Cold Run!!

December 5 was to have been the first date of our school's 1st Fun Run to benefit the Snowdrop Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. Our kids at school raised over $10, 000.oo for this great cause and we were all so excited to run/walk for our money that we raised. Well....on Dec. 4th, Houston had the famous big snow, so school let out early and all weekend events were cancelled. It has been just so nice and warm here in Houston...until Friday. Oh my. The temperature dropped 30 degrees and it just got plain cold down here. I went from painting my toenails and wearing my flops to putting on my ugg boots and sweatshirt!!So, what a better time for the temperature to change than the weekend that they re-scheduled the Fun Run? That's right. It was this morning at 9AM. We got up around 8:15 and looked at the weather online...yikes...36 degrees!! Not ones to shy away from a challenge, we layered up and put on our snow hats and headed out to the close by high school for the run. Lucky for me...our next door neighbor and her little girl were there. So, Heather and I walked while the girls ran with their principal for the 5K and then we promptly came straight back home.I had 2 tired little girls this morning! Thankfully though, I have 2 little HEALTHY girls. And for that...I will do a 5K fun run to benefit those whose little ones are not healthy to help them pay their medical bills and to help find a cure for their cancers....anyday!
Oh and this past week to get the kids excited for the big run, we had a penny drive at their school with the money going to the Snowdrop foundation as well...Susie's class got 2nd place with raising $755. 42....they lost 1st place by $5....so their teacher is taking them to CiCi's pizza for a party! This week the school raised an additional $6,000 for the foundation....How about that for a great cause??

I wanna be a cowboy, baby!

This morning, like every morning, I woke up and snuggled with Parker for a minute. He comes in our room every morning around 5:30. Honestly, some mornings, I have no idea that he is there or not until the alarm goes off and he snuggles in close and usually says, "Mommy, my tummy says it's time for breakfast!" So cute.

We both got up and went upstairs to check on the girls. Usually, Grace is downstairs already and is reading a book and waiting on me. Susannah is usually in bed...still. Her alarm is just blaring and her head is under her pillow.

But not this morning.

Oh my word. It was so very funny.

The girls were both in Grace's room fully dressed and posing in front of Grace's mirror because today at school is Rodeo day. That's right. The Houston Rodeo is at the girls' school today and all of the kids are dressed up like cowboys....

Welcome to Texas.

We don't have a ton of cowboy attire at our house. My friend, Leslie, was a rockstar and came through for the girls of our family. She gave us hats, boots, skirts and shirts. Grace and Sus had a blast last night trying on everything, trying to get just the right outfit. Thanks sooo much, Leslie!

So cute.You didn't think that Parker was going to be left-out, did you? P.J's and a cowboy hat...yeah, that's how we roll at our house in the mornings!

Do you think about it??

When I started blogging, I did it for the family. I did. We lived in Alaska (I said that yesterday, didn't I?) and I didn't want to have to e-mail pictures and tell what we were doing in every picture. Plus, there was a huge time difference so when the kids said or did something funny, I could never call anyone in the lower 48 because they were usually in bed or at work. Therefore...I blogged.

About 2 years ago, I decided that I needed to keep blogging because I do not like to scrapbook. Really. I just can't sit and cut out paper and decorate pages. Now, if you want me to go and keep you company and talk to you and have a fun weekend, I can totally do that....but no scrap booking for me. I know, I have done a couple of scrapbooks...one in college and 2 when we were first married, but that is it for me. My friend, Jenn Mall is a super scrapper. Really. I love looking at her books, but there is no way I can do it because I would much rather blog and be on the computer. It's the truth. So...now, all these years later...I have a virtual scrapbook. Wouldn't it be an awesome gift for someone to have it all professionally printed out and bound? I'm just saying....

