The Bowman's

Devins Band Concert

2011-12-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

Devin has started playing the trumpet this year and has been doing a great job! He has been second chair since he started. The 6th grade band is so big that the concert is the first time that they all played together. There are over 200 band members and over 30 trumpet players. I think they did a good job. See the video below.

As part of the concert, they asked if one of the parents could go up and play. Sure I'll go. Do you get extra credit for this.-you know your dad ACTUALLY plays the trumpet. Lets just say, I was not the only one just blowing random notes.

It was fun to see Devin perform- Way to go Dev!

Devins Band Winter Concert

2011-12-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

1st day of school

2011-09-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake trip

2011-08-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we have done the downtown tour. We thought we could see everything but there was so much to see, we will have to do it again. The kids could not get over how big everything was up close.

Girl time

2011-08-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, this would look crazy anywhere else but Utah. But we filled up the WHOLE place. Not included are my mom and me and susies little one. It is so rare that I get moments like this. I really relish them when I can. Growing up with a lot of sisters and then having majority boys in your home. Girl time is a must.

At the Joseph Smith Memorial Building with Susan and Michelle. Braeden got lost there and nearly caused me to go into full panick mode. Ok, I was there already on the inside- The workers had posted at all the doors and his description was out. After we found him- HIDING!!! Ugh! The sweet workers would see us throughout the place and I guess from his description, would come up and comment-"Oh, is this the boy?", "the little brown shirt boy". We were famous.

My sister Lori took me to the ABBA concert. can I say FLASHBACKS. Ok, I am not that old- but my sister is-he he he. I love their music and we were the "dancing queens".

summer cont...

2011-08-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of cousin time. We had to get it in. We were lucky to be able to spend three weeks there. The Dawsons just moved there as well so we had even extra cousins this year. The kids are already talking about going back.

This year was the Bunker reunion. It was fun catching up with the Harris family and all of their new additions. Some great stories were told and memories made. This picture is of my mom. She is telling stories about our ancestors and with this she had photos of them around the pavillion with their names underneath. I wish that I had my video on. I was so mesmorized with the whole thing, not only did I not take videos- I didn't take pictures of ANY of it. Help to all of those who attended. Send me pictures---Please!

At the beginning of the reunion, we had all of the families meet to spend some "gathering" time. We had a giant water slide in Susans back yard. It did not take long for the fun to begin.

I know this is a blurry photo. My camera broke. So all of the photos are from my phone. ugh. At Beckys the kids spent a ton of time on her trampoline. It makes me miss ours. Note to self. Get trampoline.

Summer Fun in Utah

2011-08-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Brittany spent her day off and filled tons of water balloons and made a cousin water fun day. Thanks Brittany!

Seven Peaks was crazy- Braeden went on Everything scary FIRST! Which meant mom had to go on them as well. The drop of doom ones are scary enough, but to watch your little guy do it is even scarier! Devin is getting old enough to go off with the older crowd. I saw glimpses of him throughout the day. They both were having a blast with their cousins.

Moving into our new home for the first time. Mixed emotions there. More on move later.

The last time at the Sienna House. I have a lump in my throat typing so I will move on and post about this later. Still fresh. Boo hoo.

One last culdesac party before we leave Houston. We will miss the kids and my wonderful neighbors so much.

Devin's Webelo

2010-10-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

Devin earned his Webelo award in September, he is working on his arrow of light! Just a few more weeks and he is DONE- yeah! He has done double duty lately to be able to try and get every badge in the book. Cross your fingers!

Homecoming Victory!

2010-10-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

Braeden had a great homecoming game today. The score today was 26-13 Wahooo! He went for a touchdown and got so close! They are still undefeated and we are keeping our sights on the superbowl. Today was pretty big though. For homecoming, we had a procession, homecoming king/queen, posters, mums, and the whole gammet. Braeden is LOVING football (it is a religion here in Texas) Lots of practice and hard work, but he thrives in it. He plays, running back, sometimes quarterback anddefensive back.

Beach

2010-08-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have not been the greatest blogger lately. I have been trying to get caught up on my photobooks for this year. So , I am killing 2 birds with one stone. Maybe I will actually write a little later.

Division A Champion!

2010-05-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

Braeden won the Division A championships tonight and it was CLOSE! My voice is almost gone from screaming so much! He made some great plays at 2nd and hit some great balls. It is his first year at machine pitch and he is the youngest on his team- he was not at all intimidated by it. Gotta Love it! The score was 22 to 21 and they were a hard team to beat. We had 2 outs and it was tied, a player at 1st and 2nd. What a nail biter- but whack! the 2nd made it home- You can hear the crowd cheering cant you? It was AWSOME! I cannot wait until next season! So proud of you Braed.

Chore Chart

2010-05-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Angie for finding this great project and www.howdoesshe.com , I have my summer chore chart done! I know, I know, mine is VERY colorful, but I intentionally did it that way. I want my boys to see it front and center every morning. I am excited to use it. Now, I have to wait until summer because I have MANY things for my kids to do and they cant possibly do it on a school day. I of course will not make them do all the sticks every day. That would be crazy. They get to pick one out of the "hard jobs" like clean the toilet.(My favorite for them to do. They get to see their wonderful misses and it helps them to stop if they have to clean it) They then pick one from the middle of the road like unload dishwasher, then their regular everyday have to's like clean their room. Cleaning is always more fun when little stickers, sticks, or charts are involved. Now, if I could only get myself motivated by a stick. any ideas??

