should last a good long time for the kiddos to enjoy!!!

 

I didn't get any other pictures b/c I didn't want to get my phone wet and since I had Sadie holding onto my legs; then it was hard to get more.  Hopefully I can get some more pictures at a later time when it's not so busy.  Even though there were a lot of kids; it's so spread out; you couldn't even tell. 

 

Definitely worth the wait!!!!!!!  Now the wait is over........LOL

Splash Pad!

Yay, so excited, our new town splash pad is opening today.  The ribbon cutting ceremony begins at 12 and after that; the kids can play in it............YAY!!!!!!!!  I'll post pictures later whenever I get a chance of the kiddos and the new park.  Another great thing that the town did was cover the playground with big canopies.  That will help keep the kids in the shade and the slides won't burn when they go down them.  I'm so happy about this!!!!!

Here is a picture that I took of the splash pad the other day before it opens today!!

Miss Helen

Today was the funeral for a precious dear lady who LOVED the Lord with all her heart.  She was an awesome example of how children of the Lord are to behave, treat others, etc.  Thank you for your example, Miss Helen.

While I was not able to be there in person; I did watch from home on the computer.  So happy for the advancement of technology!!!  I had planned on going, but then Sadie wouldn't go to sleep last night and just kept playing in her crib IN THE DARK and then got up early this morning.  She was sound asleep by 12:30 and slept 3 hours!  It would have been a disaster and just easier to let her sleep in her bed and take a good nap.  She is awake now and very happy!  YAY!

Have a great weekend!!!!!!

Ready for School?

It saddens me that people are READY NOW for school to start.  Do we have rough days, of course, but it doesn't make me want to send them off and not see them for 7 hours a day or whatever it equals too.  I love being around my kiddos, maybe I won't always feel this way, but right now, I miss them so much when I leave them to go have time for myself..........HA!!! 

I am excited about homeschooling them, but totally NERVOUS too!  Glad we can start withe easy stuff and see how it goes.  :)  Public school is so different these days, not saying all districts are bad, but I don't like where our society is going. 

The part that's going to be the hardest part for me is being structured!  I'm such a spontaneous person and don't "do" schedules that well.  LOL

Are we going to have bad days, of course and I know it's not going to be easy, but I at least want to try to do what God instructs us.  Do I think people who use public school are not obeying the Lord??  NO WAY, who knows, it might just me in a few years.  ;)

Anyways, just had to get this off my chest.  :)

Have a great weekend and do something outdoors, it's beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Swimming Fun

The kids and I had a ball this past week swimming.  Yesterday, we had company while swimming!  We went to The Splash up in Sherman and had a really good time.  We had daddy with us this time and a long time friend of mine, Kristy and her daughter, Ava.

They had a really fun time and here are some pictures from yesterday:

 

Here are the 2 big slides and the lazy river is in the back left of the picture.  The open aired slide was REALLY fast and maybe just a tiny bit scary.......LOL

 

Here is the slide that empties into the deep end along with the diving board.  There is also a basketball goal type thing in the water that you can play with.  You can see the people in the bottom of the picture playing, but I didn't get the goal in there.

 

Here is the entry to the toddler area.  There is a splash pad, dumping cones, and a fun little toddler slide underneath the dolphin and wave.  Zachary LOVED the slide.  The main pool area that we played in is to the right of this picture, but you can't see it.  Zachary and Sadie had fun jumping off the sides of the pool into the water.  Sadie was going under the water by the end of the day when she jumped and was having so much fun.  The wave pool was REALLY strong and the kids loved going round and round.  HAHAHAHAHA

 

Here are the 2 kiddos on the way home after about 3 hours of playing in the pool, swimming, and jumping!  We all had so much fun and no griping expect when we decided it was time to leave.  It was getting pretty hot even in the water and the pool was getting a little bit more crowded.  Overall, we had a GREAT time and so glad that daddy was there to enjoy it with us. 

 

We're so blessed and I thank God for all the fun that we have and the opportunities that He gives to us.  I pray that we continue to give All Glory to God b/c He's the One who takes care of us and gives us what we have.  May we never take any pride in anything we have, but focus on the One who gives to us.  Father, may we pass onto our kids our love for You and that they will also call you, Father.

Jumping in the Pool!!!!

What a summer it has been.  It's been fun, fast, and fairly cool.  I'm so not ready for these HOT temperatures to stay without a break till probably the end of the month.  :)

We went swimming 2x today and had a blast!  We went this morning first by ourselves and then Mimi called after we had had lunch and asked if we could take her to our neighbors house too and swim again.  Of course, we went!  LOL  So, the kids are sound asleep and just waiting on them to wake up.  They are both gaining so much courage in the water and I'm so proud of them.  Zachary definitely challenges Sadie because she wants to do whatever he is doing.  So, while Zachary was learning to jump off the side of the pool into the water by himself today; she decided she was going to do that too.  She had help, but she was having a BALL!!!!!!!

