Back in the Saddle Again

Whew! What a week so far! Not much time to post this week!

Have I mentioned lately just how much I love this little sassy pants?

Caroline has been trying my emotional patience this week with more fever and an icky, icky cough. I was a little down in the dumps yesterday morning, and just had to put on my happy mommy face while we toughed it out at home. By the afternoon, I wasn't feeling quite so hopeless. But a little help from Blue Bell's Mocha Madness did the trick!


I know I've mentioned Shimmer, Caroline's fearless sidekick, who just so happens to be a 5lb. Chihuahua, but I have to tell y'all, this dog just cracks me up! She thinks she's a cat, seriously. When she goes outside and potties, she always scratches her feet after she's done, ya know, like a cat would if they were covering up their litter. And she has decided that her new resting place is on the top of our couch, curled up in a little ball...I thought only cats perched on the top of the couch. Apparently not. And poor thing, she lets Caroline torture her daily. She dresses Shimmer up, puts her in a stroller, makes her a bed, you name it, that dog has done it. It's a miracle she doesn't bite Caroline every time her hands reach out to grab her! But, amazingly, they are best buds.


These 2 pictures were just part of our day yesterday!



And then today, I got this sweet award from Jen at Kitchen Table Parenting...thanks girl, that was so sweet!


Here is what the "Let's Be Friends Award" entails...

"The Let's be Friends award stands for this: These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers."

Here are my 8:

1. Camily at La*Teed*Ah

2. Lindsey at Houser Happenings

3. Shorty at Securityville

4. Laurie at The Niebuhr Family

5. Tabi at Tabi Rambles on...

6. Martha at Keepin' Up with the Jones'

7. Elyse at Following Him

8. Leanna at The Hill

I enjoy all of your blogs and hope you enjoy mine too! Happy Thursday!

Happy Birthday Michelle

Happy, Happy Birthday Honey!

The BIG 3-0

You my dear, are so special, in so many ways. I think I could write a book about you, in fact, I'm pretty sure I could.

Let's take this back to 1995. Two words...Clay's House. I can still remember where I was sitting {at the breakfast bar} when Clay told me he liked you! I was so mad at him. I could not stand the thought of you hanging out with us! Then low and behold, we became inseparable.

Oh girl, the things we have been through. Boys, moving, buying houses, marriage, kids, death, hurt, and complete joy.

Michelle, Gracie, Gabriel, Me, Lexi & Caroline

Where would I be without you? Lost. You are the epitamy of the best friend, the all-american girl, a great wife, amazing christian, and loving mommy. I have so much love and admiration for you.

I think back to certain things we've experienced together and laugh, sometimes cry, but always think about how lucky I have always been to have you in my life.

Here are some of my favorite memories:

-the races

-rolling the ridge with your t-tops off

-standing by your side as you were married

-that darn devil cat

-you shopping in my room

-Shelley Belly

-you bringing me a gift and a sandwich the day my mom died, you just sat at the kitchen table and let me cry.

-11pm calls to talk while driving all over

-bawling as I had to leave while you were in labor with Gabriel so I could get to my dad's wedding

-my favorite phone call...me telling you I was pregnant
You: Hello?
Me: Your never gonna believe this.
You: Oh my gosh! Our kids are gonna be the same age!
Me: Yep {all the while, I'm trying to figure out how you could have gotten that out of
"your never gonna believe this"?}

-being with you when the girls were born

-my wedding to Tab

-going to your mom's house

-watching you do your make-up while in labor with all 3 kids, and even telling them to wait so you could fix your eyeliner with Gracie, just so you would have great pictures as soon as they were born

Now obviously these are just a few, but you get the point. I could literally go on for hours, but I'll resist. You have this unbelievably huge heart. You are so afraid to hurt people's feelings, and I on the other hand, tell it like it is, especially to you. There have been times when I have been very blunt with my advice, but you still love me regardless. Hopefully because you know I do it out of love. There are too many reasons that you are special to me, but mainly because you accept me for all my flaws, and can laugh at me for some of them. You always support me. I can't think of a time where you weren't supportive of my decisions, or stood by my side while I made them. On the same note, I have tried to always do the same for you. We both know we have each had our own struggles, and even though I tend to practice tough love on you, you understand why.

