cosper crew

Lego Castle Adventure

2010-12-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

Seth has always loved knights and castles (his room even has this theme), so when the Lego tour came through Waco in August we had to go! (Yes, I did say August... I never got around to blogging about it). The kids and Uncle Caleb had a blast building castles, looking at the amazing details of the castles on tour, jousting, and giving the catapult a try. If this tour ever makes it to your area, we highly recommend making a visit.

Trunk-r-Treat 2010

2010-11-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Another year of Mad Science fun proved to be a success at Trunk-r-Treat. With over 1400 in attendance it was a big hit! My family always has fun with costumes, make-up, and music... the kids really enjoyed the "test tube" ice pops we handed out as treats (especially before the sun went down), and then glow sticks in the dark made for mad fun. It was truly a blessed event and I pray that fellowship within the community and church grows as a result.

Cub Jeans

2010-09-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

I embellished a pair of jeans for Karsyn so she can cheer the Cubs on this year (so much cheaper than a cheer leading skirt). She loves to jump and cheer "Go Marty Go!"

I love fall

2010-09-12T12:11:00.001-07:00

I love the cool crisp air, jackets, and kids romping thru the leaves. Although none of these things have actually happened yet, I anxiously await their arrival. In anticipation I put out some fall decor inside the house, changed my Scentsy to something warm and cozy, and changed my blog background... Somehow it makes September 22 (actual first day of Autumn) come a little sooner. Pics to come...

Posers

2010-07-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

The two best posers I know... I love you girls!!!

2010-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas Cards

2010-01-10T14:37:00.001-08:00

You know how it is with kids... take 50 pictures and only get a few that look nice. Well, the day we planned to take pictures for our annual Christmas card, a cold front came through, but I felt pressured by the calendar so my kids had to smile through the freezing cold. We went to a good friend's house that has great character and she let us have fun snapping away. There were actually several pictures that I liked... more than would fit on a card, so I'm posting some of them now (after the fact). Call this Happy New Year with a smile!!!

Okay, so Karsyn drumming on Seth's head was not picture perfect... but the picture does reflect her flamboyant, menacing personality... She keeps us on our toes...

The kids had a great time playing with Sully while we were there. They fed him treats and even got him to "sing."

Thanksmas 2009

2010-01-10T14:33:00.001-08:00

Our annual Thanksmas picture with Santa...

My best friend & her niece went with us this year and we all had fun together (aside from Annie's little pulled muscle).

New Puppy

2010-01-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

We are still potty training, but isn't she the cutest thing...

Bat Duo

2010-01-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

I failed to post pics of the kids at Halloween and I thought they were too cute not to post (just becuase Mommy never got around to it). My little Batman and "Dat-Dirl" had lots of fun and were quite the pair in both their tricking and treating.

MIA from the blogger world...

2009-12-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

You might say I have been a bit distracted. Yes, holidays, kids' birthdays, school activities, work, etc... all distractions... however, my other "when the kids are in bed" habit is this... (I only have pics of the Christmas blocks I have made. I packed up Fall and Halloween before I thought to take pics.)

New Bling!

2009-12-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

Flower Girl in Action

2009-07-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

As promised... Karsyn as the flower girl:

She just can't get enough of herself... she seriously looked in the mirror forever.

K loves my cousins heels... she calls them "clackers" and always looks for an opportunity to steal them away for a stroll. K actually walks pretty well in stilettos. These pink ones were brought especially for Karysn this time... bribery to get down the aisle :)

K tries to show off her "name tag" on her bloomers... check out the next pic for a really good shot!

All these pictures tire me out...

Cosper kids with the beautiful Bride!

Yes... she did wear the hot pink clackers during the ceremony! That was the easy part... it was when she crawled behind one of those wedding candelabras and poured the contents of her purse on the floor (play phone, lip 'doss' and smarties) that's when things got interesting...

When the recessional music started, my cousin/bridesmaid grabbed K up and headed back down the aisle... this is what K left behind on stage...

K "dancing" or hopping with Aunt Sarah.

Karsyn did great considering no nap... yes, before we hit the city limits, she was OUT!

I had to include a picture of the Groom's cake... so cute! He's a gamer, so Super Mario was quite fitting.

Silly Seth

2009-07-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Seth loves to be silly (imagine that)... but really and truly, he's growing up too fast for his mommy! These are just some cute pics of him when he was here last weekend.

Bridal Luncheon & Rehearsal Dinner

2009-07-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Karsyn was the flower girl in my cousin's wedding last weekend... so many new experiences for our little girl! She just loves all things GIRLY, so naturally, the Bridal Luncheon was perfect!

The luncheon was held in a cute tea room in a historical home in our area. She wasn't much into the chicken salad, but the mounds of fruit and scones were fun! She also liked sitting in a big girl chair and using real china (I still use plastic around her whenever I can). The strawberry ice & creme was probably her favorite thing to eat, as they served it in a little cup just her size!

K was shy at first around all the groom's family she didn't know, but she warmed up quickly and began 'taking pictures' of everyone around. There was a little lingerie surprise at the end, and K just giggled as the bride gave us all a little sneak peak (brave girl!)

The rehearsal dinner was Aloha-Beach themed and Seth got quite creative with the umbrella toothpicks... no need for plastic wear Mom! We were all a little concerned about K actually going down the aisle (as she has stage fright at random unforeseen times) but she practiced very well that night. She and the little ring bearer became friends and chased each other all over the sanctuary!

I'll post pics of the actual wedding soon!

Better straight

2009-07-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, I put sponge rollers in K's hair before she went to bed. She thought it was so much fun, and I have to admit, she was awfully cute in them. We were hoping for something cute for my cousin's upcoming wedding (Karsyn is the flower girl), but after the too-tight-Shirley Temple look... I think she's going to wear her hair straight instead.

K's Cafe

2009-02-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

This is Karsyn's favorite place to play right now. She cooks for everyone in our family & she expects our full cooperation in eating her little wooden food! If for some reason, Daddy, Mommy, and "S" are unavailable to stop in at K's little Cafe... she brings the food to us... which translates... little wooden food and dishes all over my house! It's still tons of fun to see her role-play and know that she is going to be such a good mommy some day.

Ready... Set... BLOG!

2009-02-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

All NEW in February! Yes, that's right, EVERY post in February is new. I think there are 12 or 13 new posts! They don't even all fit on the first page... if you're a true Cosper Crew blog stalker, you'll have to look thru the February '09 archives to see them all!

Okay... so I haven't blogged in forever. I could name a ton of reasons why not, but you're not hear to read about that are you? You want to see pics of the kids. So, my goal this afternoon is to do a 6 months at a glance (or maybe only 2-3 months at a glance - we'll see how far I get). Hopefully I can stay motivated to catch up & then it won't feel like such a heavy load to blog a little more regularly in the future.

While I'm here... let me say thanks to SHARK for creating such a great product. I love my steam mop! You might say that mopping isn't my favorite thing to do, but I don't mind it so much now (which is a good thing considering how much tile we have in our new house). So, if you don't have a steam mop, or you're considering buying one... I say GO FOR IT! And while you're at it... splurg on the upgraded model that has 5 ft. of extra cord and comes with the extra little pad things. Okay... now I'm off to upload some pics.

MIA

2009-02-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Seth's front TWO teeth are now Missing In Action! These two teeth are notable because he actually put them under his pillow. You see, Seth is in the habit of swallowing his teeth, in which case, a note must be written to the tooth fairy explaining the eating habits of a growing little boy... anyway, we are proud to announce that the tooth fairy finally picked up some real teeth from Seth.

Our big boy is so excited about reading... even if it's K's favorite book, Pinkalicious. Every day after school he shows off a new AR level (currently at 4.7) & he is almost finished with his first Narnia book, The Magician's Nephew. I am so proud that he LOVES to read!

The Great Pretender

2009-02-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Karsyn has so much fun playing! The other night, I walked into the living room, and K had her babies set up like this in front of the TV...

Karsyn kicks back in a "baby doll" stroller watching Enchanted...

K styling some of Auntie Sarah's Converse...

All dressed up and ready to go...

Holly Jolly 2008

2009-02-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a belated Merry Christmas!

This would be an example of a less than merry Xmas picture... but more realistically, a true shot of life with K!

Christmas morning...

Even Seth was excited for K & her new kitchen...

One of my favorite pics of the year... the kids dragging stockings from the tree to the living room. We have a long standing tradition in my family to put our stockings in "ladies stockings" or panty hose like they did back in the Depression, when decorative Christmas stockings were too expensive. As kids, stockings were our favorite part of Xmas morning... you wouldn't believe how long and full they can get!

Thanksmas 2008

2009-02-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Playing in the leaves at Thanksmas is an annual anticipated event! All kids growing up in the Blakeney family play in the leaves at some point in their lives & our kids are no exception. I don't know if Seth had more fun playing himself, or watching K throw leaves all over herself.

And of course Santa was in attendance again. Karsyn made it thru picture with fewer tears, so we're making progress.

K & Mommy...

Cosper Crew's Thanksmas family picture...

Peek-a-Boo

2009-02-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

Kids love to play in the funniest places. The little door of our TV console is one of K's favorite places to sit and play with her babies. This day it turned into a game however...

Trunk-r-Treat 2008

2009-02-07T10:31:00.001-08:00

This year's Renaissance themed "trunk" / float topped them all. Mom sewed for hours on costumes & a backdrop was thrown together, creating our thrown room. Tunes from A Knights Tale rocked out & again it was a success... jaws dropped and people were amazed! We had a blast and I was assured once again that all the hard work going into it was worth it.

The Church of Christ in Bertram hosted over 1800 in attendance (remember that we are talking about a church with about 180 members). This year's Trunk-r-Treat event had over 20 "trunks" to get treats at, 2 bounce houses, 2 climbing walls, a train, carnival games, popcorn, hot dogs, and so much more. It was better organized & more hyped up than ever. I know of some people that drove almost 2 hours just to see how a church this size can pull off such a big event. I can honestly say that the people at the Bertram CofC have huge hearts & are some of the most friendly people I have ever met (if only we lived closer - sigh). They also do a huge community fish fry later in the year. The Cosper Crew involvement is simply family related, but we look forward to this time of community outreach every year!

Cosper Crew...

Prince & Princess...

Little Lady in Waiting... Really, could she be any cuter?

More T-r-T: Renaissance Crew

2009-02-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

The Blakeney Bunch all decked out in Renaissance attire:

The Noblemen:

The Ladies:

King & Queen:

The "original" two (my little bro & I): Duke J & Lady Lola

The Babies (my how they have grown): Scottish Highlander & Fairy...

The drama queen Fairy:

Lord & Lady of the court:

BFF at the Zoo

2009-02-07T10:17:00.001-08:00

Drew and I love raising our kids in a small town. We never expected it to be so great for Seth right away! Transitioning to a new school was tough at first, but soon Seth found a great friend... his new "BFF" and they love playing together. They have so much in common & it's fun to watch them talk and plan (esp. about their "secret club"). At the first grade zoo field trip, they were inseparable...

Things we get excited about...

2009-02-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

We went to a small town Pioneer Day parade in October & Seth made quite the haul of candy and other treats. He loved all the firetrucks, cheerleaders, motorcycle tricks and of course collecting more candy than he did at Halloween. You might say that Karsyn was a little less excited. She didn't seem to understand why people would pelt small sugary treats at her and honk their horns and scream... and the sirens just sent her over the edge. So, her parade experience was not spent frantically chasing candy, yelling WOOT!, but instead sitting curled up in a ball in my lap watching from a distance. Seth and his loot:

Again... K was also not as excited as we would have liked about going to daycare. You would think we were dropping her off at a torture chamber the way she would scream and cling on to me in the morning. The tantrum started at the house when we put her jacket on and loaded her in the car. She would cry, "No, mommy!" all the way there & the teacher literally pried her off of me when I dropped her off. This lasted for two whole months... and finally the screaming turned into a quite whisper as we got out of the car, "Bye 'S.' No, hi-ho mommy." (S is Seth; hi-ho is work/school - you know "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to work we go!") She still cried when I left her at this point and each day of work was so hard to get through. As a teacher, I know that kids do great as soon as the parents leave, so I just kept reminding myself of that. Currently, K gets out of the car and says bye to S and gives me kiss on the cheek. She walks in with her juice cup on her own and seems to have a great day - YEAH! This is a picture of her first day at daycare:

Primping

2009-02-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

Prior to going to daycare, K was blessed with her great-Granny! I was so glad for K to have the opportunity to stay with PJ & Granny while I was at work like Seth did when he was little. After work one day, I found the girls primping in the bathroom... too cute! Notice Karsyn's gray dress socks... they're Papa Joe's - LOL!