Mothers day

2010-05-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day

2010-05-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day:

On the way to school, Braeden was driving like a mad man on the sidewalk, nearly crashing every time. This was done of course on purpose. I said, Braeden, what are you doing?! His reply :

"Mom, I have to live like this so I have some stories to tell my kids!"

for a moment this morning, my heart broke a little

2010-05-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today was bring a flower to your teacher day at school. I fashioned a bundle for each kid and stamped a card for them. Braeden was excited to bring his to school. I love this age, when doing little things like this are exciting. Since we were carrying flowers, we walked to school instead of riding bikes. I like these days because I can spend time talking to Braeden and stopping to pick up bugs or cool looking leaves. Today, Devin also walked . But since he is a fourth grader and old enough to walk without his mom, he went ahead. As we were walking, we could see him in the distance. His friend was no longer with him and he was happily walking alone. (for the record, the flowers I gave him littered the sidewalk. I wonder what was left to give his teacher.) Braeden saw his opportunity to walk with his big brother and ran to catch up. He yelled Devins name over and over. He never caught up. As this was happening, my heart was breaking. I knew he could hear Braeden, I also knew what Devin was thinking. Devin loves his brother, but walking with a kindergartner was "not 4th grade". I could see Braedens little backpack jumping up and down as he ran to get his brother, he is so little, so vulnerable. He never did catch up and secretly I was grateful. braeden thought he could not hear him. I was glad that he did not get his feelings hurt. When did the gap get so wide? I know that after school today they will play together like usual and the divide will close, but for a moment this morning, my heart broke a little.

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

spring break cont

2010-03-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

Instead of the beach this year, we went camping. It is the first time we went camping as a family in Texas. The Kenningtons asked if we would come and I am so glad we did. The weather was wonderful (minus the cold first night in the tent). We hiked, cooked smores, fished, chatted and played. It was nice to get outdoors without any distractions from technology. I love to camp, my parents took us camping in Utah all of the time. With 8 kids you really can't afford vacations to disney all of the time. I am glad though. It gave me a love of the outdoors and roughing it. Family togetherness, love it!

spring break camping

2010-03-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

A date with a monster!

2010-02-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Date with a monster! While I was off to see Beauty and the Beast, my boys were at the Monster Truck Jam. Although I would have LOVED to see giagantic, extremely loud, part flying, flipping all over the place, dirt everywhere, trucks. I opted to see the play Beauty and the Beast. Did my mind wander during the play wishing I was with my boys, having some good family fun? Um, No. Ok, a girl needs girl things every once in a while. I mean, do you think that my boys were thinking, oh... I wish I could see Belle sing along with furniture?! I am glad that I can recruit others like me who take in the arts. Now, my boys would beg to differ. They would think that a truck splayed out after a good spill, is art. They do however, accompany me with much bribery to my girly events every once in a while and I appreciate that. I tell them, look- I am preparing you for marriage. I mean you are going to have to learn while you are young to build up your tolerance for girl things. Your wife will want you to go shopping, see chick flicks, go to girly places. I am just doing you a favor. Your wife will thank me one day. right?

Pinewood derby

2010-02-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Here it is- the derby! Ok, I have to say I have noticed that every boy at the age of 9-10 cannot take a picture unless their mouth is wide open. What is it with that?
We came in 5th place overall. Pretty good, better than last year. We did learn a few tricks for next year. Echards, bring it on!
They had a sibling race and Braeden was chomping at the bit to race, he was more excited than all of us for this. He designed and painted his car and very specific decals he wanted. Devin on the other hand was like, whatever. But when the race came- he came alive! It was so much fun, we already have our ideas brewing for next year.
Below is Devins car- good eh?

Quiet Sunday

2010-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying a thing we have missed in our house for a week. SILENCE! Our house flooded when a pipe burst inside our wall. They sent in the "restoration" team. I think that term is a joke because now my house looks worse. Anyway. They came in and hooked these contraptions up all over the downstairs. Each one of these squares comes with a huge fan and an even larger dehumidifier. We could not even hear each other speak. Very frustrating and even harder to sleep through. I am sure all of the moms out there will appreciate my next comment. You know when you turn on your vaccumm cleaner and it automatically "gives" the kids the go ahead to make as much noise as possible? Well, welcome to my nightmare. There are a few things this experience has made me appreciate, 1-running water 2-toilets that flush 3- quiet 4-wonderful neighbors 5-my sanity.
The next step confuses me. They put all of these machines in the house to get the water out. Now the next step is to rip it all out. Why not just skip step one ? Very sad that my wood floor is warped and peeling. sigh. But again, I have quiet.

Proud of Devin

2009-11-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

I have been so proud of my boy this weekend. Devin had a recital this weekend and he was wonderful! He has always had a love for music and I am glad that he continues even when it is tough. When a toddler and watching cartoons, he would focus more on the background music than the cartoon. We bought him a drum and he kept in time with the music while watching. We knew then that he would love the piano. And he does! Thank you Pam - a great teacher!!

Pokemon and potatoes

2009-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we broke up the duties for sunday dinner, Braedens was to set the table and make it look nice. He thought that Pokemon would be the best for Roast dinner. Anytime we would move one of the pokemon, he would say, " That is supposed to be gaurding moms cup, etc.. What is funny, is in the past, I would have just said, Braeden please take these off the table, we are having a nice dinner. The older I get I think, hey... he set the table-Yeah! On the way to school this morning Braeden holds my hand walking into the school and lets me give him a kiss on the cheek. I see him going down the hall rubbing his hand back and forth to remove any remnant of kiss left. I turn to the lady at the desk, she says- Look at it this way- He is just rubbing it in real good so it wont come off. From now on, rubbing a kiss will take on a whole new meaning.

