Happy Halloween Y'all!

I missed Halloween last year since I was on mission in Vienna, Austria. In fact, I remember crying when Marty sent me the pics of the kids last Halloween. I missed them so much and I hated not being there to watch them giggle and run from house to house gathering sweet treats. So, this year was very special for me as I was back with my little goblins for chili dogs and trick-o-treats! The only thing missing was J-Man. He had a party with some of his friends so we took some pics together before he left for the night. As usual, we ate chili dogs at the Reck's house and then stepped out into the neighborhood for trick-o-treating. The girls have so much candy it might last us until next Halloween. I felt so blessed to be back with my family this Halloween. After all...there's no place like home!

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National Junior Honor Society

On Monday, October 11th, Jack was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society for Dowell Middle School. This is quite an honor and recognizes Jack for scholarship, leadership, citizenship, character, and service. We are so proud of J-Man and the man he is growing to be.

Our Mini Bailadora

Lily and Brylee showing a little pre-preformance attitude!


On Thursday October 14th, Lily got to be a Mini-Bailadora. As the drill team for Boyd High School here in McKinney, the Bailadoras are National Champions in dance. And Lily dreams of becoming one someday. On the night of the pre-game performance, Lily was in complete and total awe of the Bailadoras. As we walked up to the stadium she said, "Oh Mommy...I am SOOOOOO gonna be a Bailadora!"



She totally adored her Bailadora buddy named Darby(who coincidentally looks remarkable how I imagine Lily will look at 16..scary thought!)



The girls danced a lively routine to the theme song from Big Time Rush. I loved watching Lily dazzle us with her moves and her smile was as bright as the sun as she performed.

Great Job Lulu! Here's hoping all your dreams come true!

Ladybug Soccer

Sofie was so excited to play soccer this year and we are delighted about the team on which she was placed. A perfect dynamic of fun and competition makes this group of girls a great place for our little Bug to learn how to play one of her favorite sports.



It will come as no surprise to most of you that Sofie is fierce and fast! She zips all over that field and seems to be there at just the right time to defend her team's goal.

Team co-captian Sofie wins the coin toss... Ready to run...

Sofie played the position of "sweeper" for part of the game. She had several saves and kept the opposing team from scoring. Offensively she managed to make one goal and had one near miss.



While she is a great defensive player, and enjoys being the Sweeper at times, it is fun to watch Sofie play offensively as well.




Huddled under a blanket on a cold fall morning. It was the last game of the season and we were the first match of the day. Brrrrrr....



Team celebration of a great season with DONUTS!


That's what little girls are made of...



The Ladybugs had a winning season, but more than that Sofie discovered a love for Soccer that she can take with her long after the season ends. And I confess, I LOVE beinga "Soccer Mom"...Go Ladybugs!!

Sofie's Baptism

Okaloosa Island, Florida 2010

I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.--Psalm 42:7-8

We decided to spend our Labor Day weekend on the white beaches of Okaloosa Island, Florida.






Every morning we enjoyed watching dolphins swim past our condo. It is the best place I know to have a cup of coffee.







During an early morning walk on the beach with my girls, we saw a dolphin swimming not more than 20 feet off shore, as well as about a dozen blue crabs in the shallow waters right next to the shore. It was so wonderfully peaceful watching the sun rise over the fishing pier and listening to the beach "wake up".






We found a wonderful beach for family pictures that just happened to be a perfect place for shelling. While we were there we found dozens of beautiful whole shells. It was a lovely surprise adventure.




One evening on the Okaloosa Pier, we saw two dolphins playing. One jumped into the air and did a flip for us. What a show off!










Marty rented a kayak and took the kids out for a boat ride on the gulf. Lily and Marty ended up in the middle of a pod of dolphins and Sofie and Marty saw Flying Fish jump right over the front of the boat. Jack, however, felt pretty jipped because all he got to see was algae. Sad day for Jack. ha! In an effort to make it up to Jack, Marty took him out for an extra ride. What a guy.









Our final night, Marty and I took in a beautiful sunset together while Jack got one final swim with his boogie board and the girls made a "sand condo" complete with a parking lot. ha!










This was our second year in a row to take in the beauty of our favorite island paradise. A weekend of walks on the beach, sand castles, boogie boards,and dolphins was just what our family needed. It was a perfect way to end a wonderful summer.

1st Day of School 2010

Sofie-1st grade, Lily-3rd grade, Jack-7th grade

Well, it's that time again. Back to School! After weeks of anticipation, all three kids are starting a new year. Summer has gone by so fast, but I confess I am ready for a routine again. And the kids are suffering from a little too much "togetherness". A little school should be a good remedy for that!


We started the day with the kids' favorite...chocolate chip pancakes. Nothing like a little sugar rush to get the kiddos moving in the right direction. Their teachers can thank me later. Ha!



Change is very hard for Sofie. Even if it is good change. She was having a hard time convincing herself that going to school was a good idea. In this picture, she is trying so hard not to cry.


But, Sofie's scooter seemed to be the right distraction to keep her from entertaining her fears. Her smile seemed to return as she scooted off towards the school.


And knowing that big brother Jack was looking out for them certainly put a smile in Lily and Sofie's hearts. He volunteered to walk with them to school. What a guy!


Sugar and Spice ready for a great new year!


Jack's school started a bit later than the girls. He enjoyed having a little downtime before starting his day.


Off he goes!


We are so blessed to have our kids in such excellent schools and we pray that this year is another filled with friendship, laughter, learning,and discovery!