Jack

2009-02-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Meet the newest member of our family... JACK! He is the precious chocolate lab that Seth got for his 7th birthday. While we were waiting for him, the Denton's (family we bought him from) updated us with pictures and told us funny stories from his tiny puppy days. Seth and I read Marly & Me, hoping it would prepare us for our new bundle of love... all the while hoping that Jack wouldn't be anything like Marley. To date... Jack eats anything he can get his mouth around, including plants, tree limbs, toys accidentally left in the yard (bubbles), rope, and numerous other things. He has grown astronomically... again leading to massive amounts of dog food, which he consumes in 60 seconds flat! He digs all over the yard (thanks to some great teaching from "Grace," my aunt's dog) and I won't even begin to describe the size of poo as Jack gets larger (YUCK!). Jack can be quite naughty, but I can already tell he is completely devoted to us! He loves to go for walks - Drew does the walking most of the time, and although he claims to hate the dog, secretly he loves him too!

The picture of Karsyn (below) are when Jack was still a manageable size for her. They both thought they were in charge and tried to play "boss." Jack is currently larger than K, and at their current growth rates, it could be years before she ever catches up to him.

Little Cowgirl

2009-02-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

While cleaning out Seth's cowboy stuff (in preparation for his new "Knight" bedroom), Karsyn played dress up. Yes, she is wearing her purple PJ's as well.

Changing Seasons

2008-11-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite seasons is fall. I have really missed this cool changing season this year. Memories of crisp weather, warm potato soup at LaMadelines, and a trip to Sweet Berry Farm to buy pumpkins are what I typically think of. Setting out fall berries and pumpkins & a colorful wreath of fall leaves hanging on the door help get me in the mood for the beginning of a season of joyful holidays. This fall, there was lots of change, but it wasn't the leaves and weather for me... our family made some big changes! Drew & I both have new jobs. Seth started first grade & Karsyn started day care. We sold our house, moved (stayed temporarily with some very sweet family members), bought a new house, moved again, and are still climbing over boxes to find things. So, although the weather is still trying to make a change and the leaves where we live now are still mostly green. . . the Cosper Crew has made some colorful, life changes instead.

I know it has been forever since I posted pictures (believe me... I have a ton to catch up on), but I'll get around to it a little bit at a time... so keep checking for new changing events in the Cosper Crew household.

Packing & moving. . .

K needed a last minute bath in the kitchen sink before the moving truck left (gotta love when the 18 month old finds a can full of Dr. Pepper - an instant "sticky" bath). . .

Our new house. . .

Kitchen Facelift

2008-07-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was asked recently, "What happened to 'Craft of the week?'" Well, I guess summer did! We did paint the kitchen in June though, so that will have to count as Craft of the Month. (How's that CJ?)

The plain almond walls from before. . .

Seth painting behind the fridge. . . (The pink is a tinted primer - a must have before the red goes on.)

A closer look at the backspalsh. . .

June at a glance...

2008-07-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, really, does anyone else feel like the summer is flying by too quickly? It's hard to believe the summer is almost half over because it feels like it just started. So, June came and went in a blur. We stayed busy I guess. Camps, the beach, visiting family, etc... Encounter was amazing as always, and I have to give a shout out to the most amazing worship leader I know - THOMAS - You did a great job! The beach was... well, a memory. We didn't get to play in the waves very long before the stinging rain began to pelt away at us. I think Seth had more fun in Gran's pool later that day anyway, and of course he loved watching Wall.E too. We also saw Kung Fu Panda (another new favorite for Seth).

Water play days in the back yard are also a great way to beat the heat (don't forget your sunscreen next time Sarah). I have learned from Seth that it is necessary to load up all the water guns you can find when starting a water war! Although, when you have a care free little sister, she just continues to play and ignores or giggles at the water that keeps hitting her in the face and back. (see pics below)

We also had a chance to go visit Granny when she was in the hospital (broken ankle). Seth crawled up in the bed with her and they watched Enchanted. (This is such a totally cute movie btw!) How do you know he loves you....

'Tutu' Cute!

2008-05-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Craft of the Week... a tutu! Karsyn was invited to a princess birthday party "in costume." Needless to say, the Disney princesses have not hit our house yet, so I decided a fairy princess would work just as well and I could make her a tutu for the party. Well, the tutu turned more into a dress because I made it longer (hopefully she can wear/play with it for a while) but I still think she looks pretty cute with her flower wand in hand.

Graduation

2008-05-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Annie!

We had a blast during our visit and are so proud of you receiving your masters. I am confident that you will shine your light for God throughout the counseling profession and many people will be blessed by God through you.

I have also added some funny pics of Karsyn below... she started wearing her fruit/veggie basket on her head as a hat the other day... so funny!

Craft of the week

2008-05-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

It seems the past few weeks I have been busy working on some kind of craft... so I decided to post some pics of my "busy" week(s). . .

Week #1: "Bible bag." I was needing a bag to carry my Bible and other "stuff" to Bible class and worship (so I can be hands free to chase Karsyn). I embellished a canvas bag (left) and then used the scrap fabric to make a matching bag for K (on right with the bow).

Week #2: "Coffee sleeves." I helped host a baby shower where we had a coffee bar. Having enough matching coffee cups was proving to be challenging, so I made little coffee sleeves to match our cute brown and green polka-dot plates. They turned out pretty cute and saved our little fingers from coffee burns.

Week #3: "Plants." I am always planting something it seems this spring. These are the cute little plants I put together... we'll see how long I can keep them alive (I seem to have trouble with indoor plants). I'll try to post some pics of my sweet outdoor beauties later.

Today's project: "Decoupage boxes." My friend Beth got me started with this fun little paper craft a while back. It's a great way to wrap cute gifts, organize stuff on a shelf, or to decorate with.

The wrapped gift. . .

Scarborough 2008

2008-05-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had another fun visit to Scarborough Faire with my family last weekend. Seth did a great job "jousting" and he was even "knighted" by the king! Karsyn, reluctantly, became a lady of the court as well.

Seth talks seriously with Lord Matthew about the duties of a knight. . .

King Henry VIII taps Squire Seth on the shoulders with his sword. . . (note: Seth's shirt said "squire")

Lord Matthew announces, "Lords and Ladies of the Court. . . I present to you, Squire no longer, he shall henceforth be known as Sir Seth!"

Queen Anne talks to Sara about behaving her Mommy and eating her veggies before Sara becomes a Lady of the Court. . .

Karsyn is unsure of this "Lady" stuff. . .

Lady Karsyn is presented to the court. . .

Check out my pics from last year to see some of the other sights!

Renaissance Rocks!

Renaissance #2

7 Random Things

2008-04-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

1. I love watching movies! I can watch many of them over and over too: all the Jane Austen flicks, Anne of Green Gables, An Ideal Husband, Notting Hill, Something's Gotta Give, and any of the actions trilogies. I am currently obsessed with 24 (I'm on season 4) and can't wait for season 3 of Supernatural to come out.

2. I don't like ice cream (unless it's homemade), but I love roller coasters.

3. Part of me wants to move to a small town & live in a log cabin (with a gourmet kitchen and craft room like Martha's of course).

4. I have read all 7 Harry Potter books. At first it was just to see what in the world my little bro & sis were talking about... but by the end I too was reserving my own copy of HP... would good win out over evil?

5. I have broken my arm 3 times (6 bones, 4 casts, 2 surgeries). All between the ages of 6 and 10.

6. I pierced my tongue in college & wish I had never taken it out... that seems weird for me to say huh?

7. I used to always be fully dressed (make-up, hair, etc) when I would leave the house for anything. Now I don't care so much what I look like, but Karsyn always has a bow! Maybe it has something to do with me getting rid of my "skinny clothes" and going for comfort. Seriously, there is a skinny woman somewhere inside me screaming to get out, but Starbucks and chocolate are happy to keep her well hidden away.

What random things do you have to share? Jonna? Michelle? Apryl?

Down in Fraggle Rock

2008-03-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock from the 80's? Karsyn loves it & she even has a "Red" doll to watch the cartoon with. She goes from sitting and laughing. . . to getting as close as she can to the TV to point. . . then back to sitting. . . then the theme song plays or the characters sing and she twirls and dances all over. She even played peek-a-boo with Red on the TV this morning (bending down to the floor and popping up as if Red could see her).

Sweet Baby Bunny

2008-03-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Here Am I

2008-03-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

"Here Am I" was the theme of LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) this year. It was the 20th year of the convention that challenges students in grades 3-12 to really use their gifts to glorify God and learn to become better leaders for him. LTC has had such a positive impact on my family. . . we got involved in LTC in 1991 and since then, at least one of us, if not all of us have attended the convention in Dallas each year. (I think I have only missed 2 years. I have been a participant, a judge, and a church coordinator during that time.) This year my littlest brother and sister (the cute kids above) were involved in: drama, puppets, speech, Bible reading, song leading, small chorus, medium chorus, plus a number of other preconvention events. I was so proud of them! Their quartet was absolutely AWESOME! (Way to go Sarah, Caleb, Amy Beth and Carson!)

Caleb played the evil wizard in their drama. . . what a flair for the dramatic. (And we just thought Sarah was the drama queen... well, in real life she is.)

Sarah was a forest fairy with attitude. . . funny scene about "shrubbery" (referencing "Quest for the Holy Grail). . .

Sarah gave an outstanding speech. . .

Caleb is a wonderful song leader. He leads at their home congregation regularly and is asked to lead at a neighboring church once a month. What a talent for music! (This is where I would brag on his all-state band and choir accomplishments as well, but I'll refrain.)

Karsyn is serious. . . She did so good during the event sessions (well, most of them anyway).

Starbucks, Mt. Dew, and various other snacks get us thru the day and Karsyn has her first sample of Twizzlers. . . I think she likes it!

Caleb and Sarah are so silly. . . can you feel the love?

Between events we did lots of visiting, practicing for the next event, and goofing off. Here, the four of us sing an old camp song and laugh way too loud. . . Dum, dum, dada. . .

Karsyn would much rather push her stroller than ride in it these days. . .

It was a great convention this year and I felt blessed once again. I was counting forward and realized that Sarah's senior year (last year as a participant) will also be Seth's first year as a participant. . . seems the Blakeney's will not have a gap in our LTC involvement going forward either. Praise God for providing a way for us to intentionally teach our children ways to be leaders for Christ in this world.

Easter... pretty dresses, colorful eggs, and a miracle

2008-03-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Preparing to dye eggs. . . aprons on. . . We used a new marbled egg dying kit this year that was kind of fun.

Auntie Annie and I hid eggs and then the kids played while we waited on Tess and Zach to get here for the hunt. Karsyn plays one of her new favorite games with Annie on the "fitness orb" while Seth jumps on the computer to pass the time.

Karsyn with her favorite baby. . . she carries this baby around most of the day. . .

The hunt begins and Karsyn is quick to see the fun in picking up colorful hidden eggs with treats inside. . .

Tess was so sweet and would run all the way across the yard to pick up an egg, passing at least two or three on her journey. Then she would turn around and see an egg where she just came from and would run in her cute, bouncy, tippy-toe way past the same eggs she just passed to get that one egg far away.

