Herdman Happenings

Two months later

2011-10-15T06:11:00.001-07:00

I am finally updating and putting new pictures. We are all doing amazingly great!

One week left

2011-08-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that there is only one more week of summer for Ella Rose. It has been a great summer, but Ella is ready to go back. She might be tired of all the family bonding.

Finally

2011-07-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in over two months! Our summer is going great. A little busier than I would like, but we are enjoying it. Ella has gone to TCU Cheer Camp, McLeland Tennis Camp, Kids Camp, and has Art Camp left. Emilee has done Kids Camp, Camp Ellie, and has VBS coming up.

Carter Update from Jason

2011-05-30T04:46:00.001-07:00

Sunday Carter Update 5/29: After Carter's pain med dose increased yesterday, he slept well last night. Much like yesterday, Carter slept most of the day. Moving him seems to cause him even more discomfort. He woke up for brief times today, but not even kissing his feet could get any smiles from him. His hospice team is seeing signs that Carter's time with us is likely more limited than we would like to hear.

Jackson Herdman: 1999-2011

2011-04-26T15:56:00.001-07:00

There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge, there is a land of meadows, hills, and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other. There is only one thing missing: They are not with their special person who loved them on Earth. So, each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly looks up! The nose twitches. The ears are up. The eyes are staring. And this one suddenly runs from the group. You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet, you take him in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.

Great Grandmother's 90th birthday

2011-04-08T11:42:00.001-07:00

Last night we celebrating Great Grandmother's 90th birthday! What an amazing lady.

Picture Updates

2011-02-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

I have really been slacking on updating my blog. Here are a few pictures of what the Herdman fam has been up to.

House, Hair, and Horned Frogs

2011-01-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our last couple of weeks. Ella is still loving her hot glue gun. Mr. Maarten, owner of Van Grow, gave me a great idea to buy wood pieces for Ella. Both of the girls paint the pieces and Ella hot glues them together to create masterpieces. Here is a picture of a house she made for Oreo the Guinea Pig.

Emilee decided one day to see how many clips she could put in her hair. I got to six and she thought that was the perfect number. We both got a lot of smiles going in to school. I love my creative and independent girls.

Ella recently attended a TCU Cheerleading clinic and then got to perform at half time during a TCU women's basketball game. She had a blast. Emilee loved cheering from our seat.

Let it Snow - for a couple of hours...

2011-01-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

The girls had fun playing in the snow for a few minutes. Now to get warm and toasty. And I had to share this funny picture of Jackson with Oreo.

Christmas Break

2010-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

I am way behind on posting pictures. Here are a few from our great Christmas break.

Ella Rose

2010-12-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Ella Rose is 6. The pregnancy was nauseating the whole 9 months, delivery was a disaster, but it was God's perfect plan. From the beginning, Ella had the best temperament. Always smiling. She captivated everyone that made eye contact with her. She has always been precocious. Now, she is a brilliant girl that has a tender heart and amazing athletic ability. She may look like Chase, but she is a lot me.

Breakfast with St. NICUlas

2010-12-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

This is a Fort Worth must! A live reindeer - who could ask for more?!

Our Designing Diva

2010-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Ella's fashion show to showcase her designs from the fashion design class she took at Van Grow Art Studio. She is so talented. When she was four years old she told me she wanted to be a fashion designer for rock stars. She is almost six and is on her way!

Emilee's Birthday

2010-12-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

We started the day off with Emilee's favorite breakfast foods - bacon and cinnamon rolls. Next we went to art class then stayed and painted coffee mugs for her teachers. Next stop was the mall - we road the carousel, a mini train, and I took her to the candy store for jelly beans. We had an extremely healthy dinner of hotdogs and pizza - again, planned by Emilee. Then she had her preschool Christmas program and sang Santa Claus is coming to Town. She got American Girl Bitty Twins for her birthday. She named them both Isabelle. She said she might name one of the Elizabeth.

Happy Birthday, Emilee!

2010-12-02T04:26:00.000-08:00

Dear God,

I wanted a baby so badly, but you kept telling me "wait, I will give you the perfect baby". Our adoption journey was painful, but You had a plan far greater than I could possibly imagine. Thank you, Lord, for Emilee's birthfamily. Thank you for her birthmother's decision. Thank you for answering our prayers. Thank you for Emilee Chase Herdman.

