Our Schnauzer Haley....

For those of you who know us and know us well, you know that everyone of us is a dog lover and that we have 3 very spoiled schnauzers. Unfortunatley for us one of our babies is gone. Late last night we let them out before bed and the side gate was open. Our oldest, Haley and our middle one Aspen both got hit by a car. Haley died instantly and Aspen is in the emergency pet clinic right now. We are on our way to pick her up as I speak and hopefully she has made it through the night and will pull through. We love these babies as if they were our children. Haley, in particular, was Nathaniel's baby and he is so so sad. We all are very sad and are going through that grieving process. Pets are wonderful, but at the same time they are so hard to let go of. Our sweet Haley was spoiled rotten and she knew it and she loved it!!!

We have had about an hourse sleep at this moment, so I guess Richard and I are running on adrenaline only. For some of you this may sound crazy and foolish, but for us this is a very hard time for our family. Please pray for us as we grieve the loss of our dog and especially for Nathaniel and Jacob as they deal with this as kids. It's especially hard on them.

Enjoying the holidays

Well I haven't posted in a while so this one will be a little lengthy. It seems like we have spent lots of time in the dr.'s office over the last 2 weeks. I went in a week ago Wednesday to have an NST test done because the baby wasn't moving as much as she usually does. Everything looked fine and of course she started moving as soon as they hooked me up to the monitors ! However, Dr. Wright had me come back in that following Friday (the day we got out for break). It turns out my fluids are low and he was concerned about that and I'm having contractions. He did another NST test that day and a sono and ordered bedrest and lots of fluids. He had me come back in this Wed. (Christmas eve) for another NST test. The baby was all over the place, but I was registering contractions on the monitor so he said to continue the bedrest and fluids. We have to go back on Monday the 29th. I'm still having contractions, but they don't seem to be increasing in quantity or intensity so I guess that is a good thing. We don't know anything about the fluid levels at this point. So we are taking it easy. I have done nothing today but lay on the sofa and watch TV and sleep. It feels good to get some much needed rest. Richard has been absolutely wonderful to do everything and to MAKE me stay in bed. He is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him.

Christmas was wonderful. We had a good time with both families and the boys enjoyed their gifts. I am so very excited about my gift. I GOT TICKETS TO THE BRAD PAISLEY CONCERT!!!!! Exactly what I wanted. The concert is January 25th - 2 days before my birthday. Now we just have to hope the baby doesn't come before the concert so we can actually go. She needs to stay put and grow some more anyway. Our plans for the rest of the break are simple - for me bedrest and fluids - Richard and the boys will be doing alot of nothing which is what we all need right now.

God Bless each of you and I hope you all have a wonderful new year.

Graduation and Christmas Musical

Well it was certainly a busy but exciting weekend. We finally got Richard graduated. He really didn't want to walk but I made him and I think in the end he was glad he participated. We were all very excited to see him earn his Master's hood. It meant alot to all of us - I think especially to his mom. We are all so very proud of him for sticking it out - especially during football season when he had so much to do and still stayed up and studied and finished homework. After we were done with graduation on Saturday we headed back so the rest of my family could participate in the church Christmas musical. I love singing in the choir and seeing my boys and family participate in the drama. I think it was 2 amazing performances and I hope and pray that we got the message across that God intended to be there. It was all for his honor and glory and to share the story. Now I look forward to getting these 5 days over with so we can enjoy a much needed break. We are all ready for a little downtime and relaxation. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. I will be posting sometime but who knows when. Have a great day.

Thanksgiving

Well it's Sunday afternoon about 4:20 and I can't believe the Thanksgiving break is over. It just seems like it went by so fast. I planned on getting some good rest, but we all know how that goes. We did get to rest on Wednesday. After the Dr. appt. we just laid around the house all day and watched TV and just enjoyed being home. That was nice. Then off we went on Thursday. We spent all day Thursday at my mother in laws house. We had some amazing food and a good time. I didn't do anything at all while I was there, we just watched the Cowboys and then the Longhorns. Saw two good wins from our favorite teams and headed home. You would think I wouldn't have been tired but oh my gosh, i was exhausted. On Friday, we got up early left for Lubbock to take care of some business and then went on to Lamesa to spend the day with my family. Again, we had great food and a good visit. I got to see my grandmother which is always wonderful. Jacob loves his Aunt Mary, Uncle Rush, Keri and Gango - so he was a particularly happy young man. On the way home we left Richard and my dad in Lubbock for the football game and mom and I came home and relaxed. I did get some rest yesterday and today. All in all, it was a wonderful week. I'm ready to go back to work so we can get to Christmas break sooner !!! Haha already looking forward to the next break. So to wrap it up here is a list of the things I am most thankful for this year:

1. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

2. My wonderful and amazing husband

3. My two boys who are also wonderful and amazing

4. The little one growing and developing within who will be here before we know it

5. My family - I love you all so much

6. My friends who I miss and love dearly

7. A great church home

8. A wonderful place to live and work

9. Good health

10. The many blessings I already have and know I will continue to receive because God is a loving and gracious God

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. May God bless each of your families.

28 weeks

Well I will officially be 28 weeks on Friday of this week, but I did have my "28" week appt. today. It was that oh so fun appt. when you get to drink the nasty glucose drink to test for gestational diabetes. It's quite funny how they give you the side effects such as lightheadedness, dizziness and vomitting and then tell you "but don't throw it up or else we will have to start over." It wasn't all that bad I guess. I did get a little lightheaded but didn't ever feel bad. I guess I'll know the results next Monday. While I was waiting to have the 2nd blood drawing done, we went in and had the 3D sono done. Not nearly as good as I expected it to be. Jodi, I'm jealous, your pics are way better. My dear little one would not cooperate. Every time he tried to get a still shot, she would move and so we got 3 pics but they aren't great. Oh well it's fine. Richard had a better glance at the screen than I did and I could hear him commenting about her fingers and toes. Afterwards he said it looked like she was smiling for him !!! She only weighed in at 1 pound 13 ounces which is below the normal 2 1/2 pounds expected at this stage. However, the doctor didn't seem concerned and said she was going to just be a petite little girl - we'll see. I start going every 2 weeks now, which for me always seems to make these last few weeks go by a little faster. With the holidays here, I think that will be a good distraction for all of us. I will try to post sono pics when i get back to school and can use a good scanner.