It was no contest for Seth and at one point during the hunt he was found emptying his basket full of eggs into Tess' basket, "because she was needing some help," he said. Even though he shared many eggs with the girls, he still managed to round up two baskets full of eggs. I don't think he was even concerned about the treats. . . just the excitement of the hunt. I have a feeling we will be "pretend hunting" again soon. Although, when cracking eggs open, he found money this year and he managed to rake in over $5 of fun!

More pics of Baby K. . . I just couldn't help myself. . .

This year we talked quite a bit with Seth about the meaning of Easter. . . steering the focus to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We also talked about the importance of our christian family and how fellowshipping, supporting, and encouraging one another is such a blessing. The Easter bunny and hunting eggs are just a fun part of the weekend, not our focus. We pray that you were blessed during this time of remembering our Lord and Savior. Praise God! He is Risen!

Lunch on the River Walk

2008-03-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of spring break we decided to make a day trip to the San Antonio zoo, but unfortunately, so did everyone else in the area! Traffic getting to the zoo was CRAZY so we went down to the river walk for lunch instead (so sad for me *wink* - Did you know that I just love the river walk?) It was the weekend before St. Patty's Day so the river was looking extra green (if only that was the real reason - lol) and people were wearing funny green hats and jewelry. The bagpipes that are always playing on the corner of Commerce and Alamo seemed even louder than usual, adding to the festive mood.

When in San Antonio, one must eat Mexican food, so we found a place that had river side seats, a Mariachis band, and took it easy in the shade. Seth loved listening to the music and watching the river cruise boats float by... K was not so sure about it all and just stared at everything.

Walking down the river...

Forgive the crazy colors... I was playing around with a photo program and went a little crazy.

San Antonio Zoo

2008-03-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the zoo in the late afternoon, which actually ended up being perfect... not as hot or busy. We had a great time taking in all the animals, which were so glad for the sun after a long week of rain. Seth loved posing for pictures so I had to work to catch him not looking at the camera for a change. Here is our little man...

Karsyn spent most of the day excitedly pointing at animals, although it took some work at first. We would point each animal out to her and she would just stare at what seemed like nothing, then her eyes would get wide when she finally spotted it and the bouncing, pointing and "oo, oo, oo, oo" began. She loved every minute of the day!

Seth on the other hand played navigator and spent a good part of the day like this... He would see an animal and pause briefly, then look back at the map and give directions to the next animal. The SA Zoo's Africa section has been under construction for a long time and part of it was finally open and he really did enjoy that though... along with the other BIG animals.

Some of our favorites. . . cute Mr. Bear, giant Rhino, and baby Monkey. . .

Taking a break. . .

More favs. . . Ostrich and egg, Alligator, Elephant, and Bald Eagle. . .

Rainbow popsicles cooled us off. . . (I couldn't get a good pic of K trying to eat one because she was constantly hopping to try to get another bite.)

We always take pictures either coming or going from the zoo on their big lions at the entrance. This time I only took one picture. . . you can see why. . .

Daddy's little girl peeking at more animals. . .

And for the Kappas reading out there. . .

15

2008-03-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Baby K is 15 months old! Doesn't she look big in this picture too! All this time I thought she wasn't listening and she is proving me wrong on a daily basis now. She is really getting good at the signs I have taught her (time for me to learn some more). Karsyn does 10 signs consistently and I'm sure that her words are soon to follow. She is such a funny little one... always laughing and playing games with us. She would spend the majority of the day outside if I would let her - I'm going to have to invest in some really good sun screen for this girl. When she is trapped inside she can typically be found being a sweet little mommy... carrying her baby under her arm, phone plastered to her ear, working hard to maneuver her stroller around furniture. (Is that how she sees me? Hmm...) She is so sweet with her babies though. Today I saw her pushing one baby in a stroller and carrying the other baby in a baby carrier. She also had her purse on her other arm with a teddy bear tucked inside. Just too cute!

Greenhouse

2008-03-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, so someone asked why I haven't been blogging... well... it seems that when I sit down to blog I feel the need to catch up on everyone else first. After I spend time reading EVERY one else's blogs, I am tired and ready for bed and no longer want to blog. So, there you have it.

Today will be my exception... My greenhouse.... a.k.a. my dining room area. Yes, it is doubling as a greenhouse this week. You have to understand that in this great state in which we live, spring seems to come deceivingly early (meaning that we had MANY 60-70-80, and even a 90 degree days in February), so I felt compelled to plant my herb garden and a few other plants on March 1st. Needless to say, I was reminded that spring has not officially come yet, and we had 3 nights this week when the temp dropped close to freezing. I love my sweet baby plants and pulled them inside to keep a watchful eye on them. This weekend is suppose to be sunny though so we'll all go out and "play" and bask in the sun together. :) We are also hoping for warm weather during Spring Break... Seth loves to help plant veggies in our mini-garden.

Other things in our life seem pretty regular/boring and not blog worthy right now. I have added some pictures from random moments over the past couple of months that I failed to blog about though...

First time to vote (not me... but Baby K joined me at the poles and got a sticker as well)...

Seth getting ready for the 100th day of school. Each student made a poster at home to represent 100. Seth chose to use crayons grouped in tens and sorted by color. I helped him measure his squares and worked the hot glue gun, but he designed the rest. Good job Seth! He is such a precious sweet hearted boy. I am not ready for him to grow up, but at the same time, it is such a joy to see him learn so quickly and reading with him is so much fun!

Karsyn's first black eye! I took this picture about an hour after she ran into the chair and she was already going black between her eyes. I should have taken a picture over the next couple of days as it got really black and purple, but alas I did not.

Karsyn learns to play peek-a-boo. (These pics were taken a couple of months ago and sadly, the game is not as fun anymore.) She still has trouble getting her hands on top of her eyes and often peeks between her fingers.... I think she thinks we can't see her. Silly girl!

First Birthday

2008-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so, I noticed that Karsyn is 1 year, 1 month, and 1 day old today (thanks to my sidebar ticker)... seems like I should get around to posting some pics of her first birthday. She had a blast smearing pink icing all over her face! Seriously, the pictures speak volumes... take a peek at our little princess...

Opening gifts is a strange concept to Karsyn. She seems to think that they look pretty they way they are... all wrapped up. It takes lots of coaxing to get her to even try to tear a small piece of paper. But hey, it was good practice for Christmas.

Karsyn's first tea party with Mammaw and Seth!

I will try to make a point to post a few pics from Christmas soon - assuming Easter doesn't come first - *wink*

Cleaning the Bathroom

2008-01-06T20:03:00.001-08:00

A person might say that cleaning the bathroom is not my favorite of cleaning duties (probably because it was one of my weekly chores growing up)... well tonight might possibly have topped all of my bathroom cleaning experiences so far!

It all began around 3am this morning when my brother-in-law called me and was on his way to my house. Sweet baby Henrichs had decided to make his entrance into this world and Russell was on his way to drop off my niece, Tess. I woke Drew and got him to help me set up the pack-and-play in our room. We moved Karsyn upstairs so Tess could sleep in the crib (hoping that would feel more like home and make her a little more comfortable). Tess was WIDE awake when they arrived. Seems that she was taking notes on the L&D floor at the hospital when they dropped off her mommy. Tess and I cuddled in the rocking chair for a while and then she went to sleep. The next morning, we all woke up and headed to church. Again, everything went smoothly... and so the day continued... lunch, nap time, visiting Mommy & new baby brother at the hospital, care group, and dinner. Then came bath time... Seth took his bath first and was rinsing off about the time I added both girls to the bubbly water. He thought it looked like fun, so he hung out a little longer to watch them splash and giggle and have some fun (note: Seth definitely didn't want part in their fun. He stayed huddled on one end of the bathtub just watching. Andrew was also laughing at all of the wild splashing going on while he stood in the background - waiting for me to hand off one of the girls to him.) About the time I made Seth get out and dry off, I noticed something.... beneath the small layer of bubbles was what appeared to be a leaf... but from where? "What is THAT!" I said with an air of disgust in my tone. Drew peered over my shoulder and started laughing uncontrollably... that is until I told him to do something about it.

Seth was SAFE! He was out of the tub and drying off. Both of the girls still seemed to be in danger of the object obscured by the floating bubbles. We moved the girls to the other end of the tub (where Seth had narrowly escaped) and watched in horror as the bubbles faded with the draining water. It was POOP! And not a little bit either... a BUNCH! What to do? The girls? Clean? How? Panic stricken, I yelled for Drew to get the girls and keep them out of it. I will spare you the gross details of the cleaning process, other than the smell almost made me sick. Between tears of laughter and sickness, Andrew and I somehow seemed to get the tub clean and ready for yet another bath... this time with no treacherous bubbles to block the view!

Karsyn and Tess had a good time splashing again (a lucky day for them they thought... two baths in one night... YIPEE!) Finally, both girls were clean and smelling good again. The world seemed all right. Drew had Tess on the changing table and I had K on the floor (enjoying the sweet smell of baby lotion as I lathered her up). Bedtime was within sight, when Tess started coughing. The small cough began to grow and didn't stop. Andrew picked up Tess and headed for the bathroom to get a washcloth. I happily continued to breath in the sweet smell of baby lotion (trying to get the poo smell out of my nose). Suddenly, Andrew yelled, "HELP!" My casual reply of, "Just a sec. K needs a diaper." didn't set well with him. I left K diaperless in her bedroom and went down the hall... only to find Andrew standing by the sink, still holding Tess, with a look of utter disbelieve on his face. The smell hit me when I walked in the door and I jumped back to get a better look. Andrew kept saying, "It's on me. It's on me. It's on me," but I didn't look at him. The "cottage cheese" sprayed literally ALL OVER my bathroom was enough! I mean seriously... have you ever really gotten a good whiff of curdled milk? As if the sight of the "cottage cheese vomit" wasn't enough, the smell would literally knock you down! After about the fourth double-take, I held my nose (because taking a deep breath before tackling the job would have been like death) and began giving orders. Andrew gave Tess her THIRD bath of the night while I began the brutal job of cleaning up. (Poor Seth was in his room, afraid to come out. What is it? Should I come in there? Is everything okay? -- In which my response was, "Just keep Karsyn out!")

So, as I cleaned, Andrew finished getting the kids ready for bed. Milk for Karsyn (none for Tess). A bedtime story for all and finally sweet dreams. Hey, it's really not that bad. I was going to clean the bathrooms tomorrow anyway (as my mother-in-law is coming to see the new grandbaby). So, scratch that off of the to-do list for tomorrow - WOOT!

Oh and on a VERY happy note. I have a beautiful (or handsome) new baby nephew! Zachariah Jefferson (going by Zach) was born this morning. He is a doll (or at least Karsyn thought so & she just couldn't get enough of him). Congratulations Russell, Apryl, and Tess!

The girls having some fun (during bath #1)...

Bedtime story for all...

And saving the best for last... Sweet baby Zach meets his big sister (I'm not really sure she understands that he gets to go home with her - should be interesting *wink*)...

Christmas Cards

2007-12-05T07:43:00.001-08:00

We received our first Christmas card in the mail yesterday! (Thanks RIP! I love your cute country Xmas!) Can you believe Christmas is only 20 days away. Seth is really enjoying counting down the days. I have a really cute countdown decoration, but decided to let Seth help create something on the computer instead. We played around with my favorite clipart, DJ Inkers, and made a one page countdown that hangs on the frig. He crosses out a day each night before bed and we are working on patterns as he crosses off days (AB pattern of red, green). Can you tell that I'm missing my classroom today :( I think in my heart I always long for my students and how much fun we had. Will I ever have another Dakota, Brayden, or Karlee? Okay, snapping back to reality now... Hmmm... Oh yes, I was going to write about Christmas Cards. We took some pictures over the Thanksgiving break and I am anxiously waiting my cards to arrive so I can mail them out. What is it about Christmas Cards that I love - I'm not sure, but I love mailing them and I love receiving them. It's a simple gift of thoughtfulness maybe. Here are some of the pics that we took & I had such a hard time deciding which one to use on our card...

