Living and Loving

Gift Swap

2012-01-02T15:29:00.000-06:00

Charlize and McKenzie have been swapping Christmas gifts since they were babies. I love looking at the pictures from when they were little, and seeing how much they have grown!

BFF's

I love this picture Melanie took of Madelynn, she looks so Big!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T12:32:00.000-06:00

Taryn and John with the girls.

Taryn and Claire

Zach and John

Kara and John

Brian and Luis

Mom and Me

Taryn and Kyle

Goodies for Santa!

It was so funny, because Charlize would NOT let us light a fire in the fireplace. She wanted to be sure NOTHING would stand in Santa's way of getting to our tree.

All she asked Santa for......a Monster High Doll.

Grandmere gave the girls an XBox! We are having SO MUCH FUN with this thing.

Madelynn will be four in February, and this little girl LOVES her some Ariel and Justin Bieber!

All their presents. Charlize lined them up, and made sure they were in "order".

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T08:06:00.002-06:00

Tooth #4

2011-12-06T16:13:00.000-06:00

Guess which Christmas classic we were singing in our house last night.......

Trim the Tree...

2011-12-01T09:35:00.000-06:00

John and Taryn Engagement Favorites

2011-11-11T09:06:00.000-06:00

The Happy Couple, so in Love!

Tooth #3

2011-11-10T10:32:00.000-06:00

The Tooth Fairy made another visit to our house last night!

Hair!

2011-11-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

I am currently growing my hair out. We will see how long I can go without telling Sandy to just cut it all off again. My mom bought me a flat iron for my Birthday. I am new to the world of flat irons, and we found a cute pink one at Sally Beauty for a beginner like me.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T20:24:00.000-05:00

Love, Charlize and Madelynn

3M Half Marathon

2011-10-31T10:37:00.002-05:00

Registered today. The Race is Sunday, Jan. 29th!

Handmade for ME!

2011-10-30T19:14:00.000-05:00

Erica made this wreathe for me for my Birthday

I love it!

I had to paint my front door with a fresh coat of paint just to show off this wreathe!

My gorgeous new bag made by Lisa, for my Birthday.

My friends are SO SWEET, and so very talented.

Outstanding Student!

2011-10-29T13:42:00.000-05:00

Charlize was honored with TWO Awards for the first nine weeks. We are so proud of her!

Scenes from a Mall

2011-10-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend Luis went to the Ranch, and I had to work on Saturday, so my mom came to stay with us. She dropped Charlize off at a party at Build a Bear, and kept Madelynn busy in the mall. She text me the following pictures while I was at work.

I Heart October

2011-10-16T14:36:00.000-05:00

See Jennifer Run

2011-10-13T13:18:00.000-05:00

My very first half marathon was cancelled. Really bummed about it, but I knew I was ready for it.
I know I would have finished, and that gives me a good feeling, and I am satisfied with that. I am going to register for the 3M Half, January 29th 2012.
I have come a very long way since I started this running stuff in February of this year. I started keeping track of my miles ran in May, and have 316 miles run to date. That doesnt even count the miles I ran in February, March, April, or the first week in May.

Taryn gave me this shirt for my Birthday

Baby Levi

2011-10-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

Charlize snuggled him close.

Madelynn holding Levi

Charlize holding Levi

Luis and Levi

Looky What I Got for my Birthday.......

2011-10-06T11:52:00.000-05:00

Baby Levi! I am just beaming, holding him for the first time!

Chrissy's Baby Shower

2011-10-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

I better get this posted fast, because Baby Levi decided he is READY! Chrissy is in labor at the hospital as I type this, and my next post will be pictures of his newborn sweet precious face! I did ask Chrissy to hold him in one more day, so that I can share my Birthday with Levi, but she said no.

Marie and I getting ready for guests

Steph made Jake a "Daddy Toolbelt", and he loved it!

Proud Parents to Be

Steph also made the adorable cupcake stands. She is so crafty.

Me, Chrissy, and Steph

I love this picture of Chrissy, Jake, and Jake's Mom, Pam.

We can't wait to meet Baby Levi!

Dad's Wedding

2011-09-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

We drove to the Valley for my Dad's Wedding this long Holiday weekend. My parents did not have their Happily Ever After.....but they both found true love, and they are both happy, and all you want for your parents, your brothers, your family, is for them to be happy. The wedding was lots of fun, and we danced until we could not dance anymore. I have blisters on my feet to prove it. It is always nice to see family you have not seen in years, and catch up with friends and family.