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, as I'm sure you all do. God has blessed our family so greatly and just continues to add to those blessings every day. I pray that you will all have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well as a safe one. May God bless your families now and always. I am reminded that we should thank God everyday for our blessings and our lives, not just during this holiday. After all he is God all the time not just in November!!!! God Bless !!!

People thInk I'm Crazy

I know people think I'm crazy - I think even my own family does. However, I did put up my Christams lights and tree this weekend. It was so much fun. I love Christmas and all the decorations and beauty of it all, so therefore I get it all up early. I like to enjoy it for as long as I possibly can. All four of us were in the Christmas spirit last night and we had so much fun getting it all up. THis of course happened in between my choir practice, Nathaniel's drama practice and Jacob's handbells practice and of course football on the tube !!!! In any case, we had a great time and the house looks good. I think we are going to add more lights to the outside but I'm not sure about that yet. Nate took some good pic's of us decorating so I'll post those later today. I hope everyone has a good start to a great week. Just a few more days and we are out for Thanksgiving - I know everyone is as ready for a break as I am.

Have a good week.

Bittersweet times

Well football season is officially over. This, I always say, is a bittersweet time in my life. I absolutely love football season and all that comes with it. It's so bitter to see the end of it due to an early ending because we did not make the playoffs or a late ending because we lost a heart wrenching game in a playoff. It's hard to be done. However, at the same time it is a sweet time in my life because I get my husband back and things slow down alot!!! Usually it's more bitter than sweet, but this year with the pregnancy and being so exhausted, I can say I'm glad we are done. Not that I would not have loved to make the playoffs. I pray for a better season next year and good things to come as the spring gets started. Powerlifting will get started soon and I will be looking forward to that.

I hope everyone is looking forward to the holidays and a nice break to relax a little.

GO TEXAS

HOOK EM HORNS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not much going on

Well, I really don't have much to post so this should be short and sweet. I had a dr. appt. yesterday and it was quick and simple. All they did was measured and asked questions and listened for a heartbeat. Everything checked out okay. I don't go back until the 26th of November. That one is for the glucose test (yuck) and my 3D sonogram. I am excited about that. Richard will get to go and we are excited about that too. Other than that we don't have much going on. Life will be slowing down for us after next week. Jacob is done with football, Nathaniel's last game is next Tuesday and Richard's is too. So we get to slow down a tad.

What a GREAT weekend

Wow we had such a good time this weekend with Brandi, the girls and her mom. It was so good to see them and get to spend some time with them. However, when they left on Sunday it was as hard as it was back in the summer. We had a great time just hanging out and eating and baking (not me of course but Brandi). The girls are so big and so much fun. Addy is just a little adult with a little adult vocabulary. Emmerson is just at that so cute and fun stage and is all over the place. She is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything and I don't think it will be long before she is walking. Having them here made me realize how much I miss my dear friends. We love you guys and are so glad we got to spend this weekend with you all. We hope to be seeing them soon - maybe next time we will get to see Shay too!!!

HOpe you all had a wonderful weekend.

CAN'T WAIT TILL FRIDAY....

Brandi, Addy, Emmerson and Karen will be here on Friday. I can not wait to see them all. It has been since July and I am having withdrawels. We are all so excited to see them and get to spend time with them.

It's A Girl

Well we had a doctor's appt. on Wednesday and he said we are having a girl! We thought at 16 weeks that was what we were having but we were able to tell for sure this time. We are so very excited. I can't even begin to tell you how her daddy has reacted. She is going to be rotten. I can't wait. I went immediately to Wal-Mart to buy our first pink outfit, our first bows and our first pink shoes!!! What a thrill!!! Her daddy has already picked out the bedding he likes (and yes -its girly). We know God has his hand on this little one and we are thrilled that he will bless and extend our wonderful family with little Amber Nicole. That is her name and the boys are already talking to her and calling her by her name. THey are amazed that at this point she can now hear them (or so that is what we are told). Jacob has started reading to her and I like to sing to her. Congratulations to all you other coaches wives who are hving little ones. God bless each of you and your babies.

Everyone have a great weekend.

14 years ago today....

Oh my it has been a fast 14 years. As I look back on the last 14 years there are so many cherished memories, I just hope I can preserve them all in my mind. Fourteen years ago today, Richard and I brought our very first little one into this world and what a miracle from God it was. Nathaniel was never to be as we had so many problems in that pregnancy, but God had his own plan and that was to bless our family with this amazing young man. He started his birthday out this morning by heading up See You At The Pole at his school. I am so proud of him for taking a stand in what he believes in. He headed it up last year and only had 1 other student join him. He said he was going to do it again this year even if it was just him. However God is great and he had about 10 students and 3-4 adults join him. Praise God for Nathaniel's sweet spirit. For those of you who don't know him, he is a wonderful young man with great gifts and a HUGE heart for everyone. Yes he has his teenage faults, but I could not be more blessed than I am with the son God has given me.

I told Richard this morning, my baby isn't a baby and yet God has blessed us with Jacob and a new little one on the way. We both know that Jacob will be just as stron as Nathaniel is in his convictions and that the new little one will be as big a blessing as these boys are. We pray daily for our children. We pray God will have such a tight hold on their hearts and that they will feel that tug every day of thier lives and follow it in the right direction. Thank you to all our family and friends who have had a hand in helping raise our children.

In Christ!!!

Doctor's Appt

Well I had another Doc's appt. yesterday. He said the baby looks good and is developing very well. Looks like a big baby - kind of scary. Both my boys were small weighing in at 6lbs9oz and 6lbs4oz and only 19inches and 16 inches. So for me a big baby is a little scary. My placenta is moving as it should be but very slowly like only 2-3 cm at a time. The good news is we are getting there. Hopefully another 4-5 weeks will do the trick. I have started feeling a little movement every now and then and that is exciting. I have a fetal heart doppler and we get to listen to the heartbeat as much as we want. That is very helpful when you are having issues. He did say he didn't see any obvious boy parts and it looks like a little girl. We are all very excited about that - honeslty i think Richard is the most excited. We will check again in 4 weeks to see if it is still a girl.