I just love the pink and blue matching Santa PJ's. I bought them last year off the clearance rack (Yeah for sales!) knowing that this might be the only year that Seth and K match since Seth is growing so fast. Check out his long legs!

Thanksmas

2007-12-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving means something different to me than most people. It means we go to THANKSMAS! Huh? What? Yes, I hear your questions of what is she talking about? Is that a typo? No it's not. For the past 30 years, my extended Blakeney family meets for something we fondly refer to as Thanksmas... a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is the only time each year that I see my extended Blakeney family. For the past several years, we have met at a state park in southeast Oklahoma. We rent 10 A-frame cabins, a bath house (with no heat), and a "mess" hall (kitchen & dining area). This camp site is used for summer camps during part of the year, but it's all Blakeney at the end of November. Each year, one of the Big 6 (my Papa Joe and his 5 siblings) rotate who will host. The host divides up the menu and mails out a food list and weekend schedule. We haul food, bedding, air mattresses, towels, games, and gifts. We have a couple of devotionals during our time together. Focusing on our Lord and Savior and making time to thank Him for his many blessings is always an important part of our time together. Of course we eat plenty (breakfast is my favorite: Granny makes homemade buttermilk biscuits with chocolate gravy) and there are way too many desserts, but we also love playing games and laughing lots! We open gifts and Santa makes an appearance! This year, we had 69 people for Thanksgiving lunch - a low year for us as far as numbers go. It's an awesome reunion of family and fun and I am renewed and uplifted every year by Thanksmas!

This is the Joe Blakeney bunch (my grandparents, aunts, uncles, & first cousins). We had the biggest group at Thanksmas this year.

Karsyn & her great-Granny Clo sing during a devo...

Santa makes a guest appearance and even takes time out of his busy schedule to take pictures! Karsyn was not all that excited to see him :( but the memory is too cute!

Kids open gifts...

Daddy, Seth, and Karsyn play outside in the leaves.

My first cousins (sadly, I am the oldest) that happen to be the best Taboo & Guesstures players in the world! Really... lots of loud laughs to be had! I can't wait for New Years when I see them again!

Wildcat Reader

2007-12-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

I know it has been over a month since I blogged... where has time gone & what has happened. As I looked back over some pics to see what we did, I found these sweet little reading pics of Karsyn. I was going to take a picture of her in her "Proud to be a Wildcat" onesie to send in to ACU Today, but Karsyn had other plans. She was having such a good time looking at books that I just couldn't stop her to pose for a silly picture (we'll do it again later). She's ten months old in these pictures and I am so glad to see that she is learning to love books and reading so early on!

Halloween '07

2007-11-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

The long awaited day of being tricked or treated finally came. Seth was excited to dress up and run around with friends. After school, we made roll-out cookies - always an experience! I waited too long to start them and had to recruit help from Seth and Drew to get them finished in time. We loaded 4 trays of cookies in my trunk, hopped in the car, and off we went (heading for our good friends, the Dennington's house - they throw a great Halloween bash!). After about the third NASCAR turn through our neighborhood, Drew reminded me that the cookies were in the back... oops! As we feared, the little lip of the cookie tray acted more like a ramp than a barrier and ghost cookies had hopped trays and were mingling with their little pumpkin cookie friends on the neighboring tray. Okay, so a little icing was smudged, but for the most part, they made the trip safely and they still tasted great! After the stress of finishing cookies on the fly... I was enjoying visiting with friends that were gathered, when Seth approached me with a worried face... "Mommy, I think I left my mask at home." I checked our costume bag (as we were going to get dressed there) and sure enough, no mask! So, after one more NASCAR run to the house and back, everything seemed to be going well. After a super dinner, the kids dressed up, put on their blinking pins, glow bracelets, and with bags in hand, headed out the door. Group picture time! Yeah right! Getting a picture of a dozen kids ready to run around and get sugared up is not the best time to take a group picture. We tried anyway, and then we were off. The kids had a great time and the Dennington's neighbors are the best at hosting Trick-R-Treat fun for the kids!

Mighty Darth Vadar! (His light saber glows red/blue, but it doesn't show up in the pic for some reason.)

Vadar Seth with fair maiden Katie & Knight Reuben. . .

cousin Emily, Arial (Aaris), Darth Vadar (Seth). . . Jessica & I keep saying that all these pics will make a great wedding slide show someday :)

Karsyn amazes the crowd of cameras as she stands in the middle of the room and walks to mommy. She amazed Mommy too!

Karsyn goes for the good stuff. . . candy!

K tries to carry the pumpkin pail and suckers. . .

It begins. . .

2007-10-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Baby K is 10 months old now. 10 things about our little sweetie:

10. Karsyn finally has one tooth. We are hoping that a few more follow soon, but for now, she nibbles pretty good with her single pearly white.

9. Karsyn says "Mama" and "Dada," although I'm not quite sure she directs those words at us yet. She thinks they are a game in which to say the wrong name at the wrong time... for instance. When I am prompting her to say "Mama," she quickly pipes up with "Dada" and visa-versa.

8. Karsyn loves to eat! Her favorite foods are the things on my plate. She is particularly fond of bread and cheese though.

7. Karsyn continues to light up when Seth walks in the room. She will follow him around all over the house.

6. Karsyn loves peek-a-boo and the various forms of this game that we play. Her little belly laughs of excitement are a joy to me!

5. Karsyn had her first ear infection this month. It was a sad day at the doctor, but she is bouncing back pretty well.

4. Karsyn loves to go in circles around the cocktail ottoman with as many stuffed animals in her hands as she can manage to hold. She will hold them by the tails to get more in her hands and when she drops one, she very carefully picks it up and finds a place for it within the tight grasp of her little fingers.

3. Karsyn loves for people to sing to her! I'm hoping this means she will have a love of music as the rest of the Cosper Crew does.

2. Karsyn loves to wave! When we are walking Seth to and from school, she waves at almost everyone we pass. Her little finger wave has changed this month to a full "elbow-hand" swing. She has figured out that when she waves at people, she almost always gets some sort of "cute" response and at least a wave back. And she is proud of herself for gaining so much attention!

1. Karsyn has been cruising around furniture for about 4 months now. I knew that if she had the confidence and know-how, she would be running around the house. Thankfully she had not made that discovery before she turned 10 months old (mommy was not ready for it). However, at 10 months, 1 week, and 3 days old she did! That's right, Karsyn took two steps on her own tonight. We did not prompt or encourage her in any way. She was holding on to a chair and walking around it and all of a sudden let go... she took a whopping TWO steps! She did this again later in the evening... 4 times total, 2 steps each time. We have not signed her up for any marathons yet, but I can say with confidence that it has begun!

Our little Karsyn Joy is such a sweetie and we feel blessed to have her in our lives!

MAD about Trunk-R-Treat

2007-10-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Last year my parents and the two "babies" moved to Bertram where my dad began preaching for them full time. The church there hosted a Trunk-R-Treat for the community & they had some quite unexpected results. Over 800 people attended in 2006 and the church gave God the glory! My Cosper Crew went to help out with my parent's "trunk" and we all dressed as pirates. Needless to say, 8 pirates dressed to the hilt made quite an impression (see my blog from last year for pics) and the members of the church have been giving the Blakeneys quite a hard time for a year now, saying, "The Blakeneys may have shown us up last year, but not again!" So, the gauntlet was laid down and the pressure was on. We began planning for the 2nd Annual Trunk-R-Treat in Bertram months ago. We had many ideas for our theme, and after much deliberation we decided to run with the idea of a Mad Scientist Lab. Lots of cool colors and some funky, silly fun! As we began setting up Friday morning for the big event on Sunday, comments were made.... "Trunk-R-Treat? That's not a trunk? That's a trailer! What are ya'll building? A float!" You might say we rose to the occasion and created a Mad Lab to thrill the coming crowd! We even have plans to use the castle backdrop for our theme next year (yes, it has already been decided and plans are in progress). When Sunday came, there were trunks of all kinds... Dedicated Cowboys fans had more Cowboy stuff than I have ever seen - a tent, football jerseys & helmets, and even a Cowboy motorcycle; Texas fans had a monster big screen playing favorite shots of games; a lifesize tepee was set up with a real fire inside and fronteirsmen guarded the door; the Flinstones and cart made a showing; and a 50's soda shop was set up for some sock hop fun. Those were just a few of the trunks that guests passed. They also had the opportunity to eat a hot dog, popcorn, cotton candy, get their face painted, play games (bean bag toss, ring toss, bball, etc), ride on a train, jump in a moon walk, or even rock climb on a giant wall! With loads of fun to be had, the church in Bertram planned for a big crowd. They bought 1300 hot dogs in preparation and with smiling faces opened the gates to a LONG line of cute costumed kids & their families.

Here is Dr. B's Blakeney Bunch having some MAD fun!

Our MAD lab. . . (and as always, Mom is doing some last minute touches - she is such a hard worker)

The mastermind behind our MAD lab, my little brother (well, the older of my little bros). . .

Drew getting ready to hand out test tubes (ice pops) & sampling a few it looks like. The popsicle fun was great when we started, as the sun was shining bright and it was a beautiful day. When the sun went down, it cooled off quickly and our hands were freezing, so we started handing out glow bracelets which were also a hit!

Igor & Little Miss Frank. . . (my other little brother and sweet baby K)

Sisters being a bit dramatic. . .

My little mad scientist. . . (notice the sweet lady bug painted on his cheek - he just can't help but be cute!)

Little Miss Frank in all her cuteness. . . (also notice her new little tooth - it's her first!)

Trunk-R-Treat was a great success! I don't think there has been a final count, but from what I have heard so far, 1,913 hot dog tickets (one per person) were passed out at the front gate & this number does not include the 200 volunteers working the event. Isn't that AMAZING! Again, God has blessed the Bertram Church of Christ with great opportunities to share the Good News of God's saving grace!

Just a side note: According to a google search Drew did, the population of Bertram is 1,161. Seems the whole town and surrounding community made a showing - LOL!

FIFTEEN!

2007-10-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Inquiring minds surely want to know. . . our little baby K finally hit the big 15 lbs. today at the Dr. It was a long time in coming and she is still in the 3% range for her age, but hey it's a new number! WOOT!

Costumes

2007-10-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

As it finally begins to cool off in our hot state, we get ready for a night filled with being tricked & getting treats. As the big night is quickly approaching, I thought it vitally important to actually try on the costumes that this lazy mommy BOUGHT this year. What is this world coming to, I know! My mom MADE my costume every year and up until this year, I was trying to fill her shoes. I must admit, I fell to the pressure of clingy Karsyn, and just didn't see how I would get it done. Sad, I know, but don't they look cute anyway! Many of you, I am sure had the sudden urge to either state "Luke, I am your father. . ." in your most Vadar-ish like voice, or just coo at my cute little "punkin." I used our "fitting" time well and snapped a few pics to mail to the grandparents. I thought some of you would enjoy the fun too - that and the pressure of my hubby to post some cute pics of the kids :) Hey, he doesn't carry pics in his wallet, but he does find occasion to flip open the laptop at work and show off his cuties! We miss you when you're not home honey! Anyway, enough of the ooey-gooey. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Ahoy Thar Matey!

2007-10-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ahoy thar Matey!

Stop yer pillaging: lend me yer ear,

I have a message for ye to hear!

The treasure's been stolen.

It must be found. So tighten yer sashes

Skull Island bound!

Shiver me timbers, thar's a pirate on board,

drinken shark's blood and flainin his sword.

Captain Seth turned six this month! To celebrate, he had a pirate party with some swashbuckling fun! The kids (and a few adults) dressed as pirates and played pirate games and had so much fun. We started with the tale of Pirate Pete, one of Seth's current fav's, and learned that "gleaming booty" is the primary motivator for pirates. After sword fights and walking the plank, we filled our tummies with scurvy dogs (pirate lingo for hot dogs) and we even had treasure on our ice cream! Seth had lots of fun and was wiped out by bed time (always a plus for the equally exhausted mommy!).

