UMHB Cheer Babe

The UMHB Cheerleaders held a Cheer Camp for little girls. The girls went to "camp" for an hour on Tuesday and Thursday. They learned several cheers and how to do the CRU Jumps and CRU Stunts. On Saturday for our Homecoming the Cheer Babes were allowed to join the "big girls" for the entire 2nd quarter of the UMHB / HPU Game. Bethany took to cheerleading like a duck to water. I am sorry for so many pictures, I couldn't decide what to cut out.

Halloween 2008

Cotillion 2008

We signed Jacob up for Cotillion again and started out with the Western Theme. He was a little nervous this year but not too bad. When it was all over he said he had a good time, but wouldn't tell mom which girl he asked to dance!

Kids Fall Sports

This fall we started several new things with our family. Bethany began gymnastics, Mark started filming the high school football games for the local cable television, Drew finally had a dream come true and began playing flag football with the Temple Recreation League and Jacob started junior high sports and chose the swim team. IF all of that wasn't enough, Wendi started an additional part time job and became a Swim Official for the USAA swim league!

We had fun on Saturday mornings heading out to the park to watch Drew and his teammates (ages 6-9) playing flag football. He was even the quarterback for some of the plays, but his speed was the most lethal weapon. This season we have enjoyed warm fall weather for all of Drew's games and the home UMHB games!

Jacob's team won their first swim meet and he did well. His endurance is growing and his technique is sharpening with the hours of practice in the pool... Can you imagine swimming an hour and a half 5 days of the week? I only officiate for the Junior High and so far I have only committed to handle the home meets. My only question is ... is it legal for the official to cheer for a specific team??? Thankfully, Jake hasn't been in my lane when I started cheering for him!

Student of the Month

Bethany loves Fridays at school. For a quarter she can buy a tattoo or paw print painted on her cheek for school spirit!
Drew was chosen by his teacher as Student of the Month for October! We are all very proud of him!

Look What I Can Do!

Kindergarten has taken all that Bethany has to offer. A few weeks into school and we found Bethany sitting at the dinner table like this! She was talking one minute and sound a sleep the next.
SHE CAN TIE HER SHOES! Kindergarten requires tennis shoes every day. Bethany proved she was up to the task before we even got to September!
She is so independent as she works through the task.
Total concentration is needed for each step!
I did it! I tied my shoe, Mommy!

First Home Football Game

We have all been looking forward to the football season. All of our friends seem to hang out at the game on Friday night. This year we started the season with Jacob marching with the Junior High band at half time. They did a great job considering they had never done it before and only had a few weeks of practice. Bethany insisted on wearing her cheerleading outfit to the game, the only problem was she didn't have a red and white outfit. So Thursday night I went and bought her a cheerleading outfit. She proudly wore it to school the next morning. At school she had a Tiger Paw stamped on her face (with tempura paint) for Spirit Day and she was good to go. Drew left for school moping. He wanted to show his spirit but didn't want to wear a boring T-shirt. I surprised him with a football jersey when he got home from school and we were all ready to go to the game!

While You Were Out

The title is "While you were out" but if you know HGTV, maybe the better title is "In over your head".  I decided that I would not be idle when all of my children went off to school for the first time in 12 years.  My big plan was to take Bethany and the boys to school and then come home and begin redecorating the boys room.  I didn't have time to get weepy over my baby starting school, I had work to do.  It had been a few years since the last painting job and I had forgotten how much work it could be.  I foolishly thought it would be cool if the boys went to school and their room was in one piece and then came home to a new room...Ha! Ha! Ha!

I took down all of the previous room decorations, fixed the holes in the wall, moved all of the furniture away from the wall and taped off the room.  Next I began painting and to my horror the paint was not looking the right color - instead of khaki it looked raspberry.  In a boys room that is a big deal!  I decided in for a penny in for a pound and painted the whole room raspberry.  Finally, as I finished up the first wall started to dry the right color.   Whew!  

Day 1 - I finished painting the room.