Thank you all for your prayers and support and all that you have done for us. We truly appreciate it all and could not do this without everyone's help.

We love you all
God Bless.

First Week of School

Well I survived the first week. I am so excited that although I am still having some complications with the pregnancy, God has blessed me enough that I can still work (for now anyway). As you know I switched grades this year from 1st to 3rd and I absolutely love it. I loved my 1st graders but these kids are so self sufficient _and if you know me very well you know that is how I like things. Things are running fairly well for the most part.

Jacob is loving fourth grade and absolutely loves his teacher. He says she is so much fun and not hard at all. Haha - wait till next week!!!! He hasn't had any homework yet but that is about to change.

Nathaniel absolutely loves school. He loves all his classes. He says his favorite is a toss up between reading (I figured) and math - yes you read that right Math. I am so excited that he is excited about Math. Maybe this will be the year we get over that hump. He, unlike Jacob, has had 2 hours of homework every night this week on top of football until 5:00. He is already a busy young man. Oh well it's good for him.

Our first football game is tonight and I'm excited. I love this time of the year. I have to be really good and just sit through the whole game. That will be very hard for me, but if I want to keep going then I have to follow orders.

My next dr. appt. is Tuesday. We may be able to tell gender then - if we can I will let you all know.

HOpe you all have a restful long weekend.

What a Week

My life seems to be in such chaos these days it's hard to stay on top of my game. I've been coming to work all week, which in itself is a great blessing. Richard and I went to the dr. on Monday morning after an episode on Sunay night and of course and thank God everything was okay. Then we were in the ER on Wednesday night after another episode on Wednesday evening. It just seems like I can't seem to get over the hump that will make things better this go around. It is quite frustrating to think for 2-3 days that things are better and then all of a sudden - here we go again. I know the Bible tells us to pray persistently and I have been doing that. It seems like I pray about this condition to go away and have been doing so everyday, multipe times a day and it just won't happen. I know God is amazing and that he is taking care of me and the baby. I would just love to have this part of the worry go away so that I can enjoy being pregnant, being at work and being with my boys. Just keep praying for us - discouragment sets in and I have to remind myself to stay postive and try not to stress to much.

You all know how much I love football and I've had to give up virtually evrything that has to do with football season so far. I know it's worth it because this baby and my health are way more important and football season will come around again next year (hopefully I'll have a little cheerleader to take with me, and if not a little football player will be fine too). I am going to try to make it to our first game next week and as many after that as I can. So girls, if I'm not there cheer really loud for me!!!!

I'm ready for school to get started. The busier I am the more my mind will stay occupied and the quicker things will go. We got Nate registered yesterday and he seems to be ready to go. I hope he has a great year. Jacob is ready - he already loves his teacher and can't wait to see his friends. I think I'm going to have a pretty good group of kids this year!!!! I'll be sending up prayers for all of you.


I hope you all have a great weekend.

Family and Friends

It always amazes me the people God puts in your life and how they always come through for you even when you don't think you need any help. I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you all for being such wonderful friends. In our husbands profession as coaches you meet alot of people throughout your career and along the way you make some great friends who come through for you no matter what.

I didn't really think we needed any help while I've been on bedrest for the last 3 days, but that help came anyway and we are so grateful.

Jodi (or Jodie?) thanks so much for the meal on Friday night. We loved every bit of it. It was delicious. You have only known us for a couple of weeks and you already pitched in and helped - thank you so much for your kindness. Sorry you had a tough time with the chicken (i know how that is).

Amy, Tammy and Katie thank you for tonights meal. It too was delicious. The boys loved it as did I.

Jessica and Pat thanks in advance for our meal tomorrow night. I know it is going to be awesome.

You guys are all great and I am so grateful to have you all in our lives for the much needed prayer, support, encouragement and FOOD!!!!!!

And of course, thanks mom for all you have done. Cleaning, running around town and cooking (just to name a few). You are the best. I don't know what I would do without you. Vicky (my sweet Mom in law) - thanks for coming over and cooking for us and for buying me yummy protein shakes. They are great at 4 in the morning.

Janna thanks for the encouragement and for taking care of Jacob's registration.

Everyone thanks for your prayers and please continue to send them God's way.
Jodi (ie) and Katie - I'm glad things are great with your PG's!!! Praying for continued good to both of you.

Love you all.

Prayer

Okay well here we go again. I started having some more complications on Thursday and the doctor has put me on bedrest for the rest of the weekend. Depending on whether or not things have stopped will determine whether or not I can go back to work on Monday or continue on bedrest. We had another sono done this morning and things are great with the baby and all that needs to be in place for that. I am not having pre-mature labor or any of that stuff. There really is no explanation for what is going on and that in itself is very frustrating. I need to be at work and more than that I want to be at work. I love what I do and I want to be there to do it, but I also know that at this point my baby is what I need to focus on. So my request is that you would lift us up in prayers with the petition to God that he would reach down and heal the physical defects (whatever that may be) and that I would be able to get back to work on Monday and stay at work until its time for this baby to enter this world in February!!!

I love you guys and know that I can depend on you for prayer. By the way I don't know what i would do without such a wonderful husband and mom. They are amazing.

love you all

It's time to get started

This is the same picture but better quality. Thanks Albert!!!!



Well we started back to "school" yesterday doing workshops for the next few days. It's good to get back into a routine but so hard to get used to going, going, going again. I had gotten use to taking a good long nap in the afternoons and I am so missig that nap. Right about now I would be sleeping. Oh well. The boys are ready to get started and I am very ready for them to get started. Jacob is bored and is driving me crazy. Nathaniel just needs a reason to get up and get dressed. I guess that is what being a teenager is all about. He has the rest of his adult life to worry about getting up, getting dressed and getting things done. I'm a firm believer in letting them enjoy their summer as kids!!!!

I am excited about the upcoming school year and the chance to get to teach a new grade level, but I am nervous at the same time. Be in prayer that I can teach them all they need to know to do well on the TAKS!!!

I know I say this every blog but I will say it again - God is Awesome and he is faithful to do what his word says he will. Keep praying that things continue to go well with the baby and myself. As soon as I know what we are having I'll post !!!!

Until later - God Bless.

First Good Picture

How could you not fall in love with your baby when seeing these things !! I know we did !!!! I know it's hard to see because it is so small but its the best i could do. I need to really learn more about this whole blog thing.