Lately, I have been blogging for my sanity. I know that sounds so completely stupid. When I go back and re-read it, it still sounds stupid. I sometimes just have to not publish what I'm blogging on a certain day...I don't want ya'll to haul me off to a hospital or anything. We all have those days, but I have to write about them or I just stay in a funk. (Did I really just type the word, funk?) Weird. I have really struggled in the past month. No, there is not a thing really wrong with me. I'm just finding my way here in this town. I think it is mainly because there have been no distractions. You know...most of the time, we run around from activity to activity. This month has been pretty slow for us...compared to the rest of the year. And...it's dark and rainy here in Houston. It's been kinda grey for about a week. That is never fun. So, I'm almost officially out of my little funk (yes, I said it again) for softball starts on Sunday afternoon. Yippe for softball!! I will totally be changing my tune on softball in another 6 weeks or so, by the way. I'm just glad to have a reason to get outside to the fields right now. I love just love being outside. Maybe we should just go camping!! :) Now that is a great idea!

Here is my question. Do you go about your day and think about what to blog? Is that just me? I'll see something really neat and think, "I should go and write about that!" or Parker will say something like, "Mommy, you love me so much because I am your baby boy." Yes, he did say it and I melted. I am putty in his cute little 3 year old hands when he is sweet....other times....hmmm...we'll see.

So, do you think about it? Do you think "I should sooo blog about that?"

I do.

And, yes, I did just admit it, too.

Cold

If you have known me for any period of time...or just went back on my blog to 2005 (yikes! That was forever ago when I started this thing), you would know that we lived in Alaska.

Once upon a time....
It was cold. Really, stinkin' cold. I remember one day getting up early on a Sunday morning, getting the girls ready and dressed (Aaron was on the slope so I was alone) and bundling up and heading out to church. I was teaching the 1st graders that winter so I liked to get there early to make sure that everything was set up just like I wanted. Grace would just run around and play...she was 2 years old...that's her job. Susie would just stay in her infant seat. Our preacher came around a few minutes later..."Hey Jennifer! How are you doing on this 25 below morning?" What?? I had not a clue how cold it was. I told him, "If I would have known it was going to be 25 below zero, I would probably still be at home!" It was hardly EVER that cold where we were....it was just an early day, smack in the middle of winter. We had a heated garage and we were bundled up so much that we hardly noticed it from the tiny walk from the car to the church building. Crazy.

Now, fast forward to today....6 years later.....We live in Houston, Texas...it is warm here almost all of the time. This morning I get up, help the girls get dressed and ready for school. Parker and I come home and start to get ready for Ladies Bible Class. It is 65 degrees outside and I am freezing!! What in the world?? I have on skinny jeans, tall boots and a sweater. Yes, I do. I just think that is so funny...I am always cold. I guess moving to the south has given me thin blood!

Do I miss my Alaska buddies? You bet. Do I miss living in the long winters of Alaska....hmmm....No. Not. A. Bit. Besides, I would totally miss Sonic...they don't have them up there. I guess I am a southern girl, even if I have on a sweater when it is 65 degrees outside!

I'm off to paint my nails...it's warming up outside and I might have to put on my flops!

September 7, 1994 and my ring.

This was a huge day in my life...I had just turned 20 a few weeks before and I was boarding a plane to Florence, Italy for over three months with 40 people that I hardly knew. I was leaving my family (a first for this small town girl), the town that I grew up in and was attending college, and I was going to Europe! Oh my word. I did not know what was in store for my future when I stepped on the plane early that morning. I had several Chio sisters that were on the plane with me and my trusty best buddies, Shellie and Mindy, and Mike Salza. I wasn't scared of anything. Really. Maybe I should have been, but I wasn't.

I loved every minute of this trip. There was much laughter, some tears and who can forget about all that great food? We kept saying that the sweet ladies that did our laundry there were shrinking our jeans...but you and I both know that we were eating EVERYTHING that we could get our hands on and it was showing in our waistlines and my chubby face! I need to just sit down some night and scan all of my pictures from Europe. I love looking back at the pictures and my husband loves to see my face...I look like a chipmunk in most of them. Not kidding. If you lost weight over at HUF (Harding University in Florence...that was the name of the program) well..I think I found every pound and added it to my 5 foot 2 inch frame! And I loved every minute of it...just in case you are thinking I have any regrets about all that eating...I don't. I made friendships over there living in that old Italian Villa that I would have never made at Harding on the Searcy campus. I have so loved being on Facebook and reconnecting with our group from that semester. Such dear friends. I love it when I get a message from one of them...that was a huge time in our lives and we all got though it alive! :)