Carmel Apples

2009-11-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

One of the kids favorite fall things is to make caramel apples and share with the neighborhood. No teeth lost this year, though we were hoping Braedens loose tooth would come out. No luck! This time of year is when I pull out all of my comfort food recepies- no wonder we gain weight in the winter!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

What a great Halloween. I couldn't have asked for better weather. Warm but a little bite at night to make you feel like it is fall. Devin always picks the costume that will make everyone laugh. We went from whoopie cushion to a Sumo wrestler. Braeden chooses the more aggressive characters. Good thing Braeden did not use his nails to pop the sumo costume! On Friday we went to the church for trunk or treat. I love it when they do it on a different night other than Halloween, it is fun to be able to spend time with the neighbors and friends at church. I love this time of year, friends and family. What could be better?

Braedens 6th birthday

2009-10-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Braeden's 6th Birthday Party at Fun Tiki. They had so much fun playing mini golf. We had to make sure they did not take over other peoples games- they made record speed through the course. Afterward they played games. Notice the cake. When the lady wrote down the instructions, I said "Happy Birthday, Braeden" She put Happy Birth... then she said, I hope that whover makes this cake surely will know to finish the word. Well not only did they not finish the word, they SPELLED it wrong! Oh well, he didn't even notice. Thank you everyone for making it a great day for him!

First day of Kindergarten

2009-08-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

Braeden was so excited to get up this morning. He kept saying-"I'm gonna miss you mommy- but i'll be back, it's ok." We had pancakes with whip cream and the kids watched the clock-"let's go early!" We have to wait for the doors to open first honey.

Time to go and mom takes out the camera., My boys are not the take a picture of me type, so I have to get it in fast. On our bikes and scooter and off we go. I could barely keep up with Braeden. I jokingly said" Well, I guess he doesn't have seperation anxiety."

We are met at the front by the principal and she says, ok Allison, no crying. I won't ( at least that is what I keep telling myself)

Braeden does his goofy face while I am taking his picture with his teacher. He then has a goal to find a red crayon for his picture they are coloring. He's ok- time to go. I am doing alright at this point and kiss him goodbye. I leave the classroom and hide where he cannot see me. He has put down his crayon and looks down at his drawintg. I see him rub his eyes and I know what that means. He is trying to keep the tears in.

I try to get the attention of the teacher to say- Hey- look, my little boy needs a hug. But she is busy. It is all I can do to hold myself back from running in there and scooping him up.

I run away and take deep breaths down the hall so I do not let the flood gates open. Still taking deep breathes a block away, 2 ,3. I turn the corner to my house and the pools in my eyes are overflowing. A new journey for both of us. I come inside to a quiet house. I cannot decide if I like the silence- Only 8 more hours and my sweet little baby will be home again.

4th grade for Devin

2009-08-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Devins off to 4th grade and he is ready. I had to peek in at him to take some photos. Apparantly, there are not many 4th grade moms doing this. Sorry Devin. Next year I will hide a camera in your backpack and you can take a quick photo for me. :-)

Daisy the water wrangler

2009-07-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Daisy is a water dog, she loves to swim and be in the water. Since the sprinklers are all she can get wet in, she is constantly in them. She likes this, but it makes it a hassle for me. I have to blow dry her and comb her hair every time. uggghh. But she is so cute when she tries to bite and catch the sprinkler. She would do this for hours if she could. With the watering restrictions the only time the sprinklers can be on is in the middle of the day. Does that really make sense? I mean they allow you to use your sprinklers at the worst possible time. Sorry my little vent. Oh well, enjoy!

On the Lake

2009-07-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

On Friday we spent some time on Holly Lake. It was perfect for the heat! Every time we come home from riding the wave runners, I have to talk Brett out of buying a motorcycle. I wish we had a lake by our house. Brian came down for the weekend as well to Bretts Parents. We had a wonderful fun filled weekend.

Flying high on the 4th of July

2009-07-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had so much fun. I told the kids we were going on a airplane ride. They were sooo excited! It was incredible! Ok, when I first saw this airplane I thought- I am sending my kids up there, in that!? Devin was first to go- not nervous in the least. His mom on the other hand kept her fear inside until he was safely on the ground. Notice that there is not much to hold on to while you are up there. In the picture above there is a grey lever in front of Braeden. It controls the plane going up and down. I kept saying over and over to Devin, if you get scared- whatever you do, don't pull on the stick! He kept teasing me that he thought it would be fun. UGGHH.. Ok, no way was I sending Braeden up alone. Once we were up in the air, it was so smooth. This plane is made out of a fabric, not metal so it was very light. Thank you to Brett's parents friends for giving us a ride of a lifetime.

Notice the name on the side- experimental. Ok, another reason to give a mom some nerves. But I trusted in the captain 100%.

So proud of my boys! They have their mommas thrill seeking gene.lol!

Leaving 3rd grade behind

2009-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

My boy is growing up and getting smarter day by day. Awards day was great for him. He continues to amaze me. Today he sat down and tried to teach Braeden how to add 30+40. He wants him to get an edge on school.

Splash day video

2009-05-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Splash Park

2009-05-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

It was one of those days when I really needed to get out of the house. It was hot and the kiddo had high energy so my friend and I trekked out to the splash park. We sat on the bench and watched the kids play for HOURS! When the sprays came up Braeden pretended that it was his enemy. He went from one spray to the other. I wish I had that much energy!

