Wrapping Up 2008

Well, another year is coming to an end. It's amazing how fast time goes by once you're out of school. High School seems like just yesterday but my 10 year reunion is actually coming up in just 2 years!!! Crazy! This year was a good one for me! There was a lot of changes good and bad but I grew from all of them. As the years go by I start to feel as if everythings in place and I'm becoming more of the woman I'm supposed to be. But then some days I wonder what my future holds and what the hell I'm doing or supposed to be doing! =) One thing I do know for sure is that God is always in control so I try to give all my worries up to him and relax!

Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.



2008 started by ringing it in with our wonderful friends! We had a great time and I'm so sad that we wont be with them tonight to celebrate.

When the year started we knew we were moving to Colorado but we didn't have our house yet. In Feb we came searching and found the perfect house. We moved in a few weeks later and started our journey in a new place together! We've met some new friends, had some great camping trips, hikes, and now skiing trips! We've made lots of unforgettable memories!

Bye Bye Texas...

Hello Colorado!!!

We had some visitors throughout the year that made our time here so much more memorable! Kendall, Julie, Doug, Bryce, Gina, and our parents all helped contribute to some great times! It's also so much fun to share our new life here with people we care about!

Us with Bryce on a Pagosa Springs hike!

With Kyle's parents after the Durango-Silverton Trailride.

Pizza with Doug, Julie, and Kendall.

Hiking with my mom in beautiful Silverton.

Keaton had his first birthday this year, I turned 26, Kyle turned 27 and we had our 4 year anniversary!!

We were also blessed with a second pregnancy but unfortunately it ended with a miscarriage. That was one of the hardest things I've gone through but I do believe we became closer and individually stronger because of it. I often think about if it were a boy or a girl, if Keaton is my miracle baby and I'll ever be able to have another baby, etc, etc... but I remember that God's in control and it will happen when and if it's supposed to.

We had 4 wonderful trips to Katy to visit friends and family. Moving away has really made Kyle and I realize how much our loved ones have an effect on our lives. There really is no place like home!

I have the best friends EVER!!

Keatons First Trip to the Beach!!

In 2009 I see us moving back to Texas, possibly having another baby, going to church every Sunday that we're not at the deer lease =), doing some volunteer work, and doing more things for myself. I want to start dancing again, get into some more acting classes, maybe start running again. Things that are for me and me only. You moms know how you can forget to do things like that sometimes! =) I hope everyone has a safe and fun night tonight! Happy New Year!! =)

Tuesday 10

Well because I haven't blogged since last Tuesday, today's Tuesday 10 will be:

10 More Things We Did During Our Christmas Vacation...

10. We went to the Children's Service at Church on Christmas Eve which was fantastic! They really keep the kids attention by allowing them to participate with everything! They read the story of Christ's birth and have children act it out. While they're reading they have "props" that the kids in the audience use to be apart of the story.

Keaton with his halo on.

One of the 3 Kings

Fascinated by the candle!

9. After Church we went to Kyle's parents house for Christmas with his family. We had a delicious meal, opened presents, and watched Christmas Vacation. It was a wonderful evening and we all got great gifts!! I got my Twilight Series so now I can finally read those!! I can't wait!

No mistletoe but still a Christmas kiss!! ;)

Keaton tearing into gifts!

Asleep and waiting for Santa!

We can relax once Keaton's down!

8. That morning we woke up and went to my parents house for my Dads delicious breakfast!! It's been a long time since we've all had a big breakfast together so it was really nice! One of my favorite gifts was a wedding album that I can FINALLY put all my 8x10 pictures from our wedding in! I've only been married for 4.5 years! I just never got around to doing it so luckily mom did! The last gift we gave my parents was a cute tin filled with letters that we all wrote to each of them just thanking them for everything and reminiscing about our favorite memories as kids. I got the idea from Oprah and it was great! We were all teary eyed and my mom said it was the best Christmas she's ever had!

7. Kyle left that night to go hunting again and I met up with April at Bakers St. It was so good to see her and Amber! We stayed there for a while and then went to Mo's where we saw tons of people from HS! It was so much fun! Its nice when we're in town and we have our parents to babysit! Kyle gets to fit in a lot of hunting which is what he loves to do and then I get to go out dancing and visiting with friends. We normally don't get to do much so we appreciate it when we have that opportunity while we're in town!

