A new Year

So hear we are, January 14, 2008. I have already decided that this year is going to be great. My race is getting closer, and that scares me to death, but I am now going to a personal trainer to get in top condition. I am not sure how well it will go, but so far after 2 sessions, things are looking good. We have had a busy few weeks in January. School started back up last Monday, and honestly, I was starting to think that we needed to move to wherever they have year round school. I love my girls so much, but wow 2 weeks is a long time, especially since Emma loves school so much. There was one day where she sat on the sofa and cried, because she was missing PE. I felt badly for her, but she soon admitted that she really was all of her buddies at school. I was missing cleaning the house without the girls fighting the entire time.

This past weekend was awesome. I have now been 33 for 3 full days, and it is not too bad. Friday (the actual day) started off nice, I went and ate lunch with Emma at school. Which was so cool, because the whole class knew it was my birthday, and when I went into the room, everyone yelled "Happy Birthday Emma's mom" I of course loved it. After that I took Abbi to play with Austin, so that I could take my Friend Carol to Walmart. I know that sounds odd, but Carol has progressive MS, and is confined to a wheel chair. She is basically a shut in, with some small trips out. So anyway, then I had to go to Kroger to pick up stuff to make dinner. This is where my day just went thru the roof. All of our kiddos were here for dinner. All 5 of them. Brandon had told me earlier that he would cook dinner(best gift ever) so I let him. Erin brought gifts for the kids(big hit) and Tommy played with the kids the entire night(big job) Then after dinner, they cleaned up the kitchen. Can you say Best Birthday ever? Chase got the best cake, but of course it is not on my lean out plan, so it was just a small piece for me. After we got stuff put up, we headed over to Glowgolf, to play miniature glow in the dark golf. So much fun. I have the greatest family. We spent the whole night just laughing and having fun.

Saturday night Erin and her roomie Allison took me to see George Strait for my birthday. I do not think I stopped smiling the entire night. It was so fun. I think that this years birthday will be so hard to top. But what a great start to a new year, I only wish that every year started off like this one.

Happy 2008

I cannot believe that the year is already over. We have had a rough couple of weeks, the girls have been sick since before Christmas. The nurse said that there is a viral cold going around, and the symptoms are fever for 3-5 days, and a cough for 2 weeks. Well, of course we got the full force of this one. Emma started off with it on the 22nd, and then Abbi came down with it last Thursday. The biggest deal of it though was that we were unable to go to mom and dad's for our family christmas. This is the first time EVER that we did not go to Texas for christmas. To say the least, I was bummed. Luckily my wonderful cousin and her husband live down the road, so we took them our gifts, and they drove them to Texas for us. They also brought ours back from Texas, and so we had christmas again at our house. Emma and Abbi got a WAD of cash from Vava, and Emma was very proud of it. She took that money today, and got her ears pierced. I was so proud of my sweet girl. She got up there and they double gunned her. She did not whimper or cry. She was so excited. She told me today that she wanted to do this so badly, that she would never ask for anything again. That lasted of course, about 10 minutes. We fully intended to buy Abbi a toy, since sis was getting earrings, so Emma(the one who never wanted anything else) decided that we should buy Squawkers Macal. That silly talking bird, which I was against before chirstmas(price tag of $60) but today at $15, it was a go. It is really cool, but I am glad that we will not be bringing anymore toys in this house until birthday time. Speaking of, I have 9 more days at my wonderful age of 32. I honestly think that I am going thru a mid 30's crisis. I just do not want to get old and older looking. So, what do you do? I got my hair high lighted to look younger, and of course I HATE IT! Why do I think that I can change the outside to make the inside feel younger? That is a good question, maybe some of you can answer that for me. So, Jodi take a stab at that one for me!

Marathon Update

Okay, Traci and I have signed up to do the Austin Half Marathon which is in February. I am not in the mood to train though because of the cold, but I need to get out there and do it. I did do something that probably was not a good idea, yesterday at the doctor, I asked hime for a months worth of DIET pills. I am so ashamed, but I wanted something to dump all of this extra weight off. He said that I should be able to drop close to 30 pounds, so that would help me out alot in getting faster. I know, do not feel like you have to tell me what a bad idea it is, I KNOW IT IS!! So, do not judge my moment of weakness at the doctors office. You are so vulnerable while standing on the scale in front of the nurse. but if it works, I will be happy with the results!

The Holiday craziness

Wow, the past week has been absolutely nuts. Every morning Abbi and I would get up and head over to the campus house to serve breakfast to all of the kiddos that came thru. It was so much fun, I absolutely loved every minute of it, and of course Abbi did. She was center stage for all of those kids to talk to, and play with her. It was busy, but very rewarding. It seems like those things usually are, or at least I am now seeing that they are. Emma has been very busy at school, with all of the christmas stuff they have to do before the break. Tuesday we are going up to Children's Hospital for her. I am really excited, because she will have a lot of fun. Luke is going on that day too, and she loves Lukey. In 6 days, Chase and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage. I am still in awe of that. Who would have thought that 10 years would fly by so quickly. On our actual anniversary the 20th, we will be very busy. I will start the day in Little Rock at the Higginbotham center getting a mmamogram. WOOHOO. It was the only day they had, and I would rather have the results now, then after christmas. Then that same day is when Emma has a solo in the christmas musical at school. I am so excited to see her. She loves to sing, and is really looking forward to this. Tommy is even staying in Conway to watch her big performance. I have to say, I love our college kids. They get so excited to see Emma do all of this kind of stuff as much as we do. They have really meshed with our family, and we are so greatful for that. Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for Christmas morning.....which we still have not bought the girls anything for that yet. Santa is not doing a good job at figuring out what to bring my little angels this year. But I guess we do have 10 more days to figure it all out.

Tis the Season

Before Turkey day, we put up the tree and took christmas card pictures, which took a lot of planning. This year we had our adopted college kids in our picture....and yes, I know we should have signed their names, but I am lazy. So there you go.

Here is the picture, or one of them, that we sent out. Tommy is holding Abbi, Brandon is holding Emma, and Erin is in the back with me. I love this picture, it is such a happy picture. It makes me think of a happy family, even though these kids are not really mine, I still feel that we are a family.

Speaking of family, it is just us girls this weekend. Last night we went to a birthday party for a girl in Emm's ballet class, and then MY babysitter came over after we got home. Yep, I am a big chicken. Chase is out this weekend with Ryan killing Bambi. He said he does not care how long it takes, he is shooting something. OH JOY! More stinky deer meat. I hope he is having fun, and I also hope he comes home in the same condition he left. Which would be no extra holes in him.

Abbi Grace

She and I spent all day Thursday up at Children's hospital doing that study, and let me just say, this little girl is funny. Here she is shaking her "groove thang" to the song on the radio before we left. I was cracking up.

Here she is just being Abbi. Such a sweet little girl. Or is she?

10 seconds after the last picture. I told her no to a snack. But did I give in?

No, I did not. But then another good song came on the radio, and she was all smiles again!

No kidding in the span of about 10 minutes, she showed all of her emotions. We are in for some trouble when this little one grows up! Next time I will do an Emma Claire blog! She and I will be headed to Children's for the same study in a few weeks.