Gabriel, Lexi & Caroline

Lexi, me & Gracie 7.4.08

Lexi, Michelle & Boog

Boog, Gabriel, & Lexi at Gracie's 1st birthday

I have never in my life met anyone like you. Not only are you gorgeous, even during childbirth, but you have such a beautiful spirit. You are never quick to judge people, and even have faith in people when they have let you down. I think most importantly, you are such an amazing christian example. Your not perfect, but your faith is ever present, and you lead by example. You are loving and generous, all the time, to almost anyone. Your home is always open to others, even though there are already 6 of you.

Gabriel, Michelle, David, Lexi, Kyle & Gracie



Lexi & Caroline

Gabriel & Caroline

Michelle, you are my best friend, through thick and thin, through it all. You are one of the only people I trust completely with my daughter, you're her 2nd mommy. You have watched me become who I am and helped me become that person. There are so many things that we share together, and so many memories we have made, and I know there will be many more. If there ever was a reason for me to stay in Dallas, it would have been you and the kids. I think we both cried for hours when I decided the best place for me and boog was with my family. But we make it work. Maybe we don't see each other nearly as often as we would like, and we can't just hang out on the weekends anymore, but we always know we're there for each other. That's all that really matters.

So, on your 30th, I wish you love, joy, and all the happiness that you deserve, I just wish I could be with you to celebrate. I love you girl.

Friends for a Lifetime

I know over the past year I have mentioned my 2 best friends, Michelle and Sarah. They are my girls. The ones I can count on to always be there. I will be doing a special post for each of them in the very near future, beacuse I love them to pieces!

I know I have been exceptionally sappy lately, mostly because of everything with Caroline, but as I have been going through pictures, I see them, and I smile. I think of all the things we have shared, and all the memories we have made. Our beautiful children, and the completely different women that we have grown to be.

I love these girls. They are my besties, and I have no clue where I'd be without them!

Reminiscing

While I was going through photos for the Anniversary Post, I came across so many memories. Sometimes you briefly forget little moments of the past, but then something triggers a memory. Everyone always teases me for never being without my camera, but I know that deep down, they are glad I have it!

Since re-seeing {I know that's not a real word, just work with me here!} I thought I would share some of my favorite memories. I would love for y'all to do the same! If you feel like sharing, just leave me a comment and let me know to come by and see what warms your heart, or makes you laugh so hard you might have tinkled just a tiny bit. I'm not saying that's ever happened to me, maybe once, but when I was pregnant! Have fun!


Our car was so awful! They put oreos and hotdogs, and streamers, we drove straight to the car wash laughing the whole way!


Getting to visit with my BFF Sarah. We had such a good time sitting by the pool.

The Sassy Face

We took Boog to the State Fair and she just had to take her My Little Ponies with her to show the big horses.

I walk into the bathroom to find this...she said she wanted to be fabulash!

Amusing herself while potty training

Easter egg dying. Michelle would have had a heart attack!

Vacation at the beach. Husband and daddy played chess all day, and all night that day, only breaking to eat.

We went to visit Michelle, my BFF and her kiddos a few months ago, and she just couldn't resist picking her daughter Lexi's nose! Ha Ha!

Then the kids got to play in the tree.

During dance pictures, I was cracking up...she was so ready to go!

Movie night...this is what they did everytime someone was kissing. Hilarious!

The reason she doesn't play soccer.

And now {finally} for the theme pictures, the ones that crack me up, and shake my head to say, "Why me?"

18 months, after it rained

3 years old, Thanksgiving

5 years old, summer fun


Do you think she likes to play in the mud?

I Love You

Have I ever told you just how much I love you? I never thought I would be so happy, I knew that as long as I had Caroline, I would be happy...and then I met you. You changed my whole world. I love you Tab, for so many things...here are just a few....


























Happy Anniversary Love! You are my world, I love you more than words can say!