3 Years of No Blogging...

Sooooo much can happen in 3 years.  I'm pretty sad and disappointed I haven't blogged more.  A ton of things have come and gone in the past 3 years and due to not blogging, I know I won't remember most of them.  I plan on going back to highlight some things that have happened that I still remember, but I can only do so much.  Blogger changed and with that so did my account.  Todd set up a new email and then forgot which one it was.  I was blocked out.  He put off figuring out and telling me what the code was until last year.  He wrote all the info on a post it note and placed it on the wall in the study.  When we repainted that wall in the fall...we don't know what happened to the sticky note...so I was stuck in the same position of not knowing the account information I needed to know.  But now I am back on track...lets see how long I can keep it up.

A lot of things have stayed the same...

We are still in the same house in Spring.  

Todd is still working at DHL, though he is now in a new position as a Key Account Manager, working exclusively with Baker Oil.  

I am still working as a part time librarian and a full time homeschooler.

My girls are still the light of my life.

We still attend Spring Baptist Church and go to Denton to visit my parents when we can. Todd still drives his Toyota Corolla and wishes he could play golf more. I still read and cross stitch.  The girls still play their instruments.  They still love riding bikes in the cul-de-sac with the Crenshaws.  They still giggle and play with each other and are still each others best friend.  

But a lot has changed.  Anyone that knows me, knows I have a heck of a time with change.  

 We have repainted almost the entire house.  

Todd and I have now entered our 5th decade.  We both turned 40 last year and yes...we feel it :-)

I had to get a new car...and boy was it an escapade.

My parents retired.

My sister got really sick.

I lost a favorite cousin of mine,  Buddy Canady.

We've gone on some fun road trips and learned how to jet ski.

My Father in Law got an autoimmune disease.

 Kaytlynn is now 12, and Delaney is right behind her at 11.  In that amount of time...both kids have gone from being in single digits, to being tweens.  it has truly thrown us for a loop.  They text with friends on their I-Touches.  They have sleep overs.  They listen to music constantly...changing their "favorite songs" each month...and playing them over and over again on a loop until something new finally gets their attention.  They are now in gymnastics. They go to Cotillions and Sock Hops and chess club and keep us in the car more often than not with their social activities. And talk about cute boys...Well, Kaytlynn does.  Delaney just giggles.  But still ... How the hell did that happen?  They both became Christians to our delight and great joy!  And perhaps the biggest change of all... they both became big sisters!!! 

That's right.  Todd and I had our sweet son, Liam.  I can't type out the changes he has brought.  Well, I can and will write about some of them...but there just aren't enough words or time to tell of everything he has brought into our lives.  But we are so happy he is here.

So the changes have been good...and bad.  I will do my best to revisit some of them.  

Ill close by saying my goal is to write at least once a week!  Until then...

I 

I'm a Little Horse...

Todd told the girls to pick up some trash on the floor beneath the kitchen table. They get down there and quite quickly gets off task. Always the pretenders, you hear Delaney whisper to Kaytlynn...

"Kaytlynn, I am a little horse and they call me, ummm, they call me, .....Phantom because I can be quite scary.

Nursing Home visit...

As a child, I loved going to this sad little nursing home in Porter. We would go for lots of reasons...with my mom and as a church. My favorite was handing out Halloween candy in our costumes.

The girls are in choir and they have visited a local nursing home twice to sing with the church children's choir. They love doing it.

Today, I took the girls to a nursing home in Conroe. Kaytlynn's violin teacher got her students together to perform for everyone. It was Kaytlynn's first time to perform before an audience. She played Angels We Have Heard On High. She was so nervous but did such a good job! I was so proud of her but more importantly, she was proud of herself! Kaytlynn has become so shy lately that you never know how she is going to respond, but she just glowed. I am so thankful we have been blessed enough to put her in violin! Hoping it pulls her out of her shell.

Delaney also got to play her piano for her first time in front of an audience. She played Silent Night. She is really starting to do a great job! Same as Kaytlynn...glad this will give her a chance to shine :-)

Kaytlynn's Humor...

I hate the girls growing, but each year they grow more into who they will be. Kaytlynn...will be funny. She absolutely loves corny jokes! Her 2 newest that she loves to share.

"They need to come up with a new HAM. They can call it Abraham!

"What is a hip hop person's favorite city. TokYO. Get it....YO...I like Tokyo...hehehe"

Music Lessons...

I have signed the girls up for music lessons. They are soooo excited. Kaytlynn has wanted to play the violin for a good year now and Delaney has wanted to play the piano. I have put it off for 2 reasons....a little bit because of money, but mainly, because I wanted to see if their desire would wear off. It didn't so they will start taking them at a place called 7 acre woods on Saturdays as soon as we get all of their books in that we have ordered.

The moment I knew I needed a violin, I called my friend Howie. He runs a music store in Porter and we were in choir together back in high school. He is the most talented musician I've ever known...playing anything that you can blow or strum. We went by his place and bought a 1/4 sized violin. Kaytlynn has thought it was the neatest thing since sliced bread!

Delaney and Kaytlynn outside Andrew's Music in Porter

Kaytlynn being fitted for the right size violin

Howie and Kaytlynn after our purchase! She was truly walking on sunshine!

Fancy Restaurants ...

We don't take the girls out to eat often. They get really excited when life gets too busy and we go to Denny's for Kids Eat Free! Evidently, when my kids went to stay at my sister's house, they got to have the honor of going to CiCi's Pizza. For those of you that are not familiar with CiCi's Pizza, it is a buffet pizza joint where you get all you can eat bread, pizza, and dessert for 5 bucks. In other words...its a dive.

They had been asking us to take them all week. I had told the girls that I didn't know where a Cici's Pizza was and that was the truth...but I hadn't actually been looking for one either. My mom needed to go to Walgreen's for something and Delaney chose to go with her. Lo and Behold...CiCi's was practically right next door. Clueless Delaney found it...how she can find that and not her hair brush or shoes, Ill never know. But find it she did. She then preceded to tell us that we needed to go. That we could go to a Fancy place and eat Fancy food and have great time. So we did. Both girls had a great time while my mom and I chit chatted. Delaney ate 4 plates full of food! And to top it off, there was a balloonist there, so we left with a sword for Kaytlynn and a Butterfly for Delaney. Don't you just love how simple things delight children. I wish it did the same for me...Life would be so much easier!

We ate Fancy...cause that's how we roll :-)