There are just too many pictures to post, so here are a few:

Little pirates listening to the tale of Pirate Pete. . .

Seth showing off his pirate tattoos. . .

Pirate planning. . . Aarrgh!

Captain Seth getting ready to blow out candles. . .

This was not one of the planned games, but Titus found something even more fun that throwing bean bags. . . just stick your face in the hole, grin, and inevitably, cameras will start flashing. It wasn't long before all the kids joined in the fun. (I have many more pics of many children in the box at one time... sometimes a very tight fit.)

2007-10-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

You Are Orange

Bright and intense, you embrace the world and all its opportunities.
Change does not intimidate you, even if it's a complete life overhaul.
You're a very real person. You aren't scared to show the world who you are.

What Color Orange Are You?

Hmm... is this me? Maybe I should go back and change a few answers and see what I'm like. *wink*

Scar?

2007-10-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I never got around to posting that Seth is doing GREAT! He got his staples out 7 days after they went in, so no more worrying about him! I tried looking for the scars tonight after his bath and after some searching I finally found them (yes, there are two). No more scabs and a pretty little line remains for him to remember his first trip to the ER! Thanks for the calls and prayers for my little man though. All that remains of this little experience (besides the scars) are the staples that he keeps in a little jar on his dresser... to remind him not to rough-house I guess. *wink*

Staples!

2007-09-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yuck, I know! But seriously, how do you pass up the chance to blog about a trip to the ER? Underneath all that matted bloody hair and goopy Neosporin are 4 staples. Why do you ask? Well, seems that boys will continue to be boys and in the midst of their rough housing at care group tonight, Seth came away with two cuts on the back of his head. Our wonderful friend and fire fighter, Heath, gave him an initial check out since it was a cut to the head. Then we were off to the ER expecting to get a couple of stitches. The Dr. said that staples worked great and they would probably be easier in the long run... no shaving the hair and so forth. So, the nurse proceeded to put Seth in a "papoose" (intended to keep children from flinging around as they gave him shots and stapled his head back together - it was one massive burrito with velcro that strapped his whole body down. . . that was scary in and of itself without the mention of needles and staples) and then the Dr. got to work cleaning and mending my little man. Soon after, Seth was all smiles again & talking about school again. In the picture below you can see the "souvenir" that Seth added to his shirt in memory of his first ER visit.

On a more positive note... these are some cute pics of my kids when we were on ACU's campus recently. I couldn't help but take a few sweet pics of them by the new Jacob's Dream sculpture (which you cannot fully see in the pictures).

This is my dramatic little sis, playing up the pose ;)

Kindergarten

2007-08-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Early this morning our little family of four ventured out on a walk to school. That's right. . . my little man Seth started Kindergarten today! Can you believe how fast he is growing up? We (Seth and I) were excited and a little anxious for this day to come. Mommy was not looking forward to waking up so early (since we have been spoiled by sleeping in, to the late hours of 7:30 a.m.), but somehow I managed to crawl out of bed, scramble some eggs and make some toast. While Seth ate a droopy-eyed breakfast, I made his lunch and talked to him about his expectations for the day. This quickly got his juices flowing and it was easy to see he was looking forward to his new adventure. Before we left, we sat in a circle and had a family prayer, asking for God to bless and protect Seth as he goes to school each day. Then the long 2.5 block walk began. . . I was not sure how I would feel walking away from the classroom and leaving my little sweetie there with a perfect stranger. Would he enjoy school? Would he have a good teacher? Will she love to teach and love her students? That is still to be determined, but since I taught Kinder when Seth was a baby, I know and remember how I felt when parents lingered on and on. . . so, we walked him to his classroom, helped him put up his back pack, took a "first day" picture with his teacher, gave one last kiss and hug and then said good bye. We were in and out in about 5 minutes. Drew kept asking how I was doing as we walked home and I would answer, "fine." I think I surprised him with NO tears all day long.

What Seth had to report about his first day of Kindergarten: "I drew this picture of a new friend I made today. In my picture we were playing and Mammaw was about to take a picture. Then it started to sprinkle and we just kept playing in the sprinkles. And then one minute later it started pouring rain on us and we just played in the rain too."

Drawing from left to right: Mommy holding Karsyn, Alexis (new school friend), Seth, and Daddy

[I just think his streaks of "rain" are so cute. - true words of a Mommy]

If any of you have kids in school and you ask the typical after school parent question: "What did you do today?" you know that your child is likely to respond, "I don't know. Nothing!" Knowing this, I tried to ask specific questions after school. . . three new friends he met, a center he tried, and a book they read. This is what Seth had to say about one of the read-alouds today: "I don't remember what it was called, but it was about a little raccoon that was nervous. He kept asking his mom, 'What are you going to do? What am I going to do? And finally, she kissed his hand and to him it felt like his mom was in his heart and with him all day long at school." This excellent back to school book is The Kissing Hand. I read it to my kinder kids the first day when I taught too. We would go on a scavenger hunt of the school... discovering all the places we "needed to know" (i.e. nurses office, library, gym, principal, etc.) We baked handprint cookies and put hershey's kisses in the palms of the cookies... those were some great memories! Makes me a little home-sick for my classroom and Ms. Ripley! Hope you have a great first day too Rip & an outstanding bunch of kids!

Tonight as I tucked Seth in for bed he smiled and said, "Isn't school lovely." I'm so glad he enjoyed his first day!

Summer Fun

2007-08-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

What a busy summer this has been! It seemed like we were on the road traveling and visiting and playing & having fun 80% of the time. . . we were seldom home as most of you know. We did so many fun things, I don't know that I can blog about them all, so we'll hit some of the kids favorites. SEA WORLD was a big one! Seth loved the sea lions (so funny), the Rock'n Ski Show (super talent), the acrobats & dolphins (flipper in action), and of course the killer whales - SHAMU! I have to admit, as this was my first time to visit Sea World, the animals and their trainers were pretty impressive. I cannot even fathom the patience that the trainers must have to work with animals that are so large and possibly not always agreeable to the requests of those silly humans on land. They develop relationships with the animals and they each learn to trust and love each other. After one of the shows, we hung around in the Killer Whale stadium watching the trainers try tricks that were not part of the show. The whale known as "Shamu" did a full flip and the trainer were so excited. . . she nearly jumped into the water to hug him, but Shamu beat her to it. You could see how proud she was of him and how much she cared for him (brought tears to my eyes). I think the best part of Sea World is watching the shows, but there is also a mini-water park & Seth made sure to spend some time in the wave pool. There are a few roller coasters for the thrill seekers (I recommend the inverted one called Great White - good times to be had there!). Seth really didn't want to try the kiddie-Shamu coaster, but after some coaxing, he gave it a shot. I could hear him yelling as he got off the ride, "That was stinking fun dude!" And again he went. . . hands in the air, loving every minute of it. (You can see him in the last car on the coaster.) So, yes, Sea World was a blast and I highly recommend taking a visit with your kids. We went 4 times in August!

When we went to see Gran and Grandpa, Karsyn was able to ride her first carousel - a two story carousel. It was a bit of a love-hate experience. . . meaning at moments she loved it, and at others she couldn't get off that horse fast enough. Seth, as always, had a good time and was ready to ride again! While there, we made a trip out to South Padre. . . spent some time at the beach & then ate at Dirty Al's. Karsyn loved the water and the sand. We have no idea how much of it she was able to eat when we weren't looking - YUCK!

Singing School & New Starts

2007-07-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

This summer has felt unusually busy to me. I'm not exactly sure why, but it feels like I am always on the go or on the road and not at home. So, blogging has gone to the way side. Last week, Karsyn and I went to Singing School - always a great time to freshen up on my harmony writing, I, IV, and V chords, etc... Singing School is a special time for me, not only because I get to spend time with my family who also goes, but because I spend a week with godly people who are also there to praise the Lord with all their heart. I have finally made it to the Advanced Harmony class, otherwise known as "practical" song writing, and find myself in awe of our teacher and some of the other students in the class (both young and old). Some people in this world have a gift for poetry and music... putting it down on paper and making a melody and harmony that speaks to and lifts your heart and soul. I am grateful to them! Can you imagine worshiping God without some of the awesome songs we sing? Singing School is also a time when I get to sing songs written by people at camp & there are some pretty amazing songs! We should incorporate them into our congregational singing too!

Also this week, Karsyn had some firsts. She is 6 months old now and weighs in at a whopping 14 pounds! She is a petite little thing and it is so cute to watch her move around like she's "big stuff." Really, she thinks she's just as big as the other kids around! At 6 months, one week I put the official "crawl" sticker on the calendar. She is still pretty slow about it, but it is actual crawling. Mostly, she crawls to a piece of furniture to pull up. That's right, I said PULL UP! Less than a week after crawling, she is trying so hard to pull up on chairs, couches, people's legs. It's fun to watch and laugh at her little attempts, but at the same time... YIKES! Seth didn't crawl or pull up on things this early and it has kicked me into baby-proof mode! We have stairs that I'm sure she will think are great fun if she ever finds them, also decorative things down low, now need to be moved to higher ground... aaahhhh! I've posted some pictures of her fun adventures during singing school... she loved to play on the floor during group singing, especially when her new little friend, Adam, was there... they just loved each other!

If I can figure out how to post a video, I'll show everyone the cuteness of her pulling up! :O)

Tagged. . . TWICE!

2007-06-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

I must admit, I have been putting this blog off for a while. I don't really know why. . . maybe it's the avoiding "forwards" thing, or maybe it's the unknown answers to questions. Who knows! Anyway, I have been tagged twice now and figure it's time to step up and get it over with. So, here goes. . .

First memory. . . racing the boys in preschool and actually beating them!

First real kiss. . . Joey at church camp, age 15. Enough said.

First love. . . basketball. By the time I was 13, that's all I could think about. That and boys *wink*.

First concert. . . Accappella and I still love them.

First thing you think in the morning. . . That depends on what the first thing I hear is. (A) If it's Karsyn, then "not yet - I need more sleep - shh, maybe she's doze back off." That never happens by the way. (B) If it's Seth's sweet little steps sneaking up the stairs, "Go watch some cartoons downstairs Seth. Mommy will be down in a minute." (C) If I wake up on my own (no alarm), then I think, "Where am I and how long have I been sleeping?" That rarely happens to mommies for those of you without kids!

First pet. . . my dog, Chip

First book you remember loving. . . probably Anne of Green Gables. Wouldn't it be lovely to live next to the Lake of Shining Waters and have a bosom friend like Diana Berry? And do I even need to mention the dreamy Gilbert Blythe?

First question you'll ask in heaven. . . Hmmm... I just can't think of one... I feel like once I'm there and start singing and praising I will never stop.

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation. . . Can we afford that?

First best friend. . . I moved lots as a kid, so a few names come to mind, but as far as as a REAL BEST FRIEND. . . Annie and I will always be kindred spirits!

Last time you dressed up. . . Does my wedding count? No really, other than church, I can't think of the last time I was really dressed up *so sad*.

Last thing you ate. . . Ghirardelli chocolate and a cup of coffee.

Last CD you bought. . . Jack Johnson

Last good book you read. . . Little Myth Marker, by Robert Asprin (clever mythical comedy my little bro recommended). I am looking forward to reading the new Harry Potter book though - coming out in late July for those of you not into HP.

Last time you cried. . . earlier tonight when Seth left for his long month away. He is gone to his biological father's for the entire month of July *tear in eye*.

Last time you told someone you loved them. . . again, when Seth left a couple of hours ago.

Last really funny thing you did. . . yeah, I 'm not really such a funny person. More sarcastic and dry with my whiplashes. Funny to me, but not so funny to others I'm afraid. I did record Seth singing a silly WoW song, "Roflmao," and turned it into one of my ringtones. Again, funny to Drew and I, but not to many others (especially if you don't play WoW).

Last thing you watched on TV. . . I'm watching Music & Lyrics while I blog. . . so funny.

