Happy 4th Birthday, Taylor!

Happy 4th Birthdy, Princess! May 17, has come and gone once again. I can not believe you are 4 years old! It feels like just yesterday I was bringing home my first little pink bundle. (Yes, Collin's the oldest, but he was a blue bundle) You have been 100% girl, 100% pink since day 1. I love your smile, your laugh, and your sassy personality that is sometimes a little too much like my own.
I had so much fun celebrating your birthday with a special "girl's day". I know that you will not want these specail days forever, so I will shower you with them until that day comes. I am so proud of how brave you were getting your ears pierced! The flower earrings you picked out sparkle like your pretty blue eyes.
And your finger nails and toes look beautiful! (Now, if we can somehow keep you from biting them?!?!)Everything about you is my favorite. I think God picked out all of my favorite things and put them together when he was creating you. I am so proud of the young lady you've become. You're a great big sister to Olivia. She is going to grow up lookin up to you, and I know you're going to teach her tons!
I love you more than you will ever know, Lovie. You light up my world!

Tiny Dancer

Taylor's dance recital was on May 23. She was great! I must say, she has some natural talent, that I am pretty sure she got from me. She was so excited all morning as we got ready for her big performance! I even let her wear some makeup!! Her hair was full of spray glitter, too...don't you worry! She was 100% ready to perform.
Her first performance was a ballet number. She wore a black leotard with a frog costume on top. She was the best little frog! She twirrled on count, and smiled on cue! Yep, like I said, she's a natural!
Her next number was a tap dance to "Colonel's March". She wore an adorable pink and purple tutu with silver "sparklies". The "sparklies" were itcihng her so we sprinkled some fairy dust..aka baby powder, on the itchy spots.
The finale summed up the theme, "We're going to the Zoo". She wore a zebra print hat. Tay earned a metal for 2 years of dancing. She wore it around proudly all day!!
I am one proud momma! I love watching my little girl twirl around on stage, enjoying every minute of it. Each time she took the stage, tears started to form in my eyes. I can't believe she is such a big girl!
The recital ended with Tay being showered with flowers, like every dancer should be after a fabulous performance! Now, I've just got to find a way to keep her from wearing the outfits every single day?!?!?

Moving Woes

Who knew that moving could be so stressful?!!? Dumb question, I know. I think everyone knows that moving can be stressful. I think the more important question is how could I possibly think that moving would not be stressful? I have been packing until I don't think I can pack anymore. I have thrown away bags and bags of random things and donated enough things to Salvation Army and Once Upon a Child that I could've opened my own little store. Yet, the stress is still calling my name loud and clear.
The thing that surprises me the most is how it's the little things that are the most stressful. I'm not stressed wondering if we've made a good decision, I'm not stressed thinking if I'm going to like my new neighbors. Nope, that stuff is not bothering me. I am confident that this house is wonderful and the people I've met seem nice, so far. I am stressed about what color to paint the walls. And do I want white bookshelves, or should I keep them brown? What about the couch...what direction should it be placed? Guest bath...hang up my mothers day gift, or sit it on the little table I plan to put in there?! Girls room, oh! Do I put the Dora kitchen on the back wall or by Tay's bed? See....crazy things. I am aware of that. However, these things are haunting me in my sleep! I am an organizer, a planner, a perfectionist. The fact that I can not simply close my head and see everything in its place is driving me insane! OCD? I think not! A tiny bit controlling? Nah! I know that in a little less than a month, everything will be in it's rightful place and I will then be able to sleep peacefully.

Happy Mothers Day!