Gotta love the dentist

2009-05-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

My boys cannot wait until it is time to go to the dentist. So do I. I walk in and they ask me what I want to drink, "don't sign in here, have a seat- (see above) and we will bring it to you. In the meantime, my kids are off to play video games or watch a movie in the theater. They really like to have the parents stay in the front so they make it mooocho comfortable so you forget your kids are back there. They are having a good time as well. Off to another movie and to pick out prize after prize. Braed. is happy to get a full size pokemon out of it. Balloon in hand, mom rested and smiles all around, gotta love the dentist.

Baseball is over

2009-05-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Braeden had so much fun playing t ball this season. He spends a lot of time outside practicing with the kids. Just wish it was a year round sport. He would be in heaven!

I'm a cowboy

2009-03-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

Braeden had cowboy day at school. His favorite part was riding around the school on his "fire horse". He colored his horse all red, it must have taken him forever. He came home singing the cutest songs. I just couldn't resist showing you one. See the post below.

Cowboy day at school

2009-03-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

Art

2009-02-24T19:46:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting all year to get something home from art at Devins school and finally I got it. Dev came home today and told me that they did a very special project. He had to draw something special for his parents that reminded us of him. They sent home a sheet to order this design to be put on mugs, tshirts, etc... Looking at it I said, "this is neat, what is it?" " A piece of Bacon mom." Devin says. "Um, why bacon honey?" Trying not to sound confused and supressing the giggle. " You know I like bacon mom." SO, when you come to my house and see mugs and plates with bacon on it. Or me wearing a tshirt with bacon, you will know-
I love my bacon loving kid! I am taking orders :-)

blue and gold banquet

2009-02-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight was our Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts. The boys were to make a cake with their dads that represented a state. Devin did Indiana- The Indy 500 cake. He won 1st prize in his Bear den. WAHOO! Even better, we didn't bring any home. It was sugar upon sugar. Fun night and the kids enjoyed having bites of everyones cake.

Valentines Party

2009-02-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Devins Valentines party was so fun I just had to post. It is a good thing that we are out in the portables or I think we might have been in trouble. The whole building was shaking. We put on some music and we did the chicken dance and a congo line. We did not even get to any games because the kids were having so much fun. I think I caught some of the parents doing the chicken dance, you know- it's contagious! Well, sugar, music, food and fun make for a great party. Way to go 3rd Grade!

Valentines

2009-02-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Valentines, we decided to spend it with the family and just chill this year. What girl would not want to spend it with 3 handsome boys?

Death By Chocolate

2009-02-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun tonight. My friend Angie hosted a murder mystery, Death by Chocolate. Dressing up and laughing at each others characters was a blast. A real who done it!

I will help you mommy

2009-01-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

Today I am home with the stomach flu. Braeden had it last night so he knows how yucky it feels. My little sweetheart says "mommy, I will be your helper all day and get you whatever you want." I really didn't need anything but his cute smile and willingness to help made me order. "I will just have a drink buddy." He came back and handed me a drink. I took a large gulp and ...... "what exactly is in this drink?" " I put milk, candy, not the soft kind 'cause that would be too yucky, orange juice, seeds, not from oranges (ok, don't even want to know where he got those), and ice." He is rubbing my head saying, does it make it all better mom? Yes sweetie it does, thank you. :-)

snow day!!!

2009-01-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

Every year our community brings in loads of snow for all of those in Texas that never get to play in it. This is Devin sledding down the hill. What you don't see in this picture is the line to get to that point. It goes all of the way down the back side. Most of the parents waited in line while their kids ran and made snowballs and then came to pelt them. The kids had so much fun. Who knew that so many people had sleds on hand. I did see a lot of boogie boards and water sport "sleds" though. There were a TON of people there. I remember last year they actually postponed the snow day due to cold weather. I wish I had a picture of the sign. I laughed forever about that. It was pretty chilly this year which made it seem like winter for a day. Braeden could not get enough of the snowball fights. I actually had to carry him kicking and screaming to the car. He could have stayed there all day.

I had to take a picture of this for all of those up north. This is a sign at our park. We have an alligator down the street from us that we visit regularly by the school. I will make it my mission to take a photo of him this week.

The death of our table

2009-01-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

Crack, the last chair from our table set just lost it's seat. It was a dangerous thing to sit on that one. You see, our chairs have been dying off one by one this year and duck tape and glue could not put those puppies back together. Ok, I was anxiously waiting for the last one to fall so I could say, We NEED a new kitchen table. So, yesterday, my hubby bought me this. It is as sturdy as sturdy gets. It is made of Mango wood and is SOLID. Thanks Brett!

Annie

2009-01-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

It has been so fun having Annie home. She leaves today to go back to school and we definitly feel her absence. Today she and I shopped for hours on end and I never once heard, ANOTHER STORE MOM! Which having all boys home is what I hear often. Most of all I treasured the talks late in the night and the hugs. Dad spent some good time with her. I think her favorite time was on the shooting range with her. It is an annual tradition. I did however say no to the firearm she wanted for Christmas. That could be scary, huh.

The boys could not wait to wake her up in the morning. Braeden would ask me over and over, can I get her up yet? She is cute with them even when they are bouncing all over her and smothering her with affection.

Let it SNOW!