This is the point when I am suppose to tag someone else, but I don't really do the forward thing very well myself, so I feel a little guilty tagging someone else. . . Hmmm. . . Oh well, in the spirit of learning more about great friends, I tag. . . Annie, Sarah & Apryl. (Hey you girls, don't feel guilty if you don't do this - hehe!)

New Things!

2007-06-19T17:01:00.001-07:00

It is always fun to see what Karsyn's reaction to new things, specifically foods, will be... below you can see that she LOVES fresh veggies and fruit. Both strawberries and broccoli are winners! She loves to sit on the counter in her bumbo (yes, I realize the dangers this may cause, but I always stay very close by) and watch me do dishes or cut up veggies. It was here that she was eyeing a broccoli stalk that I left by her bumbo. I checked for loose pieces that may come off and plucked any remaining leaves. When I thought it was "safe" I handed it to her... what a fun chew toy! It didn't go over as well as the strawberries, but she didn't complain either. :O)

Seth went to an outdoor water-fun birthday party recently and he fell in love with the slip & slide! He has been asking for one ever since. I finally gave in (after he was cooped up in the hospital for 4 days - guess I was feeling sorry for him). He LOVES to run and slip - on his knees - and splash into the end. He is not always successful at making it to the pool, but he is not discouraged. He just runs back and tries again. I have tried to explain to him that he is suppose to slip on his tummy, but he just doesn't think that sounds right, and in his strong-willed little head, "on the knees" is the only way to slip & slide!

Sweet Siblings

2007-06-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

I just love to see my kids loving on each other. Karsyn adores Seth and literally lights up when she sees him. He is almost always sweet to her. He lets her reach out and touch him on the face and she loves for him to give her hugs. . . she grabs hold of his head and just grins as big as she can (sometimes dripping drool into Seth's hair - but we won't tell him that *wink, wink*). Karsyn wakes up in the morning grinning and happy to see me. Seth is my sleeper though and he lays in bed as long as possible. He can't help but smile and wake up when I lay Karsyn on the bed next to him though. "Come here little sweetie," he will say to her. And then he will proceed to sing our little good morning song to her. I am sure they will be great friends as they grow through the years. God has truly blessed us with sweet little siblings!

San Antonio

2007-06-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Recently, Drew had work in San Antonio. What FUN! We joined him and while he worked during the day, the kids and I played and had fun! I love the Riverwalk... great place to people watch. Plus, the lights and music and of course good mexican food make it all the more enjoyable. We also took in some Ben & Jerry's (for those of you who have not tried the new Cinnamon Bun flavor - YUM!) as we walked along the river. It was good family fun!

We went to the zoo (a long 5 hour expedition... I always forget how big it is and how much time it takes to get through it - well, if you're zoo lovers like us anyway) and had fun gazing at animals, taking pictures, taking breaks, and eating snacks. Apryl and Tess joined us for the fun outing, so this was the first time at the zoo for both Tess and Karsyn.

Crazy habits. . . always have to take a picture of a flamingo / schwalla!

Feeding nectar to the parrots was incredible. God's beautifully colorful creatures would land right on you to take a sip of the yummies in your cup. Be careful though, they might try to take a nibble of you too! Karsyn did get a kick out of them though. She would try to pet at them wildly (probably looked like an out of control swat to the parrot) and then just giggle away. It was so cute!

My crazy little sister poses like the drama queen she is. . .

We also loved the Jaguar. It was very active... pacing back and forth through it's cage. It's paws were huge... would hate to run into it on a dark jungle night!

Tess and Karsyn enjoyed the zoo so much! Check them out having fun.... ZZZZZZZ!

We also made time to visit the Alamo. Seth really enjoyed it and wanted me to read every sign we passed (even the really long ones). I think we will really enjoy TX history!

Karsyn, again fully enjoys her Alamo experience. . . ZZZZZ!

Blackberry Picking

2007-06-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

In an effort to support the local farmers in our area, Apryl and I took the kids to Sweet Berry Farms (that and we love berries!). We especially like blackberries and are determined to teach our kids the love of them too. We packed up strollers (I absentmindedly forgot our hats though) and headed off to the berry farm. We had such a good time and picked way too many berries (probably 18 lbs. between the two of us). After getting way too hot and tired we found a picnic table in the shade and had a little lunch. We ended our day with some yummy fresh strawberry popsicles. Tess would make the funniest faces eating them. You could tell she wanted a bite, but would scrunch up her face from the cold and make a little squeal... then she would do it all over again. Karsyn took to the sweet treats right away and just loved them... never making a sound or funny face... just eating/sucking on it as fast as she could. We had a great day! I can't wait until fall and we can return to buy our pumpkins!

Mystery Virus... Found!

2007-06-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

The past week or so has been a bit of a roller coaster for us. Last Thursday Seth woke up with a high fever (he had already been running a low fever for 2 days) and he wasn't able to keep Tylenol or Motrin down to help with it. So we loaded up and headed for the doctor. As we drove through the parking lot, I wanted to stick my head out the window and shout... "Lady with a baby & a really sick kid!" but alas, I did not and we settled for parking spot 3 rows away from the entrance. I'm sure I looked like a complete mess to everyone who saw us... Seth was so weak & could barely walk, so I loaded him in K's stroller... Karsyn went in the sling, and away we went. Oh, did I mention that this is about the time that it started raining. By the time we got in and they started checking him out he was up to 104.8 degrees. Lethargic does not even begin to describe his behavior when the doctor was in the room. When she began talking to me, Seth rolled over on the examining table... he was having trouble breathing and was mumbling through what appeared to be a fitful sleep. The Dr. was concerned about his fever and many other symptoms he was showing (abdominal pain, cracked peeling lips, reddish eyes, weakness & so on). She was concerned he might have an appendicitis or Kawasaki's disease. We were transferred to the children's hospital for what turned out to be days of blood tests, cultures, IV fluids, EKG, Eco Cardiograms, roller coasters temperatures, multiple doctors, but no answers. Test after test came back negative. :O( Seth's fever continued to spike during the night & they would not let us go home until he was fever free for 24 hours. Finally that day came & we were sent home with no fever but with follow-up visits with different doctors to set. We saw Seth's Infectious Disease Dr. Tuesday & she was pleased with how Seth was recovering, although she did not like not having an answer. She reviewed Seth's lab results with me. All negative, except for one that was pending. She said that, unfortunately, we my never know what it was that caused Seth to be so sick & she was sorry. We continued to see Seth's pediatrician, who I knew would not have answers, but just wanted to follow-up. We made an appointment to see the Pediatric Cardiologist later this month, and for the most part, life was continuing to go on and I was fine with that. Then today while we were visiting little cousin Tess & delivering her birthday gift (we were all at the hospital the day of her party - so sorry Tessy Girl), the ID doc called and said that the final test came back POSITIVE! Finally an answer! Life now can continue on without the mystery virus haunting us. I do want to thank all of you awesome prayer warriors out there who continually lifted Seth up to our Father. His healing hand brought us home!

Fabulous Five

2007-05-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

Can you believe how quickly the past five months have flown by? That's right, our little Karsyn Joy is five months old! So let's see, 5 things she is doing now...

1. Karsyn loves to laugh, especially at Seth! She will throw her head back a little and give him a good cackle. He is constant entertainment for her - YEAH!

2. Karsyn can roll from back to front with relative ease. Getting from front to back is a little bit of a challenge, but she does it occasionally too. When she is on her tummy she kicks her feet together and I'm sure if she had the strength and know-how she would be crawling already - thankfully she is NOT yet!

3. Karsyn is a good little eater. She actually takes in more cereal than she spits out now and she loves squash! Okay, so that's the only veggie she has had so far, but I'm sure it will be one of her favs, as it was for Seth. I'll have to let you know how the other little orange and greens go for her later this month. "Mommy milk" is her all time favorite by far though!

4. Karsyn is learning to sit up on her own. That's right, she can hold the pose for a couple of minutes sometimes without toppling over. And then sometimes it's only seconds before she gets excited, kicks her feet and tips herself over. She gets better at this little feat every day!

5. I hate to venture into the next topic for fear that I will jinx myself, but Karsyn is sleeping better through the night. She only wakes up to eat once or twice (depending on when she goes down). She's not so good at "putting herself to sleep" yet, so we need to work on that a little more. ;)

Here are 5 "not-so fabulous" pictures to celebrate 5 Fabulous Months!

Note: I took the first two pics and when Baby K would not "agree," Seth kindly took the last 3 pics while I held Karsyn. Pretty good job Seth!

Eagle Scout

2007-05-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

My "littlest" brother, the Eagle Scout!

Another part of our busy weekend was an elaborate ceremony in which my youngest brother, Caleb, was awarded his Eagle Scout. As he said in his speech, Eagle is not really an award, but a way of life that he has learned through many years of hard work scouting. He will take the MANY things he has learned from Tiger Cubs all the way to Eagle and use them the rest of his life. We are so proud of you Caleb for this great accomplishment!

Caleb saying the Scout Oath and Eagle pledge...

Scouting takes lots of help from family at times... Mom and Dad are involved in the pinning and neckerchief of Caleb's new rank. Dad was also Caleb's Scoutmaster for the past few years, so he has seen first hand all of the dedication and hard work Caleb has both put into it and was "pushed" into - LOL! A few tears were shed in the sharing of this proud event.

Caleb, in turn, recognizes his parents by pinning them...

Extra-proud big sister & little brother... oh, and Caleb is always a proud uncle, sporting his little niece around.

Renaissance Rocks!

2007-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Lords, Ladies, Knights, and Nobles... We bid thee welcome!" We had a super busy weekend that started at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival south of Dallas. It was so amazing! We are already planning a trip again for next year. For those of you who don't know what this Faire is and have not been, you are missing out! For years, my brother and I have wanted to go, but never have made the time. This year, Joseph organized a trip with many of his friends and we joined them there - I'm so glad we did! This is a "period" festival in which everyone is dressed in Renaissance costumes. Not only are they fully decked out in outstanding costumes, but they even talk as if in medieval times! "Me Lord, Me Lady..." as we were greeted entering the gates, buying food, shopping. It was so much fun just to listen to those around you. This faire is set in the year 1533, and King Henry VIII, his lovely wife Anne Boelyn, and his court have come to visit. I hope that you enjoy the MANY pictures I took (be glad I didn't post all 117). I'll comment throughout the pics so I don't ramble on too much.

Sholo the Nubian, a massive muscled warrior, "greeted" everyone as they entered. Okay, he wasn't so friendly. In fact, it seems to be a challenge to make him smile... Karysn got pretty close!

Many of Joseph's friends dressed up in costume also (lots of people do actually), and although we wanted to, time didn't allow me to get it all together... so I painted tees for us to wear with our "costume" on them... "Knight, Squire, Fair Maiden, Town Cynic, Wench, Shady Character, 'Baby' in Waiting." Yeah, I know it was kind of goofy, but we got so many comments on them. They were bright and caught people's attention. Faire folks actually stopped to look at us - LOL!

Each weekend there are themes or special activities that go on. This weekend was "pirate" weekend! Sarah loved it... too bad Johnny and Orlando weren't there (sad Sarah). During the parade, a pirate handed a flag to Karsyn and she waved it around during the day.

Something else that was unexpected were all the butterflies. It was so neat how they would just land on you and were unafraid. They added an airy feeling of joy to our experience!

Queen Anne's Lace was they first featured act that we saw at the faire. We really enjoyed the A-Capella harmony and comic banter they had to offer... not to mention great costumes. Sarah and I enjoyed visiting with the "tart" in yellow after the show. She was so funny and had some great costume tips for us should we dress up next year. Also on this stage were the "Hey Nunnie Nunnies!" They had lots of humor to add.

It was my understanding before we got to Scarborough that these people do this year-round in different locations around the country. So, I imagined tents and stuff possibly, but had no idea that this little village really is a real village! Well, for two months out of the year anyway - it comes to LIFE! The buildings are built to fit the time and the many decorations were fun to take pictures next to also. Here are Caleb, Sarah, and Karsyn striking a pose next to a knight. And our sweet little "Baby" in Waiting!