The Trevino Family

Me and the girls with my Handsome Daddy

Gloria and her Brother

Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Silva

First Dance

Dancing

Kara and Brian

John and Taryn

Dancing with Daddy

Enjoying the Small Things

2011-09-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

I am linking up over at Kelly's Korner! http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/
My new favorite blog to read.......http://www.kellehampton.com/

I love her pictures, I love her story-telling, and I just melt every time I read her blog posts. I admit, I even interact with my girls differently now...which is hard to explain, I just do. Have a great weekend!

Sunday's 5K

2011-08-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

Not the best picture........BUT there we are, about to cross the finish line at Sunday's 5K at The Domain. I usually run a 14 or 15 minute mile, slow is the new fast, but I was determined to keep pace with Erica. I ran by her side the entire 3.1 miles! Turns out we were silently motivating each other the whole race, and we finished at 40.26! We are so ready to take 13.1 in October!

First Day of 1st Grade

2011-08-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

Charlize was up bright and early to get all ready for her first day of First Grade! She picked out her super cute outfit on Sunday night, and I must say...the kid has got some style!

Ready to open her presents!

Hello Kitty, her favorite!

A few pairs of earrings

Lucky for us, Madelynn decided to sleep in, so she got some hugs and kisses from Daddy, and we were off to school early to grab a good parking spot. Today will be the only day she gets walked to class from me, she is such a big girl!

Hutto Hippos!

Posing for me at her desk.

She looks so big to me in this picture with her backpack.

Mrs. Barnard and Charlize

She had a great first day, and is so excited about everything she will learn this year. She makes us so proud!

Baby Ihfe

2011-08-08T14:15:00.000-05:00

Chrissy and Jake holding up the little bitty onesie and hat I gave them this weekend at the baby shower in Dallas given by Jake's Aunt. That was shower #2 for them, the first one was back in July when they were visiting family in Wisconsin. Shower #3 will be at the end of September, given by friends. Baby Ihfe is VERY loved and we can't wait to see him and hold him and love on him when he arrives in October.

TGIF

2011-07-29T11:21:00.000-05:00

What are you doing this weekend? We are going to see the new Smurfs movie. I hope it does not disappoint, because that was one of my fave cartoons as a youngun.

We will also be looking at cars. Wish us luck, because this process can be kind of a pain. I was lucky when I bought my car over a year ago. I knew what I wanted, how much I was willing to pay, and got exactly that.

My baby brother and his fiance are driving all her stuff down from Washington DC to Austin this weekend. Yay!! Major wedding planning will soon begin.

Three Things Thursday

2011-07-28T15:08:00.000-05:00

1. I just got both girls registered for Ballet/Tap classes for their age groups, and they are at the same time on the same day! How awesome is that??!!

2. Our Jeep needs a new engine, so we might be doing some car shopping this weekend. Joy.

3. Do you watch Big Brother? It is one of the "shows" that Luis and I actually watch together.

My New Toy

2011-07-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Dreadmill

My Mom and Step-Dad brought us their treadmill this past weekend. I have never been a lover of this machine. I feel all sorts of awkward on it to be honest. BUT, since it has been HOTTER than HOT outside, and I do my long runs on the weekends, I gave it a try for my seven miler on Sunday.

I am supposed to get up before the sun rises to start my run, to get it over and done with before it gets unbearable hot. I was able to run in the middle of the afternoon in my bedroom with the ceiling fan going, and the movie 'Independence Day' on the TV. I also got to break and run to the fridge for more fuel (Powerade) and to the bathroom for a towel to wipe my sweaty self off.

I still LOVE running outdoors way more, but I will escape the heat on this machine this summer. Especially for my really long runs. Luis is also going to start running on it. He bought new running shoes and everything! Next weekend I move up to EIGHT MILES!

Charlize's 6th Birthday

2011-07-24T12:22:00.001-05:00

Charlize started out her Birthday week with a visit from Uncle Brian, Aunt Kara and Uncle John. They brought presents, and we ate lunch and played games at Homefield Grill. Everyone had fun.

                                                    School clothes from
                                                    Aunt Kara and
                                                    Uncle Brian

Her uncles helping her navigate

                                         John, Brian and Luis played this Nascar
                                         racing game three times, so they all
                                          had a chance to win.

Cupcakes!

The girls love their Uncle and Aunt

                                                    Charlize woke up to find
                                                    a new bike on her
                                                     Birthday!

Chik-Fil-A for Birthday lunch
after Dance Camp

Charlize is SIX!

The girls had so much fun at Dance Camp. They put on a little show for us on the last day, and danced to the music from all their favorite Disney shows.

Madelynn shakin it

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Great job Dancers!

Charlize's friends and family joined her for a Skate Party to celebrate her 6th Birthday! The kids had so much fun skating, munching on popcorn, pizza and cupcakes!

