Deep in the HEART of Texas

20 Year HS Reunion

2010-07-12T09:17:00.010-05:00

I've been needing to post about a million things that we've been up to this summer so I thought I'd try to catch up before the summer ends and my last semester starts. I kept debating whether or not I wanted to go to my 20 year reunion. Pretty much everyone that I cared to keep in contact with was on Facebook so I kinda didn't feel the need to go. But my sister was telling me that your reunion is kind of like your HS prom, if you don't go, you will always regret it... so with that, we went!! Brent was super supportive and really wanted to go so that was good.

At my 10 year, we sat with Sherry and her husband Chris. We laughed b/c they live about 45 minutes from us here in Dallas and we flew half way across the country to have dinner with them. Brent said we could've done that from home. hehe!

My sweet from Yasi. Seriously, lucky her, she hasn't aged a bit since HS!

Brent and Yasi's husband... having a good time!

When it came to hanging out, this was some of my posse! Yasi, Sherry, Kim, Tammy and me. Gaelyn, Cristin and Gaby were missing... we haven't been together since the day of graduation.

My dear friend Denyelle! She made my HS years fun!

Gina, me, Yasi, Sherry, Marissa and Toni. Good times!

And the winners are... Sherry for having the most kids, Scott for traveling the furthest and me for being married the longest...haha... only in LA would 17 years be the longest!

Over all we had a great time. It was fun seeing people I hadn't seen in 20 years. It's crazy how life takes you down different roads when we initially started off at the same place!

Happy Easter

2010-04-06T19:02:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to post a few of the pictures of the kids. They actually wore their Easter outfits the last Sunday in March since we were going to have General Conference for Easter.
I can't believe how handsome my little Kolton has become. He will be 12 next month. He was sweet enough to wear the tie I got him just b/c it matches the girls dresses. I hope he will always be so easy when it comes to this stuff.

I just love, love this picture. My three sweethearts. I'm so biased but aren't they just the cutest???

Sweet gentle Brees, and Shocking Shockey!

2010-03-05T08:29:00.010-06:00

(I've been needing to blog about this but it still makes me sad but this is our family journal; good and bad, they are our experiences in life.)

As I stated in my last post, we got a puppy. We had headed out of Louisiana and we were just exhausted. (If you read my last post, you know we spent 12 solid hours trying to clean our rent house then got up very early the next morning to drive to Louisiana.) Anyways, Brent is always the driver on our trips but he said he was drowsy so I being the sweet wife that I am, offered to drive us home. So, he happily agreed. Anyways, we got in to Shreveport and needed gas so I pulled over to fill up. Of course anyone who travels knows that as soon as you stop, everyone wakes up. Well, we got gas and as I was driving off when the whole family noticed a sign that said "Puppies for Sale- Shit-zu's". I told Brent we needed to go on but he and the kids insisted we stop. So knowing we didn't want to spend $350.00 on Christmas Eve, I humored them all and turned around and stopped. UGH! Oh, how I wish I hadn't stopped. Well, before we knew it we were driving down the road with a sweet, toy shih-tzu we named "Brees". He was so dang cute and sweet.

He just loved to sit on your lap and sleep. He let the kids just tote him around and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. He would untie my shoes. He was just the perfect dog. We just all absolutely fell in love with him.

I tried playing the devil's advocate and tried not to get close to him, but somehow I did. I don't even really like animals. One afternoon, six days later on December 30th, our new renter called and wasn't feeling well and wanted me to come pick up the rent for January. (Since she had the rent, I was happy to go get it.) So I left the kids cleaning the house and ran to get the money. Brent was gone helping a friend move some furniture. So I got in the car went and got the money, took it to the bank and passed the car wash on the way home. I thought, ugh, this car is so filthy, I'm going to get it cleaned. By the time I made it home, I'd been gone about an hour. I came in and Kourtney and Kaelyn said they were hungry so I immediately started making them some lunch. Then we ate. I always go upstairs to check on the kids and see how they had progressed but I didn't this time since I got distracted making lunch. After lunch, I got on the computer for a few minutes when Kolton came downstairs screaming that Brees was dead. I said what?!! He was carrying a lifeless little 1.8 lb puppy in his arms. I freaked out. I don't deal well with blood let alone death. Apparently while I was gone, Kylee had decided to bathe him and then just laid him down on the bathroom rug. Kolton found him sometime later. I immediately called Brent. Anyone who knows Brent, knows he is a "Jack of all trades". I knew he could fix Brees, too. I can't ever recall a time that Brent hasn't fixed what I needed fixing, literally! ANyways, I was screaming on the phone and Brent thought I told him that I couldn't get Kolton to wake up. So Brent fell to his knees. He asked me what happened and I said "Kylee drowned" but he never understood the rest of my sentence which ended with "the dog." So now he was obviously in a massive panic. Poor guy. I handed the phone to Kolton who calmly explained to his dad that his baby sister had drowned their new puppy. He was relieved to say the least... the rest of us where still in panic mode. I will never forget my sweet Kourtney trying to give him CPR. It still makes me cry to this day. Brent told Kolton to take a towel and wait outside for him in the back yard. All five of us just cried and cried. This poor sweet puppy died because of my neglect. It just didn't seem fair. Can't he have 9 lives? I promise I'll take Kylee with me, I promise just bring him back to life... we will all be more careful. Well, it wasn't meant to be. Brent got home shortly and took the dog and buried him in the back yard. Most of us stayed inside. Kolton and Kourtney wrote Brees these letters. (We found them next to his grave about a week later, so I took them before the weather did.)

Brent took us and hugged us all and cried with us. We knelt and had prayer thanking the Lord for the short time we had been blessed withBrees. Brent got the scriptures and read to us from Alma about resurrection. That brought us peace but we still grieved. The next few days, the kids would break down and just cry and cry and I would join them. Soon I began to think I was crazy. How could I mourn the loss of a puppy we only had for 6 days! I seriously was going to need some puppy grief counseling. I believe in God's Plan whole heartedly but why would he need our puppy? I can often justify death by saying the Lord needed him, but did he really need our puppy??? I came to understand, he didn't need our puppy, but we needed to learn the value of life. It was a painful lesson, but I understood and in the end, obviously we were glad it was our puppy and not a family member.

