Better Together

Mutton Bustin at the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo

2010-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Tristan was nominated by his school, San Angelo Christian Academy, to be in the Mutton Bustin' Contest at our local Stock Show and Rodeo on the opening night. He was so excited to participate. Here are the pictures from the night.

Good to Go!

Getting fitted with his Gear:

Now all he needed were his Chaps his Uncle Matt bought him a while back:

Cheering on the Cowboys:

Pop Pop and Chris came to watch him ride, along with Pop and Pam, Heather B.'s Dad, Jana, John, Ashley, and Wayne.

Finalizing his gear before he goes back for the contest.

I love you!

The ride of his life:

Great Job Cowboy!

Waiting on the others to finish their ride:

He got 3rd place!!! We are so proud!!!

His trophy! As soon as he got home, it went straight on his trophy shelf.

Time with Cousins over the last two weekends...

2009-09-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Anytime any of these kids get together, the day is full of fun and excitement. Check out a few pictures of the fun I have watching them eat, play, and craft....

MY TIME WITH "MINI ME"....
BREAKFAST

LUNCH

WE HAVE COLOR TABLETS FOR BATHS, THE KIDS ALL LOVE THEM!

RELAXING IN OUR BOXERS

AND THE THREE MUSKATEERS...
PLAYING CHECKERS

FUNNY FACES

BOYS WORKING ON THE PUMPKIN PROJECT

DONUTS IN THE MORNING (RITUAL WE DO EVERYTIME THEY ARE WITH US)

FUN AT HOBBY LOBBY WHILE PICKING OUT CRAFTS TO DO

PLAY THEY DID FOR ME WITH THIER MASKS AFTER PROJECTING

THANKS TO KK, JIMBO AND ASHLEY FOR LETTING US BORROW YOUR KIDS FROM TIME TO TIME!

Grandparent's Day

2009-09-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

GRANDPARENTS

Few can bring the warmth
We can find in their embrace,
And little more is needed to bring love.
Than the smile on their face.

They've a supply of precious stories,
Yet they've time to wipe a tear,
Or give us reasons to make us laugh,
They grow more precious through the years.

I believe that God sent us Grandparents
As our legacy from above,
To share the moments of our life,
As extra measures of His love.

~Author Unknown~

Even though you were not all able to be there to share in this lunch with him, I still wanted to tell you all...
Thanks for being such wonderful Grandparents to our son!!!

Tristan was a lucky Little Man to have three of his grandparents join him for a lunch at school. He had planned a special book for each of them and a little something as well. Ojo, Otto, and PopPop all met him at his school for a fun lunch and family time. Once there, he gave them his books he made for them and their gift. He made sure to read the books to them so that they knew what he had written about them.

Time With Daddy

2009-09-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tristan spent most of his summer with his Daddy, Heather B and Lilly. They were gracious enough to take pictures and send them to me to show you how his summer went. I am so sorry I have been so busy and hadn't had time to post them until now.

They hung out on the Ranch a lot, but they did have lots of play time too. Tristan learned how to drive a dune buggy with Daddy. They camped out in a tent in the yard. Lilly turned 1 and is now walking and talking. And so much more. Here are the pictures I have gotten from them to share with you all:

Delay in Posting...

2009-08-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting. This summer was crazy busy and we are just now getting settle dback into our school year rountine. I will be posting pics soon, so keep your eye out....

-Heather

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-25T09:26:00.001-07:00

Happy Early Birthday to Me...

2009-06-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

So Chris (my boyfriend) decided to plan ahead (four days before my actual birthday, in order to keep me on my toes)and gave me a surprise Birthday Party . He was so sweet and so thoughtful about doing it too.
We always meet for Thursday night bible study at his house. Except this week, there would be no studying. He started to teach like normal, but then all of the sudden, here comes a cake. Then here comes a second cake. It totally caught me off guard! He was the first person besides my mom to bake me a gluten-free cake. He is a great cook, but chooses to keep his chef skills at bay, except for special occasions. This time, it was my special occasion and he did a marvelous job! (Mom, you would be so proud!)

After cake, I got to open my gifts from him. I just had to show you how he did them, since he is all too creative and thoughtful in how he did it. Don't worry, you will see exactly what I mean in the pictures.

The First one I opened said "RADIANT...how I imagine you look wearing this" and it was a pearl necklace. The second one said "GORGEOUS...upon your skin" and was a matching pearl bracelet. The last box said "BLESSED...that you are mine" and was the earrings. It couldn't have been more sweet. (He is and has always been very thoughtful in the notes he writes for me or the cards he gives me from time to time.)

Here is what they looked like on me.

After everyone left, Tristan came up to me with a card. I had him sit with me to read it to me (he is learning to read more and more each day, so the practice is good for him).

I am very blessed to have so many people surrounding me that are so thoughtful and caring!!! I am also blessed to have such a wonderful and caring Family!!

Happy 6th Birthday Little Man!

2009-06-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, he is officially Six now. Hang on, my head is spinning....

Ok, so now that I feel old and he is glad he is another year older, here are a majority of the pictures from his party. You can click on the slideshow to make is full screen is you would like to view it bigger.

Also, you can click here to go to where the pictures are stored, if you would like to save some of them for your photo albums.

Thanks to everyone for helping make this a success and for coming to support my Little Man!!! I know he was excited that his Dad and almost all of his Dad's side of the family (including some of Heather B's family) come to the party!

Love you all!

Time at Memaw's and PopPop's House

2009-06-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Boy does he love to go visit Memaw and PopPop! Everytime we go there he gets to play with PopPop and Read with Memaw. He also loves to play with my Nephew! Here are a few snapshots of our last trip down there for Memorial Day Weekend.

My nephew is growing up so fast and is so Handsome!

Coloring at Chili's

While Uncle Jim was distracting them, I got to color a little too....

Finally, another Left handed person! I am so proud!!!

All he was missing was a monkey (I guess Little Man could have filled that role...)

So sweet! I love his dimples!!

Memaw and Her "Buddy"

PopPop always was a good person to rock with...I never took me long to fall asleep either...

Two Kindergarden Graduations in Two Days!

2009-06-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

Let me start this blog by apologizing for the tardiness of this post. My computer decided to give out on me right after the graduation parties for both Little Man and my niece and I have been unable until now to get the part I needed to get it up and going.

Almost two weeks ago, my Niece and my Son graduated from Kindergarden. We were all so very proud of them! So thumb up to the graduates of Kindergarden 2009!!! YEAH!!!

Here is the only other Star that wasn't in either of the shows:
My Niece with her diploma - I am so proud!!! :)

The whole family
Two amigos, the third was playing...
PopPop and his "Angel"
So precious!!
Little Man in the robe...this is the only time I cried and he didn't even know it...
So handsome!!!
Getting his diploma...
I am so proud of him!!!
SACA Kindergarden Class of 2009
The three amigos!
Little Man with Mom and Dad:
PopPops "Buddy"
Little Man with his Teachers:

They really do grow up too quick!!!

SACA at Unidad Park

2009-05-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

Little Man's School went to Unidad park yesterday morning to play for two hours, then they sat down for a picnic lunch. I left work just in time to join them and share T's lunch with him. When I got there, they were saying prayer. It was too precious! What a sweet group to be with!!

Water Day at School

2009-05-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Since it is the last day of school and the kids are getting restless. SACA tries to do something for at least 2 hours each day the last week of school. Water day was this Monday and I took a late lunch to go enjoy some time with him and his class. Here are some pictures I took while I was there.

Family Time

2009-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

We spent the weeked with Family a couple weeks ago and I just hadn't had time to put the pictures up, but here they are. The kids love each other so much and enjoy each other's company very much.

We all met for Donuts on Saturday morning, then hung out at the park for a while.

A little icing never hurts :)

How many can PopPop's lap hold??
This is where it all began!
One monkey,
Two monkeys
Three monkeys total!

So beautiful!

After Mom and Dad left town, Jim's kids came home with me and went to SACA's Magic Show. Ryann got called on stage and did a marvelous job!

(Garry Carson and Kelsey Kara of Carson Entertainment)

Summer Fun Tournament

2009-04-28T14:28:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, the boys entered their first soccer tournament. They played three games and won two of three. Little Man scored a goal too! I was so very proud of all the boys for hanging in there. For never playing more than one game a day, they kept up very well.

Little Man had quite the cheering section for the day. His Dad, Heather, and Lilly came to to town this time for his weekend with them. They cheered for him for all three games. I know he loved having them there. His Ojo, Spencer's Mom, also came for the last game and motivated him to "get in there and get the ball."

Here are a few pictures I snapped in between cheering:

He was so proud of his trophy! We were so proud of all the boys!

And He Is Back in the Game....

2009-04-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, So I am slow sometimes at posting.....but here are a few pictures from the last two soccer games that Little Man has had. So far they remain undfeated this season. YEAH!! We do have a tournament this Saturday (tomorrow - three games total: 10am, 12pm, and 3pm) if you are nearby and want to cheer his team on.

Easter Pictures in Sunday Best

2009-04-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

The boys had so much fun together. They love each other like brothers. They even look like it. That is a great thing!

