Thoughtful Thursday

1. Gracie's back in school - I am one lucky lady. This little girl rocks my world with her spunk and adorable little face. She is so excited about school and LOVES her backpack. She talks about her friends all the time and likes to report on all the classroom activities.

2. Chris is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. He ruptured his achilles tendon on Tuesday playing basketball. It is just an outpaitent surgery, but we are all a little freaked out. He hates needles and hospitals and I hate the idea of him being on crutches for 4-6 weeks. Heaven help us!

3. It seems I sent my little girl off to first grade just three weeks ago and now she is all grown up. I am amazed at how well she can read. She LOVES first grade.

That's it! Sorry for being so MIA lately. I just don't have the time these days to get on the blog. It makes me sad, but it is about the only thing I can let slide without any major issues!

Hope you are all doing great!

First Grade

First week of first grade!

I am really letting the old blog slide. We have been super busy, but nothing too exciting. Just the plain old everyday things, like school, work, housework, etc. I haven't even had the camera out for anything except the first day of school.

So, far Lucy is really loving first grade. She says it is way better than kindergarten and her teacher is the cooler than me (sniff, sniff). I know she is going to rock it! She has already made several new best friends :) and can't wait to get on the bus each morning.

Grace really misses Lucy during the day, but is enjoying her extra one on one time with me. She is really into coloring right now and will spend hours with her markers and coloring books. Of course, I think she is an award-winning artist in the making.

Caught up in the everyday,

Thoughtful Thursday

Last Thursday, we were right in the middle of our fourth annual Frio river trip with the Loop. We always have an awesome time and go home counting down to the next trip.

1. School is only 3 days away for Lucy. She is so excited and is looking forward to meeting her teacher tomorrow. I hope she gets a great teacher and will have at least one friend in her class.

2. I made a dump cake last weekend for a get together at Sara and Justin's. It was so good. I can't believe it is so easy! I am planning another one for this weekend.

3. Chris, Grace, and I spent the Sunday before our vacation in the ER. It was our first trip to the ER with little Grace and made for a very long day. She woke up Sunday morning with half her face swollen. She looked like a Klump from The Nutty Professor. After seeing several doctors, nurses and a CT scan, they determined that she had an infected parotid gland. It was nothing serious, but required 10 days of antibiotics. She was such an awesome trooper throughout the whole ordeal (except the CT scan). We were so proud of her.

Short and Sweet,

Thoughtful Thursday - one liners

1. Lucy's almost sleepover party was a huge success... on the other hand, the cake was just huge!2. Laundry is taking over my life and my sanity.

3. Being sick sucks...especially in the summer.

4. My girls are so cute they make my heart swell and my eyes fill.

5. I am addicted to texting.

6. Diet Coke with vanilla is my favorite reason for Happy Hour.

7. My husband is awesome... even if he doesn't help with the laundry (see #2).

8. School starts in a little more than two weeks!

9. All girl weekends rock... chick flicks, shopping, food, and wine!

Minimizing my life and my posts,

Thoughtful Thursday

1. My oldest is SIX YEARS OLD... which she says means I am old now too! How did this happen? It seems that just yesterday we were bringing that cute little pink bundle into the world. Now she is a sweet little lady with more brains, beauty, grace, and compassion than most 60-year olds. But I could be biased...

2. We spent another great weekend in Rockport. LOVE the condo and LOVE spending quality time with the family!

3. Grace was sick again this week. She has been unlucky this summer, that the germies keep getting her. Luckily she is feeling better and back to her stinky, sweet self.

4. We are all looking forward to an eventful weekend. Chris is headed to Seadrift with all the guys for three days of fishing, poker, and beer drinking(yuck). All of us girls are having a belated birthday party for Lucy. We are having an almost Sleepover. There will be pizza, rainbow cake, ice cream, pedis, and even tie dyeing. It is going to be FABULOUS!

Rainbow Cupcakes for the actual birthday... There will be a BIG rainbow cake for the party.

5. Lucy spent all last week in Fine Arts Camp. She and her bff, Ashtyn, spent 5 days singing dancing, and crafting. On Friday, they did a little performance of all they had learned. She had a blast. On a side note... here are only 3 weeks of summer left... Can you believe it? Where has the time gone?

Happy Thursday,

Thoughtful Thursday

Well, I have been a total slacker. It has been pretty crazy around here lately, so I haven't had a whole lot of time for thoughts:)

1. We had a great Fourth of July at the condo with the Laurence girls and Nana and Pawpaw. Lucy and Grace have a blast with their cousins and they always miss them. Too bad we don't live closer.

2. It is beach time... We have been spending so much time at the beach. We went last week on Wednesday and Saturday. The girls have so much fun and love the waves. They have gotten a lot braver this year. Lucy is a boogie board girl and Grace has zero fear.

3. Chris and I ventured out on the town Friday night to see my very favorite singer, Bruce Robison. It was a great show and I can hardly wait until next time! I am hoping he will play at Gruene Hall soon, so we can check him again soon.