So, the crying continued and the only thing that seemed to help was to think about getting another puppy but maybe one not so fragile and tiny. (Brees was a toy shih-tzu so he would only get to be about 6 lbs. full grown). Anyways, we looked on Craig's List and found a small rat-terrier/chihuaha mix. Great a mutt, a cheap one, too. That's what we need. So two weeks after Brees died, we got another puppy.

But this one I'm pretty sure is a crack baby! He is so hyper and wild. So different from Brees. But at the same time better for our family because we all know Kylee can barely hold him for two seconds before he is gone. So now it's been almost 2 months and Shockey has made it. We really wanted to show Brees that we could be good, responsible owners so we are happy and are trying to remember how quickly life can change so value every minute!

December Happenings

2010-01-11T17:30:00.011-06:00

Before we could even blink, December came and went. I think part of it was because I was out of energy and not in the festive mood. But here's a run down of all the craziness we did this month.

Kourtney had her piano recital and did awesome. She has a new teacher and has improved so much. It's fun to hear her start to play church hymns. I think she is loving it too, especially since she recognizes the songs she is playing.

Kolton is in Honor Choir and had a few performances. They really sound good and I'm proud that he's willing to be in choir. Now if I could just get him to sing at church!

I finished my second to last semester, yah! I ended up taking 12 hours and ended up with 2 B's and 2 A's. It feels so good to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing is I feel like I'm running out of gas. I hope I can finish these last classes.... My goal is to have my bachelors by the time I go to my HS reunion this summer.

Well Texas brought us snow...TWICE! We got some Christmas Eve which was nice to have a white Christmas. Luckily for me, it was gone in two days!

Every year we have a Christmas Family Home Evening with Brent's family. It's definitely one of our favorite times of the year. We were all together this year. Next year Lance will be on his mission but there will be a few new little ones.

The kids enjoyed their Christmas. The three older ones got electronic devices. Kolton and Kourtney got I-touches which they love and Kaelyn got a Nintendo DSi, however I think she would've rather of had a I-touch like the older two. Kylee got some dolls and a stroller and all that girly stuff. They also got this adorable puppy. (Tragic story of puppy coming soon.)

We finally got rid of our crappy renter that was only paying a little here and there each month. Finally, she admitted they couldn't afford to live there and I told her we couldn't afford to keep paying 2 houses either. She ageed to move out since she didn't have any money to give me in December. Wow! Lady, you are so thoughtful since it's December and we have to make 2 house payments again. Anyways, she wanted to move out on the 26th... really, so you have a nice house to live in for Christmas, while we are paying for it. I told her she had to be out by the weekend which was the 22nd. Anyways, they left. Meanwhile, I put the house on Craigslist and a lady wanted it and wanted it on the 22nd. Well, our previous renter left the house a disaster and just bailed on us so we spent the entire day (we were supposed to of left and been in Louisiana with Brent's family) cleaning the house and making repairs. By the end of the day we had a new renter and our old one was out. What a blessing on both sides!!! So far everything has been good with our new renter and we hope it stays that way.

Thankful Thursday!

2009-11-05T08:35:00.002-06:00

I am thankful for a husband who's willing to do whatever it takes while I'm studying.

Thanks for being such a great dad! We love you!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T16:31:00.002-06:00

Well, it's about time!

2009-10-21T08:41:00.023-05:00

Kolton's been nagging me to update our blog and my friend Jessica even put me in time out on her blog, so I thought I'd update you on what we've been up to for the past few months.

This summer we took a road trip. We stopped in New Mexico first and went through the Carlsbad Caverns. I can't believe I lived the first 14 years of my life in NM and had never been to the Caverns. They were absolutely amazing. Kylee kept saying "WOW"!

We then headed to LA to see my family.

You can't go to California without a visit to the beach. The kids loved it even if the water was freezing.

We quickly drove through Vegas and told the kids they weren't allowed to look at any of the billboards. (lol) Then on to St. George we went. We did all the site seeing there, including the Temple. It was so beautiful there.

We went to the Grand Canyon, another amazing site to see. It was a little nerve racking with the little ones. Even though there are fences around most areas, there are gaps where it meets the ground so one little slip from a 2 or 3 year old could send them to death. Very scary, but definitely worth seeing.

Then we were back to my old stomping grounds, Farmington, NM. It was so great to show the kids where I grew up and all the places I used to go to. We spent the afternoon with my BFF since Jr. High, Melissa and her family. It was so great to see her. We laughed and laughed just like old times!

The kids started back to school at the end of August.

Kolton now in 6th grade is far too cool to have his picture taken by his mom, so I snuck this one in.

I decided I was ready for a change so I chopped my hair and I really like it. I also started back to school and started off taking 18 hours, b/c I am so tired of going and am ready to be done, but after the first few days, realized I wasn't being realistic with 4 kids, a husband, a calling and a life so I dropped down to 12 and am doing just great with those.

Kaelyn turned 4 on the 27th of September. We had her party at Let'd Jump which is a giant indoor inflatable jump place. She had a blast.

Kylee loved it too, but did throw a tantrum here and there!

Kylee, me, Jared (behind me) and Jamie got into the fun, too.

Brent and I came down some slides as well.

Brent's sister Dawn, and Lance and Brent's bro. Jared and wife, Jamie came for the party. Kolton had a football game that evening, too. Then the kids had their Primary Program the next day so it was a busy weekend but had a great time visiting with Brent's family.

Kourtney is playing soccer for the first time which means she is usually doing this,

but occasionally does this!! She is having a blast so that is all that matters, right!

July, July, July!!

2009-07-16T11:58:00.025-05:00

Happy July everyone!! I know, I know, I've been slacking here. But to my defense, I'm taking 12 hours of summer school, so most of my spare time is spent cleaning or doing school work. But anyways, to update you on our lives, here's what we've been up to this month so far.

The cutest baby on earth wishes you a Happy 4th!!

Jeremy Livingston, Chris Howard and Brent (all former California, Arcadia Missionaries).

Future missionaries. Kolton, Hunter Howard and Jeremy's son.

The girls of course wanted their picture taken as well so here's Kourtney with Sherry's daughter Emory.

And of course, me and Sherry. I know I looked exhausted we had been to Kolton's ball game, the Temple earlier, then to dinner, then over to Sherry's for a birthday party.

We went to the Ranger game.

We participated in the 4th of July parade at the church breakfast.

