Even in the Car....

I have so much fun with our girls. I am convinced Tessa and Ella learn a great deal while we are in the car going from here to there each day. We sing and discuss the issues of the day. I think that they learn many things while were are in the car, we practice counting, letter sounds, and our latest "Rock Star" singing routines!

Tessa said to me in the car the other day...."Mommy, why are you smiling so big?" Well, Tessa because I list love being with our girls...."I just love being with you too Mommy, we have fun don't we?" YES,we do! How could you not with these two little ones?!! After a fun time at the park.... here are our girls!!

Discovering Dallas! Giddy Up!

We had a wonderful weekend....We caught some "culture", "history", "shopping" and most of all many laughs! It was a vacation that was very enjoyable! It was great to be able to get-away to a city we had not been to before to enjoy Kevin's Birthday! Here are some of the Highlights....

Relaxing and Hanging Around the City....

Sightseeing.....

Look at the photo below....

Look familiar???

It was quite a eerie, yet interesting, experience to go and see the "Grassy Knoll" where John Kennedy was assassinated. There was such an interesting, respectful quite about the entire area. I enjoy history, so while "In Rome", we had to go to this historical site. There is an "X" painted on the pavement where the car was when it happened. A very interesting piece of history for the trip!

Then, We HAD to "walk into" some of the "Local Culture"....GIDDY UP!

Did I mention we laughed....A Lot....Until it hurt and until we cried!!

The Four Amigos.....Did Dallas!!

Do we look out of place???

It was a great "LONG" weekend trip....good times, good friends!

"40" and having a ball!!

This past Friday The Big "K" turned the Big "4-0" The girls helped to start his Birthday morning off right.....Hugs, Kisses, and some signs to let him know how much we love him! We also had to listen to the Beatles "Birthday Song", a tradition Kevin came up with a few years ago! We enjoyed giving him all kinds of love on his big day!! He had many text messages, emails and cards from family and friends....he is loved!!

The girls went to visit Gramma and Popsey for the weekend. K&K went on a mini-vacation. We met our dear friends Rich and Michelle in Dallas for a long weekend. We had a fabulous time celebrating Kevin's Birthday weekend. The cowboys stadium was amazing, huge, and beautifully built. It was an exciting game! It was a "Ball" to celebrate the Big K's 40th.

Homegrown Goodness!!

There are few things at you just can't accept a substitute for....and home grown veggies and fruit are just some of those things! Our family has really enjoyed the goodness of the local growers, and the sharing of some kind and giving friends! Lorene is often giving us some joys from her amazing garden. I look forward to the time (hopefully next year) that we can plant a garden of our own..... peppers, cucumbers, and pumpkins OH MY! I can hardly wait! I am so thankful that the girls love to eat fresh veggies like I do, Kevin is even coming around!! While the homegrown veggies may not have the perfect shape or color that the grocery store produce does....I am so much more impressed with the taste and that fact that it is healthier! What could be better for our growing girls?!

Messy But Fun!!

What could be more fun, the girls had a grand time painting....The bathtub will never be the same! Look at those smiles, that is what it is all about!

The Barn is Underway....

It wass time....Kevin had been really patient in waiting for the joys of a barn. We are very excited about the progress! The girls (all three of us) have really enjoyed watching it all happen! Tessa said we will have to "get some animals to fill the barn, pigs, cows, horses....." Not quite sure of that plan for right now....but we will see down the road. "Ella and I could help take care of animals when we get older!"

It will be exciting this fall to see it all come together. It is also fun to see my hottie hubby in his work clothes building a barn....He is in his glory, and he is so good at it!!

Here are some photos of the start of construction!

The Salon

Tessa was over due for a haircut...considering she has only had one in four years. We started to talk about it and she said "Mom, can I go to the salon like you do?" I suggested we go to the place in town that we went for her first haircut and she thought it would be more fun to go see Cousin Christy at the Salon....she was very excited for days to come.

She had a ball, and is anxious to go back and see Christy. She was in awe of all the aspects of the salon, a really big girl thing to do!! All ladies, even the little ones like special pampering treatment from time to time!

Look at these faces!!

Who can resist a dinner with these four cuties! I love that when we get together, it is laid back, come as you are fun times!! Who could ask for anything more??

We miss you!

We had an enjoyable....and active dinner out as a family on Labor Day! We went to enjoy a dinner as a family to celebrate Larry and Sherry. Monday would have been their 49th Anniversary....remarkable! We miss Larry every day, it still often doesn't seem real that he is not with us here on Earth. But we have comfort and faith in where he is. Tessa always has so many wonderful things to say about Papa...."remember that time Papa and Grandma took me and Tony to the muesum...."Papa would be happy to see me do this","does Papa look down at the rain?" ....she mentions him often and we always celebrate the times we shared with him.... He is with all of us in our way!

We are so thankful for our family!

Tessa was so proud of the photo she took of Grandma and Mommy!

Take me out the ballgame!

"I am going on a date with my Daddy and Mommy"

-Tessa

We arranged for Ella to spend the evening with Grandma Sherry (Thank you Grandma) so we could take Tessa out for a special evening. She was pumped about it just being the three of us. She told Ella "You are going to have a fun night with Grandma, while Mommy and Daddy take me on a surprise night out!" Ella was surprisingly fine with the situation.

Tess did not know where we were going. She was concerned about her outfit selection...What a surprise??? Ha Ha! She picked out some jeans, plaid chuck taylors, her jean jacket, she was all set. We played a guessing game, that she got really into on the way there. When we pulled in the parking lot she was excited, "We are at the ballgame!" the three of us held hands and we pranced into the ballpark!

It was a perfect cool late summer evening, full of many usual "No" things that for the evening we "Yes" things....a meal of hot dogs, sprite, and hot pretzels. Then, Tessa first taste of cotton candy to top it all off....Fun for all! Tess loved the game. Here are some of her quotes from the night...

"I am having fun, but I miss Ella, maybe she can come next time."

"I like watching the bird dance around (mascot)"

"Does that number on his shirt mean he is one-four years old"

"Can we come back again some time?"

"What was your favorite part of tonight Tessa? EVERYTHING!, with a big smile"

A special date night for the three of us.....

(thank you for the gift certificate Mom & Dad....great idea, such fun!)

Days on the Farm

Our girls enjoying their days.... On the farm!

You know you're are blessed when you have a WONDERFUL person to care for our little ones when Kevin and I are at work. We loved Lorene from the moment we met her, when I was pregnant with Tess.

Their family not only take exceptional care of the girls, they also truly love them as family! They are able to be in a peaceful caring home, experience farm life, be snuggled, pick apples and peaches and eat them right off the tree, play outside often, eat really healthy,and they love their time with their family during the day. The list is ENDLESS. On top of all of that, we are consistent in our values and the goal of wanting the girls to be loving, respectful, caring, appreciative, and mannerly. I don't ever take this blessing for granted, we are thankful EVERYDAY!