During that time over in Europe, we all took a big boat trip over to Greece. Oh my. I had roasted Lamb on a stick and loved it. Yes..more food, I know. The one thing that I wanted to buy while I was in Greece was an eternity ring. Shellie and I (and the rest of the group, too) shopped and shopped for the right ring...really. That was all I wanted. Finally I found a little gold band with the symbol on it. I paid $50 for it...and that was a HUGE amount of money for this college student that was just trying to save enough money to bring everyone back gifts! I have worn that ring almost everyday since that day in October in 1994 when I bought it. Until a few years ago when it broke, my sweet mom took it and had it repaired...twice. Then I wore it again...Then at Thanksgiving this year, Aaron and I were holding hands in Wal-mart (I know...Wal-Mart) and he squeezed my hand and the ring broke in 2 pieces. I know, he is soo strong isn't he? :) I guess it had just been repaired too many times and was done. So, I put it away and my right had just felt bare.

What is funny is that Aaron called this ring my boyfriend ring. He said it was from "some old boyfriend and I couldn't take it off"....wrong. He is such a teaser. I love him. Aaron is so good to me. Honestly, some days I wonder why in the world God blessed me with such a loving Christian man. I am so thankful.

If you know me, which I hope you do, since you are reading this blog....You would know that I'm NOT a fancy kind of girl. I love a good old sweatshirt, jeans and a pair of kicks in the winter and flops in the summer. Aaron has bought me just a few nice pieces of jewelry in our 12 years together....Our wedding rings (I have 3...2 little diamond bands that go on either side of our engagement ring), a pair of diamond earrings that he got me the day Susannah was born (a diamond for each girl) and I wear them EVERY day. If you see me without my diamonds (they are little...you know me) there is something wrong. Really. And for the 3rd nice piece, the day Parker was born, he went and got me a birthstone pendant with the real birthstones for all of our kids. That is it and I'm perfectly fine with that...I can wear all of them, everyday....that is it. I know, I'm a fancy Nancy, aren't I??

That leads me into Christmas this year...Remember this blog post from right before Christmas? Well...here is my NEW eternity ring. You asked for it, Freda...here is your pic!
So, now I have a new and thick (if this one breaks when Aaron squeezes my hand, then I am married to Lou Ferrigno!) Eternity ring from my one and only boyfriend...my love, my husband. I love it and will wear it until someone makes me take it off!! And just think...it all started in 1994!

Colts win...and other things...

The Colts WON!!! Yipppeee!! I am one of the happiest people on the face of the earth right now...really. No, actually I am one of the most nervous people on the earth...I can't wait for the SuperBowl. Really. I know, very sad, but I am so nervous for my team. I mean, my word people, it's the Saints! They've never been to a super bowl and they are really great. Aaron has already gone to bed and left me here on the couch with my laptop to get all of the nervousness out of my system!

On another note...Aaron and I have been teaching in the high school class at church on Wednesday nights....We have been talking about regrets and how they affect our lives and how we move on from them and gain hope. We all have regrets...we do. The first week we talked about embarrassing regrets...you know, like the time when your skirt got caught on your backpack and you mooned half of Harding Campus? Oh yeah...that was me. At least I had on tights. We are in a small group with about 8-10 kids so it's not like we were all telling our most embarrassing moments to the whole youth group. We did have a fun time with the kids...they were funny. But in the past few weeks we have been talking about real regrets. Do these kids have any yet? Probably not...they are just 16 and 17 year olds. I mean, I hope they don't have any regrets...

There are so many things that shape the way we grow up...My parents were great (and still are!) They loved me, they taught me, and they showed me through example how to love and treat others. I had great friends in college. Love my Chio sisters and my TNT brothers. Our Chio's prayer group was one of the only things that got me though a couple of boyfriend break-ups. But then I think of things that I said in college...words...YIKES. Words are my biggest regret. Isn't the tongue such a powerful weapon? I think I tried to repair most of them from college, but every once in a while something spikes a certain memory and then, "BAM!" You totally remember what you did and what you said and feel horrible. Really horrible. So, I do have some regrets. I am sorry for people I blew off and just left hanging those years ago, but...they moved on and I moved on....life does that, if we want it to or not. I'm thankful for a God that loves me and holds me in his arms when I am feeling these regrets...but I'm more thankful for a God that doesn't remember them, yet I do and can learn from every one of them.

