My New Favorite Songs for the Summer

I don't know about you, but I always have my favorites songs of the summer.  So here is what I have this summer. 

                                                Teenage Daughters by Martina McBride
I know I don't have teenage daughters (YET!) but I can relate to this song. It's really cute! Having a 'tween is close enough.

If Heaven Weren't So Far Away by Justin Moore. Sorry it's not the official video but you get the idea. Wow it's a powerful song. It reminds me of my Opie and Omie. My children never met my Opie but I know some day they will. There are times when they talk about him as if they have met him. I'm so glad they are able to learn what a wonderful man he was through our memories of him.

I just really like this song. It reminds me of hang out with friends on the back roads of Comal County.
Sorry for the overload of videos but I had to share.

Summer 2011

 Oh summer how we've missed you! Summer is most favorite time of year. This summer has been by far one of my favorites. I had to work the first week but it wasn't all that bad. Then we were Florida bound! What an awesome vacation.

White sand, clear emerald green water, what more can anyone ask for on the beach. We visited the Gulfaruim, Margaritaville, took a glass bottom boat ride into the Gulf of Mexico, held an alligator, raced go-carts and did some shopping near the beach. We had a blast! 

       

Daddy and his girls

Mother dolphin and her baby 

       

                                                                        Gator beach 

The girls have been very busy since we've been back. Karagen has already been to basketball and softball camp. Reagan had an awesome (her word) time at VBS at a friend's church. Next week Reagan is going to another VBS with her cousin. I love when she comes home to share all that she has learned. Last week, she came home with "Mom, you know God is watching us all the time." We spent Father's Day with my family for lunch. Then in the afternoon we went to Ryan's Dad's toob place(like us on facebook) for a little river action. My poor children have never been floating down the river. Call me a chicken  over protective mother but the river can be a dangerous place. I took my nephews and the girls down to the river with some toobs. They would walk up to the rapids (what's left of them) and float down to where I was sitting. There belly laughs could be heard up river I'm sure. It was a great time. 

ONE HUGE REQUEST...PRAY FOR RAIN! We are so very dry here. Wildfires are popping up all around our area. Ryan's grandma even had a mass for rain. That might have worked because we have a 30 -40% chance of rain tomorrow. 

What we've been up to!

                                                     ***WARNING: picture overload****
Since January we've been going like crazy! K played volleyball again this winter. Her team was AWESOME. He coach is great! She signed up for a summer camp on Sundays with her coach. She has gotten so much better every game she played. Now she is working on her overhand serve. She will get it, I have no dought.

 In February, we played in the snow. It was a whole lot of fun! We were  up and out by 6:15 AM and didn't come in until it was all gone.  We are never up that early on a Friday morning. We made snowballs and snow angels. The girls thought it would be fun to jump on the trampoline. They never really got up,  just slid all over the place. It was hilarious! We laughed so hard our sides hurt.

And finally, we had our first family stock show season. We only went to San Antonio and our county show so it was too bad. Tic and Tac were a LOT of work but we had a great time with them.  We met some great people and were reacquainted with old friends. I hope K enjoys showing as mush as I did when I was a kid. She is really good at it. She won her very first showmanship belt buckle. We made sure to let her know that was all her.  She was really proud of herself, as were we. It was really hard to say good bye last weekend.

We have already started Tball and softball practices. R, my niece, and cousin's little girl are on the lady unicorns(Yes, I know) . Let's just say they are going to have a blast. Who knows if they will learn anything. If they practices are any indication of there playing ability it's going to be a fun season. Lots of laughs and smiles to be had.  K is playing on the same team she was on last year. The coach decided to play up the season. They are pretty good for their age. Okay, I'm a little bias. K turned 10 on Wednesday! I can't believe she is 10. A local church puts up weekly quotes. A few weeks ago this one was up " If you are a parent the days are long but the years are short." How true is that? We are so proud of her. She has made straight A's for 2 years in a row. She is amazing at sports and showing steers. We couldn't ask for a better kid.

Ryan is going to a steer sale today. Hopefully, he will come home with a good one!  Spring Break is in a week (can't come soon enough) and we aren't going anywhere this year. The girls are bummed but we have TONS of stuff to do around here. SUMMER is RIGHT around the corner. I just want to get through TAKS testing and I'll be fine.  AND THAT IS THE CRAZY LIFE WE LEAD and would change a thing!