Kylee has been pedaling her bike since she could walk. It's the funniest thing to see.

Kolton posed for a picture but of course was way too cool to ride in the parade. He's 11, you know!

Kourtney and her scooter.

We spent some time on the lake in Loiusiana. Here are the little ones watching. They loved it!

Kourtney and Lesli getting ready for the ride of their life from Uncle Kevin. They say his boat goes over 75mph. Brent rode with him and said his eyeballs were stuck to the back of his head.

Mumsie (Brent's mom) enjoying the ride with Kylee.

Kolton loves knee boarding.

Brent wake boarded a ton. He's good. He gets up everytime and stays on a long time. Better than I could ever do that's for sure.

Kylee again on the boat telling me her dad is back there in the water.

I did let Brent pull me on the tube.

Jamie and Lance chillaxin' in the boat.

In a nut shell...

2009-05-20T07:30:00.025-05:00

WOW! I've been slacking on this blogging stuff. Sorry! We've been so busy with everything going on. Here's what we've been up to "In a nut shell."

Kolton is playing baseball as usual and Brent is coaching his team. He's been pitching and doing really well.

He pitched at last night's game.

He's also a great catcher.

Pep talk with coach after the game. They won 12-4.

Jon brought the boys to show their support. They even wore their Red Sox garb.

We joined a family gym and the kids love it. Kylee got herself ready even though we had no intentions of going.

She is so funny. She'll say, "Mommy, I funny!"

Kourtney got Student of the Month at her school.

They had a special lunch with parents. We are so proud of her.

My mom made these adorable matching dresses for the girls.

Kourtney had a piano recital. She did so good.

As if we don't watch enough baseball in our home, our ward went to the Ranger game. They beat the Mariners. Way fun!

Brent's niece got married. Don't you love Kolton's blue teeth? He just ate some blue candy. Lovely!

Kylee was a little hot, but ohhh so cute as usual!

Lesli and Kourt did some dancing, while cute prego Lynsi

watched.

Kourtney got braces.

Kylee turned 2!! That's cake she's wearing...hehe

Kylee had a good time flirting with Davis. She's so agressive. LOL!

More cake pictures.

So there you have it. Pretty much everything we've been up to in the last 6 weeks. Crazy how time flies. I finished my semester with a 3.75. I'm pretty proud of myself since I'm a full time student. I started summer school on Monday. Yuck! But I'm anxious to finish next Spring. Yah, I'm a Senior!

Great Getaway

2009-04-12T17:25:00.010-05:00

So, Brent and I have needed to get away and have a little vacation for ourselves. So my mom offered to come and watch the kids. I planned us a trip for Brent's birthday to go to Las Vegas and St. George. We had such a great time and feel refreshed enough to take on four kids again. Here are some of our highlights.

Dancing the YMCA with Kato Kaelin.

Posing with Kato Kaelin... aren't you jealous!! LOL! I didn't get any pictures cause it would've been to creepy, but all the Miss USA contestants were at the same hotel (Planet Hollywood Hotel) that we stayed at. They were all over the place. Brent says he's rootin' for Miss Georgia!

The next day we went to St. George. OMGoodness. It is beautiful there. The weather was perfect and Brent was soooo impressed with the courses there.

This is my good friend Steve from HS. It was soo good to see him.

We woke up Thursday morning to find this in our driveway. I just thought it was cool that it had Brent's name on it. hehehe!

This is Brent and Steve heading out for their BIG day!

When we first got to SG, Brent couldn't wait to golf so I drove the cart while he golfed... migraine and all.

Brent in the sand traps. He probably won't like that I put this picture on here. hehe

Our "casita" was on the 9th hole... literally. This is the view from our patio.

I came out to take a few pictures of Brent and Steve on the 9th hole.

Kourtney's Baptism

2009-02-27T08:04:00.011-06:00

Kourtney's 8th Birthday was last Saturday, the 21st. She was so excited because she was not only turning 8 but she was going to get baptized. We were able to have our own due to an understanding Bishop. Kourtney planned the whole thing so I know it really meant alot to her. Brent's sister spoke on baptism and did an amazing job. The spirit was so strong. She talked about Kourtney being the 8th generation to join the church. She had Brent read his line of authority as it was traced back to Jesus Christ. It really was such a good talk. Then Kolton spoke on the Holy Ghost. He related the Holy Ghost to a GPS system that guides you and lets you know when you've made a bad turn. It was sweet to see Kourtney feel the spirit. She was very emotional.

Just before her baptism. Kylee and Kaelyn already had their bows out of their hair!

I love this pose. They look so sweet. (I can't take the credit, I copied it from a friend of mine.)

Brent's immediate family (except his brother Chad and his family and Dawn's husband, Kevin) came. I can't believe how much we have grown through the years.

Four of the 8th generation Legacy!

Then of course, Brent's extended family came, too. They are all so supportive and it really meant alot to us to have our close family and friends come to such a special event in Kourtney's life. We had a birthday luncheon at our house afterwards with about 50 people. I wish I would've taken more pictures then but I was too busy running around. Thanks to everyone who shared our special day with us...you mean the world to us!

Brent's mom and sister ordered her 8 white roses. She loved them.

Kourtney and her cake.

Tanner, Tom and Amy our neighbors came. They are always so supportive. They come to the kids Primary program and special events for the kids. They are truly great friends and neighbors to have!

My BF from HS came, Sherry and her husband, Chris and four of their six kids came. Chris was a huge help. He got right in and helped with all the food. It was great!

Finally!

2009-02-12T21:02:00.007-06:00

Well, it's been awhile since I last updated my blog. Wow, it's been since Christmas. Well, I guess since I'm now in school, keeping up and finding the time to write is a little tricky. I'm glad to be back in school and if all goes well, I'll be graduating in December of 2009. Here are some of our updates for the past six weeks.

Well, I had to take a picture of this. I came downstairs and found Kaelyn reading the ESPN magazine. I promise you, she didn't learn this from me! LOL!!

We had an ice storm January 28th. School was cancelled so Kolton immediately got his four wheeler out and spun donuts.

The little ones thought they'd experience a little ice as well.

I just thought this one was sweet.

Kourtney is turning 8 on the 21st so we are planning her baptism that day as well as her birthday party. She is really excited. My cute friend Sarah made these adorable invitations for her big day. So I just had to share them.