Never thought I was going to talk about that after a Colts win, did you?

Big game!

This weekend the Colts play the Jets....I would love to say that I'm not worried, but I am. Not the the Jets are all that great, but they have pretty good ways of getting to #18, they beat us just a few weeks ago (I know they pulled out our starters...) and they have nothing to lose. Yikes!! Peyton, my friend and the rest of our favorite team...you have it all to lose and those stinky Jets want to take it from you! So, in short... We will all rush home from Sunday after church lunch and put on our beloved blue #18 jerseys, (Yes, we all have them, although Parker's jersey is the cutest!), we will yell our loudest and hope that our favorite team does great! If not....there is always next year....although I would love to go to the Super Bowl!! :) Okay, not literally...okay, yes literally, I would love to go, but who really has that kind of money and they would give me Super Bowl tickets? That is what I thought! But, if you are giving them away...I would be more than happy to take them from you!

I've been thinking a little...I know scary. I think I'm going to take my blog link off of Facebook...really, it's not like you can't read my blog right off of FB, right? The link is just over to the left of the page. Yeah...this will be the last one to go on my wall. After that, you people will just have to go to the page if you are that interested in what is going on in our crazy lives. I mean really...aren't blogs just for us when we are old so that we don't have to scrapbook?? Okay, maybe that is just me!

Off to play outside with the kids...it is 75 degrees outside and it is January!!! CRAZY!

Waiting....

Why is it that when you have to wait on the bug man to come and spray your house, it is the one day that you have 10 million things to do outside of the house??? And of course they give you a waiting window that is forever long! I shouldn't complain this time...my window is from 9:30 to 11:30. So I ran Parker to school and jumped in the car just to make it home right at 9:30...to wait for the bugman to come and spray. Joy. And I wait....

Parker was upstairs playing on Playhouse Disney.com this morning before school. He loves Handy Manny on the computer, but surprising...he has never watched the TV show. You know how I feel about kids and TV. During the week, my girls don't watch it at all. That is right...it's nice out...get off your little bottom and ride your bike or scooter!!! :) If it is yucky or cold, they have the Wii on or will play some computer games, but TV watching is on Saturday morning and that is about it from our house. Although, Parker watches Super Why in the mornings after we take the girls to school...It was Sesame Street and then he said he was too big for it. Occasionally, I will ask him what he wants to watch and he will choose Sesame Street, but hardly ever. Now I didn't' say that I don't like to watch TV.....After the kids are in bed at 7:30...I am planted firmly on the couch to watch my shows. Well, after the kitchen is clean from dinner. Maybe I should get out and ride one of the kids bikes and get myself off the couch...Nah!


So today was Parker's first day back at school from being cooped up in the house all week. He told me when we got to school, "I do not want to go to school. I am still sick and I need to play the Wii." I told him if he stayed home he had to spend the whole day in bed. We got to school and as soon as Amy (the director) walked up, Parker starts coughing his little head off, intentionally. I looked at him and said, "Okay, let's go home and get in bed." He quit coughing right then and there. He is one smart cookie and a stinker all at the same time. Good thing I love him so much!!

Just one of those days...

Parker is home sick...still. He ran fever Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Of course, the doctors office was closed and so we got him in early on Tuesday morning. He has with his dr. said is "a horrible sinus infection." She also looked a little grossed out when she looked at his throat. Bless his stinkin' little heart. So, Aaron took the girls with him to church on Sunday and Parker and I have been home alone, everyday, since.....Thank goodness for meds. We got some good ones yesterday and the dr. says that they should start to kick in pretty soon....We will see.

But, the house is clean...or as clean as it's going to get. The bills are all paid, the laundry is all done and I blogged...goodness, I even cleaned out Susannah's closet because I wanted something to do besides play Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. Love that baby boy, but he just whoops up on me in the video game department...the Wii and the DS. Did I mention that he is 3?? Yeah...his daddy's child, for sure.

So, I have some free time. Parkerman is sitting right here on the couch playing his DS and Kung Fu Panda is on the TV...of course he's not watching...just playing.