Lisa with Ethan and Austin

Ellen with Luke and Selma

Hannah, Charlize, McKenzie and Katelyn
(aren't they cute!!)

Melanie and Misty

Julie and Joe with Blake

Chrissy with Madelynn

Jake and Chrissy

Grandmere and Kyle

Madelynn checking out the goodie bags!

Mommy with Madelynn

Dad and Mom

Birthday Girl

BFF's

Cupcakes

Thank you family and friends for helping us celebrate! Thank you for the wonderful cards and presents.

Grandmere and Charlize

Uncle John and Charlize

Grandma spent the whole week with us!

Uncle Isaac and Charlize

Three Things Thursday

2011-07-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

1. The girls have been attending a dance camp all week. Their "show" is Friday afternoon, and I can not wait to see them strut their stuff.

So excited to go to Dance Camp!!

2. Charlize had her six year well check on Tuesday. She was 43" and 43lbs at her five year well check, and she was 46" and 46lbs this year. She is a healthy, growing girl.

3. I LOVE school supplies. I already purchased ALL of Charlize's supplies for First Grade. I also really love that they are so drastically discounted for Back to School shopping.

Happy Birthday Charlize

2011-07-20T12:35:00.000-05:00

Charlize is SIX!! This post is late. Her Birthday was Monday, but we have been busy celebrating!

Three Things Thursday

2011-07-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

1. Charlize and Luis have a two new favorite games they like to play: Go Fish, and SlapJack

2. I have been running two, three, and some days even four days in a row. I have decided to cut back to only running every other day, and walking on my "rest" days. I don't want to injur myself, or get burnt out.

3. My oldest daughter, she made me a Mommy, and Luis a Daddy- Charlize, will celebrate SIX YEARS of life on Monday!!! **tear**

It is Amazing........

2011-07-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

.........What a new coat of paint will do to a room! Madelynn chose the color, and I did all the painting.

Before

After

A First

2011-07-06T11:16:00.000-05:00

I am so proud of myself. I mowed the front and backyard for the first time in my almost 35 years. This is not a great picture, but I had to show it off anyway.

Tooth #2

2011-06-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

Friday night I was inspecting the growth of Charlize's first adult tooth, and I noticed she had another loose tooth on the bottom. She asked us a few times over the weekend to pull it out, and I very gently tugged but that was the extent of it. Sunday night I walked in the door from my evening run, and Charlize excitedly ran up to me and announced she had lost her tooth! Luis quickly chimed in and said that she PULLED that sucker out all by herself. She is tough as nails, just like her Momma.

Here she is in the car ready to go to summer day camp. She LOVES camp.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T07:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day Luis! We love you-

8 years

2011-06-14T09:38:00.001-05:00

Eight years of happily ever afters! Happy Anniversary Honey, I love you!

Goodbye Kinder, Hello 1st Grade

2011-06-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

Jake & Chrissy

2011-06-01T09:27:00.005-05:00

My beautiful best friend, Chrissy, married her Prince Charming, Jake, on Sunday. I felt my eyes fill with tears as soon as I saw Jake waiting for her, and I gasped for air when I saw Chrissy walking down the isle with her Daddy, she was a vision.

My children danced to every single song, they did not want to leave that dance floor. We had so much fun.

Congratulations Jake and Chrissy!

First Tooth update

2011-05-23T19:14:00.005-05:00

*update*
The Tooth Fairy left one dollar for Charlize. Her Daddy and I gifted her with some new clothes from her favorite new store, Justice.

Charlize lost her first baby tooth today! Her teacher emailed me to let me know, and give the Tooth Fairy a little heads up. Her teacher gave her a little tooth box to keep her tooth in so that she wouldn't lose it, and she wrote that she was not scared at all, just very happy and excited. The Tooth Fairy will be visiting our house tonite. How much do teeth go for these days anyway?

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T20:46:00.003-05:00

I run for chocolate and champagne

2011-04-21T16:12:00.003-05:00

I have been searching and reading online about all things "running" and especially "beinnger" and "training". I found a half marathon in Austin, and it is just four days after my 35th Birthday! I have already started my "training" and I am sooooo excited!!

Zooma 5K

2011-04-19T13:16:00.003-05:00

My time was 54.01, BUT it was 3.9 miles, NOT 3.1 miles.
It was an awesome race, with great friends, the after-party was so cool. We had to wait in line for our massages, so we would just take turns saving our space in line, and walking over to the free wine tent, and did that for a few hours. The resort was beautiful, the lazy river was my FAVORITE, and the food and drinks were perfection.
I am so glad Erica wanted to spend her Birthday weekend with us.
I am so glad she invited me in January, and gave me that shove I needed to start running again.
I run because I want to be a healthy Mother!