Christmas day

2008-12-27T19:23:00.010-06:00

Ahhh, the joy of waking up and seeing what Santa brought. The kids tried waking us up at 7 am but we pleaded with them to let us sleep a little longer. Finally, they coarsed us into getting out of bed. (Notice the neatness of the gifts)

AND... a few minutes later, chaos has hit!!! I tried and even to this day, I still haven't gotten the house back together.

Kolton started Intermediate School this year and has been educated on name brand clothing. He informed me that Old Navy and Children's Place were no longer his style! So he asked for Abercrombie and Hollister clothing. So here he is all decked out in some of his clothes.

The little ones trying to wake up. Kourtney's picture needs no explanation. Santa knows her well!!

Here's Kylee trying to figure out what this hoopala is all about!

And this is one sexy vacuum... I mean husband! I tell him he is the hottest man on earth when he is doing the dishes or vacuuming! Ladies, don't you agree? I did get this vacuum for Christmas. Don't worry, I asked for one. I wanted a light weight one for the stairs.

Christmas Celebration

2008-12-27T18:55:00.008-06:00

Wow, so much to do in one quick month. Here is just a picture of Kylee in a cute Christmas dress that she only got to wear once :( so I had to get a picture of her even while she was sleeping.

Kourtney was the "new" star in the church Christmas Program. Aunt Donna and I designed her star. Isn't she cute? We kept telling her she was the star of the show!! I didn't realize though that the star was sooo bright. It reflected the flash really bad.... sorry, there isn't a better picture.

Brent's entire family came to our house to celebrate Christmas the weekend before. We had a great time. We packed 23 people into our home. We made some great memories. Here is just a portion of the gifts! It's our tradition to have a Family Home Evening where each family shares something or just their thoughts. It's one of my favorite events of the year. It really bonds us as a family and increases my testimony of the Savior. I made a Noel "handout" for everyone since you know... I'm the "handout queen".

Here is Kaelyn and her cousin Morgan in their self made boat. Crazy girls!!

Our Project

2008-12-27T18:46:00.003-06:00

I saw this in a magazine and really wanted one but had no idea where to get one so instead my crafty husband made it for me. I love the way it turned out!!

Pictures!

2008-12-04T13:35:00.011-06:00

So!!! Our photo session wasn't as bad as I anticipated but I will reiterate that trying to get four kids to pose for a family picture is almost impossible. Here are some samples.

The engagement pose, again. What's up with that????

I'm framing each of these of the kids so I printed them in black and white.

Kourtney, doesn't she look innocent?

Sweet little Kaelyn.

Forever my baby, Kylee!

Happy Holidays?????

2008-12-02T07:19:00.015-06:00

We have been so busy around here. We left for Louisiana for Thanksgiving. We had some awesome food. Kevin fried a turkey that was delicious and of course there were 10 X's the amount of desserts needed so that's always a plus in my book.

Kylee and some Thanksgiving football. Go Cowboys!!!

Brent's nephew Lance plays HS football. Their team was in the playoffs since they had only lost one game all season. So we all went to Shreveport to watch him play. When we got there it started to pour rain. I had packed for cold weather but not for rain. We did the best we could. Here are some pictures of us trying to stay dry.

There's Lance, #64. I felt so bad for the boys... it was soooo wet and slippery.

Who's the momma and who's the baby?

We got back from Louisiana late Friday night so Saturday morning Brent quickly went to work!!

Kolton was in charge of checking all the bulbs.

The girls and I decorated the kids tree while the boys worked outside.

Sunday after church, I attempted once again to get a picture of the kids. This is one of about 25 pictures. We have family pictures today... I hope they go better than this did!

Sisters or partners in crime??

I had to post this one since she is a mini ME. I only got one out of four!!! Oh and don't you just love her boots... she does too!

What's new???

2008-11-09T19:12:00.017-06:00

In case you are wondering what happened to me..... here it is!

Well, when you decide to have a VT Conference and make 85 Gourmet Carmel Apples, you can bet you take on more than you should because then your life revolves around apples. Luckily Brent helped me and so did DeeDee and Tammy but it was alot of work. I'm pretty sure I'll be finding chocolate on the walls for the next 30 years!!! Oh well, they turned out yummy, the evening was perfect and I got lots of compliments for the whole event. So here are the remainder of the events I haven't had time to blog about.

Kaelyn was a black cat (even though you can't see her tail) and Kylee was the cutest Bumble Bee ever for Halloween.

Football still seems to consume our lives each week. Only a few more weeks to go... but who's counting???

I tried getting a family picture after church, but well this was the best I could do. And yes, Kaelyn has my shoes on as usual. Oh and speaking of church, our ward just split... again, well at least now we have church at 11:30 am instead of 2:00 pm. Ahhh, so much better!!!

Brent and I went to our annual Halloween party. Where we were of course star struck to see Brangelina and their multi-cultural family there.

Popeye and Olive were there.

We had some peace and quiet.

A nice chinese couple came... oh, maybe that's Mike and Julie.

BTW- Julie is normally like a size 3!!!

Tammy the disco diva and her man!

Sarah Palin of course with Larry King.

Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson. It must of been a great costume because two couples came as them.

It was a fun night...AGAIN! Brent and I went as Dora and Diego, I'll have to get some pictures from someone else, cause dingy me didn't have anyone take any.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-28T08:16:00.011-05:00

Happy Fall Everyone!! It's actually going to be a cool 65 today. So it's starting to feel like Fall. The kids had to wear pants and a jacket. Hopefully, they won't get too used to it since the remainder of the week is going to be in the high 70's.

The kids got out of school half a day on Thursday, and were off all day on Friday for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Both kids got excellent reports and had straight A's. We are so proud of them. They are so much better at making good grades than Brent and I ever were. Kolton made the Honor Roll which we are so proud of him for working so hard. I even found him reading in his bed late at night... something we all know, he didn't get from Brent or me.

So since I had already had our conferences, Brent took Friday off from work and we headed to the Pumpkin Patch. Here are some of the pictures we took. Afterwards, we had lunch and headed to the movies with our friends to see "High School Musical 3". We really enjoyed it; even Kaelyn watched most of it until she fell asleep in my arms. Brent had the job of wrestling Kylee who of course fell asleep on the way there and was ready to play once we got there. Brent said he didn't mind all that much. He says he's not in to all that singing anyway! haha!! (Hence the title...Musical)

This Pumpkin Patch is so great. It's absolutely huge and everything is free, well unless you buy a $30.00 pumpkin. LOL!

