The Week Before TAKS!

You see actually this was not to be my office at all...outside of my door reads "Assistant Principal" and we do not have an Assistant Principal. It is just the Principal and myself! This past summer when I moved in, I just happen to say that I sure would love to have this office so I could see the outdoors on a daily basis vs. my counseling office which had NO windows and much to my surprise, Josh Williams said, " I don't see a problem with that being your office." YIPPIE! I was quickly known as the lucky girl who got the best counseling office in the district! Well, we only have three schools total so that's not saying much or actually it is because less is more! :)

That is not at all what my desk looks like these days...this was from this past summer and the craziness had not begun!

Well, my life is a bit crazy right now! UGGH....I cannot breathe! I got up at 5:00 a.m. to do P90X arms and back that kicked my hiney! Prior to that, I woke up this morning asking the Lord to please help me get tons done today at work since I only had today and two more "school" days before test day! Being the testing coordinator/counselor really is tough! As I said before, God will see me through!!! I will keep believing and knowing that is truth! My wonderful principal has been out the last three days because he just had his first child....I can remember what that feeling was like...so special and just the greatest joy ever! I'm sure glad he is back!!! I did not STOP all day long! I did in fact get tons done today. Thank you God! Tomorrow all I have to do is hang my rosters!!! Yippie!
Tonight I have been reading Paige's blog about her precious friend Jenny and that just softens my heart!! I love reading her blog! This was posted on Paige's blog and is pretty neat. Jewelry has been created in memory of Jenny and Paige's friend is selling it on ETSY and all the proceeds go to the Jenny Bizaillion family. Go to this link and see what you think....www.etsy.com/shop/cfoster629

Easter Bunny Spring Pictures!

SWEET AND PRECIOUS TO ME

Kimberly Grogan, a wonderful photographer and family friend asked if we had time for a bunny shoot to which I said, "well, of course we do!" So, we spent the day yesterday taking pictures at her new studio, http://www.tinroof-studio.com/. This place is so neat in the middle of Arlington nestled back among many trees, tall green grass, old barns, and white fences, among other things....the city with a country feel and therefore such neat picture backgrounds. I can't wait to see them all. It was a fun family day!

Balcony Friends!

Have you ever had a friend that when you talked about her, you got emotional because you love her pure and precious heart so much....well that would be my wonderful friend, Amanda. I am so very thankful for her and so thankful that the Lord crossed our paths 8 years ago in San Antonio, Tx. She taught me the meaning of BALCONY FRIEND...those friends who stand tall and cheer you on when you think you can't keep going and well, just cheer you on ALWAYS!! They stand up for you, would do anything for you, come over when you need them and always have just the right thing to say.... Since we met in SA several years back, we have always said we were "kindred spirits" and I truly believe that! When Matthew and I moved back to Dallas prior to she and Trey, we were sad that we would be four hours away and she gave me a little silver cross with a saying on the back. I still see that everyday as it sits on my bathroom counter! She is so very special to me! I love her heart most of all because it is so pure and always about the "right" things! Her little girl, Elise, is just like her....just precious! Thank you Amanda! I love you friend! Can't wait to cheer you on for you race on April 11! I had hoped to run it with you but the training just couldn't fit in to my crazy life right now! However, I was honored to have been asked and there is no other person that I would rather run a race with and obviously that holds several meanings!

"It's Not Your Turn Paci!"

Yes, I heard my little Fos tell one his paci's in one hand while the other was in the other hand and still another was in his mouth that it was not that paci's turn yet. OH MY....can you believe it! How can anyone love a paci that much!? My little man does and I have just got to get rid of them at some point!

So....Remember this picture of Foster back in September of 2008. Well, obviously the pic on the far left is more current, but he loved those paci's back then and still loves them today. Now for getting rid of them....I HAVE TO DO IT SOON! Come on Mommy...I can do it!!!

FRIENDSHIP AT FIVE!

Well, as five year old girls do...Kate insisted that she didn't wear socks with her tenny's to school yesterday and although I was okay with it, I told her to put those socks in her backpack so that when her ankles had blisters, she would have those socks to put on. As you know it, we pulled in the parking lot and got out to walk in and she says, "mommy, my feet hurt," to which I answered, "well, did you put those socks in your backpack?" OOOPS MOMMY....no I forgot to put them in as I was too busy watching Arthur!!! I told Kate I was sure sorry, but that I had told her to put those socks in her backpack and I didn't know what to do about it.

