Family Update

It's getting harder and harder to keep up with my blog. There isn't too much going on in our family at that moment, but that will all change when the Spring season of sports begins. I signed Andy up for Spring baseball. This year he will be playing for Little Elm again. However, we will have games in Prosper, Celina, and Gunter this year. It is great that there will be more teams to play against, but I am not looking forward to driving to Gunter for a game! I signed Katie up for Blast Ball. It is a toddler's version of tball. I think she will have a blast and we will have a great time watching her. It will be neat for her to have something of her own rather than just watching everyone else. Jay will be playing again on his two teams. I am not playing this year. There aren't enough people interested at the office to form a team. But, I think it is for the best since we will have two kids and Dad with practices and games. I doubt I would have the time to play! I am looking forward to it all. I don't mind being the sports Mom and wife :)

Tomorrow is Jay's birthday. Tonight we are going to my parents house for his birthday dinner with them. Then tomorrow night we are having a small party at our house for him. Of course, it is also Valentine's Day so we will make a big deal out of that for the kids. Jay and I usually exchange small gifts. However, I feel that love should be shared year round rather than emphasized on one day. So, we make a bigger deal of Jay's birthday that we do Valentine's Day. Everyone deserves a great birthday! Tomorrow will be pretty busy. We have to get the house cleaned and ready for the party. Plus, I still have to go out and get his birthday gift. Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

Other than that, there isn't really much going on in our world right now.

A New Year

Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted. Christmas was wonderful. It is my favorite holiday of the year! The kids were super excited. Andy is on the edge of believing, he isn't quite sure which direction to go. So, he enjoyed the magic of the holiday this year. Katie was super excited about Santa this year. I took them to have their pictures taken with Santa like I do every year. This was the FIRST year Katie was not afraid of him and actually WANTED to sit on his lap and talk to him. She had a hard time understanding that he only comes on Christmas Eve. If it were up to her (and I am sure many children around the globe), he would come every night. We spend Christmas Eve with Jason's side of our family. It was a packed house and a great time. Christmas morning, we did our family Christmas. Every year I tell the kids that they are welcome to wake Mommy and Daddy up when they get up on Christmas morning and we will open presents. Well, Christmas Eve, Jason and I didn't get to bed until about 3am. Keep in mind that my children are not morning creatures. Andy sleeps until at least 8 and Katie will sleep until noon if you let her. So, you can imagine the suprise on our faces when we were jolted out of an hour's sleep at 4am on Christmas Day! Andy had woken up, gotten his sister up, and then proceeded to awake us. It was tough getting out of bed, but Andy was so excited there was no way out of it. Jason did his fair of grumbling, but he joined us in the living room as well. When I walked into the living room, Katie was patiently sitting in the living room floor staring at the tree. It was such a cute sight to see. I wish I had already had my camera in my hands. It didn't take the kids long to open their presents. Andy was much quicker than Katie. Then, Jason and I decided to steal a nap before it was time to head out the door. By this time, it is 5am. Back to bed we go. 30 minutes later, Andy is frantically waking me up because Katie is sick. She has thrown up twice. Her fever was well over 100. Poor baby, sick on Christmas Day. She spent most of the day being miserable. We left the house later than we intended (cleaning up constant throw up will do that to you.) When Katie's tummy seemed stable, we headed to my parent's house. Katie slept all the way out there while Andy played with some of his new toys in the back seat. We are very spoiled by my parents at Christmastime. I should have taken a picture of the living room when we first walked in. There was barely any place to sit. Katie suddenly felt better! Her and Andy found a place to sit and eagerly awaited presents. We had a blast opening thing. It is truly just as much fun to give as it is to receive (or at least for me). The kids received many wonderful things. They played happily all afternoon! One of the things I had repeatedly requested for Christmas was a GPS for my car. I had given up hope as I was opening the wonderful gifts that I received. Then suddenly, my Dad hands me a present from him. It's my GPS! I am so excited! Then a few minutes later, Jason opens a gift. He got one too! Come to find out, my Mom had gotten Jason one first. My Dad, knowing that I wanted one and that it would be difficult for me and Jason to share a GPS, had gotten me one too. I thought that was a really cute story. Jason and I laughed about it for a while. I truly am blessed with the wonderful family that I have. Not just at Christmas, but all year round. After presents, we watched a movie. Soon it was time to eat. After Christmas dinner, it was another movie. I actually fell asleep during this movie. I was exhausted! I only had about an hour and a half of sleep the night before. Katie had crawled into Mummum's lap because she was again not feeling well, and fell asleep. Jason woke me up about 5 so we could head home. I was so glad we were able to spend so much time with my parents (even though I was asleep for part of it). I know it meant a lot to them for us to be there all day. We then headed to Jason's Mom's house to visit. After a short time there, we decided we should get the kids home. Katie wasn't really doing very well and Andy wanted to play with all of his toys. With the exception of Katie being sick, it was a wonderful day.