Another one of the acts that we loved was "The Rogues." This kilt wearing highland spirit band of bagpipes and drums provided much entertainment for us all. Now I know that bagpipes make you think of "whine" and cheese, but these guys ROCKED! We enjoyed listening to them play & even bought CD's to take home. Oh, for those of you that may go in the future, take many small bills... you can tip the acts and people that are there... because they did a great job, because they amused you, or because they blasted one of your friends with some great banter!

The Grande Parade was one of my favorite parts of the day. It was unexpected and we weren't looking for it, but it found us. Actually, we parted off to the side of the road so we wouldn't get run over. We enjoyed our bit of shade as we stood gazing and cheering (yes, they told you to smile and cheer if you were not) at the brilliant costumes & at times were engaged by the passers by.

The guy with soft pretzels walked around the faire all day and we saw him many times... I thought it was so funny the way he would yell PRETZELS!

A lady from the Mud Show dotted us on our noses as a bit of advertisement & someone from the parade joined our picture unexpectedly. Just before this picture was taken, a "priest" walked by sprinkling people with "holy water." When he saw us enjoying the parade (clapping and cheering and getting involved) he said "I love it when they line up for me!" and proceeded to douse us with his water!

The picture below is taken of a lady in the court. She spied our shirts and turned and started pointing, slowing the procession of the king and queen... "Look at that shady character... and a wench... and town cynic... what is the baby?" Soon after the king and queen of the faire passed and the queen, having been slowed by the court knew that something was coming, and she started yelling at us, "They are naked... you need clothes on... " So maybe we will work a little harder on our costumes for next year - LOL! Note: For those of you thinking of going, you don't have to be in costume... many visitors are not. But then, many are as well :)

"Eat, Drynk, & Be Merry" they say... so as we grabbed some yummy lunch at one of the royal kitchens, I saw the guys below, obvious to me, they matched, but it seems they didn't plan it. I laughed at them as they said, "Someone take a picture of this!" So, the friends of the faire don't call each other up in the morning and plan their outfits I guess. ;)

Seth loves knights... and castles... and sword fighting... and jousting (basically "A Knight's Tale") so you can imagine that he absolutely loved every minute of the day (other than the nap he "accidentally" took - see Renaissance #2 for that cute pic).

Renaissance #2

2007-05-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so more pictures of Scarborough... Prepare thyself for merriment!
This Viking Barbarian stood around waiting for ladies to grab him up for yet another picture. Sarah and I took our opportunity to "show off his tan."

I honestly don't know if the people pictured below were members of the Festival or just visitors, but I thought they looked too cool not to take their picture... okay, and a little scary too, huh?

Seth would not join for this picture until the "unmasked" gentleman offered to let Seth hold his spear. The ploy worked, although you can tell Seth was still quite nervous!

I talked to this brutal warrior after taking his picture AGAIN (actually a nice guy - except that he kept calling me a wench - oh yeah, it was written on my shirt), and he's not from another dimension like Aahz, but from Houston... watch out you Houstonites for this scary beast!

I think we all enjoyed the Human Chess Match! The king and queen set up their pieces (lords, ladies, noblemen, and peasants of their land) on an over sized chess board. "Rook take Pawn" could be heard during the game, in which case all of the "players" cleared the board and a match began. The winner took the square. The conversation and choreographed fighting were great. Can you believe that this is actually when Seth "chose" to take his little snooze. (He was sad about it later, but we just couldn't wake him.) Sarah and I enjoyed a yummy snack of "Italian Ice" which we couldn't stop ourselves from buying over and over again!

This jester just wouldn't die... finally the other players and the crowd were chanting "Die, die, die..." and after about 7 swords and daggers, he finally slouched to the ground... and didn't die, but continued to grunt and groan... we just couldn't stop laughing... figures the funny guy wouldn't die huh?

More amazing costumes! Can you tell that I enjoyed myself immensely!

There were several artisan demonstrations scheduled throughout the day, games & rides you play, and even a "Dungeon of Yorkshire Tower." Here are a few pics of the boys playing games.

Seth shows off his "winner" sticker just like Daddy!

Seth also enjoys Mommy's Italian Ice! So YUMMY!

More photo opportunities for the kids! This is a real tree carved into a chair.

At the end of the day we went early to get seats for the jousting match! Prior to the joust we watched some Scottish Highland games that were loads of fun. Men throwing wooden 20 foot beams end-over-end and so forth. I didn't post pictures of them because they were so hard to explain, but if you want to see them later I can show you. Also, the jousting was so fast it was hard to get pics of, but here is our valiant knight! He road for queen and country and he won!

Twig the Fairy, with her double flute and sparkling eyes, casts a spell over all. You can see her throughout the day floating around enchanting small children... like Seth! He thought she was beautiful and she gave him one of her "magical" rocks to remember her by.

The King & Queen of the faire and their friends circle up at the exit to sing a fairwell to all. These people are passionate about "Stepping Back in Time for the Time of Your Life." So thank you to all who helped us relive a little of the renaissance experience.

Little Spot of Heaven

2007-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have been out of town for the past week (visiting my sweet baby brother) and was a little concerned about my plants getting enough water, but thankfully God sent plenty of spring rain... and a treat for me in my garden upon my return... My squash are blooming! YEAH! I was so excited & couldn't wait to tell Drew when he got home too. I don't think his excitement was equal to mine though. That's okay, I know he will love the product later this summer... plenty of squash on the grill and squash casserole - YUM!

My tomatoes are also growing taller too...

This is my other little spot of heaven... the deck and hammock! Before my lack of sleep started (thank you Baby K), I loved to take a cup of coffee and good book out early in the morning and enjoy the hammock. This spring I also planted many herbs that smell lovely (if you're sitting close enough to them) in pots on the deck & that makes my experience even better. I'm hoping that the Carolina Jasmine I planted will take off in the next couple of years and the top of the deck will be covered with beautiful yellow blooms in the early spring. I hope you have a "little spot of heaven" that you can enjoy God's many riches and blessings!

Home Theater

2007-05-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's not a home theater, but it worked for the girls! (I'll add the theater to my wish list for our "retirement" house. *wink* ) Apryl was an awesome sister and came to help Drew with the office. I was having a hard time helping with Karsyn in a sling, so I took the girls inside while Andrew and Apryl worked outside. They got lots done! YEAH! Inside, I was finding it difficult to tote both girls around though, so we took a break from laundry, dishes, and toys to enjoy a little Elmo! Okay, so we only make it through two and a half songs, but it was still fun to watch them get excited in their little chairs side-by-side. They are going to be such good friends... I can't wait to see them in another year, carrying on their own little conversations and enjoying having a cousin so close!

Also, a little update on the office. After another day of hard work, the hardy plank is all up and the roof is on! Now, for trim, caulk, etc... then on to the inside...

Mobiles

2007-05-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Baby mobiles... what a great invention. I know they have been around forever, but they still work! I was needing both hands to gather laundry upstairs today and so laid Karsyn in the bassinet (yes, she still fits - sweet little girl). I turned on the mobile which also has a light, music, and a button that will vibrate the bed. I must say, she was quite entertained watching the little bears go around and around in circles. I don't think she has ever really understood what those little guys were hanging up there for, but today she got it. I wish it was always this easy to keep her entertained, but hey, it worked today!

Busy "Working" Weekend

2007-05-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, most of you know that Andrew is starting at a new company this month (same type of work) and will be working from home when he is not on the road. "Working from home? Where? Are we adding on? Converting the garage? Home office? Do we have one of those?" Well, we are working on creating one of those now. We have/had an unused shed in the backyard that Andrew always wanted to turn into "his space" (since I honestly take up most of the house - sorry honey) and now he finally has the proper motivation to get to work on it. I failed to take a picture of the said shed before demolition began last Friday, but Saturday morning when much of our family was here I whipped out the camera and took a few pics. So, this is the work in progress...

Did someone say lumber? Yeah, there were and still are piles of lumber all over the yard. So, yes, Seth's outside play has been confined to the deck for the most part. :(

I have to tell you, this pink stuff really creeps me out. I don't know what it is about it, but I just can't stand it. I actually had to move it yesterday before the rains came and I just didn't know if I was going to be able to do it. And check out the trash! We hauled two truck loads off and there is still more!

Caleb came to help and logged some much needed National Honor Society service project hours :) Did I tell you all that he made Eagle Scout - YEAH! Congratulations Caleb! What a big accomplishment. We are all so proud of you and can't wait to support you in your upcoming Eagle Ceremony.

Sarah was a pretty good sport in cleaning up... although she stayed inside with me and the kids and helped prep food as much as possible.

Boys at work...

Okay, so after making a huge mess, tearing off walls, tearing out insulation and sheet rock and ripping up the floor, the shed looked something like this...

And after much hard work, it looks something like this... some of the hardy plank is up and the new extension is covered (yes, we added on to it - it's bigger!). Andrew and I frantically covered the rest of the "office" with tar paper before a huge rain storm hit. We were both soaked by the time we make it inside, but we did manage to cover the side and back so that water would not get in... and it worked! Poor Seth was left inside with a not so happy Karysn, but he's a great big brother and he managed. He did step out a few times to say... "She's not happy!" "Are ya'll done yet?" "I need some help!"

The inside still needs some help ;) but it's coming along. Andrew has run most of the electrical and it's almost ready for insulation and sheet rock. After that, I can do more to help. We're trying to get the exterior finished and water tight first though.

So, lots of fun huh? I know you are all dying to come lend a helping hand, but all is well. We are going to take a break from it this weekend and head out to see Uncle Ben! YEAH!

I was a little worried about my garden with all the construction going on... it is planted along one end of the office. Drew was careful not to disturb it and even built a little make-shift covering to try to protect it. As of today, this is what it looks like... yeah, pretty good!

Date with Mammaw

2007-04-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, our little boy is learning all about numbers. No longer can Mammaw say, I'll see you next week or in a few days. Seth knows that a few is 3 and is counting the days. Recently, Mammaw said she would come visit in about a week. This just didn't work for Seth, he wanted to know how many days... so she said 7 or 8. Well, 5 days passed and all of a sudden he was saying, she'll be here in 2 or 3 days. Well, I knew full and well that she would not be here anytime that week, so I gave her a little ring-a-ling and informed her that he was counting down the days to her mysterious arrival... oops! So, this morning she called him up and asked if he would like to go to a movie with her instead..."No" was his reply! Actually, he said he would rather go eat at LaMadelline's with her (man after my own heart - love that kid!), so we met Mom half way at our favorite little spot and had a great lunch. Then Seth and Mammaw had a little ice cream date... Seth had "Superman" ice cream and Mammaw had strawberry (those are important details that he wanted me to share - lol). It was a great day!!! Below are some pics of other things that happened today...

Karsyn loves to go shopping in her sling! She is a people watcher and does not like to be cooped up in the infant carrier that mommy thinks snaps so easily onto a shopping cart. She also likes to help out in the kitchen while in her sling... loads of fun!

Seth does a safety check on Karsyn's new form of entertainment. Seems she is not the only one that will be entertained by the blast off noises. :O)

Karsyn says... Exersaucer-walkers for the win! I'll keep this fun toy!

"If I could just get a hold of this, Scotty could beam me up.... hmmph?"

Rice cereal AGAIN? Yippee!

4 Months Old

2007-04-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, I know, but our little Karsyn is 4 months old! We visited our pediatrician today and Baby K had 3 dreaded shots. She weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs. 3 oz. and was 24 inches long (although the nurse NEVER stretches her out all the way). Our Dr. gave us the okay to start "yummy" rice cereal, so tonight, Baby K and I gave it a shot. She probably spit out more than she actually took in, but over all she did pretty good for her first time. She thought her new sippy cup was AMAZING and kept staring at it. Finally, she let me know with her little "mad" cry that she wanted to eat they way she enjoys best! ;) It was a fun experience though, and we'll give it another shot tomorrow.