Me, April, and Amber

6. On Friday I decided to go to the mall and that wasn't a very good idea! I swear they didn't have the air conditioning on! It was sooooo hot!! This is Houston, TX so it was about 80 degrees outside and there was so many people shopping I was literally sweating! I took Keaton to the play area and it was packed!! He of course had a great time so it was worth it.

5. That night I got to see my friend Candyce and hang out with her. I also saw one of my friends from Elementary, Jason. He had moved to Mississippi so I hadn't seen him in a couple years. That's one of the reasons why I just LOVE Katy! Everyones grown up together and you know if you go out you're going to run into at least one person you know!

4. Saturday my Pawpaw came to town to see us. It was so good to see him and we had a wonderful time visiting!

3. Later that evening we went to Kyle's Mimi's house for Christmas with his cousins. We always have a ton of fun together and now that we're all having kids its so much fun to get them together to play!

Boxes are so fun!!

2. Sunday morning our moms dropped us off at the airport and we headed back to Colorado! This time coming back was bittersweet. Here lately we've been going to visit so much for weddings and holidays so whenever we came back here I always knew that in a couple more weeks we'd be headed back to Texas. This time we don't have anymore plans to return until the summer so it will be a long stretch.

Keaton having fun in the car after we landed. =)

1. It was nice to be home. We were welcomed with a ton of snow and 4 degree weather!! Our neighbor was nice enough to plow the driveway and front of the house so we could get in. It's a whole other world here! =) Our truck was stuck and I haven't been able to go anywhere the last 2 days because of it! I shoveled snow for about 2 hours to try to get out yesterday and then Kyle worked on it last night but it's stuck. He's getting it out tonight with the help of our neighbors backhoe.

I love the icicles!

See why I couldn't go anywhere!

HUGE icicle!

Our front yard! Unbelievable! You can hardly see Keaton's toy there on the right!

Tuesday 10

10 things going on this last week...

10. Kyle got snowed in from work last Tuesday and Thursday so it was so nice to have him home!! It worked out perfect because we had planned on doing our Christmas with just the 3 of us on Thursday when he got home (since we flew out Friday) but since he was off we did it that morning with hot chocolate and snow falling down all day!! Kyle gave me a beautiful Tiffany's bracelet to match the necklace he gave me for our anniversary. I also got Knocked Up and The Devil Wears Prada. I gave him some shirts, an ipod dock and a wooden cabinet with the block aTm on the front and you open it and it's a dart board. Keaton just had a blast! He was so excited when he opened his Backyardigans guitar; he loves all his new stuff! We forgot to give him this big Tonka truck but we'll give him that as a bonus when we get back!! It was a wonderful early family Christmas!!

Keaton Playing in the Snow

Kyle Plowing

Making Christmas Cookies

Backyardigans Guitar!!!

9. Friday we flew in to Houston and Keaton was so excited to see his Mawmaw and DeeDee when they picked us up! He did so good on the plane I didn't even have to pull out one toy! Normally I'm like Mary Poppins pulling everything under the sun out of our bag to keep him occupied. This time he just played with the window shade, buttons for the overhead lights, and the tray in front of us. Luckily nobody was sitting there!! =)

8. Of course my first meal with everyone was Mexican food! We went to Victors and I had a big strawberry margarita with delicious food!! YUM!!!! I accidentally dropped a scoop of guacamole on my mother in laws lap, which we all thought was hysterical!! I don't know if it was really that funny or just because of those BIG margaritas??? ;)

7. On Saturday I took my mom to the movies to see Australia. It was sad at parts but we both liked it a lot and had a gtreat time together! Keaton ended up getting a fever while we were gone so he wasn't feeling too great. No other symptoms though so a couple rounds of Tylenol and Motrin cleared him up.

6. Saturday night Keaton stayed with my parents while I went to my friends, JoDee and her husband Sean's, Christmas party. She had yummy snacks and drinks while we all visited and then we went on a hay ride to see the AMAZING lights in her neighborhood! I had so much fun! I used to teach with JoDee and the other 2 members from our old 5th grade team, Matilde and Cindy, were there so it was so great to hang out as a group again!! I've missed them so much! Afterwards, I met my friend Megan and her boyfriend, Pace, at Bakers St. for a couple drinks. It was so great to see her! I just love her and Pace is such a sweetheart!

Old 5th Grade Gang!

5. Sunday I went to my old roommate Wendy's baby shower. She is due with a baby girl, Caley, in March! I can't wait to meet her! Wendy was just glowing and it was so fun to see her and everyone else!

4. That night I just snuggled with Keaton for hours! He slept with me (Kyle was hunting this whole time) and although he woke me up consistently throughout the night it was wonderful snuggling with him and having him so close to me!