I think all this in the house time is getting to me...no church on Sunday, no ladies bible class today and no PTA meeting yesterday (yes, I did say that)...either I need some serious adult interaction or I just really miss my friends....or maybe both. Yeah, I think both.

Here is where you stop reading if you don't want to hear me go on about how much I miss my Ft. Worth friends....go, you know you don't want to hear it.

Okay, you asked for it.

We have moved way too much in our 11 year career with the oil company who will not be named. Love them and Aaron loves his job, but they love to move their people. Way too much. You would think that in these times, they would want to reward those people who have stuck with them...but no....
We honestly have loved all of the places we have lived...Okay, maybe not Houma that much, but we had some good friends there...Alaska was amazing...Oklahoma was where Grace was born...every place has it's good and hard times. But Ft. Worth...give me a chance and I'll be back with bells on...

We do love our church here and our friends here...don't get me wrong. Love ya'll. But right now, I just really am missing my Legacy friends so much. It was so wonderful to have Steph and Ron here a few weekends ago...I loved every single minute of our visit.

I miss my girl friends. You know who you are without me even saying your name...our girls nights out, our kids lives intertwined, and our time working up at church on different projects... our little squabbles and our quirks...goodness, it makes us sound so silly! I don't know if we will ever get to move back...you know that oil company and how they love to keep us hopping...but I do know that I can't wait for the next visit to see all of you that I miss so very much. I miss all of Aaron's buddies and how they let me tag along into their fantasy football league and talk sports with me....I miss that he has a basketball league to play in with people that will pick him up off the floor when he falls smack on his back. I'm just really missing my Legacy family.

Okay, I think I'm almost done...time to go and play some DS download Super Mario Bros. with Parkerman. He keeps me on my toes!

We have friends!

The week after we got home from Christmas vacation in Arkansas and Florida, we had an amazing surprise for us in Houston. Our great friends, The Frosts, from Ft. Worth came to visit us! That is right...we actually have some friends! He he he.

We were all so excited that week before they arrived...good thing that the girls only had school for 3 days that first week back...they could hardly wait for their friends to get here! Grace and Brighton have been faithfully writing letters back in forth since the move...they even have secret names for each other in their letters to keep things secret from their little sisters. Silly girls...love them and I'm so very thankful for their friendship!
We stayed up way too late on Friday and Saturday nights, just hanging out and talking. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE times like that with great friends. On Saturday afternoon, we all bundled up and drove into Houston and took the kids to the Museum of Natural Sciences. They had a great time walking around looking at exhibits and goofing off. Honestly, we could have taken them anywhere and they would have had a great time being together. I don't think I have one good and serious pic of Macy and Susie together...they are so silly and they had such a fun time.
We tried to get all of the kids on this caterpillar in front of the butterfly house...Grace kept sliding off...I think the butterfly house was a favorite of all of the kids. Grace has been working on a photo contest and she needed butterfly pictures so it was a great time for us to go and visit!
When we got back to our house, the girls wanted to bake a cake...why? I have no idea, but I think it started with the Easy Bake Oven, that I did NOT want to get out...so Steph and I decided to let them bake their own cakes and decorate each one alone. We used the real oven, then they could all decorate them at the same time...a yummy mess.
We are so thankful for great friends like the Frosts and that they would take time out of their busy schedule and come and visit us!! We can't wait for the next visit...I guess I better start looking at the calendar and find a weekend before softball season starts!

She has baby fever....

Susannah was baby crazy while we were in Florida with Aunt Carrie, Uncle Dale and new baby Savannah. It could be that they almost have the same name....or that Susie hasn't been around babies very much lately. She kept asking when we were going to have another baby...Sorry Susie Q, no baby for us, but we can love on baby Savannah all the time. I went and counted my pictures...there were over 20 that had Susie sitting next to baby Savannah....she loved seeing that sweet baby and so did I!

Aaron, his big sister Carrie and sweet baby Savannah, DD and Gramps. I don't think that they have all been together in 3 years! Crazy kids...now that we have a new baby, we are going to visit much more often. We have a baby to love on and snuggle!

Aaron is holding his little niece!

Susie was so happy to hold little Savannah. Savannah was such a sweet little baby!

Parker wasn't so sure what to think about the baby...but look at Susie Q's face! Love it!