Day 2 - Shopping for accessories and 2 desks (each of the boys want their own space)

Day 3 - Taped off the decorative lines.  No desks to be found - I created my own.  Painted the lines.

Day 4 - I built the desk (yes, all by myself!), changed out all the bedding, put in the rug and set up the room for the boys "big reveal".   

Drew was very excited about the room and couldn't wait to see the final project.  He commented about every little detail and loved it all.  Jake came in and basically said "it's looks good" and that was it.  Did I mention that I decided to re-do the room because Jake had outgrown the old style????

Over the next two weeks I looked around for a chair for the room and created the framed name pictures.  I really like how the room has turned out.  Here are a few before and after pictures. If you move your cursor over the picture you can read the picture titles.

Drew's 9th Birthday

How did this happen?  My little boy is 9!  Complete craziness takes over our lives in August and so I always worry about Drew and his birthday on the 1st of September.  I push him to decide on his party plan in July so that I can do all the prep work ahead of time.  This year we planned as we drove home from Montana.  Drew has always been easy to please and asks for very little.  This year was no different.  He only asked for one gift and this time I did not pass the info on to the relatives ... I told them they were on their own.  

Drew really wanted a sleep over for his birthday party - he didn't care about anything else just having his friends stay the night.  Have you seen my house?  We compromised on three friends and sent the invitations out.  Thankfully, I had another brilliant thought and decided to take everyone to the water park for the day - praying that they might get tired and fall asleep easy.  We grabbed all the boys after church, picked up pizza and hit the park. After several hours in the sun we gathered the kids and all of our scattered belongings to head home and make dinner.  At Drew's request we had build your own quesadillas / burritos with icecream sundaes for dessert.  

I can't begin to explain all that goes through my mind when I think of Drew. This child of mine has a sense of humor like no one else I know. He can make me laugh when I am so angry I could explode. This same child has a heart that worries about his friends and family. He spends time praying for them and asking countless what if questions. He has an athletes build, an athletes mind and an athletes talent. He is becoming a young man and I am not ready to allow that to happen. His skin is still baby soft! He has manners when he is in public or in others care. He is a peacemaker and tries hard to keep everyone happy (except Jake). He says he is not going to get married, ever, but wants to adopt a son - don't you wonder what is behind that logic? I am so in love with this child - thank you Lord for blessing us with his care and raising - I pray that we do everything that we can to help him become the man you would have him become. I pray he grows in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man.

Finally - A few minutes for an update

As most of you are aware my schedule is a little crazy in August.  This year it was much more complicated by the fact that we left on vacation at the very end of July and didn't return until August 13th.  Just in time for back to school shopping for the kids and opening the dorm.  So I have a few posts ... going all the way back to 4th of July!  You may have to look at older posts to see everything that I have added.  I think I will wait a little while before I add Drew's birthday, his room remodel and our first home Belton game.  Look quick I want to add the other stuff!  Hope all is going well for everyone --- we are great!

First Day of School 2008

We returned from our vacation just in time for me to open the dorm and get the kids ready for school.  They had a week and a half at home and then they were off for a new school year. Needless to say, life was a little crazy!
Bethany and her big brother.  It is Drew's job to walk Bethany to class each day and help her to the car at the end of the day too.  He does a very good job and I have been told by several teachers that he is very sweet to her.

This is the "hurry up and go Mom" face.  Can you tell he is thrilled?

Jacob was a breeze as he left for 7th grade, his biggest change is including school sports everyday.  Jacob now has swimming as his PE class during 7th period and then he stays in the pool for practice after school.  He leaves home at 7:20 and gets home about 4:45.  

Drew is a pro at school and hit the ground running.  He is enjoying his teachers and everything about the schedule ... except the daily homework (reading for 30 minutes) which he attempts to renegotiate every day. 

