Beautiful Snow

It was like nothing I have ever seen in Texas. It was so thick and pretty.  You just couldn't help but make a snowman or throw a snowball at someone. The flakes we were so big as they fell it was like I was in a Christmas show and the snow machine was doing a great job at making all of the snow. We loved every moment of it even if our hands were ice cubes at the end of the fun. What a beautiful sight it was to see!!!

Kenzie could not stop eating it all up. It was one big slushy to her. 

The big blob at the top of the picture was the snowball Scott threw right at my face. It ended up right at camera. 

old camera/new camera

Well we finally did it....we invested in a camera that might actually work more than two years. It seems like once the two year mark hits our cameras go bad. Our first one 4 years ago started taking blurry pictures so then we got our "day after Christmas Sale" camera two years ago. As I was taking pictures of the kids icing Scott's b-day cake it did captured the moment but all of the moments are now in red. So another bites the dust.  My favorite thing about an expensive camera is that the zoom actually works. Heee On our other cameras the more I would zoom the blurrier the picture would get.  We are excited to play with our new purchase. :)

Here is the last of the pictures with the old camera

Icing daddy's cake

The new camera

Action shot

Excuse the trash can in the back ground. I just love her little face in this picture. 

Happy Birthday Scott!!

Ever since I met Scott I have been told many times by he and his family  that he was born during half time of the Super Bowl. It is like one of those stories your grandmother tells you every time she sees you thinking you have never heard it before. Well,  this story is different because it is one I do love hearing over and over again. After knowing Scott for 8 years more or less I have decided that it is one of my favorite stories and that that was the best darn super bowl ever played because that was the day my husband and father of my children was born into this world. He is a leader, encourager, a romantic at times, thoughtful, caring, family man, Christian, supporter, builder, handy man, successful business man, smart, intelligent, creative, determined, energetic, protector,and of course so handsome. Who wouldn't want to celebrate this wonderful man and I am so lucky that I get to. 

Scott I love you so much and I am thankful to God that 35 years ago today he blessed this world with you. Thank you for all that you do and being that husband and father that you are. Happy Birthday Hubby!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Today is my moms birthday and there are no words that really explain how wonderful she is not only as a mom, but in every area of her life. On Monday I told her I wanted to take her to lunch to celebrate while just having McKenzie. ( Ryan was at SS Noah.) Kenzie has a horrible cold and was ready for a nap, but I was determined to take my mom out and celebrate her. Once the food got there kenzie lasted about 2 more minutes and she suggested we get it to go and we finished the rest of the meal at home. It was a disaster but my mom didn't care. All she wanted was to do what was best for Kenzie. She is an amazing grandmother. My kids ADORE her and she drops anything ( except playing bridge days. Heee) to be with them. She runs around with Ryan helping him "fight the bad guys", hides old toys around her house just because the kids get so excited to find them, buys books she thinks they will learn from and toys she thinks they will enjoy and food that she knows will be their favorite. Ever since Ryan could sit on a bike she has pushed him up this hill  in her back yard and holds on to him and the bike as she runs down the hill. Then again, she pushes him up the hill and runs down, pushes him up and runs down. This Christmas she pushed him up once again and he finally could go down the hill all buy himself without falling over. Then she turns around and plays music, sings, entertains and loves on Kenzie. She truly, truly enjoys being around them even when they are acting like crazy kids. She just smiles and looks at me as I am about to self destruct and says it is going to be ok.....they are going to turn out ok. Because to be honest there are times I truly wonder. :) 

My mom has such a gift that she doesn't even realize she has. She has an amazing, loving and unselfish spirit about her that makes people feel comfortable when she is around. When there is a task that has to be done or a mission that needs to be taken care of my mom is the first one in line to help. Whether it be shopping the world for a coat for Kenzie when they don't sell them anymore, or planting flowers in my yard, or helping me get my house ready for a party she is THERE!!! Since Scott is not home much at night she invites us over many nights to eat with them and then ALWAYS sends me with leftovers for us the next night. At times my mom and I go run errands together, but half the time we never get hers done because my kids start to melt down and she still seems to always want to go with me the next time. 

I aspire to be the mom that she was and is to me and I pray I can be half the grandmother that she is to my kids. 