Easter Egg Hunt at Memaw and PopPop's

2009-04-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

We decided to let the boys hunt eggs at Mom and Dad's new house in the backyard. Even though they are not moved in there yet, it has a big backyard and was perfect for the occasion. The boys had so much fun and my nephew got the hang of it really quick!

I hope you had as much fun as we did!!

Decorating the Eggs with his 17 mo. old Cousin

2009-04-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

It was a blast for Dad, Little Man and I to dye easter eggs and decorate them with my nephew! It was my nephew's first time and he loved it!! Here are a few pictures of it all.

After that was done, the boys were wore out, so they decided to relax together...

Easter Fun at School

2009-04-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics I took at his school Easter Egg Hunt. on Thursday:

SPRING BREAK IN KERRVILLE DAY #6

2009-03-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today since my nephew didn't have day care he had to go to, the two bys played all morning and even layed together while watching Imagination Movers. It was so cute we had to take a couple of pictures to share.

After my nephew woke up from his mid-morning nap, Mom and I decided to take them to Up-N Jacks in Kerrville for a few hours to tire them out some more. Mom had got them matching shirts and Little Man had asked if they could wear them to town. They looked so cute!

I was hoping to get a break, but by now my nephew was use to having me climb in and out with him, so I put on some socks and went in for fun. This place is nothing but a huge 1100+ sq. ft. room with multiple blown up mazes, bounce houses, obsticle courses, sports corners, etc. Here are the pictures mom took while we were there. I do have a few videos from her phone, if I can get them to upload on here.

We will head back to San Angelo tomorrow when Dad and KK get back. I have so enjoyed being here!

SPRING BREAK IN KERRVILLE DAY #4 and #5

2009-03-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

DAY #4 -- So, my Mother had taken a few close ups of Little Man's face and mine while painted. We came straight back to Kerrville in time to eat dinner and didn't have time to wash our faces, so needless to say, Mom took some pictures of her own and you can see them better on hers. I have been told now by two different people we should have gotten a close up picture, so here are the ones Mom took. Please rememer we were going on 8 hours with the makeup on so T's had been smudged a little by now. Also, please ignore my big nose in my profile shot, for it is not my best feature.

Also, I took the boys to play pretend race car driving and Mom snapped a picture of them before we left.

DAY #5 -- Today was a relaxing day. We hung out at Mom and Dad's house, then when it was time to pick my nephew up from his day care, we headed to town to take the boys to another playground. Once again, I got to be a kid (my nephew doesn't like heights but wants to go where my son does, so I get the pleasure of helping him climb on things and slide on things). I LOVE IT! Mom took pictures here and there and sent them to me so we could share with you. Enjoy -

We ended our afternoon with me giving Little Man a haircut. My nephew enjoyed playing outside around us as I finished up the haircut.

SPRING BREAK IN KERRVILLE DAY #3 and #4

2009-03-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I fell behind a day since Little Man and I decided to stay in San Antonio for the night and save trip for Day #4. Sorry!

DAY #3 -- We met two of my dearest friends, Rowdy and Catherine, and their daughter after Catherine's Doctor's appointment. We met at her doctor's office in order to let the kids see each other a little longer. They played in the waiting room for about an hour while they monitored the baby and did blood work on Catherine. Catherine is extremely prego and they found out at her doc appointment yesterday that they will need to go ahead an induce her this Saturday at 6:30am. We had originally planned on meeting up after the appt and then taking the kids bowling, but since the appt ran late, we missed open bowling and they had already started league bowling. So, we ate at Macaroni's and then went to see about movies. By this time, Catherine was getting tired of the long day (and rightfully so), so we just decided to part ways so they could drive back to Kyle, TX and rest. Man, I forgot how much I missed them. Little man and I are currently trying to decide whether or not to go ahead and stay down here until the baby is born, or whether we should go ahead and go back so he doesn't miss his first soccer game of the season. Since the time with Rowdy and Catherine was cut short, I never had time to stop and take pictures. If we stay, I will do just that on Saturday.
After our friends left town, we met up with another friend, Scott, whom was graqcious enough to let us hang out with him for the rest of the evening and even more so let us crash at his place. We always stay with him when we are down there. He is a really neat guy and a blast to hang out with. Some day I will get a picture of him on here if he will let me...

DAY#4 -- It was an early morning for the first time this vacation. We got up early and headed to get breakfast at McDonald's (little man's choice). He wanted their hot cakes and I wasn't going to tell him No, since I LOVE their hashbrowns.

Once we were full to the max, we headed to Sea World for a day of Mother and Son fun. Yup, this time it was just us and we had a blast! We even had our faces painted..because you are "not cool if you don't get your face painted" (per little man)! We decide to stay out of the water park and ride parts of Sea World since it was his first time to go. We hit every show they had and went in all the animal exhibits instead. We really had fun. I had Little Man pick the pictures he liked best to try to limit the amount we post on here. They are smaller than normal, but remember, if you want to see the full screen view, you can just click on the picture and it will bring it up for you.

We are now back in Kerrville and went to eat dinner at our favorite restaurant here, Mamacita's. It is an awesome mexican restaurant. Omi (my grandmother), Memaw and PopPop (my mother and father) and my nephew all ate, then came home to let the boys play until bed time.

Hope you all had a good day too!!!

SPRING BREAK IN KERRVILLE DAY #2

2009-03-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day with Mom. Yesterday was spent with KK and Little Man, but today was with Mom. We decided last minute to drive to San Antonio to take Little Man to the Palladian IMAX Theatre to see the movie he had been begging to see since last Friday. He really enjoyed Race to Witch Mountain. Mom and I did too! After we watched it, we drove back to Kerrville to pick up my nephew (KK's Son) and took the two boys to two different parks to play while the sun was still up. They both had a blast, but since My Nephew is a little bit terrified of hights, I had to climb with him and help him get to where Little Man was. I can't complain too much...it was fun being a kid for a few hours. Here are a few pictures from the parks.

SPRING BREAK IN KERRVILLE DAY #1

2009-03-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

THANK GOODNESS FOR MULTI-CHEM! I LOVE MY JOB! I ALSO LOVE VACATIONS WITH FAMILY! My wonderful employer has allowed me to take one week of much needed vacation to hang out with my Handsome Son and my Wonderful Family in Kerrville! I have been so excited to be able to hang out with my family without it only being a day or two at a time.

While down here, we will be doing all kinds of fun things to make this vacation fun for everyone. I will be updating the webpage as we go so that you can follow in the fun.
We got here late last night, but managed to get up early and started this vacation off with fun, fun, fun...

Today we loaded up and headed to San Antonio to go Ice Skating. It was his first time and at first he was apprehensive, but by the time we left, he was doing great. I was so proud of him!
We had just started out here...

KK showing us all how to skate backwards...(I still have trouble doing this...grrr..)
KK working with Little Man
Me working with Little Man
SO MUCH FUN!!!! WISH YOU WERE HERE!!!
Little Man and KK's son took a bath together a little while ago and we had fun watching them in the tub. I bet you will like the last two photos of them in the bath tub the best...

Sitting with his PopPop.

Stayed tuned for Day #2 fun. Miss you all, but so glad to be home again!

More Time With Little Man's Best Friends (a.k.a. his Cousins)

2009-03-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

There is nothing Little Man loves more than Hanging out with his Cousins, except crafting and building with his cousins. They have had several fun slumber parties in the last two months. Two at my house, and one at My Brother's house. Here is one fun projects we did at my house.

These below are when we met up after his sleepover at my Brother's house at Home Depot to build race tracks. Ashley and I had a few laughs of our own that morning....right Ashley??? lol...Next time we read the instructions first before helping the kids build there Workshop Projects.

Family and Basketball - A GREAT COMBINATION

2009-02-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from a couple games ago when my Mom, Sister, and Nephew came down. My Niece was there to cheer to, since she had spent the night the evening before. See the post from yesterday for more info on the sleepover.

I love being a Sports Mom. It gives me more reasons to cheer my son and tell him how proud I am of him!!!

Sleepover with His Best Friend

2009-02-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

T had a sleepover not too long ago with his best friend! He just adores his cousin and it was a shame her brother was ill, because it would have been even better if they both could have joined in the fun. The kids lined out our night of fun with baking of Valentine's Cookies and making bags to carry their new Bibles (I bought all three older kids one for Christmas) to church in. Then it was off to bed, but not without dancing and brushing their teeth to the Lion King's theme song played by Little Man's tooth brush.

Here are a few pictures we took during the evening:

Little Man and I are hoping both kids can spend the night this Friday since it was so much fun last time.

Upwards Basketball Team

2009-01-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

Little Man is now playing Upwards Basketball. His team name is the Cardinals. He is really good at it and loves to steal the ball and dribble. Here are a few shots from his Game on January 10th. (I know I am a little late in posting, but I have not had much time to do it until now.) His Dad, Stepmom, and little sister, along with his Ojo came to Cheer him on.

In one of the pictures, you can see the shirts that T and I made for the family to wear to his games. We spent all day on the Saturday prior making them and they really turned out great!

He has a game every Saturday In January and February at 9 am, so if you are in the neighborhood and feel like cheering him on, let me know. We would love to have you!