Check out the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuoRQw-gOnk  (Sadie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhlg4nGNWxk  (Zachary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcSsmd_CRCs  (Sadie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=279oFY8um9c  (Zachary)

The kids had so much fun and I can now hear Sadie waking up and calling my name.  So, hope you enjoy the videos of my sweet babies growing up too fast and loving the water!!!!!!!!!

Showered with Blessings!

Our friends have been so kind and giving to Sadie.  Sadie LOVES Snow White and has now for a while.  She has been given so many dress-up costumes and has several Snow White costumes to last her for several years as they are different sizes.  My mom found a Snow White plush doll to give her and another friend gave Les the 7 dwarfs, not knowing that my mom had a stashed away Snow White doll to give Sadie at the right time.  I called my mom when Linda gave them to Les when he was helping her move.  I was so excited and could hardly contain my excitement for Sadie to wake up the following morning. 

Today, my bestie and her 2 girls, gave Sadie a Snow White dress that fits her perfectly!!!!  And to match, Snow White dress up shoes, and a red headband with Snow White on it.  She looked like such a pretty princess!!!!!  Of course, she was so excited to see it; along with a few other costumes.  I can't wait to dress Sadie up in the Minnie Mouse dress and shoes.  I hope she'll wear them for me......HA!

Along with the plush doll, my mom also found a few pairs of sandals for her.  She has given her 1 pair of them.  Then I bought a long sleeve red shirt (Snow White) from a friend and my mom made it into a short sleeve shirt for me.  So, she'll be able to wear it now (and she already has!!!!!).

I want to say THANK YOU, to my mom and my friends who have made Sadie feel just like Snow White.  I love my little Ah Ho, that's what Sadie calls her!!

Here is a picture of Sadie in the outfit that Christy gave her.  :)

Zachary's Big Toe

GRAPHIC PICTURES



This morning Zachary said he had to go to the bathroom and wanted to go outside to go.  I said," okay, but hurry b/c we're not finished reading yet."  He was taking a few minutes, so I went outside to check on him.  When I called his name and stepped outside; I see him with this screaming face, but no sound was coming out.  I quickly examine in over b/c I'm a good 20 feet away from him.  I notice blood all over his big toe on the right foot.  I rush to him and try to figure out what happened.  I see there are blood spots from him to the garage, so I follow the blood b/c he can't talk.  I see the blood leads to the battery to his 4 wheeler.  I asked him if he dropped it on his toe and he said," yes."  I still couldn't tell b/c of all the blood exactly what was wrong with his toe.  I quickly take him in and begin to run some water over his foot.  I'm giving orders to Les and to Zachary.  I see that it is very bad; which you'll see in the pictures.

I quickly call the pediatrician to figure out if we go to him or if we go to the ER.  Our doc said that we needed to go to the ER b/c he didn't have the equipment to take care of his toe.  So, while I'm talking to our pediatrician; I'm quickly getting dressed.  I was in my swimsuit b/c we were going to be going swimming with the kids' cousins this morning.  I give Les a few more orders and Zachary and I are out the door.  I almost cried on the way to the ER b/c he was crying and you could tell that he was in a lot of pain.  That was breaking my heart.  We held hands off and on to the hospital.

After cleaning the toe off and on for about 30 minutes, X-ray; then we decided to go ahead and make a hole in the toenail to help relieve the pressure.  Praise the Lord that his toe is not broke, but he will lose his toenail.  The doc ordered him to stay off of it for 3 days or so.  We're to see our pediatrician on Wed to make sure that all is well.  He's starting on antibiotics today and hopefully it will not get infected.

Drumroll please............what you've all been waiting for.............the pictures!

 

This is before they put a hole in it to help with the pressure.

 

This is after the hole was put in and you can see on his toenail where this is drainage coming out.  He also has a little cut on the right tip of his toe and it's very red on the end/back of his toe.  It's just an all around BAD smashed toe with lots of blood!

Here are some pictures from a day that the kids and I had in Grapevine (we were picking up curriculum from someone).  We had a great time and ended with the explorer overheating....LOL  We drove to Les' work and exchanged vehicles.  Ended up being the thermostat, so all is well now.  Here are our pictures - ENJOY!!!!!

 

Alligator at the Rainforest Cafe - Grapevine Mills Mall

 

Another picture of it - Zachary loved how it moved!

 

The kids with the shark at Bass Pro Shop

 

Zachary with the alligator lunging at him with his mouth open.  He thought this was just too cool!