Prayers Needed

For Baby Skeet!  My cousin Malcom and his wife had Skeet Asher Kitchen. Baby Skeet arrived at 9:15 am on Novemeber 30th He weighed 3 lb 1 oz and 16" long. He was born at only 28 weeks. There have aleady been some ups and downs in his short little life. There is no dought he will be a fighter.  He is the first boy of 5 girls. Poor thing will have to defend himself with all those WILD girls. He is a true Christmas mircle just as his sister Madeline was last year. We pray for God to keep him in his hands!

Welcome Fall

I didn't realize how long it's been since my last post. I've tried many times to post but something always happens. School has started to our lazy days of summer are long since gone. K is playing volleyball this year for the first time. They are doing very well. Their coach is AWESOME! Coach Q is very passionate about volleyball and is passing that on to the girls. She also showed her steers...Yes I said steers at the Comal County Fair. She has two very big boys. We've enjoyed working with them. Tic and Tac are going to be hard to say good bye to, I'm afraid. Tic, was 2nd in his class and Tac well let's just say it was a VERY good class. She seems to really enjoy the steers. I was surprised at how well K showed. She stayed clam and worked very hard.

VERY Proud Mom, Dad, Opie, K, and Tac

Show time

R started school in August. Our school district started a program a few years ago for staff children. She has learned her entire alphabet in sign language. Now they are working on syllables. She can't wait to get up in the morning for school. Her teachers are wonderful! We are blessed beyond words!

Today we are cleaning house, putting up the fall decorations(pictures to follow) and working in the yard. This is the first weekend we've had free in a while so we are trying to get it all in. Happy Sunday!

God Bless Omie

On the same day Jesus was put to death our beloved Omie and Big Old Omie, as Karagen so proudly named her went to be with The Lord and my Opie after 12 long years without him. Yes, we are very sad because we miss her so much but the tears we shed are also tears of joy. She is with Opie once again.

I will always remember her "magic key" hiding right behind the light on the wall. When I was little I loved to hide in the bathroom and get into anything I can. She'd always get in with her key. I think I was probably 13 before she finally showed me where the key was hidden. She also loved to cook huge meals for our family. I have to say she was an awesome cook. No one can make spaghetti noodles like her. You can read more about her on my sister and cousin Shelia's blogs.

This song is going to be played at her funeral on Tuesday. What a wonderful way to remember a wondrful loving women.

2010 so far...

It's been a while since I've blogged. So much has happened this year. Yes, we've finally moved into the house. It's wonderful and we LOVE it. The walls are still a work in progress so they are kind of bare. We have been out in the yard the past few weekends because the weather has been beautiful. I am too lazy to take pictures and post so I will have pictures soon. We lost a wonderful friend to pancreatic cancer in February. We will miss her but no she is in a wonderful place with our Lord Jesus Christ. Our family has so many memories we will cherish for years.

Of course the girls keep us super busy. Karagen just turned 9 March 2nd. We are getting things ready for her slumber party on Friday. We will have 8 very excited little girls at house. We will h

ave lots fun with our "camping" theme. She just wrapped up basketball yesterday. I have to say I think this might be her sport. She made 2 (yes 2) 3 point shots this season. It brought tears to my eyes. It amazes me to see her on the court. She must have gotten that from her Opie. A few weeks a go she started softball. Her coach calls her Gunner because of her throwing arm. She has also decided that she wants to show steers. She won Pee Wee Steer showmanship at the chapter show in January. Following in her momma's footsteps. I think it will be tons of fun to get back into that. Again, her Opie is SUPER excited about this new adventure. He's been counting down the days to buy steers since the day she was born. (I'm not kidding either.) She is also preparing for her first Holy Communion. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments!

Reagan will she just keeps up laughing. We joke that she looks like her Daddy but acts like me. She is a clown all the time. She likes to do things her way. That's where I come in. She and pizza (the pig) had a great time in the ring. She loved the fact that everyone was looking at her. She may be short but she's a feisty one.

Speaking of feisty, If you could say a little prayer for my Omie, we'd appreciate that. Her birthday is this Saturday and we are having a party for her. She's had some struggles lately that aren't getting better. We know the Lord will watch over her. Wow that's a lot. I hope I didn't bore you to much with our life. Happy Late Birthday to my sister. She's 29...almost catching up to me. You can also visit her website at http://rufflesandrhinestonesblog.blogspot.com/. She's getting in some great new stuff.