That afternoon when I picked her up, sure enough she had on a pair of socks with those shoes and I asked her where she got them. She told me they were Hillary's socks. Hillary and Kate just hit it off this year and love each other so much! You see, Hillary had always been home with her mom until this year and actually she is just four. This was her first year to be away from home all day long and you can only imagine how hard that is after being home with mommy for the last four years. Hillary's grandmother is the Elementary Counselor and has told me time and time again that she just didn't know what she would do next year when Kate goes off to Kindergarten while Hillary would be staying in Pre-K for one more year. She even asked me if I could just hold Kate back a year. We both laughed. Anyway, on to the story....I found out the following day when I had to walk students over from the middle to the elementary school that in fact Hillary took her socks off of her feet that she was wearing at the time only to give them to Kate. Hillary knew Kate's feet really hurt and she wanted to help! As Glenda, Hillary's grandmother, told me this she had tears streaming down her face. She just couldn't believe that they did that all themselves, that Hillary took her socks off for Kate and that Kate was happily willing to put the worn socks on of Hillary's....possibly sweaty and all. Now, that is the friendship of five-year-olds! If only I could be more that way!

My Kate and My Foster

I love them so much and am so grateful that the Lord blessed us with such precious little things. I pray that God gives me wisdom as I "mommy" them on a daily basis while juggling everything else in my life. It's tough to be a working mom, but God doesn't give me anything I can't handle! He will see me through!

What is he about right now, you say.....Foster loves his paci's, he is not potty-trained and in fact I can count how many times I have set him on the potty to "try." My awesome babysitter, Letha, says that she will be happy to potty-train him during the day when he's with her, but that I have to be willing to do it in the evenings. UMMM...Not YET! She also wanted to mail his paci's to the paci-fairy, but I am NOT ready for that either! I think I will wait until summertime! What else is Foster about....he LOVES and ADORES people! He kissed the pizza delivery girl last week and although I was a little apprehensive, he puckered up and she leaned down for his kiss. Everyone needs lovin, right! He is a happy little love bug! I just want to kiss him all of the time as every other mother does in this world! Foster loves to eat toast in the morning for breakfast and he says, "with honey on it mamma..." I wish you could hear those words as they are just precious! He loves to be WILD! He loves to take what Kate has, loves to go to Letha's, loves to play with my coasters of all things, loves to watch "Psalty's Songs," loves his sister Kate and hugs her every night and every morning when we leave for school, loves to EAT, loves to push anything that can be pushed including choo-choo our dog, loves to write and draw like Kate, loves to be outside. I know there is more that I am forgetting, but I can't think of it right now and Matt isn't here to help me so I will add more later. The pic above is of Fos at his 2nd Birthday...Cowboy Birthday!

KATE....she loves SCHOOL! We started the year in tears...not Kate....Mommy! I was very sad that Kate would not attend DC this year, but there is a reason for everything and God is in control. However, when seeing Mrs. Conner at church the Sunday before school was to start the following day and sweet Mrs. Conner asked me about Kate's new school...I had to live in the bathroom stall for the entire church class. I couldn't stop crying! Well, 7 months later I am used to it and we love Sunnyvale too. Although I wish Kate got to enjoy singing all of those precious songs that Mrs. Conner taught her and although I wish she to to attend chapel everyday, it will all be okay. We do that at home and in the car and well... maybe Kate needs to touch a life at Sunnyvale Elementary. I couldn't ask for a better public school....Mrs. Tutle (Mrs. Amy) is the principal who has been a family friend for a long time and we attend church with her as well. Kate's teacher, Mrs. Knight is a wonderful lady and helps her husband in the summers who does mission work in Africa, Ms. Green is so loving and nurturing, and Ms. Ellis is awesome too. I never worry about Kate. She just loves her friends there and her teachers too. What else does Kate love...she loves to EAT...still loving the baby food sweet potatoes and squash. I knew there would come a day when that became a social issue and she will no longer take it for snack because she doesn't want the boys in her class to see her. She will, however, still take it for lunch. Kate is very much into American Dolls right now. Her grandmother got her the Bitty Twins for her 5th Birthday, but she took them back and got a "just like you" doll instead and named her Abbie. Although she is a blondie, she chose a dark-headed doll. She told me that she wanted one that looked like me, which of course made me smile. She is also into being a GIRL! She loves to paint her nails and will use a marker to do that if she can't find her polish, she loves to put on my make-up, dress up, fix her hair, change clothes a million times a day when a friend is over to play, loves to help take her of her brother, loves to play outside especially on the monkey bars (her new playscape) that Keekee and Pops got she and Foster for Christmas, loves to "GO!" She is like her mom in that she wants to go somewhere, anywhere! In fact, she woke up today saying she wanted to go do something and well daddy is with Kate and Foster at the Zoo...her fourth or fifth trip and Foster's first trip! I wish I would have gone, but I am absolutely worn out after a week of my first TAKS go-round for the year! Kate is my sweetie...she also loves people, but not quite as much as Fos! To be Continued with Matt's help..... The pic above is Kate's first day of K4 in Sunnyvale.

