Go Astros!

This evening we took the kids to their first Houston Astros game. I know, I know--we live in Houston and haven't been to a game yet, but since Jason got free tickets handed to him at work and the kids were old enough for us to go and actually enjoy the game, we went. Here's an excited Ashlyn and Layton in the car on our way to the game. In their baseball caps of course.

After we got to the game, the kids were a little overwhelmed by all the noise, but after some cotton candy and ice cream they settled right in. Nothing that a little sugar can't fix!:)

Here's me with the kids. Why do I always look so tired in all my pictures ??!!

Ashlyn & Layton enjoying the game.

Although we didn't stay for the entire game (we left after the 6th inning), we still had a blast!

My Summer So Far...

Well, after $200 in doctor's visits, trips to the pharmacy and two consecutive weeks of illness--I can finally say we are all feeling better. The eye virus is gone and we are ready to begin our summer! (Phew! I thought we'd never get over that one!) What shall I do next? Not particularly sure, but I know some things for sure--its going to involve popsicles, sitting by the pool (or beach) and staying in the shade!

What are your plans this summer? Are you a pool-goer? Do you have any major trips or vacations planned? Any ideas to keep the kids entertained this summer?

Our eye saga

This past week has been a particularly interesting week for our family. Not only did my dad and his fiancee come up to visit this past week, our house has also been host to some rather unwelcome guests--of the virus variety. Yes, this past week, my two adorable children and I have had to endure pink-eye (not to mention fevers for both of my kids). How many days have we been sick with just the pink-eye, you might ask? Well, its been 6 days now and COUNTING! Yep, it's been almost a week and it has not been getting any better. So, after two pediatric visits and one eye doctor visit for me, its been determined that we all probably have a strain of 'hemophilus influenza' or basically, the flu for our eyes. The doctor seems to think that I probably got coughed on by some sick child (most likely in the face) and from that I got this wonderful eye condition. As a Mother's Day Out toddler teacher it does seem like a likely scenario. Nice, huh? So, with no particular end in sight, and another prescription of eye drops--we'll see...

Has anyone out there had to deal with stuff like this for this long?!

Dad and Suzy

This past weekend I got to meet my future stepmother, stepbrothers and family. You could say I was a little overwhelmed...but pleasantly surprised.

On Saturday, we drove up to Tomball to meet everyone. Since it was at Suzy's (my dad's fiancee's) daughter-in-law's parent's house in Tomball (yeah, it was hard to wrap my brain around that one too!), we had a nice, casual cookout by the pool while all of the kiddos swam and played. Suzie was so warm and kind and so were all of her family. I really hit it off with her daughter-in-law, Leah, and her husband Bill (one of my future stepbrothers) while our kids played with theirs (Carson, 7 yrs; Lainie, 5 yrs; and Drew, 3 yrs). I also got to meet Suzy's youngest son, Nathan and his wife and they were very nice as well. When we got a moment alone, I asked Nathan and Bill what they thought about our parents getting married. Their responses were the same as what my sister and I had--that their engagement was surprisingly fast, but in both of their best interests to have someone in their lives. You could say it was quite refreshing to not feel like we were the only ones who felt that way!

After we left the cookout, Suzy and dad followed us back home where we visited some more. Here's a recap of the next few days: Ashlyn got sick, we went to the zoo, we went to the Kemah Boardwalk, and then my dad got sick (all in that order!) After a nice (but eventful) visit, they went on their way to visit San Antonio.

What were my feelings during this time, you might ask? Well, they were definitely mixed. I was very happy for my dad and Suzy because they were obviously very happy together and I liked Suzy so much. But as I was putting Ashlyn to bed the next night, she told me that she liked her 'new grandma'. When she said that my heart literally ached for my mom. All I could tell her was that my mom was her 'first' grandma and that she was in heaven looking down on us. When Ashlyn asked, "how can we talk to her?", I told her that we could ask God how she was doing. I had to laugh when Ashlyn asked me what my mom was doing up in heaven, and she told me that she thought she was probably just "laying around". Oh, to have the innocent mind of a child!

Overall, I am very, very happy that my dad has chosen such a wonderful person to be his next wife. She is a Christian woman who is very gentle, kind, and sincere. I couldn't have picked a better person myself!:)

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

Ashlyn & Layton with their new friend from the backyard, baby snake.

My little girl is afraid of heights, but not afraid of holding snakes--Go figure! :)

Feeding the ducks

Yesterday evening, Jason and I decided to take the kids for a nice leisurely night out--feeding ducks! Since we've been on a kick lately of doing things with the family that are new, different, and exciting (okay, exciting might be a bit of a stretch, but it is different!), we thought it might be something fun for the kids. So, with some stale vegetable crackers in tow, we were off!

Here are the kids feeding the ducks out of their hands. I was quite impressed that the kids let them get that close!

Here's Layton taking a quick bite before handing his cracker over to the ducks. I'm just glad it wasn't the other way around.

What are the kids doing in this picture, might you ask? Why learning to spit off the bridge, courtesy of 'Daddy 101'. If you look close enough in the picture, you can even see the spit flying out of Ashlyn's mouth. Ha!

After a rousing game of ,'Let's see who can spit the farthest', we went on our way to pick flowers and take an up-close look at the wildlife.

Next, Jason took the kids over to catch some bait with his casting net, while the kiddos picked the minnows off the ground and threw them in.

After a few rounds of casting and picking up fish, we headed home. It was such a cool, summer evening and a fun time for our family.

What are some out-of-the-ordinary activities you like to do with your family?

Sweet words for Mother's Day

In the spirit of Mother's Day, I decided to post a little 'questionnaire' that my daughter came home with from Mother's Day Out. Her teacher (and my friend), Heather, asked all of the kids in the class the same questions and sent the questions and their answers home with each mom. Its very amusing to see what Ashlyn really thinks of me--her answers are bolded in black below! Ha! She's such a doll. Here goes.

What is a mom? A mommy, silly!

My mom's name is Maria...or mommy.

She likes to watch Nick Jr. and Little Bill on television

For fun, my mom likes to play with my family (Heather told me that Ashlyn initially told her that 'my mom likes to play with my dad', but she changed it because she thought the latter might sound a little better--hee, hee! I'm still laughing about that one!)

My mom likes to eat spaghetti...you spell it "p-o-i-o-m".

The thing my mom cooks best is macaroni and cheese.

If I had lots of money, I would buy my mom make-up.

My mom doesn't like to watch weird movies.

What I like best about my mom is to hug her.

My mom likes my dad to watch movies with her.

My mom is 24 years old, I think. (What a sweet girl!) :)

My mommy smells like strawberries.

My mom's job is to clean the house. (Sigh, so true, so true...)

I know my mom loves me because God made us! (And I'm so glad he did)


I love you Ashlyn & Layton!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

A New Chapter...

Well, it's finally happened. My dad is officially engaged to be married this September. How do I feel? Well, you can say I definitely have mixed feelings. Overall, I am excited for my dad and his new fiance although I have yet to meet her, but that's another story entirely. All I can say is that I definitely feel overwhelmed with memories--memories about my life with my mom. There are some things that I have discovered through this whole experience--there are no guarantees in life. All you can do is hope for the best and cherish your loved ones while they are still here. More to come on the upcoming nuptials...