New Year's Eve, we had some friends over to our house. We don't like to get the kids out that night, why take a chance of being hit by a drunk driver? It was a small crowd. We sat outide on the swing enjoying the new fire pit. Then we watched the motorcycle jumps, and eventually Dick Clark's countdown. It wasn't a crazy evening, but it was what we like. A relaxing evening with good friends.

Things have been pretty slow for us since the holidays came and went. It has been nice to just relax around the house and not have to rush off to one place or another. Katie has decided that she doesn't want to sleep in her room. She has been in bed with me and Jason for the past several nights. I know, I know.....I shouldn't do that. As much as I love cuddling with my daughter, I am about to start sleeping on the couch! With her in our bed, I don't get much sleep. When I put her to bed last night, I was determined to let her cry it out and eventually fall asleep in her bed. She won't get up unless you tell her she can. She went to bed a 9 and cried off and on for the next hour and a half. When we turned off the tv and headed to bed ourselves at 10:30, it suddenly sounded like someone was making a horror film upstairs. She wasn't only crying, she was suddenly screaming. My heart couldn't take it, I felt so bad for her. So, I told her to come on down to our room. I am exhausted today! Katie is a very wild sleeper, and she has to be touching me at all times. It doesn't make for a very peaceful evening. I guess I will have to figure out another approach for putting her to bed tonight.......

Preparing for Christmas

So, this week we started going through the kids rooms in preparation for Christmas. It is amazing how much they both have in their rooms. I have been known to hold onto things that I don't necessarily need to keep. I can find sentimental value in almost everything. So, Jason and Andy handled Andy's room. I made myself turn around as they began to carry things downstairs. Meanwhile, I started on Katie's room. I realized very quickly that I had not EVER gont through Katie's toys. I started with the clothes. I plan to make a quilt one day out of Andy and Katie's clothes, so I did hang on to several of her outfits. I also got rid of A LOT! Then it was on to the toys. I kept a few things since we do plan to have one more child. I have not finished her room yet, but I think she will enjoy it more once it is complete. I also plan to move her furniture around to give her more space to play. It may not look as cute, but it will be more functional for her. It has been fun to walk down memory lane. And you will never believe it but Andy has carpet in his room!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving is always a nice relaxing holiday for us. Granted, we have a bit of driving to do but we always enjoy the day. Our first stop was to my Mother's house. The kids had spent the night with her due to daycare being closed, so they were excited to see us when we got there. Jason, Andy, and my Dad hung out outside for a while when we first got there while my sister and I looked through the ads for Black Friday. Then it was time for a yummy Thanksgiving feast. After dinner, we celebrated Katie's birthday at Mom's house. Katie was so excited. She got a princess cake, and couldn't even wait until we finished singing Happy Birthday to blow out her candles! Then she got to open her presents. She got a baby cheetah from my sister which she carried around ALL day long! She also got some clothes and books from my Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad also got her princess purse that came with makeup, mirror, brush, sunglasses and a few other things. She carried this purse to EVERY store we went to this weekend :)

After the festivities at my Mom's house, we went to Jason's Mom's house. Of course, the boys watched the football game while the girls looked through ads and talked. Then it was time for another yummy feast. I couldn't eat much I was so full from lunch, but I did snack. Katie got to see her baby cousins (the twins) and she was so excited. We had to keep a close eye on her because she doesn't always understand the difference between her baby dolls and a real baby. But, she was so excited to see them. We spent the rest of the evening just being lazy.

Friday morning I got up at 3am to brave the crowds. Becca and I were at Kohl's by 4:15. This was by far the busiest store we went to. The line to pay was 45 minutes! But, we got some good deals. From there we moved on to Target, then the mall, then Walmart and Hobby Lobby. I got a LOT of my shopping done. Jason stayed home with the kids while i was shopping. I shopped until about 2 and then went home and took a nap. Jason woke me up about an hour and a half later to go shopping for bats. We didn't have much luck though. Friday night was lazy night.

Saturday was Katie's 3rd birthday!!! When she woke up I sang Happy Birthday to her and she was so excited that it was finally her birthday! We spent the morning cleaning up the house in preparation for her birthday party. Then we went to the store to pick up her cake. When we got back I wrapped her presents. She couldn't wait to open them. Finally, it was time for her party and her cousins and friends had arrived. After a few activities, it was present time. She opened them so fast it was hard to take pictures! Then we had cake. She got a lot of Ariel stuff for her birthday. The Little Mermaid is her favorite Disney Princess. She got the movie too. She has already watched it 6 times! She had a great birthday! I loved seeing the smile on her face all day long.

That evening, we had Becca's birthday party at our house. It was basically a typical get together at our house. I spent a lot of time with Katie that night though. Since it was her birthday, i couldn't tell her no when she asked me to watch mermaid with her :)

Sunday was lazy day! I got up and straightened up the house from the night before. Then, I took a nap after Jason got up. We all spent the day lying around the house! It was great!