9 months Later...

No, that doesn't mean I now have a baby.....it means I have not blogged in nine months. WOW! Well, I am going to start trying to write again and in addition to needing to write for my children and document precious memories for them, I was inspired by Jenny B. after reading her blog after she left this earth to live with Jesus. What a neat thing for her littel girl to have...a written/documented piece of her mother's heart. Speaking of Jenny, I want to mention that although I never had the opportunity to meet her, her life touched me in so many ways. My longing is for my heart to feel the way it did while watching her funeral that was so Incredibly NEAT! I felt like I was experiencing a little piece of what HEAVEN will be like! I want my heart to feel that way every single day and it excites me to know that was a glimpse of HEAVEN! We are still praying for Jenny's family and would love to meet them all one day. While Jenny was fighting for her life, I would find myself thinking about her all day, waking up in the night asking God to heal her and then waking up to see what Paige had posted on FB the next morning. I wanted to know every update and see what specific things we need to ask God for next. I woke up one morning and I had met her in my dream that night. It was really very strange, but I can't wait to really meet her in Heaven. So...I am blogging again for my children and here is a recent pic of them after nine months of NOTHING! Shame on me!

Snowy Fun 2010

Wow, we had tons of snow this year for Texas and it was just a blast!

Kate's 5th Birthday Tea Party

Hillary, Elise, Caroline, Brinkley, and Faith were the special birthday guests!

Mrs. Allison....Queen Mum!

Daddy was the "Butler!"

Keekee, Kate, and Mommy

Kate and Nani

Keekee, Kate, and Nani

Mrs. Laurie kindly allowed us to have Kate's fifth birthday party at her beautiful home! Keekee, Aunt Janie, and I went the night before to decorate. I had so much fun using Mrs. Laurie's beautiful decor to make the table into a "tea party." Kate loved every minute. She wore a dress of Nani's that was from England. I wore this dress when Kate was an infant and we took two week old pics of her. It was so much fun dressing up for the party! Aunt Janie made the petitfoures (need to look this up, sp?) that were yummy. We used pink gerber daisy's to decorate the table along with Nani's beautiful table cloth, also from England. When each of Kate's friends arrived, they were pampered by Nani and Keekee with a little make-up. We served grapes, cheese squares, mini turkey and PB sandwiches, and enjoyed tea (well really it was gingerale). My special friend, Mrs. Allison (when Kate was born, she brought us a yummy dinner with a menu that read "Kate's Place") was the special guest, "Queen Mum." She arrived and helped everyone with their manners as she spoke in British to the girls. We decorated a frame and placed a pic of Kate and each friend in the frames for each girl. The party favors consisted of a pearl necklace in a mini tea cup and saucer.

Christmas Ornament Pajama Party 2009

Sweet Mrs. Laurie got all the kids some fun little goodies!

This is just such a highlight of our Christmas Season! We love and look forward to getting together with our special friends, showing up in our Christmas PJ's, making ornaments..."picturized" which will be on our tree FOREVER, eating a yummy meal, and just having fun together!

Sweet Caroline....dum, dum, dum

Love our Precious Melissa!

Fun Times with Miss Em!

Those of us older than 25....:)

Group Pic of all the Kids or I should say those under the age of 25!

The Girls!The Boys!

Sweet Caroline and Kate. They just love one another!

Foster's 2nd Birthday...Cowboy Style

Pops Bull-Riding back in the day!

We had a wonderful 2nd Birthday Party for Foster! We are grateful to our special friends, Laurie and Gary Edmonds for allowing us to have his party at their home. It enabled us to fit all of our family and a few friends. The theme was Cowboy and after we celebrated, we all went to the Texas Stampede Rodeo! It was a lot of fun! Sweet Laurie got Foster a beautiful "Cowboy" Cake and we decorated with Pops Bull Riding Rope that he used long ago when he rode bulls. And while I'm on that note, I remember when Foster was born and had to be in the NICU, Pops told me he whispered in Foster's one-day-old ears, "Foster, you better cowboy up, we have some elk meat to eat!" I just love that! Those that celebrated with us were, The Petty's, Edmonds', Wade's, Nani, Poppy, Keekee, Pops, Aunt Kristan, Uncle Steve, Aunt Christie, Uncle Michiel, Capshaw cousins, and Foster's wonderful babysitter, Letha and daughter Laura.