3. Monday my other old college roommate, Summer, came to my moms and we visited for a while. She gave Keaton his Christmas gift which he just LOVED!! Her and I left and had a VERY successful shopping trip at Katy Mills and then met Kendall for lunch at Los Cucos...yes more Mexican food, of course!!!

2. Kyle came home last night and today we took Keaton to get his picture with Santa!! He was scared to death of him but I still just love the picture! Classic!! Santa was kinda scary looking so I probably would have cried too! =)

Right before..."I'm not sure about this Mom"

Not Happy!!!!

1. Tonight we went to dinner at Chile's with our old neighbors. Before we moved to Colorado our block was literally the perfect place to live! We had a short cul-de-sac with the best neighbors ever. We were all good, fun people (if I do say so myself) just starting to have kids and it was perfect! Luckily we still keep in touch and our kids are just too cute together! I feel so blessed to have them in my life! Paige just turned 2 in October, Aidan will be 2 in February, and Keaton is last in March! Absolutely PRECIOUS!!

Three Musketeers!

Keaton and his "girlfriend" Paige. =)

Words of Wisdom

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the abode
only one creature was stirring, & she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
while visions of Play station 3 & Barbie, flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
with a half-constructed bicycle propped on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
which made her sigh, "now what is the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
she descended the stairs, & saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes & soot which fell with a shrug,
"Oh great," muttered the mom, "now I have to clean the rug."

"HO HO HO!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake."
"Your gift was especially difficult to make,"
"Thanks , Santa, but all I want is time alone,"
"EXACTLY!" he chuckled, "so , I've made you a clone."

"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young&Restless."
"Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "MY dream has come true!"
"I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a night through!"

From the room above, the youngest did fret.
"Mommy?! come quickly, I'm scared & I'm wet."
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled, "she sure knows her part."

The clone changed the small one & hummed her a tune,
as she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon.
"You're the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled & sighed, "And I love you too."

The mom frowned & said, Sorry, Santa, no deal."
That's my child's love she is trying to steal."
Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear,
only one loving mother is needed here."

The mom kissed her child & tucked her in bed.
"Thank you Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,
when they'll be to old for my cradle & song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "it works every time."
With the clone by his side Santa said "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, dear mom, you will be all right."

Sometimes we need reminding of what life is all about.
Especially at times during the Holiday season, when all we seem to do is clean and bake and shop and and and and and and ..... you get the picture, I'm sure. So stop for a moment and hug that little one so special.

Tuesday 10

Yesterday Kyle and I were looking at pictures of Keaton when he was a baby and reminiscing about all the excitement we experienced when we had him so that prompted my Tuesday 10...

10 Pics From When We Had Keaton...

10. We were supposed to be at the hospital around 9:00 PM so beforehand we went to dinner at Lupe Tortillas for our "last supper" as just the 2 of us. I remember a lady came up to me and put her hands on my belly and sweetly said, "Oh look at you, when are you due?" and I said, "Actually we're going to the hospital right after dinner!" and she was so shocked! It cracked me up! We were so excited!!!!

9. Once we filled out all the paperwork we got our room and after many attempts, they finally got my IV in and my belly all hooked up. I was allowed to eat and drink until midnight so here I am with my rootbeer and skittles close by! =)

8. I started having contractions during the night and that morning they broke my water. After about 16 hours and 45 min. of labor (only about 11 hours of it was really painful) Keaton was born at 6:45 PM on March 22, 2007. Here's our first picture as a family moments after he entered the world.

7. I just couldn't stop staring at him! I love this picture as he gazes up at his mommy!

6. Kyle went with him into the nursery as they weighed my whopper of a baby! He weighed in at 9lbs. 2.5 oz! I was induced 5 days early because they knew he was so big! They were going to take me in even earlier than that but it was spring break and my doctor was on vacation!

5. His first outfit was of course head to toe Aggie gear! Future class of 2028!! Haha! =)

4. Sweet mommy kisses as he sleeps away.

3. My 2 boys. Such a proud Daddy! Kyle was so amazing while I was in the hospital! He changed every single diaper!

2. This was when we took him home from the hospital. My sister had decorated the yard with "It's a Boy" signs and everyone was there to welcome him home!

1. Our new family at home. Little did we know we'd be ending up in Colorado before he even turned one! Crazy how you never know what the future brings! I hope our near future holds another little baby! I can't wait to do it all again!!!!!!