I wanted to write about my Mother's Day sooner, but as our crazy days go, this is as soon as I could find a moment to remember a great day.
The kids spoiled me all weekend long! They LOVED it, too. All weekend they were telling me, "Happy Mothers Day" and hugging me, or kissing me. It was great! I hope they always love hugging and kissing me. Friday Collin gave me flowers he painted at school. Taylor made me a sweet book at school and a card with a handprint flower on the cover. She was so excited about the gifts that she gave them to me as soon as she hopped in the car! I also brought home a TON of flowers that my students showered me with for Teacher Appreciation. And although I received gorgeous flowers, none were as perfect as the ones from my babies.
Saturday was spent at Collin's soccer game, then at lunch with Gram and Dink at Burger House. That place is incredible! Their secret special seasoning is m'm, m'm, good!! Craig and the kids showered me with gifts later that evening...after being asked if I wanted to open gifts early, or wait until Sunday. Duh! Open gifts early! They bought me butterfly earrings from James Avery and they got me the statue things (nice description, I know) I've been wanting from Pier 1. I was one happy mommy!
Sunday was a very relaxing day. It included lunch at my favorite restaurant, Ojedas, and lots of love for mom. It was a very special day spent with my babies and fabulous husband.

It's a jungle out there...

Last Friday, April 23, 2010, I went to the Dallas Zoo with Collin and his Kindergarten class on a field trip. Oh my! That's all I can say...Oh my! It wore me out! 5 and 6 year olds have more energy than one can ever imagine!
We must have covered every square inch of the Zoo! We saw otters, alligators, snakes, lizards, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, anteaters, camels, owls....I can't name everything. The gorilla we saw was the biggest, hairiest thing I've ever seen. The kids continued to beat on the glass, right beside the big, sleeping beast, despite the big signs that said, "quiet in this area". Images of the gorilla waking up and coming through the glass filled my mind as I used my mommy/teacher voice to move the kids along. Though the gorilla was cool, and the snakes were scary, the favorite animal of the day was the ant eater. Yep! The long nose and super cute furry body won the kids over!
Lunch took place at the little pavilion, so we had shade. The boys ate their lunches in a record amount of time while the girls sat and chatted and tasted their food. Once the girls finished and the boys fed scraps to the random squirrels, we completed our Zoo experience.
For a day that started off with rain, it ended with sunshine and a ton of happy campers. I enjoyed every minute of the Zoo and I loved my special time with Collin!

Jerimiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope in a future." Jerimiah 29:11

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. It gives me the calm I need when days are crazy. This verse has been making a daily appearance in my mind lately. I think it's because we're going through a time of change in our house. Not bad change, but change is change. And, unfortunatly, with change comes stress.
I love my job. I love my students and the teachers that I teach with. However, I can't think of a school year where I have been more ready for summer than this one. I can not wait to spend more time with all of my kids. I can not wait to decorate our new house (don't worry, I'll blog all about the new house when the time is right). I can't wait to sleep in, drink coffee, watch Price is Right, and take naps in the middle of the day. Ahhh...summer.
So with all that said, I am very restless right now. I am ready for another wave of peace to spread over me. Until then, I have Jerimiah 29:11 to comfort me and to remind me that although I don't know the plans HE has for me, HE does.

Army Brat

Today Livie did a photo shoot in honor of her hero, her Daddy. She wore an adorable tutu and onesie that said, "Army Brat". She looked like a perfect little package with her over-sized bow on top!
Daddy has only seen the pictures I took with my camera, as I once again practiced my not-so-professional photography skills.(I don't even know how to set the date on the camera! Today is April 3, 2010, but the camera thinks it sometime in February-agh!)I know when he sees the "good" ones he will be so proud.
I know he thinks the pictures were just another excuse to get her dressed up. Although it doesn't take much to convince me to do this, this particular day of dress up meant a lot more to me. I want Olivia to grow up understanding what a hero her daddy is. I want her to know that he fought for her freedom and that because of the sacrifices he made, our country is a better place for her to grow up in.
He rarely talks about his time in the military. When he does talk about it, you can tell how much he loved being a part of something so much bigger than himself. I, personally, enjoy looking at the pictures he has from that time. I put together a photo album for him, and plan to create a scrapbook for him one of these days. He looks so handsome in the pictures....so strong, so proud. I don't think he'll ever realize how proud I am of him. which brings me back to my original point (befoe I get too sappy)...
Olivia took adorable Army pictures today. Taylor came with us for some coveted "girl time". She wore her new butterfly dress that Craig picked out for her and knew she looked super cute! She pranced around in my sunglasses begging me to take pictures of her. I took pictures of her, too, and some of my girls together. Just about everyone that past us stopped to tell me how beautiful my girls are. I couldn't agree more.