4. Mosquitoes suck... literally!

5. Grace loves to sing... unfortunately, her pronunciation is a little off, so it is really funny to listen to. Her latest rendition of "Jesus Loves Me", ends with something about about earphones. Hilarious! She also has a great little dance involving lots of pointing at the sky and shaking her booty. I really need to get it on camera, unfortunately I am usually laughing too hard. Also her new favorite word is ridiculous. It is so cute!

6. Lucy has become a total book worm. She got a huge stack on Junie B Jones books from her cousins, and has been reading them all week. They say she takes after me, but I don't know what they are talking about... :)

7. My sweet Lucy turns 6 on Saturday... I can't wrap my mind around it, so I won't talk about it.

8. Summer is half over and I haven't even done half my to do list. I was hoping to take the girls to the children's museum this summer, so hopefully I can at least get that checked off. Today we made homemade slushies and smores. Yesterday, we did an underwater mural. I am pulling out all the stops to keep the tv off at least 50% of the afternoon. UGGGH!

9. Psych is my favorite summer show on TV... but My Boys starts on Sunday, so we shall see. The girls are ADDICTED to America's Got Talent! I think they might cry if Future Funk doesn't win.

Hoping to be back next week,

MIA - Summer of Fun

We have been so busy the last two weeks, I haven't taken time to stop and blog about it. Here is just a few pictures to show what we have been up to (out of order)...

Beach Trip with the Loop

Backyard Playtime July 4th at the condo

Enjoying the craziness of summer,

Thoughtful Thursday

Just under the wire...

1. Chris and I spent our first wekeend away in 5 years this weekend. We had an awesome time shopping, eating, just hanging out. It was a great time to reconnect and just have fun.

2. By the time we got home, little Gracie had come down with a nasty bug. Three days for high fevers and puking, will bring you back to the real world in no time.

3. We are looking forward to a great 4th of July in Rockport. All the cousin's will be there and Lucy and Grace are super excited. I am trying out a new recipe. I am sure mine will never turn out as cute, but hopefully the kids will still think they are cool.

4. It has been raining cats and dogs for just about the whole week. We have watched enough disney tv to even make the girls a little crazy.

5. It is exactly 22 more days until Lucy's birthday... Let the countdown begin.

God Bless America,

Thoughtful Thursday - 10 years in the making

Today marks a very important milestone in our home. Chris and I have been married for 10 years today. It has been an awesome ride, mostly smooth, but sometimes bumpy. It amazes me every day that I was lucky enough to find someone who makes me laugh every day, provides a life full of love, and takes such great care of me and the girls.

1. I want to relive our wedding... Only with less stress, more calm, and more pictures.

2. I consider taking my wedding dress out of its archival box at least once every few months just for the chance to try it wear it again. I secretly hope that one of the girls will want to wear it someday when the take their own walk down the aisle.

3. Our wedding was fun. We still have people tell us how much fun they had that night.

4. We left our reception (in Victoria) at 11:00pm, and then drove to Houston. We spent about 3 hours packing and taking a nap (Chris) and then left for the airport to make our 6:20am flight to Cancun. Not the best recipe for romance on your wedding night.

5. When we got to our hotel for our honeymoon, we walked out to take a look at the beautiful beach. We were met with the frightful sight of a 60+ year old lady walking topless down the beach. Chris was a bit nervous the rest of the trip.

6. We bought our first house shortly before our 1 year anniversary. I will always think of that house as our first home and am not sure anything else will ever compare.

7. We have been blessed with two of the most adorable little girls in the world. They are the lights of our life and make each day even better.

8. Marriage is hard and can be frustrating, but totally worth it. Knowing you have someone in your corner at all times, makes anything seem possible. I wouldn't want anyone else in the ring with me.

9. Some days out of the blue, I will be struck with how much I love my hubby. I don't always tell him, but it is in those little moments that I realize how very blessed I am to be married to my bestest friend.

10. I can hardly wait to see what the next 10 years bring....

Happy Anniversary to the most wonderful husband in the world. Thank you for the best ten years of my life. You will never know how much I love you!

P.S. Thanks to the always awesome Granny and Poppy, we are spending the whole weekend away on the Riverwalk, relaxing and enjoying some much needed adult time! WoHOO!

Super-sized Thoughtful Thursday

Apparently, I was so thoughtless last Thursday, I completely forgot to post. It has been a super busy summer so far. We have been swimming, working, playing, crafting, and chilling! Awesome!


1. We had a double birthday weekend last weekend. We celebrated Dad's 60th birthday (a little late) and Agata's 30th birthday. Overall, it was a great time full of lots of food and family.


2. On Saturday, the boys went fishing, so the girls went shopping. We had a great time, but my favorite was that we got to eat at my new favorite place, Picnic. They have the most delicious chicken salad and pimento cheese. Love it!


3. The girls have been having an awesome time in Egypt this week. FPC's VBS is a trip with Joseph from prison to palace. Lucy is learning so much and Grace is having a ball with her friends. It makes me so happy to see them having so much fun while learning all about God's love for us.


4. Since Biggest Loser is over for awhile, we have started watching America's Got Talent. After a pretty rocky start, Lucy and Grace love it too (unless there are power tools involved). They get so excited and trying hard to decide what their talent will be.


