FIVE YEARS!!!!

Five years ago this week, B and I were laying on the beach in Jamaica on our honeymoon! I can't believe it has been that long! Looking back over the past five years it is so awesome to see how God's hand has been working in every move we have made!

Our anniversary was on Friday, and considering that we had a rehearsal dinner and wedding going on (i'll post pics later) ...we decided to wait and celebrate after. We left on Sunday and took a trip to the Carlsbad Caverns. Neither one of us had ever been, and we did not realize how close they are! Needless to say, they are AMAZING!!!!

I have a ton more that I want to post, but I will refrain from boring you!

Pics of Summer Fun

We have reaaaallllly been enjoying our summer! B has been in and out because of camps, but we have enjoyed the time together when he is home.....and when he is gone I have enjoyed some girl time, eating lunch with girlfriends, hanging out at the pool with mom, (when it isn't raining) and helping Chandra with wedding stuff. I helped out at Avalanche Ranch(VBS) . My friend Rachel and I had a group of preschoolers! We celebrated Grayson's 2nd B-day, and had everyone out to the lake for the 3rd and 4th. Here are some pics of what we have been up to!

Grayson turned 2!!!!! Last year he spent his first b-day in the hospital, so this was his first party!

These next ones are from July 4th. We had so much fun setting off fireworks. It was great having both of our families there!

My three favorite boys!

Griff forgot his swimsuit....Who needs a swimsuit??? He had tons of fun anyways!!!!

Ele and Dad are big buddies.

We are so excited about Chandra joining our family!

We did not plan the matching shirts!

And some fun girl time in the pool! Miss Camden loved the water!

So that is what we have been up to! Enjoy the rest of summer!

Bad Blogger

Ok....so I have been a bad blogger....and I have heard about it from several of you! As I was catching up on others blogs, I noticed I had been tagged! So here is this fun little blog....and I promise I will post a real update soon!!! I promise!!!!



First Memory: hmmmm I remember being in a hurricane in Houston, my dad was out of town with his job and it was mom and the boys and I. I remember we had to stay in the closet and during the eye we were able to come out. We got to go outside and I remember seeing trees down everywhere.

First Real Kiss: This is kinda sad....but I really can't remember where it was! I can remember who, and most of you who read this prolly know who that was. I actually think it was at his house. I was a freshman in high school. Just a sidenote: I ended up breaking up with him later that year to date Brent.

First Concert: George Strait! With Brent at the Taylor County Coliseum..... we wore jeans, boots, and cowboy hats (I think this is the only time B and I have ever worn boots and hats) I still have those pics....we look REALLY cool! I am pretty sure we doubled with someone...but I can't remember who!

First Love: Brent! Without a doubt! I had only had one boyfriend before him! We dated until my senior year, and then he went off to college....then we got back together for good my junior year of college. We both knew that if we got back together, we would be together forever!

First crush: uhhhh this is a hard one....I had to do some deep thinking....my freshman year in high school I had a crush on this older football player. He had a younger brother that was good friends with my brother...His name was Brandon Berg (i think)

First thing you think in the morning: how much longer can I sleep, what can I leave out this morning to sleep a little bit longer?

First book you remember loving: I loved the Babysitter's Club!

First pet:Missy (my parent's dog)

First question you'll ask in Heaven: Why me?

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation: Where and when?

First best friend: this would have to be the girls in my neighborhood ~ Misty and Tiff

Last time you dressed up: Sunday for T' fiance's shower

Last thing you ate: Popeye's Chicken

Last CD you bought: I haven't bought a CD in years....and if I need anything downloaded B usually does it for me....(I can be technology challenged sometimes)

Last book you read: the Robin McGraw book....I can't remember the name

Last time you cried: hmmm I can't remember...Isn't that a good thing?

Last movie you saw: Evan Almighty~ It was pretty good!

Last time you told someone you loved them: last night before B & I went to bed

Last really funny thing you did: I have NO Idea!