My First 10k!

2011-03-30T18:34:00.002-05:00

We didn't actually cross the START line until 24 minutes after the race had already started......SO, my stepdad and I had an actual finish time of an hour and a half. My only regret was not taking ANY pictures. I didn't want to carry a phone or camera, and I was too excited to even think about taking before or after pictures. BUT, Brightroom took over 100k photos of the race, and all you had to do was send them your bib number and email address, and they send you the pictures! Neat, huh?!?! It was super fun, and I am so proud of myself for RUNNING the whole entire 6.2 miles. My stepsister and her friend finished two minutes ahead of us, they are younguns. The next race is in April, a 5k, and I WILL FOR SURE take lots of pictures for that one.

Capitol 10k!

2011-03-25T09:00:00.003-05:00

I am running/walking the Cap10k on Sunday with my Step-Dad and Step-Sister! Wish me luck, I am going to need it!! :)

All is WELL!

2011-03-14T16:51:00.002-05:00

Madelynn had her 3yr well check today. She is now 38' and 32lbs. I just checked stats on Charlize from her 3yr and she WAS half an inch shorter and one pound lighter. Just a fun fact I thought I would throw in there. BOTH girls went to the dentist for a cleaning. Madelynn had x-rays done for the first time, and did great. I SO DISLIKE those x-rays, and having to put those things in my mouth, they are so uncomfortable, and watching my girls do it makes me cringe, but she was a rock star. They both had great check-ups and so they got lots of prizes as a reward from their dentist.

Happy Birthday Luis!

2011-02-12T21:24:00.002-06:00

Playscape!

2011-02-11T18:41:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Pawpaw, the girls have a new playscape in our backyard! It was just installed this morning, and they have already given it a test run this afternoon. They love it, of course, and I am sure they will enjoy it for many years. I am so glad we had it "professionally" installed too. The installer worked alone, and was in and out in less than four hours.

Happy 3rd Birthday Madelynn!

2011-02-07T08:41:00.001-06:00

Santa!!!

2010-12-04T18:16:00.000-06:00

Long time no blog.........

2010-11-08T20:52:00.003-06:00

To my millions of blog readers, I am still here! Work is busy, busy, busy. I have been working in the Austin office two, three, some weeks FOUR days out of the week. I don't even turn on the computer at home to be honest.
The girls are great, Luis is great. He is Super-Dad since I am working so much lately. The best month ever, October, came and went too fast. We are looking forward to the Holidays! Luis already started putting up our Christmas lights. We have been doing a lot around the house. We have brand new wooden blinds now, and we replaced every single light fixture, and two ceiling fans. Looks good! Luis also replaced all the bathroom faucets. I really need to touch-up paint, and I would love to paint a few rooms a whole new color altogether, oh, and I want new FLOORS!!
Just wanted to check in with my fans, and let everyone know how we are doing. ;)

5 Year Well Check (sort of)

2010-09-13T16:19:00.002-05:00

I picked Charlize up from school early today and she had her well check. Turns out she has an ear infection in her right ear, which surprised me because she has not had a fever or complained about her ear. Both girls have had drainage though, and Madelynn had her first ever ear infection last week. So they are both on the "pink stuff" now. Charlize now weighs 43lbs, she only gained one pound since her well check last year, but she has grown THREE inches, she is now 43"! We bought her medicine, and then picked up Madelynn from daycare early, and Momma treated them to cherry slushes from Sonic.

Two Weeks Later..........

2010-09-03T08:43:00.004-05:00

Charlize has now been in Kindergarten for two whole weeks. She LOVES school, and she is doing really well. Her teacher sends her folder home everyday with updates on how her day went, and what they are doing, and she has already had three nights of homework. Her first "project" is due next Thursday, it is titled "All About Me". Charlize is also really enjoying her afterschool program. I have to drag her out of there, seriously.
I think Charlize has beaten her fear of the "auto flush" toilets at school too. Those pesky things were the cause of my sweet girl having two accidents during playground time at school. The only toilet she would use was the one in her classroom, since her teacher covered up the sensor with a sticky note so it wouldnt flush during usage. We tried some "toilet therapy" at home (we had Charlize sit on the potty while we flushed it numerous times) and talked ALOT about her fears, and so far so good.
The evenings are also getting much better. The first week of school she would come home and just break down in tears over ANY little thing. It was so sad. I knew WHY she was so sensitive, but it didnt make it any easier to see my little girl so upset. I know it will get better as the weeks go by.
We are going to make the MOST of this long weekend!