Meridian Lion's Park

2010-11-27T06:56:00.001-08:00

Sharing Thanks with Family

2010-11-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

Fossil Rim

2010-11-27T06:41:00.001-08:00

TCU Basketball

2010-11-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor gave us front row tickets to the TCU vs. SMU basketball game. The girls had a blast! They put on their purple, grabbed their purple pom poms and megaphone and cheered the Frogs to victory! They got posters from the Showgirls and Cheerleaders. Emilee was not a fan of SuperFrog. She'll come around. Thank you, Linda, for sharing your tickets!

Lunch and Shopping

2010-11-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend we met Aunt Mitzie and Cousin Ellie for lunch and then to shop for Operation Christmas Child. Ella and Emilee each chose a girl their same age to purchase Christmas gifts for. It was very hard for them to go into Target and not buy anything for themselves. Aunt Mitzie told me Emilee found some supper cute mittens she wanted, but put them back! The girls delivered their gifts this morning to church. It was great to watch them carry the boxes with pride. The giving season has officially begun!

Girls Day

2010-11-10T14:53:00.001-08:00

Two of Ella's friends have birthdays this month, so on Monday when school was out we had a girls day. Off to get pedicures and to the tea room for lunch.

Chasing Turkeys

2010-11-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

Boggle, boggle, boggle. (instead of gobble, gobble, gobble). Emilee loves to track down our neighborhood turkeys. Today we found them hanging out by our neighborhood sign. What a great picture! I couldn't get the other 8 in the picture.

Extreme Guinea Pig Cage Makeover

2010-10-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ella wanted to add on to Oreo's cage. Chase took on the project. Not only did he add on, but created a whole second story complete with a tunnel ramp.

Trunk or Treat at Christ Chapel

2010-10-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

Pre Halloween Trick or Treating

2010-10-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

Another fun night of trick or treating. Yes, Ella broke her arm. She is in a temporary cast right now and gets her permanent cast on Monday. She decorated her sling with glitter bats.

Boo with the Wine and Blue

2010-10-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

Our first Halloween party - off to the TCU Pi Phi house for trick or treating, decorating cookies, and visiting our favorite babysitters!

We skipped church today

2010-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

To BE the church!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

Emilee and I visited the pumpkin patch yesterday. She enjoyed picking out her very own pumpkins.

Go Rowdies!

2010-10-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ella had a 9:00 am soccer game this morning. MeMe and Gramps came to the rescue to help me get the girls to the game and all our equipment. The Rowdies unfortunately lost, but Ella scored our only goal and did a great job passing and dribbling. After seeing my barren fridge, Gramps went to the grocery store for us - thank you, Gramps! I have not been to the grocery store or Target in a month.

Little Artist

2010-10-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

Emilee and I take a Mommy and Me art class at Van Grow Art Studio for Kids. She is loving it! This past week we read the book Olivia and then did splatter painting. Note: when splatter painting with a group of 2-4 year olds, MOVE BACK!

New Family Member

2010-10-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

We would officially like to welcome Oreo Herdman into our family. Ella pet sat for our neighbors a few weeks ago. This little guinea pig won over our hearts and is now a permanent part of our family. She is so sweet and lets the girls hold her, carry her, and even take her in rides in their Barbie cars. She purrs when they hold her and cries when they put her back in her cage. Ella puts her in bed with her at night while she reads. Each morning after Ella goes to school, Emilee takes care of her while I clean her cage and get her fresh veggies and water.

Herdman Family Updates

2010-09-19T19:18:00.001-07:00

Somehow, someone... (Emilee) got a hold of our camera and it is no longer working. So, you will have to make due with iphone pics until we get another one.

Ella - she is doing much better with her new school schedule. She had her first soccer game this weekend and was amazing. She is such a little athlete. She also had her first fashion design class. They studied Greek clothing and made togas. Of course, in true Ella sense, she added jewels, lace, and a pink fabric rose. Ella hosted a Camp Rock 2 sleepover. It was lots of drama, but lots of fun!

Emilee is as spirited as ever! We had our first mommy and me art class this week and she loved it. She made a necklace, collage, and painting. She is loving her ballet/tap class. After class, we loaded up her little ballerina friends for a playdate to Mickey D's. So cute. They think they are big.

We are still pet sitting Oreo the guinea pig. I think we have a new pet.

Me - well, I am in a boot cast for the next four weeks. I ruptured a ligament in my foot playing tennis. I did not get to run the Jailbreak mud run I had been looking forward to and training for. And I do not get to play tennis during tennis camp in two weeks even though I am going to still go and hang with my girlfriends.