Here's our cute little Pumpkin!!!

Here's the Pumpkin Bunch!!

On Saturday, the church around the corner was having a Trunk or Treat and Carnival for the community so we went with the neighbors. It was pretty fun and the kids had a good time.

***I almost forgot to mention the kids had their Primary Program. There were 130 kids in the Primary and every one of them had a part. They did an awesome job and luckily both of my kids knew their parts and spoke clearly. YAH!!! Next year Kaelyn will be up there... I'm sure I'll have a little bit of a melt down (she probably will, too).

JESUS take the wheel!!!

2008-10-14T17:52:00.011-05:00

What does this suburban...

These stupid shoes....

and this adorable, innocent three year old have in common?

Well, as moms across the world were busy making their children homemade cookies, this is what I was doing. I had been at the church all morning with the girls. Brent came up and brought us lunch. We needed to run some errands, so since both our cars were at the church we decided to drop one off. So we pulled into the driveway, he got out and went in the house to check his e-mail and since I had a bunch of things in the front seat, I decided to take them in the house. I let Kaelyn out of her car seat (1st mistake) and since Kylee was asleep, I decided to leave the car running (2nd mistake). I brought one load of stuff into the house and came right back out and then I started screaming, "OH NO!!!" and preceeded to run as fast as I could in those stupid flip flops with heels!!! I was freaking out thinking how am I going to stop this car??? They (the three year old who is driving and the sleeping baby in her car seat) were headed right towards the pool. UGH!!! I threw open the door and put the car in park. Kaelyn's eyes were the size of saucers. She was a little distraught and I was shaking. I drove the car back to the drive way and went in to tell Brent. I asked him if he heard me screaming, which of course he didn't. After that, Kaelyn would not get in the car, not even if dad was driving. Well, we learned alot of lessons today but most importantly is that someone was watching over us because there was no damage and no one was hurt. Whew, we'll just count our blessings!!

This is me sprinting into action. No, I didn't have time to grab the camera so I just re-enacted it for dramatical purposes.

As if CPS won't already be after me, Kylee woke up this morning with what I thought to be a small mosquito bite, but by mid day this is what it looked like... yikes!!!
UPDATE: Okay so after a little nap, Kylee woke up looking like this. Of course NOW it was after hours, so luckily Dr. Tennant in our ward was on at Care Now so Brent took her to see him. He gave her a prescription and wants to see her tomorrow to see how she's doing. POOR BABY!

My Surprise

2008-10-13T08:29:00.008-05:00

Anyone who knows Brent, knows he doesn't like surprises... but I do! So, for our anniversary we decided ahead of time that we would just have a nice dinner and then do some shopping. At about 4:30, I looked up to see my in-laws in my living room. I looked at Brent and he said, get your bags packed. So this is where we headed off to... The Southlake Town Center Hilton. He had arranged for me to have a massage the next day. We stayed in a suite, had a nice dinner at Copeland's, saw a movie, shopped around and stopped in for some Cheesecake from the Cheeesecake Factory. The next day I had a full hour Swedish massage while he went golfing with his VP at the Cowboy's (as in football) Club. He has really been wanting to golf there so that was a treat for him as well. We had a great time and I can't thank Brent's parents enough for coming and watching the kids for us. I know it was a big sacrifice for them. They had been in Baton Rouge the day before so it was a long trip for them. Thanks Ross and Judy! I love you dearly!

Happy Anniversary Honey!

2008-10-08T08:16:00.011-05:00

I can't believe it's been 15 years!!! I remember not being able to sleep the night before and having to wake up super early to get my hair and make-up done and yet I was still late to the Temple. Brent was sure I had changed my mind or at least his dad was trying to convince him of that. It has been a wild "journey" and as President Monson reminded us this weekend we should "Enjoy the Journey." I thought about that early this morning when I was up at 2:00 am making a bottle, thinking am I supposed to be "enjoying" this? I'd rather be "enjoying" some sleep right now. I sometimes think the day will never come when I will miss wiping toothpaste off the mirror, picking up toys, changing diapers and wiping handprints off the TV. Yet, something reminds me to stop a moment, and "Enjoy the Journey". So here we are 15 years later and I have enjoyed the journey so far and look forward to many more memories. Here are some of my favorite things about Brent. ( I think I'll list my top 15 since we've been married 15 years. I could come up with 15 million I'm sure, but I'll just name a few that come to mind.)

Brent here's some blackmail for you since I'm not the best at showing you that I love you!

#15- You always let me sleep in just a little more while you get the kids up and going in the morning.

#14- You randomly bring me Peanut M&M's just because you know I love them and you really don't care if I jeopardize my diet with them.

#13- You are the best "white boy" dancer I've ever seen.
#12- You will stop to help anyone on the side of the road, regardless of where we are going and what kind of a schedule we are on.

#11- You never meet a stranger and always manage to strike up a conversation to old men in Wal-mart just because you think they need company.

#10- You are so freaking hot! I know that may sound shallow, but hey, you have to be physically attracted...ALWAYS! (It helps that you are obsessed with working out.)

#9- You can seriously fix anything. In just one week you replaced a water heater (for our renters), fixed my dishwasher and replaced the garbage disposal. This one alone, makes you the envy of many spouses, I know.

#8- You're athletic. Thank goodness. If it were only up to me, our kids would be so uncoordinated. I haven't seen you play a sport that you can't do well.

#7- You have a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You are a great example to me.

#6- You gave me the cutest, smartest and funniest kids and I know those traits came from you... even though I always try to claim them. hehe!

#5- You work hard and provide so well for our family. I have always been proud of what you have given us.

#4- I never have to ask you to help around the house. you just jump in do the dishes, pick up, etc.

#3- You are an absolutely awesome dad. You are always willing to play, help with homework, change diapers or whatever they want from you.

#2- You remind me often that I am so beautiful even when I have no make-up on and have those extra baby pounds to loose.

#1- Last but not least, (I could keep going) I love it when I say I like something in a store and before I know it, you have it off the rack or shelf and in the cart. I can't ever remember you telling me I couldn't get something. Thanks honey!

THEN and NOW!