Taryn & John

2010-09-01T21:31:00.003-05:00

Taryn and John dated in High School, and then she moved thousands of miles away, and they have kept in touch over the past ten years. Taryn still lives very far away, states away in fact, but she and my youngest brother are in love and she will be moving here very soon! I am so happy for them! I truly love THEIR love story! Taryn was here this past weekend for a short visit, and she is still just as sweet and beautiful as I remembered her from ten years ago. My brother LIGHTS UP when he talks about her, and seeing him SO HAPPY just makes me want to cry!

Charlize's 1st Day of Kindergarten!

2010-08-23T09:09:00.004-05:00

We walked Charlize into her classroom for her first day of Kindergarten this morning. I can't wait to pick her up this afternoon and hear about everything that she did on her first day of school. I am so proud of our little girl.

On Monday......

2010-08-20T17:58:00.004-05:00

Charlize will start Kindergarten! We met her teacher last night, and she is very sweet, and I could not be happier. Charlize CAN NOT WAIT to start "big school" and has been counting down the days for months. Luis and I are so excited for her to start this new adventure.
Today I took Charlize for a teeth cleaning, and Madelynn sat next to her big sister, and was very intrigued with the whole process. I love our pediatric dentist, the whole office is so friendly, and the hygienist answered all of Madelynn's questions, and asked me how old she was, and then offered to go ahead and examine and clean her teeth since she seemed very comfortable and ready. Madelynn climbed right up there and was the perfect little patient. I am so glad Charlize is able to set a good example for Madelynn in so many ways.
We celebrated with lunch at Chili's, followed by naps at home. I woke the girls up a little bit early, and told them I had a little suprise for them. Hello Kitty was making an appearance at Toy Joy in Austin, and I knew they would be amazed to meet her in person. As soon as we walked in the store their eyes grew ten times in size, they have more Hello Kitty stuff than I have EVER SEEN in my life!! After pictures, we went to Amy's ice cream for a little treat. After this weekend is over, we will have a Kindergartener!!!!

Happy 6th Birthday McKenzie!

2010-08-08T18:00:00.004-05:00

We celebrated McKenzie's 6th Birthday party on Saturday and it was Charlize's first time to roller skate. She LOVED it! I walked next to her the first time around, and held her hand, and grabbed her by her arm if she seemed like she might fall, and after that she would not let me touch her. She was so proud of herself, and she kept going and going. She wants to go back soon, and show off her skating skills for her Daddy.

Victory Rose

2010-07-20T20:13:00.003-05:00

When we asked Charlize what she wanted for her Birthday, she quickly responded back with "flowers". She received two beautiful bouquets of flowers at her Ballet Recital in May, and she loved them and wanted more.
Luis brought home this Victory Rose plant for Charlize on her Birthday. She thinks it is the BEST thing ever, and LOVES that it is from her Daddy.

Charlize's 5th Birthday

2010-07-19T10:37:00.008-05:00

Charlize started out her Birthday week with a Disneyland Vacation themed Ballet Camp with her best friend McKenzie. They put on a little show for us on the last day, and Charlize was all of a sudden very shy.

Friday night we watched the Fireworks show at Old Settlers Park, and the girls were so pooped, we didnt stay for the movie.

Saturday we celebrated at ChuckE.Cheese's with family and friends, games, pizza, cupcakes, and presents! We planned to go to the Rodeo in Taylor, but we were all too exhausted to leave the house.

We all slept late on Sunday, and we were sad to see Grandma go after having her here with us all week long.

Charlize is so excited that she is finally FIVE! She is such a big girl, and she is so excited for school to start in August.

Madelynn is.......

2010-06-29T20:52:00.003-05:00

Madelynn is potty trained! She is still wearing a pull-up for nap and bedtime, BUT she is in BIG GIRL PANTIES......and she hasn't had an accident in over two weeks! She is very proud of herself, and so independent. Now just to wean her off sucking her thumb......

This Summer......

2010-06-14T19:40:00.003-05:00

You will find me and the girls in the POOL!

My Weekend with The Twins

2010-06-09T19:55:00.006-05:00

Saturday I met Mom and Aunt Darlene in Austin. We stayed at the new house they just closed on a few weeks ago. My cousin is living there while he attends St. Edwards.
We drove down SoCo, and of course I HAD TO buy the girls some cupcakes at Hey Cupcake! We walked around and looked at a few of the stuff the vendors were selling, mostly artsy jewelry and stuff like that. We ate dinner at Vespaio,and I must say it felt so good to eat at such a grown up restaurant, with grown up food and drinks, and conversation.
Sunday we went to Hill's Cafe for Gospel Brunch, and then we went to the Gibson Showroom for Jamie's baby shower. It was a co-ed shower, so my brother was there too. The Twins had fun teasing him anyway though. The Twins took a few 'self portraits' with my camera when I left it with them on a potty break at the baby shower.
I love spending time with The Twins, they always spoil me, and make me laugh, and we always have a great time together. I just love them to death!!

