San Antonio Summer Trip

The first week of August we went on a short trip to San Antonio.  Lance, Kaden and I needed to get away for a few days before school officially started for me.  We really were excited to take Kaden to Sea World, and he had a great time.  We stayed at the Riverwalk in a nice hotel, and Kaden had his own bed, and he actually slept in it all alone the whole trip.  That was a nice treat! 

My boys on the Riverwalk one evening before dinner.

I thought these two pictures would be great, but of course, got no cooperation!  Oh Well! 

We met my sister Tonya and her family at Sea World or "Sea Weld" as Kaden loving refers to it, with her family.  We had the best day.  (Except the extremely nasty, hot day!)

Kaden LOVED the shows, we were so glad!
Cousins Lewis & Kaden had the best time together, but it was SO hot for little guys!

Riding a 'big boy ride'

Loving on his Aunt Tonya...

Kaden was not to sure of the LIVE Sesame Street Characters...

But, Lewis LOVED them!

A family picture...with my nephew Lewis...

Lewis and his Nana...

Some people never grow up!

Lewis and Cookie Monster...


We now know that you ALWAYS wear a swimsuit to Sea World!  And, take a dry set of clothes as well.  We didn't wear swimwear and the majority of the stuff on a 100 plus degree day is water!  DUH!  Now we know.  And now you know.  Come prepared to get wet!
Kaden LOVED the splash pad!






Then, we rode some more rides...


And some more shows...

I am thinking of cutting my hair this short again.  It has already grown out a lot and is getting to a BLAH place.  It was so easy and fun at this length.

Everyone, but me, the photographer...

The end of a very HOT day and we all took pictures before leaving the park..  This is A.J. and Lewis!

Let's just say that we may have almost got kicked out for this, but we had already exited the main park, this is outside their front gate, and Kaden wanted to ride Shamu.  And, I figured that as much as our Sea World tickets cost, we could at least let him get a ride in.  Ha! 

Kaden & Lewis plotting their moves...  :)






At this point we were approached by security.  Oops!  And, Kaden threw the biggest screaming fit of his life, and screamed until he fell asleep much later that night because he wanted to stay at 'Sea Weld!'  Bless his heart.

Tonya, A.J., and Lewis at the end of the day

I am so thankful we got to spend this great day with my sister and her family in San Antonio.  We had a great get away.  We are excited to go again next summer!

Sister Time

Over the past couple of months my sister, Tonya and I have spent a large amount of quality time together with our families.  Finally!  After her visit from Arizona on Easter weekend of this year, she went back home and decided Texas with her family was definitely home again.  So, after 5 years (or so) in Arizona, she officially moved to TEXAS!  Home at last!!!  I am so excited to have her near again.  We can actually get to each other in a few hours now if we need to.  Pretty nice. 
The boys, Kaden and Lewis, have loved playing together and getting to know each other at last.  Lewis just turned 5 and starts Kindergarten on Monday. 

These two boys work hard digging in the dirt!  They love it! 

Kaden will fill up an entire 5 gallon bucket with sand and his shovel and then dump it out and do it again.  So funny that he loves doing that.  I guess it's a boy thing!

Lewis likes to rake and maneuver the dirt around a little more than Kaden. 

But they are learning slowly but surely to work together.

This is Tonya and her fiance, A.J., they are so great together!


I am so thankful to have Tonya back!!!  Many family gathering to anticipate now!  I love you sister!

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

Oldies but Goodies

These pictures are a few months old.  But, I just love them and have to share them on here.  I am trying to play catch up.  This summer has been a whirlwind summer, actually this whole school year.  If you ever feel like you need to appreciate quality quiet time and free time, become an extra curricular teacher.  Whew!  I never dreamed what teaching Ag would entail.  As I begin year two as an Agriculture Science teacher and FFA Advisor, I feel a lot more prepared, a lot more confident, and much more knowledgeable about what I am getting myself into.  I am starting my sixth year as a teacher.  Time flies!  Especially when your busy!  Only 21 more years until I can retire from teaching.  Ha!  ( I choose to say Ha!  instead of Uuuggghhh! here.)
I can only imagine what the next 20 years in education hold, or if I can be held in education that long.  Only time will tell.  Now that I am completely off topic, here are the pictures that I LOVE of Hayden and Kaden.
These pictures are all the way back from Hayden's 2nd birthday in April, but I just LOVE them...





And finally, Hayden and Kaden sharing a 'Pop' in July at a play date at my house. 



Here's my little cowboy...

I may be partial, but he is so handsome...

These three pictures that follow are not good quality, but something we definitely want to remember about Kaden.  This is him riding his bull at JJ and Grand Daddy's house.  It is hilarious to watch! 



And finally some good quality summer swimming!  He LOVES the water!

I'll be playing catch up for a while!  More to come soon!

In Touch

I have been greatly impacted by a daily devotional study I have been reading for two straight years now.  There is a daily devotional lesson, a scripture of the lesson, and a read the bible in a year chapters to read at the bottom of each day.  And, that is exactly how I read my way through the Old Testament for the first time in my life two years ago.  It kept me on tract and gave me a goal to accomplish each day and motivation to keep reading daily, because I had to keep up or get behind with my reading.  I took three spiral notebooks FULL of notes over the Old Testament, because I didn't want to just read it, I wanted to know it, and have reference notes to go back and study further.  It's funny to me how you can read the Bible and then go back and read it again and get new, totally different lessons from the scriptures depending on what is going on in your life.  The Bible is incredible. 
I just wanted to share HERE the link to this great devotional I read each day.  It is completely free and sponsored by In Touch Magazine by Dr. Charles Stanley.  I can't say enough good things about the impact Dr. Stanley has made on my life.  I started out accidentally finding his radio broadcast on 100.7 FM out of Dallas while driving to work over 2 1/2 years ago.  He has a morning sermon from 7:30-7:50 each week day morning.  It was right during my commute to work.  I began to listen to this message every morning, and still do on my way to teach at school each day.  Some days it is all that gets me going and to school.  It has meant so much to me.  So, through this program I learned of the daily devotional magazine.  They mail it every month completely free.  All you have to do is go to intouch.org and sign up!  It's the best thing I have ever done to grow my relationship with God.  I am so thankful God had me listen on that first morning while driving to school.  Happy Studying!  You won't regret it!

Sweet Summertime.

What have we been up to?  Enjoying summer as much as we can with the extreme hot weather and drought conditions.  Lots of trips to 'town' to buy shaved ice treats.  Kaden loves Bahama Mamas, and says it so funny and cute.  This is Kaden going for a ride in the 'BIG TRUCK' with Daddy.  He LOVES the Big Truck!

This boy loves the summertime toys we have found to play with...

Some recent accomplishments:  1. Kaden is completely potty trained!  YAY, no more diapers!  2.  We have been four full days with no pa pa (pacifier).  They are gone!  Yip-he! 
I told Lance that the pacifier has been the hardest thing for me as a Mom to let go of because it just signifies to me that he isn't a baby anymore.  So sad for me.  He is growing up WAY to fast. 

Look at this cutie!  He always puts on his hard hat and rides around the house on his big truck, just like his Daddy. 

This little boy cracks me up!

 Kaden will get my mop from beside the back door and dip it in the outside dog water bowl and wash my car with it.  I don't know where he comes up with these things.

I can not even begin to describe the love, joy and laughter this little boy brings to my life. 

Our friends Megan and Hayden came over to play today, you can read her post here and see some more pictures of Kaden.