Gramps, DD and Aaron took the kids fishing and I kept baby Savannah in the house while Carrie and Dale were resting. It was so fun to get to babysit while they were all out playing. The kids loved fishing...Grace and Sus each got a catfish and all 3 of the kids caught countless brim!

Here is another picture of Parker and Lena...he loved that dog.

Grace was loving that she got to lead the horse around...although he kept stopping to eat the grass on the way. Grace is already planning on spending much time at Aunt Carrie's farm during her summers....we will see!

The kids loved riding on the 4-Wheelers....Aaron even got stuck out in one of the horse pastures and I got to push him out. I was so glad that I had mud boots when that happened!

Guns, Horses and mud boots!

Aaron taught the kids how to shoot a gun while we were there on the farm. Don't worry...it's just a pellet gun and no animals were harmed in anyway! :)

We even had a shooting contest...Aaron won, but Grace was pretty close to beating him!

Carrie and Dale's friend, Christy, came and saddled up a super gentle horse for the kids to ride a few days while we were there and while they were still at the hospital!

I think that Parker and Lena (the dog) were long lost friends. He loved that dog...and she was so sweet and loving.

DD with Sus and Grace. Now we have another girl granddaughter to be in the picture the next time we go and visit the farm! Can't wait to see Savannah again!!

I told you about the boots...best purchase of the whole trip! They loved just playing in the mud and to tell the truth...so did I!

The newest addition!

The day after Christmas, we piled up (literally...all of the Christmas gifts, the kids, the dog...) the car and drove from Searcy, Arkansas to Westville, Florida. We left that morning early and got there right at dark...it was a LONG drive and a long day, but we all made it in one piece with hardly any tears. We played many games of cards, Super Mario Bros. on the DS download (love that, but hate getting beat by a 3 year old) and of course, all of us slept. Well all of us...except for Aaron. Aaron's older sister, Carrie and her hubby Dale, have a horse ranch in Westville....28 Miles from the Wal-Mart in Defuniak Springs, Florida. We aren't talking palm trees and beaches...we are talking woods and miles and miles of horses! Simply beautiful.

The kids were in pure kid heaven. They loved it and so did we! We had to buy the kids some tall rainboots because their property was so wet from all the rain that they had been getting. Best purchase of the whole trip! The kids played in the mud, stopped around in the fields and you can bet they were worn out every night right at dark!! We had a full day with Carrie and Dale and then the next day, Carrie went in to have their first baby!!! We were so excited!

Carrie and Dale getting ready to leave the farm to got to the hospital in Fort Walton Beach (quite a drive!) to have the baby!! She doesn't look hardly pregnant at all does she? Awesome!

Aaron's parent's with Carrie before getting into the car to go to the Hospital. We were all pretty excited!!

Aaron got to hook the car seat in....we do know how to do that at our house! It was so fun helping Carrie get ready to go to the hospital. I was so nervous for her and all the new and fun things that they are experiencing.

We spent the day at the farm playing around...She wasn't scheduled to have the baby until that evening so we had plenty of time. We took the kids to the beach, the movies and then dinner at our favorite place in Florida....SONNY'S !!

That evening when we got to the hospital...Little Savannah made her appearance for the rest of the family. She is just beautiful and I can say that because I am her AUNT!!

Savannah weighed in right at 8 pounds and looked so big already! The kids were so excited, but we couldn't see her or hold her that night so we just drove back to the farm to play with the kittens.

I still can't believe that we didn't make it home with one of these little precious kittens...we kept them with us in our little house on the farm for 4 days and then decided to let them go to some other people that wanted kittens.

The girls were not real happy with us for a few days, but really...we have enough stuff going on in our lives...I really didn't want to add a kitten to the list! Very cute though...

keep going....

Jess is going to shoot me for this one, but it's so cute of her and Grace and of course, Jess' little belly!! I can't wait for next Christmas when I have a little niece to hold!! :)

Papa holding a camera...video, I think. Anyway...you know him. Have a camera, will travel!

Jonas and Parker were the super cousins this Christmas! Jonas is Iron Man and Parker is dressed up as Buzz Lightyear...his favorite.

The girls got mini-American girl dolls in their stockings. Grace had already read both books by the end of Christmas day, I think. That girls LOVES to read. That is for sure!!