Ballet Recital

2010-05-24T22:05:00.005-05:00

Saturday night Charlize danced in her very first Ballet recital, and we are ALL so proud of her!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T19:07:00.003-05:00

I LOVE being their Mother!

Her 1st Sleepover

2010-05-02T16:51:00.004-05:00

We picked McKenzie up after ballet on Saturday, and she spent the whole day with us. We ate lunch at McDonalds's, and got some frozen yogurt at Pink Penguin for dessert. The girls had so much fun jumping on the trampoline, coloring, and playing with the "cities" they built. We had pizza for dinner, and played at Chrissy's for a little bit, and we got to sneak a peak at some baby bunnies that are hiding in the bushes in our neighbors front yard! After bath, the girls watched some Disney, and they were ready for bed at 10pm. They were both pooped and fell asleep right away! First Sleepover was a complete success!

"Love Like Crazy"

2010-04-30T21:10:00.001-05:00

Lee Brice

More CMT Music

More CMT Music Videos

"Free"

2010-04-30T21:03:00.000-05:00

Zac Brown Band

More CMT Music

More CMT Music Videos

Snips 'N Snails

2010-04-29T19:02:00.003-05:00

Charlize LOVES to look for snails, or any other little creatures for that matter, in our backyard. She found this little guy tonite, and he was very friendly.

Disney on Ice!!

2010-04-25T21:33:00.004-05:00

Charlize and I went to the Cedar Park Center to see Disney on Ice today. It was a great show, with all of our favorite characters from Cars, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Tinkerbell.

It is THAT time again!

2010-04-23T21:23:00.002-05:00

Madelynn has been going potty for Nana at daycare for two weeks now. She refused to go for us at home though, like- kicking and screaming REFUSED to even SIT on the potty. In fact, she would HIDE her pink potty in the bathroom closet.
Last night we were reading a book before bedtime, which is followed by hugs and kisses, and Charlize making one last trip to the potty, and Madelynn declared that SHE would also go peepee in the potty..........AND SHE DID!!! FINALLY!

Knox

2010-04-18T17:20:00.003-05:00

Charlize finally got to hold McKenzie's new baby brother Knox! Aren't these just the SWEETEST pictures? I had to pry Knox out of her arms, she did not want to let go of him.

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

2010-04-15T19:32:00.001-05:00

Oh, I LOVE THIS!!

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON MySpace Music Videos

The Girls Photoshoot with Alison Eden

2010-04-10T17:16:00.013-05:00

The girls had their pictures taken by Alison Eden in February, and we LOVED all the pictures so much, we purchased the CD so we could have every single image! Thank you Alison Eden!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T20:31:00.008-05:00

Easter weekend in Boerne Texas was filled with family, food, bluebonnets, confetti eggs, Easter presents and puppies! The girls LOVED the Kilpatrick family's new puppies, and held them and played with them the whole day. We had a great weekend with family, and we are still recovering from the festivities today.

The Girls Rooms

2010-04-02T20:33:00.002-05:00

The girls both got new bedding recently, so I modge podged their letters in their names with scrapbook paper, and I painted Charlize's room PINK! I am going to add some "artwork" in both rooms as well, pictures of the girls together.

Flip

2010-03-31T21:57:00.002-05:00

Luis has a new toy, the Flip video ultra HD- here is a sneak peak:

zoom-zoom

2010-03-13T15:42:00.004-06:00

I bought a new car!! It is a 2009 Mazda 5 with only 14k miles on it! I really wanted something with a third row, and the rear sliding doors are a plus.

Snow Day at Nana's!

2010-02-24T20:12:00.004-06:00

Nana took these pictures of the kids playing in the snow yesterday. They of course LOVED playing in the snow, making a snowman, and eating snow ice cream!

Sesame Street Live!

2010-02-21T16:43:00.004-06:00

All the characters from Sesame Street Live on stage, and Popcorn!! What more could you ask for?!!!?

Yay Charlize!

2010-02-19T12:20:00.004-06:00

Charlize had a great dentist appointment this morning. I must say I am sometimes shocked at how well behaved my children are in public, because they can be such terrors in the privacy of our home. She was a great little patient, and made her Momma very proud. Charlize got to pick a prize from the treasure chest and she got a free t-shirt for having two perfect score cards in a row!