2008-12-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

Outside the whole neighborhood was out- even adults to see the every 4 year Christmas snowfall- do you see it-It's that white stuff on the pavement. I decked the kids out in all of their winter stuff we bought from our visit in Utah last year and we rode bikes...in the snow.

Later, when it accumulated. Dev and his buddies made snowballs on the trampoline. I am laughing as I write this- I remember when I was little, we once had to dig a tunnel to practically get out of our door. No kidding. I am glad the kids were able to ski last year. But I tell you, when it snows in Texas- you can't beat that.

Part 2 Palooz

2008-12-16T05:33:00.000-08:00

The whole cafeteria was filled with Silent auctions donated by our community. That was the hardest part- we sent letters but ended up going door to door. Did I say I was not doing this again next year? I made it very clear to the principal that I wanted to be a kindergarten room mom or just a Tuesday folder stuffer. Ahhh

We set up tents outside for the carnival and had tons of prizes. I think the younger ones liked this the most. Nearby we had vendor booths for pizza, hamburgers, icecream (yes, in December) and funnelcakes- my sons favorite. Other vendors sold their items and we they just paid a booth fee. We made $1,000 just off renting space alone. Glad this is all done and I can say- I did that and survived!

The Palooz is OVER!

2008-12-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

I am so glad the the Gatorpalooza is over. This is a school fundraiser that I was in charge of and by a miracle, survived!

We had each class make a basket for the Silent Auction. We also held a live auction which made quite a bit. Someone bought a parking space for a few hundred.

The rock wall was a hit. In the background you can see silly string and confetti all over the place. I bought 1,000 cans of silly string and sold out within 1 hour. We had 4 people hired to clean all of it up. But it was worth it. It was one of the kids favorites.

I rented 5 bouncables and had wristbands so they could go as many times as they wanted during the carnival.

The Chili cook off. Ok, at first I thought- do we really need it? They talked me into it and I am glad they did. It was a success. We had judges and the kids also were able to pick a favorite.

If I were a rich man

2008-11-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

Devins piano recital

2008-11-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

Devins Piano recital. He played Mr. Mgill and If I were a Rich Man. He is so confident when he plays. He has the best teacher ever! Thank you Pam!

2008-11-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

Daisy

2008-11-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

My Little girlie dog Daisy. Isn't she just so cute?

pumpkins

2008-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

After school we headed out to the pumpkin patch to pick our favorite pumpkins to carve. Taking out the "guts" of the pumpkin ended up being a mommy job. It was cool at first but after 2 handfulls, it was yuck. Braeden wanted a little smiley face and this is exactly what he got. Devin drew a brain on the top of his and then decided to give it a lobotomy, therefore, the hole in the brain. Afterward, we had the neighborhood over to have carmel apples. I tried something I saw online with mellon balling a apple then dipping it. It was a hit with the kids and of course, me too.

DisneyWorld

2008-11-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

The kids had so much fun getting to know their cousins better, Good times. Thanks Steve and Terrie for meeting us, we had a blast!

Part of the fun was eating together. When we went to this diner, the waiter made sure that we all went in and washed our hands before we ate, then gave us the rules of the kitchen, if we put our elbows on the table, we had to wear a bib. Steve and I were the only ones who had to do this. Also, you had to eat all of your vegatables in order to get dessert. We spent quite a bit of time figuring out how to get rid of Terries beans. Allison came to the rescue with her tricks of childhood to conceal food and get away with it looking like you ate it. It was very nostalgic of my Grandmothers house and the kids ate it up!

Disneyworld

2008-11-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

This was so funny, Braeden never wanted to meet a girl character, the cootie thing. Well, he got cornered by Sleeping Beauty and she KISSED HIM! You would have thought he died. He was so embarrased that we could not even talk to him about it for a few hours or he would stomp off and pout. Devin had a fun time dancing with Minnie mouse, he was as red as her dress! In Epcot, there were a ton of characters with no lines, so it was fun to go up and get autographs. I am glad my little boys are still little enough to like this. Devins favorite character was lilo and stitch- we had a dance party with them for Halloween. Braedens, of course, Vader. They pretty much went on all of the rides but there is one that Devin will not be wanting to go back- the tower of terror. Not so fun.

2008-11-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Disneyworld! We started off at the Not so Scary Halloween Party. Devin was an alien from area 51 and Braeden was a ninja- it was all about the swords for him. My brother and his family were able to meet us there and spend the week with us. Having them so far away in New York, makes it hard to get together so it was wonderful to hang out. The weather was great and the crowds were not bad. October rocks for Disney!

When we talked about Disney, it was all about meeting star wars characters for Braeden. He was in heaven watching Darth Vader in person fighting the Jedi trainers. For a while there, he lived and breathed star wars. Getting out of the gift shop was like pulling teeth. We even ended up with star wars snow globes, Mickey Jedi, you name it. We had just as much fun in that shop as we did watching the characters.

Just couldn't resist putting this up, are they not the cuttest little bugs you have seen?

Tag your it

2008-10-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the tag Angie! Ok, here are the rules: Go to your pictures and go to the 6th folder. Open up the 6th picture and post it.

This is of Devin when he was 3 years old. We were living in Washington and I was about to have Braeden. Devin is wearing his pull-up(clean of course) on his head and dancing around the living room. I am sure he was singing a Barney song, since that is what he watched ALL THE TIME! I am sure now he would not admit to that. Such a cute blue eyed boy.