Saturday Crafting with Tristan

2009-01-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Well, T wanted to do a project, but the one they were doing at Home Depot was not one he really wanted to do this time. So, we made a trip to Michaels and picked up a craft project for the two of us to do at home. He bought a airplane project and we worked on it as soon as we got home. T also thought it would be fun for us to make his cousin some puppets, so we decided that could be our second project for the weekend. I started on them while T was putting his airplane together. Then, while it was drying he helped me on the puppets. Once the airplane dried, he went outside to paint it exactly how it should be. Here is some snap shots to show you what fun we had:

We always try to do at least one fun "out of the ordinary" project on the weekends we spend together. It makes for a fun time and good memories.

Later in the afternoon, we played basketball together, read together, and then I watched T ride his scooter Santa brought him for Christmas.

I love days like that! We really love spending time together!

Christmas and T finally back Home!

2009-01-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

It wasn't my Normal Christmas this year....Tristan went to his Dad's for the whole holiday for the first time. Adjusting to not seeing him on Christmas was not a fun ordeal for me. But, T had a good time with his Dad and I had decided to travel to Kerrville to hang out with my family. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in the Honea Homes!

My Mom, Dad, KK, KK's son, Gammy (Mom's Mother), Aunt Leslie (Mom's sister), Uncle Brent, and their three kids hung out for two and a half days. We played lots of games, visited, and ate lots! I love getting together with Mom's family because we always play tons of games. We even got the Wii out for some fun! Somehow, KK managed to talk Gammy into playing too. It was the funnest time we have had together. They kept me plenty busy, that is for sure...

Here is a slideshow of the pictures from my visit to Kerrville and Christmas Morning:

I was glad that I got to spend my Christmas amongst my family, but I was very glad when T came back home on Wednesday the 31st. I had planned for my parents, KK, KK's son, and Omi (Dad's Mom) to come to San Angelo to help me welcome him back home. He was so excited to see everyone that he kept saying thank you and hugging on everyone. I finally had my Christmas with T that same evening. Since it was New Year's Eve, we all stayed up late, except for KK's son since he was put down to sleep earlier, and then KK and T since they fell asleep watching a movie. Mom, Omi and I were making jewelry then decided to join Dad in watching a movie. The next morning, we all got up early, and headed for Jim's house to have Christmas with all the Honea Grandkids. It was so much fun seeing them all play together. They really love each other and get along great!

Here is a slideshow of pictures from Christmas with Tristan and with all the Honea Grandkids:

I hope you all had a Joyous Holiday and I wish you Many Blessings this New Year!!!

Multi-Chem Christmas at the Gaylord Texan - Dec 19th-21st

2008-12-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

This year Multi-Chem (the Company my Brother and I work for) decided to throw a Company-Wide Party to celebrate the 15th Birthday of the Company by hosting a celebration for all of it's employees at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX.

We were given Friday (the 19th of December) off to travel down to the Gaylord Texan. Chris and I rode up there and back with some really good friends Jon & Janice. It made for a relaxing and enjoyable ride.

Once there, we all settled into our rooms and had until Saturday night to do whatever we desired. So, the four of us decided to join up with 3 other couples for dinner at PF Chang's. My Brother and his wife were also among the couples we ate with. After dinner, we decided to go meet up with some other couples we knew at the Glass Cactus. They had a band that played 80's Music. We stayed there for a bit, then decided to walk around to see what all the Hotel had to offer. There was so much to see, we didn't know where to start. The scenery inside was amazing! There were several restaurants and tons of shops! This place was almost like a town!

We got up on Saturday mid morning and decided to go to the Grapevine Mills Mall. After eating, and plenty of window shopping, we decided to go back to the Gaylord Texan to take some daytime pictures of all the neat things. (It was really hard to decide what pictures to show you, since there were so many neat things, but please realize that ALL of this is inside the Hotel...)
The main walkway in the center of the Hotel. It leads to the shops and restaurants.

One of the many train tracks they had going on inside the Hotel.
Me in front of some Poinsettias along one of the many paths.

This is only one of the valleys along the paths...

Here is another one...

This was one of the many restaurants inside the Hotel. The balcony to my room faced this restaurant.

On the way to the Celebration, they had many set ups with our company names and pictures. Here is one of them.

Cocktail hour began at 6:30, then at 7:15 the doors opened to the Texan Ballroom and Dinner was served at 7:30.

They had a photographer there to take our pictures as we came in. Since we don't get those back until Jan 9th, here is a snapshot of Chris and I (taken by me lol..)

Following dinner, Collin Raye (with Guests, the Wilson Sisters) played while many danced.

Here is what the room looked like behind me from where I was sitting. We ended up being two rows back from the stage and to the right. As you can see, it was huge and we had over 1100 people packed in it.

One of the many shots I got of him while he was singing.

Another side view of the stage.

James Archer (the owner of Multi-Chem, along with his Wife Lois) sang a song with Collin for us. I managed to record it. He did very well and you can tell that Collin thought so too... I wanted to upload it on here, but the file was too big. I will try to find a way to link it into this so you can enjoy it too.

At the end, they did have a mechanical bull for anyone who wanted to ride. I never did get on it, but I was told my brother rode it 4 times and Jon rode it once. Even one of the Executives of the company rode it.

It was a late, but very fun, evening amongst friends. Everyone I talked to seemed to have had a blast, including Chris and I. Thanks Multi-Chem and the Archer Family!

On Sunday morning, Chris and I met up with Christi, a very Sweet Dear Friend and Co-worker for breakfast, then on to the Ice Show. We had heard about it so much, we had to check it out for ourselves! It was freezing cold, since they had to keep the rooms at 9 degrees to keep the ice from melting. I took a ton of pictures (go figure :P ), but I worried it would be too long, so I decided to make it into a slideshow. (Feel free to check it out by clicking on the picture of Chris and I below).

Willy Wonka (The Musical) - December 14th

2008-12-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

T and I went to see Willy Wonka put on my the San Angelo Broadway Academy on Dec 14th with some friends from our bible study group. It was a musical mix of the Movie Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory from 1971 and the newer version Charlie and The Chocolate Factory from 2005. They really did a great job. My favorite character is still the Oompa Loompa's:

These are the ones from the original movie, but the kids they had acting did look just like this and did a GREAT job!

T loved it so much, he wanted his picture taken with Willy Wonka. Cody Manning did a wonderful job as Willy Wonka!

I was trying to get T to take a picture with an Oompa Loompa, but he was a little scared (0even though I kept telling him they were kids his age).

If you get a chance, go see one of the other great musicals the San Angelo Broadway Academy will be doing in 2009:

Peter Pan - May 22nd-24th
Disney's Beauty and the Beast -June 26th-28th
Disney's Alice in Wonderland - July 24th-26th
Scrooge the Musical - December 11th-13th

Christmas Tree Time

2008-12-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally caved in a decided to get a real tree this year. When T and I went to the Christmas Tree farm in Christoval, he fell in love with the idea of a real tree and picking it out himself, instead of the tree we have used for the last four years. So, after some coaxing from my Dad and my Son, I decided to make another trip to the Christmas tree farm and let him pick out our tree. So far, the house continually smells like pine and we are enjoying the tree, along with the cats....

Here is the tree T picked out for us:

It was very interesting getting it off the top of my car and into the house by myself..T kept saying "Mommy don't break it...mommy be careful..." I was so glad once I got it in the house ans settled into the stand. We decorated it and everything looked great, for a litle while. That is, until the new kitten discovered the newly added tree in the living room and up the tree she went. When I went to take her picture, I scared her and out of the tree she flew, throwign the tree to the ground and breaking about half of my ornamnents that were on the tree. Luckily, we had more ornaments that would fit, so all was ok after I ancored it to the bar behind it. Since then, the cat can get into the tree without any more heart attacks for me.

Here is our beautiful tree:

Now that the house is decorated and the lights put up outside, the only thing I have to worry about is the continued question "Is it Christmas yet??" Lol.....

Time With Daddy

2008-12-01T20:17:00.001-08:00

T went to his Dad's for the first part of the Thanksgiving Break. His school was out the entire week, so he left on Friday to go to the ranch with his Dad's Family, then I picked him up on Wednesday and we went to Ingram to spend time with my side of the family.

He had so much fun at the ranch with his Dad, that he and his Dad wanted to share their time together with you.

Here is what his dad sent me to share:

These two deer, T (my hunting guide) and I shot a few days before Thanksgiving.

They are both 7-points(Cull Deer). He told me: "Daddy when I grow up I am going to shoot big bucks like you." He even helped me gut them and it didn't gross him out. He thought it was "cool." I am also sending a picture of a big deer I shot for Tristan to put in his room.

Happy Turkey Day, 
Spencer

Let us be Thankful - SACA Play 11/21/08

2008-11-22T20:15:00.000-08:00

Well this week has been eventful. Last Saturday was the fundraiser dinner at SACA, this past Wednesday was the field trip to the Christmas Tree Farm and Friday was their Let Us Be Thankful... performance. Every grade level performed their own songs, skits, or play. It was neat to see the kids showing how Thankful they are for their families! They all did a marvelous job! I did get to film the Kindergarten's performance and if you have time to watch it, I think you will be amazed at how well they did memorizing their lines. They did their on The Pilgrims' First Feast by Brenda B. Covert

Currently, T is at his Dad's house in Fort Stockton until Wednesday and then I will leave my Parent's to go get him and take him back with me to Ingram for the rest of the week. I am sure I will post while I am there, so keep checking back.