Tired....

If I could seem to get myself up to speed without being so tired I think I would feel a little better. I am now 10 1/2 weeks along and am still having all day sickness. I can't even call it morning sickness...however, I am feeling very good this morning. I have had some complications so I went in to the doctor yesterday and thanks to the good Lord, the baby is doing great. Growing and developing just like it is suppose to and the doc said everything with me looked good. So in the end we couldn't determine what was causing the problem which I figured would be the case. When I was PG with the boys, those doctors couldn't determine the cause of the prob's eitheir. All I know is that I am going to try my best not to worry but to just give it to God and put it in his more than capable hands. I know he will take care of this little one, just like he did the boys.

Jacob has been through football camp and had a blast. He was upset when it was over, and Nate is doing football camp this week. He is enjoying himself also. It was weird to be out there and not be familiar with all the new faces. It does look like we have a pretty good staff. They all seemed to be working hard and the kids seemed to be enjoying getting to know all the new guys. We are excited about the start of a new season. I'll be busy doing lots of football as both the boys will play and then we will be out supporting daddy. It's our life and what can I say I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

I hope you are all enjoying your last week of summer.

So Close

We are so close to the summer being over and for me that is always bitter-sweet. I so enjoy being off for the summer and being home with my family, but I also enjoy getting back to work and getting some routine back in our lives. The boys are so out of whack during the summer - staying up until all hours of the night and sleeping until all hours of the day. This has been an eventful summer with one major thing to look forward to. I know it was such a shock to find out I was pregnant, but as the shock has worn off the excitement has begun to settle in. We are all praying pink, but most importantly praying for a healthy baby - no matter what the gender.

I've learned alot over the past month. First of all God is awesome in his timing- even if it isn't what we had planned. Secondly, God is always in control. I had such hard pregnancies with Nate and Jacob - in bed for 7 months and 2 months and stressed out all the time. However, I had been praying that God would make this one different and that things would be okay, but I was praying faithlessly just knowing that I would be lucky to have a good pregnancy. Then Travis preached on walking in eitheir by consequences of our actions, by fate or by faith and I knew then and there that God was telling me to pray faithfully and with the faith that he would take care of it all. I did that finally. I asked God to take care of this one and make it different and to date he has been faithful to his word as he always is. So far everything is going good (despite the morning (all day) sickness), and I have complete faith that it will continue to be great. I beleive that because I believe in an awesome, faithful and merciful God. After all, even with all the complications the first 2 times look at what blessings he gave me then. This will be no different. I look forward to meeting our new little one and seeing what God has in store for us this time around.

God bless all of you and I pray that you all will walk in faith knowing that God is in control.

What a Feeling...

Man oh man. I forgot what it felt like to be pregnant. It's so different this time. I don't know if it is becuase i'm older (alot older) or if it is just the baby. I am sick almost every day or at least feel sick almost every day. Today has been a particularly trying day. There hasn't been a moment i have felt good. Oh well such is life. No complaining is allowed - or so I keep telling myself.

The time has come when I have to say bye to dear friends. Steve and Laurie will be leaving on Friday for Hamlin. Guys I will miss you and your beautiful girls. We've known each other a long time and we've seen each other grow and grow families. I'm glad for our friendship and I know we will continue to stay in touch and be friends, but you will be missed. Good luck to you guys and we know you will have a blast in your new town.

Brandi and Shay will be moving this next weekend also. (I get a double whamy). I said bye to the girls last night - man I knew it would be hard but I never imagined it would be that hard. The thought of not "keeping" Addy or seeing her daily or getting to hold my sweet Emmerson was more than I could handle. Those girls are like my own and I am going to miss them so much. I'm not looking forward to next weekend when we have to say bye to Brandi and Shay. Okay not bye but see you later. I know we will stay close and we will talk everyday, but Brandi you are like a sister and I am going to miss you more than you know. God is going to bless your family beyond measure and I know you guys are going to enjoy being close to your family, and the girls are going to love having their grandparents near.

I will be starting work in a week (jumpstart camp) and have workshops tomorrow and Tuesday. I have got to get motivated to get going. My summer has gone by way to fast and I didn't rest nearly as much as I intended to. Still in my own way, i'm ready to get going again and have some routine back on a daily basis.

That's it for now. Everyone be safe and have a great week.. Oh yeah Congrats Katie and Jeremy.

Great Day

I'm sure that I will be posting more often now. Not that you are all interested in the progress of my pregnancy, but it gives me more to blog about. NOt that my boys don't provide enough to talk about already.

They are both just winding up the summer and trying to enjoy the last bit of their summer. They can't believe school is almost here again. Nathaniel will be an 8th grader and jacob a 4th grader. Wow. How time flies. And now we get to start over - yeah.

I had a dr. appt on Tuesday and everything was good. We did a sono and the baby looks like a blurb but did indeed have a good heartbeat. Getting to see that and hear the heartbeat helped to ease some of my worry and stress. Other than the morning sickness (in the afternoon and evening) I feel decent. Richard has been wonderful not to let me do to much. He is being great. I am very lucky.

I worked in my new room and although I am sad it is "my room" because my dear friend left, I am excited about the new grade level and the new challenge. I am praying I feel good when school starts and can be at my best everyday. TAKS is a little scary but I will work hard and hopefully be okay.

That is it for now. Football will be starting soon and we can not wait. We are ready.

God bless.