I tag Mindy, Jaimie and Rachael

Getting ready

2008-10-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been a busy bee. This year I am Chairman of the Gatorpalooza. It is a festival for my sons school that is a huge fundraiser. I find myself asking the question, "what did you get yourself into?" and then I realize that I thrive on a challenge. This will be one of my biggest ones yet. I have wanted to post and I turn on the computer and just checking my email for this event takes up my blogging time.
I am going to Disney World in a few days and who knew you had to do some serious planning just to get everything in. Thanks to my friends who have given me great advise, I started months ago. Now I finally have my itinerary down and ready for lamination. I know my brother thinks I am nuts but he will thank me later. Right Steve? Please feel free to give me your advice on either task that I am working on, especially game booth ideas for the festival. I want this palooza to ROCK!- that just reminded me, I need to get a DJ- eek!

PMS

2008-09-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here at my machine eating a giant pickle my brother from New York mailed me and a nest of crinkled dove wrappers on the desk. I noticed that my last blog had a twinge of pms in it. For all of you who experienced my "mood" yesterday, sorry, it was the lovely PMS. Now sometimes this "thing" just creeps up on me and whispers in my ear, "go to the refrigerator", "Curl up in a blanket and hide". Yesterdays little friend just took me for a ride. Don't you hate it when feel you have no control? I tell my hubby, its the day, and he instantly knows to back away slowly and reminds the kids its a lets make mom happy day and takes them out to Burger King. I did show some motherly love to my little buddy who beggged me to take him on a long bike ride. I thought the air would make me feel better. But I have to say that I never crunched over so many bumpy acorns in my life. "Isn't this fun mommy?" my little 4 year old speed demon would call back to me? "Yes, Sweetie, --chug chug---huff huff--but lets not do that hill a fifth time again ok?" I am back home, with hot pad and hubby making dinner. I guess there are perks to this nightmare they call the "visitor".

We may not have electricity but we have always had power.

2008-09-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

At sacrament meeting this morning you could see families in jeans and yellow tee shirts with helping hand logos. We have a continual commitment to help other. The calamities came and With our name of our church on our shirt.The lord established a means so people could see that there was helping hands already in place to alleviate the suffering.. The whole meeting was in yellow with the exception of a few. Me being one- I apparently did not get the memo to come to church in jeans and a tee shirt. I felt a Little uncomfortable about that. I fell out side of the loop . It hurt a little. I have lost myself over the past few days. But I know from experience that losing yourself in service, you find yourselves.. Brett picked up our shirts and got instructions of where to go serve. He will go cut down trees and heavy lifting. I am a different circumstance with small children. Our work will have to be helping those around our neighborhood however we can. We may feel like that our efforts to help are insignificant. But the lord and those we serve, know the rue value of our efforts. My kids do want to serve. This is especially hard for me because I would love to be the one with the chainsaw and hauling large trees. Hard labor makes me happy. I am going to have to think of a way that with imaginary chain saws I can cut down some of the barriers with friends.. Haul heavy hurt feelings and place them in a pile and just leave them there. How can I make a difference? I had a sad heart at church.. I have been yearning to help- why did I feel as though I did not belong?

I am very grateful for the service we held, a few ward business and to see what needed to be done. The sacrament came and I was holding on to braed. I will make him strong and want to serve. and Dev also. President Barrow spoke- I am glad he did, I needed it . He said that many have been without electricity and still are but what we never lost was our POWER. What a strong statement. I do have power. the power to help, power from God. I need to rely on my own strengths and His power. I served 21 people dinner the other night from my ward who had their power turned on a few hours before. Having the lights come on and seeing for the first time all of the work you have to do, you just don't want to make dinner. I was that way a few days before. This makes me happy. I do have power and I pray it will shine enough for others to see.

Our closing hymn was Because I have been given much.
http://www.celestial-visions.com/wav/because.wav click
"Because I have been given much, I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live.
I shall divide my gifts from thee, with every brother that I see
who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered , fed by thy good care
I cannot see anther's lack and I not share.
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread. My roofs safe shelter overhead.
That he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord.
I'll share thy love again, according to Thy word.
I shall give love to those in need; I'll show that love by word and deed:
Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed."

I had a hard time singing since my throat closed with emotion. I was filled with the spirit.
Our ward family and our family worldwide, there is a continual commitment to help others. I was clear- I knew where I needed to serve right away.

My thoughts on Ike

2008-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

We are one of the very few who have a pockets of power in our neighborhood. Some have turned off again so I am going to post while I can. I thought of posting the pictures I took but then I decided you have probably seen your share of photos. I decided to list the things I liked and disliked about Ike.
My best moments of Ike
Holding my boys at night. Prayer. The quiet after the storm. Sitting on my porch and watching the children play games from my childhood. Knowing that if I lost everything except my family I would be ok. cuddling. having my hubby home from work. no conference calls. Good neighbors who pull together. Grilling. My church family. Inspired order. Loved ones voices of concern. text messaging. A breeze. deodorant. cool showers. air conditioned cars. Generator and gas. not being a pioneer in Texas. a stocked pantry. family within 1 tank of gas. insurance. spending time just looking at the sky. family. The sound of the Popsicle truck. laughing.
Things I didn't like:
Seeing my children worry. Incredibly loud wind. The unknown. opening the door to see the damage. No communication. broken generator. sleepless nights. The HEAT! sweat. humidity. no power. the heat! throwing away contents of 2 refrig and freezers. Bad news. Finding drenched squirrels clutched to the ground. debris. no flush mandate. Full to capacity sewers. Mosquitoes. fallen trees. holes in roofs. Seeing others pain. deductibles. long gas lines. not knowing when this all will end.

