Off to the mountains!

Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. We are so completely blessed and thankful around here. Here is a quick shot of the kids before church.

Matt and I are off to the mountains early tomorrow am! I am praising God tonight that we have a church that takes care of business while we are gone-AND encourages us to get away and enjoy some time together. Love them to pieces!

Merry Christmas!

Honeymoon~again!

This is my sweet little Avery with our wreath. It's a gift from Mema, and I appreciate the smell of real evergreen . Our tree is artificial due to Matt's allergies :).

Matt surprised me with an amazing gift this past Saturday. Our 13th anniversary is on December 20th, so this present is my anniversary/Christmas gift. He even wrapped it himself! I was already impressed with the wrapping job enough to take a picture!

We are going back to Sedona, Arizona! This is where we honeymooned 13 years ago. It is amazing! Desert, mountains, snow, hiking, seclusion...perfect. My husband loves me well. A second honeymoon. I can. Not. Wait.

I will soon be taking a picture of us in front of Cathedral Rock. Sigh.

Here is our pretty, child-decorated tree, minus the top...because we have no topper. Any suggestions? What's on top of your Christmas tree?

Happy birthdays, Halloween, and Reformation Day 2010

Wouldn't you know that I forgot to take my camera trick-or-treating this year. I did get one picture before we left home. The good news is that my brother Ron, or Uncle Bucky...depending what you call him..., brought his camera. That lives with him in Victoria. So, I will wait patiently for the bulk of the pictures :). Thanks SO much, Ron!

Before church, I took the kids to HEB to grab a quick pumpkin pic. It was like we had robbed the place when we took off in our getaway car. Sunday mornings are particularly busy when you attend a young church plant!

October 31st is a big day in our world. Yes, it's just Halloween to some...did you know it is also Reformation Day? This is HUGE~if you don't know why, then click here.

It is also my mom's birthday. How fun is that? My brother's bday is November 2nd, and my sis-in-law, Chelsea's bday is November 5. So, we celebrated all 3 on Sunday.

Here is my brother, mom, and my girls.

My MIL, Sue, and my mom enjoying a Caramel-m&m'd-chocolate drizzled apple

glory in the waiting

This is where I am today. I am begging and praying for two big things. While I wait, I am asking to be led in His truth and taught. I am finding joy here, because I know the LORD will bring glory to himself when He decides to move.

Psalm 25

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long.

Bethany has played 3 matches in her first ever volleyball season...and she LOVES it! She is a spunky player, and hustles wherever she goes. We have been so proud of her! She has had the most fans at every game, too :). Grandparents, her friends, our friends...they have all come to cheer on Bethany and the Thunder. I have a feeling there are many years of volleyball ahead of us!

Playdate at the Train Park 9/22/10

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Avery hits the Gym

This summer, Avery switched to a morning class at Champions. I was shocked to see an old family friend as her new instructor. Avery has always been our little bitty, shy, frail teeny girl. Gymnastics has made her stronger and more confident. It has been fun to watch! I feel like her class is Katy's best kept secret. Her instructor is a great guy with years and years of experience, and her classmates have basically all gone to preschool. Today she was by herself-instant private lesson!

The pictures are strange and the video is like watching old movies-no sound. I took them on my iPhone though, pretty impresive!

"I had the best time of my life!"

Those are some sweet words! Bethany loved her first volleyball practice. She was in her element. Which is so fun to see because I think it has been her element for a while now, but she is just old enough to play. I love to watch this girl play.

Excited, not excited...

This morning gave us our first taste of Fall. We didn't even sweat on our way to and from the bus stop! The girls were pretty excited about the cool morning air-I was ecstatic. I even thought about going on an unscheduled run. Excited about the Fallish air, but not excited about the dad that celebrated by not wearing a shirt to the bus stop. What in the world? When he got out of his car, Avery hid behind me. You can imagine her embarrassment since to her if a man wears no shirt, he is naked.

Taylor was so excited to wear his monkey pajamas to bed last night. These jammies were a gift from the Ortiz family before he was born. They are size 12 months, Taylor is size 24 months. He will not be excited the day that they refuse to be worn. Neither will I.

I am always excited when Avery drinks through a straw. Let me explain. Avery has many "little girly" traits that I am holding onto. I am thinking that she will let some of them go any day now. She has a silly little way of talking. For instance, Bethany's volleyball team is called the Thunder, but if you ask Avery, they are the Funder. I. Love. It. Here is another example...

I know it's hard to see (like impossible), but Avery has a unique way to drink with a straw. Her tongue is always outside of her mouth. Sounds strange, but I love it. I am dreading the moment I look over and she drinks like everybody else. Not excited that changes are around the corner, but so excited to watch God develop my kids. I am spending many moments lately hanging onto my munchkins. Savoring every little thing.