Good To Be Home

Unlike the Easterwoods we haven't been everywhere, but we did drive lots of miles. We left last Sunday to San Antonio to begin our South Padre Vacation. This coming right after finding out I was pregnant. We really needed to get away to deal with all the shock. For those who don't know - there were 16 of us who went. We are so fortunate that both my family and Richard's family get along well enought that we can do all this stuff together. We went to the RiverWalk on Sunday night, after spending some time in the pool at the hotel, and had a blast. We ate on the Riverwalk (wonderful Mexican food) and then took the tour boat. It was lots of fun. We headed out Monday morning for South Padre. We were a little disgruntled as we drove in because of course it was raining and the forecast called for rain the whole week. However, God blessed us by clearing the skies and we enjoyed some wonderful sunny days. AS soon as we got there, the boys were ready to head out to the beach. We spent about 5 hours on the beach Monday and then Tuesday we spent about 10 hours on the beach and in the water. My boys are water boys - I think they are half fish. They absolutely loved it and had a great time in the waves. Wednesday we went out to Schlitterbahn. It was okay, not big at all so we only spent half the day there and then went back to the - you guessed it- beach!!! Thursday was great. We went out on a Dolphin Watch boat and got to see the Dolphins and some great sights. It was an amazing tour for the family. Then the Richard and the boys went parasailing. I didn't get to go or even take pictures but they said it was so much fun. AFter that we went shopping and then back to the beach. We left for San Antonio on Friday morning and went back to the Riverwalk to celebrate my parent's anniversary (38 years). We got home about 6:00 on Saturday night and there is nothing more glorious than coming back home. We had a blast. Thanks to all who helped watch my dogs and my house. We are now praising God for the new addition to our family and for the most part I am feeling okay. Not great but okay. I hope you are all having a great summer and are getting ready for school. It's right around the corner. God Bless you all.

Vacation

Well we are in South Padre and its RAINING!!! It's suppose to rain all week while we are here. Oh well we will make the best of it. At least here I can look out the window and see the beach where back home I see streets. The condo is very nice and so far we are having a great time. At some point we will do Schlitterbahn in the rain. Gotta love the weather and how you can't predict it months in advance. I guess you make the best of it and enjoy just being away. Post more later.

Getting Ready

Well Nathaniel and I had a good time in Dallas. The Expo was a great experience. We were very tired and very ready to be home. He did okay. He got a couple of prospects BUT they both want us to move out to LA and we are not ready to do that right now.

We are gearing up and getting ready to head out for South padre on Sunday. Trust me we need the break. We are ready to get away from all the stuff around here and just relax on the beach with family. We know we are going to have a good time. After we get back it will be just about time to get back to work.

For those who don't know. Richard and I got some shocking news this past week. We are expecting another little one. No it was not planned, but we are okay with it after a couple of days to think about it and deal with the news. Thank you Brandi and Shay for being here for us and helping us to put things back into perspective. We know every child from God is a blessing we just weren't ready for this one, but shock has turned into excitement and just a littlle bit of stress.

I don't have the best pregnancies, so pleae pray that God will hold me and the baby in his gracious hands and that everything will be great.

God Bless each of you.

Great Weekend

Well Richard and I had a great time at Coaches Outreach this weekend. We got to spend some much needed time together and in the Lord. Worship sessions were wonderful and we got some really good things out of our weekend. We got to spend some time with the Easterwoods during our free time. That was nice to just spend some time talking and laughing.

Nathaniel and I leave at 8:30 tomorrow morning and will return on Sunday. He is a little nervous about flying and about his Expo experience but I know he will do great. If nothing else the experience will be awesome.

I don't think I'll post for a while so until then... have many great days and lots of summer fun.

My Mom, My Sister and I

Oh man what fun we had yesterday. We didn't even do much. We spent the day shopping and talking and getting a bite to eat. We had so much fun. Mom cooked a great breakfast for my sister and I which brought back some great memories of being at home. And then we all got dressed and headed out to Lubbock for a day of shopping, laughing and fun. I am so blessed to have such a great family. My mom, my sister and I are super close and I don't know what I would do without them in my life. They are my rocks and my strengths and my laughter. I can only thank God that he has given me such a great relationship with them.

Today - mom and I went and worked at school for a bit then shared a burger at Chili's. Man was it good. Then it was off to a nap. The boys were all still gone so I went up to my room with a blanket and slept for 2 1/2 glorious hours. I thought I needed to get up and do "stuff" but convinced myself that sleeping and resting would be okay. It felt so good.

Richard and I head out tomorrow and I am excited about our retreat. Not to mention we got to see Brandi and Shay for the first time in 2 weeks. I don't know what I'm going to do when they move. Cry alot I guess. Oh well - that is a sign of a great friendship that I thank God we have.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

I'll post later.

And The Boys are Off....

Well - for the first time ever I will be sending both the boys off with their daddy for a "man's trip." They are all very excited. They will be leaving tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. They will be traveling with people from our church. They will head out to tour the Nascar facilities at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. After that it is back to the hotel for swimming and relaxing. On Thursday they will get to watch the Rangers play the Braves - and have an all you can eat buffett at their fingertips. I hope they get some bonding done. And what will Tracy do you may ask? Ha ha - RELAX. I get a "girl's time" with my mom and my sister. I am really excited about that. We may catch a good old chick flick and get some shopping in and good eating. We then will just get to relax. I am looking forward to this time, but I know I will miss my boys alot.

After they get back on Thursday night, Richard and I will leave early Friday morning for Kerrville for Coaches Outreach. We are both excited about that.

Nate keeps saying - 8 more days till EXPO. He is a little nervous about flying (it will be his first time)and nervous about EXPO. We will be busy for 5 days straight. He will start everday at 8:00 am and will be working, auditioning and interviewing as well as attending seminars until 10:00 pm every day. We will both crash and burn when we get back. We will try to take pictures that I can post.

I hope you are all having a great summer.

2 Weeks Gone, VBS, and an anniversary

Well I can't believe we have already been out of school for 2 weeks. It has been a fast 2 weeks. Why can't it be that fast when we are in school? Anyway - we have enjoyed the last 2 weeks. The boys are sleeping in and we have started going up to the fieldhouse together to all get a work out in. That has been a fun family thing to do. Jacob and I are walking together (trying to get him more active) and then I do a couple of miles on my own and then head in for weight lifting. Weights are not my favorite workout, but Richard says I need to lift so I guess I'll listen and do my duty. It's okay - not everything worth doing is fun. Other than that the first week we were home - taking naps and playing Wii. Fun fun fun.

This week we did VBS M-Th from 9:00 -12:00 everyday. I love VBS. It is so refreshing to see the excitement and joy those kids have when they are learning about God and praising him. They don't have any inhabitions, they just do it with all their heart and mind. I wish we could be more like that as adults. We worry to much about what other people might think when the only one that should matter is Our Lord and Savior. Mom and I and Nate along with Carrie Huber taught 1st grade. We had 29 the first day and 32 first graders the rest of the week. Wow what an experience. It was fun and exhausting (but a good exhausting) all at the same time. We know of one for sure that we led to the Lord in our class. That is a first for me and I can't tell you how much joy and excitement it brought to my heart and life to know that I had a small (very small) part in leading that young lady to the Lord. I say small because all I did was planted the small seed the Lord did the rest.