Ike

2008-09-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Target, Yes, it is open and I actually bought something here. My hubby accidentally sawed over the extention cord. oops. You see those little boxes hanging from the preparedness Aisle? well, if you are coming here to shop, you might get a keychain flashlight.

Ike

2008-09-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Another Aisle completely out was toilet paper. I had a thought while there. Since we probably will be sustaining hurricane force winds for 24 hours, how is my dog going to go? It is not like I can open the door and let her out. She won't even go if the sprinklers are on nearby.

I am sure you are thinking, why am I shopping, Actually, I am not that crazy, I just thought I would get some reminders of this day. The lines were out of this world.

This was the line at Home depot, JUST TO GET IN!!! I tried to pan out as far as I could, the line wrapped around the building. Police at entrance and exit. I talked to a girl who was about at the middle, she had been in that line for about 2 hours. I am so glad I am prepared. Yikes.

Ike

2008-09-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a plywood block party. We cut and placed boards to the homes in the culdesac. We have such great neighbors and you certainly need them in times like these. Our little neighbor boy was supposed to have his birthday tommarow during the hurricane so we gathered together some dinner and she brought out the cake and we celebrated in the middle of the street. I don't think he will forget this birthday any time soon. During the preparations, I went and checked my email. I had to post this from Braedens soccer coach. "Im sure we are all watching Ike in the Gulf and the game has already been canceled for Sat. Im open to having practice today. I figure worst case the kids get to run around and have some fun today. Let me know if you will be at practice today...." Soccer was definitly not on the forefront of my mind. The kids did have fun running around but there were tears from some of the little ones who do not understand and are afraid. "Why are you boarding the windows?" Do you tell them that in case the wind shatters them or something could hit it? Every answer was different. Devin on the other hand had already read books on hurricanes and tornadoes and proceeded to give advice. I pulled him aside and told him that maybe that was not such a good idea. Sometimes not knowing is ok. Here is out house almost boarded. Ok, don't look at the trimming. We hope that Ike will take care of that for us :-) Some views on our street and around the community.

Almost done. Ok, don't look at the trimming. We are hoping that Ike will take care of that one :-)

some views around my culdesac

The bread aisle. You see that at the very end is food. It is all ding dongs and twinkies. So if you are not prepared, you will eat junk.

Ike

2008-09-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and turned on the news to see the projected path for Ike. Brett and I sat over breakfast talking about things we needed to do today to prepare. Ok, we need to dismantle the trampoline, swing set and get the outdoor furniture in. Do we need to get boards? I know all of my neighbors have them and some are already up on their windows. Where are the candles and the flashlights? Maybe we ought to buy some tarps in case we have some roof damage. What about those loads of laundry I should finish before there is no power? I should fill some water containers and put them in the freezer so we will have more ice. Should we leave? I mean it is still 95 degrees and without air conditioning it will be sooooo muggy. On the other hand what a pain it was to evacuate last time. Oh, shoot, I forgot we are out of dog food. I know it will be a mess going to the store. In the background we hear the weather channel telling us that this storm should not be treated lightly. My brain is in hurricane mode and at the same time I am putting Devins backpack on and sending on his bike with his friends for school. That was such a strange feeling, Preparing for the worst and seeing your child riding off and giggling with his friends on the way to school. School is not dismissed until tomorrow. Ok, I have a hair appointment today that I have been waiting for a long time. I decide to go. I am feeling pretty odd going to do this as I pass lines of cars waiting for gas and police almost at every corner. Once I am in there, I am glad. Just my little escape for the day. I think, well, if I don't have power for a few days or whatever, at least my hair will look good. lol. I know that sounds prissy. Off to home depot. I call my friend from there-"what are you crazy?!" she cried. Once inside I say, yes, yes, I am. All of this for a tarp. There are cars lined up throughout the parking lot to get the wood for their homes. I call my hubby. "Are you sure you only want me to get a TARP?" you start to get caught up in every ones craziness and panic. I am back in my car and reassess my preparations. I feel pretty good we feel prepared. On the way home, I could not help but to stop by and pick up some glow sticks and pop rocks for the kids. You have to be prepared right?

Back to Preschool

2008-09-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

"I don't want to go to preschool mom, I have a new teacher and not Miss Susan. "
Mom, "What if I take you to get a donut on the way, would that be ok?"

Yeah, I am a happy boy now!

Still not sure about going in the builing.
Braeden is extremely shy when meeting a new teacher and this time was no exception. His arms were like vice grips around my neck, he was making sure that I stayed with him. I stayed for a few songs and then it was time. The teacher pried him from me and off I went. I stayed around the corner and had someone spy on him for me. " He is standing in the corner", "He is sitting close to the group", "He is in the group but not singing, but still frowning" Ok, I know he is going to be ok. Still, I feel a little sad knowing he is scared. He has the same kids in his class from last year so I know he has ready made good friends. I walked in the building to pick him up and there he was with a smile on his face and could not wait to tell me about the fun day he had with his new teacher. Whew!