Fun in the Sun

2007-04-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Sweet cousin Tess came over for some fun in the sun today. . . She loved the water and Seth thought it was great fun to go down the slide and splash the girls. Karsyn would sit on the step and was just fine as long as she was watching and no water touched her. When Seth would go down the slide, the water would rush up on the step and let's just say, Baby K let it be known that she did NOT like it one little bit. The water was a little cold, so I don't blame her. The sun was beautiful though and Apryl and I enjoyed our Sonic and watched the kids play.

Isn't Karsyn's pineapple bathing suit cute! Thanks Alisha!

Rolling Over!

2007-04-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of trying and getting frustrated with her shoulder that she thought was in the way... our Baby K finally rolled over back to front. For those of you that don't know, this is a much more difficult feat than the front to back roll. Drew, Mammaw & I were all there to see it and we clapped and cheered. So proud of our little Karsyn and this new accomplishment!

Easter means LTC

2007-04-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

In the weeks and months leading to Easter, we are turning our focus to the cross and our Lord's resurrection. Although we do this every Sunday when we take the Lord's Supper, Easter is a special time of remembrance and praise. HE IS RISEN!!! Praise the Lord!

For my family, Easter also brings Leadership Training for Christ (LTC). My brother, Joseph, and I were involved in LTC many moons ago (beginning in about 1990), and now my baby bro and sis, Caleb and Sarah, are involved in this incredible event. For months leading up to LTC (which always takes place on Easter weekend), they are preparing and getting ready for many events. Sometimes they get wrapped up in the preparation and how they will do (what medal they will be rewarded), but ultimately they are learning to be leaders in the Lord's church. How amazing is that? They have fun and build awesome leadership skills that will continue to bless others as they spread the message of the gospel to the world. Caleb and Sarah have some wonderful spiritual gifts. Most people think of them as great singers, and they do have beautiful voices (we love singing together as a family), so they are always involved in chorus and song leading. They also are great at sharing the message of Christ and the event, speech, is an event that they both SHINE in! I am always so proud of them! Way to go Caleb & Sarah!

Seth & Karsyn after morning worship at the Anatole...

This year, the Easter bunny brought sleet and cold, so we took pictures instead of hunting eggs. (Don't worry, in coming weeks Seth and I will "hunt" eggs many times in the backyard.... over & over & over again... he loves it!)

Sarah prepares for song leading...

Caleb & Karsyn play with her taggie...

Pooching their cheeks & goofing off between events...

Sarah is suffering from overload - rofl!

Finally, a family shot...

My sweet parents & little bro (Big Ben - as Seth calls him), and of course Seth (because he thinks every picture is better with him in it)...

LTC in Dallas also means that I get to see Annie! YEAH! This year she brought her adorable neice, Sara, who just loved Karsyn! Annie was also kind enough to take Seth to her church's Easter Egg hunt on Saturday. They had some awesome door prizes in the "gold" eggs. Annie primed Seth for the hunt... and my sweet boy came back with a basket full of ONLY "yellow" eggs. How cute is that!

It was surely a blessed weekend!

Texas Bluebonnets!

2007-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm suppose to be packing for our weekend trip & I got sucked into the blogging world, yet again! I was reading my friend Kim's blog (you should check out her cute kids!) and realized that I hadn't even posted pics of my kids in the beautiful Texas bluebonnets.

Spring is one of my favorite times of year, as the sides of the highway and fields are covered in blankets of wildflowers, my favorites are of course the Texas state flower! Earlier this week, my sister-in-law and I ventured out with the kids in search of the perfect spot & we found it behind her church building-YEAH! We were prepared with multiple outfits for the kids, toys, bumbo, and blankets so no one would complain about the itchy grass. Even with all of our preparation (which was in quick haste btw), we could not prepare the kids attitudes for the beloved "picture time." They ranged from squinty "sun in my eyes," to grins, to crying, to faces of boredom, to "can't catch me" with that camera you can't! All in all, we got a couple of cute ones, and lots of others for the honorable mention list. We did find out some new things while we were out tromping through the fields though...

1. Seth wants to be in the middle of every picture!
2. If Seth is not the center of attention atm, he will run wildly around and distract those who are.
3. If that doesn't work, Seth will run in front of the camera just in time for the photo snap.
4. Karsyn won't look at a camera no matter how much you ooh and gooh at her.
5. When Karsyn is not in the mood, she won't even look at Seth!
6. Tess's bow matched her dress even better than we thought - way to go Apryl!
7. A 10-month-old will promptly push a 3-month-old over when placed in a picture pose together.
8. When Karsyn doesn't want to have a picture taken of her, she will just pull her dress over her head.
9. Baby K's dress was fluffy as can be, but still would not cover the bumbo for a pretty pic.
And finally... number 10. Skinny little 5-year-olds can sit in a Bumbo (seat made for 3-14 month olds).

We had fun and hope you enjoy the pics!

Beautiful Tess

2007-04-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my kids don't always take the best pics, but my sweet little niece does! She usually pops a big smile for any camera that comes near her, but she's teething right now (working on number 3 & 4 I think) and her gums come first. LOL! She is precious though and we are so glad to live so close to her. She and Karsyn are going to be great friends! There is no telling what kind of trouble they will get in to. So, here's our little shout out to Tess... We love you!

And one more little thing, okay kind of a big thing... Apryl... thank you SO much for your help yesterday! I couldn't have done it without you! Drew's face was priceless when he got home... I'll have to tell you more about that later. ROFL!

In the Garden

2007-04-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday, my little helper (aka. Karysn) helped me out in the yard. We watered the plants and herbs on the deck while Daddy mowed the lawn. Then we (Mommy) had fun taking pics of our little cutie while Daddy finished up. Seems baby K is a little camera shy... I have the hardest time getting her to actually look at the camera. She just seems to be in awe of God's many wonderful beauties and soaks them all in! In these pics, check our her toes... lol. She always seems to have her left toes curled and her right toes "catching the wind."

After we finished with the plants on the deck (really not that many), we headed out in the yard. The bumbo sqeezed into our little red wagon perfectly & Karsyn had fun riding around while I continued to water plants. She would fuss when we stopped, and then was happy again when we were moving. What a picky little one. Maybe this means she will like roller-coasters though... I would love that! Girl after my own heart.

Baby K checks the "time." Are we done yet?

My sweet sister-in-law started sharing some veggies with me and I had no where to plant them, so we created a little spot. This is my little garden experiment for the spring/summer... tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, etc... It's been fun. We'll just have to wait and see if I can keep these sweet little plants alive though.

One Month Ago

2007-01-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we were driving to the hospital to be induced just one month ago! That's right, our little Karsyn is one month old. She has grown and changed so much already... it's hard for me to even imagine what and how she will be at one-year. I don't want to rush things though... I'll keep her sweet and small while I can. She finally moved out of the newborn diapers up to a size 1... and 0-3 month outfits don't completely swallow her now (although newborn still fit better). I'm guessing she is around 8 lbs. now, but am not sure how long (she was 21 inches 2 weeks ago). Seth is also so proud of her and he is such a good helper! When Karsyn starts tracking a little better, Seth will be a great source of entertainment for her (he just moves a little too fast for her right now-lol). I'm sure they will grow to be great friends!

Ice vs. The Burning Crusade?

2007-01-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

No worries... we stayed bundled and warm during the recent ice storm. Drew managed to catch one of the last flights out of town (so sad about that) while the kiddos and I stayed cozy at home. We drank spiced tea, read lots of books, played games and of course found time to play on the computer too... WoW's Burning Crusade being our main occupation - lol.

Waking Up

2007-01-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

... it's a tough business being two weeks old. Doesn't Karsyn do a good job of making us all feel sorry for her! Really, it is so funny to watch her "wake up." She stretches and coos and grunts and makes quite the ordeal out of it. Just wait until you start cutting teeth sweetie... then you'll really have something to whine about.

Battle for the Paci...

2006-12-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

Karsyn... age: 2 days
Tess... age: 6 months

Let the battle for the pacifier begin...

Really, it was so funny... We laid Karsyn and Tess down together to see how tall Tess is next to Karsyn... the girls had something else in mind though - and I'm sure this will not be the only time that these two will have plans of their own :O) - Tess rolled over and saw what looked like a "toy" in Karsyn's mouth (because Tess uses her pacifier as a teething-chew toy) and seeing the weaker opponent, took the opportunity to snag the pacifier from her... Karsyn however pulled right back. It was so funny because we expected Tess to easily pluck the pacifier from Karsyn's mouth, but Karsyn sucked on the pacifier, trying to hold on, and gave Tess a little challenge. Finally, Tess overcame! I think Apryl felt a little sorry for Karsyn, so she gave Tess her own paci and the girls were content to just lay beside each other, each with their own "toy." I can't wait for these two to be dragging around their little dolls, playing house together... so much fun! (And before long it will not be "these two," but the "three little musketeers" when Una gets here.)

Our Sweet Little "Joy"

2006-12-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

Seth is definately the proud big brother of our new little girl... Karsyn Joy! He just grins ear-to-ear whenever she is around. Mommy & Daddy can't seem to get in enough hugs and kisses either and we already know what a blessing she will be to our lives! Labor and delivery went better than I expected (started potocin at 8am and she was born a little after 1pm), and after about 15 minutes of pushing or less, a sweet little cry was heard... Karsyn weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs. 10 oz and was 20 inches long. (If I had carried her until my due date she would have been closer to 9 lbs... ouch! ...thank goodness for inducing!) It was like a night at the Oscars, with cameras flashing all over. So many family and friends were there for her arrival - thank you for all of your love and support! Before we left L&D, both sets of grandparents circled around us, layed hands on us, and Pappaw and Grandpa prayed a prayer of blessing over Karsyn and our family. It was such a special day. I don't think it could have been more wonderful!

Did someone say pirates?

2006-10-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Patch Party

2006-10-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Seth turned big number 5 this year!!!!! He wanted to go to a real pumpkin patch for his birthday & have a pumpkin party... We found just the right place! Friends and family joined us for the fun... We took lots of pictures of course! ... got our faces painted, went on a hay ride, wandered through a corn maze, and of course we bought pumpkins and gourds to take home! After lots of fun at the pumpkin patch we headed for the park... more fun and playing... Food! ... and gifts (and I am slowly learning that Seth thinks the best ones are wrapped - lol - a gift bag just isn't as much fun to a five-year-old). We were all a little worried about the weather, but overcast skies held back the rain until we finished. As we were loading the coolers back in the truck, the sprinkles began... Seth had bunches of fun and is already looking forward to number 6!

TX Size Corn Maze???

2006-10-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

The kiddos all got their faces painted and loved showing off for the camera... notice Seth chose a cute little lady bug - he he he!

Our hay ride driver went on all the big hills he could find and drove as fast as his little tractor would pull us. I think he liked the way the kids would throw their hands in the air and scream!

Part of our bumpy hay ride included the chance to navigate through a corn maze... okay, so it wasn't Texas sized. There was a TX shaped and size corn maze that you could go through at this pumpkin patch, but seeing how we got a little lost in the mini-maze, we decided to call it a day and head for the park.

Decorating the Ultimate Cookie!

2006-10-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

This was Seth's lovely creation... the more toppings the better for a 5-year-old! We'll be taking orders soon - lol!

The kids all decorated their own cookies... meaning "no moms allowed!" The more icing and sprinkles the better and the kids really did it. Watching the sprinkles topple out or in some cases pour out, we knew that a sugar high was soon to come. But you know, when you don't have to clean up the kitchen afterwards, it was really easy to sit back and enjoy their fun! It was even more fun to watch them try to eat their creations and get all the icing and decorations on themselves... some ear-to-ear!

After solving a brief candle lighting problem (mainly I forgot matches or a lighter), Seth was finally able to blow out his candles and open gifts. It was so funny to watch him get excited and jump around! The kids also played on the playground and rolled in the grass... gotta love the park for some easy entertainment. Thanks to all who came. We hope you had as much fun as Seth did!