We hope you all have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

SACA Field Trip to the Christmas Tree Farm 11/19/08

2008-11-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

Today was a wonderful day in God's Country with a Bunch of eager children! I decided to use one of my many remaining vacation days to spend the day with my son. Today was the day he was looking forward to for months and I wanted to be there when he got to experience it for the first time. Today was his school field trip to the Christmas Tree Farm. It was a very eventful day and I managed to take a few pictures here and there to share with you.

Our day started out at the school at 8am. After Chapel time, we promptly left to go to Eldorado to our much anticipated destination. Once there, all the children (Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade) all circled around the flag pole to honor our Country by saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

Then once we divided into two groups ("The Elfs" were the Pre-K and K, while 1st and 2nd were "The Reindeers"), we went for a hay ride around the while farm so that they could explain to us how they plant, water, and care for the Pine Trees they grow. The kids really enjoyed the ride!

Here is a small portion of the tree farm. You can tell which one were planted three years ago versus one year ago.

Once the ride was over, we went to see the owner of the farm and he let the group plant a pine tree since they all managed to guess the things a tree needs to grow properly; water, soil. fertilizer, sun and air. Of course they added a few things like music and hugs which gave us all a giggle.

Meet "The Elfs!" They were so well behaved!

They had a "Dress the Scarecrow Contest" too! It was so cute and the kids thouroughly enjoyed it. There were four small groups and they all had their own area and clothes to use. They turned out great!
The finished product....
These llamas were new to the Tree Farm this year and 95% of the kids had never seen one before. They all learned what llamas eat and asked a handfuls of questions.
In the midst of feeding the llamas, we decided it was about time to eat lunch, so we roasted Hot Dogs and had Smores for dessert. Most of the kids had never cooked anything over an open fire, so they enojyed the fact they could prepare their oen food without the help of an adult.

Shortly after lunch, we loaded up the school vans to get the kids back so they would still have time to take a nap. The whole van ride back tot he school, T kept asking me when we were going to go back and begged me to get a real tree this year. We will see, I would love to get one, but they are a pain to clean up after (especially with two cats that will love to play).

I hope you day was a wonderful as mine. I love to be there to experience T's "Firsts!" But for those of you who can't, that is what this blog is for. Have a great evening everyone!

Hiding Turkeys From Farmer Brown

2008-11-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, all the kids in T's class were given a Turkey to disguise so that Farmer Brown wouldn't recognize them and try to shoot them for Thanksgiving Dinner. When I heard what Little Man wanted his to be, all I could think of was "How are we supposed to do that...????..." Then one thing led to another... I drew, T cut things out, and we ended up with:

Here are some snap shots of the other kid's turkeys. I snuck a few pictures of them when I went to pick T up from school on Monday after school. They really turned out cute! These kids, though still young, have a wonderful imagination. I would love to give Kuddos to the parents for helping their kids make it happen the way they pictured it! Out of fourteen kids, they all turned out different and unique. See if you can guess what they all are disguised as....

San Angelo Chrisitan Academy Fall Fundraiser 11/15/08

2008-11-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

Snowflake Showcase

2008-11-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce that the Snowflake Showcase this weekend was very interesting and fun! I have really been enjoying my side business. If you haven't had the pleasure yet of checking it out, please visit my Crafting Haven when you get a few minutes.

I was extremely lucky to be placed right next to one of my dearest friends for the exciting event! For all of you that attended, your support was greatly appreciated! If you saw anything you like, please contact me to come by to see it again in person. Pictures never show the products true beauty! Also, I will be updating the web page this week with all the remaining new stuff that was at the Showcase this last Saturday.

End of Season Soccer Party/Awards

2008-11-06T19:39:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I am a very proud Soccer Mom! To finish off a very successful season, Coach Cortez had all the boys meet at Neon Jungle for an awards ceremony and a few rounds of indoor put-put golf to celebrate their season. We are all so very proud of them!

When I told T that his awards party was in fact today after school, he said he wanted to take his Coach some flowers to say "Thank You" for teaching him how to play. He also wanted to get her an award, but since I didn't have time to come up with something, he settled for a gift card for movie rentals instead. He is so thoughtful and it is too cute that he always wants to get people something. He picked the flowers and the card out all by himself and was so proud that he didn't even spend all the money I told him he could, that he said I could buy something for myself with the left over money. It love it!!

He did let me snap a shot of him carrying in the flowers "like a big boy does" and he was grinning ear to ear when he told her "I picked them out myself and Mommy didn't even argue with me. Do you like them, if not Mommy can have them." It was funny. She told him she was very excited about them and asked if she could keep them instead. Of course, that made both his dimples pop out when he smiled with delight.

He is so excited about his trophy that he kept jumping up in place until she called out his name. He jumped up there so fast and turned immediately away and ran for me to show me. I couldn't help but laugh and wonder if I was that excited when I got my first trophy. I love to watch his excitement over the things in life. It makes all the long tiresome days worth it!

GO KNIGHTS!!!

**I am also proud to announce that I will soon be Upgraded to a Basketball Mom at the end of this month. Tristan will be participating in Upwards Basketball.

My Surprise from Chris

2008-11-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the 5th of November, was our six month anniversary. We had been talking to each other for a while before that, but officially it has been six months now. Time sure flies...especially when you are happy. Anyway, I had just finished tutoring for the evening when Chris surprised me with flowers, dinner from Steak Express, a Movie and two cards. It was so unexpected and too sweet for words!

Here is a picture of my flowers. Tigger,one of my cats, loves to rub up against the leaves on flower arrangements....it is so cute to watch him just keep rubbing back and forth....

Knights Last Game

2008-11-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today was the last game of the Fall Soccer Season. The boys did very well. They won four games and lost three. Here are the pictures from today's game. I was very proud of T! He ran hard and kicked the the ball really well several times today. It is so hard to remember to take pictures while cheering, but I managed to get a few. The awards ceremony and party is this Thursday to celebrate a great season. He can't wait to get his trophy. He is already counting down the days...

I am so very proud of Little Man! He has really come a long way from not knowing much about Soccer when the season started. He is already signed up to play again in the Spring, along with all the other boys on his team. Keep watching the website, because he will start Upwards Basketball (Church League) in December. I love being a Sports Mom, but I know sometimes he thinks his Mom is crazy since I cheer so much...

The Cousins at Kids Worshop

2008-11-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, we met Jim and the kids (as well as Jim's Father-in-Law) at Home Depot for the Kid's Workshop. They were all going to build the Leaf press, but since they got done quickly, the very nice Gentlemen at Home Depot let them build a second project. The Bird houses turned out really good as well. They all participated and had a good time doing it together.

I recommend anyone take their kids to this if you get a chance. It is the first Sat of every month and Free to do.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

We had a blast this year! First we went to Batman's school Fall Festival and play all the games we could. Then after, we all went to the house to hand out candy to the other Trick-or-Treaters.
I am very lucky to have such a generous "Batman"! He gave away candy by the handfuls. When I would get on to him and tell him "only two per kids or we will run out of candy for the rest of them," all he could say was "aww Mom, they are just having a good time and if we run out, I can just give them mine..." I get so proud of him when he does things like that! Good thing I bought three big bags from Sam's last week, since it was all gone after the kids quit coming to the house. And sure enough, Little Man still has all his own candy to eat. He was originally going to be Ironman, but when we actually went to get his costume, he fell in awe of the Batman costume and chose it instead. This year to make it more fun, he got to choose my costume. I wanted to be Catwoman, but T wanted me to match him and chose the Batwoman costume instead. It turned out really cute! Halloween is so much more fun with T around!

-------------------------------------

This was T's favorite part of decorating this year....I dont' like spiders normally, but this one I don't mind too much. You should have seen him carry it our of the store! It is literally as tall as he is...

Showing off his cape. He kept running all over the yard telling me he was flying to rescue people. Too cute!!

Showing off his mucles under our spider web in the tree.Two of Little Man's best friends from school (Indiana Jones -Jaxon and Army Man- Ben).

Batman and Pirate Carrie Gartman (His Teacher)

Going on the Hay Ride

Batman and Batboy (Chris bought his in Ohio, when he was TDY for the Military, and we had already bought ours....it was funny when we told each other what we had bought, without meaning to match.)

The Three of Us...

We hope you all had a Safe and Happy Halloween!

PABC Singles Retreat to HEB Camp 10-25-08

2008-11-01T10:45:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch Surprise

2008-10-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

T's school took a trip to the Pumpkin Patch here at a local church. I was lucky enough to be able to take an early lunch to go surprise him. Once there, we were read a pumpkin story and then we all went outside and Mrs. Joy told the kids about the different types of pumpkins and showed them the right way to pick a pumpkin up.

Since they were too little to pick up some of the heavier pumpkins, they hugged them instead...

They also got to pick one of the smaller pumpkins to take home. T's now sits on the entertainment center for everyone who comes over to see.

He now wants to go back and get a smaller one for Baby Lilly. He is so sweet! He always talks about her and asks his Dad and Heather B about her when they call to say goodnight to him. I am so glad I got to enjoy this day with him!

Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, TX 10/05/08

2008-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Fredericksburg, Texas, celebrates its German heritage through Oktoberfest. Oompah at its best. German music, food and drink, arts and crafts, children's area and family fun.

OKTOBERFEST is a colorful, festive celebration of Fredericksburg, Texas' German heritage. It has become an annual tradition around the world and is a community event of family entertainment. Oktoberfest features two stages and two tents with continuous oompah music, art & crafts, Children's fun area ~ Kinder Park, a German Bier Tent, and Oktoberfest Vineyard area, plus delicious food and drink ... all weekend long!

Chris, Little Man and I went to meet Mom, my sister and her son on Sunday after church to spend a relaxing afternoon at Oktoberfest. We has a blast hanging out with my family and enjoyed the wonderful Fredericksburg atmosphere. Every time I am down in that area, it makes me more and more homesick....

Our first stop before entering the Oktoberfest area, was the Fire Station right next door to the festival. The boys had a blast looking at the fire trucks.

We walked around everywhere and then Little Man found the Kinder Park and wanted to show off his "Big Boy" talents.
He was bound and determined to show the older boys and Mommy that he could climb the Jacob's Ladder without help. To my surprise, he actually did it! I was so proud of my Big Boy!!! Since he got to the top by himself and rang the bell, he was given two gold coins as a prize to trade in for toys before we left. I forgot about the video recorder on my phone, so here are the first couple of pics of his climb.

We couldn't help but take a few snapshots on the pretty decor before we left and headed back home.

I love hanging out with my Family!!

Fire Trucks & Firemen Transformers 10/04/08

2008-10-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Little Man went to Home Depot's Kids Workshop this morning with my friend's kids and learned to build a firetruck. When he got home, he couldn't wait to show me what he made with his own two hands. He usually has to miss these events due to being at his Dad's the first weekend of every month, but since we switched weekends, Little Man got to go to this time. (I recommend that if you have kids, that you take them. ) Here is what the finished project looked like.

As you can see below, the lights on the top of the truck remove to be a whistle. Little Man loved it, although Mommy got tired of the whistle after hearing it for almost two hours straight that same day...
Shortly after making this truck, we had to go to his third Soccer game of the Season. Although we lost this game, he still had a great day visiting with family that had come to town.

Once we got home, Little Man decided to do his "Imagination Game". Usually, he wont' let me tape him, he usually stops when I pull out the camcorder and won't start again until I put it up. But this time he actually kept playing, even though he knew I had it on him recording. His imagination is amazing! He can think up a whole scenario and play it out without even pausing. It is so fun to watch when he gets going. I am glad this time I get to share it with you. Enjoy!

KNIGHTS WIN the Second Game of the Season

2008-09-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Once again, Tristan's team played very well at their game yesterday. Even though I was cheering and not taking pictures like I should, I did manage to get a few good shots of him in between cheering the team on.

Tristan has proven to be one very lucky Little Man! He has had his own cheering section so far at every game. This time My Mom, My Sister's Son, My Aunt and Uncle and their Son, and my Sister-in-Law and her two kids all came to the game. It was nice getting to spend time with all my family. I know T really got excited to see everyone, so much so, he forgot that he was playing in the game and just stopped running and started saying "Hello" to everyone on the side lines. Too bad the rest of our family couldn't come. Thank you all for your continued support and cheers!

KNIGHTS WIN the First Game of the Season

2008-09-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Little Man! He hustled and played hard, even though it was extremely Hot at 1pm when they played. Since it was supposed to be "Silent Saturday" I painted and decorated a Cow Bell to ring when they were doing good. Even though no one was supposed to cheer on the kids with our voices, only with noise makers and signs, we all couldn't help but cheer them on. T ended up playing all but 15 minutes of the game. As you will see, he is #7.

-Warming Up with Coach Cortez-

-Game Time-

-Cheering his Teammates on while sitting out-

-We won! Go Knights!-

He definitely wasn't lacking in the cheering section, as His Dad's Whole Side of the Family was there, along with uncle Jim, our friend Dyan, my Godson Avery, and Me!

Better Together

2008-09-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Jenny Wilde, of Sprinkle of Grace Photography, took some Awesome pictures of T and me last Saturday and I wanted to share them with you all. There were so many good ones that I decided to do a slideshow so you can see them all without taking up too much room on here. (You can click the "four arrow" box at the lower right hand of the slideshow once it starts playing to view it full screen.)

PLAY HARD OR GO HOME

2008-09-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am personally awarding T the above award. After being very shy and held back, tonight at his soccer practice, he decided to kick it up a notch and PLAY HARD. He had not tried challenging any of his team mates for the ball, until tonight. Only three were there for practice (the local schools had Meet the Teacher night and the three that showed up go to private schools). This left plenty of one on two time for the boys to practice their offensive/defensive skills. Needless to say, T decided to go for the goal and one of the boys got in his way, so instead of backing off and letting them have the ball, he challenged the boy and ended up a lot worse off than he thought he would. We were all so excited at his change in his previous offensive strategy to a more aggressive one that as he went down, we were all still cheering and clapping. When he started crying because of the blood, we then realized that he did more damage than what we expected. As he turned the ball the other kid kicked his leg and knocked it out from under him. This sent T to the ground really quick and hard. Once the blood was gone and a band-aid applied, he went back out and practiced. The scare of the blood had him a little apprehensive, but he soon started showing everyone his wounds and praising himself for making "his first goal!" He did make it and I was very proud of him!
To give you a better idea why I am praising his efforts, here is what he looked like after the blood stopped and after a long careful washing of his knees...

Way to go T! We are proud of you!
-Mommy

Little Man Started Soccer!

2008-09-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

T started soccer two weeks ago. (Which is also the reason for my delayed blogs lately.) Practices have been interesting since he is the only new one starting this season. With his birthday being in June and him just turning 5 not too long ago, he had to wait until this year to start. All the other kids on his team are older 5 year olds (almost 6) and are playing their third season, second year. Around here, you can play both in the Fall and Spring.

He loves it so far and is doing really well for a beginner. So far, Chris and Dad have been able to help me cheer him on at practices, but his games will start this Saturday. Any of you whom want to join me in cheering, T would love it and I know we all would love it too!

Here is his schedule below. ALL games are on FIELD C. We will be the only kids in that age group playing at that time, so it will be easy to find us. His Team Name is the KNIGHTS and they are Gold and Black.

Sept 20th vs. Mighty Tigers @1 (This is Silent Saturday in which no cheering or coaching of direction is allowed but sign are welcomed- never seen it so should be interesting.)
Sept 27th vs. Pumas @12pm
Oct. 4th vs. Rockets @11am
Oct 11th vs Rug Ratz @10am
Oct 18th vs. SA Force @ 9am
Oct 25th vs Warriors @ 8am
Nov 1st vs. Young Guns @ 2pm (This one is the one they rescheduled from this last Saturday due to rain out.)

**Please remember he usually goes to his Dad's for visitation on the 1st, 3rd and 5th weekend of the month, so if you are coming to one of those games he may not be playing. Please call me first so you don't waste gas. With his Dad's Hunting Season, we have not for sure decided when the best time for him to go visit is, but he will be missing some games to have that valued time with his other Family.

Here are a few pictures I managed to take at practices:

Thank you for all your Prayers and Support!

God bless,
H & T

Meeting Francesca Battistelli

2008-09-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I LOVE Christian Music. T and I had the pleasure a couple months ago of hearing Francesca play at Glen Meadows Baptist Church here in San Angelo when Big Daddy Weave came to town. I had never heard of her at the time, but I was blown away by her talent. She got up there with her Guitar and sang her heart out. She didn't have a band with her, but her music was just a powerful as if she had one! I was amazed at what this petite young lady could do with her vocals. Her songs were just as amazing!

After she got done playing her four songs to open for Big Daddy Weave, they announced her CD would soon be coming out. Needless to say, I knew I would want to buy it. So, I impatiently awaited it's release in July.

After telling a lot of people about her, I decided to purchase the four songs she sung that night for my iPod. That way I could let them hear her music instead of just taking my word on it. All four songs sounded exactly like her singing in person. I was so impressed! I couldn't believe how close they were! Most artists don't sound on CD like they do in person, but she did!

Right after her My Paper Heart CD Release , I found out via her website, that she would be coming back to San Angelo for the second time. Another rare thing...an Christian artist who visits Texas twice in a year, let alone a matter of months, and both times to San Angelo.

Once again, she blew me away with how Awesome she sings and also the power of the message in her songs! It was just her and her guitar and a lot of mesmerized people.

After the concert, the Pastor of the Church did a question/answer session in which she told how she came to know God and how she came to be an artist. She is a a very amazing Christian and it was a pleasure to get her to sign my CD and get to talk to her first hand.

I don't know how many of you have heard of her or even heard her music, but you can got to http://www.francescamusic.com and listen to the CD. Once you do, I promise you will feel the urge to buy it for yourself.

Beth Moore Conference in San Antonio

2008-09-12T12:22:00.001-07:00

I am currently relearning to COMPLETELY rely on the Lord for wisdom and strength. I needed to get better at getting into the Word and studying more. So, while in between studies from my Women's Bible Study and Our Singles Ministry Bible Study, I decided to embark on a trip with a few other Women from our church group to go see Beth Moore.