Tonight is Bethany's very first volleyball practice. Excited!!!

Just Stay Little

Joy's Hope is cute blog that is definitely worth stalking. This post hit home with me today. Really, it's where I live everyday. This morning, the girls and I walked to the bus stop, just like most mornings. As they stopped to touch the "sleeping grass", I was a little overwhelmed. Their fascination with the grass made them seem so young, but visually they seemed so grown up. Bethany is nine, and super close to losing some of her naivety about life. Avery is 4, and super close to dropping the silly little way she talks. I am so excited to have a front row seat at this show. They are precious little women, and I feel so undeserving to get to shepherd them. And more than that, I feel thankful.

We were almost back home, and I told Avery that she is so pretty and so grown up. She said, "I will just stay little." I told her that God made us to grow up, and that a long time ago I was little like her. She said, "Well then I will just stay your angel." Deal.

I had a great run yesterday!

I was hoping to get attention from friends and family with that title. I rarely (as in never) use the words "great" and "run" together. I am getting better about it, but I think it is really just because the weather is changing. I am probably not changing. :)

Anyways...here is something weird that you don't know about me. When I am out and about and see someone running, sometimes I pray for them. Especially if the runner looks like they are struggling, I'll ask God to give them strength and use the run to make them healthier. Strange, I know, but I assume some people don't like running either, but like me do it for the convenience and alone time.

So as I was running jogging yesterday, the streets were busy. Kids were arriving home from school, parents were out and about. It was warm, the Garmin was (still) dead, and I had no iPod. I asked God if anyone ever prayed for me while I was running. I am pretty sure He laughed with me.

Not a minute later, I hear (out loud), “You go girl, you’re doing good!” For. Real. I look up and there is a man sitting on his tailgate with a little boy. I thanked him and asked him to meet me on the next block and repeat himself. He didn’t. That would have been creepy, so that’s ok.

I laughed with God the rest of the way home.

BTW, I used MapMyRun.com in lieu of the Garmin. Good tool.

His second first love...

The first love was me, the second first love is this guitar. Taylor, Avery and I were strolling around the toy dept at Walmart yesterday and Taylor spotted these:

I couldn't even figure out what he was begging for. We were several aisles away, but the boy can spot a guitar out of nowhere. It is in his blood-his dad was a guitar major at SWT (not TX ST @ SM). I let him play with the demo, and was humiliated when he acted like I had abducted him when I took it away. I am so glad I took some pre-freak out video. It was love at first jam session.

He was so happy to get home last night. He had a date with his second first love.

Fun with the the iPhone 4

I ordered the free iPhone 4 case just so I can do this:

The added bonus is that you get to visit the best-named-blog in all of the world. Ever.

Oops! I Craft My Pants!

Summer Sunday

The girls get pretty into dressing up for church. Even Bethany, who has become quite the tomboy! I always find it a bit ironic, since we hold church smack dab in the middle of an elementary school. I guess it is just the way we do things! I have been feeling the cute summer clothes slipping away, so two weeks ago I took some sweet Sunday morning pictures.

I don't think these sisters look alike. Do you?

School Picture Day 2010

I wonder if my high school friends are thinking the same thing I am when it comes to school picture day. Every year, the same man came and controlled picture day with his booming voice. Just think small hallway, all tile, and a wiry guy shouting "Make your checks out to Provine School Pictures!!" Emphasis on the "aaaahhhiiieeenn" in Provine. We thought he was hysterical, although we couldn't look directly at him because we were busy wincing.Well, Bethany is having her own Provine School Picture Day today. She looked so pretty, so old!

You know little Avery wanted in on the action :).

Looking back

I have been thinking so much lately about how quickly my kids are growing up. It may be because my littlest is nearly out of diapers, my oldest is about to start playing volleyball, or my middle one is beginning to write letters. Either way, time is moving. I am thrilled to be the momma around here, and so thankful for this digital age we live in. My memory is not so great, but the laptops store some treasures to help me out.

This oughtta freak out some of my mom friends--I tend to have the oldest kid in our circle of friends.

Here is Bethany's school journey so far...

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

I love that picture of Avery-she is so sleepy on the first early morning.

We are off to a great start this year. Bethany loves her teachers, had at least 3 former classmates in her class this year, and starts playing her favorite game in a few weeks-volleyball! We can. Not. Wait.

Avery can sing too :)

Avery is a little more on the shy side, so she took us into a hall closet to make her video.

Bethany got to sing in the 3rd Grade Talent Show!

I was so blessed!