We had a really nice holiday weekend! It is always nice to spend so much time with family. And my baby girl turned 3! They grow up so fast!

Happy Anniversary!

This past weekend Jason and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Saturday afternoon, I took the kids to my Mom's house where they spent the night. Then Jason lit a fire in the fireplace and we curled up on the couch to watch a movie. It was just the two of us, and it was nice. Nothing fancy, but we had what matters most: Each Other :) I can't believe it has already been 5 years! We have been together for a total of 10 years! The last decade has flown by so quickly! Looking back, we have so much to be thankful for. We have created a wonderful home and have two amazing children! It doesn't get much better! So....

Happy Anniversary to us!

Upcoming Holidays

It's been a little while since I have posted. We haven't had a whole lot going on. Katie has been working on potty training. I promised her a Princess Dress if she would use the potty all the time. Well, she has had very few accidents and those have been only at night. So, I owe her a princess dress. Her birthday is in just a week and a half. She will be 3! Time flies! I cannot believe how quickly the years have passed. She seems like such a big girl these days. Football is over for Andy. His team did not make the playoffs, but they did learn a lot this season. I loved his Coach! Andy had a blast playing. He will definately be playing again next fall. He wants to play baseball again in the Spring. Jason's last games are this week. His softball teams will make the playoffs. Hopefully the games aren't too late so that we can go and watch! Snoopy is doing good. House training him is quite a challenge, but he will get there. I have faith! We all love him very much. It is typically a battle over who is going to play with him. But, then again, if we didn't have Snoopy the kids would fight over something else.

Our 5 year wedding anniversary is this Saturday. The past 5 years have been great! It is amazing to look back and see how much our lives have change. We have bought a house, had another baby, bought another vehicle, and so much more. Jason and I will be spending the day together. The kids will be at Mom's so that we can celebrate the occasion.

Thanksgiving is next week. I am excited, for me it marks the beginning of the holiday season. Of course, Andy is out of school the whole week. He will be staying with my Dad. Andy is excited because he will get to spend a lot of time riding the four wheeler. Then on Wednesday Katie will join them. Thanksgiving Day Jason and I will go to my Mom's for lunch and spend some time with my family and then we head to his Mom's house for dinner and the rest of the afternoon. Then, of course, Friday is shopping! I am looking forward to putting a dent in my shopping list. Hopefully there will be some great deals this year! Saturday is Katie's birthday and we are having a princess party. I think it will be lots of fun! Hopefully I can find time that weekend to get the Christmas tree up!

New Family Member

Well, we have a new family member. He is 9 weeks old and absolutely adorable! The kids are in love with him :) I got him on Sunday and we surprised the kids with him. Andy had the biggest grin on his face when he saw the puppy. He asked if we could keep him :) Katie's reaction was absolutely priceless! I had gone to Canton for the day with Jana. Katie heard me come home and was excited to see me. She ran over to give me a hug and stopped suddenly when she saw the puppy. It was a look of excitement and confusion all at the same time. We named the puppy Snoopy. Katie can't decide if she wants to play with him or be afraid of him. She will pet him, but then he will try to chew on her (he is a baby afterall) and she thinks he is trying to hurt her. Or, Katie will run around the house and Snoopy will chase her. Snoopy thinks she is playing with him and Katie thinks he is trying to get her! It's actually pretty funny. Andy loves to curl up under the blankets and snuggle with Snoopy. Somehow, it seems that i get the joy of cleaning out his kennell each day, feeding him, and taking him outside! I think he will be a great addition to our family!

Andy's end of season football party is this coming Saturday. Unfortunately, the boys did not make it to the playoffs. However, I think the team as a whole learned a lot this season and had a lot of fun. It is nice to win, but I feel that having fun is way more important. Andy loved every minute of the season. I think the whole family enjoyed it. However, i am glad it has come to an end. It will be nice to not have to rush to practices twice a week after work. Or to have to get up bright and early on a Saturday to get to a game. As much as I love going to the games, I want just ONE Saturday to sleep past 8am.

Also, my softball season has come to an end. Last Thursday evening was the last game of the season. We won, which put us in third place. Tied with our rivals the Crackers. Even though we didn't win too many games, I had a great time. I really love getting out there to play. I may not be very good, but I have a LOT of heart :) I am hoping to play again next season. We'll see what happens.

Jason still has 2 1/2 weeks left of softball. Most of his remaining games are late games, so we probably won't be attending. But, I do love to watch him play. And the kids love going out to the fields to play with their friends.

So, in a few more weeks.....our weekday schedules will be empty. We will once again have free time in the evenings, sit down dinners at the kitchen table, and quality time together in the evenings. I have missed that. Plus, the holidays are coming up and I am so excited! This is my favorite time of year! Good food, great family, time off work! I can't wait.