Yesterday was our anniversary. I have been married to my jr. high/high school sweetheart for 15 years now. This year is just as good and better than all the years in the past. I love my husband so much and I know he loves me from the very depths of his soul. He is an amazing spiritual leader for our family and a wonderful father to our children. Our marriage is as good as it is because we have made every effort to make Christ the center of our marriage and seek him in all the decisions we make and in everything we do. We love each other and together we love the Lord without limits. I hope to share many more wonderful years with my husband.

Richard I love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Nine years ago I swore I would not have my baby on the same day as my sister in laws birthday - well guess what I DID.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET BABY BOY - JACOB.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR SISTER IN LAW - ROSIE.

I love you both and I hope you had a great day.

Jacob, mommy loves you more than you will ever know. God has blessed me with your wonderful life and your awesome personality keeps me going. You are the laughter in my day and the sunshine of my life. You mean the world to me and there is nothing I would not do for you.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Love you lots.

Our House

Okay guys - here are some pics of the new house.

Jacob's awards assembly

Jacob had a good year this year. He earned some good awards. He made the honor roll all 6 out of 6 of the six weeks of school. This is quite an accomplishment. He also got a Merit P for citizenship. Amazingly he never had to pull a bear which probably means his teacher was pretty tolerant - just kidding. He worked really hard at being good. He also received the Word Wizard award which was for reading the boy who read the most words in his class - something like 600,000 or so words. This was really good for him since he doesn't really like to read. Here are some pics of him getting his awards.

Summertime

Well it is officailly here - SUMMER. My boys are already geared up and enjoying themselves. It's 8:00 and they are out in the pool. I can hear them laughing and playing and yes of course bickering every now and then. I love the sound of them together. Even though Nate is a teenager and 5 years older than Jacob, he always finds a way to make the pool fun for his little brother (secretly I think he is having as much fun). I hope Nate remembers he is still a kid and will enjoy his childhood before growing up too much. Jacob will forever be young - he takes nothing that seriously. Nathaniel on the other hand is such a serious kid with so much going on in that head of his. It scares me sometimes that one day he may look back and wonder where his childhood went. I hope he can recall those good times. I am looking forward to some relaxing days in the pool myself and some time to catch up on some much needed family time. Summer is always good for us in that we get to just play - something we don't get to do much of throughout the school year. We get so caught up in our busy lives, we forget to play and instead its all work. I hope to play alot with my family this summer.

I was sitting here watching graduation and the thought that in just 5 short years, we will be there watching Nate graduate. That is a scary thought for me. I've always had the notion that girls grow up and stay close to mom whereas boys grow up and go away. I don't want my boys to just go away. I hope they will always want to be close to mom and dad.

We will be celebrating Jacobs birthday this weekend. Wow he is going to be nine. Where did those first 8 years go. They went fast. To my friends who have little ones. Enjoy every moment because like the song says "Dont blink" your babies will be grown and they will be moms and dads (paraphrased of course). It's true - take advantage of every moment you have with them and take nothing for granted.

God Bless Each of you. Be good role models for your kids and for those kids who don't have role models.

The List Gets Shorter

Moving is a long process. However, our list is getting shorter. This weekend was a productive one. We spent all of Saturday getting light fixtures up and making sure they all worked properly. We went to church on Sunday morning and then started working on things outside the house about 2:00 Sunday afternoon. We got the pool up and the trampoline up - we finally finished all of that around 9:00 Sunday night. The boys have already been in the pool - even though it was ice cold. They enjoyed it. I can't wait for summer. We are going to have great fun. I hope you all had a good weekend.

3 day weekend - yeah

I am so ready for a 3 day weekend. I am ready to just relax a little bit. We still have some stuff to do to the house but like all things it is a "work in progress." Eventually it will all be done. We are loving the new house. I cleaned it for the first time yesterday - WOW - it is much bigger than my last one. I have learned in the last few days that I turly do have some amazing people in my life. Thanks to everyone who helped iwth th moving or just offered words of encouragement. We are all very appreciative. I hope you all have a great weekend and remember to pray for our men and women who are fighting for not only our freedom but the freedom of others. I pray God's shield of protection over them all and a quick and safe return home. What amazing people they are !!!!!

Baseball is over

Jacob had a great season and lots of fun. Richard coached, so you know who really did the coaching. Just kidding. Jacob loved having dad as a coach.

Seven More Days

Seven more days of school and we are so excited to start a new summer season. We always have so much fun in the summer just being together as a family and enjoying the time we get to spend together. I can't wait for what lies ahead. We have a busy summer planned with several trips. THe boys are taking a "boy trip" with the church which means I get to take some "girl time" with my mom and sister. I am so looking forward to that !!!!! Then Richard and I get to leave for Coaches Outreach - this is such a refreshing time for our marriage and a time we can grow our marriage spiritually. Please pray for us as we are leading a small group this year. THEN, Nathaniel and I will head out for Dallas for the big acting expo - Nathaniel is so excited about that and we are hoping he lands something. Then and finally - OUR TRIP TO SOUTH PADRE. We are so excited about this. Both Richards family and my family are going and there will be 17 of us making the trip. We are all very excited about this adventure. We are going to have a blast. AFter all of that we can slow down and enjoy the rest of the summer. We will spend alot of time just resting up I'm sure.

I hope all of you have a great ending to what has been a fast year with lots of changes and new experiences. More to come as we finish up a great year and head into a wonderful summer.

Life

Man life has thrown me 2 curve balls this week. First of all for those of you who don't know, my position at LaMesa has been cut due to enrollment. So that means next year I won't be teaching 1st grade at LaMesa. The good news is I still have a job, we just aren't sure where yet. So be praying that God's will be done in this area. THe second curve ball I can't discuss right now. However I can say it was one I knew was coming but that still didn't make it any easier.