Chase - working hard as usual. I am so proud of him. He is establishing a strong practice and a very high percentage of his patients are referrals from his current patients.

Power of Prayer

2010-09-13T12:57:00.001-07:00

Carter's spinal tap was negative! He starts a new round of chemo tomorrow. Continue praying that the new type of chemo can fight off his cancer.

Emilee's First Day of Dance

2010-08-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today was Emilee's first day at dance class. She was a natural. The class is tap and ballet. 10 tiny girls in tutu's is quite the site to see! So cute!

First Day of Kindergarten

2010-08-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today was Ella's first day of Kindergarten. Chase took off part of the morning so we could take her. It was a little overwhelming at the masses walking in to the school, but very refreshing seeing all the familiar faces. We walked her to her classroom and she put up her backpack and sat by a little girl she knew - they were on swim team together. I teared up when we left, but held it together. Chase and I then went for breakfast and picked up Emilee from our neighbors.

Ella said her day was long. She had a good time and liked recess. She met a new friend. And she wants to buy her lunch. That was about all the info I got out of her.

From The Hurley's

2010-08-16T05:32:00.001-07:00

A sweet lady from a state agency visited Carter today to see if he might qualify for some assistance with his "at home" care once he is released. We had done our best to fill out a ten page questionnaire before she arrived. As she was helping to fill out the portions we were unsure how to answer, she asked about his prognosis. I was the one who had to tell her that the doctors had put his odds at survival at less than 20%, and that the initial assessment was based on an older age group which could immediately receive radiation and assuming the tumor was not as aggressive as this one. She paused for a second and looked up at us and said that there was someone who didn't care about the odds who would have his hand in things. She asked more questions and then she wanted to pray. After our prayer, she thanked us for letting her visit Carter and said she'd get the paperwork turned in. Kristen walked her out of the unit and when she returned I asked her "do you get a feeling that sometimes God puts specific people in specific places in our lives?" She said "I was just thinking the same thing." Then I told her why I thought that. As the lady began to pray, I was leaned over Carter's hospital bed, which it basically a big crib. As I bowed my head with my arms draped over the rail, within a short time, I felt a presence. It was like someone standing next to you without making a sound. You can’t feel, see, or hear the person, but you know someone is there. So I feel that someone huge is standing opposite me looking down on the other side on the crib. Within seconds of my feeling this, the sweet lady asks for God to send a "tall angel" to watch over Carter.........I think he already had. Instantly, I knew we were going to be alright. Carter has his angel watching him. God must have big plans for our little guy. This still doesn't guarantee any specific amount of time that we will have Carter, but I KNOW that no matter what happens, Carter, Kristen, and I will be OK through this because God, in some form, is with us. It is bringing tears to my eyes again as I type. Throughout this whole time, my focus has been on getting prayers for Carter. I think today for the first time, I felt the prayers being said for Kristen and I. We haven't asked for them, but clearly have been needed.

Emilee and Sadie

2010-08-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Emilee had a friend over to play. They gave each other "makeovers", fixed each other's hair, had a tea party, and played in the tent I made them in Em's closet. She is having more and more playdates all to herself. She is such a big girl.

2010-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

I registered Ella Rose for kindergarten. It is a bitter sweet. She is ready. I was ready - until the actual time is here. I had to take a picture of her "permanent" record. I pray that it will be filled with many wonderful memories. (sniff, sniff)

Swim Meet Championship

2010-08-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Ella finished the season strong. In the championship meet, she got second place in the butterfly, third place in the breast stroke, and fourth in the medley relay swimming the butterfly. She has one more year in the same division. Look out! She had a strong fan base - MeMe, Gramps, Aunt Mitzie, and cousin Ellie. And of course her biggest fans - mom, dad, and little sis.

Gramps's Birthday Weekend

2010-07-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

How does the Bowlin family celebrate a birthday: kazoos, plastic lizards, swimming, wii tournaments, watermelon eating contests, over baked red velvet cupcakes, riding lawnmowers, and loving every minute of it!

Marie's Birthday

2010-07-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

Sweet Marie of Tennessee! Eight years ago, we adopted Marie from Happy Tales Humane in Franklin, TN. Happy 9th or 10th or 11th birthday Marie! For sure, happy 8th adoption day! The girls picked out a new pink puppy to give her. She loved it! She growls at Jackson if he comes too close to it.

