Rodeo Houston

During our Spring Break this year I tried really hard to keep the kids busy.  I tend to be a home body and would love nothing more than to veg and play games and watch movies with the kiddos, but apparently my kids think that is the definition of "Party Pooper." HA!  Someday they will understand ;)  Needless to say we STAYED busy.  I hate to say it, but for the 10 years we've lived in TX my children have never been to the rodeo....and for anyone that has lived in Houston that is completely unforgivable!  We got up early (well not really, but for spring break yes, early) and drove downtown and took part of the "fun" we have apparently been missing all these years.  Lol.  I think a bit of my mother tends to come out in these dirty situations :)  Hahaha...but we really did have fun. 

They learned the cycle of farming.  From planting the seed to sowing, milking the cow, harvesting eggs, to selling to them all to the market.  Then buying a treat!  It was really cute.

 

 

 

Sam particularly enjoyed this part.  Not sure why.

Then there was the birthing center.  We witnessed a piglet being born!  Tyler and Andy were incredibly grossed out, but the rest of us were genuinely interested.  I guess it has to do with maternal instincts because all of us Girls had no problems at all!  (Oh and just FYI we all wore cowgirl boots and hats!  Andy wore his boots too, but we're working on a hat)

I think they could have watched the chicks hatch all day long.  Kaylee particularly loved this part and didn't want to leave.  Ever.

Now I don't know my rodeo history, but I think one of these boots are made every year with a "theme" related to the current rodeo.  I should also mention just prior to this photo being taken the children partook of their very first funnel cake.

All in all a good time, although Andy did have to leave after lunch.  After he left we did a few carnival rides (which I really loathe.  Maybe I am a party pooper after all).  And got TERRIBLY lost (on foot) trying to find our way back to the car.  Seriously and hopelessly lost.  It took us 50 minutes to find where we had parked.  But we did shed a few extra calories!!  This may end up being an every other year event :)

Ty the baseball Man

 

 

 

Tyler’s first baseball game.  He did great!  He’s so funny about attention though.  I really had to sneak some pictures of him!  He made a great play when he was in the shortstop position, getting the first baseman out.  Andy was super proud and whooped and hollered like I've never heard him.  Usually he’s telling me to settle down, HA!

Baseball

This weekend was wonderful...no meetings, no events of any kind not even any birthday parties!  It was a rare, EVENT-LESS, gorgeously beautiful Saturday and we took full advantage.  We played baseball!

The way this mother handles extra curricular activities (sports wise) is basically this:  ONE at a time.  I honestly don't know how other mothers do it.  Kids in things all at the same time...I nearly lost it with Ty and Audg in soccer at the same time last year.  Am I a big baby, or what?  Anyway, I have always preached SIMPLIFY to my friends and it's because quite frankly I think the world is way too busy.  We need to take a deep breath and remember what is around us, what is important and focus on that.  Good, better, BEST sums it up.  It can be good, even GREAT, but is the BEST for my family, for my life in the eternal perspective?  Now that will get you thinking.  So one kid in one sport ONE at a time.  So it is Tyler's turn.  He chose baseball and Andy couldn't be happier!   

I don't know if you guys recall, but Tyler was truly a natural at baseball from the day he was born.  There was this picture when he was weeks old:

Then there are these famous pictures when he was just about a year old:

MELT my HEART!  What a cutie.  No joke, he hit his first baseball (wiffle ball) when he was 18 months old!  No pressure Tyler, but I think your dear old Dad would LOVE it if you played a little baseball...Good times to come!

Sam had her turn to bat and really enjoyed herself.  She's pretty cute too, don'tchathink?

 

Motherhood and Faith

Please follow the instructions carefully:

Instructions:  First, find an area that is relatively dirty, clean it in whatever fashion is needed.  Wait 5 minutes.  Now go to your garbage.  Find any remnants of food you can. Proceed to recently cleaned area and throw remnants on the cleaned area.  Go to your pantry and grab some cereal or crackers and scatter haphazardly on remnants. Put your shoes on and jump on the food.  Find a blender, throw anything solid inside, turn on high and leave on.  Next find your vacuum, plug in and turn on and leave running.  Start screaming intermittently and turn on the radio and pretend you are driving.

See attached picture, add all the sounds above plus an aroma of stale fast food and note:

This is a metaphor of my life.  I vacuumed the car 20 minutes prior, the car was spotless :). 2007 Honda Odyssey for sale, 4 children included!  I’m kidding…

....Well kinda.