August 22nd -23rd was the Beth Moore conference in San Antonio, TX . It was a nice break from San Angelo and ton of fun. It was not the first time I have done one of her studies, but it was the first time I have ever been to one in person.

Beth spoke on The Inheritance. Psalms 16:5-6 says, "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."

Travis Cottrell and the worship team did an awesome job leading us to the throne. I have to say that the praise team was so anointed the entire weekend.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Living Proof Live - San Antonio from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

It was a feast of the Word and personally, I left the conference feeling very loved by my God knowing that I have a beautiful inheritance in Him. He is my portion. And I am His. I'm an heiress of God!

T is in Kindergarten Now!

2008-08-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Well, T has finally begun his school year this morning. His Dad and I had the pleasure of taking him to his first day of Kindergarten at San Angelo Christian Academy this morning!

He really is growing up quick! This morning I tried to help him get his lunch, rain coat, and backpack on, but little did I know that he had already gotten his lunch box out of the fridge, had his jacket on and was putting his backpack on when I walked into the living room. When I reached out to help him finish putting his backpack on, he simply turned his body and said"I got it Mom...I am a big boy now." I couldn't help but laugh and feel a little bit of hurt. I always enjoy helping him in the mornings and today he did it all by himself. The only thing he let me do was wet his hair so he could comb it. Guess that is what I get for telling him that he has to be a "Big Boy" at school...

-Daddy walking him into the school-
-His desk-
-Bye Daddy-

-"Aww..Mom...not another picture..."-

-His way of telling us "all is ok" and we can leave...-

I am so proud to be his mom and I know his Dad, Heather B., and all of our families are proud of our Big Boy!

Welcome Lillian Grace Wyatt 08/06/08

2008-08-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

T and I would love to announce the birth of his NEW BABY SISTER. Lillian Grace Wyatt was born on August 6th. She was born to Tristan's Dad, Spencer Wyatt and his Wife Heather Wyatt. She was 7 lbs and 10 oz. and 20 inches long. She is very healthy and a beautiful little angel! Tristan is very excited ot be a big brother finally!

Showing off his Big Brother T-shirt that he and his Step-mom Heather and him made this summer....

Seeing Lilly for the first time....

She is so adorable!

Close up...
Telling Daddy how "She is so cute!" and "Aww she is crying.."
The Flowers T picked out to Take to Heather and Lilly...
Holding Baby Sister and Singing "Oh Happy Days" to her.
He kept singing to her.....
Kisses for Lilly...

I am really proud of T. I know there will be jealous times, but I am hoping that he will keep being the sweet little boy to her that he has been since she was born. It really brought a tear to my eye to see him sing to her and kiss here and tell her he loved her. He is a great kid and they are both very lucky to have each other. Congrats Spencer and Heather! You have two wonderful, and very cute, kids!

Single's Bible Study Group and T's Adventures through the Jungle....

2008-07-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

So, last week most of our Singles Bible Study group got together to say goodbye to one of our Brother-In-Christ, James Jensen, as he leaves for his next Training Station during his military career. Since I write to most of you often about our wonderful group, I decided to post the picture of the ones that were there that evening so you can see that we have a huge group full of wonderful people. Please keep in mind that not all of them are here. About half are missing still....

After dinner, while I was saying goodbye, T wandered around the Logan's Roadhouse landscaping and decided to make up a storey about being in the jungle. As he was telling himslef the storey, I decided to take a few pictures. I wish you could have heard his storey! He is so creative and the words just spill out of his mouth without even pausing....

Monkey-ing Around the House

2008-07-23T11:26:00.001-07:00

Tristan wanted new pajamas to wear while he was at Mommy's house this summer so we made a trip to Wal-Mart the week before he left. (Yes, I know I am slow in my postings again, but I have been busy with him since he is now back at home and on our normal schedule again. Sorry...) Anyway, he had grown quite a bit and his other three sets were now looking like capri pants on this very tall and slender little man. So, we ended up getting his Monkey Pj's (picked out solely by him) one size too big just so he would have the right length on the legs. He wanted to show his Monkey talents that Uncle Monkey taught him (his Uncle Matt in Fort Stockton --- whom, might I add does the best Monkey impersonation I have ever seen).

Below are the pictures we took

Here is a video I took. I couldn't get it to rotate and he was pretty worn out from all the jumping around so this was the best I could do....

Random Photos of Little Man from this Summer

2008-07-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Driving the Train at the Mall in San Angelo.

Getting ready to play Laser Tag with Mommy.

Beating Mommy at Air Hockey for the third time this trip to The Rink.

He really is good at this game and I know he didn't get it from me.....

Waiting to Ride the Go Carts with Mommy.

He loves to ride in these things. We make a good team!

Playing Putt-Putt Golf.

Family Time

2008-06-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, my family has visited a lot. It has been helping me keep my mind off of Tristan being at his Dad's in Fort Stockton. I have taken lots of photos of the Grandkids (but only posted a few) and also a video of My Niece riding her bike without training wheels and one of KK making my newphew laugh. They are all growing up way too fast.....

We are all very proud of her for being able to do it by herself!

T borrowed Little Man's bike, so Little Man had to help him out (or so he thought he did)...

She is so good at it!!

KK made the baby laugh. He is a verry happy kid with an Awesome Mommy!

She really likes holding and playing with the baby...

The boys were being boys and holding stuff on their heads to try to get us to laugh...too cute!

Pre-K Graduation Day 05/23/08

2008-06-11T20:41:00.002-07:00

I almost forgot to put up the pictures of T's graduation from Pre-K into Kindergarten. I am so proud of our Little Man for doing so well! His Step-Mom was his teacher, so you will notice that she got to sign his diploma. I am very frazzled at the idea of him growing up so fast, but at the same time, I am so very proud of the Little Man he has become and the manners and good judgment that he has learned over this last school year while at SACA. He loves to sing his praise songs and loves to say his books of the bible to prove how smart he is. Congrats Tristan!

Tristan's 5th Birthday Party

2008-06-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Even though T's Birthday is not until June3, we decided to have his Birthday party on May 31st at the Colts Stadium during one of their games. It was the last day I would have him before he would leave to go to visit his Dad in Fort Stockton for the entire month of June.

Shortly after arriving at the stadium, Casey the Colt brought T a gift and also a Birthday Cake from the Colts.

During the game, Tristan got called down to the field to Race Casey the Colt around the bases. We took a video of it so he could show you how fast he can run. You will see him false start and then have to go back and start again. He really enjoyed being able to chase Casey and when he was done, he received a t-shirt for beating Casey.

Since it was Jim's actual Birthday on the 31st, my parents, Karen, her son, and Omi all came over to the field after Jim's Party ended. (T and I didn't get to make it to Jim's Birthday party, but we did get to hang out with him and his family earlier that day and got to wish him a Early Happy Birthday.) Once they got there, I lit the candles on the Birthday cake and we all sang to T. Of course, Pop-pop had to cut the cake.....

After we sang and everyone ate the cake, we let T open his presents. There were so many of them. He was supported that day by many of our close friends, our singles ministry group and their children, and my family.

Aunt KK (Karen) decided to Silly String T and then Shortly there after, T's Step-Mom, Heather B, decided to Silly String his Dad. They both were caught of guard and we all had to laugh at them.

T was very pleased with the presents and will certainly get to enjoy them all once he gets back from his Dad's in July. He only got to open and play with a select few due to the fact that the he left to go to his Dad's the very next day.

We would like to thank all of those who were able to come to T's Party! His Dad, Step-Mom and I REALLY appreciate you being there to support him as he continues to grow and also for being there for him as he learns his place in this world.

Tristan's Star Party 05/16/08

2008-06-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Even though T's Birthday was not Until June 3rd, his School allows you to Host a "STAR PARTY" to honor those kids who have a birthday during the summer months. Tristan decided to have his on the 16th of May, right before school was out. He wanted Pizza, of course, so I made it a point to ask for time off work to be able to enjoy the party with him and take a few snap shots to share with you. (Thank goodness my work is very flexible on when I can take my lunch.)

He just had to take a picture showing how old he was going to be....too cute!!

One of the other Parents made Cookies, instead of cake. The kids really loved that!

This is how Heather B (Tristan's Step-Mom, but also his Pre-K Teacher) decorated the room. She did a great job and T really thought it was "COOL!" as he came through the door into the classroom.

While eating the eating their carrots, the kids decided to show how strong they were and I couldn't help but laugh at him....especially when he was straining so hard his face turned as red as a tomato...

Thank you to Heather B for helping me get this together for T!

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Heather B always got creative with her bulletin boards throughout the school year. I was always stopping by to see what the next one was. When I saw this one, I had to share it with you! It says "One Soul At A Time, Stating With Mine. Bee God's Purpose." I managed to get a close up of Tristan as a Bee. He sure was a cute Bee....