Melanie's Shower

2010-02-18T19:26:00.003-06:00

Saturday we showered Melanie with gifts for Baby Boy Martin. Friends and family joined us for lunch and cupcakes at The Texan Cafe in downtown Hutto. Melanie got lots of adorable baby boy stuff, and we all can not wait for his arrival in late March!

Birthday-Valentine's Weekend

2010-02-17T20:04:00.008-06:00

Luis' 33rd Birthday was on Friday, and Osman and Trish joined us at Catfish Parlour to eat some yummy food to celebrate. I didn't take many pictures because I was too busy stuffing my face. The food was really good, and great service, a very child-friendly restaurant, so I am sure we will be going back.

We had lots of fun at our Valentine's party at Misty's house. The party last year was such a success, and what a difference a year makes. The girls had a blast making crowns, heart frames, decorating cookies, decorating their Valentine's bags, and playing with all their friends. They got lots of yummy treats, and it was so cute to watch them "read" all their Valentine's.

Happy 2nd Birthday Madelynn

2010-02-08T13:33:00.009-06:00

Madelynn's 2nd Birthday fell on Superbowl Sunday this year, so we had her party the weekend before, and celebrated again yesterday with friends that joined us to watch the game. Madelynn got a new bike! She has been trying to pedal on Charlize's bike, so I can push her on this one until she gets the hang of it, which won't be long!

Madelynn's 2nd Birthday Party

2010-02-08T10:46:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Madelynn's 2nd Birthday last weekend, since her actual Birthday was on Superbowl Sunday. Good thing, because she has been sick with a viral cough/runny nose all weekend.
Everyone had a great time at Pump It Up jumping, climbing, and sliding. Madelynn had fun with all her little friends, and family that traveled to celebrate with us. Madelynn loved being the center of attention, and opening up all her presents. She is a very lucky little girl to have such wonderful friends and family.

Just In Case You Ever Wonder

2010-01-10T09:02:00.002-06:00

We have read every single book in our collection more than once these past few days. One of our all time favorites is 'Just In Case You Ever Wonder' by Max Lucado. He writes, "As you grow and change, some things will stay the same. I'll always love you. I'll always hug you. I'll always be on your side. And I want you to know that . . . just in case you ever wonder."

Cabin Fever

2010-01-10T08:05:00.003-06:00

We have it BIG time over here. The girls both got sick with the tummy bug late Wednesday night, so we have been home for days recovering. We have watched a million movies, napped, and colored a whole lot. They were so excited to get out of the house yesterday just to get some Gatorade for Daddy. Back to school and work tomorrow!

Home

2009-12-31T17:38:00.002-06:00

We closed on our house this morning, and the best part is, we don't even have to move! We bought the house we have been renting since January.

Christmas with PawPaw!

2009-12-31T17:31:00.001-06:00

We went to the Valley to see my family and Luis' family. I did not get enough pictures though, so I will add more as they are emailed to me. We had a great time visiting with all our family we haven't seen in a long time. The trip was very long, but so worth it. The girls were great travelers, and slept most of the time. Everyone showered them with presents, and lots of hugs and kisses.

Disney Live!

2009-12-31T17:29:00.001-06:00

Santa brought us all tickets to see Disney Live in Austin. We had great seats, and the girls just loved it! Madelynn got a little bit restless, but popcorn fixed that problem. She stood on my lap and danced and clapped when Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother sang 'Bippity Boppity Boo'! We are going back in February to see Sesame Street Live!

Family

2009-12-31T17:27:00.000-06:00

White Elephant!

2009-12-31T17:26:00.001-06:00

We played the White Elephant gift exchange game this year at Kyle and Mom's house. It was soo much fun, and the gifts were GREAT! We are already talking about next year!

Grandmere's House!

2009-12-31T17:24:00.001-06:00

Grandmere and Kyle have the best horse(tire)swing in their backyard!

Christmas Morning!

2009-12-31T17:22:00.001-06:00

The girls actually let us sleep in a little bit, and woke us up at 715 so excited to see what Santa had brought them! They were very good little girls this year!

Santa!!

2009-12-09T21:06:00.004-06:00

We went to see Santa at Hoppin Hippo again this year. Madelynn wanted nothing to do with him, and would only sit on his lap when the candy cane appeared. I didn't get one smile out of her. Maybe next year. Charlize asked Santa to please bring her a baby doll- thank goodness, because she has been asking us for a puppy, and she is NOT getting one. Aren't those shirts cute? I got them here.

Naughty or Nice

2009-12-08T19:21:00.004-06:00

Charlize got the BIGGEST kick out of this: message from Santa!

Christmas Decor!