LSU vs. Missisissippi State

2008-10-06T07:54:00.008-05:00

After the hard time I gave Brent last time about only taking pictures of the game, he finally got this one right.

Brent, Kolton, Ross, (Brent's dad and two brother's) Chad and Jared along with Jared's wife Jamie, all headed down to Tiger stadium to see them take on Mississippi. They had a great time and of course were happy to see the Tiger's win.

It was 'gold" day, so of course the purple jersey Kolton was wearing originally wouldn't do and neither was the one Brent was wearing. So they made a pit stop at Academy to get some "Gold" clothing. Apparently, there is an army with machine guns at the door, who take you down if you aren't in Gold. LOL!!

You know if Brent's taking pictures, he's going to get the cheerleaders in there.

I think he lost focus on this one. wink, wink!! Okay, maybe he's trying to get a picture of the Tiger.

Fair in Loiusiana

2008-10-04T08:32:00.012-05:00

Brent grew up in a small town in Louisiana and every year they have this great Parish (county) Fair. This year we took the kids out of school and headed over so they could spend the day playing at the fair. We have the Texas State Fair going on right now in Dallas, but it is way too big and way too overwhelming to take the kids.

Kourtney loves rides and got on this hang glider ride and the swings. Oh, where's Kolton you ask... her older brother? Hmmm, the "chicken" wanted to try and win a toy instead!

Now Kolton was willing to ride this twister. Once Kaelyn saw they had fun, she was willing to try it and loved it!

We couldn't get Kylee off the train... she loved it, too.

Kaelyn was not a fan of the animals. She cried almost the whole way through. Kylee as you can tell wanted to jump out and play with them.

Slumber party

2008-09-23T11:01:00.004-05:00

A few years ago, (six to be exact) when I was turning 30, I decided to have a slumber party. Brent took the kids to his mom's for the weekend while we girls would sit up and talk, do facials, paint nails, go toilet papering and eat tons of junk food. It quickly became a tradition that Rochelle has kept up with since I've had little ones since and haven't been able to anymore. Go to Rochelle's blog or Chanda's for more stories and pictures. We had a blast!! Thanks for keeping up the tradtion Rochelle.

Kaelyn's Birthday Party

2008-09-23T09:14:00.007-05:00

We had a little get together for Kaelyn's 3rd birthday with a few neighbors and friends. She actually turns 3 on the 27th so we are going to go to Loiusiana to celebrate her real birthday.

Julie, my neighbor made her this awesome cake. It was sooo good, too.

Kylee got in on the pinata action but Kaelyn refused to hit her Cinderella Pinata. She cried and cried after she saw kids beating her with a bat. Once that happened, we couldn't even get her to play in the bounce house.

Texas Football

2008-09-23T08:54:00.005-05:00

Who could we be besides the Cowboys... America's Team!
We won 26-0!!! YAH!

Kolton had his first football game ever. Here are some pictures I took. There are some of him playing that I'll add when I get them. He is playing center and is loving it. He really wanted to be quarterback like his daddy was but for now he's the center.

There is something so cute about seeing your kid taking a water break in his football jersey with his last name on it.

Brent is one of the coaches.

High School Musical 3- pause music below to play

2008-09-18T06:51:00.005-05:00

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What's NEW??

2008-09-16T08:10:00.010-05:00

Kaelyn started taking a music and movement class on Monday's. This is her ready for her first day of "school". She insisted that she take a backpack, a folder and a pencil. She was a little disappointed to find out she wasn't at a real school. She said she wanted to go to Kolton's school, not this one.

Brent's company gave him really good tickets to the Rangers vs. Red Sox game so he and Kolton went. I sent them with the camera to take pictures and this is what they came home with... a bunch of pictures of the game. I guess they think I wanted pictures of the players and not of them. (Like who is this guy anyway? Do I know him? NO. Brent just informed me it's David Ortiz, huh??... big deal! LOL). Kolton got a few autographs... did they take pictures of him with the players??? NO! What's up with that?

And this would be my new found love. We were at Costco the other day and Brent insisted we buy this 3 1/2 lb. bag of M&M's. The problem is he has incredible will power, I don't. Needless to say, I told him to stop by Costco and get another bag. Yep, I finished it in five days. I did have a little help... not much though. So along with the bag of M&M's, I'm going to need a gym membership.

You know you're tired when....

2008-09-06T09:21:00.005-05:00

you can't even make it up the stairs to take a nap!

Don't I get the "Mother of the Year" award?! She came in the kitchen, opened the dishwasher and got a bottle out to hand to me. So I filled it and gave it to her then I finished picking up the kitchen. A few minutes later... this is what I found.

Mellow Yellow

2008-09-06T08:50:00.006-05:00

One of Kylee's only words happens to be "mellow yellow". (The kids say it when we pass a yellow car on the road.)

Why is it that we just got out of the car from church and not a single one of my girls has their shoes on?

Kylee Brooke!!!

2008-08-27T16:52:00.004-05:00

Never leave child unattended on counter!!

And this would be the reason why. I was only a few feet from her doing the dishes, while she climbed up on the counter, and quickly got into a can of frosting. I mean it's chocolate... I can't really blame her. Once she saw me, she quickly put the lid back on and acted like nothing happened. I guess she didn't realize she was covered in evidence. Luckily, I took a quick picture then off to the tub she went before she could touch anything.

First Day of School

2008-08-26T11:27:00.007-05:00

Kourtney started 2nd grade yesterday. She really liked her teacher and informed me that everyone got in trouble except her. Hmmmm, that's usually the opposite problem we have at home. I am happy she is such a great student for her teacher.

Kolton started 5th grade which means he is now in Intermediate School. He got to ride the bus home which since he's now too cool to take pictures, I had to sneak this one when he got off the bus. He thought the best part of school is riding the bus and having five choices at lunch... too bad mom made his lunch:) He had a homework assignment to fill a bag with five things about him. Guess what he chose? A basketball, a baseball, a football, a golf ball and his LSU hat. Aren't you all surprised???

Every beginning and end of school year, we take pictures of the kids in the neighborhood. Here is Parker, Kourtney (who just got into the water hose) and Nicholas. Then in back is Victoria, Robert, McIver and Kolton.

Lick stick

2008-08-21T08:02:00.006-05:00

"Mom, I look pretty with lick stick?"