 

Zachary with the shark by himself

 

Sadie on the 4 wheeler

 

Zachary on the 4 wheeler

 

The kids and I taking the train ride through the mall - they were so tired by this point, but we still had a lot of fun.  Sadie looks tired in this picture......LOL

The "spot"

My mom has had this spot for several years now and they have just been watching this unwanted visitor.  My mom started a new round of chemo 3 weeks ago and had her 2nd round of chemo today.  She had a doctor visit first and the oncologist couldn't feel the spot; like he has before.  Praise Jesus!  When she told me, what a huge burden that had been lifted.  I have been a little anxious about all of this and even whether I should be tested for the gene.  Her doctor today told her that she was not a candidate for the testing and that neither was I.  I think she said that with her type of cancer; there is no testing.  She has a very aggressive form of cancer that just has trouble staying away for too long.  It really likes her!  And you know how we feel about it.......LOL 

I have several prayer requests and one is for me to try my best not to worry about the "what ifs". 

Overall, I'm doing really well.  Zachary and I are going to start a pre-k curriculum here probably starting at the beginning of June.  I know Sadie will be an active part of it too, but at the same time; just doesn't have the maturity level to understand or do all the activities.  I'll involve her though as much as can be.  I have been going back and forth as far as when to start him in kindergarten.  I have been thinking about 6 yrs old; which would be August of 2015, but not sure what to do yet.  I told Les that I would continue praying about it and just let my gut guide me.  Zachary and I have been working on learning to trace; which he likes.  It's not his favorite, but he will do it for me.  He gets so excited though once he starts and sees how good he's doing.  :):)

I have been back at work now 3 1/2 months.  I am really enjoying the 2 days a week schedule.  I have been very busy, but that's good for my brain.  ;)

Les and I are doing well.  We've been busy with various projects and extra "side work" for others.  However, the extras and diligently watching our money is what allows me to stay home and homeschool our kids.

Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings!

Tire Blowout

I experienced my first blow-out today.  It was scary, but once I realized what was happening; then I stopped the vehicle and checked it out.  It was in bad shape and I was only going 40-45 miles an hour.  I can't even imagine what it would have looked like if I had been on the hwy.  Praise the Lord that I was just on Coit and hadn't quite made it to the toll road yet. 

A man and his mom stopped and helped us.  Actually the man did all the work; I just stood there clueless......HA!  The lady and I visited while he put the spare on and waited for Les to get there from his work.  I wasn't far from Les at all; maybe 5 minutes away from his work.  By the time the spare was changed and the man was putting on the bolts; Les appeared......YAY!  He checked it all out; thanked the family and he followed me to his work.

Sadie was really tired and hot b/c it was past her naptime.  We had gone to lunch and Sprouts after our Bible Study this morning.  So, she for the most part cried during the changing of the tire.  Once we got them loaded into Les' car and we had switched stuff from my car to his car; I left with the kids and Sadie was OUT!  She's still in her bed snoozing and hopefully she'll wake up feeling better.

Thank you, Jesus for taking care of us today!

Go Les Go!

Les had to take his recertification tests today for his ASE (Automotive Service Excellence).  He took 4 tests and passed them all - yay!!!!!  :)

Jury Summons

I got my 2nd jury summons in the mail a few days ago, but since it's for a Monday; then I was able to be exempt since I'm a stay at home mom.  I always love appearing for things like this (I know, call me crazy!)  HA!!  I guess because it's not something that I ever get to do, so the unknown in a fun challenge to me.  ;)

So, I'm dismissed and won't have to go, so, that's that!

First kid is up from his resting time (he doesn't take naps these days), but rests and gives me time to pay bills, answer e-mails that I might not have had a chance to get to yet, make phone calls that need to be made when it's quiet, etc. etc.

I hear the 2nd little gal up in her room now also.  I'll go get her and we'll go strong for another 4-5 hrs till bedtime.....HA!  Daddy gets off in a few hours, so he'll get to play with them tonight (unless he has to work late; which does happen on occasion).

Have a Jesus day!!!!

Outside Finger Painting

It's such a beautiful day today; I decided to pull out the fingerpaints!  The kids have never fingerpainted before, so it was so much fun!

Afterwards, I sprayed them with the water hoses to get them all cleaned.  I couldn't get them all cleaned with the water hose, so we came in and got the rest off with wipies.  :)

Here are the masterpieces (and my sweet babies too)!!!!!!

 

Afterwards - COVERED in paint!

 

Afterwards - COVERED in paint!

 

Having a ball!!!!!

 

Beginning of it before he realized he could paint himself....HA!

 

Sadie and her masterpiece!