Small Town Life

We had our annual Dove Festival last weekend.

It started with a Character Dress Up day and the Little Cheerleaders performing at the pep rally and football game.

Emma was a blue bird and Landon was a Scout.

Emma did so good performing at the pep rally and football game! She also got a pic with her cheerleader buddy.

It was so much fun! Then Saturday kicked off the festival. We had our Cub Scouts in the parade. 

The kids got to play at the festival and landon got to see a friend of his who has been in China with his parents doing missionary work.

Then Sunday was capped off with a Southern gospel band that sang at our church. They were awesome!

Had so much fun but I need a weekend to recoup from my weekend!! 

Sunday Thoughts...

1) I like it MUCH better if I have nothing to do but church on Sunday. That way I get in my weekly nap and some football. 

2) seeing your husband happy to fulfill a dream, makes you happier than anything.

 3) Realizing you have to discipline yourself to keeping with a budget, is both humbling and freeing. Because knowledge is power to change your circumstances.

4) A surprise divine salted caramel truffle from your co-worker, will make your week.

5) Cowboys win!!!! Whoo-HOO!!!!

6) Sometimes doing dishes is overrated. Sleep is much better. 

7.  Fall colors for manicures make me happy, happy,  happy.

8) I will be one of those moms that will ALWAYS check on their kiddos when they sleep. 

9) Emma still wants me to sing the song "Baby Mine" before she goes to bed. It made me cry tonight to think one day she won't.

10) Half day Friday's to take kiddos to eye dr and do some shopping, is something to look forward to.

Gratitude will melt away fears you have. Turn to God and thank him for your blessings.

My First Born...

This kiddo holds my heart. He is so serious, funny, quiet, and is a wonderful, insightful boy.

He loves history. Right now we are sitting here watching the History Channel. He loves anything to do with history and will watch history shows for hours. 

Although I don't want him to grow up too fast, look forward to our years together to see the man he will become. 

I Want To Be Sassy...

Today I was watching a little girl walk down the hall. She had a little bounce in her walk and smiled like "Yup, I'm me and I LIKE it!!"

I see it in my daughter. How she lights up when something interests her, or the way she giggles at certain things, and how she dresses. Oh heavens how she dresses!!  She knows who she is, she is Emma. She loves glittery girlie stuff, but the girl can cast a fishing pole further than some grown men. She loves coloring but will go out and be covered head to toe in mud.  She is confident and wonderful.

I want to tell her don't lose that. When someone tries to convince you that this skirt doesn't go with that shirt, or girls don't do that, I want to tell her not to listen. 

I'm sure other women can relate. Somewhere along the way to adulthood we lost that sparkle, that gleam in our eye that was our spirit. Life kicked us around, knocked us down, and tried to snuff out that sparkle, that confidence that shimmers below the rough exterior we had to put up to survive. 

I don't know about you, but seeing that little girl today, watching my daughter, it made me realize how much I miss that and want it back.

I want to tell my daughter and other girls, and especially myself, be yourself, and let others have a bouncy walk, a boho/hipster style or whatever they want, build others up, don't tear them down. Keep that sparkle...always keep that sparkle 

Back to School

Monday was our first day back to school. We of course had to take a picture by our pecan tree as we've done each year.  

Can't believe my oldest is in 4th Grade!! Where does the time go!!

See..every now and then they do like each other...

Landon and I after we dropped off Emma

My big 1st Grader...they are getting so big! 

End of Summer

Well it's the last weekend before school starts. It's bittersweet because as much as I love the lazy days of summer I'm looking forward to some structure and routine and fall. My FAVORITE time of year is fall, the crisp air, football, and the leaves changing. 

Here's some random pics of our summer in celebration of it coming to an end. 

 Our moms were friends, we were friends, and now our girls are friends. Gotta love it!!

Our vacation to California was awesome. It was so much fun! Yosemite and Seqouia national parks were beautiful and Santa Cruz beach & boardwalk were awesome!

A few weekends ago we went down to port aransas for Damon's birthday. It was SO MUCH FUN! We got to stay and catch up with Damon's brother and sis in law. We ate at adult restaurants (NO mcdonalds), went to the beach, shopping, and just a nice adult weekend. Want to do it again soon!!

Jessi's bachelorette party back in June was a blast! I don't get to hang out with these girls that often but when I do, I always have so much fun!!

At the beginning of summer Emma starred in the Jungle Book for our community theater. It was so much fun and so adorable! It also brought back the acting bug I used to have, so I'm looking to get back into theater. 

It was definitely an AWESOME summer. We are so blessed with family and friends and the experiences we share. Goodbye Summer, we will see you again next year!

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for many things...

...cooler temps and a nice breeze in July

...a quite night alone with my hubby a homemade omelet and a movie 

...weekend plans to look forward to with family and friends

...coffee with buttered pecan creamer 

...fresh vegetables from a garden

Just a few things to be thankful for today...

Family vacation

We went on a major family vacation this year. We drove to California. It was so much fun! We went to Yosemite and Seqouia National park. And to the beach and boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

We had a blast. The kids talk about seeing the largest tree in the world, the General Sherman, playing on the beach, and playing at the arcade. The mountains were absolutely beautiful. And we visited some family in New Mexico on our way there. 

4th of July

Our 4th of July was spent rather low key. We went out to a friends house, talked, laughed, and watched kids play with fireworks. When it got dark we popped some bigger ones. We had a blast!!

Pics from The Jungle Book

She was an excellent elephant and each night it got better & better! Loved it! 

Summer Slow Down???

When school was close to getting out, I thought YES, finally Summer with it's slower days, and not as much to do.  HA! The joke was on me. It's only two weeks in and I feel like we've been on summer break for a month. (But I'm not wishing it go any faster, nope).

We've had trips to the lake, church, play practices, swim parties, VBS, football camp, and Summer Tumbling, and not to mention friends over at our house for sleepovers.

I'm bittersweet over the ending of one commitment.  Emma was asked to be a part of the summer play that our local theater puts on. This year they are doing The Jungle Book.  She is Emma the Elephant.  The play is so adorable and consists of a few adults in some of the roles and then mostly kids in the other roles.  We have parrots, monkeys, elephants, wolves, and a bear and a panther.  We are having the play the next three days. I've always loved doing theater but with kids commitments, working, and other things I haven't set foot on a stage in years.  I had to fill in for one of the characters the other day, and I forgot how much I LOVED the theater.  So even though we've been at rehearsal 3 days a week for the past few weeks and yes we've been busy, it's been a lot of fun. 

Dress rehearsal

And here is Landon getting in a groove at VBS

Football camp shot..he's the one in a full sprint.

Here's to a little slower paced summer after this weekend! I'm ready for lazy evenings, swimming after work, playing games and watching movies. 

Field Trip

We took a Field Trip for the Cub Scouts today to the Ft. Worth museum of Science and History. I had fun and hope they did too!

And I think we wore em out