Mother's Day 2008

2008-06-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

On top of having a great camping experience with my Son and my closest friends at Enchanted Rock the day before, I REALLY had an awesome Mother's Day. T and I got up fwent to Sunday School, then attended Worship, then ate lunch with our Single Parents Ministry group. The unique part of the day, came about when our ministry group all decided to meet up at Kid's Kingdom Park, with the food of our choice, and our Children. We all sat around and spent time with our children for about a total of four hours.After the kids played on the playground, a few of us decided to go for a walk with the kids across the river to the Visitor Center Waterfall Area. The kids enjoyed chasing the ducks on the way over to the Visitors Center, while we got a kick out of seeing them exhaust themselves.

Some of the boys climbed up the rails of the bridge, and some even ran ahead to pick flowers for their Mommy.

I got many flowers from Tristan that day and an limitless amounts of "I Love You Mommy!"

Even though the day wasn't an elaborate planning of events, it was one of the best days I spent with my Son! I only hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day as much as I did.

Enchanted Rock Camping Trip 05/10/08

2008-05-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

A group of friends and I decided to go visit Enchanted Rock. T had never been camping before so he was "pumped up" for the occasion. We left for Fredricksburg, TX on Friday evening and camped out at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park.
On Sat Morning we all got up, packed up camp and headed for Enchanted Rock. I had done this many times as a kids, so it was neat to take T where my parents use to take me and my family.
We had a blast climbing the rock, but also got to stop back through on our way home Saturday evening to eat and Early Mother's Day Dinner with my Mom, Dad, and Omi.

Lapse of Time and Blogging

2008-05-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delays in my blogging. I have not had Internet at home for the last month while I was in between companies and now that I will hopefully be back up and running this weekend, I will be catching up on all the happenings of Tristan and Me very soon!

Walk for Autism Results

2008-04-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I had the pleasure of Walking this past Saturday to help support one of my Co-worker's Son. He was diagnosed with Autism and fights the battle everyday. I also had the pleasure of supporting one of my Son's friends, Rodney (he works at my son's School). The turn out for the event was amazing! Over 500 people showed up. The total raised is still being determined at this point, but our Multi-Chem Team raised approximately $2245.00 and the total donations placed that day were over $10,000.00 (not including all internet pledges prior to the event on Saturday morning). It was a pleasure to walk for Reagan and Rodney and I know Tristan said he "liked being able to help my friends" as we were leaving. It is nice to know so many people care enough to help support others!

I took a few pictures while we were there. I hope that in the future if you ever get the chance to do a walk to help support a cause, that you choose to do it! I have another walk next month to help support Cancer and I am excited to be able to participate in it as well. Tristan said he wants to do that one too! I love that my son is so supportive of me and him helping others when we can!

Walk Now for Autism Update

2008-04-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Please remember Tristan and me in your prayers tomorrow morning at 10am, along with all the other walkers, as we walk to help raise money for Austim Speaks. So far, only my employer is supporting me, but I would love to help raise more. If you would like to contribute ANY amount of money, please visit the webpage link below and find my team "Multi-Chem. " All you haev to do is click on my name and support Tristan and I with whatever you can give. Prayers would be appreciated for those who have children/family members with Autism. We are walking for Julie Roger's son (she works with me).

May God Bless you all!!

-Love, Heather and Tristan

I am participating in Walk Now for Autism to help find a cure for autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.
Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I raise $ 250+ to help fund essential research. I will be walking on April 5th and would like you to support those affected by autism. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and join my team online through my webpage at http://www.walknowforautism.org/. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page or send me a check made out to Autism Speaks. My team name is Multi-Chem; please note this on your check and the donation form.
Please join me in my fight against autism. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today.

Sincerely,

Heather

(Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. 501 (C)(3) NUMBER: 95-4542637 Autism Speaks Tax Id #: 20-2329938 )

Stepping Up Women's Bible Study

2008-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

(To watch the Trailer of the Beth Moore "Stepping Up" Bible Study, click on the picture above.)

Last Wednesday the Women from the Paul Ann Baptist Church began this new Bible Study written by Beth Moore. I eagerly joined in the group and we embarked on our seven week study of the Psalms of Ascent. It is a detailed study of Psalms 120–134 that engages participants in unique opportunities for personal reflection and worship while exploring the background/writer of each.

Beth Moore believes that "Just as a song or poem can express feelings of fear, doubt, hope, and joy, these 15 psalms model how study participants can voice their own petitions and praises to our God, who is always available and ready to hear us."

I am very excited to go on this journey with the Women of Paul Ann Baptist and will keep you updated on my journey.....

God bless you all!!

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

2008-03-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I know I am a little late in posting this video and pictures, but Tristan and I went on March 15th to see the The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform at Mathis Field here in San Angelo, TX. It was approximately 75 minutes of formation and solo routines of the U.S. Air Force Ambassadors in Blue, The Thunderbirds, in their F-16 Fighting Falcons, hosted by Goodfellow Air Force Base at Mathis Field. The show was free and lots of fun. Even though I couldn't upload a lot of the video I took due to sun glare, I did try to edit out as much of the clear shots I could.

The Thunderbirds:
USAF F-15:
B-25 Yellow Rose:
Trojan Phlyers:
We both really enjoyed the show very much! If you ever get a chance to see the show, I recommend you go and take your family!

Easter Reflections

2008-03-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Easter Reflections

With OUR EYES we see
The beauty of Easter
as the earth awakens once more...

With OUR EARS we hear
The birds sing sweetly
to tell us Spring again is here...

With OUR HANDS we pick
the golden daffodils
and the fragrant hyacinths...

But only with OUR HEARTS
can we feel the MIRACLE of GOD'S LOVE
which redeems all men...

And only with OUR SOUL
can we make our 'pilgrimage to God'
and inherit His Easter Gift of ETERNAL LIFE.

_________________________

It is our desire today and everyday that God continues to bless you and your loved ones and that you not only inherit his gift of Eternal Life one day, but that you choose to share your knowledge of him with others until that day comes!

Guidance (Written by Robert Mann)

2008-03-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word and I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'.

'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.' God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life and once again, I became willing to let God lead.

_____________________________________________

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance !

PABC Del Rio/Mexico Mission Trip

2008-03-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a long time, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to go on a Mission Trip with the Singles Ministry group from Paul Ann Baptist Church. We left here at 6 pm on Friday night and arrived back here safely at midnight last night. Eighteen PABC members rode down to Del Rio in two church vans to help out our fellow Christians in Del Rio who are trying to start a church and after we were done there, we had the opportunity to visit two orphanages in Mexico.
We painted two coats on the inside of the Esperanza Del Rio Community Church on Saturday morning, and worshiped God in between paint coats drying. Then, we proceeded to drive to Acuna, Mexico where we visited two Children's Orphanages (Missions) a spent time with the kids and learning about their life experiences in these orphanages. Zachary also donated his bike to the first orphanage we visited. They were so excited! We were able to play with the children, talk to them (as our rusted Spanish permitted), and share the word of God through the Story of Jesus Bracelets and cards we handed out (typed in Spanish). For those of you who have not had the pleasure of reading about these, this is what it says;

Story of Jesus 'Christ's Story' Bracelet:

One night there was a bright star (Star Charm),
which guided three men (3 green beads),
who were the three wise men (3 white beads),
To the birth of Jesus (1 clear bead),
Who later in life became a carpenter (1 brown wood bead),
And a fisher of men and souls (1 fish charm),
He had twelve apostles (12 metal rings),
Who spread the Word of Christ. (1 clear bead).
But on one black day (3 black beads) of hatred, envy and death
he was crucified (1 silver cross)
He shed His blood for us (1 red bead)
to purify and save us (1 clear bead).
He rose and is now in Heaven (1 blue bead)
seated with the Father and the Holy Spirit(1 dove charm)
And He did all this because of His great love for us (1 heart bead).

Walk Now for Autism

2008-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Sincerely,

Heather

(Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. 501 (C)(3) NUMBER: 95-4542637 Autism Speaks Tax Id #: 20-2329938 )

Bowling/ Mr. Gatti's

2008-03-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

Bowling has really become something T is good at. We try to go atleast once a month, but sometimes we go twice. I love to do things with T that my Mom and Dad did with us when we were kids. It brings back Memories for me, but also helps me create new ones with him. I LOVE IT!!!

WOW - he is a cute "little man"

I think I will have to lock him up until he is 21...just kidding....
I am a biased parent, can you tell???

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After bowling. we went to grab some food at T's favorite restaurant, Mr Gatti's. There, T made a new dicovery..... He is finally tall enough the ride the Bumper Cars at Mr Gatti's! Only problem is, I couldn't get him to stop riding until I went through 16 coins for him and 8 coins for me, which was all he had left. He loved it!!

We did attempt to win the Motorcylce race, but only got 4th Place.

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Also, for those of you whom pray on a regular basis: Can you please say a prayer for me and my group from Paul Ann Baptist Church who are going on a Mission Trip to Del Rio and Mexico tomorrow evening until late Saturday. It would be greatly appreciated! I will write a new blog on it when I return and hopefully I will be able to get a few pictures to add while I am there.

Tristan's Rodeo Day at his Pre-School

2008-02-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

Today was T's Rodeo day at his school. My new job allows me to take my lunch whenever I need to, so I was able to go to his school and watch him participate in his Rodeo Day. When I got there I was very happy to see that T's dad had surprised him by coming to. He was extremely excited to have him there. So, needless to say, T's entire family was there to watch him and he made it a point to keep telling me that! (Me, his Dad and his Step-Mom, and the Baby in her tummy)

The first thing they did was to pet Joker, his dad's horse. I decided to take a few pictures of him and his dad and their family.