Last thing you watched on TV: The 10:00 news on tv last night

Last Halloween costume: umm I haven't done Halloween costumes in a couple of years, but a couple of weeks ago I dressed up for VBS



ok I promise I will post soon! If you read this you are tagged!!!!!

SUMMER

Not much to blog about.... I am busy with summer school and B is busy working camps! I am loving summer, even though I am still working! It is nice getting out at 1:30. I usually head over to my parents and lay out by the pool with my mom! Brent and I enjoyed our first week of summer before he started camps and I started summer school. We took our nephew to the zoo, had a Memorial Day bar-b-que out at the lake, and I caught up with some friends over lunch! Not much else to say, so I'll leave you with some pics!!

For those of you who don't know our puppies, one of them, Adi, is a big black dog, Grayson loves her....when we walked up to the bear at the zoo Grayson started saying with excitement..."Adi, Adi!" I personally think the bear looks nothing like Adi, but I guess in the eyes of a two-year old it does!

The other big thing going on in our lives right now is T's upcoming wedding! Here are some of T.J.'s engagement pics!

Hope you are all enjoying SUMMER!

Wedding Weekend

We had a very bittersweet weekend! Brandon married his high-school sweetheart on Saturday! I have known Brandon since he was 10, so he is pretty much like a brother, so it was very emotional! The wedding was absolutely beautiful! And there were alot of fun memories made! Here are some of my favorite pics! Get ready....there is alot!!!

The boys at rehearsal dinner!

This next picture has a great story behind it! This man is Sarah's uncle. Griffin saw him at the dinner and walked up to him and said "Santa?" It was so sweet to see the innocence in Griff thinking this man was Santa. Before anyone could say anything this sweet man replied by saying "Yes, I am Santa....have you been a good boy?" Sarah's uncle played it up and the whole weekend Griffin thought he was Santa. I think that is why he was so good while standing up on stage during the wedding....he knew Santa was watching!

The BIG Day!

No one really knew that Griffin had been throwing up all day on Sat. You can tell in this next pic that he doesn't feel well! We think it might have been nerves, because when the reception started he was ready to party!

Miss Sydney Faith!

The boys loved the dance floor...they felt like everyone was watching them, and they loved being the center of attention. When the girls of Sigma Alpha took over the floor to sing their song, Griff couldn't figure it out!

And here is Grayson breakin' it down!

The Happy couple saying goodbye!

It was a wonderful weekend! You know you are getting old when younger siblings are getting married!

.....only 4 more days of school if you don't count today!!!!!!

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

I love being a teacher. I have always wanted to be a teacher. My parents are teachers, my great-grandparents and grandparents were teachers...I don't think I had a choice...apparently it is in my blood! But, I am not a teacher just because I have always wanted to be, or because that is all I know, I feel it is what the Lord has called me to be. I never knew or thought about it until I actually became a teacher how much of a ministry it is! I am so thankful for the opportunities I have everyday to show my students Christ ~ to show love, respect, kindness, patience, and joy!

I think of my students as my children! Everyday they teach me something, and everyday I am reminded what the important things in life are. As much as I want my children to excel academically, or on the TAKS test, I realize that these are not the important things in life. I am constantly reminded of how different the world is and how hard it is to be a child. The majority of my students have totally different homelives than what I had growing up! This makes me so thankful for my childhood, and at the same time really empowers me to want to make a difference in their lives. With all the mushiness said......

TAKS is over!!!! This is the fun time of the year. Even though this is when the hormones kick in for my fifth graders, I really enjoy these last six weeks. I can take the focus off of academics (just a little) and focus on enjoying my students and strengthening my relationship with them before I send them off to the foreign world of middle school!

100 years from now...

it will not matter what clothes I wore,

or the kind of house I lived in,

or the type of car I drove.....

but the world may be different

because I was important in the life of a child.

I love this quote!!!!