Mom, I love you with all my heart and I pray that God bless you for the heart you have towards all that are around you. Thank you for being you and thank you for being apart of our lives and loving us the way you do. Happy Birthday mom!!!

Christmas Day

Christmas eve we had Scott's parents, sister, brother-in-law and their three kids spend the night so everyone could wake up and enjoy opening their gifts together. After the kids went to bed all the adults had so much fun laying out all the presents and setting up the santa gifts. It all looked like so much fun that I don't think any of us could wait until the morning just to see the kids faces. Ryan, Evan and Kenzie got a bike from Santa and the girls got an American girl doll. When Kenzie first saw the bikes she immediately turned away from hers and tried to get on her cousins bike which was more like her big-brothers. I think we may have a tom boy on our hands. Once she realized that she had a big stuffed dog sitting in hers it became her favorite. Santa also gave Ryan two super heroes and a girl super hero to Kenzie which she loved and would not put down for awhile. 

My parents joined us in the morning to see the kids open their gifts and stayed for breakfast. The rest of the family ended up staying all day playing and enjoying the time together. We ended the day with a homemade dinner that Scott's mom cooked and everyone left exhausted, but having enjoyed every moment. 

This is what I looked like the whole day. A camera in one hand and the video camera in the other.

Ryan seeing his bike.....the hair is lovely

Kenzie seeing her bike

Now trying to get on Evans

Good thing for the soft doggy

Kenzie's super hero

The girls

So much for no guns in the house......Scott and his mom got everyone a Nerf gun to play with. Kenzie was not having it...she was ready to use hers. :)

Target practice....They lined up plastic cups along the stairs

I ended up having some little surprises as well. I got a GPS since I never seem to know where I am going and a gift card to my new favorite store. Scott also wrapped up packages with little pieces of paper in them that told me where to find my gifts. The first one was in the back of the Tahoe. It is one of my favorites....a great American cookie company cookie cake. YUM Every time they have a sample out in the mall I run up like a little kid a get one. 

The next one told me to go into the laundry room freezer which is where I found a big bag of Sonic ice. I love me some sonic!!

The last one was the perfect gift for our house. We have been looking for something to go in the art niche above our fire place and he found it. It is beautiful!!

The guys trying to hang the rod iron piece

I LOVE it!!! 

Poor Scott has had to return two of his gifts already, but his birthday is in 3 weeks so I can find something that actually works right or is the right size. Heeeee

What a wonderful Christmas we all had being together. It was such a special time to see the kids just be kids and enjoy the season. I remember feeling the same way as a kid and now it is such a joy to see my kids experience the same excitement. 

Christmas Eve

We had a great time celebrating Christmas at my parents on Christmas Eve. We ate a yummy Turkey dinner and began to open gifts. Ryan couldn't hardly stand it seeing all the gifts and not being able to open them until after dinner. He kept going over and finding every gift that said R-Y-A-N. He knows when he sees his name and he got so excited every time he saw it. He got lots of super hero dress up clothes as well as action figures. He also got a Hulk bath Science kit that I was glad to leave over at my moms for her to experiment with. Heee My parents set up a scavenger hunt for Ryan to find his last gift which was a spiderman scooter. I don't know who liked it more Ryan or Kenzie. She kept trying to pull Ryan off of it so that she could ride it. Anything and everything Ryan does she does or thinks she can do. 

It was so fun seeing Kenzie actually enjoying Christmas this year as she is a year older. She loved to unwrap her gifts and wanted to play with each thing that moment. She LOVES dogs so my mom got her a puppy that barks and rolls over when anything gets near it. That is as real as it is going to get for now. :) We ended the night singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and Ryan got to blow out the candle and eat some cake which he truly enjoyed celebrating Jesus. 

When we left my parents house the doors to our car where frozen shut and snow was everywhere. It was a perfect White Christmas Eve and we were all ready for Santa. 

Thank you mom and dad for a great Christmas!!!

Kenzie enjoying her dinner

Kenzie kept laying on her dog and laughing. It was her new best friend.

Ryan found his scooter

Iron Man

Storm Tropper

Singing Happy Birthday

McKenzie's turn

We were all SO tired after a busy night