Kaelyn seriously says the funniest things. Here are some of our favorites.
"Hellllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooo! I naked."
"Where's my swimmin' soup?"
"I don't have boobies, I have boogers... see."
We'll say, "Kaelyn you're hilarious," her response, "no I not, you larious."
"Ewwww, sgusting (disgusting).
"Mom, Kourtney rude!!"
"Where my lick gloss go?"
"OH CRAP!!"
"I don't like squito bites!"
"Cool bus" (school bus)
"I like my high wheels" (high heels)
"Shampu" (Shamu)

*I can't think of them all but I'll keep adding to my list here as I remember them.

Houston Temple

2008-08-07T16:34:00.004-05:00

After our trip to San Antonio, we took a detour to meet Brent's family in Houston. Brent and I are just messin' around here"trying to act like newlyweds or something"... I'm not sure.

Once a year as a family we do a session together. It has been a great experience for us. This year our niece Lynsi and new husband, Andrew went with us. It has been great to see our family grow through the years.

Becki's Birthday

2008-08-07T08:49:00.007-05:00

We had a great time last night for Becki's 40th birthday. We celebrated at TGIFridays. We had some good laughs.!!

Emily, Becki, Janae, Rebecca, Victoria, Terresa, Rachel, DeeDee, then on front is Lisa, Aurora and me of course!

Terresa and I had to reminisce over our days in college. Yes, we went to college together. Did I mention we were married with kids and in our 30's? Too funny, us oldies with all these 18 and 19 year old freshman. Those were good times!!!

Our vacation to San Antonio & Sea World

2008-08-07T08:45:00.002-05:00

4th of July weekend

2008-07-16T19:18:00.004-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My sister Daphne and her husband, Shane, along with my brother Frank came into town for the 4th of July weekend. 8 kids between us, 9 days, 11 gallons of milk, 13 boxes of cereal, over 100 popsicles, some tears here and there but most importantly unforgettable memories were made! Here are some pictures of the fun things we did. FYI: In case you can't tell that the red headed children aren't mine, my kids are the one's whose names begin with "K". LOL!

Bowling, bowling, bowling

2008-07-13T09:57:00.016-05:00

Jon decided to wear his classy shirt for the special occasion of bowling. Lisa said he even ironed it.

Laurie kept getting gutter balls. Poor thing!

I think she's at a Motley Crue concert not the bowling alley. Actually, she's just happy she kept the ball in the lane.

I'm not sure who took this or why???

Laurie and her date (her sister Lisa) aren't quiet sure which way the looser sign goes... must run in the family:) Actually, these are the 4 looser L's- Lisa, Leslie, Laurie and Lisa.

Now they got it!

This was serious for Brent...

But not for Chanda.

Aren't we cute???

There has got to be some stragedy to beating the girls. (Laurie's sister had to play with the men since Jason was off in Alaska fishing.)

Hello!!! How you doin'???

Did I mention Lisa can moonwalk? Must be because she grew up in the 80's!

Just posing for fun! We had a great time. Even the single guys next to us couldn't believe we weren't drinking and still having fun. I think they thought we were alone. LOL!! Check out Laurie and Chanda's blogs for more fun pix!!

Texas Ranger's Game

2008-07-13T09:48:00.003-05:00

Our ward had a night at the Ball Park to watch the Rangers but due to lightning it was cancelled so we could use our tickets any other night. So we went with the Green's and some of their neighbors to watch the Phillie's. It was great fun but it was so freakin' HOT!! I'm pretty sure any bit of make-up I was wearing was completely worn off. It was still at 100 degrees even after the sun set. Oh well, that's Texas for ya!

Red Neck Boat

2008-06-29T08:54:00.009-05:00

So our neighbors got a new trampoline so Brent offered to cut the boxes down for them so they would fit in their recycle bin.

So, this is the first thing the kids did when they saw the box. They got in and made a boat.

They thought this was great fun until....

daddy came along with a box cutter.

Going, going and gone!!!

Thanks dad ruin the fun!!!

Kutie Kylee

2008-06-29T08:36:00.008-05:00

I never post about Kylee but she is becoming the little cutie.

Here she is in Brent's office chair. You know what they say, "while the boss is away, the 'kids' will play." Gotta love that bed head hair do, too.

Brent's mom Judy, and sister Dawn got her this adorable outfit with bloomers to match with her name on them. Even Kourtney wants some with her name.

And this would be one of the reasons I hate to do laundry. As I load the washer, she empties the basket, as I load the dryer she climbs in, I take her out and before I can get more clothes she gets back in. I fold, Kylee unfolds. Ahhhh, the joys of motherhood. People sware that one day I'll appreciate these days,........hmmmm, I'm not so sure!!

Kolton's Scout Camp

2008-06-21T08:18:00.007-05:00

Me and fellow blogger Karmen. She went to Ricks with my brother Aaron which I'm reminded cause she asked me about him last night, except she referred to him as Juicy. Too funny, I forgot they called him that up there. They used to hang out. Small world, huh?

Kolton had scout camp this week and absolutely loved it. He came home each day exhausted. He passed off alot of stuff for his belt loops. He told me he now needs a belt. Uhhh, ya think I would of bought him one when he started the program two years ago. Come on Mom, get with the program!! Here are a few pictures from the awards ceremony.

Farewell Amber

2008-06-21T08:11:00.003-05:00

Michal Ann, me and Amber

We had a Girl's Night Out at Chili's on Thursday. It was bitter sweet. It was a farewell dinner for Amber who is moving to Alabama next week. I'm really sad to see her go. She is such a great friend and I have enjoyed getting to know her for the past year but she promised she was going to start blogging so at least I'll be able to keep up with her. Oh and the sweet part of the night, was the awesome brownie "sweet" shot that I had for dessert. OMGosh, soooo good. You've got to try one!!

Watermelon kids

2008-06-19T10:44:00.004-05:00

So, I sent Brent to the grocery store for some parmesan cheese and as usual, he picked a few extra items... like a watermelon. So before dinner, the kids tore into it so i had to take some fun pictures to share. Oh and BTW, that parmesan cheese made the pictures too, mainly because Brent wanted to show it came with a cool grater!!!

Non stop weekend

2008-06-16T10:12:00.026-05:00

First off, Friday the13th was Brent's company's annual night at the ball field. Every year they have a family night and it's really fun. Brent ended up with some extra tickets so we invited my BFF from HS's husband Chris and their son, Hunter. We had a good time.

Brent and Kaelyn, Kolton and his friend Jacob. (Jacob got Kourtney's ticket since she had no desire to go to a baseball game.) We enjoyed seeing the Frisco Rough Riders beat the Corpus Christi Hooks.

Then Saturday was birthday party day. I guess when you have four kids, you get invited to lots of parties. We had three parties to go to in about 5 hours.

First was Tanner's (our neighbor) 4th birthday party at ASI Gymnastics. The girls had a good time... Kolton apparently thought he was too old to get in and play.

FYI: Yes, Kaelyn has begun to suck a pacifier at 2 1/2 years old. She grinds her teeth really bad so it's the only solution we have for now.

Then we had Austin's 6th birthday party at Stampede Sports. It was way fun. The kids played indoor kickball and Kolton, Jacob and some of the dads played football.

Brent and Jon discussing what else... sports!

Chanda & Leslie.

Then we had Lilly's 3rd birthday party. They had a bounce house,

ponies and

of course the POOL!!!

(Kourt and Kolton on right.)

We were pretty much wiped out at this point. We went back to Tanner's house for a BBQ. I stayed and visited with my neighbor's while Brent, Kolton, John and Jacob went to the Red Bull X Fighters. It was mainly freestyle motorcross. They loved it! Surprise, surprise.. Kolton wants

to be a professional rider, now.

After all that going and going, Kaelyn woke up Sunday with a fever so I stayed home from church with Kaelyn and Kylee while Brent took Kolton and Kourtney to church. He really wanted to stay but I told him he needed it more. LOL. Anyways, the primary kids sang to the dads so it was good he was there for that.

Kolton's Championship Game

2008-06-09T15:34:00.011-05:00

Kolton had his last game of the season on Wednesday. Brent's sister Dawn, and family finally got to see him play. We were so excited for this game. They had been undefeated for the championship. Kolton's cousins Lance and Lesli made some fun signs and decorated their t-shirts. (You know teenagers... they think of everything.)

Here is a not so clear picture of us but it's all I've got.

Kaelyn's sign was so cute, it said "I love the coach!"

Oh and check out my cute flip flops Lisa got me for my birthday. Of course, I had to get into the spirit of things, too.

Well we weren't off to a good start until Kolton tagged out the first out as he came in to home.

Then soon we were up to bat and Kolton got a double then stole third and soon stole home. So he

was the first to score and was the first to get a player out. We were down a few but not for long. In the last inning, we were down by two and quickly scored four more to win the game. It was so exciting. The boys were just screaming! We had a good time. I told Dawn they were good luck and were going to have to come more often.

Here he is getting his trophey.

Old Man Softball

2008-06-07T07:33:00.019-05:00

For years and years, the guys from church kept saying they needed to put a softball team together. Well, finally one year Brent's love for baseball made him put a team together and so "Hit and Run" was born. They have been playing for about 6 years. Their oldest player is

a grandpa and their youngest player is probably Brent's cousin, Luke who is about 26. So that is what we have been doing almost every Friday night, year round. So the wives have become the "softball widows". It's been fun to watch what we call "old man softball." For some reason, they all think they are still in their prime. There are some rules that most don't follow like... no sliding. Lisa my friend always finds herself reminding her husband Jon, that one!! Well the guys had only lost one game all season and were playing a team that had also only lost one game, so they had to play for the championship. Well, our team plays for fun but the other team was much more competitive and crooked. They had this pitcher who we all were pretty sure had tourettes syndrome. He would move his arm all over the place about 10 times before he threw the pitch. Well, he apparently was getting into everyone's head and we started off not doing too well. Well, anyone who knows Brent's personality, knows his competitive nature. So he was up to bat and this funky pitcher was throwing him the ball, so Brent began to taunt him. I was so embarrassed but it was pretty funny. Brent began to dance, stick his butt out, jump around. It was probably the hardest I have laughed in a long time. So here are some of the pictures we took. Some are of Lisa and Julie mocking the pitcher and Brent. It was just as funny watching them mimick them. You really had to be there to see it, though.

Lisa is pitching, Julie's showing what Brent was doing. Even Kourt got into the fun!!

Fun in the sun

2008-06-06T18:11:00.009-05:00

Brent's niece Lesli and nephew Lance had a great time visiting from Lousiana. We spent some time at the pool. Here are some fun pictures I thought I'd share.

Lance enjoying the raft boat.

Kaelyn as usual... no clothes on. Lesli had fun being the nice cousin throwing Kourtney in.

Last day of School

2008-06-03T16:21:00.005-05:00

Kolton and Kourtney have both successfully completed another year of school. Here they are with their teachers. (I know they both are so young. They graduated HS like in 2001.) Crazy, huh?? Anyways speaking of graduating HS, Kolton's yearbook says he's the class of 2015 and Kourt's says 2018. Yikes! So close... yet seems so far away!!!

School's out for Summer!

2008-06-03T16:12:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Guitar Hero, Kolton has been singing... "School's out for summer". Today was the kids last day of school. Kolton had graduation from Eagle Ridge Elementary. I wasn't prepared for how emotional I would feel about my baby heading to Intermediate School. He got a little teary eyed, too. He received his diploma and lots of awards at his graduation. He also got two letters from his principal for scoring 100% on his math and reading TAKS test. For those of you not from Texas, these tests are a huge big deal. He stressed so much about them and ended up with a perfect score. This isn't that common. We are so proud of him. Usually, his accomplishments are always focused on sports so it was nice to add an academic achievement for him. Now we know he can do it, he just has to work hard!!

Too cute for her own good!!

2008-06-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at church, immediately after the Sacrament prayer was said and everyone said Amen, Kaelyn yelled, AMEN!! and some other kid a few rows up followed and yelled AMEN, too!! I was so embarrassed. Brent was just happy she didn't add BROTHER or we would've thought we were at a Baptist church instead. Kourtney hit the floor rolling. It was pretty funny. Then of course an older lady looked at us and gave us the evil eye. I wonder what she would've thought if Kaelyn yelled her favorite expression these days... "OH CRAP!!!"

2008-05-25T19:45:00.001-05:00

Okay, so after all the peer pressure, I've given in and have decided to become a blogger. I don't know how well I'll do but here goes.