5. On the same note, Royal Pains is back for its second season and Psych starts in July! I love them both!


6. Grace has pretty much given up taking an afternoon nap. I am trying not to be too upset. We still have mandatory rest time from 1-3, but sleep is usually not happening. It has alot to do with big sister around and not wanting to miss out on anything fun. One silver lining, is that she has fallen asleep in my lap just about every night this week. I love snuggling with my sweet little girl!


7. We took a trip to the dollar store last week for some crafting supplies. I am in the process of putting together a list of super easy, fun crafts and projects to occupy our long summer days. It is amazing how much you can do with a can of shaving cream and some food coloring.

8. Lucy lost another tooth... in her sleep. Last night she came into our room at midnight and told me she had pull her tooth. We went back up to her room and looked around, but we couldn't find it. I think she must have pulled it in her sleep. The funny thing is I don't remember it being very loose. Hopefully, the tooth fairy will find the missing tooth with her special tooth fairy senses and leave a little surprise!

Happy Thursday,

Cheapo Before and Afters

So, I mentioned a while back about how I am addicted to Goodwill. Well, unfortunately, that addiction is has spread to the Dollar Tree, flea markets, or just about any place I can get a "good deal". It is amazing what a little spray paint, paper, glue and fabric can do for an item. It has been so fun seeing what kind of treasures I can find and then give a new, prettier life in our home.

Most of these ideas were copied from the millions of amazing blogs out there in cyber world. I have gotten so wrapped up in looking at all the great ideas out there, that I have to limit myself to nap time and after bedtime for surfing...If not, the girls would get pretty hungry and even dirtier!

These Dollar Tree frames became some much needed summer chore charts for the girls. Just a little spray paint and some scrapbook papers and embellishments. They are great cause we can just wipe off them off each week and start over. Unfortunately, getting the girls to do their chores, has not been as easy as this craft.

I first saw this idea here. Once I saw it, I was on the hunt for the items to make my own. Luckily, the Seguin Goodwill was where I hit the jackpot. I followed the instructions, except I decided to paint mine for all little lighter look for summer.

Judy and I found these horrible ugly plates at the Nautical Flea Market in Rockport a few weekends ago. With just a little heirloom white spray paint, it became a great addition to my summer beach look.

These little flowers are not a thrifty find, but they are cheap none the less. Just a couple bucks for fabric and buttons, and you will have plenty of these adorable little beauties. There are lots of tutorials on-line. I have actually made several different styles, but these are my favorite.

Looking forward to my next score,

Thoughtful Thursday

1. We had an awesome weekend with the Laurences and Nana and Pawpaw. The girls loved having their cousins here and we got to watch some great baseball. Bennett's team is really good and it was very exciting to watch. We also had a blast swimming and fishing at the RV park. It was a blast.

2. Summer is here! I hope we can make it all summer with happy attitudes and more smiles than tears. I am working on a summer fun plan, so hopefully we will stick to it and keep busy.

3. We spent all day Monday in bed watching movies and recovering from our above mentioned awesome weekend with the cousins. Chris and I watched "It's Complicated". It was hilarious. Seriously, one of the funniest movies I have seen in awhile. I am not sure what that says about my age considering the main characters were decidedly older...

4. I am starting my summer work schedule this week. I am only going to be working 12 hours a week, so I can spend more quality time with the girls (see #2).

5. Since the Biggest Loser is over, we have decided to try out America's Got Talent. So far, Grace loves it and Lucy is scared. Apparently, the act that stapled their bodies and screwed things through their nasal passages freaked her out!

That's all folks,

Last Day of School

I can hardly believe that today was the last day of school. It seems like just yesterday, we were dropping Lucy off for her first day of kindergarten. She has learned so much this year and made so many new friends. She loves to read and is a science buff. She is always asking questions and wanting to learn new things. She also stayed on green for the whole year (the only one in her class).

At the awards ceremony yesterday, she won the Principled Award, for always telling the truth and always trying to do the right thing. I was so proud. Her teacher told a story about Lucy that showed how truthful my little lady is. A few months ago, Lucy received a free ice cream coupon from the Clean Desk Fairy. She was very excited, but asked Mrs. Burkett to please call me and make sure it was ok. I had told her when eating lunch with her in the fall, that she wasn't allowed to buy ice cream at lunch unless I was there (This was after I witnessed just about every kiddo in the class buy ice cream with their lunch and eat it and nothing else!) After much convincing from her teacher and with a promise to email me, she did eat the ice cream at lunch. My little rule follower is too cute!

She was so lucky to have a great teacher this year. She loved Mrs. Burkett so much and has already asked to invite her to her birthday party.

We are super excited about summer! We have lots of fun plans, but also hope to spend lots of lazy days at the pool and hanging out with friends. Lucy is especially looking forward to Fine Arts camp in July. She has already asked 4 times today, if it is next week.

I sure hope we stay this positive all summer and that it is the greatest one yet!

First day of Kindergarten (What a difference a few months makes!)

Looking forward to three months of fun in the sun,