Dewberry Farm

over the weekend we went to dewberry farm! we had a great time playing~there were tons of attractions but trey's favorite part were all the animals~

5 YEARS

for our 5th anniversary we stayed in and celebrated with trey! We are actually going to Austin today and will celebrate with just the two of us!
Michael found a quote about me that i love:

"She was willful,maddening,quarrelsome,and intolerant, but somehow these were trifling:there was a passion inside her that burned like a candle in a lantern, and it lit up his life".....

I am def. those things at times, I mean, I do have an Italian Temperment! Thanks babe, for loving my passion!!!




our favorite cookie from zoes

the journal above, was a gift from Michael. And his idea!!! He is really getting good at all the little things. He wrote a beautiful note inside. He bought it so that we can write notes to each other when ever we feel like we want to....kinda like a diary of our life together. and i woke up to a note this morning! Its been pretty fun to do. And who knows, by the time we are old and gray our kids and grandkids can look back through and read the love we have for each other. Sappy, yes. Sweet, you bet!

BOO!

my dear friend, lyndsey, has chartered a chaper of Queen for a Day here in Houston. While the national organization is Queen for a Day, we here in Houston call it For a Day in order to include all the kiddos. Every month Lyndsey and her team host events at Texas Children's Hospital for the kids and their parents. I am so proud of Lyndsey and all she has accomplished for the benefit of these kiddos!!! We had our Halloween Party and the kids loved all the crafts!!! Guess the "CAT is out of the bag" on what my costume will be for Halloween!!!

Empowering our Girls

I love kelle hampton's blog and this post is incredible, it has 961 Comments to date.

to all my friends who have daughters this is a must read. And i will def. archive this incase God blesses us, me, with a daughter of my own. I think raising boys and girls is a very different task. And although i wouldn't go as far to say that one is more difficult than the other i will say, raising a girl to grow and love herself for who she is in our society is a big challenge.

For those of you who have had the "luxury" of never feeling different, out of place, made fun of, the luxury of always pretty much fitting in, being "normal" ( and i know wonderful, kind people who have had this luxury, so its not an insult just something you wouldn't understand if you haven't "been there done that")then you might not get as much of a "fill-up" as I did from this post.

If i could tell my 13 year old self something here is what comes to mind:

"always listen to your gut, that feeling at the pit of your stomach. its always right and always steers you in the right direction, even its not the popular choice. The right choice isn't usually the most popular one but you will always be steered on a good path if you listen to your gut."

"your height doesn't define you" even if people want to ridicule or if society sets the standard of beautiful:: as long and lean.

"you will actually LOVE your curves one day, yes, even your tush. and you husband will love them more than you do"

" your upper lip hair" you just wax it off no biggie

"you will come to love the fact that your mom made your clothes" looking back at pictures makes your heart fill with joy knowing your mom pretty much sewed every outfit you wore" and as you get older you realize "i don't want to be like everyone else i want to be me"

"so you never had the name brands" but you always and have always had so many loving, friends obviously, what you wore didn't matter and now you LOVE bargain shopping, especially at the Guild.

"you will never be the prettiest, the tallest, the thinnest, the best smile, the prettiest teeth, the funniest, the most popular, but you will always be you: To Thine Own Self be True. And that will make the you the strongest, happiest and wisest. (pretty sure wisest isn't a word...)

Since i don't have a girl i instantly think of my two beautiful nieces, Ella + Lily. I love them with all i have and i want to be an Aunt that they can look up to, to set an example of loving things about myself even when society says differently. I hope they see the confidence glow within me and in return lit in themselves. they are beautiful girls whose confidence now is at FULL SPEED. Ella is 5 and Lily is 7months and they only know confidence. Its our job as Mommas, Aunts, Grandma's , + Friends to keep this Confidence growing. We must fuel their confidence by example. These precious girls who love themselves now, will only begin to notice, take note of their "differences" once they step out into this big, cruel world. When someone at school makes a comment about clothes, or her hair, or her body shape or you name it. OR maybe they will be one of those who live in "luxury" and if thats the case I pray they learn humility, kindness and empathy towards others.

To all my Girl's: my sister, my momma, my other momma, my grami, my sisterinlaws, my nieces,my friends, my friend's daughers:: Rock whatcha got!!!

http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/10/to-thine-own-self-be-true.html

19 Months

happy 19month birthday, sweet boy. we love you. it makes my heart almost "ache" when i think of how much we love you. YOU complete us.when i sat down last night to write your birthday letter to you, i got teary thinking how fast you are growing.
the biggest change we've noticed this month is your language skills. you are quite the "chatterbox" as was/is Mommy. Big Hug, Love your Mama

Pumpkin Squishy Bags!

i have really gotten into "projects" to do with trey. i found this blog via my friend, Auntie Megan, www.thepoefam.blogspot.com. this blog has some great projects, she was a teacher like myself. and i noticed she did the ice watercolor activity too:)and while i don't hold a candle to this "super mom"(check out her FABULOUS lunches she makes for her son, her letter of the week activities,monthly FUN DAYS, she is amazing and much more organized than i will ever be!!)
i am, however, having a blast making our own "rendition" of the project. the point of this project is to show how different colors are made. Ex: red + yellow = orange. trey didn't really grasp that concept he just LOVED pouring in the food coloring, stirring the GOO, and squishing the goo in the bag! Great idea for a older toddlers.

GOO RECIPE:
4 cups of water
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup of starch
cook on medium heat for about 5min. and STIR the entire time until it thickens into GOO. Let cool.

the end result: think we poured in too much red.....