Baby Fever

No, Not me.....ok maybe....but who wouldn't after our trip of visiting the cutest babies EVER! Brent and I were talking on our way home that it seems just like yesterday that we were traveling for weddings. Well, now we are traveling for babies! We went to the metroplex this weekend to see babies!!! (and of coarse we managed to see the regional tournament) It was a fun trip jumping from one baby to the next! We started off staying the night with Miss Camden! (and eating at B's favorite place...Babes)She is getting so big! It makes me sad that I don't see her more! She has this little personality that is so fun! And I really think she is the best baby ever! She is always so calm and happy! It is so amazing how she looks so much like Jay one minute and then you turn around and she looks so much like Ally!

The next night we stayed with Miss Sydney Faith and Griffin! He just loves on her and she just eats it up! I'll have to admit I was a little worried that he would be jealous of her....but he is soooooo good with her! When we are there it makes us miss living just two doors down...when Griff could just walk in and say "Bent..... whatch doin?" He is growing up so much!

I love her little hair....she had just had a bath and it was sticking up everywhere!

Then it was off to meet Mr. Quinn! He is a doll! Perfect in every way! Matt and Britt are so good with him! I know they will be all he could ever ask or dream of for parents! It was so good getting to visit and catch up with them! I loved seeing the excitement in their eyes!

It was a quick trip, but a memorable one! We made it back Sat. night and had a good Easter Sunday with my family! Church and then a great Easter lunch! It is weekends like this that make me so thankful for the friends and family we have!

And I just have to add this pic!!! The other night while outside playing with the dogs we witnessed a beautiful sunset! Doesn't look like Abilene, Texas....does it?

Now What Do We Do?????

I remember this feeling from the precious years.....what will we do with all our spare time???? A-high soccer is over! We lost Sat. in the second round of the playoffs! I am so proud of the girls and Brent! It is a little depressing that we won't have team dinners twice a week along with two or three games, but I know we will fill our time somehow! With my brother and Brent's brother both getting married soon, along with a new niece and lots of our friends with new babies, I have a feeling we won't be sitting around too much! Not much else going on, just an update for those tired of checking and not seeing anything new! I will have a more exciting post next week, after our trip to the metroplex to visit friends and family this weekend!

Spring Break

I am so ready and excited for spring break! No big plans for us....just soccer, soccer, soccer! We also plan on relaxing! B is planning on fishing some and I want to scapbook!!!! Here are some pics from the past couple of weeks! Last weekend we threw a shower for sweet baby Quinn! I don't have a sister, but these girls are my sisters! They know me inside and out! They know me all the way back to my bangs and t-shirt dresses!!! The bond we have is so special, and I am so thankful for our friendship!

This is the sweet picture that will go in our "tradition" frame! We started a tradition at my wedding, that we continued at each of our weddings. So, we decided to start a new tradition with pregnancies!

Brittney and her bump!

Soccer is still going very well! We beat Cooper Tuesday night for the sweep in district! Brent was very happy! Britney brought Grayson out to the game! He normally doesn't come because he wants to climb on EVERY step and bleacher! But since the weather was so nice, she brought him out for the second half! After the game he couldn't wait to see Brent! Here they are very watching the boys game.....very intense!!!!

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And this is Brent's hair after a team dinner! The theme was Punk the "Panthers." The mother that was hosting it had already worked it out with Brent and they surpised the girls and let them "Punk their coach!" They loved it! Don't worry ~ it washed out that night!

Have a GREAT SPRING BREAK!!!!!!

3 Day Weekend = 900 miles

Our weekend was full of traveling! Lots of fun! We went to Midland on Sat. and the game was canceled the minute we stepped on the field for wind!!! Only in west TX! So the game was rescheduled for Monday! Two trips to Midland in one weekend!! On Sunday we sandwiched in a trip to Keller! We had so much fun meeting Miss Sydney Faith! And Brent enjoyed playing guns, and cars with Griffin! Here are some (actually alot) of pictures of our favorite (and only) niece!!!

Sound asleep on Uncle Brent!

Griffin has been handling the new adddition pretty well!

He kept asking Brent "How long are you going to hold her?"

Sweet Family Picture!

Uncle Brent brought Griffin a nerf gun! They played guns for hours!

I am beginning to wonder if Brent bought the gun for Griff or himself!

We are very excited about having a niece!!!