Daddy's Girls

2010-07-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

4th of July at Highpoint

2010-07-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

For the third year in a row, our family headed to St. Joe to celebrate 4th of July. We had a great time with our dear friends the Hendrickson's. Jackson and Marie got to go along, too.

What a SMILE!

2010-06-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Could not pass up sharing this picture. Ella took it.

Golf Camp

2010-06-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today was Ella and Hudson's first day of golf camp. Hudson was pretty bummed that he did not get to use his "big dog" driver. Ella liked chipping, putting, and snack time. The instructor said they were very focused kindergartners.

Swimilee

2010-06-19T13:50:00.001-07:00

Emilee will be winning blue ribbons at swim meets soon! She is swimming the width of our pool and loves to jump off the diving board. She would only wear the goggles inside the house - not in the pool.

Daddy Daughter Dance

2010-06-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

Chase and Ella had a special date along with the other daddies and daughters in our small group. All the girls came to our house for primping. Then they were off to dance and have dinner with their daddies. It was so cute watching them all.

Dallas Zoo with Aunt B

2010-06-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, I fed a giraffe! Mommy, I rode a camel!" No wonder the girls can't wait to go back and visit Aunt B again.

First Swim Meet of the Season

2010-06-17T17:54:00.001-07:00

Tonight was Ella's first meet of the season. Wow! She competed in the breast stroke, butterfly, medley relay, and freestyle relay. She smoked everyone with her butterfly. The best part was that she had a huge smile on her face the whole time.

Cat and Mouse

2010-06-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I had the great pleasure of watching the girls perform several plays. My favorite was the cat and mouse chase. Very fun!

Preschool Graduation

2010-05-24T17:36:00.001-07:00

Today was Ella Rose's Preschool Graduation ceremony. She was so precious. She looked beautiful and was all smiles. Our proudest moment was when they asked all the "graduates" what they wanted to be when they grew up. Ella's response... "a cheerleader."

Sweet Sammies, Sweet Deal!

2010-05-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't tried Sweet Sammies, stop what you are doing and go! It is located near Montgomery Plaza on Currie street. For $1.75 you can pick a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream and whatever type of cookie you want to make an amazing ice cream cookie. Yummy! The girls all just got a scoop of superman ice cream. I had dutch chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cookies and chase had traditional vanilla with chocolate chip cookies. Our family had a great dessert for $5!

sweetsammies.com

Pool is Open! Brrrrr

2010-05-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Brrrrrr! Ella and her BFF Brooklyn braved the frigid waters today. Emilee was brave enough to put her toes in the water. Me? Lifeguarding.

Gramps at the American Girl Store

2010-05-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

How do you warn a grandfather about the potential dangers at the American Girl Store? You can't. He had to see it to believe it.

Catching Up

2010-05-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Time has gotten away from me. Here are a few pictures of Emilee and her best friend Grayson, picking strawberries at an orchard, and feeding the ponies at Smith's Farms.

Easter

2010-04-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

This year, we had an amazing experience teaching Ella about the true meaning of Easter. If you have young children you must get Resurrection Eggs. It is a dozen eggs that are filled with symbols to explain the Easter story. Each night, Chase and I would take turns opening two eggs, reading the corresponding Bible verse, and having a short devotional. Sunday morning we chose to stay home and worship as a family. Ella and Emilee sang Yes, Jesus loves me, Chase went through the Resurrection Eggs, and we finished praying together as a family. This has been the best Easter.

Jackson's 11th Birthday

2010-04-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

March 21st was Jackson's 11th birthday. To celebrate, we made dog friendly cakes decorated with yogurt, crushed dog bones, cheese cut outs, hot dogs, and meatballs. We decorated plates and put slices of the cake on them. We brought a table outside and handed out the pieces to dogs walking by. Jackson had a lot of fun - and he ate most of the pieces.

Walt Disney World

2010-03-13T17:23:00.001-08:00

What an amazing trip! Sensory overload, excitement, exhaustion, and amazement were highlights of our trip. Emilee was terrified of the characters, but loved the princesses. She also enjoyed the Flying Carpet ride. Ella was our dare devil - she road Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and any other ride she was tall enough for. After our trip to Disney World, we headed to Venice, Fl to visit Pepaw and Nana. Chase played in Pepaw's member/guest golf tournament while Nana took me and the girls on more adventures. We went to the Mote Aquarium, the Sarasota Jungle, pet sting rays, and went on a walk on the beach to search for sea shells.