You know God is amazing and he puts amazing people in our lives. We learn so much from our friends and we grow with them. To you my friend I say this: you have been a part of my life that I cherish deeply. You have been my confidant, my pal and my strength. You have made me laugh when I wanted to just cry and cry when I didn't know what else to do. You have brought so much to my life and shared so many things with me that I could not have ever experienced without you or your family. You mean the world to me and I will love you always. Miles can only seperate us physically. Phones can keep us closer than you can imagine and love will bind us together forever. You will always be in my heart and my thoughts. I love you dearly and will pray for you daily. I know God is guiding you and leading you.

Fun Time

Well life threw me a curve ball this week. I found out I was being reassigned to another campus. They are cutting my position at LaMesa and moving me to Thunderbird to teach 1st grade. When I found out I was devastated, but after absorbing it all, I know that I can trust God because his plans are so much better than my own. I know he is placing me where I need to be for whatever reasons there are. I am sure all will work out well.

Nathaniel had his end of year awards assembly today and he got many awards. Here are some pics of that.

We Are There

Hey everyone. It's been forever since I last posted. My life has been totally consumed with moving - day and night. We are in the new house and we are very excited. Everything is unpacked and done - except for some curtains, light fixtures and one wall. Other than that we are living in it and loving it. I will post some before and after pics soon.

We had a great weekend - getting everything done and working together. We went to church on Sunday and celebrated Mothers day. They were doing a little tribute to mothers and I literally sat and cried for about 45 minutes. I can't tell you guys how amazing my mother is. She has devoted as much time as I have to our move and quite literally worked her back end off getting things done. I could not have gotten it all done and put together if it had not been for her. She is one amazing person. Mom thanks so much for all you do in my life. I would not be the person I am today or the mom I am today if it were not for you. You have made me who I am and I am so thankful to hav you as my mom. I love you so much.

Everyone has worked really hard to get things done and I truly appreciate all their help. Debbie and Brandon and Cory - we could not have done it without you guys. Chris - wow you are amazing too - that is a big yard to mow. Rosie and Vickie same to you guys thanks for keeping me sane.

To all my friends who I have neglected - and you know who you are - I am so sorry. I will make it up to you.

Have a great day.

We're Closer Than We've Ever Been

Richard always says to me or the kids - "We're closer than we've ever been." Whether or not were close is not the issue the issue is that we are closer at the present time than we were even 2 minutes ago. So with that said - We got news yesterday that we are closing on Thursday at 4:30. Now I can get excited about the new house and a little nervous too. So hopefully you will all be getting an invite to see it once we get in and get settled.

Nathaniel had his first photo shoot yesterday and it was amazing. The photographer was great and did an awesome job with Nate. His pictures are great. I couldn't believe it was my son we were looking at.

Other than that - life is rolling right along. I'll let you know more when I know more. We will be posting pics of the new house soon and as soon as I get Nate's pics back we will post the link to those and some pics also.

We're Almost There

Well it has been one busy weekend. It started as soon as I left work on Friday. I guess we started painting the house we are in now on Friday about 4:30 and kept on until 12:45 Saturday morning. Thank you Nate for taking your brother to the movies. Thank you Doug for coming over and helping us paint. It was nice to have someone tall who could reach the top of the wall without needing a chair :). Mom, there aren't enough words to say thanks. You helped me start pulling things off the walls and pack on Thursday and then you came and painted this house on Friday. Saturday felt like a repeat. We got up early and headed out to Jacob's baseball game. It was freezing but fun. Then off to Brownfield to paint the house we have there to prepare it to put on the market. We are praying that God will send us a buyer soon. We know God will take care of it so we are just going to trust and pray. Now it's Sunday and we are finally done painting this house and almost done packing - YEAH. We could not have done it without the help of my mom, dad and sister. They truly helped us get things done faster on Saturday. Thank you guys you are awesome. Brandi thanks for letting the dogs out - it helped us out alot. We are praying that we will close on the new house this week, however we are prepared if things don't work out. We will look at it in a positive way. We have done our spring cleaning here and have newly painted walls to hang everything up on!!! However, I will be sad but it will be okay. That is what our weekend held for us. The cool thing is that we did it all as a family. Even the boys helped and it truly showed us how we can get things accomplished if we work together as a family.

I am blessed with.....

GREAT FRIENDS. Brandi thank you so much for lifting my spirits immediately. You are truly the best. I know God blesses us with the people in our lives and that we have all become friends for a reason. You guys are all awesome. I had 3 phone calls from my friends today to just check in on me. Katie thanks for the encouraging note - Amy and Laurie thanks for calling to check on me. Brandi - again you always know how to make me feel better. Jessica thanks for offering to help. God has put so many wonderful people in my life and I am truly blessed. I know I can count on all of you to help me and mainly to encourage and pray and that is the best thing you guys can do for me. I love you all.
Mom - there are no words to express how thankful I am for you in my life. You came over tonight and we tackled it and we got so much done. Thanks for helping and for dinner. Dad - you were awesome too - and Richard - even you did an amazing job from the sofa. He actually did all the packing up - we just carried it to him and he got it wrapped and in boxes. We almost have all the walls cleared off so we can paint this weekend.
Nathaniels room is almost done and if you guys knew what his room looked like (Brandi you do so you can appreciate this) you would know that his room being almost done is HUGE. Jacob is next.
Again, my spirits are lifted and you guys are the best. I am saying a prayer of thanks for my wonderful friends and for the sacrifices they are willing to make for me. I love all of you with all my heart. And yes I will probably be calling on you for help soon. Good night.

Prayer

Okay guys. Here is the deal. I need prayer in a bad way right now. I am finding myself a little frustrated with all that is going on in my life and all that I have to do. Let me clarify that statement. The things going on in my life are wonderful. I think we have a definite yes on the house and should be closing next week and getting to move in. My boys are busy busy and that is a good thing too. The thing that is frustrating is trying to get it all done without much help. Richard is such a big help in my life and now that he has a broken foot he hasn't been able to do much and I'm trying to pick up the slack and feel like I can't get it done. Mom, thanks for coming into my room this morning and giving me a much needed hug and wiping away the tears of frustration and annoyance. I shouldn't be having a pity party. God has blessed us with so much and I should be on cloud nine. So with that said, I'm going to try to have a more positive attitude and just get it all done. So guys, just pray that I can be more patient and less high strung and frustrated. Love you all.

I'm Sssoooo Tired

Man I don't know what the deal is, but I am so tired today. I feel like I've done so much when in reality I've done very little. Other than work and dinner I haven't done much else. I think it's more stress than exhaustion. I'm trying to get all the stuff together for the loan on the house and trying to keep the house going. I always knew Richard did alot around the house and trust me I was very grateful. However, now that he hasn't done much the last 4 days, I feel like there is so much to do. It's going to be a long 8 weeks - so pray for me to have patience and to be able to keep up with all of it. The thought of moving without all his help is really stressful, but I guess it will all get done.
The loan process is moving along. We only have a few documentations that need to be made (or so they tell me) and then we can close next week MAYBE. You all know how that process goes. There is so much to get done before we can move and I am trying to keep a positive attitude. Don't get me wrong I am so excited about the possible new house, but I would be more positive if my husband were not in a cast. I know I will have plenty of help - I just feel bad for him to - he will want so much to help and won't be able to. Brandon - now you can repay us for all the times we have moved you guys :).
Jacob is done with TAKS test for this year and he is so glad. He had a perfect score on the reading and said the math was pretty easy - Nathaniel took math today and said he thinks he did well. I'm just glad for everyone these tests are almost over.
This buying a house thing has taught me alot of things. Number one, people don't move nearly as quickly as I want them to. Number two, God does not move as quickly as I want him to - and for that I am grateful. Isn't amazing how God's timing is perfect and if we can just learn to wait on him our lives will make more sense and be so much better. I wish I could walk in faith like other people I know. I mean I walk in faith but not completely. I am always second guessing the things that are happening, even when I've prayed about them. I know I need to learn to trust God more and depend on his grace and guidance. My prayer today is that whatever happens in my life will be becuase I allowed God to take over and reign in my life completely. God is awesome all the time not just in the good times.

It's a Monday

Wow it has been one heck of a day. Trying to get some things settled and fixed. Richard has a fractured bone in his foot and will be in a cast until June 13th. What fun that will be for all of us. In addition to that, my lender called and said the underwriters have approved our loan. Now we must provide all the other documentation they need. However he said it all looked great and we should be closing next week. So everyone keep praying that all goes well and that we can get the house. Now with Richard having a cast - you can imagine who will do most of the packing - haha. He thinks it is funny. This is all i have time for right now.

All In A Days Time

You know sometimes a day is so full of eventful things that all you can do when you finally get to sit down is sigh. We have been on the go all day. First of all, I didn't finish laundry last night until this morning - 1:00 this morning that is. But now that I am sitting here I'm glad I did it last night and don't have to do it today. Then we are up and at it all day. After Jake's games we all went over to "the house" to look again. We all just sat there and talked about what we should do or shouldn't do. I wish we would hear something so I can move on one way or the other. My sister and Bran were in town and that was wonderful. It felt like I haven't seen her in forever. I sure do miss her being here in town with us. Now everyone is gone and I am sitting here relaxing. We should be working on the house or something, but I guess it will all get done when it needs to be done. You know things happen that never cease to amaze me and people deal with emotions very differently. I'm glad God gives us forgiving hearts and I wish our minds would forget the way our hearts are capable of forgiving. I can't imagine where we would be if God didn't forget our sins as well as forgive them. I'm grateful today for family and good friends and the blessings that the Lord has given me. I hope you all have a good Saturday.

What a Day

Man it is 9:30 and I am just now starting laundry. It's my fault - we went on our date and got back late. It was worth it. It was nice to be out of the house doing nothing for a little while. We had a good dinner with Brandi and Shay and the girls and had a good time at the baseball game. Richard and I went over to "the house" just to look around and were talking about all the things we are going to do. I'm still not really wanting to talk about it because I don't want to get my hopes up. Richard is more optimistic than I am. He says he already knows it is ours or else God would have already stopped the process. I am praying he is right. In any case I'm trusting God to do his perfect will. I can handle whatever that is. That doesn't mean I won't be disappointed if we don't get that house but I will accept it as God's will. Well I'm out for the night. Hope you all have a blessed weekend.

TGIF

Yeah it is finally Friday and I am so looking forward to the weekend. It will be busy but it won't be work so that will be good. Jacob has a double header, but we get to see my sister this weekend and I can't wait for that. Date time tonight for us - haha dinner and a baseball game - what an awesome date! I'm looking forward to it. This blogging thing is pretty neat. It's a good way to vent and share. I hope to share more than vent. We have had a pretty good week. The boys were great this week and there wasn't much complaining. We still haven't heard anything back about the house we are trying to purchase and that has been frustrating for me. Don't people realize I'm a "need to know now" kind of person. I know I should be more patience. Cudos to you Brandi on your blog about patience. I will update everyone as soon as I know something. I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I'll post pic's if it all goes good.

Goodnight

Well it's finally the end of the day and we are finally home for the evening. Thank you mom for keeping the kids and thank you Rosie, Vicky, Danielle and mom and dad and nate for being there for Jake's game tonight when Richard and I couldn't. It's wonderful to have such a great family. I am just sitting here watching my boys getting along. That doesn't happen often. They are out on the deck looking up at the stars while Nate reads to Jake. Deep down I know they always love each other but it sure is nice to see them show it every now and then. I am truly blessed with the most wonderful boys in the world - even though sometimes I want to lock them up and throw away the key. It's about time to put them all to bed and have some much needed quiet time to myself. I'm sure I won't revel in it for long because I will fall asleep as soon as it gets quiet. Anyway I have been blessed with another great day. I hope you have too. Until tomorrow - May God bless you through the night with rest and re-energizing for the end of the week.

Half The Battle

Okay half the battle is just figuring out how to set up your page. With some help from some friends I think I've got it set up - or at least for now. Like I said earlier, I'm not sure how well I will keep up with this but we will give it a shot. It will be nice to be able to share what is going on in our lives with my friends. Especially those who I don't talk to on a daily basis. Today has already been a crazy day. The kids in class are wild - I guess they are feeling the end of school drawing near and are as anxious as I am to get the summer started. We have a lot to do this summer. I'm sure I will be sharing our adventures here along with great pic's.

I have no idea....

how this will go. I'm not good at keeping up with stuff like this but I'll try. By the way - thanks Brandi for getting me started. I'll have to post more later as I am at work right now.