Labor day at Holly lake

2008-09-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun this weekend. We visited Grams and Gramps at Holly Lake for our holiday. The kids always like to go play a round or two of miniture golf and have slushies in the clubhouse when they come here. We took rides in the golf cart around the lake to look for deer. They have so much fun steering, it makes them feel so grown up. Of course we ate a ton of good food and played games on end. The kids could not stop talking about the bingo game. I think I should look into getting one of those. It was a big hit! We spent Monday on the lake. As I am writing Braeden says"when it bumps around, I like to jump. I go sooo fast!" Both of the boys liked to go as fast as the engine could take them. We also spent some time in the canoe. Ok, I think waverunners is the way to go. They each took their turn rowing and trying to rock the boat. No smooth sailing with boys, it always has to be an adventure! I found out there were muscles I have not used in a long time from waterskiing. I can barely walk today and just brushing my hair hurts. I think a workout is in order. We ended the day with Pizza and we snoozed as soon as we started home in the car. Sorry Brett. We hit the rainstorms from Gustov on our way back to Houston and we were glad to come home to sunny clear skies. Thank you for a great weekend Grams and Gramps!

I got my Wolf!

2008-09-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

I got my wolf! Devin earned his wolf a gold
and two silver arrows, his bb gun beltloop,
and archery beltloop. When the Scout Master
asked him about how he earned these he told
him and when he asked him how many targets
he hit, he said "Well, actually I didn't hit any."
I guess it is the trying that counts. I think he
should get a medal for being so honest. :-)
He made a smore tie holder and ate a ton of
chocolate, marshmellows and graham crackers.
Now on to more belt loops and arrows!

3rd grade

2008-08-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hushed, I sneek upstairs not to wake Braeden. I sat on Devins bed a while and looked at him sleeping. He has grown up so much. Do I wake him or just keep him here with me forever? A touch on his arm, "mom, is it time!?" He is so excited he jumps out of bed and races to his clothes. He is so excited he wants to skip breakfast and go straight to school. Got your backpack? your waterbottle? -"What pictures again!"- Hand in hand we walk down the street. He is still not to old and I am grateful. He is talking about homework and recess and the discoveries about his classroom. He misses school. He loves to learn. To the school door and I make him stop for another photo. Really I am stalling so I can see him one more time before he makes his journey through the third grade. In he goes, smiling. Off I go smiling too. I am so blessed with this little boy God has entrusted to me.

Childhood memories

2008-08-24T18:57:00.001-07:00

Today, I’m thinking about memories....we all have times in our lives when we feel particularly inclined to reflect on our past and remember people, places, and events. I was at my childhood home recently and took a good look at some of my favorite things. I decided to take some pictures of things that sparked these memories . If I could record the sights and sounds of my childhood you would hear the laughter of music, Children playing . As I go through my house, I look around. There are memories everywhere. If these walls could talk, they would speak of the music on Sunday, the sound of rain on the fan in the bathroom, Little noises of a busy mom in the kitchen. The whoosh of the heater as it starts its morning from the cold outdoors. It would hear little whispers of sisters talking from room to room trying to not bring the attention of their parents. The melodies from the piano whose keys were touched by those seeking joy, retreat, comfort. These I carry in my head from years gone past. Perhaps some of the best pictures are seen with the eyes closed and the heart open.

photo journal

2008-08-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Jump on it!

2008-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Our last horrah before school started. It is still so hot out that we went to jump on it. They have fun, but I think I have more fun just watching them. They still are buds and inseparable. A few more days until school, I have mixed feelings about that. I am glad that I have one more year with Braeden at home. I am not ready to send my last away.

2008-08-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Devin at the beach

2008-08-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Up and down the beach for shells. In they go to his collection drawer. Hey, I wonder if this passes of a wolf elective.hehe

Gotta love that smile!

Every time he would come out of the water, I wondered if he would still be wearing his trunks. He would live in the water if he could. He dove under, over and through the waves. I had to stay close by, or he might of ended up in Florida!

Galveston beach

2008-08-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Devin and Braeden spent so much time making these "sand dollup" castles. It required one drip upon drip to make this castle. Of course in true boy style, the second it was done. SMASH,STOMP. I am glad I got a picture in before the demolition.

Braeden at the beach in Galveston and the beach Braeden refers to "the dirty water beach". He is used to the crystal clear water of New Zealand. Sorry Braeden the Gulf coast will never be that paradise.

Ahhh, this is the life, ok now mom hurry and get me out so I can catch the waves.

Girls night out

2008-08-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Girls night out! My friend Mellisa got her hands on some tickets to the Leann Rhimes, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney concert and asked a bunch of us to go. To be honest, I had to brush up on the songs they sing. My radio is usually playing some kids bop song or radio disney. I knew just to get out would be fun, since Brett has been traveling so much. I had to dig deep into my closet to come up with an outfit that would resemble some country and found this blinged out belt buckle. Actually, if I showed up in a jean miniskirt with cowboy boots, I would have fit right in. You all know thats not going to happen. hehe. We had such a good time! Leann was down to earth and gave a great show. Keith Urban ROCKED!!! He was more like a rock concert. Plus, he is not so bad on the eyes. We left after the 2nd or 3rd song of Kenny Chensey. I heard Keith came back on at the end, we should have stayed! What a great time and a new experience for me in country music. We will have to plan our next adventure soon. THANK YOU Mellisa!

No teeth!

2008-08-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Look mom, I pulled my tooth! Devin is great at pulling his own teeth and has pulled all of them but 1. Now we cannot wait to get to the big teeth stage. Pretty soon he will not have any teeth left!

Braeden Basketball

2008-08-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Braeden just finished up the summer basketball season at the YMCA. He makes an excellent gaurd and is quick on his feet. When he scores a point his whole day is made. So many years standing on the sidelines waiting to be old enough. Finally, his chance to shine and he did!

The family album

2008-08-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook