Fourth of July in TX...

Now officially our second 4th of July here in Texas...and like the last...it was rainy and dreary. So while it rained outside, we enjoyed a yummy pancake breakfast, a bike/scooter parade (which Christian mistook for a BMX bike race...and somehow managed not to kill anyone in his stunts),

some friendly volleyball....THEN the day went on and it actually cleared up....so off to the beach we went. Met a bunch of friends there for bonfire and grub. We were treated to a beautiful FULL rainbow in the skyline off the gulf. Then we skillfully made it to a cute little grassy knoll, kind of far from the immediate action, just in time for the fireworks...Now it wasn't our childhood memory of the 4th....but we are learning to adapt to our new surroundings. And in the meantime, also learning that flexibility makes life adventurous and fun. Not to say we did not truly miss our family on yet another holiday away!!

Learning to Multi-Task

Just a quick glimpse into a new summertime tradition. When naptime approaches and Shane is unwilling to cooperate, he frequently calls "Broba"...to be translated "Brother". Thinking that Christian is going to be able to manipulate the mom into allowing Shane to skip naptime magically. So instead, I capitalized on the situation and allowed Christian to participate in the process of getting our stubborn Shane to take a much needed nap. The result, as you can see, was that I got my 6 year old to read a whole book and my 2 year old to fall asleep. SWEET!! Too bad more parenting problems can't be solved that way...a two-for-one deal!!

For all eternity...

THEN (July 1999)

NOW ( April 2008)
9 YEARS...Has it really been that long? It feels like yesterday...and I still feel like a newlywed. I am still living my fairytale ending...Disney's got nothin' on what we've got. Gav~ the following poem explains it all. I love you forever!!

Thank You For Being You ~ poetry by Paula Finn

One of the greatest gifts of our relationship is the comfort of knowing I can always be myself with you, and you will accept me for being just that. With you, I never have to laugh when I feel like crying, Or be quiet when I need to talk, Or stay calm when I feel like getting upset, Or sound positive when I need to complain. The greatest comfort is the knowledge that when I need a friend... I never have to be alone. In sharing our fears, we become bolder. In sharing our losses, we become richer. In sharing our mistakes, we become wiser. In sharing ourselves, we become closer. Our lives were meant to be shared. It's so comforting to share the events of my day with you- The little things I know you'll find funny, or touching, or interesting, Only because they happened to me. You know when I need your help or advice, And when I just need to know that you care. It's not often that we feel safe enough with another person to shed our defenses, And to risk being completely ourselves- To show them they are important in our life, And that we would be so much less without them. I NEED YOU... And I trust you enough to tell you. You listen to me without judging, You support me without pressuring, You appreciate me as I am without comparing me to what I am not. You encourage me in my goals and dreams, And validate my struggles to fulfill them... You are so easy to talk to so easy to feel close to, And so easy to love. Your support has deepened my self-confidence, Your humor has brightened my outlook, And your encouragement has brought me closer than ever to my dreams. Always, you've been there to listen, to understand... And to help me grow. Your support adds so much to my life. You share my joy as if it were your own. You feel my pain and you cry with me. Thank you for understanding me, accepting me, and loving me as I am. It sounds so simple but it means so much to say- I feel comfortable with you. I don't have to worry about how I look to you, Or sound to you, Or what you're going to think about me when I'm not around. I don't have to rehearse or analyze our conversations- When we talk, I can relax. I feel comfortable around you. It sounds so simple...but it means so much. You know when I want to be serious; You know when I need to be playful. When I'm with you I am free to express my true mood. If I am not feeling happy, or positive, or energetic, I don't have to act or pretend that I am. You support my goals, while accepting my faults. You love the person I am. Your accepting nature has helped me to treat others and myself more gently. You concentrate on my good points while overlooking my flaws, And you can always find something in me to praise. You are so thoughtful. You give me much more than is expected, And you expect much less than you deserve. You are strong enough to admit your weaknesses, Brave enough to express your fears, Free enough to laugh and human enough to cry. My life is enriched in so many ways by your presence, For in you I have found the friend I've always wanted... And the love I'll always need. Together, we've laughed and cried, Shared sunshine and storms... We've celebrated carefree days, And helped each other through the long troubled nights. Your support has made my triumphs more meaningful, And my losses easier to bear. I will praise you when you win, And share your pain if you lose... Always, I will accept you for who you are And not for how much or little you achieve. I will strive to bring out the best in you while forgiving your faults. I won't expect perfection in either of us. In the tomorrows we share, I pray that I can be sensitive to your needs, Understanding of your concerns, Patient with your mistakes, And comforting of your pain... That I can give as much of myself as you need... And all the love that you deserve. With you life is exciting. With you I can be myself. With you I feel appreciated. With you I have fun. With you I am happier than I have ever been. Thank you for being you.

Do you live in a sweaty city?!!

Here's the rank. Having seen this...I think I would optimumly choose to live in somewhere off the bottom of the list (or not ranked at all!) Corpus is #20(thanks AJ) so...use your imagination how damp our pits get here =)!!!

1. Phoenix, Ariz. (sorry De) 2. Las Vegas, Nev. 3. Tallahassee, Fla. 4. Tucson, Ariz. 5. Memphis, Tenn. 6. Miami, Fla. 7. Houston, Texas 8. Tampa, Fla. 9. Baton Rouge, La. 10. Fort Myers, Fla. 11. Huntsville, Ala. 12. New Orleans, La. 13. Birmingham, Ala. 14. Jacksonville, Fla. 15. West Palm Beach, Fla. 16. Montgomery, Ala. 17. Orlando, Fla. 18. Dallas, Texas 19. Little Rock, Ark. 20. Corpus Christi, Texas 21. El Paso, Texas 22. Waco, Texas 23. Austin, Texas 24. Columbia, S.C. 25. Mobile, Ala. 26. Jackson, Miss. 27. Nashville, Tenn. 28. San Antonio, Texas 29. Honolulu, Hawaii 30. Fresno, Calif. 31. Savannah, Ga. 32. Shreveport, La. 33. Charleston, S.C. 34. Chattanooga, Tenn. 35. Louisville, Ky. 36. Tulsa, Okla. 37. Raleigh, N.C. 38. St. Louis, Mo. 39. Salt Lake City, Utah 40. Kansas City, Mo. 41. Knoxville, Tenn. 42. Oklahoma City, Okla. 43. Atlanta, Ga. 44. Wichita, Kan. (TIE) Charlotte, N.C. (TIE) 46. Greensboro, N.C. 47. Evansville, Ind. 48. Washington, D.C. 49. Richmond, Va. 50. Norfolk, Va. 51. Albuquerque, N.M. 52. Springfield, Mo. 53. Roanoke, Va. 54. Lexington, Ky. 55. Omaha, Neb. 56. Reno, Nev. 57. Indianapolis, Ind. 58. Baltimore, Md. 59. Cincinnati, Ohio 60. Des Moines, Iowa 61. Charleston, W.Va. 62. Philadelphia, Pa. 63. Springfield, Ill. 64. Harrisburg, Pa. 65. Sacramento, Calif. 66. Cleveland, Ohio 67. Chicago, Ill. 68. New York, N.Y. 69. Dayton, Ohio 70. Asheville, N.C. 71. Los Angeles, Calif. 72. Columbus, Ohio 73. Toledo, Ohio 74. Detroit, Mich. 75. Grand Rapids, Mich. 76. South Bend, Ind. 77. Providence, R.I. 78. Hartford, Conn. 79. Minneapolis, Minn. 80. Boston, Mass. 81. Pittsburgh, Pa. 82. Denver, Colo. 83. Madison, Wis. 84. Milwaukee, Wis. 85. Buffalo, N.Y. 86. Rochester, N.Y. 87. Albany, N.Y. 88. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 89. Colorado Springs, Colo. 90. Flint, Mich. 91. Syracuse, N.Y. 92. San Diego, Calif. 93. Youngstown, Ohio 94. Green Bay, Wis. 95. Burlington, Vt. 96. Spokane, Wash. 97. Portland, Maine 98. Portland, Ore. 99. Seattle, Wash. 100. San Francisco, Calif.

Ups and Downs

Life is full of them, eh?! It seems we have times of great ups. And then, like everyone, we have more difficult times.
Having said that...here was my own personal revelation that helps sometimes:

Pres. Henry B. Eyring: "Because you are so valuable, some of your trials may be severe. You need never be discouraged or afraid. The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you, and you will find it if you exercise faith."
This was exactly what I needed to hear.Phew...

OUR BIG ANOUNCEMENT !!!

We've waited so long...............


it's amazing news for our future...............


it's the best father's day gift, just a week late................

.....Shane surfed his first wave !! That's my boy !!

(he only stood for a few seconds, but that's pretty good for a 2 year old and he totally did it without any coaching) -G

Sunday Appropriate...

If Shane could dress himself for church...it would be "Bob...a budder" "scrippers" "broba's tie" and "no shirt"....

Here's what the boring mom insists on...I know, I am cramping his style!

Happy Daddy's Day

"Train up a child in the way which he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6

To those fathers, old and young, who continually influence our lives and the lives of our children...thank you! There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank my father in Heaven for the father of my children...if only every little boy could have a daddy like Gavin!! We are so blessed!

Happy Father's Day!

Done with...

FIRST grade...and baseball. Its that time of year. Christian finished 1st grade and played his last play-off baseball game all within a few weeks. I am continually amazed at how time flies. Do I really have a 2nd grader?! It's a good thing I started having babies at 21 or I would be getting OLD!

So... Christian had his 1st grade awards ceremony. Where he got a Citizenship Award, "A" Honor Roll, an AR book award...I can't think of what else! He had a great teacher and a great experience at a new school this year. I have to admit I am SOOOooo glad we don't have to transfer schools for 2 more years.

(Can you tell we were at the beach for 8 hours on Memorial Day before this pic? Poor eyes!)

Christian also finished up his baseball season. He did well...especially considering he was playing with kids 1-2 years older than him. He is already planning for his next season.

We had our end of the year pool party...it was lots of fun. It was a good excuse to get our pool and yard ready for the summer.

Summertime in South Texas...

So here we are, officially in the midst of summer. The kiddos have been out of school for a week now. And we've already done a bit and established some good routines:

Gym first thing in the AM

Swim lessons Wed-Sat (which usually means we stay at the pool for several more hours)

Summer Reading Club at the Library...this is my newest excitement...that my kid LIKES to read and reads for fun. When he has the option of reading or TV or even playing something else...he has actually been choosing a book. As one who didn't care to read as a kid, I am SOOO glad he likes it. It will make his school years so much easier. Especially since the expectation of reading is much more than when I was in school.

Beach, when its not too windy, and usually when Gav comes and can help the boys go "sursing".

So far...things are going great. I have to admit I was a bit exhausted by the end of last week. I am hoping it becomes more clockwork as the weeks go on. Already, it was a million times easier to get to the gym by 8:30 this morning!