Thursday, January 30, 2014

Sweet days

These days of having little ones at home are sweet and such a blessing.  Not every day is rose colored, but I really do try and cherish each moment while they are under our roof and not in "real school" as Parker calls it.  ;)  It pains me to think he will start kindergarten in the Fall, that is why I have been intentional about my time with him…making every moment count!


We invited Blair to spend the day with us last Friday.  Her mom was out of town, so she played with us while her daddy was a work.  We had a blast!

Little sister came along too.  This is at the gymnastics place, we jumped our little hearts out for almost two hours!

Being silly!

Her grin.

Watching daddy play golf last Saturday afternoon!

All ready for church

In the meantime, Parker spent Friday night and all day Saturday with his cousins at the ranch.
It is an understatement to say they had fun!


Kids and dirt piles are a match made in heaven.
I love seeing how hard they were playing.

Until your sis-in-law shows you pictures of your son doing this.

And this.
It made his year to do that.

Best buddies.

Getting gussied up with Katherine!

Snack time in the mule.

I think she enjoyed being an only child for 24 hours!  ;)

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Happy!

I'm surrounded by smiles these days and it warms my heart...

This girl is always happy to wake up in the morning!

Dressed and ready and on the move!  She is checking out Parker's tunnel which she did eventually crawl through.

So happy at her 9 month check up today.  No shots which made it even better!!
I'm still trying to get over that she is really 9 months old, ugh.  They just don't stay teeny tiny forever! :(

This girl spent 3 hours in a meeting with our interior designer while we picked out hard wood floors, tiles, and carpet for our new house.  She was SUCH a trooper (and ate a TON of Gerber puffs)!  You do what you have to do.  ;)

I NEVER drink coffee in the afternoon but today after Sydney's appointment, my car just sort of turned into Starbucks!  Maybe it's because I have a gift card from Christmas burning a hole in my purse.
My first thought was...who drinks coffee in the afternoon?? Apparently a ton of people because the line was 8 cars long when I got there.  Guess I'm in good company!

Once again, I find these two just playing away in her crib after her nap. It makes me smile!  Parker can leap in there like a deer, he must practice or something.  I laugh thinking about that!
Side note: the beautiful bumpers my mom made are gone, she was using them as a prop to climb up on, yikes!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

9 months!

Ya'll, why is she growing up so FAST??  It's amazing to me how much faster she is growing up compared to how I thought Parker did.  The months just fly and I know it's because we are busy, there is never a dull moment with these two precious kids!
Sydney Kate has had a big month…she has learned how to crawl!  She did it yesterday for the first time while Parker and I were playing with her in the floor!  She doesn't do it often, but she can do it.

At 9 months, Sydney…

*  is crawling!
*  said "dada" for the first time this week!
*  has two bottom teeth
*  is FINALLY sleeping better at night  (we have had major screaming bouts at 3 am)
*  still loves anything I put in her mouth
*  can pull up to her knees on things
*  still takes a long afternoon nap and cat naps in the morning
*  nurses 4-5 times a day
*  will eat a whole can of Gerber Puffs if I let her  ;)
*  lights up when Parker or Daddy walk in the room
*  loves to play with Parker in her crib

Sydney, your personality just shines more and more everyday!  You are so much fun and are growing up right before our eyes.  You may not have been the best sleeper at night and have most definitely put us through the paces, but we love you anyway and are so proud of you for getting better at it!  ;)  You have a strong will but I know the Lord is going to use the personality trait in a big way!  We love you Sis!
Big girl.

My little helper

These two LOVE to play together!

"Crib talk"

Shopping at the mall




Thursday, January 9, 2014

Saying goodbye


I am blogging about this not for sympathy, but because I print this blog into a book every year and this was a big event in our lives in 2013.  I wanted something special to remember this by.

We had to do one of the hardest things in our marriage recently.  We had to say goodbye to our "first dog child".  Waco became a part of our family in May of 2005 and she brought us so much happiness.  Every.single.day when I got home from teaching school, that dog and I headed off to go walking at the park in our neighborhood in Dallas.  Rain, sleet, snow or sunshine, we were at that park.  Then we moved to Amarillo in 2008 and she learned to brave her first cold winter here.  My dad built the best, warmest, insulated dog house for her that helped her through many winters.
 Then we welcomed Parker in 2009 and she welcomed him too.  From the beginning, she was so calm, patient and tolerant of having a little one around.  If we were outside at the park and someone she didn't know was out walking or just there, she ALWAYS positioned herself between Parker and that person.  She was so protective.  Never hurt a soul, but just stood in the way and made her presence known.

We don't know 100% why, but we think during her spay surgery when she was a pup, there was a nerve damaged that kept her from having full bladder control.  It was fine when we she was younger, but the older she got, the worse it became to where she wet everywhere, all the time.  It was no way for a dog to live.  She was having to stay outside too much and the winter is just too cold for that here.  She slept inside and every morning we woke up to her lying in her own urine.

So, on Christmas Eve morning, we brought her inside, cried our eyes out and said our goodbyes.  I didn't think Parker fully understood what was going on until I found him sitting with her on her dog bed, stroking her head and talking to her all about Heaven.  I cry just typing this.  We talk about her often and as the weather gets warmer and we start going to the park again…I will dearly miss that leash hooked onto the jogger and her so fearlessly leading the way.

We love you Waco Austin!  You were a good dog.


Waco was the cutest puppy ever.

She quickly became our baby.

She grew up at the ranch during the summers.

"Do YOU want to go on a walk??"

Always chasing something.

Looking nice for Halloween.

 She helped me teach science safety to my students when I taught school.

Cozy.

 Family pic.

We celebrated every birthday she had with hats and a bowl of ice cream.


So tender with baby Parker.

She came on every walk/run we went on.

She was always curious about what Parker had been eating.

She was well loved.

And well taken care of.

She loved to swim.

And she loved listening to Parker "read" her stories.

Buddies.

She tolerated a lot.

She loved to fish.

And relax with me in the pool.

She was worried when we introduced another little one to her but was always sweet to Sydney.

Waco, there is a hole in our family now.  You are missed so much!