American Girls

2010-02-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more girlie than the American Girl Store. Courtney and Ella had a date and picked out matching outfits for their dolls and Ella had her doll's hair done.

Cousin Ellie's Volleyball Game

2010-02-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

And Let It Snow Some More!

2010-02-12T08:19:00.001-08:00

Let it Snow!

2010-02-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Wow! More snow, more fun, and another snowblob - suppose to be a snowgirl (nowhere near as good as the one Chase and Ella made). Jackson and Marie loved the snow. Ella made a snowpile beneath the slide.

Stylin' Emilee

2010-02-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

First - Emmy is getting hair! Hooray! Second, she has created a new look. She likes to wear her strawberry shortcake swimsuit on top of her clothes. My girls are trendsetters!

Poor Quality iphone Pics

2010-02-08T17:28:00.001-08:00

I have got to be better about having my camera on me with charged batteries! Here are a few pictures.

Ella Rose tied her sister to a chair in the living room. She gets that from her father who used to tie up his brother to see if he could escape.

We met up with good friends at the Stockshow and Rodeo. We saw chickens being hatched, a cow being milked, and a cow being blow dried. The little siblings were not too interested in the giant longhorns.

One morning, I found Emilee standing in a chair by the coffee pot. She has poured all of the creamer into a mug and was pouring sugar in it. When she saw me, she said, "I make you coffee, Mommy!".

January Pictures

2010-01-26T11:55:00.001-08:00

2010 has started off great! The girls are doing well, Chase is loving his job, and I have found a new hobby.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with a family collection. Our home was full and happy. We celebrated with Nana, Pepaw, JiJi, Great Grandmother, Aunt Mitzie, Uncle Brad, Cousin Brady, Cousin Ellie, MeMe, Gramps, Aunt B, Uncle Jeff, and Cousin Grant. We had a white Christmas and Ella made snow angels and a snowman. Chase topped off our Christmas morning with a surprise gift for our family - a trip to Disney World!

Even with the excitement of great grandparents feeding the girls cookies for breakfast, Santa, and gifts, we celebrated the true meaning of Christmas - our Savior's birth. On Christmas Eve we went to our church's candlelight service. Before we ate as a family on Christmas Day, Chase read the Christmas Story. And the girls made Jesus a birthday cake - a tradition that my grandmother started with me.

God, thank you for blessing me with an amazing family.

Georgia Trip

2009-11-18T15:03:00.001-08:00

Halloween Week

2009-11-04T17:03:00.001-08:00

Last week was busy! Besides going to Boo at the Zoo, we went to two other parties, the TCU football game, and then wrapped up Halloween with a little trick or treating. Emilee caught on very quickly and loved going from door to door for candy. Ella was on TV during the TCU football game. Have I mentioned how much we LOVE Fort Worth?!

Boo at the Zoo

2009-10-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

This year, Finley joined us at Boo at the Zoo. Emilee decided not to wear her costume, but wanted to wear Ella's ballet outfit. She had a great time this year. Em played all the games in the Toddler Zone - I lost her bag with all her prizes. She chose 5 pairs of vampire teeth! The "big" girls loved the show and even danced on stage. (Which did not surprise us)

The pumpkin we carved last week is now "decaving" (Ella's version of decaying). When Emilee sees it, she says, "Guck!"

We have three more candy opportunities before actual trick or treating. I am standing strong and not sneaking all the chocolate candy out of the girls' treat bags.

T-C-U !! Go Frogs!

2009-10-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

Ella and Hudson cheered on the TCU Horned Frogs.

Pumpkin Carving Party

2009-10-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween Ella is a "Cheetahkittarina". She wanted to be part cheetah, part black cat, and part ballerina. I love her creativity!

Rainy Day Project

2009-10-13T06:41:00.001-07:00

Ella rose decided that no animals were allowed in half of the playroom. She made a sign to let them know and created a boundary with a measuring tape. At first, zebras and lions were not allowed, but by the end of the day the following animals were also banned: dogs, cats, foxes, bunnies, webkinz, snakes, and hermit crabs. Girls were also not allowed except Emilee who was the guard.

Weekend with Aunt Mitzie

2009-10-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Ella spent the weekend with Aunt Mitzie, Uncle Brad, and cousins Brady and Ellie. They took her to the Roanoke Festival. She had a great time!

Neighborhood Turkeys - Literally

2009-10-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

We have a family of turkeys that live in our neighborhood. We saw all six hens this morning on our way to take Ella to school. You have to look close to see them.