2009-12-06T09:07:00.004-06:00

We are for sure getting a new tree for next year. The lights on the very top of the pre-lit tree are out, so I had to add more. I bought a few more 'kid friendly' ornaments this year. I still have all my breakables packed away to use in the future. My aunt gave us some sock monkey ornaments, they are the girls favorites!

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-11-30T20:48:00.005-06:00

My mom and step-dad invited us to their deer lease for the long Holiday weekend. The girls had so much fun riding the four wheeler, and running around like wild things. We saw lots of javelinas when we went riding on the four wheeler. We even saw one bull snake- ewwww! Luis and my step dad saw many does and bucks. I sat in the blind with Luis one evening and saw some youngs bucks, does, and a wild hog. I never saw a big buck though- maybe next time. Well, except for the one Luis got. We will have a freezer full of pan sausage, link sausage, and dried sticks in just a few weeks!

Our Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T19:47:00.004-06:00

We traveled to Boerne for our Thanksgiving feast this year. Aunt Darlene and Uncle Peter hosted at their home, and we had lots of yummy food, fried turkey, tamale stuffing, desserts, and of course the most wonderful of all- Cowboys Football! We are so Thankful for such a great, loving Family.

Daddy-Daughters Road Trip!

2009-11-21T11:11:00.002-06:00

Luis and the girls hit the road at 730am for their five+ hour drive to the Valley. They will only be gone four short days, but I have never been away from them for more than 24hrs. I am hoping to stay very busy this weekend so I don't miss them too much. I know they will have lots of fun with their Daddy, Grandma, PawPaw, and other relatives they haven't seen in a long time.

Jonah

2009-11-14T07:03:00.003-06:00

My very good friends Steph and Jesse welcomed baby boy Jonah on November 11th at 8:12am. He weighed 8lbs 6oz and he was 20 1/4". I can not wait to hold him and kiss on him and his Mommy.

We prayed for this child and the Lord has granted us what we asked of Him. 1 Samuel 1:27

Hook'Em!

2009-11-08T15:51:00.003-06:00

I won tickets to another UT game at work! I have had a pretty lucky Fall so far. **knock on wood** These tickets came with access to the Longhorn Sponors Club, where we had a free breakfast buffet and drinks! They had all the usual yummy foods, my favorites were the muffins, and of course the mimosas! I won four tickets, so Chrissy and Osman joined us. It was a very exciting game, and the weather was gorgeous! We all ended up just a tad bit sunburnt.

The Nice Witch and The Fairy

2009-11-02T19:55:00.005-06:00

This year Charlize was a 'Nice Witch' and Madelynn was a 'Fairy'for Halloween. Charlize would tell anyone who asked that she was indeed a witch, but she was a "nice" one. She used her wand to cast many spells, mostly turning people into frogs. Madelynn said "off" the minute I put her costume on her, but she got used to it, thank goodness. We went to a Fall Festival and the girls played games for treats. The weather was perfect, and the whole family had a blast.

Living and Loving

Gift Swap

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas

Tooth #4

Trim the Tree...

John and Taryn Engagement Favorites

Tooth #3

Hair!

Happy Halloween

3M Half Marathon

Handmade for ME!

Outstanding Student!

Scenes from a Mall

I Heart October

See Jennifer Run

Baby Levi

Looky What I Got for my Birthday.......

Chrissy's Baby Shower

Dad's Wedding

Enjoying the Small Things

Sunday's 5K

First Day of 1st Grade

Baby Ihfe

TGIF

Three Things Thursday

My New Toy

Charlize's 6th Birthday

Three Things Thursday

Happy Birthday Charlize

Three Things Thursday

It is Amazing........

A First

Tooth #2

Father's Day 2011

8 years

Goodbye Kinder, Hello 1st Grade

Jake & Chrissy

First Tooth *update*

Happy Easter

I run for chocolate and champagne

Zooma 5K

My First 10k!

Capitol 10k!

All is WELL!

Happy Birthday Luis!

Playscape!

Happy 3rd Birthday Madelynn!

Santa!!!

Long time no blog.........

5 Year Well Check (sort of)

Two Weeks Later..........

Taryn & John

Charlize's 1st Day of Kindergarten!

On Monday......

Happy 6th Birthday McKenzie!

Victory Rose

Charlize's 5th Birthday

Madelynn is.......

This Summer......

My Weekend with The Twins

Ballet Recital

Happy Mother's Day!

Her 1st Sleepover

"Love Like Crazy"

"Free"

Snips 'N Snails

Disney on Ice!!

It is THAT time again!

Knox

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

The Girls Photoshoot with Alison Eden

Easter Weekend

The Girls Rooms

Flip

zoom-zoom

Snow Day at Nana's!

Sesame Street Live!

Yay Charlize!

Melanie's Shower

First Tooth update