The next thing was to take a picture on the Saddle (of which would later be put in a frame they painted). Then, go try to rope the Calf Dummy. T did a great job!

The third station was the Boot Scramble. Here they had to run down to the cone, put over-sized boots on and run to the finish line. T looked like a pro in over-sized boots! I guess all the times he walked around my house with my boots on, and his dad's house with his boots on, paid off.

Next, was the Clothes Race. They were supposed to put the over-sized clothes on and run back to the finish line, however T and most of the kids gave up before they ever got the pants all the way on. The pants didn't slide over their boots very well.

The last event outside was the Stick-Horse Race. They did it twice. The first time he did well as you can see, but the second one he was losing so he decided to cheat and just run with the horse beside him.

When they went inside, they sponge-painted bandannas and then Painted Frames.

Lastly, they had snack and story time. T kept turning around and doing the I Love You sign.

I am truly glad I got to go to his School, especially since he kept telling me thank you when I picked him up from his Dad's after work this evening. I have the most Awesome Little Man!!!

Craft Projects for the Last Week....

2008-02-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

PROJECT #1

After T left for his Dad's I was straightening up the house when I noticed that my poor dining room chairs were finally showing the after marks of having a child in the house and occasional visitors. You see, I purchased this $10 table almost 5 years ago at a flea market. It is not your ordinary dining room table, but a table made out of old barn wood. I simply put a clear vinyl covering over it to protect it from the happenings of a little boy and a clumsy Mother. It has turned out to be quite the center of many conversations. So, as I wait for my son to grow up, I have been making do with the un-matched chairs and just recover them as needed. This time I let T decide what we would cover them with. This is what he decided on:

PROJECT #2

Ever since T has gotten big enough to remember the Holidays and get excited about them, I try to decorate the house with each Holiday. Last week we had gone to the store to get St. Patrick's Day decor, but since I was having a hard time finding any nice decor here in Angelo we made a decision to skip it and go straight to Easter. We made some things and just purchased others to try to spruce up the house a bit. Over all, I think it turned out really cute....

I have a few more projects that are up and coming, but it may be a few more weeks before I get to them. Things like this are a great way to end a day. It is very relaxing and self gratifying....I am just glad I can do them....Thanks MOM & DAD for teaching me how to do this stuff!!!

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Trip #2

2008-02-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

So today T and I headed up to the Rodeo to watch the show at 3pm. I had gotten some tickets from Multi-Chem,my Awesome Employer, and wanted to take T to the Rodeo in the Afternoon, then go ride the Carnival Rides afterwards to end the weekend on a fun note. So, we did just that. The first two pictures I took, but T took the next few. (He didn't do too bad of a job.)

(^^He wanted to interview to be a clown for them next year.^^)

These are from the rides T rode while we were at the carnival:

(^^He was so excited he kept running into the walls because
he wasn't paying attention to which ones were real
and which ones were illusions. It happened all 4 times he
went into the Fun House lol...^^)

Needless to say, the time flew by real fast and it was already time for him to be in bed, so we left the carnival and came home. He wasn't on the couch for 10 minutes relaxing when I looked over from uploading these pictures and he was passed out! What a Awesome weekend with my son!!!

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo

2008-02-23T17:00:00.001-08:00

This week and next week is the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. T got to be in the parade this morning for his school's float (San Angelo Christian Academy).

I wanted to add a few other pictures I took while at the Parade just for the pure fun of it...

^^This was totally awesome!!!^^

^^Only in San Angelo do you ride a Longhorn in a parade...^^

Once we were done at the Parade, we decided to head up to the Rodeo Fairgrounds to see the animals and hang out...

When we got done with that, T got a WILD HAIR and wanted to show Mommy he was a big boy and try the Bungee Big Bounce there at the fairgrounds. I took a few photos of my BIG BOY and a video. The video is a little blurry since it was taken on my cell phone. He is the one on the left of the video. He kept saying that he wanted to go higher, so you will see the lady there pull on his ankle a little to shoot him up higher... I am so proud of him!

All in all, it was a beautiful day filled with lots of fun times! We had so much fun together that we had to come home and take a nap to recuperate. I hope you all enjoyed your day as much as we did together!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! (A Day Early....)

2008-02-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

to all those who are in love..
to all those who can not be with their loves...
to all those who have fallen out of love...
to all those who have given up on love...
to all those who are broken hearted...
and to all those who still hold the faith in love..

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Everyone has love in their life whether they know it, recognize, or not. There are all kinds of love in this world, and each of us should hold that dear.

This is the Day of LOVE Whether it is the love between two hearts.. the love of a family... or the love of a friend; May Each of your hearts be opened to the realization, that you are loved!!!

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I watched my niece and nephew tonight and they played for almost 2 21/2 hours. I love to see them play together. The laughing and the games they come up with keep me amazed. Well, since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, they exchanged their Valentine's with each other and I decided to film them for a little bit talking about why we celebrate Valentine's Day and then My niece and nephew sang the chorus to the song "Baby Blue" (since that is what their Dad sings to them at bedtime) while my son decided to be silly....enjoy!!

Day of Reflection....

2008-02-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today I got a call from a really close friend today asking for prayers for him and his family. They have had some hard times here lately and he and I have been praying together for God to see them through. I have a hard time with this because I am close to his family. I have seen the good and I have seen the bad. It is always hard to see someone you are close to struggle with something that is totally out of your control and theirs, but hopefully in this case, God will find a way to help them through this.

Pondering on a little further....I have always known that the Lord pulls our heart strings here and there, but the best part is when the pulling is over and we find ourselves more and more thankful to believe in such a wonderful God. I hope and pray that they realize this for themselves one day.

Some of you may know that one of my mother's favorite sayings when you are having a hard time with something is: "That which doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger."

Those of you who know anything about me know I have had a hard life with my disease. Every time I meet someone new and they find out about my disease, they ask what seems to be more than the normal 20 questions. The question I am getting more recently is: "If you could change it, would you rather live your life without it?" I was asked this question earlier today at the store when I met a good friend's girlfriend for the first time.

Truthfully,and without a hesitation, I always reply "NO!" My life may be hard and challenging in more ways than one, but no matter how hard I have had it in the past, I know it made me more and more of who I really am today. I have a much better outlook on life. I would not be near the person I am today had I not had this growing up. I love my life! God made me unique in more ways in one. I am a stronger Christian because of it!

Hopefully God has blessed your life as much as he has blessed mine. And hopefully your trials have made you a better person instead of a bitter person.

Mommy & Son Date Day!!! Our Favorite Day!!!

2008-02-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

Well, today was our Mommy and son date day. We have one every other weekend where Tristan gets to decide what we do and then I add to it. We had a blast together last night, but this morning we got up early, went to eat breakfast at Kenny Blanek's and then went to the Concho Chocolate Festival at the Mall, then went to the park and raced our remote control cars and played for hours! It always amazes me how much fun you can have when spending time with your child. The laughs, the smiles, and how the time just seems to fly by. We just got home and it is already 5pm. This day went by so quick, but it was one for the records. I did get a few pictures of us....

Now that he is down for a late nap, I am going to get some laundry done so we can play a little more when he gets up. I hope you all have had as good of a day as T and I!

Fun With T & Church Friends

2008-02-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

T and I decided to join the Single Parent Group from our church tonight for an evening filled with activities. We met at a place here in town called The Rink and went from one activity to the next.
T skated for the first time on real Roller Skates on the Rink floor, instead of on our carpet or our driveway and got a little scared.

After two of the Guys took him out on the floor (one on each side of him) and skated around a couple of times, he felt more secure, then he skated with Mommy around a couple of times. He spent most of his time skating on the carpet because he felt comfortable skating by himself on there, instead of the slick rink floor. After about two hours of skating, we played video games while waiting on the laser tag game to start. He did really good at laser tag for it being his first time. He lasted for 6 minutes 30 seconds out of the 8 minute game before he died for "the last time." They let you play for 8 minutes or 25 lives. So, yes, he died 25 times and was so excited he DIDN'T even shoot his gun one time! So for lasting that long and forgetting to fire his gun during the excitement, he declared himself "A Winner." After laser tag, the Mommy and Son Team rode the Go-Carts and had a blast.

Needles to say, it was a great night for the two of us and we really enjoyed the company of the other single parents from our Church and their children.

My "In Need of Answers" Chart

2008-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

I have used this chart for many years and it always seems to help me when I can't answer certain questions on my own. I thought that since two people I know have asked me for a copy of it lately, I would put it on here and maybe it would help you some day.

Tristan and I have had a great week! So far he has gone to the Planetarium with his Pre-K Class and had a blast, we made breakfast this morning together for his class (Pigs-in-the-Blanket since they are learning the letter P this week), and all he keeps talking about is our Mommy and Son date this Saturday. We are going to cook breakfast together, go race our Remote Control Cars at the park, then we are going to go to the Concho Chocolate Festival. It sounds like it will be great fun!!!

I hope everyone's week is as good as our week has been for us! May God bless you and keep you always in the palm of his hand!