Calloway Nursery Fall Festival

2009-10-03T13:34:00.001-07:00

This morning we (Ella, Emilee, and Ellie) went to the Fall Festival at Calloway Nursery. There was pumpkin painting, chalk art, a mad scientist, home made slime, balloons, and popcorn. It was a great way to kick off our Fall!

Gramps Visit

2009-10-03T05:35:00.001-07:00

Daddy's Girls

2009-10-02T06:03:00.001-07:00

Cousin Ellie's Birthday

2009-09-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight we celebrated Cousin Ellie's 12th Birthday. I cannot wait to watch this young lady grow up! She is a doll with a heart of gold.

Visit with the Hooks

2009-09-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Friends for life - Chase and Bennett trained together at Vanderbilt, Beth and I were pregnant with our first babies together, two moves and the addition of another daughter later...

Peekaboo, Marie

2009-09-24T17:06:00.001-07:00

Big Playdate

2009-09-22T12:34:00.001-07:00

We had several friends over today. Ella had three of her girlfriends over and Emilee had two of her boy - friends. They were all so cute!

So Girly

2009-09-19T07:18:00.001-07:00

First Tennis Tournament

2009-09-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

I played in my first tennis tournament on Sunday. It was so much fun! There is a group of us that all started taking lessons together. I may have lost (badly), but can't wait until the next one. I can only improve from here!

First Day of School Pictures

2009-09-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Picture Updates

2009-08-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

California Cousins

2009-07-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

We just finished a week long visit from Aunt Barbara, Uncle Steve and Cousins Kenzie and Bailey. The girls were in heaven! We saw just about every thing there is to see in Fort Worth - Stockyards, IMAX, Cowgirl Museum, Downtown, Magnolia Street, Fort Worth Zoo, Colonial, swimming,and the wonderful 100+ degree weather.

First Swim Meet

2009-06-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ella is a fish! Tonight was so fun to watch Ella. She "competed" in the medley relay, breast stroke, butterfly, and freestyle. She was a superstar. Chase and I are still smiling and bursting with pride.

Catching up on pictures

2009-06-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

Kissing a Baby Camel

Feeding a Baby Camel

Emilee's First Day of Mother's Day Out

Cousin Grant's Football Game

The Girls Cooking Pizza Bagels Together

Fun Friday

2009-05-29T19:09:00.001-07:00

Morning at the pool, afternoon nap and relaxing, evening roller skating party. What a life!

Highlights of Highpoint

2009-05-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

Weekend in Carrollton

2009-05-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

The girls and I spent last weekend with Aunt B, Uncle Jeff, Cousin Grant, Heidi, and Sasha. We had a great time despite the rain - it forced us to bond. Family is such a blessing. We hung out and Uncle Jeff took us to a Japanese Habachi house. The girls were very entertained.

How quickly I forgot

2009-05-12T05:42:00.001-07:00

Toddlers are BUSY! Emilee is also an opportunist. She takes advantage of any moment that mom's back is turned to do a little exploring of her own. (I also let her do a lot of exploring, so don't turn me in to CPS for ignoring my child.)

Car Wash

2009-05-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tip: If your outside toys are dirty, have a car wash! The girls washed their cars, the table, and the swings.

"PeePee"

2009-05-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I leave the door open to the bathroom! When she saw me, she smiled and said, "PeePee".

Day Trip to Homestead Heritage

2009-05-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

The girls and I met Kathy and Courtney in Elm Mott at Homestead Heritage. We saw a gristmill,a blacksmith, woodworking shop, farm, and pottery being made. We ate in their deli with all homemade cheeses and ice cream. This is a great place to take pictures!

Super Chapel

2009-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today at Ella's school was Super Chapel. It was an opportunity for all of the parents to see what a chapel experience was like at McKinney Early Learning Center. We had so much fun! Gramps came up to see it.

Trip to San Antonio

2009-04-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

We are exhausted, but we had a blast! We got to see our dear SA friends from play groups, church groups, neighbors, and an absolutely breathtaking wedding.

Outdoor Play

2009-04-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

We are loving this weather! My measurement of a good day is how dirty we all get from playing. Today, was a great day!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T19:32:00.001-07:00

What a fun morning! The girls went to an Easter Egg hunt, petting zoo, decorated cookies, and saw the Easter Bunny. Emilee liked the Easter Bunny... until he tried to give her high five.

Brain Development

2009-04-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Emilee is exploring her world and loving it! Here are a few pictures of her learning about her environment.