But you may not know, Bethany turned 5 in May and so she started Kindergarten this year!  My baby went to school.  She is very excited that her teacher is Mrs. Johnson (the same teacher both boys had for Kindergarten).  I took her on the first day and neither of us shed a tear.  I am so proud of her and she is so ready for this experience.  She has done great.  I guess the biggest reason I didn't cry was because I had a plan...my first time in 12 years without a child at home during the day.  I went straight home and began dismantling the boys room and redecorated it  It took the whole week but I was grateful for such a productive week.  (I will post pictures of the room soon.)  My favorite part of each day is watching Drew as he leads and protects his little sister.

Alaska ... at last

We enjoyed every minute of our fabulous cruise this summer.  It was a first for us to take a vacation without our kids.  We decided to leave the kids with Grandma and Aunt Noanie and they had their own vacation while we were in Alaska.  There were many things I wished they could see but ultimately Alaska on a cruise ship is not ideal for children who are active.  I think if we go back to Alaska we will pick one area and fly in to stay for a week or so, and really explore it with the kids.

Click here to view this photo book.

Montana

This cute little chipmunk was quite at home with all the tourists walking by.  He would scurry about and stop for a quick snack while we took pictures.  
While Mark and I were in Alaska Barb and Joan took the kids on a bear adventure in the Grizzly Bear Park.  Unfortunately they have scaled back a bit and there are only 5 Grizzly Bears left to observe.  The kids took the pictures.

What is this crazy picture?  Another outing with Grandma and Aunt Joan.  They went to the House of Mystery where optical illusions are used to make you think you physically have to adjust to what you see.

Glacier National Park

My beautiful family taking a photo opportunity in Glacier National Park.  I don't know how many times Mark and I have gone to the park but each time I am impressed again my the majesty of the area.  What a mighty God to create something so beautiful.  This was the first time our kids really enjoyed the park and it's beauty.
Sisters...Barb and Joan!  We were thrilled that they could go with us sight seeing.  We packed a lunch and spent the day out in the park (Drew ate breakfast around 8 and started begging for his lunch at about 9:30!  You would think he was a growing boy or something!)
The valley in Glacier National Park - with the river winding through the bottom.  
We got out at the top and had hoped to catch pictures of the mountain goats but they were a little elusive - we saw them but couldn't get pictures quick enough.  I love the contrast of the robin and the snow in this picture...I think Jacob took the picture.
Our way out of the park...another ALMOST!  Just ahead of us someone saw a moose in a water hole on the side of the road.   We stopped but all we saw was the muddy water from the moose leaving!  

Regional Baseball Tournament

Drew was picked up as an extra player for the Diamondbacks this year.  There were parts of it we liked and parts we could have lived without.  Drew really loves to play baseball and so we joined this team when the Texans were eliminated at the city tournament level.  

4th of July

You can't live in Texas and not celebrate the 4th of July!  Of course, we do it with style ... we have a small town parade!  I think they made it more legitimate this year, I didn't see as many poster board advertisements walking the parade route.  It was fun hanging out with our friends and waving at other friends as they "floated" by.

I have to say I am Proud to Be an American.  How can you look at this flag and not be?  I still get teary every time I hear the National Anthem!  I love living here but one of the bonuses is being so close to Fort Hood and seeing military personnel in uniform all the time - what a powerful reminder to me to pray for them and thank them for their willingness to defend my family.

More 4th of July

Aren't these the cutest little girls you have ever seen?  They were fun to watch during the parade.  Abigail, Jasey and Bethany all wore their 4th of July shirts and waved their flags but my favorite part was the hair bows!

Jacob was really interested in the marching band and  drumline this year.  With him now playing percussion at the Middle School I think he was checking out his place for the future.  

Mom and her little girl!

 

I think it is so cool that Drew's team was on a float this year.  He really played for the Texans but was picked up by the Diamondbacks.  I think we had as much fun yelling and waving at him on the float as he had being on the float.  Whoever smuggled the squirt guns onto  the float was great - it was very hot.

This summer Bethany learned to completely swim on her own. We started with private lessons for a week but she still needed a little more teaching.  I became her instructor and we spent an hour or so in the pool at least 4 or 5 times a week.  By 4th of July she was jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side of the pool!  I am so proud of this little mermaid!