As much as I go insane the sweet moments make it all worth it.  We decided to get the garden planted today.  I always try to include the children in that process and Sam was right next to us this time.  Each one of the kiddos would grab a packet of seeds and say, “Mom, can we plant these?” To which I would reply accordingly.  Sam catches on quick, with everything.  So what does she do, she grabs a packet of yellow beans and says, “Mom, French fries PLEASE?”  How could I say no?  So we planted french-fries in our back garden today.  Hopefully she won’t be too disappointed, or maybe I could pull a fast one on her?

Per Hermana Lyndsey's suggestion via her last letter we decided to do a faith experiment in our house for FHE.  We talked about faith and how we feed our faith and planted a seed.  Each of us chose different plant to symbolize our different personalities and individualism.  The kicker was that we could only water our seed when we did things like pray, read our scriptures, go to church, etc.  Some of us our doing better than others, but each of us at least has one seed that has sprouted!  We won't be naming any names, but it is a VERY good visual to show how little by little our faith needs to be nourished.  Thanks for the inspiration Lynds!

Sam's Second Birthday!

 

 

Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures of Sam's birthday.  I think I may have been feeling a little under the weather.
Do you recall my Christmas post where Sam took over Audrie's American Girl horse, claiming it as her own?  Well for her birthday she got her own horse.  The funny thing is she has hardly touched it!  We tried. Look how cute Ty is being with his sister.  He really is a sweet brother :)

First Annual Ugly Sweater Party

We held our first annual Ugly Sweater Party!  It was great!  Lots of fun and good company.  The funny part was some of the sweaters people wore I didn't think were that bad!


We did a white elephant gift exchange, and I got a great reaction out of mine...in fact I LOVE Kim's face in this picture (and it wasn't even her gift!).  Absolutely PRICELESS!!

Some of the friends that came; athough we didn't get a shot of all the couples!  Thanks for coming guys, it was a fun night! 

 

Christmas and New Years

We had a great holiday season filled with friends and distant family!  It was relaxing and JUST what the doctor ordered. 

The Bush family came to town, although they were a bit under the weather.   We appreciate the sacrifice of traveling so many miles with so many kiddos (HA!).  Love those guys.

We also enjoyed a trip on the "Polar Express".  About 3 hours away in Palestine, TX there is a train station that offers a reenactment of the story "Polar Express."  The idea was great, but quite honestly it left much to anticipate.  It was freezing, wet and expensive!  The kids had fun, but I'm not sure we will ever be doing that again :/

Obviously there were some good times (Sam's face) and then other times we were struggling a bit (Kaylee's face...).

Then one of the highlights was a random trip to the airport for a quick game of wits and wagers.  Mom, Dad and Katie were on their way to one of the Carolina's for some medical advice, but had a layover in Houston!  And it was long enough that we got to spend it with them :)

The Sunday before Christmas.  Don't we have some handsome kids...cool and good lookin'!

Christmas morning!  We had a great time.  Sam in particular had her eye one some of those gifts...none of which were her own. HA!

Grandma and Grandpa Hart joined us via face time.  I LOVE technology just for this purpose alone.  Here is Sammy showing them something she got.

And here is Sam claiming a gift her own when in fact it is actually Audrie's.  She wouldn't put it down and kept saying, "Where's my horse?" And run and find it.  In fact the next morning the first thing out of her mouth was, "Where's my horse?"  Hahahaha.  Good times, at least for Sam.  Audrie on the other hand felt a little shafted!

Kaylee received a REAL American Girl doll.  Can you say Heaven?  It was very literal for Kaylee.  She took that doll out to swing as soon as she had a second.  She and Audrie also received LOADS of AG doll clothes thanks to one of my young women at church.  I think she thought she won the lottery as she opened that blue box.  I mean check out that face! 

 

I think I have had as much fun as the girls have with these dolls.  In fact I proclaimed that I wanted a a doll too!!  I've decided that is why American Girl Dolls are even successful at all...its simply because we as mothers get to vicariously play dolls through our children!  I don't think we ever really grow up when it comes to dolls...well at least I don't.

Andy received his first pair of cowboy boots (since we've been married anyway).  He looks super cute in them.  We are truly becoming Texans down here...it just seeps into you the longer you live here!

 

 Audrie got a beautiful ring from Tyler.  Needless to say she was thrilled.  Tyler is going to make a great husband some day!  He got every one of us girlies a ring...very thoughtful!

 

Andy got me my first pair of Miss Me jeans.  I had never heard of them before, but apparently they are THE jeans real Texans wear. All blinged out with leather and studs on the back pockets.  Comfy and long enough to wear with your cowboy boots!

All in all we had a great Christmas filled with fun, laughter and memories to last a lifetime.  We are so grateful for our Savior whom we celebrated His birth.  What a glorious time we live in!  The gospel is true and the fullness of it is on the earth today.